Volume
48, No. 6, April 20, 2006
US
Customs’ P-3s grounded
ALL
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency’s 16 Lockheed
Martin P-3s have been grounded due to the discovery of a cracked
wing attachment structure.
Discovered during maintenance work, the aircraft will be grounded
until the faulty part is replaced or modified. Note: This problem
does not apply to Australian P3s.
Israel’s
F-16 flight simulator
THE
Israeli Air Force received an F-16 block simulator on March 6.
It provides pilots with emergency training procedures, display
processors, digital maps, mission computer systems and a high
resolution, realistic 180 degree field of view.
Developed in conjunction with Elbit Systems, the new simulator
uses Elbit’s displays and a sight helmet.
Romania
renewing fighter
ROMANIA
is set to upgrade its aircraft fleet. The RoAF has requested 48
new aircraft to be operational by 2010.
Second-hand F-16 aircraft have also been offered to them by the
Israeli armed forces. This procurement plan must take place in
co-ordination with the withdrawal of their MiG-21 fighter fleet.
New
helicopters for Iraq
EIGHT
new Mi-17 medium transport helicopters were delivered to an Iraqi
air base in February.
A further two will join them in coming weeks, once additional
work has been performed in Russia. They are the first weapon system
that the Iraqi Air Force has acquired through independent funding.
Netherlands’
pods up in the air
THE
Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) is concerned over the delays
in acquiring 20 new high performance targeting pods.
The pods are to be used by the RNLAF’s fleet of 108 Lockheed
Martin F-16AM/BM fighter aircraft. At present three types have
been short-listed yet no final decision has been reached.
