ANDREW DOYLE / SINGAPORE
Taiwanese manufacturer promoting enhanced F-5E as lead-in fighter trainer and will add fuel capacity to the IDF
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has started flight testing a NorthropF-5E Tiger avionics upgrade demonstrator in an attempt to interest the Taiwanese air force.
The service, however, appears to have little interest in the programme as it has a large inventory of Dassault Mirage 2000-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16s, and it is facing a budget squeeze. AIDC is attempting to promote the aircraft as a lead-in fighter trainer.
Meanwhile, AIDC has created a programme office for its parallel Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF) upgrade development work, which has received state funding.
Industry sources in Taiwan say the F-5E demonstrator's avionics have a high degree of commonality with the IDF. A Lockheed Martin APG-67 multimode radar has replaced the F-5E's Emerson APQ-159.
The IDF's GD-53 radar is an APG-67 derivative and uses the latter's processor, transmitter and receiver, but has a resized antenna. The 1553 databus-equipped demonstrator also has multifunction and head-up displays.
Sources say AIDC has invested more than $10 million in the project and the air force has agreed to loan the F-5 to the manufacturer.
Taiwan's air force has just under 100 operational F-5E/Fs and RF-5Es. It has withdrawn its F-5A/Bs and AIDC is remarketing the aircraft to potential overseas buyers.
The IDF C/D will have extra fuel capacity and an upgraded GD-53 Development is expected to cost $230 million. A pair of IDF A/Bs are set to be modified as demonstrators.
Source: Flight International
