News Items I wish to discuss…

I was reading in AFM that six people including a visiting AMI officer were burnt by the exhaust of a Viggen in Sweeden, three of the people suffering thrid degree burns.

What I’d like to know is where were they, on tarmac? And why was the Viggen flying so low?

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I also hear that the RAF is buying 8 Pumas from the SAAF, why? Sure they want to refurbish the and opperate them along side the HC-1’s but surely they are all due for retirement soon?

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Ireland is fanally going to buy new air combat a/c, though it seems a little backwards that they want turbo prop a/c. the three short listed are:

Embraer Super Tucano, which is the favourite

Pilatus PC-9

And weirdly enough Raython T-6 (Personally I fail to see the difference with the PC-9 except that the T-6 might have some hidden funding from the US in the deal, possibly a FMS deal.

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Turkey has signed on for the Wedgetail AWACS, they are wanting 4 with 2 on option. Italy is now also looking at buying them, they are wanting six but it’s good mony that they will settle for 4 just like us and Turkey.

Personally this makes me happy, it means that we won’t be the only ones opperating this system and thus reduce the procurement price should we opt for the options down the track.

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The Czech Republik has signed to buy the AN-70, this is no suprise but comes as a bitter shock to the US who have pushed the C-130J really hard there.

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It finally out, the US has been opperating Russian a/c covertly, did anyone see the AN-2 in the AFM?

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Second LCA flys, hip hip hooray!
Another mark in the success story of a great little plane, can’t wait till the LCAN flys.

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South Africa is making deals with Lybia, Lybia want to upgrade their force which opperate similar equipment to what the SAAF did during the Apharthide years.

What is South Africa mad, do they want to cop the full UN sanctions again?

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Nigerian forces have foiled and attempt to sell five of their G-222 transports illegally. Wow makes the Ollie North story seem small doesn’t it!

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RAN Seahawk movements
Two S-70-B-2’s that were deployed on board HMAS Adelaide up in the Gulf for boarding opps have returned to NAS Nowra for a much needed break after completing 154 Flying hours on station.

Mean while two other Sh’s are now to be based on Christmas Island for maritime interception duties. In other words, we want to get the boat people before they hit our territorial waters.

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The RoCAF are going to buy Orions, this goes against the One China Policy that the US have, or is that now null and void since the Axis of evil statement?

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BAe and Sydney Uni are developing a UAV called the Brumby Mk-3 for use by the RAAF, an interesting little design with a compleat glass nose and looking very similar to the Optica aircraft. (For those who don’t know- a brumby down here is a wild horse similar to a Mustang, but where a Mustang is for arid regions a brumby lives in the bush)

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The RAAF has accepted the first of it’s two BBJ’s, what I find strange is that both planes are configured differently internally. Qantas are managing the lease which is for 13 years, unlucky 13 🙁

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The RAAF is to get new colour displays for it’s Hornets, the same type as that in their Canadia counterparts a/c.

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Northrop Grumman are to develope new Softwear for the RAN SH-2G(A)’s, finally we might get them in service by the end of the decade :/

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Give me coffee and no-one gets hurt!