Abmd70.174
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Tue Nov 24 01:07:39 1981
Aviation Week 11/23/81 - Military
Highlights of the November 23, 1981 Aviation Week and Space Technology:
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This Aviation Week digest is devoted to military/weapons issues
only, Space Shuttle Columbia articles are digested seperately due
to the high volume of articles relating to the flight of STS-2
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Reagan Proposes Missle Halt
---------------------------
President Reagan, in letter to Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev
proposed a four point agenda for the reduction of convertional, intermediate
range nuclear, and strategic forces centered on Europe.
The first and most essential point concerns the Geneva negotiations:
Reagan called for dismantling of Soviet intermediate range missiles,
which comprise 250 mobile triple warhead SS-20s with a range
of 4400-5000km (2732-3105 mi), 35 single warhead SS-5s with
a range of 4100 km (2546 mi), and 315 single warhead SS-4s
with a range of 1900 km (1180 mi).
Reagan discounted attempts to locate SS-20s outside the European USSR,
east of the Ural mountains, which would still allow the
missiles to threaten much of Europe, the Middle East and
North Africa.
In late 1983, the US is scheduled to begin deployment of 108 Marin
Marietta Pershing II intermediate range missles and 464
General Dynamics ground-launched cruise missiles at various
locations in Western Europe.
President Reagan offered to cancel deployment of these missiles in
response to the Soviet disarmement steps proposed.
The Pershing II is scheduled to begin flight testing in Spring 1982,
and is a mobile, solid fuel, two stage missile with one warhead and a range
of 1000-1500 km (621-931 mi). According to Pentagon officals, Pershing II
will be substantially less powerful than the Soviet SS-20, but 10 to 11 times
more accurate.
The other points of the four point agenda are:
Open negotiations as soon as possible to begin substantial reduction
in strategic nuclear weapons. The Reagan Administratin has previously shelved
SALT 2 as disadvantageous to the American position.
Act to achieve equality at lower levels of conventional forces in
Europe. President Reagon said that the defense needs of the USSR "hardly
call for maintaining more combat divisions in East Germany today than were in
the whole Allied invasion force that landed in Normandy on D-Day."
Renewed its proposal for a conference on disarmament in Europe.
The President said his proposals were based on the principals of
"substantial, militarily significant reductions in forces, equal ceilings
for similar types of forces, and adequate provisions for verification."
French Defense Budget Increased
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France's Socialist goverment of Francois Mitterand has proposed a
defense budget of 22.75 billion dollars for 1982, a 17.6 percent increase
over 1981 spending. The budget has cleared the National Assembly and awaits
Senate approval. Even with 13-14% inflation, the 1982 budget still includes
real growth higher than most Western countries.
The budget allocates 30% for the French nuclear deterrent force
("Force de Frappe"), and 16% for research and development. In addition,
25 Dassault Breguet Mirage 2000 fighters and 30 Aerospatiale Epsilon piston
engine trainer aircraft were ordered.
The Mirage 2000 is France's new generation fighter, and India is
also a serious export possiblity, with Egypt also considering purchasing
the single engine air-superiority fighter.
France is also developing a mobile surface-to-surface strategic
missile and a seventh nuclear missile launching submarine.
House Votes Down Effort to Kill B-1
-----------------------------------
The US House of Representatives defeated by almost a 2 to 1 margin,
263 to 142, an attempt by Rep. Joseph P. Addabbo (D-NY) to delete the B-1
bomber from the defense approriations bill. The Senate earlier in the week
supported funding for the Rockwell International aircraft by a 3 to 1 margin,
in a 21-7 Appropriations Committee vote.
Also restored to the defense bill as 1.9 billion dollars for the
MX missile and basing mode. The effort to delete MX funding failed 264-139
The Pentagon presented data in a secret breifing that it would be
more costly to maintain B-52 capability thru the year 2000 than to build
the new generation B-1B strategic bomber. Little cost difference was found
between a mix of 100 B-1Bs and 132 advanced technology Stealth bombers,
and a force of 232 Stealth aircraft.
The House made the following changes to the bill:
Reccommend USAF abandon plans to reengine the Boeing KC-135 aircraft
until the GE/Snecma CFM56 engine becomes available
Added 20 million for the GE F101 derivative fighter engine, and 15
million fo the P&W F100 fighter engine
House and Senate Appropriations Committes took these actions:
Senate recommended $236.4 million for advanced procurement of
F-18 fighter (McDonnel Douglas) - Senate approved $236.4 mill for
advanced procurement, although the House has reduced
the amount by $47.2 million. Both houses have recommended
$1.89 billion for purchase of 63 aircraft.
F-16 fighter - both committees approved $1.27 billion for 120 aircraft,
a reduction of $60.8 million to reflect multi-year procurment
savings. The House recommended $546.8 mill for advanced
procurment, the Senate $481.1 million.
CX transport - Both committees deleted development funds and
substituted $15 mill for research and $50 mill for procurement
of a wide body aircraft.
A-10 attack aircraft (Fairchild Republic) - Senate cut $249 mill for
20 aircraft to $229.7 mill, but the House has set $209.7 mill
for 20 aircraft.
F-15 fighter (McDonnell Douglas) - Both committes reduced buy from 42
to 36 aircraft, reducing appropriation from $1.09 billion to
$980.2 million
F-14 fighter (Grumman) - Both committees approved 30 aircraft at a
cost of $888.7 mill
KC-10 tanker (McDonnell Douglas) - Both committess approved 4
non-requested aircraft, for a total of $220.2 mill
AV-8B attack aircraft (McDonnell Douglas) - Both committees funded
12 aircraft at $575.2 mill, but reduced advance procurement
from $49 mill to $37 mill.
SH-60B Seahawk antisubmarine helicopter (Sikorsky) - House approved
18 aircraft at $558.6 mill, rather than the requested
$585.6 mill, Senate approved full amount.
Air Force next-generation trainer - Senate funded $14.7 mill, while
House did not.
Space Defense - Senate approved $200.9 mill, while House approved
the requested $180.9 mill. The Senate increased funding to
provide increased ASAT (anti-satellite) technology, including
airborne and space-based laser weapons development. The Senate
is concerned this program is concerned about $100 million cost
growth in this program for FY1981-81, while cognizant of
rapid Soviet advances in this area.
Advanced Ballistic Reentry Systems (ABRES) - Both committees increased
the Reagan request of $49 mill to $100 mill. This program is
designed to counter Soviet ballistic missile defense advances.
Included are ICBM penetration aids, defense suppression man-
euvering reentry vehicle (MARV), and advanced fuzing and
guidance systems. The committes believed the higher funding
was required to respond to Soviet ABM threat.
Trident 2 SLBM - Both committes approved $239.5 mill for Trident
D-5 missile, partly to hedge land and air based strategic
weapons development.
Space Shuttle (STS) - Senate approved $212.3 mill, while the House
approved $266 million.
Operations and Maitenance funding, frequently neglected in the past,
was increased during action on the House floor, with additons of $230.4 mill
for the Army, $86 mill for the Navy, and $83.1 mill for the Air Force.
Both committes approved $126 million to initiate multi-year
contracting for the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter.
F-16 for Venezuala
------------------
Reagan administrations has informally notified Congress of its
intent of sell 24 General Dynamics F-16 fighter aircraft to Venezuala
at a cost of more than $600 million, with delivery starting in 1984.
This sale is designed to compensate for the Cuban buildup in the area.
F-16 for Pakistan
-----------------
The Senate and House committess last week rejected attempts to
block the sale of 40 F16s to Pakistan, virtually insuring that the sale
will go through. First 6 aircraft will be delivered within 1 year.
AMRAAM Test Successful
----------------------
Air launch testing of a Hughes Advanced Medium Range Air to Air
Missile (AMRAAM) in a look-down, shoot-down capability was accomplished
Nov. 17th, when the Hughes missile scored a direct hit on a QF-102
drone aircraft after being launched from a McDonnell Douglas F-15
fighter operated by the US Air Force.
At launch time, the F-15 was at 6000 feet, and the drone was
5000 ft below and 6 miles ahead. This missile flew the first part
of its flight in inertial navigation mode, and then transitioned
to active radar guidance for terminal intercept.
F-16/79 Gives New Export Capability
-----------------------------------
The version of the F-16 fighter using Pratt and Whitney J79
engines has essentially the same maneuverability and handling as the
Air Force F-16A version powered by the F-100 engine, with reduced
turn and range capabilities, confirming the F-16/79 as an intermediate
step between previous export fighters (Northrup F-5 in particular), and
the latest modern fighters.
The export F-16/79 is designed to take advantage of the support
facilities abroad for the popular J79 engine, the main powerplant on
the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Jet. The F-4 has been a popular aircraft
throughout the developing world for the past decade, because of its superior
performace to common Soviet aircraft (MiG 21 and 23, Sukhoi SU-17,22), and
its economy of operation. The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir C-3 fighter
also uses the J79, and Israel has complete engine rebuild facilities for
the powerplant.
The F-16/79 can hit Mach 2 in 7 minutes 10 seconds at a distance
of 62 miles from brake release, as demonstrated in the test program.
A-10s deployed to Germany
-------------------------
Fairchild-Republic A-10s have been deployed to the 511th Tactical
Fighter Squadron at Weisbaden, West Germany. The 511th was deployed to
Europe to cover the 4th Mechanized Infantry Div in the Army's Certain
Encounter manuevers, set to last 3 weeks.
Solar Powerplant Under Construction
-----------------------------------
Solar One - at 10,000 kw solar powerplant, is under construction
on a 75 acre site in the Mohave desert. The plant, in its final phase
of construction, consists of a 300 ft central tower topped with a solar
thermal power system. Surrounding it are 1800 heliostat mirrors that
focus the suns rays on the tower to produce steam. Solar One is to
demonstrate feasibility of powerplants up to 100 Megawatts capacity.
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Summary prepared by J. C. Pistritto (ARPA address jcp@brl)
UUCP address duke!bmd70!jcp@brl
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The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996
Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.
