Daily News
by Gail Helmer
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767 Pilot In Command Supports MSFS 2002
Wilco Publishing has announced the release of a new patch for 767 Pilot in Command flight simulator that will allow PC pilots to soar through the wild blue yonder using Flight Simulator 2002. The upgrade also gives simmers a new set of keyboard commands that allow them to assign mouse clicks to combinations of keys and boasts a completely new interface giving 767 Pilot in Command the look and feel of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator 2002. The new patch, which incorporates all of the changes included in the previous Patch 1.1, can be downloaded from Wilco Publishing’s website.
Global Operations Argentina Movie
EA has released a new movie for download from their FTP. The movie shows some great gameplay on the Argentina map. The file is 7.2MB and requires Windows Media Player to play it. Download Now
Team Factor Movie
7FX has released new movie for Team Factor, their upcoming team-based (naturally) tactical shooter. The movie features nearly three minutes of gameplay footage. Download
All American: The 82nd Airborne in Normandy
Shrapnel Games has announced that All American: The 82nd Airborne in Normandy has entered late alpha and should go gold in May of 2002. The Airborne Invasion of Normandy will take you north and east of the 101st Airborne action as the brave soldiers of the All American division attempt to take Ste. Mere Eglise, bridgeheads spanning the Merderet River, and many other varied and trying missions.
Civil War Unleashed
Walker Boys Studio, a Dallas-based game developer founded by two members of the Age of Empires II team, is now working on a real-time strategy game set during the American Civil War. The game, titled Civil War: War Between the States, will let players assume control of the armies of either the North or the South. It will include more than 70 unique units, realistic 3D environments, and a variety of single- and multiplayer options. Players can reenact seven of the most famous battles from the Civil War, or they can choose to play through the war their own way from the very beginning. In addition to basic infantry units, the game will feature cavalry, artillery, and both transport and military ships. Click here to check out the official website.
Military News
KC-10 Refuelers Set Milestone
A refueling tanker from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., marked 875 KC-10 Extender combat sorties this month over the skies of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
People from the 32nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, mostly made up of aircraft and people from McGuire have offloaded more than 85,000,000 pounds of jet fuel since KC-10 aircraft began operations Sept. 22. Since then, aircrews from the 32nd EARS, and the previous 60th EARS from Travis AFB, Calif., have refueled more than 7,000 aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as from several coalition forces.
The unique nature of this air war requires the tankers to be on station as close as possible to the strike aircraft. The refueling aircraft fly and refuel while over a combat area, exposing aircrew members to risk alongside their fighter and bomber aircrew counterparts. Commanders watch and evaluate the risks associated with combat operations.
“The threat to our aircraft while operating over Afghanistan is an issue that we continually assess and reassess,” said Lt. Col. Stuart Archer, commander of the 32nd EARS. “The threat is real and constant, but somewhat lessened since the fall of the Taliban in December. Still, we manage the risk and conduct operations to minimize the risk while still fulfilling our mission requirements.”
Refueling U.S. and coalition aircraft, in any airspace, can be difficult since there are two kinds of aerial refueling systems -- the boom system used mostly by Air Force aircraft, and the probe and drogue system mainly used by the Navy and coalition aircraft. With the probe and drogue system, the tanker reels out a hose which ends in a “drogue,” a funnel-like basket.
About 70 percent of the 32nd EARS’ missions included aerial refueling of Navy aircraft, using the drogue system.
“This is a mission we’re well suited for,” said Maj. Scott Deitz, director of operations for the 32nd EARS. “The KC-10 has a lot of versatility since it has its own internal drogue system. This means we can switch from a U.S. Air Force aircraft that uses a boom for refueling to a U.S. Navy or coalition forces jet that uses the drogue system without having to land and manually change the systems.”
This ability to switch systems proves the value of using the KC-10 over Afghanistan.
“We’ve had crews refuel six different aircraft types on a single mission,” Deitz said.
The sheer number of pounds offloaded to the various aircraft would not be possible without a base infrastructure to support KC-10 operations, said Capt. Gary Honsinger, director of maintenance for the 32nd EARS.
“We have been creative in our approach to generating aircraft while deployed,” Honsinger said. “Because of the ingenuity of the maintainers and support personnel in a bare base deployment, we have the ability to generate aircraft in the time needed. We generated a sortie in one hour and 45 minutes after an aircraft landed so it could take off again, and that included loading 280,000 pounds of gas.”
Fuel tends to be the main concern for aircrews waiting for the KC-10s in air over Afghanistan, as well as for the commanders and aircrews on the ground at the base. But the fuels troops meet the challenge, Archer said.
“These are the best (petroleum, oils and lubricants) troops I’ve ever seen,” Archer said.
“They have nonstop operations without a hydrant system normally used at home stations or any of the other equipment they are used to,” he said. “They are refueling with bladder trucks in record times. We couldn’t keep up the fast pace of refueling without their contributions, solutions to common deployed dilemmas, and their initiative and pride in their work.”
As the heightened pace continues for KC-10 aircrews, maintainers and support personnel, the unit’s motivation remains high, Archer said.
“Participating in Operation Enduring Freedom keeps everyone’s spirits high,” Archer said. “Most people here realize that their participation is crucial to an important and historical mission.”
Advanced Radar For Sea-Based Midcourse Missile Defense
The Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin Naval Electronic & Surveillance Systems (NE&SS) a $420 million contract modification to develop a prototype tactical radar, called SPY-1E, as a critical component of the nation's sea-based midcourse missile defense segment.
SPY-1E is a solid-state S-band radar that provides greatly improved detection at much greater ranges, a key requirement to counter ballistic missile defense threats. Additionally, SPY-1E will improve the U.S. Navy's ship self-defense and anti-air warfare capabilities.
"Everyone involved in the development of SPY-1E is looking forward to bringing new capabilities to the fleet," commented Fred Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Surface Systems. "SPY-1E significantly enhances the capabilities of our Aegis Weapon System with the technology needed to defend against next-generation threats." Lockheed Martin has been working on these new capabilities since 1999, and the first prototype is slated to be ready in 2006.
The SPY-1 is the heart of the Lockheed Martin-developed Aegis Weapon System, which is deployed on 61 U.S. Aegis-class ships on station around the world. The current SPY-1 radar can search, track and guide missiles simultaneously and has the capability of tracking hundreds of targets concurrently, from the wave tops to the exoatmosphere. SPY-1E will provide a step increase in the capability of the Aegis Weapon System.
SPY-1 is now available worldwide in various configurations, providing the U.S. and allied nations with the world's most advanced naval, surveillance, anti-air warfare and missile defense capabilities.
Eurofighter Ejection System Tested
BAE SYSTEMS has recently completed the final ejection test to qualify the Eurofighter Typhoon Two Seat Crew Escape System.
The successful test, carried out from a BAE SYSTEMS test rig at 600 knots, the highest airspeed in the aircraft's escape envelope, was performed at Langford Lodge, Martin-Baker Aircraft's test facility near Belfast.
The test replicates escape of the crew from the aircraft and involves jettison of the canopy and ejection of both seats in sequence. Completion of the test is a step in ensuring the maturity of the series production aircraft. The evidence provided by this test also contributes to the clearance required for the Customer to put the aircraft into Service with the operating Nations.
Geoff Howarth, Group Leader, Eurofighter Crew Escape, at BAE SYSTEMS said: 'The successful completion of the tests marks the end of nine months hard work and is a major achievement. The system has consistently performed as expected throughout testing and the crew escape system that underwent the final test is that implemented in the production aircraft.'
The completion of these tests also marks the successful achievement of the first of this year's Customer Monitored Milestones.
The Eurofighter partner nations will take delivery of 620 aircraft: 232 for the UK, 180 for Germany, 121 for Italy and 87 for Spain.
Marketing of Eurofighter Typhoon continues to draw interest around the world with active campaigns currently underway in South Korea, the Netherlands, Asia, Greece and Norway.
BAE Systems Launches Radar Warning Receiver - ComBat
BAE SYSTEMS, has officially announced the name ComBat for its first Australian developed radar warning receiver (RWR). ComBat is an airborne Electronic Warfare self-protection system that identifies potential threats by providing aircrew with visual and aural information on identified radar emissions.
Its modular system design has enabled the development of a family of RWRs with common use of multiple hardware and software modules across variants, providing significant through life support savings.
It has been specifically designed for Australian Defence Force aircraft types including the F/A-18 fighter, Blackhawk S-70A-9 helicopter, Chinook CH-47D helicopter, Hercules C130-J and F-111C strike aircraft.
Mr Mike Holmes, Business Development Manager - Electronic Warfare, BAE SYSTEMS said "ComBat's world class technology means that the product can be used to capture threat information at long range and all aspects. Preparation is now underway for ComBat to enter production.
"The ComBat programme represents a sizeable electronic warfare development team employing more than 70 highly specialist engineers - based at our facility in South Australia," he said.
BAE SYSTEMS Australia also has responsibility for development, supply and support of the electronic support function, electronic warfare self protection systems, operational mission simulator, mission support segment and Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) support facility for Project Wedgetail.
PAC-3 Test Hits One, Misses Two
The US Missile Defense Agency and the US Army have conducted an operational test of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Although one PAC-2 missile successfully intercepted and destroyed a QF-4 full-scale drone aircraft, a second PAC-2 missile and a PAC-3 missile missed their assigned sub-scale targets.
The test was conducted as a simultaneous engagement in which one PAC-3 missile was to engage and intercept a cruise missile target, while two PAC-2 missiles were to engage and intercept a full-scale aircraft emitting radar-jamming signals and a sub-scale aircraft. The mission was designed to replicate as closely as possible an actual battlefield scenario, with three targets and three missiles in the air at one time. Patriot's system logic is supposed to select the most efficient missile for each engagement. In this case a combination of Raytheon's PAC-2 and Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 missiles were used.
The Army's objective mix of missiles will be comprised of both PAC-3 and an upgraded PAC-2 missile, called GEM+, which is currently in production.
In addition to the target intercepts, test objectives included demonstrating successful operation and interaction of all system elements, including radar, command and control equipment and target identification systems. Soldiers of the 2nd of the 43rd Air Defense Artillery Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas, demonstrated their ability to conduct a tactical firing mission during this test.
This completes the first of four operational flight tests planned during Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOTE) for the PAC-3 system. IOTE, conducted by the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), is scheduled to conclude in May 2002.
ATEC's final system evaluation report will be prepared by its Army Evaluation Centre and then provided to MDA and Army senior leadership and decision-makers.
The PAC-3 missile is a high velocity, hit-to-kill missile and is the next generation Patriot missile being developed to provide increased defence capability against advanced tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hostile aircraft. Unlike earlier Patriot missile explosive warheads, the PAC-3 missile literally collides with its target in mid-air at extremely high speed, destroying the target and neutralising its payload. Other system upgrades include improved radar performance, allowing enhanced target discrimination; and new system software that improves determination of target launch and impact points and provides an interface with the Theatre High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system.
Before the latest test, the PAC-3 system had completed two controlled test flights, five tactical ballistic missile body-to-body intercepts, three cruise missile kills, and one aircraft kill resulting in 11 successful developmental flight tests.
Raytheon Aircraft Flying T-6A With Simulated Armaments
Raytheon Aircraft will soon be conducting test flights of the T-6A military training aircraft with simulated rocketry and bombs aboard. The trainer's weapons-carrying configuration is in preparation for deliveries to the Hellenic Air Force of Greece, which ordered 25 of a total of 45 T-6A's with hard points, or under-wing attachments for carrying rockets and bombs.
The Hellenic Air Force, which ordered the T-6As in August 1999 to replace its obsolescent T-41 and T-37 trainers, will use the aircraft for fighter pilot training.
Raytheon Aircraft is conducting the flights to test basic performance and handling qualities with the simulated weapons attached.
"International customers are looking for a trainer that will take them past primary flight training and into weapons training," said David Riemer, vice president - Government Business for Raytheon Aircraft. "By configuring the T-6A with weapons-carrying capability, we are increasing the training capability of the T-6A beyond the primary training mission. This advanced capability will assist us in future international sales."
Live fire and drop testing will be conducted at a controlled range under the direction of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
[ Send Us News | Archives ]
by Gail Helmer
Thursday February 21, 2002
- 767 Pilot In Command Supports MSFS 2002
- Global Operations Argentina Movie
- Team Factor Movie
- All American: The 82nd Airborne in Normandy
- The Civil War Unleashed
- KC-10 Refuelers Set Milestone
- Advanced Radar For Sea-Based Midcourse Missile Defense
- Eurofighter Ejection System Tested
- BAE Systems Launches Radar Warning Receiver - ComBat
- PAC-3 Test Hits One, Misses Two
- Raytheon Aircraft Flying T-6A With Simulated Armaments
767 Pilot In Command Supports MSFS 2002
Wilco Publishing has announced the release of a new patch for 767 Pilot in Command flight simulator that will allow PC pilots to soar through the wild blue yonder using Flight Simulator 2002. The upgrade also gives simmers a new set of keyboard commands that allow them to assign mouse clicks to combinations of keys and boasts a completely new interface giving 767 Pilot in Command the look and feel of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator 2002. The new patch, which incorporates all of the changes included in the previous Patch 1.1, can be downloaded from Wilco Publishing’s website.
Global Operations Argentina Movie
EA has released a new movie for download from their FTP. The movie shows some great gameplay on the Argentina map. The file is 7.2MB and requires Windows Media Player to play it. Download Now
Team Factor Movie
7FX has released new movie for Team Factor, their upcoming team-based (naturally) tactical shooter. The movie features nearly three minutes of gameplay footage. Download
All American: The 82nd Airborne in Normandy
Shrapnel Games has announced that All American: The 82nd Airborne in Normandy has entered late alpha and should go gold in May of 2002. The Airborne Invasion of Normandy will take you north and east of the 101st Airborne action as the brave soldiers of the All American division attempt to take Ste. Mere Eglise, bridgeheads spanning the Merderet River, and many other varied and trying missions.
Civil War Unleashed
Walker Boys Studio, a Dallas-based game developer founded by two members of the Age of Empires II team, is now working on a real-time strategy game set during the American Civil War. The game, titled Civil War: War Between the States, will let players assume control of the armies of either the North or the South. It will include more than 70 unique units, realistic 3D environments, and a variety of single- and multiplayer options. Players can reenact seven of the most famous battles from the Civil War, or they can choose to play through the war their own way from the very beginning. In addition to basic infantry units, the game will feature cavalry, artillery, and both transport and military ships. Click here to check out the official website.
Military News
KC-10 Refuelers Set Milestone
A refueling tanker from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., marked 875 KC-10 Extender combat sorties this month over the skies of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
People from the 32nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, mostly made up of aircraft and people from McGuire have offloaded more than 85,000,000 pounds of jet fuel since KC-10 aircraft began operations Sept. 22. Since then, aircrews from the 32nd EARS, and the previous 60th EARS from Travis AFB, Calif., have refueled more than 7,000 aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as from several coalition forces.
The unique nature of this air war requires the tankers to be on station as close as possible to the strike aircraft. The refueling aircraft fly and refuel while over a combat area, exposing aircrew members to risk alongside their fighter and bomber aircrew counterparts. Commanders watch and evaluate the risks associated with combat operations.
“The threat to our aircraft while operating over Afghanistan is an issue that we continually assess and reassess,” said Lt. Col. Stuart Archer, commander of the 32nd EARS. “The threat is real and constant, but somewhat lessened since the fall of the Taliban in December. Still, we manage the risk and conduct operations to minimize the risk while still fulfilling our mission requirements.”
Refueling U.S. and coalition aircraft, in any airspace, can be difficult since there are two kinds of aerial refueling systems -- the boom system used mostly by Air Force aircraft, and the probe and drogue system mainly used by the Navy and coalition aircraft. With the probe and drogue system, the tanker reels out a hose which ends in a “drogue,” a funnel-like basket.
About 70 percent of the 32nd EARS’ missions included aerial refueling of Navy aircraft, using the drogue system.
“This is a mission we’re well suited for,” said Maj. Scott Deitz, director of operations for the 32nd EARS. “The KC-10 has a lot of versatility since it has its own internal drogue system. This means we can switch from a U.S. Air Force aircraft that uses a boom for refueling to a U.S. Navy or coalition forces jet that uses the drogue system without having to land and manually change the systems.”
This ability to switch systems proves the value of using the KC-10 over Afghanistan.
“We’ve had crews refuel six different aircraft types on a single mission,” Deitz said.
The sheer number of pounds offloaded to the various aircraft would not be possible without a base infrastructure to support KC-10 operations, said Capt. Gary Honsinger, director of maintenance for the 32nd EARS.
“We have been creative in our approach to generating aircraft while deployed,” Honsinger said. “Because of the ingenuity of the maintainers and support personnel in a bare base deployment, we have the ability to generate aircraft in the time needed. We generated a sortie in one hour and 45 minutes after an aircraft landed so it could take off again, and that included loading 280,000 pounds of gas.”
Fuel tends to be the main concern for aircrews waiting for the KC-10s in air over Afghanistan, as well as for the commanders and aircrews on the ground at the base. But the fuels troops meet the challenge, Archer said.
“These are the best (petroleum, oils and lubricants) troops I’ve ever seen,” Archer said.
“They have nonstop operations without a hydrant system normally used at home stations or any of the other equipment they are used to,” he said. “They are refueling with bladder trucks in record times. We couldn’t keep up the fast pace of refueling without their contributions, solutions to common deployed dilemmas, and their initiative and pride in their work.”
As the heightened pace continues for KC-10 aircrews, maintainers and support personnel, the unit’s motivation remains high, Archer said.
“Participating in Operation Enduring Freedom keeps everyone’s spirits high,” Archer said. “Most people here realize that their participation is crucial to an important and historical mission.”
Advanced Radar For Sea-Based Midcourse Missile Defense
The Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin Naval Electronic & Surveillance Systems (NE&SS) a $420 million contract modification to develop a prototype tactical radar, called SPY-1E, as a critical component of the nation's sea-based midcourse missile defense segment.
SPY-1E is a solid-state S-band radar that provides greatly improved detection at much greater ranges, a key requirement to counter ballistic missile defense threats. Additionally, SPY-1E will improve the U.S. Navy's ship self-defense and anti-air warfare capabilities.
"Everyone involved in the development of SPY-1E is looking forward to bringing new capabilities to the fleet," commented Fred Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Surface Systems. "SPY-1E significantly enhances the capabilities of our Aegis Weapon System with the technology needed to defend against next-generation threats." Lockheed Martin has been working on these new capabilities since 1999, and the first prototype is slated to be ready in 2006.
The SPY-1 is the heart of the Lockheed Martin-developed Aegis Weapon System, which is deployed on 61 U.S. Aegis-class ships on station around the world. The current SPY-1 radar can search, track and guide missiles simultaneously and has the capability of tracking hundreds of targets concurrently, from the wave tops to the exoatmosphere. SPY-1E will provide a step increase in the capability of the Aegis Weapon System.
SPY-1 is now available worldwide in various configurations, providing the U.S. and allied nations with the world's most advanced naval, surveillance, anti-air warfare and missile defense capabilities.
Eurofighter Ejection System Tested
BAE SYSTEMS has recently completed the final ejection test to qualify the Eurofighter Typhoon Two Seat Crew Escape System.
The successful test, carried out from a BAE SYSTEMS test rig at 600 knots, the highest airspeed in the aircraft's escape envelope, was performed at Langford Lodge, Martin-Baker Aircraft's test facility near Belfast.
The test replicates escape of the crew from the aircraft and involves jettison of the canopy and ejection of both seats in sequence. Completion of the test is a step in ensuring the maturity of the series production aircraft. The evidence provided by this test also contributes to the clearance required for the Customer to put the aircraft into Service with the operating Nations.
Geoff Howarth, Group Leader, Eurofighter Crew Escape, at BAE SYSTEMS said: 'The successful completion of the tests marks the end of nine months hard work and is a major achievement. The system has consistently performed as expected throughout testing and the crew escape system that underwent the final test is that implemented in the production aircraft.'
The completion of these tests also marks the successful achievement of the first of this year's Customer Monitored Milestones.
The Eurofighter partner nations will take delivery of 620 aircraft: 232 for the UK, 180 for Germany, 121 for Italy and 87 for Spain.
Marketing of Eurofighter Typhoon continues to draw interest around the world with active campaigns currently underway in South Korea, the Netherlands, Asia, Greece and Norway.
BAE Systems Launches Radar Warning Receiver - ComBat
BAE SYSTEMS, has officially announced the name ComBat for its first Australian developed radar warning receiver (RWR). ComBat is an airborne Electronic Warfare self-protection system that identifies potential threats by providing aircrew with visual and aural information on identified radar emissions.
Its modular system design has enabled the development of a family of RWRs with common use of multiple hardware and software modules across variants, providing significant through life support savings.
It has been specifically designed for Australian Defence Force aircraft types including the F/A-18 fighter, Blackhawk S-70A-9 helicopter, Chinook CH-47D helicopter, Hercules C130-J and F-111C strike aircraft.
Mr Mike Holmes, Business Development Manager - Electronic Warfare, BAE SYSTEMS said "ComBat's world class technology means that the product can be used to capture threat information at long range and all aspects. Preparation is now underway for ComBat to enter production.
"The ComBat programme represents a sizeable electronic warfare development team employing more than 70 highly specialist engineers - based at our facility in South Australia," he said.
BAE SYSTEMS Australia also has responsibility for development, supply and support of the electronic support function, electronic warfare self protection systems, operational mission simulator, mission support segment and Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) support facility for Project Wedgetail.
PAC-3 Test Hits One, Misses Two
The US Missile Defense Agency and the US Army have conducted an operational test of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Although one PAC-2 missile successfully intercepted and destroyed a QF-4 full-scale drone aircraft, a second PAC-2 missile and a PAC-3 missile missed their assigned sub-scale targets.
The test was conducted as a simultaneous engagement in which one PAC-3 missile was to engage and intercept a cruise missile target, while two PAC-2 missiles were to engage and intercept a full-scale aircraft emitting radar-jamming signals and a sub-scale aircraft. The mission was designed to replicate as closely as possible an actual battlefield scenario, with three targets and three missiles in the air at one time. Patriot's system logic is supposed to select the most efficient missile for each engagement. In this case a combination of Raytheon's PAC-2 and Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 missiles were used.
The Army's objective mix of missiles will be comprised of both PAC-3 and an upgraded PAC-2 missile, called GEM+, which is currently in production.
In addition to the target intercepts, test objectives included demonstrating successful operation and interaction of all system elements, including radar, command and control equipment and target identification systems. Soldiers of the 2nd of the 43rd Air Defense Artillery Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas, demonstrated their ability to conduct a tactical firing mission during this test.
This completes the first of four operational flight tests planned during Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOTE) for the PAC-3 system. IOTE, conducted by the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), is scheduled to conclude in May 2002.
ATEC's final system evaluation report will be prepared by its Army Evaluation Centre and then provided to MDA and Army senior leadership and decision-makers.
The PAC-3 missile is a high velocity, hit-to-kill missile and is the next generation Patriot missile being developed to provide increased defence capability against advanced tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hostile aircraft. Unlike earlier Patriot missile explosive warheads, the PAC-3 missile literally collides with its target in mid-air at extremely high speed, destroying the target and neutralising its payload. Other system upgrades include improved radar performance, allowing enhanced target discrimination; and new system software that improves determination of target launch and impact points and provides an interface with the Theatre High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system.
Before the latest test, the PAC-3 system had completed two controlled test flights, five tactical ballistic missile body-to-body intercepts, three cruise missile kills, and one aircraft kill resulting in 11 successful developmental flight tests.
Raytheon Aircraft Flying T-6A With Simulated Armaments
Raytheon Aircraft will soon be conducting test flights of the T-6A military training aircraft with simulated rocketry and bombs aboard. The trainer's weapons-carrying configuration is in preparation for deliveries to the Hellenic Air Force of Greece, which ordered 25 of a total of 45 T-6A's with hard points, or under-wing attachments for carrying rockets and bombs.
The Hellenic Air Force, which ordered the T-6As in August 1999 to replace its obsolescent T-41 and T-37 trainers, will use the aircraft for fighter pilot training.
Raytheon Aircraft is conducting the flights to test basic performance and handling qualities with the simulated weapons attached.
"International customers are looking for a trainer that will take them past primary flight training and into weapons training," said David Riemer, vice president - Government Business for Raytheon Aircraft. "By configuring the T-6A with weapons-carrying capability, we are increasing the training capability of the T-6A beyond the primary training mission. This advanced capability will assist us in future international sales."
Live fire and drop testing will be conducted at a controlled range under the direction of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.