FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0012.PDF
OPERATIONS: DEFENCE Netherlands considers AH-64 leasing deal CFE talks are key to the Dutch combat helicopter plan A US delegation is visiting the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) this week to dis cuss a leasing deal involving the McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. The initiative follows the MoD's decision to put the Netherlands Army combat heli copter procurement programme "on ice" for at least a year whilst a re-assessment of the Dutch na tional defence policy takes place. This report is not expected to be finalised until December 1990 at the earliest, and is subject to the successful conclusion of the cur rent conventional force Europe (CFE) reduction talks taking place in Vienna. Postponement of the heli copter decision has already given rise to another potential interim solution in which the Nether lands would "lease" more than 20 combat-capable MBB BO105s from West Germany. McDonnell Douglas has already offered vari ous versions of the AH-64 Apache to meet the Dutch requirement for around 50 combat helicopters. Newly-appointed Netherlands secretary of defence procurement Baron Van Voorst tot Voorst says: "The future helicopter requirement depends on many things, not least the outcome of the CFE talks. We may find that we need more flexible machines that are not dedicated to attack and so we could be looking at a number of options. In the mean time we have to decide how to cut 1 billion guilders ($2 billion) from our defence budget over the next four years". The CFE talks have also sparked speculation in The Netherlands that the country could receive surplus machines from other NATO members due to the "cascade effect" if national ceilings on certain combat-ca pable helicopter types are set by the Vienna conference. • CASUALTIES THAILAND A Royal Thai Navy Grumman S-2F Tracker from NAS Songkhla crashed into the sea 2km off Koh Kam on 6 Decem ber. The crew, Capt Nares Kanthapong, Lt Akkaphand Aroonrirk, WO Pravat Nanthakit and WO Suthas Boonchu, were killed. UNITED STATES A US Navy Kaman SH-2 Sea Sprite from USS Oldendorf crashed off Okinawa, Japan, on 29 November. Two crew were rescued; the third is missing, presumed killed. The Sea Sprite was carrying out vertical replenishment when the accident occurred. Israeli report cites future Iraqi nuclear weapons capacity An Israeli report cites Iraqi nu- xVclear capability. The Israeli Jaffee Centre for Strategic Stud ies says that Iraq is developing its own nuclear weapons. The centre states: "By conser vative estimates an Iraqi nuclear weapon is five to ten years away. Iraq's success in this field, cou pled with its achievements in surface-to-surface missile tech nology, could add a new dimen sion to regional threats." In response to the Jaffee report, a senior official in the Israeli defence minister's office says: "We take the information about the Iraqi efforts in develop ing missiles and nuclear weapons very, very seriously". The report, Middle East Mili tary Balance 1988-1989, pub lished on 20 December, also says that the Iraqi Air Force already operates 15 Soviet Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Cs and a number of MiG- 29 Fulcrums. The report claims that the number of MiG-29s al ready supplied to Iraq is 26, but adds that this number remains unconfirmed. According to the report the Iraqis have already ordered additional MiG-29s, Su- 24s and 60 additional Su-25 Frogfoots. An order for Dassault Mirage 2000s is said to be unconfirmed. The Israeli report states that the Syrian Air Force already op erates 20 MiG-29s and has on order more MiG-29s as well as Su-24s. Head of the Jaffee Centre Gen Aharon Yariv says that some of the Su-24s supplied to Libya may possibly find their way to Syria. • Belgian Army aviation reorganised The Belgian Army will reorganise its light aviation air component with the in troduction of the Agusta A. 109 Mkll helicopter to replace the Sud-Aviation Alouette II. Malaysia grounds Sikorsky S-61s Malaysia grounded all its 35 Sikorsky S-61A Nuri heli copters after 16 army and air force officers were killed in the crash on 18 December of an air force S-61 on a flight from Ku- ching in the eastern state of Sara wak to Sematan. Among the dead were Maj Gen Mustaffa Awang and Brig Gen Hasbulla Yusof. It was the second accident involving S-61s in five weeks. All 21 civilians were killed when one went down on 9 November. Fishermen in the vicinity say that the military helicopter caught fire in the air. Poor weather caused postponement of the flight by 50min, and the aircraft took off at 08.50 local time. Last contact was made at 08.58, and the wreckage was discovered at 11.00. The S-61s entered Malaysian service 21 years ago. • As Britten-Norman Islanders are phased out and disposed of, the air component will be trimmed to four squadrons. Two squadrons will receive a mix of 12 A. 109s in the anti-armour (HA) version and seven for the observation (HO) role. A third squadron will continue to fly the Alouette II. The fourth squadron will group the headquarters staff and services. The light aviation component, deployed in the German Federal Republic under 1(BE) corps command, will redeploy to Bierset AB near Liege, in Bel gium. This will be executed be tween 1991-3, as the A.109s are delivered and the new barracks readied. Some helicopters will remain in Germany to cater for the needs of the Army Corps. One platoon with the A.109HO will remain at Wahn, near Cologne and a mixed A. 109 HA/HO platoon will be maintained at Werl. Each pla toon will have six helicopters. The light-aviation training school at Brasschaat, near Ant werp, will also be maintained. It will continue to train helicopter pilots for both types and be responsible for the conversion to A. 109. The A. 109s will be made in Belgium. •
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events