UAVs and King Airs for Army & RAF.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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UAVs and King Airs for Army & RAF.
DefenseNews: British MoD Gives Elbit/Thales Effort $110M Deal for Hermes
Israel’s Elbit Systems has confirmed that the British Ministry of Defence has awarded a $110 million deal to an unmanned air vehicle joint venture company they operate in Britain with Thales UK to supply Hermes 450 platforms. The deal will plug a gap in British army intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The purchase of the Hermes 450 under Britain’s urgent operational requirements procurement process has been known about for several weeks, but this is the first time the purchase has been officially confirmed. In a statement released June 7, the company said the UAV Tactical Systems (U-Tacs) joint venture will immediately commence work on a program providing the Hermes 450, training of British personnel in the use and maintenance of the system and the provision of contractor logistic support.
Leicester-based U-Tacs, which is 51 percent owned by Elbit, is already contracted to supply the Hermes 450 as part of the British army’s 700 million-pound Watchkeeper tactical ISTAR UAV program. Deliveries of Watchkeeper vehicles are not due to start until at least the end of 2010, leaving a gap in British ISTAR capabilities in such hot spots as Afghanistan and Iraq.
The few Phoenix UAVs still available to the British army do not work in hot and high conditions causing capability shortfalls that are only now being addressed.
The original Watchkeeper program required a stopgap solution to be available by the end of 2006 until the full system could be deployed. That was ditched by the MoD for budgetary reasons.
Aside from the Hermes, the British army is also soon to begin operations of a handful of Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ER equipped for ISTAR operations. The aircraft will provide significantly better performance than the Britten-Norman Islander, the other fixed-wing aircraft in the Army Air Corps fleet.
Three General Atomics Predator B UAVs have also been purchased for Royal Air Force use under the urgent operational requirements process paid for by the Treasury rather than the MoD.
Israel’s Elbit Systems has confirmed that the British Ministry of Defence has awarded a $110 million deal to an unmanned air vehicle joint venture company they operate in Britain with Thales UK to supply Hermes 450 platforms. The deal will plug a gap in British army intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The purchase of the Hermes 450 under Britain’s urgent operational requirements procurement process has been known about for several weeks, but this is the first time the purchase has been officially confirmed. In a statement released June 7, the company said the UAV Tactical Systems (U-Tacs) joint venture will immediately commence work on a program providing the Hermes 450, training of British personnel in the use and maintenance of the system and the provision of contractor logistic support.
Leicester-based U-Tacs, which is 51 percent owned by Elbit, is already contracted to supply the Hermes 450 as part of the British army’s 700 million-pound Watchkeeper tactical ISTAR UAV program. Deliveries of Watchkeeper vehicles are not due to start until at least the end of 2010, leaving a gap in British ISTAR capabilities in such hot spots as Afghanistan and Iraq.
The few Phoenix UAVs still available to the British army do not work in hot and high conditions causing capability shortfalls that are only now being addressed.
The original Watchkeeper program required a stopgap solution to be available by the end of 2006 until the full system could be deployed. That was ditched by the MoD for budgetary reasons.
Aside from the Hermes, the British army is also soon to begin operations of a handful of Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ER equipped for ISTAR operations. The aircraft will provide significantly better performance than the Britten-Norman Islander, the other fixed-wing aircraft in the Army Air Corps fleet.
Three General Atomics Predator B UAVs have also been purchased for Royal Air Force use under the urgent operational requirements process paid for by the Treasury rather than the MoD.
Aside from the Hermes, the British army is also soon to begin operations of a handful of Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ER equipped for ISTAR operations. The aircraft will provide significantly better performance than the Britten-Norman Islander, the other fixed-wing aircraft in the Army Air Corps fleet.
LJ
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Fly-Friendly
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Rumour has it,
AAC and RAF where both bidding to run the King Airs. AAC Sqn (borrowing several RAF pilots) and the RAF's bid with a slighty larger Sqn. AAC won the bid (with the smaller number of pilots) but then had to ask the RAF for more pilots who promply said no chance.
So the AAC won the right to have the Squadron but they wont have enough pilots as they sold themselves short!!!
Or so the rumour has it !!!!!!
AAC and RAF where both bidding to run the King Airs. AAC Sqn (borrowing several RAF pilots) and the RAF's bid with a slighty larger Sqn. AAC won the bid (with the smaller number of pilots) but then had to ask the RAF for more pilots who promply said no chance.
So the AAC won the right to have the Squadron but they wont have enough pilots as they sold themselves short!!!
Or so the rumour has it !!!!!!
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Isn't that a similar story to how Teeny Weenie Airways got their mitts on the Apache, except comparing amount of techies needed to service them rather than pilots to fly them?
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Possibly
sounds like a bit of a theme or is desperation to keep them going. Apart from Apache which is doing a great job, they need something to keep the Corps going.
sounds like a bit of a theme or is desperation to keep them going. Apart from Apache which is doing a great job, they need something to keep the Corps going.
How about a joint asset ....
RAF train them
AAC pay for them
and the Fleet Air Arm fly them.
That way the FAA maintains another fixed wing capability for when WEBF gets enough support to get the SHAR reintroduced into service
RAF train them
AAC pay for them
and the Fleet Air Arm fly them.
That way the FAA maintains another fixed wing capability for when WEBF gets enough support to get the SHAR reintroduced into service
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Same old nonsense as ever, when the senior leadership of the AAC is a single one star to go up against the other service Chiefs, is anyone surprised when they only get the consolation prizes? How many one stars and above does the Air Force currently have on the books?
Two's in - True, but have a look at CGS's chest next time he's scaring Swiss Des by appearing on the telly, and note with whom he spent part of his service...
One rumour (note 'rumour', no idea if it's true) has it that CGS was far from uninvolved in the process of ensuring that the King Airs went to the AAC. Although whether or not he's going to be doing some refresher training so that the things have enough pilots isn't clear...
One rumour (note 'rumour', no idea if it's true) has it that CGS was far from uninvolved in the process of ensuring that the King Airs went to the AAC. Although whether or not he's going to be doing some refresher training so that the things have enough pilots isn't clear...
One rumour (note 'rumour', no idea if it's true) has it that CGS was far from uninvolved in the process of ensuring that the King Airs went to the AAC. Although whether or not he's going to be doing some refresher training so that the things have enough pilots isn't clear...
On another aside. Does anyone know whether they are the same as the US Forces' "Guardrail" aircraft?
LJ
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The RC-12 (Guardrail) is a Beechcraft B200.
Here are the details for Raytheons Special Mission Beechcraft 350ER:
http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/spec.../king_air_350/
Here are the details for Raytheons Special Mission Beechcraft 350ER:
http://www.raytheonaircraft.com/spec.../king_air_350/
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I wonder why the starboard engine is so much further forward than the l/h one 
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Reckon it's gonna be a hybrid set up as opposed to sole Pongo or Crabair organistion. A chopped CFS(H) QHI NCO is doing the conversion to fly this line no and PMA can't spare anyone to command/man it anyway.
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The Iraqi air force has also order a number of the King air 350ER's:
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/...h_king_air350/
This was a 350ER at an MOD exhibition at Oxford Airport in 2005:
http://www.oxfordairport.co.uk/overv...allery_73.html
Raytheon has developed a new extended range special mission variant, the King Air 350ER. The 350ER has additional nacelle fuel tanks, heavy-weight landing gear and a maximum take-off weight increased to 7,480kg (16,500lbs). This gives the aircraft an extended range of 4,260km (2,300nm) and eight-hour endurance. Full certification of the new model is expected at the end of 2006.
In September 2006, the Government of Iraq requested the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 24 King Air 350ER special mission aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The aircraft are to be fitted with the L3 Wescam MX-15 electro-optic / infrared system, a Synthetic Aperture Radar / Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR/ISAR), AN/AAR-47 missile warning system and AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispensing system
In September 2006, the Government of Iraq requested the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 24 King Air 350ER special mission aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The aircraft are to be fitted with the L3 Wescam MX-15 electro-optic / infrared system, a Synthetic Aperture Radar / Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR/ISAR), AN/AAR-47 missile warning system and AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispensing system
This was a 350ER at an MOD exhibition at Oxford Airport in 2005:
http://www.oxfordairport.co.uk/overv...allery_73.html
Last edited by MLT; 10th Jun 2007 at 11:42. Reason: Another picture.
Interestingly, the RAF are woefully short of ME pilots too
Get all the RAF Flying Club ME/PPL holders and offer them a type conversion at Bristol Flight Centre:
The BFC King Air TRTO offers a 7 day Ground school and Aircraft based training course.
Ground studies consist of a 3 days technical course conducted at Bristol International Airport Followed by a 4 day Flight Training and Testing Phase.
Full Course (ground school and flight training) £12,750 (includes VAT)
Minimum pre-entry requirements
Current CAA/JAA pilot licence and medical certificate
Current MEPL (if first type rating) SPA Instrument Rating (if flown IFR)
Minimum 70 hrs logged as PIC
As an Aircraft Based (not Simulator) course we offer (subject to availability) a current model King Air B200 (G-ORJA) fitted with EFIS-FMS-MFD which adds an extra dimension to the course content.
Flight Training includes a revision of Instrument Approach Procedures including Instrument Rating Renewal-Revalidation if required.
Bristol Flying Centre has been in the Professional flight training and AOC market for many years and look forward to working with both Individuals and fellow Operators looking for outsourced training or type-rated recruits.
Back to the cloud near cuckoo-land for me...
LJ
