Des nouvelles de la Royal Air Force

[Philippe Top-Force]

Salut Rob,

Le "squadron Apache RAF" ne va-t-il pas être restructuré ? regroupé ?

[cvs]

Il reste des spitfire ? Je suis un fan. ^-^

[Invité Rob]

Le "squadron Apache RAF" ne va-t-il pas être restructuré ? regroupé ?

Oui, tous les Apaches vont etre basee sur Wattisham, mais pour etre precise, les Apaches sont des helicopteres du British Army (Army Air Corps) et il y a 3 Regiments pour les Apaches.

Link.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/WattishamSetToBecomeHomeOfTheApache.htm

[Invité Rob]

L'exercize Saudi Green Flag entre le RAF et le RSAF est complet.

RAF Lossiemouth host Royal Saudi Air Force - Friday 7 September 2007

Back to news article list

RAF Lossiemouth hosted eight Tornado aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) as part of a joint military exercise.

Exercise Saudi Green Flag 07 is the second half of a squadron exchange, which began last year when RAF personnel and aircraft visited Saudi Arabia for Exercise Lone Frame 06.

The flying programme ran from 28 August until 7 September 2007 and included between four and six Tornado GR4 aircraft from 617 Squadron RAF Lossiemouth and eight Tornado Interdictor Strike aircraft from 75 Squadron Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) who are based at Dhahran Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Over 200 RSAF personnel were deployed to RAF Lossiemouth under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Abdulaziz Al-Qdairi.  Officer Commanding 617 Squadron, Wing Commander Rocky Rochelle said:

"This is the first time the RAF has hosted the RSAF Tornado Interdictor Strike aircraft.  It has been a great privilege hosting them and we have really enjoyed flying with them on the various different exercise missions.  Both sides have learnt a great deal from the experience".

In addition to the UK Low Flying System the RSAF were able to make use of the Tain and Wiley Sike Air Weapon Ranges as well as the Electronic Warfare Tactical Range at Spadeadam

Group Captain John Fynes, the RAF officer in charge of the exercise, said:

“This is a good opportunity to exchange ideas and gain experience operating with another nation and to reinforce the excellent service to service relationship we have with the Saudi Arabian Armed forces and to further strengthen our defence relationship with them. Exercise Saudi Green Flag 07 is the second part of a squadron exchange exercise, the first leg of which allowed us to send aircraft and crews to practice and gain experience in flying in the desert, directly supporting our ability to conduct operations in the Middle East and Central Asia.”

In excess of 65 sorties have been flown between the two squadrons and during the second week they were joined by Typhoon aircraft from 3(F) Squadron, RAF Coningsby as well as Tornado F3s who are currently based at RAF Kinloss.  The RSAF were cleared to use the UK Military Low Flying System, which permitted them to fly at heights as low as 250 feet above ground level.  Whilst the RSAF are well practiced at low level flying in their own country they were carefully briefed on the need to minimise any disturbance to the British public whilst carrying out their low flying training.  The fact that there has been no increase in noise complaints to the base is testament to the professionalism of the RSAF crews.

On 5 September, the RAF Station hosted a visit by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Sultan Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Minister of Defence and Aviation, His Highness Lieutenant General Abdul Rahman bin Fahad Al-Faisal and the UK’s Minister for Armed Forces, The Right Honourable Bob Ainsworth MP who said:

"I was extremely pleased with the day overall and the efforts made by RAF Lossiemouth in providing the excellent support for this visit and the exercise as a whole.  I have spoken to His Royal Highness, who has expressed his delight in the success of this detachment."

The rest of the day consisted of a series of briefings on the various missions already flown and meetings with personnel from both 617 and 75 Squadron.  The party were hosted for lunch in the Officers' Mess before a visit to the THALES Simulator.  The end of the visit was marked with a flypast by RAF and RSAF Tornados with RAF Typhoons.

Link.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/index.cfm?storyid=E0AF8B19-1143-EC82-2E7D5DCC6F1A24CE

[Invité Rob]

BAE Systems a aussi beaucoup des nouvelles pour le Royal Air Force.

AT LAST – AN AIRCRAFT THAT CAN TELL THE DOCTOR WHERE IT HURTS!

10 Sep 2007 | Ref. 272/2007

Advanced Structural Health Monitoring System (AHMOS)

Warton, UK - A system of smart sensors that can automatically inspect structures for damage, potentially saving millions in servicing and support costs, has made its first flight on a BAE Systems Hawk. 

The flight trial has demonstrated for the first time, the operation of a fully integrated automated damage detection system within a flight environment.  This is an important step towards the eventual goal of self-inspecting aircraft.

Led by BAE Systems, the Advanced Structural Health Monitoring System (AHMOS) is being developed as part of a European Research and Development funded initiative.

Structural inspection is a significant factor in the cost of supporting fleets of both military and commercial aircraft. In-service lives of 40 years or more are now expected and, as the aircraft age, the servicing needed to maintain stringent air-worthiness standards becomes ever more costly.

Jim McFeat, AHMOS Technical Manager at BAE Systems, said: "The new system aims to avoid lengthy and expensive structural inspections that require the repeated dismantling of large sections of aircraft. Very often such inspections are precautionary and no faults that need repairing are found."

During flight testing, the 'acoustic emission detection' kit housed in a self-contained pod attached to the underside of the Hawk, was able to pinpoint cracks in specifically designed dummy structures and download a diagnosis when the aircraft landed.

Jim McFeat added: "Using a combination of strain gauge sensors and fibre optic cables connected to a computer, and contained within an aerodynamic pod under from the fuselage of the Hawk, we have now demonstrated the technology works."

"We have been able to compare all of the aircraft's manoeuvres in flight with the pilot's notes and our own computer, and in the two flights so far undertaken, we have had good results.  We have three other flights planned before we issue our formal report in early 2008.  Ultimately, we are trying to automate the non-destructive testing process in the same way that car manufacturers have done for engine management systems. The customer will plug a computer into a data-box on the aircraft and download in-flight information gathered from gauges and sensors at strategic points".

If sensors fitted deep inside the aircraft structure can reliably detect the onset of damage, the need to dismantle sections of the airframe will be considerably reduced. The new detection process can be performed remotely; at the press of a button or even automatically on-line. It is estimated that this could save many millions of pounds over the lifetime of a fleet.

According to Jim McFeat  "Engineers are just beginning to realise the potential value of this type of structural monitoring.  Aircraft are expensive assets and their owners are pushing to get the maximum possible use from them. Any technology that can help deliver more cost effective operations or increased availability is bound to be welcome."

Link.

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/autoGen_10781014207.html

TARANIS UAV TAKES BIG STEP NEARER REALITY

10 Sep 2007 | Ref. 274/2007

Taranis Wireframe

Warton, UK - The £124m Taranis unmanned air vehicle (UAV) technology demonstrator programme led by BAE Systems, has moved closer to reality.

The release of computer-aided design (CAD) models to the manufacturing team for the first machined parts allows the machine tools to be prepared and programmed in advance of the first metal for Taranis being cut later this month.  These first parts include a centre fuselage frame and a major machining within the intake duct.

The release of the design models represents a significant transition from the design phase into the detailed design and manufacturing phase of the programme.

Paul Williams, Taranis Airframe Integration Manager, said: "The Taranis airframe is a significant step forward in terms of complexity and scale compared to previous UAV demonstrators.  This has necessitated the use of a refined rapid engineering process that brings together the learning from earlier programmes such as Corax and Raven, combined with existing processes and techniques.  All this has resulted in an airframe design that now forms the basis of the detail design phase."

Led by BAE Systems, Taranis will be the largest UAV built in the UK, and as part of the MoD's strategic unmanned air vehicle (experimental) (SUAV(E)) programme, the aircraft will explore and demonstrate how emerging technologies and systems can deliver battle-winning capabilities for the UK Armed Forces.

BAE Systems is the industry lead and prime contractor with other industry partners comprising QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce and GE Aviation Systems (formally Smiths Aerospace).

With the design of the autonomous systems, which are the "brains" of Taranis, finalised earlier this summer, Taranis remains on programme for assembly to start before the end of the year.

Ground testing is expected to take place in early 2009 with the first flight trials scheduled for 2010.

Link.

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/autoGen_10781015346.html

MULTI-SKILLED TRAINING FOR ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE

10 Sep 2007 | Ref. 273/2007

MULTI-SKILLED TRAINING FOR ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE

Warton, UK - A new training programme that will produce the first multi-skilled Tornado aircraft technicians for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is up and running at BAE Systems Warton.

BAE Systems has helped design and will deliver a training-course that will reduce the numerous single-skill vocations currently used to maintain the RSAF Tornado fleet, to a set of multi-skilled trades. The multi-skilled ethos is one that the UK RAF has been operating for a number of years.

The first batch of RSAF students has arrived at BAE Systems' Technical Training Academy for the final stage of the training programme before they return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Warton element of the programme follows an intensive year at the RAF's Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering, based at Cosford, Shropshire, which in turn came after six months of English language training, all of which is proceeded by a period spent at the Technical Studies Institute in Dhahran.

Chris Fairholm, Technical Academy Programme Manager at BAE Systems said: "The RSAF has taken the decision to multi-skill its technicians and we have worked closely with them to understand their needs and how we could integrate them within our training programme to ensure the training we provide meets their requirements.

"Following the year long course at RAF Cosford, where they learn basic aircraft skills in line with their respective trade, they come to Warton for a mixture of classroom based theory training and, importantly, specific on-the-job training, using the academy’s own Tornado aircraft – giving them invaluable experience in aircraft servicing and maintenance. This first batch of students will be equipped with the skills in one of four trades – airframe, propulsion, avionics, or electrical; and we are confident that this first cohort of students will be the first of many."

When the students complete their training at Warton, they will return to Saudi Arabia where they will be deployed onto an RSAF Tornado squadron. Initially they will be assigned an experienced multi-skilled BAE Systems technician trainer who will perform some consolidation training to enable the student to become a fully qualified, multi-skilled technician.

Link.

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/autoGen_107810145857.html

'WE ARE FAMILY' – COHERENT BAE SYSTEMS APPROACH TO AUTONOMY PAYS DIVIDENDS

10 Sep 2007 | Ref. 280/2007

Farnborough, UK - BAE Systems is demonstrating its air, land and sea autonomous capabilities at this year's DSEi, underlining the company's coherent approach to unmanned technologies, based around deploying common systems and system architectures in all three domains.

The company's stand will feature displays on the HERTI unmanned air vehicle, its sister underwater platform Talisman and the Bowler Wildcat, a 4x4 testbed vehicle currently being used to develop the necessary technologies for fully autonomous land-based operations. Also featured will be a common control infrastructure, which has already been used in joint unmanned air vehicle/unmanned ground vehicle trials.

"HERTI and Talisman have reached a high level of maturity in little more than three years and can now be deployed in a variety of operational roles. HERTI is already being trialled by the RAF's Air Warfare Centre in Australia and Talisman has been demonstrated to a number of possible customers," said Simon Jewell, BAE Systems' strategic business development director. "Working with customers in this way allows us to adapt our development paths to ensure technologies and vehicles can be deployed, either independently or jointly, in the situations identified and required by the end user."

Although each vehicle has been developed for operations in markedly different environments they all share common technology, systems architectures and can operate through a single command and control system.

"One possible use for these systems is joint operations with both manned and unmanned systems. We are integrating common technologies, and employing a single command and control system to enhance interoperability and contribute to reduced training, support and upgrade costs in the future," continued Simon. "It is not enough to simply remove the 'man from the loop' or relocate vehicle command to an off-board system. Autonomy can only serve a useful function if it offers improved performance, enhanced safety and reduced operating and ownership costs. Our approach and work to date reflects this view."

Research and development from across BAE Systems has been employed in the company's autonomy programmes, underlining the common systems approach the company is taking globally.

"Obviously each environment has its own unique requirements but there are common elements in each and we are employing the required technologies where appropriate," explained Simon. "Concepts such as open system architectures, transferable technology and 'plug and play' systems will lead to a set of highly adaptable and versatile autonomous vehicles to carry out a number of different tasks on the battlefield."

Link.

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/autoGen_107810155416.html

[Invité Rob]

Le HERTI UAV du BAE Systems a aide le RAF en l'Afghanistan sous Project Morrigan.

Link.

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/autoGen_107106174325.html

[pascal]

@FENRIR

Paveway IV intègre GPS et guidage laser, comme quoi l'intégration d'un armement gps et tout ce qui va avec n'est pas un truc qui va de soit.

En plus ces armes sont rendues artificiellement instables pour avoir de bonnes perf en terminal (plonger sur la cible en vertical), çà donne des soucis au larguage.

Le centrage arrière de l'AASM avait causé des soucis à Dassault dans les essais de séparation sous rafale.

Pave IV vu les photos a un design un peu différent des modèles précedents

Ils semble qu'il y ait deux catégories de difficultés avec ce genre d'engin

aérodynamiques

transfert des données de guidage de l'avion vers l'arme le but à terme (sur le rafale mais ce sera pareil sur Typhoon et Tornados je pense) et de reconfigurer l'arme en vol sur un autre objectif mais en automatique sans intervention manuelle du pilote.

Dernière info en HS SAGEM préparerait une AASM basée sur un corps de 250 livres, ce qui va constituer un sacré défit dixit une source "industrielle" vu l'instabilité artificielle de l'engin 

[tom]

250 livres qui nous fait en kg ?

[g4lly]

250 livres qui nous fait en kg ?

La moitier grosso modo 125kg

[tom]

jais regarder sur le site de SAGEM la première ou la base c'est sur un corps de 250 kg ,et donc sur une plus légère c'est plus dure a faire ??

[g4lly]

jais regarder sur le site de SAGEM la première ou la base c'est sur un corps de 250 kg ,et donc sur une plus légère c'est plus dure a faire ??

Les bombes légères ont un vol plus "vif" que les lourdes... ça peut poser probleme au largage selon l'aerodnamique du kit - plus ou moins stable donc plus ou moins maniable etc. -

@Pascal :

Le programme AASM envisageait depuis le début au moins trois autodirecteur, un GPS, un GPS avec imagerie IR pour le final plus tard, et dans un délai indéterminé un GPS + Laser ainsi qu'un modèle typé anti-radiation au guidage indéterminé.

Vu les engagement actuel il se pourrait que le dev du modele GPS + Laser soit accéléré meme si on peut toujours tiré les munition US en attendant.

[pascal]

le modèle SEAD va être une vrai gageure technologique car

ce sera une arme hyper puissante pour ce genre de chantier: 750 livres de poids total (mk 82 plus guidage governes propulseur...)

mais, parce qu'il y a un mais, d'une portée max d'environ 27 nautiques donc à venir largement tutoyer le rayon létal des dernières productions russes (je suis vraiment pas calé en SA-...)

Le moyen sera peut être de gagner du range en utiliant un corps de 250 livres ou en boostant le booster.

En tout cas le CEMAA disait il y a qq temps que l'AASM était LE vecteur anti radar futur de l'adla

[Philippe Top-Force]

Merlin à Bassorah, juste pour revenir à la RAF.  =)

[pascal]

avec le Merlin d'aucun disent que les brits ont réinventé le SA 321

des mauvais coucheurs à n'en point douter  ;)

Mais quand même l'enchanteur est une sacrée bête

La version C-SAR fait baver (même les américains!)  =)

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

Bénis soient les Italiens qui eux auront droits à la fois au NH-90 ET au Merlin!! (bon sang, même son nom est largement plus classe que celui du NH-90!!)

La RAF prévoie quoi comme futur hélicoptère moyen? Le Future Lynx??

[pascal]

@POLLUX

Le futur Lynx je crois un Mk300 totalement revu Mais leur Mk8 a encore bcp d'eau à courrir

[chimère]

Je n'avais pas conscience qu'il était aussi gros le Merlin!  :O

C'est vraiment une belle bête!

[Invité Rob]

Le premier Reaper du RAF a Afghanistan, en moment 3 sont commandes sous un UOR et le plan longue terme est pour 12.

[Invité Rob]

La deuxieme satellite du Skynet 5, le Skynet 5B va etre lancer ce nuit avec un Ariane 5. Avec ce programme le RAF veux remplacer les Skynet 4 satellites qui sont responsables pour la communication globale du MoD. Le MoD a commande 4 satellites pour Skynet 5, 5A,5B et 5C vont etre en l'espace et 5D va etre rester sur la terre pour remplacer un satellite quand neccessaire.

Ce programme est un PFI ("Private Finance Initiative") et un PPP ("Private Public Partnership") programme et le cout pour les satellites et les services jusqu'a 2020 ans est 3.6 milliards de livres. Les satellites sont developper et produire par Astrium UK a Stevenage. Skynet 5A est deja en service et Paradigm Secure Communications, l'entreprise qui opere les satellites a vendu des services du Skynet aux NATO, Nederlandais, Portugal, Canada, l'Allemagne, la France et l'Australie.

Skynet 5A

Masse: 4.7 tonnes

[Invité Rob]

La modernisation du RAF est vraiment vite maintenant, nouveaux satellites (Skynet 5), nouveaux UAVs (Reaper), nouveaux ravitalleurs (A330MRTT), nouveaux trainers (Hawk 128), nouveaux fighters (Eurofighter, F35), plus helicopteres (EH101), nouveau capabilite comme Sentinel R.1, etc... .

£13bn RAF tanker deal is ready for lift-off

By Sylvia Pfeifer

Last Updated: 10:36pm GMT 10/11/2007

Britain's biggest private finance initiative, the long-delayed £13bn deal to supply the Royal Air Force with a vital new fleet of tanker aircraft, is ready for lift-off.

AirTanker, the consortium backing the project which is led by Airbus's parent company EADS, launched a competition to raise £2.5bn of financing earlier this year. Although the credit crunch has increased the cost of the fund-raising, the consortium insists that things are on track.

Anthony Forshaw, managing director at Deutsche Bank, the consortium's financial adviser, said: "We do have options, despite the credit crunch. We had extraordinarily aggressive pitches from the banks of around 50-70 basis points over Libor. But the credit crisis has moved the cost of bank finance up by between 10-20 basis points to about 70-80 basis points."

advertisement

According to Forshaw, even after the credit crunch, the terms offered by the banks support allocating some 25 per cent of the debt funding to banks. The remainder will now be raised via a bond issue, which would be the largest PFI bond ever issued.

"The rest is expected to be raised in the wrapped bond market. However flexibility is being maintained to vary each debt component, depending on the market," said Forshaw.

The consortium is in the process of finalising an agreement with Ambac, the world's second largest municipal bond insurer, and with HBOS on the bank debt side, but expects to bring other institutions into the deal before it closes.

Deutsche Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and RBC are arranging the wrapped bonds. The financing structure has also received preliminary investment grade indications from both Moody's and S&P.

"The bulk of the controversial documentation is in an agreed form and we will be disappointed not to be going to market early next year," added Forshaw.

The consortium includes VT, Rolls-Royce, Cobham and Thales. Under the terms of the 27-year deal, AirTanker will provide a fleet of Airbus A330 tankers to replace the RAF's old tanker fleet.

Link.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/11/11/cnraf111.xml

[Invité Rob]

Le RAF va avoir 3 Hertis en Afghanistan en les prochaines mois.

HERTI Deployment to Afghanistan Extended

Dubai Airshow, UAE: Further to the BAE Systems announcement of its HERTI operations in Afghanistan under the control of the Royal Air Force, Andy Wilson and Martin Rowe-Willcocks, director and head of Export Programmes, Military Autonomous Systems respectively, confirmed that the deployment had already been extended beyond its original finish date.

Wilson said that while there was only one aircraft and a deployable ground station currently in Afghanistan, operated entirely by RAF personnel (‘no – the pilot wasn’t from the fast-jet community’), the envisaged deployment would actually see three HERTIs deployed together with one groundstation (itself fully contained in a portable 20 foot ISO container. Industry involvement consists of a service desk back in the UK.

While sensor feedback includes full motion video together with imagery that can be both wide and narrow view, the HERTI has also conducted medium range stand-off work and has provided ‘reach-back’ information to the UK. Mission length was not revealed although flights in Australia have stretched out over several hours. There was also no comment on specific tasking, although its images will be contributing to the overall intelligence picture.

HERTI is the first fully autonomous UAV operating under the UK Ministry of Defence Release to Service. A full operational manual had to be developed prior to its deployment.

The HERTI 1A performed the first fully autonomous mission of a CAA approved unmanned vehicle in UK airspace and was given its own tail number.

Wilson also spoke briefly about another programme, the Taranis UCAV technology demonstrator, saying that it was proving to be a ‘challenging programme that was happening quickly.’ Goals are to have ‘ground ‘power-on’ in 2008 with ground testing and trials in 2009 before the first test flight in 2010.

Link.

http://www.shephard.co.uk/uvonline/Default.aspx?Action=-187126550&ID=fb510959-9f60-4c73-b549-3db8fa95a65a

[Akhilleus]

DSI de ce mois çi : la RAF pourrait perdre 2 escadrilles de Tornado par manque de credits (ac bouffe les opex en Astan et Irak)

et surtout le contrat saoudien risque de decaller l'arrivée des EF2000 prelevés sur les stocks de la RAF avec comme enjeu un allongement de vie devenant necessaire (mais couteux) pour certains tornados F3

[Will]

Oui, ca a ete dit dans les journals ici aussi  :-[

Le MoD dit sur son "defence blog" que cela est un "worst case scenario", il y a un ou deux semaines.

Je pense que pour sauver du argent si necessaire ils vont trouver des choses moins "radical".

[pascal]

@Akhilleus

la perte de deux squadrons a fait l'objet d'un long article dans AIR FRCE MONTHLY plus généralement consacré à la situation budgétaire de la RAF

Les OPEX pour eux comme pour nous contribuent lourdement à impacter les budgets de fonctionnement, il faut bien trouver les sous.

Les Tornados et les Harriers sont en pool pour assurer la maintenance des avions en nombre réduit...

[Invité Rob]

Skynet 5B est lance

Link.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/SkynetSatelliteBlastsIntoOrbitvideo.htm