Skip to main content

Third RAAF F-35 Makes First Flight

05 Desember 2017 A35-003 takes off from Fort Worth. (photo : AustralianAviationCarl Richards) The Royal Australian Air Force’s third F-35A Lightning II, A35-003, has completed its first flight. Photographer Carl Richards captured these images of A35-003 taking off on its first flight, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on December 1. The aircraft is due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in early 2018 to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia in 2020. A35-003, known to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin as AU-3, had its RAAF markings, including its 3 Squadron tail flashes, applied in early November, the final phase of the aircraft’s production process. 3 Squadron is due to become the first RAAF F-35 operational unit. ( AustralianAviation )

Harris to Deliver Carriage & Release Systems for KAI KF-X

18 November 2017

BRU-57 smart rack (photo : Harris)

Harris was selected by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to provide carriage and release systems (proven, reliable single- and twin-store carriers) for the next-generation Korea Fighter-Experimental (KF-X) programme.

The KAI KF-X jet is a programme to develop an advanced multirole fighter for the Republic of Korea Air Force. "The KF-X aircraft represents a new strategic customer and fighter development platform for Harris in the Asian market," Ed Zoiss, President, Harris Electronic Systems, explained. "This selection reaffirms Harris’ position as the supplier of choice worldwide for proven, leading edge carriage and release solutions."

The BRU-47 single store carrier, known for its reliability and ease of maintenance, also reduces the time needed for loading stores using Harris’ patented sway-brace technology – which minimizes rack sway due to aircraft maneuvers and munition release. The BRU-46/A and BRU-47/A offer users significant benefits, including shorter store loading times and greatly reduced maintenance. As a result, users are able to rapidly rearm aircraft while reducing dependency on the logistics infrastructure. This is especially significant during high sortie rate missions. Harris patented swaybrace technology facilitates the loading of stores in blind or difficult access situations while eliminating the need to tighten individual screw jacks to precise torque values. Another patented feature is the hot gas filtration system that permits dozens of dirty pyrotechnic cartridge firings without having to clean any bomb rack components.The BRU-46/A and BRU-47/A are used on the United States Air Force (USAF) F-15E EAGLE and the F/A-22 RAPTOR. Additionally, the BRU-46/A (as part of the BRU-57 Smart Rack, see below) is employed on the F-16 FALCON. The BRU-46/A and BRU-47/A have earned an excellent reputation among operators and maintainers as a reliable, easily maintained state-of-the-art bomb rack unit.

BRU-47 single store carrier (photo : Harris)

The BRU-57 is a smart-weapon-enabled, twin store carrier that doubles the payload capacity of aircraft without modifying any hardware – providing for a wide array of payload configurations. The BRU-55/A smart rack doubles the number of MIL-STD-1760 smart weapons that can be carried on tactical strike aircraft, such as the F/A-18 C-F. This is accomplished with no modification to aircraft wiring. The electronic control assembly installed within the nose and tail fairings of the F/A-18’s Canted Vertical Ejector Rack (CVER) provides a class II 1760 interface to the aircraft and one 1760 class II interface to each of the two weapons carried on the CVER. Digital communications to the weapons on the BRU-55/A are passively coupled to the aircraft MIL-STD-1553 data bus thereby minimising updates to the aircraft Operational Flight Program (OFP).

(Mpnch)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HMNZS ENDEAVOUR - Final Harbour Entry with Pennant Flying

05 Desember 2017 HMNZS Endeavour (photo : RNZN) The Royal New Zealand Navy’s 30 year old tanker support ship, HMNZS Endeavour is about to be retired and enters the Waitemata Harbour for her final time on Friday 1 December. She will be flying her decommissioning or paying off pennant - the longest pennant in the Navy. Endeavour is expected to berth at Devonport Naval Base at 10am and will be visible from East Coast Bays and North Head for up to an hour as she enters the Rangitoto Channel, approaches the inner harbour and progresses to her berth. For her final ceremonial harbour entry, naval tradition allows the Commanding Officer of Endeavour, Commander Martin Doolan, to fly the decommissioning pennant from the ship. The custom is inherited and adapted from the Royal Navy since before the Napoleonic Wars when it was tradition for ships to fly a ‘Paying-off Pennant’ at the masthead when they left their fleet to return to their home port to ‘Pay Off’. The length of the pennant was equal t...

15th Strike Wing will Operate 6 Brand-New Super Tucanos

04 Desember 2017 A-29 Super Tucano (photo : Rafael Nunes) PAF unit to get 6 'Super Tucanos' MANILA -- Once delivered in 2019, the six brand-new Embraer A-29 "Super Tucano" light attack aircraft will be turned over to the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 15th Strike Wing, a defense official said. "They will be turned over and maintained by the 15th Strike Wing, the PAF's end-user," Department of National Defense (DND) public affairs office chief Arsenio Andolong told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview late Friday. Andolong said the A-29 is a durable, versatile, and highly advanced aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of missions. "(It can) even (operate) on unimproved runways," he added. The 15th Strike Wing, based in Sangley Point, Cavite City, is the operator of all the Air Force's ground attack aircraft, including the venerable Rockwell OV-10 "Broncos" and assorted armed helicopters. Earlier, Andolong announce...

BAE Systems Integrates VBS3 and VBS IG for Use with the ADF's AADS

04 Desember 2017 VBS3 simulator (photo : BISims) WILLIAMTOWN, NSW (Australia) — BAE Systems, a global defence, aerospace and security company, engaged Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), a global developer of advanced military training and simulation software, to integrate BISim’s VBS3 and VBS IG products into the Advanced Air Defence Simulator (AADS) used by Australian Defense Force personnel to train in a simulated RBS-70 platform (Ground to Air Missile System). The Training facility for the RBS-70 ground-based missile defence system is located at the Australian Defence Force's Woodside Barracks in South Australia and is managed by BAE Systems. “The AADS provides a fully immersive collective training environment for Air Defence soldiers,” said Steve Baldock, Manager, Support Engineering, BAE Systems Australia. “It continues to deliver quality training outputs without the high logistic and ammunition costs. With the inclusion of VBS3/VBSIG, the immersive experience has increa...