AE SEPTEMBER 2021 ROSPACE INDIA GOES IT ALONE SPACE DEBRIS – THE LEGAL QUESTIONS GROUND OPS AND HUMAN FACTORS www.aerosociety.com September 2021 V olume 48 Number 9 Royal A THE AIR FORCE OF 2040 SYNTHETICALLY-TRAINED, CLOUD-NETWORKED, SPACE-ENABLED AND NETZERO? eronautical Society NOW BOARDING The Autumn UK recruitment fair dedicated to aerospace and aviation Taking place online on Wednesday 3rd November 2021 EXHIBITORS: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FREE ENTRY TO ASPIRING AEROSPACE AND AVIATION PROFESSIONALS! Business Class exhibitors include: (More to come) RAeSCareers #CIAALIVE21 [email protected] Careers in Aerospace 2021 FP Adv.indd 1 23/08/2021 16:30 Volume 48 Number 9 September 2021 EDITORIAL Contents Air power endgame in Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission Afghanistan The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and social media feedback. Almost 20 years ago, the horrific 9/11 aerial attacks on New York and analysis and comment. 58 The Last Word Washington using hijacked airliners triggered off a series of events that 11 Pushing the Envelope Keith Hayward asks whether would lead to two decades of conflict. Western intervention in Afghanistan Rob Coppinger examines a China and the US are is now ending with an aerial evacuation of Western personnel and panic proposal to power the Airbus waging a new technological Cold War. at Kabul airport – a throwback to the US retreat from Saigon and even A380 with hydrogen. further back, the RAF’s aerial evacuation of Kabul in 1919. Even the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 now looks orderly compared to the Features Leonardo BAE Systems panic and chaos occurring there now. Between 2001 and now, the aerial component gave Western forces on the ground and the Afghan security 14 forces an asymmetric edge, allowing smaller numbers of troops to control vast swathes of territory. Deployed against an enemy with no air force of their own and no high-level surface-to-air missiles this counter insurgency air 30 power effort in a ‘permissive environment’ has dominated training, doctrine Chopper country and procurement priorities for 20 years. Only recently have Western air The air force of 2040 How Yeovil aims to build a forces been refocusing on defeating ‘peer threats’. With the drawdown of US Is the future of air forces new military helicopter type in and NATO forces, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. synthetic training and the UK. zettabytes of big data? The Afghan Air Force, optimised for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations, 34 Restart from the ground up was doomed when it was deprived of US contractor support and the wider 18 Indian defence looks inwards The human effect of intelligence, training and mentoring that kept it operational and effective. automation and cost-cutting on The collapse has been far swifter than many expected – an indicator of India seeks to make its workers in airports and ground- defence manufacturing local handling services. how critical air power and ISR has been instrumental in propping up weaker and its sales international. ground forces and how remotely-operated drones are no substitute for boots UAC on the ground. To paraphrase General Montgomery: “If we lose air support, 22 Mental health we lose the war and we lose it quickly.” wellbeing for all How solutions to tackle pilot mental health problems could Tim Robinson FRAeS, Editor-in-Chief benefit all air transport workers. [email protected] @RAeSTimR ESA 38 Correspondence on all aerospace matters is welcome at: [email protected] 26 MAKS factored Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office 2021 AEROSPACE subscription A report on the MAKS 2021 Tim Robinson FRAeS Royal Aeronautical Society rates: Non-members, £190 Moscow airshow. +44 (0)20 7670 4353 No.4 Hamilton Place To place your order, contact: [email protected] London W1J 7BQ, UK Wayne J Davis +44 (0)20 7670 4300 40 Implementing UAS – Deputy Editor +44 (0)20 7670 4354 [email protected] Bill Read FRAeS [email protected] the regulator’s viewpoint +44 (0)20 7670 4351 www.aerosociety.com Any member not requiring a print Does this spark joy? How ICAO is preparing the [email protected] AEROSPACE is published by the Royal version of this magazine should The legal case for decluttering way for UAVs and eVTOLs to Aeronautical Society (RAeS). contact: [email protected] Production Manager and tidying orbital space junk. operate in shared airspace. Wayne J Davis FRAeS Chief Executive USA: Periodical postage paid at +44 (0)20 7670 4354 Sir Brian Burridge CBE FRAeS Champlain New York and additional [email protected] Advertising offices. Afterburner +44 (0)20 7670 4346 Publications Executive Postmaster: Send address changes [email protected] Message from our President Chris Male FRAeS to IMS of New York, PO Box 1518, 44 Champlain NY 12919-1518, USA. +44 (0)20 7670 4352 Unless specifically attributed, no 45 Message from our Chief Executive [email protected] material in AEROSPACE shall be taken ISSN 2052-451X 46 Book Reviews Production Executive to represent the opinion of the RAeS. Annabel Hallam Reproduction of material used in this 49 e-Library Additions +44 (0)20 7670 4361 publication is not permitted without the NAL’s lockdown lectures [email protected] written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. 50 Book Review Editors Printed by Buxton Press Limited, 53 Appointment of new RAeS CEO Tony Pilmer and Katrina Sudell Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire 54 New Member Spotlight [email protected] SK17 6AE, UK Cover: Tempest will be at the heart of 55 RAeS Diary .the 2040 Royal Air Force. (BAE Systems) Distributed by Royal Mail 56 Elections/95th Anniversary of Coventry Branch Additional content is available to view online at: aerosociety.com/aerospaceinsight Read AEROSPACE and the Insight blog on your Including: FIAConnect 2021 virtual conference, RAeS tackles cross-Channel air transport crisis – in 1921, Global Air Chiefs conference, UAVs vs submarines, New Members Spotlight, In the August smartphone or tablet with the AEROSPACE app Online issue, Lynx in Puma’s clothing, Aviation and sustainability, Back to air rage and cabin baggage issues. APP available from iTunes and Google Play. @aerosociety i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com SEPTEMBER 2021 13 Blueprint INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT Pusher-puller power A 400kW electric power system will drive four fixed-blade propellers arranged on the wing in a pusher-puller configuration. All four will be used on take-off and climb, while the front propellers will fold back in the cruise – adding 10% in efficiency compared to conventional designs, says Pyka. FBW cockpit The P3 will feature fly-by-wire (FBW) controls for reduced workload and single pilot operations. Active stall and spin preventation will be incorporated, along with emergency autoland. AEROSPACE Electric commuter unveiled US start-up Pyka, previously known for an electric agricultural UAV, has unveiled a new nine- seat electric aircraft for regional travel that it intends to fly next year. The P3 uses electric motors and four propellers, two of which fold backwards in flight to leave the rear pusher propellers for the cruise. The P3’s range is 200nm with a cruise speed of 155kt. In parallel, the company also plans to develop an unpiloted cargo version. Pyka 4 AEROSPACE Composite design The P3 features a lightweight, advanced composite fuselage with high-aspect ratio wings and a large side passenger/ cargo door. Low operating costs Pyka says that, thanks to electric propulsion, the operating costs of the P3 will be $95 an hour or a four-fold Specifications reduction compared to a traditional nine-seat aircraft. Speed 155kt Its 850ft landing/take-off Range 200nm run will open up over 5,000 Power 400kW Passengers (9 + 2) underutilised public airports in Payload 2,500lb the US. Empty weight 5,200lb Stall speed with flaps 55kt Wingspan 70ft SEPTEMBER 2021 5 Radome COVID-19 AEROSPACE AIR TRANSPORT China air traffic rebound stalls as Worst ever year for Delta variant causes crackdown airlines, says IATA China Eastern Airlines Airline industry group IATA compared to 4.5million has revealed detailed new in 2019. Air connectivity figures for the global air in 2020 also collapsed AIR TRANSPORT transport industry in 2020, with the number of routes which confirm that the flown being slashed by year was the worst ever 50%. The fall was the for airlines. 2020 saw a worst since global traffic 60.2% decrease in overall was tracked – with IATA passengers, a 75.6% saying: “The decline in air drop in international passengers transported New government restrictions to curb fresh outbreaks of the Covid-19 pandemic passenger demand and in 2020 was the largest have slowed the recovery of domestic air travel in China. Airline capacity in China a 69% drop in passenger recorded since global has fallen below pre-pandemic levels for the first time in five weeks, with capacity revenues. In 2020 only RPKs started being falling to 95.7% of 2019 levels. 1.8million passengers flew, tracked around 1950.” AIR TRANSPORT AEROSPACE Optimism as flights in Avalon Air Show cancelled Europe return RAAF ATM provider, Meanwhile, in July, the Eurocontrol, has reported UK’s Heathrow Airport that figures for flights recorded its busiest in European airspace ever month since the have exceeded the most pandemic began in optimistic predictions for March 2020, handling July, with air traffic now at more than 1.5million 65% of 2019 numbers. passengers. However, Australia’s biggest air show, Avalon, has been cancelled due to ongoing travel A new record number while passenger numbers restrictions and uncertainty over Covid-19. The air show, which this year would have of flights was set on 21 were up 74% compared marked the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force, had been scheduled for July with 25,182 flights to July 2020, the airport November, after being postponed from earlier in the year.