India’s MMRCA fighter jet deal: illusion and disillusion on the losers’ side. February 2, 2012
Posted by Richard Clements in Military Aviation.Tags: Dassault Rafale, David Cameron, Eurofighter, Eurofighter Typhoon, India, Lockheed Martin, Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, Rafale, Typhoon
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All media outlets have been reporting the various reactions to the news that India is “likely” to award the contract for its MMRCA competition to Dassault as it was the lowest cost bid.
Aviation week’s Robert Wall wrote that the news is “Not going down well in London”.
Although Wall points out that Germany led the Eurofighter campaign, he describes the disapointment amongst British politicians as “palpable”. Indeed, many are complaining under their breath that Britain gives many more times aid to India than France ever has.
British Prime Minister David Cameron had, along with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, lobbied on behalf of the Eurofighter bid and did have to admit “the decision is obviously disappointing”. In an attempt to quell increasing worries from other members of the British parliament he pointed out that “they have not yet awarded the contract”. Cameron also promised to do all he could to persuade the Indians to take another look at the Typhoon and that job losses in the UK are not expected as a result.
Job losses is also a concern for the other three partners of the Eurofighter consortium, Italy, Germany and Spain each building sections of the jet but doing little to sponsor the aircraft in the Indian contest.
Although Eurofighter was believed to have a more political clout because it was backed by four European countries, lack of a united effort from partners could have been a decisive flaw on the Typhoon side. Those countries that were supposed to unitarily support the F-2000, are the same that in times of financial crisis have been much distant one another on the strategy to save the Eurozone.
Anyway, since everybody is claiming that no contract has been signed yet and 6-8 months of (hard) negotiations lie ahead for Dassault, someone has already tried to raise the stakes.
For instance, in a statement to Reuters, Pentagon spokeswoman Leslie Hull-Ryde said there had been no U.S. offer to sell India the stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35, but Washington would provide information on the jet’s infrastructure and security requirements if India showed interest in purchasing the Joint Strike Fighter. Even if it’s hard to believe the U.S. would give the requested technology transfer on its most (costly) and troubled program, a contract worth 10 billion USD for 126 planes (with 80 more examples on the shopping list), might spur the Department of Defense to knock on New Dehli’s door with the resolve needed to persuade India to scrap its own 5th generation fighter radar evanding plane in favor of the F-35.
In the meanwhile, boosted by the win in India, Dassault has made a new offer to Switzerland where the Rafale was beaten by the Swedish Gripen in the selection for the Swiss Air Force F-5 replacement.
Let’s see what happens.
Written with The Aviationist’s Editor David Cenciotti
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- “The Eurofighter Typhoon will be the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft” Pakistani blog says. RUMINT, HUMINT or speculation? (theaviationist.com)
- Breaking: “The Dassault Rafale has won the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft tender” (theaviationist.com)
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Is Boeing calling time on the stealthy F-15 Silent Eagle? Lockheed Martin hopes so. January 29, 2012
Posted by Richard Clements in Military Aviation.Tags: Boeing, EADS, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-15E Silent Eagle, F-35, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, South Korea
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Silent Eagle, not to become reality?
The Korea Times has reported that there is a possibility that aviation giant Boeing may not full fill its promise to provide the stealthly version of it’s F-15 to South Korea.
In an article published on Jan. 25, titled Boeing may give up offering stealthy jet journalist Lee Tae-hoon wrote that “a source familiar with Boeing’s plan to modify its F-15s said little progress has been made in the making of the F-15SE, especially in the development of its conformal weapons bay (CWB), which allows the aircraft to carry weapons internally.”
According to the informed source “only 10 percent of work has been completed for the research and development of the F-15SE’s conformal weapons bay.”
Boeing’s proposal had included canted vertical stabilisers and a conformal weapons bay on each side of the aircraft to reduce the radar cross section of the aircraft, all compulsary requirements to Korea’s KX-III procurement program to acquire advanced jets. Seoul had removed these requirements to allow other manufacturers the chance to compete, although had signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing back in 2010. However Boeing announced late on 2010 that it had suspended development of the proposed features.
Tae-hoon also reported that other industry officials noted that it will be physically impossible for Boeing to complete the development of the CWB and canted tails by the end of October this year when Seoul plans to finalize the deal after three to four months of evaluations and negotiations. “Boeing will most likely change their offer. They won’t offer the Silent Eagle” a senior official of Lockheed Martin, which is competing with Boeing and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) for the FX-III bid, said asking for anonymity.
“They are going to offer the F-15K because that’s the only plane they can deliver by 2016.”
This opens the door for the F-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon to get a toe hold in Korea.
Although EADS could try to offer a version with conformal fuel tanks and thrust vectoring, neither variant of the Typhoon is stealth. Therefore, since radar-evading capability remains a crucial factor in deciding the next South Korea fighter jets, Lockheed Martin F-35 seems to be favorite and this would explain Tom Burbage (Executive VP of Lockheed Martin and General Manager of F-35 Program Integration) optimism over the deal in the recent Press Briefing held in Rome.
What is yet to be determined is which of the three versions of the F-35 Lockheed has put forward to Seoul for consideration.
Written with The Aviationist’s Editor David Cenciotti
Credit: Boeing
“The F-35 remains essential to the future of air superiority” Panetta says. And Lockheed Martin reassures: “we will solve all JSF problems.” January 27, 2012
Posted by David Cenciotti in F-35.Tags: Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35, Italian Air Force, Italian Navy, Japan Air Self Defense Force, Joint Strike Fighter, Leon Panetta, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, STOVL, USS Wasp
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On Jan. 26, several hours before U.S. SECDEF Leon Panetta would say the Joint Strike Fighter remains a DoD top priority program “essential to the future of air superiority”, Charles “Tom” Burbage, Executive VP of Lockheed Martin and General Manager of F-35 Program Integration, had already explained in a Press Briefing held in Rome that, in spite of rumors and criticism surrounding the costly fifth generation combat plane, he did not anticipate any significant downsizing of the program.
“Every country is reducing defense budget but no country has reduced the F-35” he said, explaining also that one of the most appealing features of the program for international partners is the involvement of local companies, which supply components, systems and know-how, well before a single aircraft is purchased.
Moreover, the F-35 has recently collected some important achievement, making Burbage and the rest of the company optimistic about the future of the entire program.
First came in December 2011 the selection of the JSF as the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) next gengeration aircraft, following the F-X competitive bid process that saw the Lockheed plane win on both the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet.
Then the F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) was removed from probation one year ahead of schedule. Finally, the F-35C (Carrier Variant) was fixed with a new tailhook system that will be tested beginning next April, making arrested landing on aircraft carriers possible after the series of failed tests.
Last year was particularly important for the revolutionary plane. It flew about 20% more than expected, performed sea trials taking off and landing (vertically) from USS Wasp and “had no issues on the ship”, Burbage said, in spite of the alleged noise and heating problems.
Dealing with the series of issues highlighted by the JSF Concurrency Quick Look Review and other official and unofficial reports leaked at the end of last year, Burbage explains: “we are currently 20% into the test program. Today’s issues are not going to affect customers that will receive the aircraft years later, when the problem is fixed.”
In the last few days, Burbage and its entourage have met the Italian Minister of Defense Di Paola and the top Italian Air Force and Navy officers. Talks were satisfactory and Lockheed is quite confident that in spite of the financial crisis and raising criticism at political level, Italy will keep the commitment as Level 2 partner (worth 2 Billion USD already invested) in the program, which calls for total U.S. purchases of 2,443 F-35s in both A, B and C versions for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and envisages 697 planes for other partners (UK, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey).
Japan aside, the F-35 has export chances also in South Korea, that is the only non-partner country Lockheed Martin is in talks for a possible JSF sale. Should the F-35 be selected in South Korea, the number of planes procured by Security Cooperative Participants (Singapore and Israel) and foreign customers (including Japan) will exceed the number of F-35s ordered by partners.
Since there’s no commitment yet nor any value was set, no reduction or cut in the amount of aircraft can be foreseen. Italy is not buying 131 planes. The initial requirement was for 69 F-35A and 62 F-35B (40 for the Air Force and 22 for the Navy), but Italy will buy the plane in batches: 4 planes, then 5 planes and so on. Therefore, Italy will have some F-35s, some of them will be STOVL ones to equip the Cavour aircraft carrier.
Eventually, in the U.S. the F-35 survived the Pentagon budget cuts: the US will continue buying F-35s, but will slow its purchase of the stealth fighter planes.
Indeed, it’s a very good period for the Joint Strike Fighter.
“The Eurofighter Typhoon will be the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft” Pakistani blog says. RUMINT, HUMINT or speculation? January 13, 2012
Posted by David Cenciotti in Military Aviation.Tags: Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter, Eurofighter Typhoon, HUMINT, India, Indian AIr Force, Indian MMRCA, Italian Air Force, RUMINT
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Above image: an Italian two seat Typhoon refuels from a KC-130J
Although an Indian Air Force spokeperson has quickly denied the news, according to a Pakistani blog “Grande Strategy”, Eurofighter has won the Indian MMRCA tender, worth 10-15 billion USD for +126 combat planes.
“Grande Strategy sources are suggesting that the Eurofighter Typhoon may in fact be the winner of the long delayed Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition” the article says.
Even if the Typhoon will likely be the next addition to the Indian Air Force’s already varied fleet (made of Mirage 2000s, Mig-29s, Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, some obsolete Mig-21s, Mig-27s and Jaguars) it’s worth of note that a Pakistani think tank “providing strategy and analysis from an Islamic perspective” has given the news earlier than the India media, that reported opposite speculations last year.
Considered the current status of the Indo-Pakistani relations, it’s somehow strange that a think tank “on the enemy side” was able to get such tip from sources among decision makers that have been comparing the MMRCA bids. Maybe, information was gathered through Human Intelligence (HUMINT) or Rumor Intelligence (RUMINT).
Unless the news was purposely leaked or it is only speculation.
Eurofighter didn’t confirm nor deny the news.
KC-130J: a tactical gas station in the sky. Serving fighters, bombers, choppers. And maybe even F-35s sometime in the future. January 12, 2012
Posted by David Cenciotti in Italian Air Force, Military Aviation.Tags: 46 Brigata Aerea, Aerial refueling, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35, Italian Air Force, JSF, KC-130J, Tornado, USMC
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On Jan. 10, I had the opportunity to take part to a refueling mission of a KC-130J of the 46^ Aerobrigata (Air Brigade) of the Italian Air Force involving several combat planes. The tanker version of the Super Hercules launched from Pisa to refuel its receivers in a reserved airspace located above the Adriatic Sea, off Cervia airport.
Along with the KC-767A, the strategic tanker asset of the Italian Air Force, the KC-130J was extensively used during the Air War in Libya refueling all the Italian planes supporting NATO’s Operation Unfied Protector: Eurofighter Typhoons, Tornado IDSs and ECRs, and AMXs.
The same types that were refueled using the two wing-mounted hose and drogue pods during the mission I was invited to attend, as the small selection (of thousand images) below shows.
Considered its speed and ceiling, the aircraft is perfectly suitable for Helicopter Air to Air Refuelling (HAAR) and the Italian KC-130J has already been certified with the EH-101 Merlin and the French Air Force Eurocopter EC-725 ‘Super-Cougar’ (Caracal).
The Italian KC-130Js are identical to those of the USMC that, along with the already served F-18, AV-8B and V-22, have performed some plugs with the Lockheed Martin F-35B, the stealthy 5th generation combat plane, expected to replace the Marine’s Hornets and Harriers. Actually, the F-35B was expected to be ordered by the Italian Air Force and Navy, the latter to replace the AV-8B Harrier on board the Cavour aircraft carrier.
However, if not compelled to quit, Italy will probably reduce the expected number of ordered JSF, from 131 to no more than 100, as a consequence of the Defense spending review that will soon follow the austerity measures already approved by the “technocratic” Monti Cabinet.
Although the outcome of the Defense Review is almost unpredictable, a plausible hypothesis sees the Italian Air Force receiving about 80 F-35s (A and B variants) and the Navy 20 F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) combat planes.
In this case, there are some stealthy interesting receivers in the future of the KC-130J of the 46^ Brigata Aerea.
Above image: Lockheed Martin
F-35 targeted in potential military cuts. If Italy quits, will the stealth plane ever be affordable? January 6, 2012
Posted by David Cenciotti in F-35, Military Aviation.Tags: Eurofighter Typhoon, Italian Air Force, Italy, Joint Strike Fighter, JSF, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, STOVL
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With a new set of austerity measures aimed at saving up to $25 billion to balance the budget by 2013 (and avoid a catastrophic default that would put the entire Euro-zone at risk) just approved, Italy could be soon compelled to review many of its future defense projects.
Even if the new Defense Minister, Adm. Di Paola pointed to a significant cut in terms of personnel, as the most important measure to preserve Italy’s capability to sustain current projects as well as internal and foreign missions, the amount of lawmakers among all political forces who advocate further weapon cuts has grown in the last few days.
The priority targets for cuts this days have been already identified: the Lockheed Martin F-35, that the Italian Air Force and Navy would like to use to replace the AMX, the Tornado and the AV-8B+ Harrier fleets (in other words, the only air-to-surface assets Italy can employ in Crisis Support Operations); and the Cavour, the second and most modern Italian aircraft carrier destined to be equipped with the much troubled F-35B, the STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) version of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Dealing with the F-35, Italy has planned a purchase of 131 F-35s, worth about 15 billion Euro. Of those, 20-22 are supposed to be the Harrier replacement on the Cavour while the rest should be conventional A planes. The Air Force is interested in both the A and B version.
Both right and left-wing parties are becoming more critical about Italy’s involvement in the F-35 program arguing that the stealth fighter is a waste of money for a country on the verge of financial collapse. In their opinion, Italy should leave the program and lose the 2.5 billion Euro already invested in the development to save the 13 needed for production. Furthermore, “Italy is not about to attack anyone”, hence there is no need for such an expensive defense investment.
More or less the same words were used to criticize the aircraft carrier, that costs the Italian taxpayers 100,000 Euro each day (when docked; 200,000 Euro/day when on cruise).
For sure, the F-35 is a costly and uncertain program. However, some of its problems and delays deals with the advanced technology that this innovative aircraft integrates. Hence, the decision to quit the program should be weighed heavily. If this aircraft survives, it will be the backbone of the U.S. attack fleet, replacing several aircraft types; if Italy confirms its involvement procuring “some” F-35s, it will have the opportunity to develop, operate and evaluate the future most advanced (and costly) combat plane.
Sooner or later Italy will be compelled to replace its ageing fleet of attack planes. Even if one of the Lessons Identified in Libya was the need for a light and cheap aircraft like the AMX to sustain long lasting air wars, current planes can’t live forever nor can be continuously upgraded to keep them in service for 3 or 4 decades.
When the moment arrives, there won’t be many options. One of them is using an upgraded Typhoon, a multirole non-stealth fighter plane of the so-called 4+ generation that, when required to replace the above mentioned Italian attack planes, will have to face 5th if not 6th generation manned and unmanned stealth fighters made of morphing metals and flight surfaces featuring some Star Wars-like equipment.
Nor the problem of replacing the Harriers on the Cavour should be underestimated. Since all the former RAF jump jets were purchased by the USMC, there will be few options if Italy quits: either second or third-hand AV-8Bs or a navalised Typhoon like the one offered to India (provided this version will ever be developed and compatible with the Italian ship).
Above all, Italy should remember how much the decision to keep the F-104 in service for 40 years has cost to the Italian Air Force, equipped with a jurassic fighter almost useless in real operations not even capable to ensure an effective air defense service at home. When it became evident that the amazing Starfighter could not be updated any more two gap fillers had to be hired until the Eurofighter Typhoon became available. A costly and painful move.
Although it’s still unclear whether Italy will simply downsize its procurement or withdraw from the program, what’s certain is that every canceled Italian plane will increase the costs of the remainder making their unit price if not unaffordable, less affordable.
Unit price depends also on the foreign sales. U.S. have commitments from allies to buy as many as 500 jets. Moreover, Japan has selected the F-35 as the future F-X and Lockheed Martin will build 42 stealth planes for the JASDF, a breath of fresh air that would be completely wiped out by an Italian withdrawal.
The Economist has already warned that the program is in danger of slipping into the “death spiral” where increasing unit costs would lead to cuts in number of ordered plane, leading to further costs that would boost order cuts.
In the meanwhile, the average price of each plane in “then-year” dollars has risen from $69m in 2001 to $133 million in 2011, a price that has been already declared unaffordable by Pentagon’s top weapons buyer Ashton Carter who talked to the Senate Armed Services committee in May 2011.
Image source: Lockheed Martin
Related articles
- Top military aviation stories of 2011: drones up and downs, stealth projects exposed and Libya’s 7-month-long war. (theaviationist.com)
- Typhoons over the Negev: the Italian Air Force and the Israeli Air Force in Exercise “Desert Dusk” (theaviationist.com)
- Britain sells 72 retired Harriers (bbc.co.uk)
Typhoons over the Negev: the Italian Air Force and the Israeli Air Force in Exercise “Desert Dusk” December 24, 2011
Posted by David Cenciotti in Military Aviation.Tags: Air Force, Eurofighter Typhoon, Israel, Israeli Air Force, Italian Air Force, RQ-170, Tornado
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Updated Dec. 25 10.30 GMT
From Dec. 5 to 15, Tornado ECR of the 50° Stormo and Eurofighter F-2000A Typhoon of the 4° and 36° Stormo of the Italian Air Force deployed to Uvda airbase, in Israel, for the Exercise “Desert Dusk”, a small-scale joint exercise with the Israeli Air Force involving 25 planes.
During their 2-week stay, the Italian fighters that have taken part to the Operation Unified Protector in Libya (the ECR as a SEAD asset, the Typhoon flying both in the air defense and in the air-to-surface role – the latter flown only by RAF planes), accompanied by 150 military, launched 100 sorties, including some COMAOs (Composite Air Operations), that gave the Italian pilots (and for the very first time, the Typhoon fleet, that had not taken part to the first deployment in Israel in 2010) to train in high-lethality scenarios, testing the capabilities of the squadrons to deploy “out-of-area” with the support of the KC-767A and the C-130J.
These exercises allow crews to refine procedures and techniques and develop procedural standards that are extremely important to operate in Crisis Support Operations launched in an international cooperation framework.
According to the news release published on the IAF website, during the first week, the Italian flew an exercise with the 115 Sqn “Flying Dragon”, equipped with F-16A “Netz” which specializes in enemy simulation and in the second, they were joined by the 69 Sqn “Hammers” from “Hatzerim” airbase equipped with F-15I “Ra’am” and the110 Sqn “Knights of the North” from “Ramat-David” airbase flying the F-16C “Barak”.
The “Desert Dusk” came few weeks after the Israeli Air Force F-16s deployed to Decimomannu, in Sardinia, for the Exercise Vega 2011, and in a period of growing tension in the area, caused by the capture in Iran of a U.S. stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel drone involved in a spy mission on the Iranian nuke program.
Actually, the news of the first Typhoon deployment in Israel came in the same days Eurofigher lost the F-X competition in Japan where the MoD announced the decision to purchase the much troubled and costly Lockheed Martin F-35 as next generation fighter plane for the JASDF. Once again (as in Swiss fighter competition won by the Gripen), a political choice rather than a decision based on merit /capability to meet requirements.
Below you can find some images of the exercise published on the IAF website. Many more interesting pictures can be found here.
Image credit: Israeli Air Force website
Wittmund: home of the last GAF Phantoms December 28, 2010
Posted by David Cenciotti in Aviation, Military Aviation.Tags: Eurofighter Typhoon, GAF, German Air Force, Jagdgeschwader 71, JG71, Luftwaffe, McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom, Military Aviation, Rhino, Richthofen, Wittmund, Wittmundhafen
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Located in the northern part of Germany, Wittmundhafen (or Wittmund) is the homebase of the Jagdgeschwader 71 (JG71) equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom. The unit, that made its last detachment in Decimomannu last Sept. (read: Ciao German Phantoms!) and is named “Richthofen” after the WWI German ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the “Red Baron”, is the last German wing equipped with the F-4s, since the Luftwaffe is in the process of replace the “Rhinos” with the Eurofighter Typhoon. Being scheduled for 2011 the withdrawal of the type from service, Giovanni Maduli went to Wittmund to report about the operations of the last German Phantoms.
Here’s a preview of the report. All the images are available here: http://lowpassage.com/2010/12/28/wittmund/
