Abmd70.177
net.columbia
utzoo!decvax!duke!bmd70!jcp
Mon Dec 7 20:28:40 1981
Aviation Week 11/30/81 - Military Affairs
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A V I A T I O N W E E K A N D S P A C E T E C H N O L O G Y
M I L I T A R Y A F F A I R S S U M M A R Y
November 30, 1981 Vol 155, #22
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Boeing AGM-86B Cruise Missile Rolled Out
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First production version of the USAF/Boeing AGM-86B air-launched
cruise missle was rolled out of the new Boeing ALCM facility at Kent, Wash.
November 24th. The missile was the first produced at the newly commissioned
276,000 sq. ft. facility, and the first with a new nose assembly.
Production rate is expected to reach 2 per month by next fall, and
an eventual rate of 40 per year. Tests of an improved engine by Williams
International, which could improve range by 10%, are expected next spring.
The improvements will produce more thrust and less fuel consumption,
without affecting engine dimensions. Improvements in the AGM-86B radar
cross section are expected in the next 2 to 3 years also.
B52G Bomber with Cruise Missiles Readied for Flight
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A Boeing B52G Stratofortress bomber with 12 Boeing AGM-86B cruise
missiles (prototype versions) is being tested at Griffith AFB, New York.
The 12 missiles are carried on two underwing pylons. The missiles are
carried with wings and tails folded, in groups of 3, with two clusters,
fore-aft, on each pylon. B52's will eventually carry AGM-86B's also in
a rotary launcher which will be contained within the 'bomb-bay' area of
the aircraft. Initial B-52G with wing-mounted cruise missile operational
capability is set for December, 1982.
Greek Leader Advocates Stronger Anti-NATO Stand
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Newly elected Greek Socialist Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou
will seek removal of NATO and US bases from its territory, and will try
to renegotiate its membership in the European Common Market, according
to goverment statements. Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and
Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig will be visiting Greece for a NATO
ministers meeting next week.
Papandreou called for the creation of a nuclear free zone in the
Balkan states. He said that as part of this policy, all nuclear weapons
maintained by NATO forces would be removed from Greece.
Greece returned to the military wing of NATO in October 1980, after
withdrawing in August 1974, to protest the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Turkey is also a NATO member.
Greece is expected to make a decision soon on whether to select the
General Dynamics F-16 or the Panavia Tornado multirole combat aircraft for
its air force modernization program.
US Navy and Royal Navy Plan 50 Trident Test Launches Next Year
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DARPA Selects Lockheed for Talon Gold
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The Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency has selected Lockheed
Missiles and Space Co. as the prime contractor for the Talon Gold, a tracking
and pointing element of the agency's Triad program for high-energy laser
space defense. The other two elements are the alpha chemical laser device
for weapons applications in space, and the Large Optics Demonstration
Experiment (Lode) to demonstrate precision laser control. Prime contracter
for the Alpha system will be selected in December, between TRW and Rocketdyne.
Lode selected between Hughes and Lockheed is expected in March. Rockwell
International and Hughes were also competing for the Talon Gold program.
Soviet AntiSatellite System seen as Grave Threat
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The Soviet Union's new antisatellite battle station in low earth
orbit is escalating its capability for space warfare. The ASAT system
is equipped with clusters of interceptor vehicles that could destroy
US spacecraft. The ASAT battle station has been identified as Cosmos
1267, which has been docked with Salyut 6 since June 19, ostensibly as
a test of enlargin the Salyut station's capabilities.
The Comsos 1267 demonstrated extensive maneuvering capabilities
after launch from Tyuratam on April 24th on a heavy Proton Launcher. The
satellite weighs 30,000 lbs, and has firing ports for 1 meter long
miniture vehicles guided by infrared sensors. Radar homing may also be
a possibility. Docking of the Cosmos with Salyut 6 means the USSR would
be able to use the manned Salyut to direct ASAT attacks against US space-
craft from US retaliatory attack.
US officials said the data on the new ASAT, which first appeared
September 17th in an intelligence report, are now VERY HARD, from a variety
of sources, "harder than anything we've seen in a long time." It was
originally thought that Cosmos 1267, and Cosmos 929, an earlier vehicle,
were prototype 'space tugs' for moving payloads between different orbits.
Defense Dept Proposes More Arms for Pakistan
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Defense Dept. has notified Congress of a proposed letter of offer
to Pakistan, supplemental to the 40 General Dynamics F-16s proposed earlier
this year. The weapons include:
10 Bell Helicopter Textron AH-1S attack helicopters, with
TOW antitank capability, for a cost of $82 million.
Deliver to being Spring 1985.
24 M901 Improved TOW vehicles, 1005 Improved TOW missiles
for $21 million, deliver to begin in late 1984.
64 M109A2 155mm self propelled howitzers
40 M110A2 8 in self propelled howitzers
75 M198 155mm towed howitzers
at a cost of $176 million. 40 of the M109A2's would
come initially from US Army production to meet delivery.
100 M48A5 tanks
38 M88A1 recover vehicles and ammunition
total cost $117 million
To prevent the sale, the House and Senate would have to adopt
a joint concurrent resolution of disapproval by December 19th.
Italy Plans 34% Increase in Defense Budget
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More than half of the proposed 34% increase to $10billion, will
go for military personnel costs. With a projected inflation rate of
16-20%, the increase would produce a real spending increase of 14-18%
53% of the budget is for personnel costs, while only 18% is for new
military equipment programs. Limitation in funds have forced the army
to postpone plans fr an antitank missile system, and the navy to delay
replacement of two minesweepers and a frigate with new missile launching
frigates.
Austrian Fighter Buy Postponed
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Austrian purchase of a new fighter aircraft has been delayed by
budgetary problems. Austria's Defense Council had recommended purchase
of 24 Dassault-Breguet Mirage 50 earlier this year. The sale is valued at
$24 million.
F/A-18 Instructor Pilots in Training
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First class of instructor pilots for the Navy/McDonnell Douglas
F/A-18 fighter has begun training at Lemoore Naval Air Station, California,
with the squadron VFA125, which will be the training/transition squadron
for the first operational F/A-18 pilot training, expected next summer.
This is the first time a training squadron will train both Navy
and Marine pilots and support personnel. Performance, maneuverability
and availability of the initial aircraft have been encouraging to
senior VFA125 officers.
Mainenance has been averaging 18 hours per flight hour on the
first F-18s delivered to the squadron, with a low of 7 in one month.
Areas of high reliability have included the hydraulic systems and the
Hughes APG-65 radar. One of the radars operated 156.7 hr befor
a downing malfunction occurred.
While the F-18 burns slightly more fuel than the Vough A-7's which
the squadron also operates, it exhibits greatly enhanced performance.
The F-18 also demonstrates more fuel endurance than either the A-4 or the
F-14. Cockpit layout and ease of operation were also identified as strong
points of the F-18.
F100 Derivative Prepared for Testing
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Derivative model of the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, use in the
McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the General Dynamics F-16 fighters, is undergoing
initial testing. Three engines based on F100 for military use are:
PW1130 - Baseline fan engine series, thrust 23800-32000 lb.
Entry in expected competitions to upgrade engines in the
Grumman F-14 Tomcat, as well as F-15/F-16.
Ready for production: 1985
PW1120 - augmented turbojet in the 20000 thrust class. Has already
been selected by Israel for the Lavi fighter. Sweden and
Germany are also looking at the engine for new fighters.
Production date: early 1986
PW1115 - non-afterburning fan engine in the 12000-15000 thrust class.
Considered a possibility for new trainer programs, also
for reengining the Fairchild Republic A-10 attack aircraft.
F100 experienced a high incidence of stall stagnation in both F-15
and F-16 in early models, also recent studies show a much lower stall rate.
A proximate splitter was installed in F-16, F-15 and F-16 also have modified
fuel controls and nozzles.
Component improvement has allowed engine life to be increased to
1350 cycles from 900 earlier. The rate will go to 1800 in Feb. 1982, and
to 4000 cycles by early 1985. One Tactical Air Command cycle represents
an average fighter sortie of slightly more than an hour. It involves
throttle settings of power off to max power to power off, plus three
transients from idle to max to idle. The 1800 cycle figure represents
4 to 5 years of flying time.
Pratt and Whitney Proposes Reengined B-52G
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After a six month study, Pratt and Whitney is proposing that the
B-52G cruise missile carrier be reengined with the PW2037 turbofan engine
being developed for the Boeing 757 transport and the McDonnel Douglas C-17.
The B-52 is now powered with Pratt and Whitney J57 engines using the same
nacalle as the 757 installation. Total installed thrust would then increase
from 110,000 lb with eight J57-P-43W's to 150,400 lb with four PW2037s
Primary advandages would be fuel efficiency and reduced dependence
on tanker aircraft.
The current B-52 fleet includes:
173 B-52Gs designate as cruise missile carriers, scheduled to
be phased out beginning in 1990.
96 B-52H penetrator bombers, scheduled to remain in the inventory
beyond 2000.
79 B-52D planned to be retired by 1990.
The cost of reengining the complete 173 B-52Gs would be $4.2 billion,
which over a 20 year period would save the military $8.4 billion for a net
savings of $4.2 billion. Life of the G series aircraft would be extended
another 15-20 years.
Primary Mission Benefits:
Fuel efficiency - each B-52 would burn 700,000 gal of fuel annually.
On the long range cruise missile carrier mission, each B-52
is refueld twice, the PW2037 modification would cut consumption
40%, and require no refuelings. No foreign bases would be
required for aircraft or tankers for the cruise missile mission
Thrust improvement - Takeoff distance would go from 10560 ft to
9050ft, and more dispersal fields could be planned due to lower
noise.
Maintanability - Modular construction and self-test capabilities would
result in a 79% engine maitenance savings.
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Summary prepared by J. C. Pistritto (ARPA address jcp@brl)
UUCP address duke!bmd70!jcp
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