Royal Air Force [RAF] discussions and updates

[RobWilliams]

The first 3 out of 14 examples of the RAF's new Chinook HC.6 aircraft have made it to the UK.

First Chinook HC.6 helos for RAF arrive in the UK - IHS Jane's 360

The first three of 14 Boeing Chinook HC.6 heavy-lift transport helicopters for the Royal Air Force (RAF) have arrived in the UK and will be ready to enter service later in the year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to IHS Jane's on 15 January

The final fleet (60 aircraft) will be split up as follows:

• 38 HC.2/2A (to be upgraded to HC.4) - CH-47D
• 8 HC.3 (to be upgraded to HC.5)
• 14 HC.6 - CH-47F

blue represents equivalent marks in US inventory, for ease of comparison in terms of capability of the aircraft.

 

[RobWilliams]

*Royal AIR Force.

Different craft for different job, there is no "best", although the one that gets the most press is Reaper because it's armed. Typically with - IIRC - 2 Paveway II's and two pairs of Hellfire missiles. But the vast majority of it's work is in the area of ISTAR.

An interesting one is Watchkeeper, which carries the standard day/night sensors as well as a synthetic aperture radar and ground moving target indicator + a variety of other surveillance goodies.

http://www.janes.com/article/32800/uk-retires-alarm-missile

It's official, we lost ALARM in December 2013 and don't have the capability anymore, with the standard "it is likely that we will work with our international partners on future major operations overseas and will therefore manage all of our capabilities as part of that coalition."

 

[StobieWan]

To some extent, I suspect dedicated missiles may be less important now with SDB II and SPEAR 3, both with good sensors and long ranges.

 

[RobWilliams]

Indeed, we've visited the topic several times and generally came to the conclusion that TLAM/Storm Shadow for the fixed sites and stuff like SPEAR 3/DMB for the more mobile stuff.

Course, that approach relies more on the quality of intel available, so lets see how our ISTAR capabilities are dealt with in SDSR 2015.

 

[swerve]

This is pretty much what the French do now. Locate emitters with whatever sensors are available, then lob an AASM or whatever else is appropriate at it.

 

[StobieWan]

F35 should be a step up for that then - all the sensors you'd fancy having I dare say, very integrated.

 

[colay]

F35 should be a step up for that then - all the sensors you'd fancy having I dare say, very integrated.

Yes, better sensors in conjunction with the advantages of a LO platform for enhanced survivability. Plus the stealthy data links for a shared SA picture of the battlespace.

 

[RobWilliams]

Live fire testing of Brimstone from a Reaper UAV completed and the MoD is analysing the data.

UK analysing Reaper results with Brimstone missile - 1/24/2014 - Flight Global

According to the ministry, a series of successful firings were performed at the California site “on a range of static and high-speed manoeuvring targets”. Further details have not been disclosed, but the ministry adds that “trial data is being analysed and will be fully evaluated”.

...

“No decision has been taken to integrate Brimstone on to [the] UK Reaper,” the MoD tells Flightglobal, also adding that “no decision on future trials has been made”. MBDA declined to comment.

Seems like a no brainer really, already a big overlap between Hellfire and Brimstone and considering the performance improvements in Brimstone 2 then it seems like a reasonable and logical update to the capability offered by Hellfire.

 

[RobWilliams]

Courtesy of the French, the RAF will be recieving its first A400M a bit earlier than thought because of the recent French budget cutting the rate of accepting A400Ms the production slots have been changed up

Google Translate

• MSN 7 - France
• MSN 8 - France
• MSN 9 - Turkey
• MSN 10 - France
• MSN 11 - France
• MSN 12 - France*
• MSN 13 - Turkey
• MSN 14 - France
• MSN 15 - UK
• MSN 16 - UK
• MSN 17 - ?
• MSN 18 - Germany

So the RAF should be expecting to recieve 2 A400M's this year as opposed to the original one, if the article is to be believed.

 

[StobieWan]

That's a bit strange considering how badly off they are for air lift..

 

[RobWilliams]

Yup, I can't remember the exact timeframe but they've cut the rate at which they want to accept aircraft in half. IIRC it went from 36 to 19.

 

[swerve]

That's a bit strange considering how badly off they are for air lift..

They'll still get five before we get any, which'll be a big improvement on a shrinking fleet of increasingly worn-out Transalls & a modest fleet of aging Hercules.

The article says 15 for France by 2019 instead of 36.

 

[RobWilliams]

First picture of Taranis in flight released today, currently there is a press conference discussing Taranis, the project + flight trials.

https://twitter.com/Rotorfocus/status/431010075499438080/photo/1/large
https://twitter.com/BAESystemsAir/status/431011241146843136/photo/1/large
https://twitter.com/BAESystemsAir/status/431023167780290560/photo/1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG-TMhvZ1pU&feature=youtu.be

http://www.baesystems.com/article/B...&_afrWindowMode=0&_adf.ctrl-state=49rvx9ya6_4

Looks great, i'll try keep updating as and when important things are said.

 

[RobWilliams]

UK receives full complement of Reaper UAVs - IHS Jane's 360

So our Reaper complement is now up to the full 10 and the 5 just received will be sent to Afghan "in the near future".

Although combat operations will end in 2014, X number of Reapers will remain (presumably not all 10 of them) as an ISR asset. Although personally I do see maintaining stocks of Hellfire & Paveway II (i think) in theater in some form to try support the ANA and eliminate Taliban targets of opportunity.

 

[swerve]

First picture of Taranis in flight released today, currently there is a press conference discussing Taranis, the project + flight trials.

https://twitter.com/Rotorfocus/status/431010075499438080/photo/1/large
https://twitter.com/BAESystemsAir/status/431011241146843136/photo/1/large
https://twitter.com/BAESystemsAir/status/431023167780290560/photo/1
Taranis - The future of aviation technology - YouTube

http://www.baesystems.com/article/B...&_afrWindowMode=0&_adf.ctrl-state=49rvx9ya6_4

Looks great, i'll try keep updating as and when important things are said.

The background looks remarkably like Woomera. One can't help wondering why they don't say so.

 

[RobWilliams]

Indeed, because i'm 100% sure I posted a link earlier in the thread saying that's where the flight tests were going to be done.

 

[gf0012-aust]

The background looks remarkably like Woomera. One can't help wondering why they don't say so.

Its the worst kept secret in Australia - esp as BAE are contracted to manage the Woomera facility. - and they have a remit to lease the facilities to all friendlies.

There are a couple of Euros trialling UAS LO assets out there...

 

[RobWilliams]

Some articles published recently which are of relevance to the future RAF.

Hybrid Air Vehicles expects UK MoD trials in 2015 - IHS Jane's 360

UK company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) expects the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to test its HAV 304 hybrid airship as a potential airborne surveillance platform from May 2015, following the completion of in-country flight trials that are set to begin at the end of this year, a company official told IHS Jane's on 28 February.

...

HAV Technical Manager Andy Barton said that the company has been continuing discussions with the MoD with regard to utilising the hybrid airship as a wide-area surveillance (WAS) platform for counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, and that it anticipates MoD-sponsored testing to take place once the initial UK flight trials have been completed in April 2015.

Interesting development, their vehicle is 300ft long, can travel up to 100mph and can remain airbourne for up to 3 and a half weeks (manned for 5 days however). Payload ~22k lbs and a service ceiling of 20k feet. Designs for examples which can carry 50t of payload are around too.

More info about the Taranis flight tests

Royal Aeronautical Society | Insight Blog | Taranis unmasked

A: What was the biggest surprise that came up during testing?

BF: The biggest surprise to me, because I’ve been involved in other programmes, is how well this aircraft flew. Aerodynamically, it was absolutely sound. It was very crisp in its pitching and in roll, speed control was excellent, it got airborne exactly where we expected it to and in exactly where we expected it to land. So, in many ways it was, as I’ve said before, routine. There was no major excitement other that the fact than this thing which looks a little space age got airborne and came back

Little note in this article worth noting

US, UK Ink Research Collaboration Deal | Defense News | defensenews.com

"We are looking at building on existing high profile projects, such as next generation aircraft beyond the F-35, force protection, counter terrorism and chemical and biological defense," he said in a telephone interview Feb 24.

F/A-XX for the RAF anyone??

 

[StobieWan]

Yes please but it'd be quite a ways off! Is FA-XX likely to be an international program like F35 I wonder?

 

[Volkodav]

Yes please but it'd be quite a ways off! Is FA-XX likely to be an international program like F35 I wonder?

Don't know any details but I imagine it's list of buyers and partners would be smaller than for the F-35. I suppose it would be targeted at current F-15E and SH users.