Killer Drones, Tanker Milestones and Kiwi Swordfish

This year’s edition of the Avalon air show included debuts by five RAAF types. Two of the first four EA-18G Growlers delivered to RAAF Base Amberley the week before, including aircraft A46-306, were at the show.
Nigel Pittaway

The 2017 Australian International Air Show, held at Avalon near Melbourne between February 28 and March 6, was one of the largest ever. Several important announcements were made over the three trade days of the show, including the final operational capability milestone for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A multirole tanker transport (MRTT) and industry teaming arrangements for the Commonwealth’s armed UAS requirement.

In other news, details of an interim communications gateway capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) emerged and industry was keen to talk about New Zealand’s Future Air Surveillance Capability (FASC) programme.

Predator versus Heron

Both of the primary contenders for Australia’s armed medium-altitude longendurance UAS requirement, the General Atomics MQ-9 Predator/Reaper and Israel Aircraft Industries Heron TP, were displayed at Avalon, separated only by the width of the taxiway.

Between 2017 and 2026, Australia is looking to acquire an armed UAS under Project Air 7003, and the government’s Defence Integrated Investment Programme has allocated between one and two billion dollars for the programme.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) used the opening day of Avalon 2017 to formally launch Team Reaper Australia, an industry consortium which includes Cobham, CAE Australia, Flight Data Systems and Raytheon Australia.

Cobham will be the lead team member for GA-ASI in Australia; Flight Data Systems for the flight data recorder; CAE will provide simulators and a training package based upon the zerotime simulator currently used by the Aeronautica Militare for its Predators; and Raytheon Australia will furnish the DAS-1 Multi-Spectral Targeting System.

Team Reaper Chief Executive Officer Linden Blue said: “We recognise the importance of working with Australian established partners. We have been working closely with the ADF to understand the operational needs of Air 7003 and we are confident that our RPA System solution will provide mature, persistent, interoperable support to Australia’s warfighters.”

Team Reaper Australia’s bid will likely be based upon the Certifiable Predator B system, recently ordered by the United Kingdom.

Israel Aircraft Industries Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group, Shaul Shahar said the Heron TP being offered to Australia will benefit from the extensive experience the ADF has gained from operating the Heron 1 system, both in Afghanistan and in Australia, since 2010. “We believe the Heron TP brings a significant advantage to our Australian customers, since it is operated with the same operational concepts as the Heron 1, allowing a virtually seamless transition between it and the much larger and more capable Heron TP,” he said.

Two PC-21s in full RAAF markings, still owned by Pilatus and displayed with their Swiss civil registrations, were at Avalon. Both aircraft are due to be delivered in mid-2017.
Nigel Pittaway

More MRTT Milestones

Australia’s Minister for Defence, Senator Marise Payne announced on March 2 the RAAF’s KC-30A tanker had achieved final operational capability. In a statement from Canberra, Marise Payne said: “The KC-30A has been an outstanding asset over Iraq on Operation Okra, having offloaded over 74 million pounds of fuel to coalition aircraft, including Australia’s F/A-18A Hornet and E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. Just one KC-30A can support the deployment of four fighter aircraft over 2,700 nautical miles [5,000km], with 50 personnel and 12 tonnes [26,455lb] of equipment. It is an extremely versatile aircraft suited to the long ranges of the Australian continent.”

At Avalon on the same day, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies and Airbus Defence and Space Head Fernando Alonso signed a research agreement to further develop the KC-30As capabilities. The initial work will involve joint development of an automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) system for the boom.

Alonso also used the opportunity to launch Airbus Defence and Space’s SMART tanker which, in addition to A3R, will include development of the MRTT as a command and control (C2) node, Big Data (enhanced use of the MRTT’s central maintenance computer to monitor mission systems performance) and Space Data Highway (laser SATCOM).

“The KC-30A offers tremendous combat potential at the heart of the integrated Air Force of the future, including using the platform as a communications node, to maximise air power delivery,” he said.

Swordfish Pitched to New Zealand

Responding to reports that the New Zealand Government has requested pricing and availability data on the possible acquisition of two Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft, Saab is pitching up to six Bombardier Global 6000 platforms, fitted with its Swordfish maritime patrol mission system.

Saab’s Head of Marketing and Sales, Airborne ISR, Richard Hjelmberg said: “We have presented our Swordfish solution to New Zealand and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback. We are aiming at two thirds of the direct unit cost of a P-8A and 50% of the lifecycle cost.”

A Boeing spokesman at Avalon would not comment on reports that New Zealand has requested details of Poseidon cost and availability due to concerns that production will soon end. Boeing has recently delivered the 50th P-8A to the US Navy and more than 70 are still to be built. In addition, Boeing is building aircraft against export orders from Australia, India, Norway and the United Kingdom.

New Platforms and King Air Communications

Avalon 2017 was remarkable in that there were no fewer than five RAAF platforms making their debut at the show. This line up included two Australian F-35A Lightning IIs, which had been flown in from the United States specifically for the show and two of the first four Boeing EA-18G Growlers delivered to Amberley the week before. Also on display was a Leonardo C-27J Spartan, the first P-8A for the RAAF and the first two Pilatus PC-21s.

The PC-21s are still owned by Pilatus and carried their Swiss civil registrations, but were in full RAAF markings and are due to be delivered in mid-2017. Air Marshal Leo Davies commented: “Air Force is planning to commence PC-21-based training of undergraduate students in pilots’ course and flying instructors’ course in early 2019.”

In other news from the show, the RAAF will trial Northrop Grumman’s Airborne Gateway communications relay and gateway system aboard a Beech King Air 350 platform under an Air Force Minor Programme this year. Funded under Plan Jericho, the interim capability will be used to define the best way to digitally link existing air, ground and sea platforms and other capabilities across the ADF in a two-year trial.

The ADF previously tested the Airborne Gateway system, installed aboard a Northrop Grumman-owned Gulfstream II during Exercise Jericho Dawn last year.