Airforces Monthly - February 2017

ARTICLE SUMMARY
NEWS
AUSTRALASIA
Australian C-27J achieves IOC
THE AUSTRALIAN Minister for
Defence, Senator Marise Payne,
announced initial operating
capability (IOC) for the fleet of
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
C-27J Spartans on December 26.
Acquiring the Spartan represents
an AUS$1.6bn investment in the
nation’s airlift capability after
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus Defence
and Space KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport
(MRTT) has conducted refuelling trials with a US
Air Force B-1B Lancer. The trials, part of a flight-test
programme at Edwards Air Force Base, California were
carried out by a test team led by the RAAF’s Aircraft
Research and Development Unit and the USAF’s 418th
Flight Test Squadron. All parameters of the air-to-air
refuelling procedures between the two aircraft were
examined during 185 dry contacts and 16 wet contacts in
late October and November. USAF/Christian Turner
the retirement of the Vietnamera
Caribou transports in 2009.
To date, four of Australia’s
ten Spartans have arrived in
the country, where they are
operated by 35 Squadron
from RAAF Base Richmond,
New South Wales. The fourth
aircraft, A34-005, arrived on
December 7 after completing
a ferry flight from prime
contractor L-3 Communications’
US facility in Waco, Texas.
Following construction of
dedicated facilities at RAAF
Base Amberley, Queensland, 35
Squadron will relocate in 2019.
The first three C-27Js from 35 Squadron taxi at RAAF Richmond on November 11 following a sortie during which all flew
together for the first time. A fourth C-27J joined the fleet on December 7 and IOC for the type was announced 19 days
later. Commonwealth of Australia/WOFF Glenn Lyons
Tiger tests
laser Hellfire
A Lockheed Martin AGM-114R
Hellfire II is launched from a
Tiger ARH over the Delamere
Air Weapons Range.
Commonwealth of Australia
THE FIRST test firings of the
laser-guided AGM-114R Hellfire
II air-to-ground missile from
an Australian Army Aviation
Tiger Armed Reconnaissance
Helicopter (ARH) were conducted
in late 2016. Testing was
undertaken by the Army Aviation
Test and Evaluation Section
at the Delamere Air Weapons
Range in Australia’s Northern
Territory. The AGM-114R, a
possible replacement for the
Tiger’s AGM-114M, features
a crew-selectable, variable
warhead that can be used
against armoured vehicles,
fortified positions or soft and
open targets. Tom Kaminski
RAAF KC-30A refuels ‘Bone’
Royal New
Zealand
Air Force to
renew fixedwing
fleet
NEW ZEALAND published
its New Defence Capability
Plan in November, which
includes eagerly awaited plans
to replace its fleets of five
Lockheed C-130H Hercules
airlifters and six Lockheed
P-3K2 Orion maritime
patrol aircraft by 2026.
In total, a NZ$20‐billion
investment in new capabilities
will be required until 2030.
The plan is the next step in
achieving the aims set out
in the Defence White Paper
released in June 2016.
Both the C-130H and P-3K2
are receiving upgrades
that will allow these types
to remain in service into
the mid-2020s. The Future
Air Surveillance Capability
project will consider both
manned and unmanned
options for meeting Royal New
Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)
intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance
(ISR) requirements.
The C-130 replacement
project will provide a
tactical airlift capability to
move “personnel and cargo
within the South Pacific, to
Antarctica, and in support
of coalition operations
farther afield”, according
to the Defence Ministry.
The ministry has also
approved upgrades to the
underwater surveillance
equipment on the P-3.
Intriguingly, Japan is already
in talks with New Zealand
with a view to supplying the
RNZAF with the Kawasaki
Heavy Industries P-1 maritime
patrol aircraft and C-2
transport, having provided
information on both types
in September in response to
requests from Wellington.
Japanese officials have visited
New Zealand for related talks
and a formal proposal in
response to the New Zealand
RFI (Request For Information)
could be ready for submission
in the first half of this year.
30 FEBRUARY 2017 #347 www.airforcesmonthly.com