ARIE EGOZI / TEL AVIV
Israeli air force Lockheed Martin F-16Is will carry a mix of Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM and Rafael Derby radar-guided air-to-air missiles to increase the fighter's versatility. Meanwhile, the service is seeking upgrades for its Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Seascan maritime surveillance aircraft and its SikorskyCH-53 heavylift helicopters.
Initially, AMRAAM will be used to arm Israel's Boeing F-15I strike fighters ahead of the delivery next year of the first F-16Is.
Derby has been in Israeli air force service for more than 10 years, although the weapon, which is based on the infrared-guided Python 4, was only formally unveiled last year (Flight International, 8-14 May 2001). Derby is equipped with an active radar seeker developed by IAI's MBT division.
Israeliair force Seascans will be upgraded with a new mission system next year. The Seascan is a modified IAI1124 Westwind business jet equipped with radar and other sensors. Three aircraft are jointly operated by the air force and navy, mainly to prevent insertion of terrorist groups by sea.
The air force had intended to replace the Seascans with Beech King Air B200s, but the navy considers the turboprop to be too slow to cover large areas during a single sortie.
According to a senior air force source, the Seascan upgrade is the favoured option. He adds: "We will upgrade the Seascans to maintain their operational capability for another 15 years." To reduce the upgrade cost, the aircraft will not be re-engined.
The air force also plans to modernise its CH-53 helicopters to keep the machine in service until at least 2020. The programme will concentrate on the type's dynamic system.
The source says most recent problems with the CH-53 have been related to the dynamic systems, principally the transmissions. In at least two incidents the problems resulted in emergency landings.
All the Israeli CH-53s were upgraded in the 1990s to CH-53-2000 configuration with new avionics, while last year they were equipped to carry eight MBT Nimrod laser-guided missiles.
According to the source, the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor is considered the best replacement for the CH-53 as "it has a smaller carrying space but on the other hand, a smaller radar cross-section". However, it will only be considered once in service in large numbers with the US forces, adds the source.
Source: Flight International
