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Mpacha

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August 17, 2006 at 8:10 am in reply to: SAAF Mirage F1-AZ's #2586536

Mpacha
Participant

Of course the Mirage F1A is a much better combat jet than an Alphajet. However if they haven’t been overhauled it means they are most likely unservicable after sitting in storage for many years.

So Gabon would have to fork out more cash for getting the jets to a fully operational status.

As for avionics etc, countries such as Gabon don’t need the latest in phased array radars, HMS etc. They need simple bomb trucks,

Fortunately these aircraft have been stored properly and they have been restored to airworthiness. The first two aircraft were flown to Gabon! Gabon may be showing them off to the press today!

August 17, 2006 at 8:05 am in reply to: SAAF Mirage F1-AZ's #2586538

Mpacha
Participant

Interesting stuff!

Given the low acquisition price I take it there is no overhaul or upgrade of any sort?

These aircraft have received many upgrades over the years. Aerosud is restoring them to airworthiness and I believe they are getting an avionics upgrade.

August 17, 2006 at 8:02 am in reply to: SAAF Mirage F1-AZ's #2586547

Mpacha
Participant

Gabon tried to exchange their Mirage V´s for some egyptian Alpha Jets, and now they are getting 20 Mirage F-1AZ´s? but this planes are 30 years old or even more, yeah they are cheap, but too old

There is still a lot of life left in those babies 😀 It is a sensible purchase for Gabon.

August 15, 2006 at 2:53 pm in reply to: SAAF Mirage F1-AZ's #2587690

Mpacha
Participant

About twenty aircraft.

August 11, 2006 at 8:21 am in reply to: Thunder City – big news! #1257811

Mpacha
Participant

To quote Keith Hartley;

‘The aircraft is a honey. It is almost impossible to believe that after being shipped halfway around the world and completely rebuilt she feels as good as she always did. It is an absolute tribute to Mike and his whole team of engineers who did the rebuild.’

August 9, 2006 at 8:44 am in reply to: American question! #2045324

Mpacha
Participant

Not in a million years. Ever heard of Google Earth? 😀

That’s the air wing based in Japan at NAS Atsugi. They go to sea on the Japan-assigned carrier, which is currently the Kitty Hawk.

MANY thanks SOC!

August 8, 2006 at 11:11 pm in reply to: American question! #2045360

Mpacha
Participant

The tail code identifies the carrier air wing. NF is Carrier Air Wing Five.

Thanks SOC, zap over the top of my head 😀 :confused:
What is Carrier Air Wing Five?

August 3, 2006 at 9:00 am in reply to: Harvards!! #1268132

Mpacha
Participant

A few from South Africa 😀

July 23, 2006 at 8:59 am in reply to: RAAF grounds F-111 Fleet? #2561734

Mpacha
Participant

I already mentioned the grounding and the reason over here;

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=60436

July 17, 2006 at 8:25 am in reply to: IMPRESSIVE WEAPON LOADS THREAD #2564952

Mpacha
Participant

Dear Members,

The air to air Gabriel was developed for Argentina after the Falklands War. I don’t believe it is operational with the IDF-AF. Also, I have a file photo buried gawd knows where of the F-4 fitted with the Gabriel. It was mainly for export show though for nations like Turkey.

Jack E. Hammond

The Gabriel III is air to surface, not air to air and was not developed after the Falklands War? The Israeli AF do have it and it entered service in 1982. South Africa was accussed of supplying this version to Argentina during the Falklands War.

July 16, 2006 at 5:51 am in reply to: Chinese Missile that Stuck Israeli warship #1812351

Mpacha
Participant

The Israeli military have not identified what hit them, and what they have said doesn’t point to any heavier system at all.

so blahblahblah

From the Press conf:

In the first few minutes after the strike, it was unclear what hit the boat, and the sailors concentrated on extinguishing the fire that broke out at the landing pad after 50 kilograms of explosives penetrated the vessel’s body.

False, the IDF have identified it as a C-802!

July 16, 2006 at 5:46 am in reply to: Israeli warship 'badly damaged' by 'explosive drone' #2048310

Mpacha
Participant

There are suggestions in another thread that the missile used might be a C-701 which would make more sense.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?p=966788#post966788

The C802 is a heavyweight AShM designed to sink heavy warships and if one of those hit that corvette, it would have blown it out of the water, literally. While it is possible that the missile might have been hit by CIWS fire just before it hit the ship, the damage inflicted does not look like debris impact. The C802 is also a pretty large missile and would have been pretty hard to hide from the Israelis, making it unlikely to be the missile involved.

The C701 on the other hand is a lightweight AShM designed to take out light patrol ships and FACs, and it is the missile being shown in the pics of the truck mounted missile posted above if Im not mistaken. Such a missile system is small and mobile enough to have a decent chance of avoiding Israeli detection, and the damage shown in the pics of the Sa’ar v seems to be consistent with a C701 hit.

Israeli Defence are saying it was a C802.

July 5, 2006 at 12:47 pm in reply to: Lightning Preservation Group QRA Day 8th July 2006 #1308150

Mpacha
Participant

Here is one desperate for some TLC 😀

June 28, 2006 at 8:47 am in reply to: Portuguese Puma Request #2576036

Mpacha
Participant

Mpacha, let me make a guess:

you were digging the story behind SAAF’s Oryx program and found out the two projects (the Oryx and FAP’s SA330 upgrade) have something in common… Am i right? 😉

About our Puma’s… unfortunately i can’t give you exact details about the upgrades to the 13-aircraft fleet since they were delivered as SA330C in 1969 until the last “S-1” mod.
The reason for this is that both OGMA and FAP present some different features on these upgrades! :confused:

Anyway, what i could get from all these sources is something like this:

– SA330C to H (Turmo IV C engines, sponson tanks, LTN-72-R INS and other avionics, APN-208(V)/CMA-708C doppler radar *, …)

– SA330H to L (composite rotors, ORB-31 radar *)

– SA330L to S-1 (Makila 1A1 engines)

* as i said, there’s a great confusion regarding the radar upgrade, with different official sources mentioning different systems.

Abraços

Thanks Shadow, you are correct. 😀

June 27, 2006 at 6:26 pm in reply to: Portuguese Puma Request #2576367

Mpacha
Participant

Mpacha,

I’m not very into the FAP’s Pumas, especially their upgrade programmes, but I’ve forwarded this topic to people who definitely know it’s details, I hope soon someone more knowledgeable replies here 🙂

Many thanks!
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