Eurofighter Begins Testing with APKWS Laser-Guided Rockets

The Eurofighter Typhoon has begun testing APKWS laser-guided rockets, with BAE Systems confirming successful test firings.

APKWS converts standard 70 mm rockets into precision-guided munitions using a laser guidance kit, offering a much cheaper alternative to traditional air-to-ground missiles.

The interest is clear. Modern operations increasingly involve low-cost targets such as drones, light vehicles or dispersed positions, where using expensive munitions is inefficient. APKWS provides a way to match weapon cost to target value without losing accuracy.

For the Typhoon, this adds practical flexibility. It allows the aircraft to carry out precision strike missions at lower cost and with greater sustainability, particularly in prolonged operations.

Eurofighter Typhoon completes Brimstone missile trials successfully

A series of live firings of the Brimstone precision strike missile from a Eurofighter Typhoon have been completed successfully, adding enhanced capability to the aircraft.
The trials, conducted from BAE Systems’ Military Air & Information at Warton, Lancashire, UK, form part of a programme of new enhancements which will be rolled out across the Royal Air Force (RAF), ensuring Typhoon remains at the cutting edge of combat capability.
eurofighter

BAE progresses pre-delivery trials of Saudi Hawks

Pre-delivery trials of the first of 44 BAE Systems Hawk Mk 165 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft for Saudi Arabia are progressing ahead of the start of deliveries in the coming weeks, as shown by an image of aircraft 2101 flying in national livery.
A photograph taken at BAE Systems' Warton facility in the north of England on 23 March shows the aircraft (serial ZB101 while in the UK) performing the final phases of flights trials in the standard colours and markings of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), having previously only been seen in factory primer. The second aircraft, 2102 (ZB102), also flew.
The aircraft is the first of an initial batch of 22 Hawk AJTs that the RSAF ordered in 2012 to replace the Hawk Mk 65 and Mk 65A platforms currently in service. An order for a further 22 aircraft was first reported in February after it appeared in BAE Systems' preliminary annual report for 2015.
The Hawk AJTs are being acquired because their 'glass' cockpits more closely resemble those of the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F-15SA Eagles onto which the RSAF's student pilots will transition. Its acquisition is part of a wider revamp of the service's pilot training capabilities, which includes 55 new Pilatus PC-21s and 25 Cirrus SR22 primary training aircraft.
janes

First Storm Shadow Missile Succesfully Released From Typhoon

A Typhoon Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA) has successfully completed a release of the MBDA Storm Shadow, conventionally armed, stealthy, long-range stand-off precision missile, Eurofighter GmbH has announced
This continues the series of trials that Eurofighter Partner Company, Alenia Aermacchi, is leading to demonstrate the full integration of the Storm Shadow missile with Typhoon's weapon system.
baesystems

Germany Suspends Eurofighter Deliveries

The German Air Force has temporarily suspended delivery of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets following the discovery of quality problems involving the connection between the vertical stabilizers and the body of the aircraft.
In a notification to the German Bundestag, the Ministry of Defence said that drillings and the removal of burr were not conducted according to specifications.
The Typhoon suffered a similar problem last year when Germany, Italy and Spain all halted deliveries of the jet after a number of drilled bolt holes in a different part of the rear fuselage were identified as having not been de-burred satisfactorily.
The Eurofighter consortium confirmed that it had now found a new manufacturing quality problem on the aircraft.
Consortium member BAE Systems is responsible for the manufacture of parts involved in last year's problem, as well as the current issue.
The German MoD stressed that while flight safety is not affected in the short run, long-time effects were possible.
All German Eurofighters in service are being closely monitored and operations of the German fleet are not expected to be affected, said the MoD.
defensenews

Pilatus delivers additional PC-21 trainer to Royal Saudi Air Force

Pilatus has shipped another PC-21 expanded envelope trainer aircraft off its final assembly line for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
The aircraft represents the 100th turboprop trainer PC-21 to be rolled off the company's final assembly line in Switzerland.
Saudi Arabia ordered 55 PC-21 aircraft in May 2012.
The deal also covered the delivery of 22 Hawk 165 advanced jet trainers.
The PC-21 will also replace RSAF's existing PC-9 trainer fleet, which comprises 47 aircraft that were delivered by BAE as part of a package deal with Hawks to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1980s.
The RSAF took delivery of the initial six aircraft in June 2014. The remaining aircraft are currently in production, while the instructors are preparing for their first student courses.
The PC-21 is currently operated by the air forces of Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE, and has also been ordered by Qatar.
airforce-technology

BAE Systems in talks to weaponise India's Hawks

The Indian Air Force is in negotiations with BAE Systems to weaponise its fleet of Hawk Mk 132 advanced jet trainers so they could be deployed on strike co-ordinated armed reconnaissance and close air support missions.
The IAF is evaluating the feasibility of integrating its largely licence-built Hawk Mk 132s with a range of weapon systems that are fitted onto its SEPECAT Jaguar fighters.
This includes MBDA's Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles, Rafael Litening targeting pods, and a range of smart weapons.
By 2016-17 the IAF will operate 106 Hawks and the Indian Navy another 17, making India the largest operator of the type. The IAF plans to acquire another 20 Hawks for its aerobatics team, disbanded in February 2011 after its HAL-built Surya Kiran HJT-16 Mk I and Mk II aircraft were diverted to train fighter pilots.
IAF fighter pilots begin their instruction on Pilatus PC-7 Mk II tandem-seat basic turboprop trainers for 55 hours before moving onto the Kiran HJT-16 Mk I and Mk II intermediate jet trainers for another 70 hours. Thereafter, they graduate to Hawk Mk 132s for two 'semesters' of 135 hours before going on to operate fighters.
janes

USAF T-X: Northrop-Bae Systems turns to a new prototype, abandoning a modified Hawk

A Northrop Grumman-led team is dashing its plan to propose a modified BAE Systems Hawk trainer for the U.S. Air Force’s T-38 replacement program, opting instead for a clean-sheet design for the.
The shift is more bold than it is surprising. The team is paying for a brand-new prototype despite a slump in defense spending. But it has become increasingly evident that the Hawk is unsuited for the mission due to shortfalls in the fast-jet trainer’s ability to sustain Gs, perform high angle-of-attack maneuvering and execute tight turn rate and radius.
BAE’s Hawk would struggle to meet sustained G, high angle of attack and tight turn radius requirements sought in the U.S. Air Force’s T-38 replacement program.
The Air Force intends to buy as many as 350 of the trainers as part of a larger T-X system, including advanced training aids such as a sophisticated ground-based training platform and aids.

Succes of First Storm Shadow Missile Release From an Eurofighter Typhoon

Alenia Aermacchi and Eurofighter partners have successfully conducted the first release of a Storm Shadow missile from a Eurofighter Typhoon.
The trials took place in November and saw the missile being released from the aircraft and tracked by radar up to impact.
Another Eurofighter partner, BAE Systems, has completed the first trial installation of a Storm Shadow missile onto a RAF Typhoon with support from weapons provider MBDA.
Storm Shadow, already in service with the Italian Air Force and Royal Air Force Tornados, is a conventionally armed, stealthy, long-range stand-off precision weapon designed to neutralise high value targets.
The new weapons system will add the capability to strike in day or night in all-weather conditions, well-defended infrastructure targets such as port facilities, control centres, bunkers, missile sites, airfields and bridges that would otherwise require several aircraft and missions. This is a new addition to the Eurofighter Typhoon’s potent simultaneous multi-/swing-role capabilities.
Powered by a turbo-jet engine, with a range in excess of 250 km, the Storm Shadow missile weighs approximately 1.300kg and is just over 5 metres long. It will be available to operators when the Eurofighter Typhoon Phase 2 Enhancements become operational.
The first tests on Storm Shadow integration for the Eurofighter began in December 2013 with development aircraft IPA2 operated by Alenia Aermacchi.
The recent inert drop-tests and store release trials will now be followed by work on the instrumented missiles for the Environmental Data Gathering tests known as Phase 3. eurofighter

RAF's F-35 passes key weapons test ahead of 2018 lift-off

New pictures show the RAF's next-generation F-35B fighter, bristling with fearsome state-of-the-art weaponry.
However, the deadly-looking weapons are actually trial or 'dummy' ordnance, which are identical in fit and form to their lethal counterparts but incapable of causing damage.
A UK test team including personnel from BAE Systems, has successfully completed initial aircraft handling trials for ASRAAM and Paveway IV weapons on the F-35B.
The 'weapons' were tested on the Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL) F-35B for the first time during a series of flights from the US Navy's test facility.
The RAF already uses ASRAAM air-to-air missiles and Paveway IV - a 500lb weapon capable of taking out a small compound - on its existing combat air fleet. The successful tests are a step towards full integration between the current and future fast jets that will be used by the RAF and the UK's Royal Navy from 2018.
Two F-35B STOVL aircraft, completed nine flights with MBDA's ASRAAM missiles and Raytheon's Paveway IV laser guided bombs..
dailymail

RAF To Be Equipped With Bunker Busting Version of Paveway IV

British combat jets are on course to be armed with a new bunker busting version of the Paveway IV precision guided bomb.
Raytheon UK, the weapon’s maker, is conducting preparatory work using an existing contract with the MoD ahead of a possible deal next year to equip Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm jets with a compact warhead.
The contractors carried out ground trials at the UK’s Pendine test range in 2012.
A new warhead and fuze for the Paveway IV would replace earlier generation weapons like the Paveway III bunker buster used by the Royal Air Force in Libya in 2011.
The new generation Paveway IV has a 500-pound warhead compared with 2,000-pounds for the Paveway III.
Paveway IV is carried by RAF Tornado jets and was recently cleared for action onboard the Typhoon.
Typhoon contractor BAE Systems announced earlier this month that two Paveway IVs had been released from the combat jet simultaneously for the first time during a recent flight test.
Aside from the Tornado and Typhoon, the Paveway IV will also be fitted to the F-35B when it enters service with the RAF and the Royal Navy later in the decade.
The weapon has also been acquired by Typhoon and Tornado operator Saudi Arabia.
Executives are now targeting Oman as a second Paveway IV export customer following their purchase of Typhoon jets.
defensenews

Australian official confirms Taranis test location

Royal Australian Air has confirmed flight testing of the BAE Systems-led Taranis unmanned combat air system demonstrator took place at the nation’s Woomera test range, removing a classification status previously imposed by the UK Ministry of Defence.
Taranis successfully flight trialled its advanced unmanned combat air vehicle at Woomera in August last year.
A first series of flights was conducted with the stealthy type at Woomera, with a second round having been performed between late the same year and January 2014. The latter involved flying the aircraft in what BAE describes as a “fully stealthy configuration, making it virtually invisible to radar”. Additional trials are now the subject of discussion between the company and the MoD.

flightglobal

Anglo-French UCAS project gets underway with contract

The British and French governments have agreed to a massive contract to develop an Anglo-French unmanned combat air system. The contract, aims for an operational UCAS by the 2030s.
Six European companies will collaborate on the project: BAE, Dassault, Thales France, Selex ES, Rolls-Royce and Safran. The goal is to deliver two different national designs, which will then lead to a joint Anglo-French UCAS capable of strike and ISR missions. The project will begin with a joint feasibility phase that will determine the direction of future work.
c4isrnet

Republic of Korea Terminate KF-16 Upgrade Contract with BAE

On November 5, 2014, at the request of the Government of the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Government notified BAE Systems, that it would terminate for convenience a contract with BAE for initial development and long lead production in support of the Republic of Korea KF-16 fighter aircraft upgrade. This contract was the first of a two-phase Foreign Military Sales (FMS) procurement for the upgrade of 134 KF-16s. The U.S. Government will work with BAE to close out the contract.
dsca.mil

RAF Now Flying Improved Typhoon Aircraft

Typhoon fighters equipped with a package of new capabilities have entered operational service with the Royal Air Force.
BAE Systems, said Friday that the first 15 of the RAF aircraft fitted with what is known as the Phase 1 Enhancements Package (P1E) are now in service.
Separately, BAE is also working on a new set of upgrades for the jet. BAE expects to be under contract to integrate the latest version of the Brimstone ground attack missile, known as Brimstone 2, on Typhoon in the first quarter of 2015.
By next April the RAF should have received 35 of the Tranche 2 fighters upgraded with the new P1E capabilities, that will eventually see all 67 aircraft of the type in the British fleet modified.
The RAF expects to declare full operational capability in April.
The upgrade includes integration of the Paveway IV precision guided bomb, full air-to-surface integration including a Litening III targeting pod, and full integration of the IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile used by all the Typhoon operators except the UK.
Other Eurofighter partner nations will receive P1E enhancements starting in 2015.
Only Tranche 2 aircraft will receive P1E. The enhancements come as standard on Tranche 3 aircraft now being delivered to European Typhoon partners and customers like Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Brimstone 2 is expected to enter service on RAF Tornado jets next year.
defensenews

ROKAF F-16 Upgrade: Problems With S. Korea-BAE Deal Could Open Door to Lockheed

South Korea is threatening to break an agreement with BAE Systems to upgrade its fleet of KF-16s, opening a window of opportunity for competitor Lockheed Martin to reclaim its dominance in theF-16 upgrade market.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) selected BAE Systems’ North American subsidiary in December 2012 as prime integrator to take charge of software and hardware upgrades for 134 KF-16 aircraft. It represented the first time any company had beat Lockheed, the original producer of the F-16, for upgrades to the jet.
defensenews

Qatar To Buy Patriot Missiles and 24 Apache Helicopters

Qatar will buy US Patriot missiles in a major arms deal worth $11 billion, as Washington awaits a decision by the Gulf state on a lucrative fighter jet contract.
The sale will provide Qatar with roughly 10 batteries for Patriot systems, as well as 24 Apache helicopters and 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Qatar was investing in missile defense systems to counter what it sees as the threat from Iran.
The weapons came as Qatar weighs proposals in a fighter jet competition, with US aerospace firm Boeing vying against British BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation of France.
It was also the first time Qatar had acquired Patriot missiles, which other Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have purchased in the past.
Qatar hosts a vital hub for the US military, the Combined Air Operations Center.
Qatar wants to buy a new fleet of modern fighter jets. BAE is offering the Typhoon, while Dassault Aviation hopes Qatar will select the Rafale aircraft. Boeing is promoting F-18 Super Hornets and F-15 fighters for the contract.
Qatar currently has an aging fleet of 12 Dassault Mirage warplanes, but it remains unclear when the country will choose a new fighter. Some analysts have speculated the government may split the contract, opting for both US and European aircraft.
defensenews

Saudi Arabia Typhoon aircraft complete 10,000 flying hours

The Royal Saudi Air Force’s Typhoon aircraft completed 10,000 flying hours recently.
BAE Systems delivered the first two Typhoon aircrafts in the Kingdom in 2009 and form part of a fleet totaling 72 aircrafts.
This relationship has grown over the years through a series of defense pacts and long-term support arrangements.
These include the Advanced Electronics Company (AEC), Saudi Development and Training Company and International Systems Engineering Company.
arabnews

FIRST SOUTH KOREAN F-16S ARRIVE AT BAE SYSTEMS FOR UPGRADES

BAE Systems has begun to upgrade 134 South Korean F-16 aircraft in partnership with the U.S. Air Force.
Two of the F-16s recently arrived at the company’s modification facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where they will be equipped with advanced weapons and next-generation avionics, including advanced mission computers, new cockpit displays, and advanced radars and targeting sensors.
The work is part of a Foreign Military Sales program for the Republic of Korea’s fleet of KF-16C/D Block 52 aircraft over several years. With a contract now in place, the program marks the first time a non-original equipment manufacturer is performing a major upgrade for a 4th-generation U.S. fighter jet. .
Under terms negotiated by the Republic of Korea Air Force and the U.S. government, the company is performing Phase One of the KF-16 program, which also includes associated equipment, parts, training, and logistical support. Phase Two will begin this year and will fund completion of the systems integration and flight test activities, followed by production and installation of the upgrades.
baesystems

F-35 and Typhoon Fly Together For The First Time

This is the first time that the F35 and Typhoon have flown together during which the aircraft performed their first airborne link during interoperability testing.
baesystems