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FEATURING...F-35 LIGHTNING II • BOEING 777X • A400M INTERNATIONAL JANUARY 2014 Vol.86 No.1 INTERNATIONAL MAY 2012 £4.50 For the best in modern military and commercial aviation www.airinternational.com The Aviation World in 2014 A350XWB • Falcon 5X • A320neo • Boeing 737MAX • Embraer E2 Kamov Ka-62 • Embraer KC-390 • F-15SE Silent Eagle Piaggio P1HH Hammerhead • MQ-8C Fire Scout • Bell V-280 Valor •NEW • N N N W N E E E E E E E E E E W W W N N N N • • 2014 Produced by Key Publishing and featuring articles written with and by RAF personnel. The Offi cial Annual Review 2014 is a 132-page special magazine that provides behind the scenes insight into the aircraft, equipment and people of one of the world’s premier air forces. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: THE DAMBUSTERS PREPARE FOR HERRICK Behind the scenes in 617 Sqn’s anniversary year as the squadron readied for its fi nal Afghanistan deployment OPERATION NEWCOMBE When the French engaged extremist forces in Mali, the RAF responded with C-17 airlift and Sentinel ISTAR support CHINOOK 4, 5 AND 6 The upgraded Chinook Mk 4 in service and a look ahead at the step change in capability that the new Mk 6 delivers FALKLANDS PERSPECTIVE A detailed look at the RAF’s considerable capability in the Falklands, from tankers JUST to Typhoons and radar sites, as the UK prepares for the long term 831/13 831/13 £4.99 AND MUCH MORE! AVAILABLE NOW FROM AND ALL OTHER LEADING NEWSAGENTS ORDER DIRECT JUST £4.99 FREE P&P * *Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders. Overseas charges apply. Free P&P* when you order online at Call UK: 01780 480404 www.keypublishing.com/shop OR Overseas: +44 1780 480404 Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm SUBSCRIBERS CALL FOR YOUR £1.00 DISCOUNT! SUBSCRIBERS CALL FOR YOUR £1.00 DISCOUNT! SUBSCRIBE TO AIR INTERNATIONAL AND MAKE GREAT News SAVINGS See pages 22 and 23 for details. BREAKING NEWS GENERAL NEWS 04 Eurofi ghter begins 06 Storm Shadow LEADING NEWS STORIES test fl ights of the Typhoon integration on Typhoon DUBAI – WINDOW CRUZEIRO Tranche 3, Scotland’s post- begins, fi nal QF-4 Phantom 10 ON THE GULF 14 DO SUL independence air defence delivered, MQ-9 Reaper se- David C Isby looks behind CRUZEX is the most impor- plans released, Korea picks lected by the Netherlands, events at the recent Dubai tant air exercise held in South F-35A Lightning II, Mickey US Air Force’s CRH faces airshow and the issues driving America and attended by Mouse fl ies with WestJet, the uncertain future, Rooivalk military and civilian aircraft many air forces. Riccardo RQ-180 - a new US stealthy makes its combat debut, sales in the Middle East. Niccoli reports. ISTAR remotely-piloted Airbus launches A350 vehicle - revealed, Jordanian Regional, American and US CN235 gunship fl own and Airways merger completed, Israel hosts Blue Flag and Bombardier gets 86 exercise at Ovda. passengers into the Q400. 70 FRONT COVER: Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II is detailed in Features this month’s issue. Lockheed Martin COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT Eagle – Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning THE AVIATION 62 Airbus A320neo – Airbus II – Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout 25 WORLD IN 2014 A350XWB – Boeing 737 MAX – Boeing – Russian Air Force Vision for 2025 – Bell Regions – Airports – 777X – Dassault Falcon 5X – Embraer E2 – V-280 Valor Airlines – Alliances – Kamov Ka-62 Commercial Aero TECHNOLOGY Engines – Advanced MILITARY AIRCRAFT 108 AgustaWestland’s Project Zero Training Systems 76 Airbus Military A400M Atlas – – Piaggio P1HH HammerHead – XCOR Dassault Embraer KC-390 – Boeing F-15SE Silent Aerospace Lynx Editor Mark Ayton News Editor David Willis Editor’s Secretary Julie Lawson Advertisement Manager Ian Maxwell [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Sub Editors Marketing Assistants part of it may be reproduced in any Midlands PLC. • Please refer to Postmaster Sue Blunt, Carol Randall Shaun Binnington form or stored on any form of retrieval main Subscriptions Advertisement send address & Jessica Jagger system without the prior permission of within the magazine or Email: subs@ corrections to: Designer Dave Robinson the publisher. All items submitted for keypublishing.com AIR International, Production Manager • ISSN 0306-5634 • publication are subject to our terms T +44 (0)1780 480404 Key Publishing Commercial Director Janet Watkins is published monthly by: and conditions, which are regularly F +44 (0)1780 757812 Ltd, C/o Mail Right Ann Saundry Key Publishing Ltd, updated without prior notice and are Readers in USA may place International Inc. Production Controller Managing Director & Publisher PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, freely available from Key Publishing subscriptions by telephone toll-free 1637 Stelton Road Danielle Tempest Adrian Cox PE9 1XQ, UK Ltd or downloadable from 800-676-4049. Air International is B4, Piscataway NJ Subscriptions/ T +44 (0)1780 755131 www.keypublishing.com distributed in the USA by Mail Right 08854 Executive Chairman Mail Order Manager F +44 (0)1780 757261 Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Richard Cox Roz Condé Distribution by Seymour Distribution Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodicals The entire contents of AIR Ltd • T. +44 (0)020 7429 4000 • Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ Marketing Manager Martin Steele International is © copyright, and no Printed in England by Warners and additional mailing offi ces We are unable to guarantee the bonafi des of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. 3 Breaking News Tranche 3 Typhoon Flown Test pilot for BAE Systems, Nat Makepeace, completed the maiden fl ight of the fi rst Tranche 3 Eurofi ghter Typhoon from Warton, Lancashire, on December 2. The aircraft (ZK355, b/n BS116) was assembled to accommodate the new systems to be introduced on the version – including a new active electronically- scanned array radar and conformal fuel tanks – although most have not been installed in the airframe. The RAF will receive 40 Tranche 3A aircraft, while a further 72 will be built for Germany, Italy and Spain. Meanwhile, on December 4 the Luftwaffe received the 400th Typhoon (31+06, b/n GS082) during a ceremony at EADS Cassidian’s Military Air Systems Centre in Manching, Germany. BAE Systems SNP Outlines Defence for An Independent Scotland The Scottish National Party (SNP) within NATO, having dropped its with a squadron of helicopters. Scotland would be achieved by unveiled its defence plans in the long-standing policy of opposing Six additional helicopters will be 2021, with the departure of the White Paper Scotland’s Future: Your membership in October 2012. assigned to the land forces. A high Vanguard-class ballistic-missile Guide to an Independent Scotland The plans include an air force of priority is given to the acquisition submarines and their Trident IIs on November 26 in advance of an 2,000 personnel and 300 reservists, of a maritime patrol aircraft to from the HMNB Clyde at Faslane, independence referendum due on operating aircraft negotiated from replace the capability lost when the if the referendum resulted in the September 18, 2014. An annual its share of the United Kingdom’s BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 was dissolution of the union with budget of £2.5 billion would be resources. A squadron of at least cancelled in 2010. Approximately England. allocated for defence and security 12 (and up to 16) Eurofi ghter four would be acquired to enter The defence plan still leaves many missions by Scotland. The proposed Typhoons would be based at service in 2021. Within fi ve years questions unanswered. No provision Scottish Defence Force would RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire, to of independence Scotland would has being made by the Ministry comprise 15,000 regulars and 5,000 perform the air policing role. Six establish its own air command and of Defence for a ‘yes’ vote in the reservists by 2026, rising from 7,500 Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules control capability. Scottish independence referendum, and 2,000 respectively in 2016. transports would form the core of The SNP’s long-standing aim of and there have been no negotiations The SNP plans to keep Scotland the tactical airlift capability along removing nuclear weapons from for the transfer of hardware. Korea Finally Opts for F-35A C295M Deliveries to Egypt Resume The Lockheed Martin F-35A RoKAF was falling behind them. Lightning II has been selected as F-35As will be purchased the Republic of Korea Air Force’s through the Foreign Military Sales (RoKAF) new combat aircraft. On programme and delivered with November 22 South Korea stated the Block 3F (Final) software over it would purchase 40 F-35As for four years from 2018. However on delivery from 2018, with options on November 27 senior government a further 20, confi rmation of which offi cials called for the deal to be is dependent on security in the renegotiated, saying it compared region and the available budget. unfavourably with that offered to The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle Japan. “The government made had been recommended by the the right decision in choosing the Defense Acquisition Program F-35A for its stealth capabilities, Airbus Military C295M EC-004 (msn S-109) departed San Pablo Airport, Administration as the winner of the but compared to Japan, the Seville in Spain, on December 3 for the Arab Republic of Egypt Air Force FX-III competition for 60 fi ghters; it conditions are strikingly unfair,” as 1187/SU-BSF.