The T-50's attack variant
Posted on 01/04/2011 10:30:30 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
ISRAELI AIR FORCE MULLING RENT-A-JET SCHEME WITH KOREAN AIRCRAFT
Trainer would be first not made either locally or by the U.S. in 40 years
The next fighter jet trainer Israeli cadets may be flying may be made in South Korea. The Israel air force has issued an official request for information from Korea for its two-seater T-50 Golden Eagle fighter jet trainer.
The Israeli Air Force is also examining the M-346 built by the Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi. Unlike the T-50, the M-346 is a transonic aircraft. The jet chosen would replace the aging A-4, or Skyhawk, an aircraft developed in the 1950s and flown by Israeli pilots for over four decades.
The search for a new jet trainer would mark the first time in over 40 years that Israel, which receives nearly $3 billion in annual defense grants from the U.S., would purchase a jet not made locally or produced in America.
The plan is for the Israeli aerospace giant Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel’s largest privately owned defense contractor, to form a joint venture that would purchase the aircraft and then lease them to the air force. The joint venture would maintain them and charge an hourly rate. This model already exists with the turbo-prop trainer Snunit or GROB G-120-Al.
Defense sources said the request for information (RFI) for the new fighter jet trainer had been issued recently and that Israeli Air Force pilots had already examined and flown both aircraft. Industry sources said the RFI had been delayed pending a review by the Antitrust Authority’s of the joint venture.
The T-50 Golden Eagle was developed jointly by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and the American Lockheed Martin aerospace company. Its main purpose is to bring pilots from basic flight training to high performance next-generation fighter jets like the F-35 and F-16I. It is also designed to carry weapons if necessary.
Seoul has reportedly offered the two-seater trainer to the United Arab Emirates but that bids apparently failed due to the jet’s high price. Each T-50 reportedly costs more than $20 million.
The T-50 would be equipped with Israeli fire-control radar made by Elta and an electronic warfare system supplied by Elisra, two Israeli defense contractors. Designed to carry a variety of weapons, including 20-mm internal gun, external missiles, 4,760 kilograms of bombs and rocket launchers, the T-50 could participate in “light attack missions.” It flies at Mach 1.5 maximum speed.
The Aermacchi’s M-346 is a twin-engine fighter trainer, more similar to the Boeing F-15Is.
By Arieh O’Sullivan on Monday, January 03, 2011
The T-50's attack variant
Judging by all of the stickers on the side of that aircraft, they can’t decide where to put the C.G.
What do people expect? Obama held up guaranteed delivery of Jets already approved. This comes out the same day that they ask for Pollard’s release. Accident? I don’t think so.
Sometimes one pays more up front for less technical costs down range. Sometimes the opposite is the case, if volume/value vs. fix expense is more cost effective. Israel is a state at constant war, they know how to squeeze the value out of a shekel.
no kidding, especially the ones near the tail.
With the soon-to-come massive cuts to our defense budgets, expect to see the same here in the US.
By the hour for (fighter) jet trainers - almost a given.
By the hour for cargo (heavy) next? Most the simulators are already contracted out.
Could be an interesting next 10 years.
In the Chinese curse sense of the word interesting.
With the soon-to-come massive cuts to our defense budgets, expect to see the same here in the US.
By the hour for (fighter) jet trainers - almost a given.
By the hour for cargo (heavy) next? Most the simulators are already contracted out.
Could be an interesting next 10 years.
In the Chinese curse sense of the word interesting.
Nothing surprising here. The US is not much of a player in the training market. Notwithstanding the fact that both aircraft in this competition use American engines.
The UK already has a somewhat similar programme of public-private partnership for training its pilots.
http://www.ascentflighttraining.com/
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
so deska
Thanks for the link!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.