News Story: PAF to get 6 more aircraft

Afghan A-29 Super Tucano Ground-Attack Aircraft

MANILA, Philippines - Six Brazilian-made close-air support aircraft with night flying capabilities will be the latest additions to the Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s air muscle.

The acquisition of the six new A-29 Super Tucano aircraft is part of the PAF’s ongoing modernization, which also involves the purchase of more FA50 lead-in trainer fighter jets from South Korea.

After several delays, post qualification inspections of the aircraft are now being done in Brazil. Embraer Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. bagged the P4.9-billion defense contract. The delivery of the aircraft is still being finalized.

The multibillion-peso procurement is sourced from the revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Trust Act Fund.

A team has been dispatched to inspect the manufacturer’s facilities and the aircraft.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: India looks for intelligence-gathering aircraft

A Gulfstream G550 ISTAR (Click Image to Enlarge)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

Electronic intel capabilities would help Air Force ’get her act together’

NEW DELHI — Aimed at countering a perceived threat from China, India is seeking to acquire seven aircraft with signals intelligence and communication-jamming capabilities with a budget of about $570 million.

“The requirement is for aircraft to carry out a unique list of missions centered around a two-front threat from China and Pakistan,” said Daljit Sigh, a defense analyst and retired Indian Air Force air marshal.

India’s global hunt is for twin-engine jets, and preference will be given to overseas companies able to provide custom, Indian-built electronic warfare equipment, a senior Indian Air Force official said.

”We need more airborne electronic intelligence (ELINT) assets, particularly to meet the Chinese threat as they are likely to extensively use electronic warfare and spoofing during any hostilities, and the IAF needs to get her act together,” said Vijainder K. Thakur, a defense analyst and retired Air force squadron leader.

The seven sigint aircraft will be operated by the Indian Air Force.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (25-Jul-2017)

International Space Station (Image: Wiki Commons)

Jack Viola, Eliza Chapman, Jacqueline Westermann and Harley Comrie

Sea state

A Chinese flotilla has arrived off Russia for exercises in the Baltic Sea. The Chinese contingent, which conducted live-fire drills in the Mediterranean last week, includes a Type 052D destroyer, a frigate and a support ship. The exercises, dubbed ‘Joint Sea 2017’, will last for a week and be run out of the Russian city of Kaliningrad, an enclave wedged between NATO members Poland and Lithuania. The exercises come amid heightened tensions in the region, and concerns about the defensive capabilities of the Baltic NATO states.

On 22 July, the US commissioned its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. The launch was accompanied by great fanfare. However, President Trump had previously voiced concerns about the new electromagnetic aircraft launching system installed on the Gerald R. Ford and planned for the USS John F. Kennedy. The president expressed a preference for the older style steam launchers over the newer electromagnetic launchers.

Closer to home, BAE, a British company bidding for Australia’s SEA 5000 future frigate program, has expressed interest in using an Australian shipyard to take advantage of export opportunities. The steel cutting for HMS Glasgow, the first of BAE’s Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy, began last weekend.

News Story: Philippines Likely To Buy Super Tucanos

A-29 Super Tucano's of the Afghan Air Force (File Photo)

by Chen Chuanren

The Embraer Super Tucano is the sole compliant bidder for a Philippines Air Force (PAF) requirement for a new close air support (CAS) aircraft. The PAF has prioritized CAS and air to ground munitions procurement as a result of the takeover by Muslim extremist insurgents of the city of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao. An Embraer spokesperson said the company is committed to fulfilling the requirement.

The PAF is seeking six aircraft for CAS to complement, and eventually replace its aging fleet of OV-10 Bronco twin turboprops. The Broncos have recently flown missions over Marawi, dropping 500-pound Mk 82 bombs against the insurgents. The PAF has also deployed its Leonardo AW109 helicopters and KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle fighters to help ground forces retake the city. The last of 12 FA-50s was delivered to Clark airbase on May 31.

Read the full story at AINonline

News Story: US Delivers 4 Super Tucano Attack Aircraft to Afghan Forces

A-29 Super Tucano (Image: Wiki Commons)

U.S officials delivered four Embraer-Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft to the Afghan defense ministry this week in an effort to help embattled Afghan security forces carry out their counter-insurgency missions in the volatile country.

The planes were delivered ahead of the commencement of the 2017 fighting season.

Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesman Dawlat Waziri said that with the new aircraft the number of Super-Tucano now totals 12.

The U.S has also trained Afghan pilots to fly the planes, Waziri said.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Report: India Becomes Fourth Country to Have Home Made Eye in The Sky

However, Indian system is inferior in comparison to Israeli system as it can monitor only 270 degrees while IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft-mounted AWACS system can carry out 360 degree surveillance at a time.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Indian Air Force has received indigenous Airborne Warning and Control (AEW&C) Systems mounted on Brazilian planes developed by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on Tuesday. So far only United States, Russia and Israel possess AEW&C technology. Sources told Sputnik that aircraft will be based at Indian Air Force base near Pakistan border. At present Indian security services keep a vigil over its skies with a unique India-Russia-Israel partnership for Airborne Warning and Control (AEW&C) Systems.

India: First Indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) in IOC Configuration to be Handed over to IAF During Aero India 2017

The first indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) in IOC configuration shall be handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF), on 14th February during Aero India 2017 at Yelahanka Air base in Bengaluru. This was announced by Chairman DRDO and Secretary Department of Defence (R&D), Dr. S. Christopher while addressing the media in Bengaluru today, during the curtain raiser on DRDO’s participation in Aero India-2017. 

The Airborne Surveillance System is a game changer in air warfare. The AEW&C System is a system of systems populated with state-of-the art Active Electronically Scanned Radar, Secondary Surveillance Radar, Electronic and Communication Counter Measures, LOS (Line of Sight) and beyond LOS data link, voice communication system and self protection suite, built on an Emb-145 platform, having an air to air refueling capability to enhance surveillance time. A Complex tactical software has been developed for fusion of information from the sensors, to provide the air situation picture along with intelligence to handle identification/classification threat assessment. Battle management functions are built in house to work as a network centric system of Integrated Air Command & Control System (IACCS) node. 

This system has been developed and evaluated through collaborative efforts between DRDO and the IAF, with coordination for certification clearance and quality assurance by CEMILAC and DGAQA. The AEW&C system has undergone all weather and environmental trials and has been accepted by the IAF for induction.

Indian Press Information Bureau

News Story: Giant Brazilian KC-390 in the running to replace NZ's Hercules

Embraer  KC-390 (File Photo)

Grant Bradley

Beside one of the world's longest runways, in the centre of Brazil's Sao Paulo state, sits a plane that looks a bit like Thunderbird 2.

The jet-powered KC-390 is the biggest plane to be built in South America, and it's a brute.

The jet is about the same size as a Hercules military transporter, and that's the aircraft the KC-390's makers, Embraer, have in their sights around the world - including New Zealand, which has about $1 billion to spend on its airlift and VIP fleet in the next decade.

The KC-390 that this month sat in 34C heat just off the Gaviao Peixoto landing strip is one of just two prototypes built so far. The other was being worked on in a hangar besides the strip which at 5km long was once an emergency landing spot for US space shuttles.

As of earlier this month, the pair of planes had flown just 623 hours between them when the Herald was part of a small media contingent to inspect Embraer's commercial, executive jet and defence operations, based around the southern state of Sao Paulo.

The listed Brazilian company has been making planes since 1969; it is a big global player in commercial jets with up to 130 seats, and based on its revenue from aircraft making, vies with Canada's Bombardier for the third spot behind Boeing and Airbus.

In nearly 50 years of business, Embraer has delivered more than 8000 aircraft in more than 90 countries, including the tough, small Bandeirante that flew on regional routes in New Zealand for more than 20 years to 2001.

The KC-390 was conceived in 2009 as a way of diversifying Embraer's revenue, and it has pitched the company into the medium lift market dominated by Lockheed Martin's Herc, a plane first developed in the 1950s, but whose latest model is still seen as the inside runner for New Zealand's next tactical lift purchase.

Embraer says it has been able to start with a clean sheet, and use expertise and technology from its commercial and corporate jet divisions to make a plane that can not only carry big loads, but also get places as much as a third faster than turbo-prop equivalents. It flies at up to 870km/h while still being able to use short and underdeveloped runways.

The company is also promoting its versatility, not only as a cargo carrier but also a multi-mission plane that can be used as a fuel tanker, medevac aircraft and for fighting fires, dropping paratroops and search and rescue.

Customers can also opt for a range of self protection systems, including radar warning receiver, a laser warning system, missile approach warning, and the ability to fire protective chaff and flares.

Read the full story at NZ Herald << Video

News Report: India to Track Suspicious Flying Objects With Home-Made Eye In the Sky

India's Embraer EMB-145 AEW&C (File Photo)

Indian security services are keeping a vigil over its skies with a unique India-Russia-Israel partnership for Airborne Warning and Control (AEW&C) Systems. By next month, they will supplement the deployment with home-made AEW&C systems.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – After waiting for years including a demoralizing accident that killed several scientists, the Indian Air Force will finally receive home-made AEW&C Systems mounted on Brazilian planes next month, said an announcement by the Indian Ministry of Defense.

“There has been delay in AWE&C Program due to several reasons,” clarified Subhash Bhamre, India’s Minister of State for Defense, in the Lower House of Parliament. 

India had acquired three Brazilian aircraft for $208 million for its indigenous AEW&C program in 2008. The Brazilian company Embraer had started delivery of aircraft from 2012. The EMB-145 AEW&C features major capabilities such as in-flight refueling system, significant increase in electric and cooling capacity and a comprehensive set of structural changes that allowed the installation of the advanced mission systems developed by India’s CABS (Centre for Air Borne Systems). 

Meanwhile, other efficient and ambitious AWACS India program is running on schedule. Indian government had finalized two Airbus A330 at cost of USD 813 million for the program. Indigenous AWACS (I) System is likely to be available from 2024. 

The AWACS can simultaneously track flying objects and monitor movements on the ground or in the sea.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: Embraer Responds to New Zealand RFI for Airlift, Surveillance Aircraft

By: Nigel Pittaway

MELBOURNE, Australia — Embraer has responded to a recent New Zealand request for information (RFI) for a Future Air Mobility Capability (FAMC), with an offer for five KC-390 multimission transport aircraft. 

The KC-390 is under development against a contract for 28 aircraft to replace the Brazilian Air Force’s fleet of Lockheed C-130H Hercules, with first deliveries beginning in 2018. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer said it also holds letters of intent, for a further 32 aircraft, from five different countries and is actively marketing the aircraft to potential customers in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. 

The New Zealand proposal marks the company’s first opportunity for the KC-390 in the Asia-Pacific region, and the bid is supported by Boeing defense products division under the terms of a teaming agreement announced at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. 

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s FAMC program seeks to acquire a fixed-wing transport capability to replace the country’s five C-130Hs and two Boeing 757s, either with two new aircraft or a single type able to meet essential requirements in both strategic and tactical airlift roles. 

Delivery of the first aircraft is required by February 2020 and for initial operational capability (IOC) to follow in February 2021. Final operational capability (FOC) is required no later than February 2024. The first replacement aircraft for the 757 fleet is required to arrive in New Zealand before Feb. 1, 2025, and IOC declared by Feb. 1, 2026. 

“We are very positive that we can provide the best solution for New Zealand for the mission requirements that they have presented to us (and) I think they are very interested in the KC-390. But we understand and respect that this is a competition and we will fulfill all the required steps of the process,” Embraer Defense & Security President and CEO Jackson Schneider said at the company’s corporate headquarters in São Paulo, Brazil, last week. 

“We are in advanced talks with New Zealand (but) we are not negotiating contracts at the present time. The process is advanced, but it is a competition and we’re not the only bidder,” he said. 

Schneider said that the only other manufacturer with a product in the same class as the KC-390 currently in production is US giant Lockheed Martin, with the C-130J Super Hercules. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Embraer Admits Illicit Payments for Military Sales

Embraer EMB-145 AEW&C of the Indian Airforce

by Chris Pocock and Neelam Mathews

Embraer has agreed to pay some $205 million to settle corruption charges involving sales of military and civil airplanes to four customers. The agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Brazil’s Ministério Público Federal (MPF) and the Brazilian Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) end a six-year graft probe that found that Embraer paid bribes and created false records to conceal illicit payments. But further action could be taken against Embraer in India, concerning the acquisition of three EMB-145 aircraft for conversion to the AWACS role, suggested the Indian defense minister.

This inquiry began in 2010, when U.S. authorities questioned Embraer about “potential nonconformities” related to certain commercial transactions abroad. The company proceeded to undertake an investigation led independently by external law firms.

The SEC’s complaint alleged that Embraer made more than $83 million in profits as a result of bribe payments from its U.S.-based subsidiary through third-party agents to foreign government officials in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia and Mozambique. Embraer also allegedly engaged in an accounting scheme in India.

According to the SEC, Embraer paid $3.52 million in bribes to an official in the Dominican Republic’s air force to secure a contract for eight Super Tucano light attack turboprops, and another $1.65 million in bribes to an official in Saudi Arabia to win a sale of three E170 jet airliners to Saudi Aramco. It also allegedly paid $800,000 at the behest of a Mozambican government official as a condition of obtaining a contract involving two E190s with state-owned LAM. 

Finally, some $5.76 million allegedly went to an agent in India in connection with the sale of the three EMB-145s to the Indian Air Force (IAF). Embraer falsely recorded those payments in its books and records as part of an illegitimate consulting agreement. Those aircraft received an indigenous radar system designed by the government’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The IAF is expected to receive the first one soon, but now favors longer-endurance and higher-altitude platforms for the AWACS mission.

Read the full story at AINonline

News Story: Vendors wait for Philippine CAS relaunch

A-29/EMB-314 Super Tucano

by Gordon Arthur

A requirement for six close air support aircraft (CAS) for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) is in limbo right now, but vendors hope a competition might kick off again in the not too distant future.

RfIs for a CAS platform have been launched three times in recent years but with no result. Aircraft manufacturers are now waiting for a fourth tender. The PAF currently relies mainly on the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco and Alenia Aermacchi SF-260TP for this role.

Reflections at the ADAS 2016 exhibition in Manila were that the PAF set its specifications too high, which ruled out some contenders and resulted in bids that were more expensive than the air force could afford. 

The requirement currently seems tied up in bureaucracy, although the PAF may be adjusting its requirements to a more realistic level. President Rodrigo Duterte has prioritised this CAS requirement, which may give the project greater impetus.

Read the full story at Shephard

News Story: India Begins Corruption Investigation Against Embraer of Brazil

EMB-145 with DRDO's Radars mounted (Image: Embraer)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian government has asked the national anti-fraud agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to probe corruption charges against Embraer of Brazil surrounding the purchase of three EMB-145 aircraft from the company in 2008 by state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for its indigenous airborne early warning and control systems (AEW&C) program, according to a senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) official. 

"The government will also use diplomatic channel to ask the US and Brazilian authorities on the matter," the official said, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

Embraer has been under investigation by the US Justice Department since 2010 after a defense contract with the Dominican Republic raised suspicions of kickbacks. The US investigation has extended to examine Embraer's business dealings with eight more countries, including Saudi Arabia and India.  

Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo last week reported that the possibility of bribery in the 2008 Indian deal was on the US Justice Department's radar. 

Embraer executives were unavailable for comment.

Read the full story at DefenceNews

News Story: Western Defense Industry Future Imperiled by Local Programs

South Korea's T-50, T-50/FA-50 Golden Eagle

Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — A global push to grow domestic defense industries will have a dramatic impact on the Western defense export market over the next decade, a new report is warning.

Authored by Daniel Yoon and Doug Berenson, the report by Avascent, “Dynamics of International Military Modernization 2016,” concludes that while many challengers will emerge, the trio of Israel, South Korea and Brazil provide the most immediate threats to Western markets

Ironically, the market threat is one with its origins in Western exports, with the authors noting that “in many cases, these emerging players developed through diffused technology via prior export arrangements with Western suppliers, often through offsets requirements and domestic industry participation.”

Over the last five years, American firms have aggressively pursued foreign sales to try and offset a slowdown in US military funding. By and large American firms were successful in that strategy, the authors found, with “foreign sales have partially offset the decline in domestic demand since 2010, when only 17 percent of defense equipment manufactured in the United States was exported; by 2015, that number jumped dramatically to 34 percent.”

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: A-29 has Asia-Pacific appeal, says Embraer

A-29 Super Tucano (Image: Wiki Commons)

by Bill Carey

The A-29 Super Tucano on display at the Singapore Airshow is more than a sporty turboprop with a fancy paint scheme–the type has accumulated 33,000 combat hours, manufacturer Embraer is quick to note. That ongoing legacy should help make the case for countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have a requirement for a light attack or counterinsurgency asset, the Brazilian company believes.

“For any air force that is facing threats right now in terms of terrorist attacks–for counterinsurgency types of applications–- the Super Tucano is really the best machine,” said José Luis Molina, Embraer Defense and Security senior commercial v-p. “It has been used successfully by the Colombian air force and we have other countries in Africa that are using the aircraft right now to face real threats they have.”

Embraer (Booth CD31, OD-03) has supplied more than 200 Super Tucanos to a dozen air forces on three continents. Last month, the first four of 20 A-29s the Afghan air force will deploy against Taliban insurgents arrived in Kabul. Embraer and partner Sierra Nevada Corporation are supplying Super Tucanos to Afghanistan under the U.S. Light Air Support program.

Read the full story at AINonline

Editorial: Deadly Indonesia Military Plane Crash Kills 4

Brazilian Air Force Super Tucano (Image: Wiki Commons)

By Prashanth Parameswaran

Super Tucano aircraft crashes into house.

An Indonesian air force plane crashed into a house on the main island of Java Wednesday, killing both people on board and two people in the house, an official said.

The Brazilian-made Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano light attack plane was on a routine training flight when it crashed close to the Abdul Rahman Saleh air force base in Malang around 10:45 am local time, air force chief Air Marshal Agus Supriatna confirmed,according to the Associated Press.

Supriatna said the pilot ejected from the plane, but a technician failed to do so. The pilot was found dead over a mile away from his parachute, while the technician’s body was recovered from the plane’s cockpit buried in the rubble. Supriatna added that a man and a woman living in the house died while being treated at a hospital.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

News Story: Asia's Biggest Air Show Set To Open in Singapore

By Wendell Minnick

TAIPEI — Asia's biggest commercial aerospace and defense air show, set to open Feb. 16 at Singapore's Changi Exhibition Centre, will feature air power displays from across Asia, North America and Europe.

Lockheed Martin will promote its F-35 stealth fighter and F-16 midlife upgrade (MLU) program. South Korea, Taiwan and, more recently, Singapore have awarded Lockheed MLU orders, which include Northrop Grumman's scalable agile beam radar (SABR). The SABR is an active electronically scanned array radar.

AgustaWestland-Finmeccanica will display its Project Zero tilt-rotor technology demonstrator. First unveiled at the 2013 Paris Air Show, the electric-powered aircraft can hover like a helicopter and convert to a fixed-wing aircraft for forward flight.

Defense News asked air show officials about potential competition from Seoul ADEX and Airshow China (Zhuhai), both rising stars in defense air shows in Asia.

Singapore Airshow officials insist their show continues to be Asia’s largest and one of the most important aerospace and defense exhibitions in the world.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Editorial: Confirmed - First Four A-29 Light Attack Aircraft Arrive in Afghanistan

Image: Wiki Commons

By Franz-Stefan Gady

The four light attack planes arrived in Kabul fully combat ready.

After repeated delays including a contract cancellation, the first four out of 20 Embraer/Sierra Nevada Corporation A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft slated for service in the Afghan Air Force (AAF) arrived on January 15 at Hamid Karzai International Airport, IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly reports.

The AAF is expecting an additional delivery of four more A-29 Super Tucano by the 2016 fighting season, with an additional four delivered in 2017. The remaining eight will be handed over to the AAF by the end of 2018.

“The A-29 light attack aircraft is a versatile aircraft that brings a number of critical capabilities to the AAF. These include close air support, armed escort, and armed overwatch,” according to NATO’s ‘Resolute Support’ Mission spokesperson, Colonel Michael T. Lawhorn.

The four aircraft will become operational within the next couple of days and will, in all likelihood, be deployed to support combat operations in the eastern province of Nangarhar and the southern province of Helmand, according to Afghanistan’s acting Defense Minister, Masoom Stanikzai.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

News Story: Indian Defence Ministry to discuss large-size AWACS aircraft development project next week

The Indian Defence Ministry is set to decide on going ahead with a $831 mn strategic programme to develop a next generation of airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) that will act as a major force multiplier for the Indian Air Force (IAF), giving it a deep insight into enemy territory.

The large size AWACS programme, different from an ongoing Embraer-based airborne early warning and control system (AEWCS), is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will initially be for two aircrafts, an order that will be increased after successful development.

Sources said that the strategic project is set to come up for discussion with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at a key meeting this week in which DRDO will make its case for allocation of funds to go ahead with ordering a platform and initiating work.

The minister is also likely to discuss a partnership between France's MBDA and the DRDO to develop a new class of Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (SR-SAM) under the much delayed Maitri programme.

Read the full story at Air Recognition

NOTE: The “Embraer Delivers First AEW&C Aircraft to India & India’s First AEW&C Aircraft Modified and Fitted with DRDO’S Indigenous Systems Lands on Indian Soil” Links in the above were added by PacificSentinel for clarity & context. 

News Story: India's Tender for Private-Sector-Built Airlifter May Not Take Off

Avro transport aircraft

1 Potential Bidder So Far

By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI

NEW DELHI — India’s first attempt to operate a military aircraft-building program involving the domestic private sector appears to be a non-starter as only one potential foreign partner is likely to submit a bid, a Ministry of Defence source said.

With only Spain-based Airbus Defence and Space participating, the program would become a single-vendor contest, which MoD almost certainly would cancel.

On July 19, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), the MoD’s top weapons decision-making body, extended the deadline for filing bids to Aug. 28.

DAC reiterated that Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), the state-owned company that has long held a monopoly on local military aircraft manufacturing, would not be given the tender or made the sole production partner.

The DAC initially approved the program in July 2012 and paved the way for floating a global tender.

Read the full story at DefenseNews