True enough, but still … priorities! Nations like Spain and Australia do not have jet aerobatic teams and Indonesian AF is not (yet) even at that level, yet they are mimicking even higher-tier AFs like UK, France, etc.
perhaps because PR is one of their “major” tasks? Every country and AF is different.
a rare one…
Brigadier Bakr, commander of the 66th brigade with his son, with his MD500 behind him… from Iraq in the 1980s.
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the paint scheme doesn’t preclude it being used for training and for operations per se.
they are already using an existing batch of hellfires for the King Air 350 ISR planes and AC-208 combat caravans
But the attacks are insufficient as the planes only have 2 hellfires, and due to the area covered there’s only ever 1 plane within range to carry out the attack.
an attack on a convoy of terrorists yesterday.
another attack on a terrorist camp (I think 3 days ago).
this is the exact location of the camp… https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!q=32%C2%B0+34%E2%80%B2+39%E2%80%B3+N,+40%C2%B0+50%E2%80%B2+13%E2%80%B3+E&data=!1m4!1m3!1d8710!2d40.8379881!3d32.5778811!2m1!1e3!4m14!2m13!1m12!3m8!1m3!1d27032495!2d-95.677068!3d37.0625!3m2!1i1042!2i796!4f13.1!4m2!3d32.5775!4d40.8369444&fid=7
note the ineffectiveness of having just 1 or 2 hellfires… such targets need to be approached by a hail of 80mm rockets from the Mi171 and Mi35s…
I think what matters more are the swedish hotties making the presentation to the sausage fest of officers.
Iraqi MOD is in negotiations with China and another country over the urgent delivery of armed UAVs.
The US had refused to sell them to Iraq, and Iraq doesn’t deal with Israel.
News from the Iraqi Ministry of Defence Spokesman.
I am guessing its “wing loong”.
recently Iraqi AC208s have been in action firing hellfires in the raging battles in the desert borders near saudi/jordan/syria. They desperately need armed UAVs to give constant coverage over this vast terrain filled with canyons, caves and hills.
I was under the impression that the original RD33s dry weight was 1055kg (generates 81kn in reheat) and the new RD33MK’s dry weight is 1145kg (generates 88kn in reheat)?
more capable than SU35?
RD-33MK for the MiG29k/M seems to have a 88kn thrust (reheat) and 1145kg dry weight. 4000hr service life
F414 for the upcoming gripen and KFX etc.. 98kn thrust (reheat) and 1110kg dry weight. ?????hr service life
I was simply making a lifecycle cost comparison (like I wrote in my earlier message)… not talking about which aircraft is better for what role. 😀
of course T50//FA50 will be more expensive to buy and operate, I just wanted to see by HOW MUCH more (which is not too bad seeing from the Polish / Israeli deals).
OTOH I do agree that the FA50 aircraft at least is not a “direct” analogue of the M346 LIFT… it slots in between a gripen and JF17 as a light fighter.
PS. The koreans are replacing their F5 with FA50.
what’s that 4x rocket ?
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Wish you all a happy new year!
the only point I was making that the overall lifecycle cost of the M346 is not that much lower than a FA50 which has a lot more equipment (avionics/armaments) and is supersonic… it wasn’t a comparison of the aircraft per se, or what’s best for who.
But the lifecycle cost of these planes is getting horrendous. It won’t be too long in the future when most airforces will consist of a mix of manned turboprops and some UAV /UCAVs.
It has been more liberal lately, pls see this link for the export rules http://www.isp.se/sa/node.asp?node=418.
However Iraq is still under EU weapon export embargo http://www.isp.se/sa/node.asp?node=1347, so no export possible until rules change.
so how do other EU countries sell to Iraq? patrol boats, guns, armed helicopters, APCs etc… etc…
actually that above is not accurate…
UN has lifted its embargo on the Iraqi Government. http://www.sipri.org/databases/embargoes/un_arms_embargoes/iraq
and so has the EU… http://www.sipri.org/databases/embargoes/eu_arms_embargoes/iraq
pricey stuff.
I looked into the “lifecycle cost” of the new generation of LIFT aircraft… and found this interesting tidbit from Israel.
http://defense-update.com/20130103_iaf_m346_life_cycle_cost.html
so they will cost $65M over 20 years… Not much lower than the more capable FA50 variant that the Iraqis just bought.