09 March 2022
by Gareth Jennings
Following Poland's announcement that it was to transfer all of its MiG-29s to the US for onward delivery to Ukraine, the Pentagon has poured cold water on the plan by saying it was “untenable”. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
A Polish plan to transfer its entire fleet of MiG-29 'Fulcrum' combat aircraft to help the war effort in Ukraine was thrown into doubt almost as soon as it was announced on 8 March, with the US government saying it does not believe the proposal is tenable.
The on/off saga of the transfer of NATO-operated MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' fighters and Sukhoi Su-25 ‘Frogfoot' ground-attack aircraft to Kyiv appeared to be back on when the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was willing to transfer its entire fleet of 27 MiG-29s to the US Air Force's Ramstein Air Base in Germany for onward delivery to the Ukrainian Air Force.
However, just minutes after this announcement was made, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby issued a statement nixing the plan after the US government was seemingly caught unawares. “We are now in contact with the Polish government following the statement issued today. As we have said, the decision about whether to transfer Polish-owned planes to Ukraine is ultimately one for the Polish government.
“We will continue consulting with our allies and partners about our ongoing security assistance to Ukraine, because, in fact, Poland's proposal shows just some of the complexities this issue presents. The prospect of fighter jets ‘at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America' departing from a US/NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance.
“It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it. We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland's proposal is a tenable one.”
The US statement appears, in the short term at least, to put an end to a proposal first put forward by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on 27 February, in which he said that Bulgaria, Poland, and Slovakia would transfer their MiG-29s (and Su-25s in the case of Bulgaria). As noted by Janes World Air Forces, this plan would have seen the Ukrainian Air Force receive as many as 52 MiG-29s and eight Su-25s.
29 March 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
The first production Tejas Mk 1A takes off from the HAL airport in Bangalore on 28 March 2024. (HAL)
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has test-flown its first production Tejas Mk 1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). However, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is unlikely to get the aircraft until mid-2024, an industry source told Janes .
According to HAL, the first production aircraft, serial no LA-5033, conducted an 18-minute successful sortie from the HAL airport in Bengaluru on 28 March. HAL intended to deliver at least one Tejas Mk 1A to the IAF by February 2024, a deadline that was subsequently moved up to 31 March. Janes understands that the handover of LA-5033 to the IAF could possibly require at least two additional months.
An industry source told Janes that the delay in delivery is because of ongoing “disruptions in the supply chain” for the programme.
28 March 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
This concept image of China's new attack helicopter, tentatively designated as Z-21, is based on photographs of the prototype aircraft in flight. (Janes)
China is developing a new attack helicopter that appears to be in the same weight class as the US Boeing AH-64 Apache and the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc.
Images of the new helicopter, which emerged on Chinese social media in March 2024, show an aircraft that is larger than the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) in-service AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Changhe Aircraft Industries Group (CHAIG) Z-10 attack helicopter, and with a wider central fuselage that is comparable with the Apache. The fuselage includes cheek fairings similar to the AH-64 Apache and a nose configuration similar to the Mi-28. The AH-64E and the Mi-28N have a maximum operating weight of 10–12 tons.
The new helicopter (tentatively designated as Z-21 by Chinese military observers) also appears to incorporate some of the PLA's latest combat helicopter features such as upward-facing engine exhausts to reduce its infrared signature.
27 March 2024
by Gareth Jennings
The Bird AeroSystems defensive aids installation fitted to an A319 airliner (pictured here) of an undisclosed European operator. (Bird AeroSystems)
Bird AeroSystems has fitted its aircraft defensive aids system (DAS) for an undisclosed European A319 operator, likely the Hungarian Air Force (HuAF).
The Israeli company said on 27 March that its Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System (SPREOS) directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) and Aeroshield Missile Protection System (AMPS) had been fitted to multiple A319 aircraft for an undisclosed customer to protect against surface-to-air missile threats.
“At the core of this project is the SPREOS, a patented DIRCM system for missile approach verification, tracking, and laser jamming,” the company said. “The installation also included Bird's versatile AMPS solution, designed for both military and civilian markets, providing complete protection against ground-to-air threats, including [manportable air-defence system] MANPADS attacks, for helicopters and VVIP aircraft for heads of states. Additionally, the installation of the AeroShield pod solution on the Airbus A319 aircraft was expanded to be installed also for Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft,” it added.
A Polish plan to transfer its entire fleet of MiG-29 'Fulcrum' combat aircraft to help the war effor...
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