DEFENCE
FIGHTERS
LEASE LUBOMIR SEDLAK / PRAGUE AND CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS
Japan's F-2s
togetFLIR
Czech Republic accepts
offer of Swedish Gripens
Japan plans to install from 2006 a
locally developed forward-looking
infrared (FLIR) sensor on its fleet
of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
(MHI)F-2 support fighters.
The Japan Technical Research
and Development Institute (TRDI)
says development of the FLIR will
be completed next fiscal year,
which starts on 1 April, and the
system will be ready for installation in FY2006.
TRDI is developing the FLIR
in-house with the Japan Air Self
Defence Force (JASDF). MHI sister company Mitsubishi Electric
has been selected to manufacture the system.
The Japan Defence Agency
(J DA) has not yet decided how
many F-2s to equip with FLIR.
JASDF began operating F-2s in
late 2000 and has a requirement
for 130 aircraft, over 40 of which
have already been delivered.
TRDI says each FLIR is estimated to cost ¥260 million ($2.4
million), assuming at least 50 are
acquired. TRDI has requested
¥180 million in FY2004 to finish
the development effort.
Decision to lease means country's ageing Russian MiG-21 fighters can be replaced
A Czech government commission
has decided unanimously that
Sweden's offer to lease 14 Saab/BAE
Systems Gripens to the Czech air
force provides the best interim solution to the country's urgent need to
replace its Russian MiG-21 fighters.
The Czech ministry of defence
says Belgium's proposal of Lockheed
Martin F-16AM/BMs with mid-life
updates was runner-up in the contest, followed by Canada, offering
Boeing F-18A/B Hornets, the
Netherlands with F-16AM/BMs and
the USA with Block 15 F-16s with
new Pratt & Whitney engines.
The recommendation is not
binding on the government, which
must take a final decision before
year-end if the aircraft are to be delivered in time to replace the MiG21 s, to be withdrawn from service in
2005. The Czech government had
already signed a contract to buy 24
Gripen fighters when the worst
Floods in 2002 put paid to Prague's plans to buy 24 Gripens
flooding in 500 years forced the can- near term. The cost to the Czech
cellation in September 2002 for Republic is reported to be CKr20 bilbudgetary reasons (Flight Inter- lion ($737 million), 10% below the
national, 17-23 September 2002).
maximum set by the defence minThe leased Gripens would be new istry. Sweden had reportedly offered
aircraft being built for Sweden, to invest CKr30 billion in offsets,
which procurement agency FMV against the US proposal of 100%.
says it can manage without in the SEE BUSINESS AVIATION P23
M I L I T A R Y PLAN
S P E N D I N G CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS
Belgium to cut F-16 fleet by a
third in capability reduction
Spanish procurement
budget to rise by 5.3%
Belgium is to further reduce its Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet from 90 aircraft to
60 by 2015 as part of a drastic planned reduction in defence capability, writes
Herman De Wulf.
The decision forms part of the Brussels government's latest military plan,
which will see the army replaced by an organisation with a new "modular
structure", from which units will participate in peacekeeping operations
under the responsibility of the United Nations, NATO or the Western
European Union.
Under the scheme, transport capability will take precedence, with emphasis on the acquisition of seven Airbus Military A400M transports.
The air force currently operates 90 F-16A/Bs, of which 72 are committed
to NATO until 2004. There are 40 F-16As with 349 Sqn at Kleine
Brogel air base, another 40 with 350 Sqn at Florennes air base and 10 twoseat F-16Bs with the operational conversion unit at Kleine Brogel. By 2015
their numbers will be reduced to 60, of which 48 will be declared to NATO.
F-16 air bases will be retained at Kleine Brogel and Florennes. The transport air base at Melsbroek will remain, as will the central flying school at
Beauvechain.
Meanwhile, France, Germany and the UK have agreed to co-operate on
three sensitive areas of European defence comprising "structured co-operation", mutual defence, and the creation of a European GHQ (general
headquarters) - an idea first mooted in April by Belgium, France, Germany
and Luxembourg.
16 9-15 DECEMBER 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL
Spain's 2004 defence procurement
budget is set to rise 5.3% to €1.7
billion ($2 billion), but nevertheless continues the slide in defence
spending as the funds represent
just 0.86% of Spain's gross domestic product, the lowest in a decade.
Although the Spanish air force
will receive only €928 million,
down from €1.16 billion this year,
aircraft programmes account for
almost two-thirds of the procurement money, with €370 million
earmarked for the Eurofighter
Typhoon, €1 million for the Airbus
Military A400M transport, and €4.5
million for the Eurocopter Tiger
anti-tank helicopter. However,
these programmes receive funds
from the science and technology
ministry, which finances some of
Spain's military equipment modernisation projects.
Defence ministry funds are allocated in 2004 for the last two of
nine EADS Casa C295s, modernisation of the Lockheed Martin P-3
Orion, upgrading the Boeing EF-18
Hornet, modernising the engine,
avionics and navigation systems of
the Northrop F-5 light fighter and
for modernisation of the navy's
Boeing AV-8B Harriers to AV-8B Plus
standard.
The navy will finalise the purchase in 2004 of its six new Sikorsky
Seahawk SH-60B LAMPS III helicopters and will modernise its 12 Sikorsky SH-3D Sea Kings. Research
and development funds drop 10%
in 2004 compared to this year's budget to €169.4 million.
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