The past year has seen many air forces fulfil a vital humanitarian role, responding to natural disasters. But, as our annual update confirms, while some have ordered or taken delivery of new fighters, budgetary worries spell an uncertain outlook for several programmes
The prominent role of military airpower during the international response to natural disasters in East Asia, the US Gulf Coast and Kashmir over the past 12 months has highlighted that in a time of crisis, air forces can provide nations with unprecedented capabilities to save lives and rebuild devastated communities.
Military transports, helicopters and airborne surveillance assets were all to the fore during efforts to rescue survivors of the Asian tsunami, hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Kashmir earthquake, as well as leading the first wave of reconstruction work.
The events of the past year amply demonstrated that when nature destroys a nation’s communications infrastructure, only military aviation can overcome the extremes of climate and terrain to bring relief to desperate people.
Air forces from across the globe have been involved in disaster relief efforts since the Asian tsunami struck in December 2004. These efforts have ranged from a handful of ageing Mi-8 helicopters dispatched by the Afghan air force to help the people of Kashmir after October’s earthquake to the hundreds of helicopters deployed by the US military to spearhead rescue operations after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans.
As well as contributing global reach, lift capacity and rapid response to relief operations, military airpower brings many capabilities that civilian or chartered air assets cannot match. The ability of military aviators to set up and operate at short notice in remote locations with minimal logistic support and infrastructure sets them apart and makes them ideal to spearhead international rescue efforts in tough circumstances.
Media coverage of the endeavours of helicopter crews during the past year’s relief efforts have caught the public imagination, but behind the scenes it has been the military commanders, planning staff and logistic support personnel who have also made these operations possible.
While the high-profile military contributions to recent relief efforts have not yet translated into new programmes or budget increases, 2005 has served as an important reminder that nations need to maintain core capabilities to respond rapidly and effectively to natural disasters.
NORTH AMERICA
The aviation assets of the US armed services continue to be heavily engaged fighting President George Bush’s “global war on terrorism”, as well as supporting disaster relief operations at home and abroad.
The rising cost of these operations is raising fears this might endanger force-modernisation efforts by the US Department of Defense. This year’s budget brought the first hints that the Bush administration might seek cuts in military procurement to fund ongoing conflicts and help address the growing US federal budget deficit. The US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin/Boeing F/A-22 fighter programme is a potential casualty of such belt-tightening.
For the US military, this could not come at a worse time, as the average age of its aircraft moves well into its second decade and fleet renewal grows in importance.
EUROPE
Air forces in Europe have not benefited from the “9/11 effect” that has led to a spike in US defence procurement so far this decade, and have been living with declining real-term spending since 1990.
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK are all struggling to find the funding to complete their purchases of Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen fighters. Sweden, meanwhile, has leased 28 Gripens to the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Helicopter procurement is gaining momentum across Europe, with Spain buying NH90s this year and the UK on the verge of announcing major new orders.
MIDDLE EAST
Many of the region’s air forces have suffered from a procurement “holiday” for more than a decade because of depressed oil prices. Purchases of F-16s by Oman and the United Arab Emirates have been the exception to this trend. Increases in oil prices have yet to translate into major new aircraft procurement programmes as governments in the region concentrate on building internal security forces to counter unrest by Islamic fundamentalists.
AFRICA
The past year has seen the formation of new air arms in Gambia and Namibia, but this does not represent the start of a major boom for aircraft procurement across the continent. Only South Africa has been able to launch significant new procurement, this year, ordering the A400M. Nigeria has begun smaller-scale efforts to regenerate its rundown fleet, recently signing for 15 F-7 fighters from China. Beijing is emerging as an important supplier to African air forces as part of its strategy to win access to natural resources.
SOUTH ASIA
India continues with its efforts to re-invigorate its airpower with imports of advanced equipment from Russia and Western countries. Pakistani efforts to keep up with New Delhi have benefited from closer links with Washington after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
EAST ASIA
East Asia remains a focus for major air force modernisation efforts thanks to the region’s continued economic vitality. China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea have some of the healthiest defence procurement budgets at the moment, with new aircraft being purchased and new programmes launched over the past year. Continued rivalry between China and Taiwan and tension on the Korean peninsular has fuelled this situation, along with a desire by regional governments to support their national aerospace industries.
LATIN AMERICA
Poor economic performance and a lack of specific foreign threats has stifled efforts by Latin American air forces to launch modernisation projects. The collapse of the Brazilian fighter replacement programme this year highlighted this issue. Only modernisation projects linked to counter-drug activities or internal security attract significant investment. Tension between the Bush administration and Venezuela may prove a flash point over the coming year.
THE FUTURE
Air forces in all nations continue to face a constantly changing world. Only those that prepare for the unexpected will be ready to react to rapidly emerging threats and events, as the response to the past year’s natural disasters graphically illustrate.
TIM RIPLEY / LONDON
Source: Flight International
