Thompson says TacAir is following the Southwest Airlines business model: Pick one aircraft type and stick with it to curb operating, maintenance and logistics costs. “Piecemealing fleets is more difficult. It will be the downfall of other companies,” he says.
That said, TacAir has not ruled out adopting another aircraft, perhaps the F1, for “high and fast” aggressor missions. The company will adjust depending on government requirements.
“We didn’t just stumble upon the F-5,” he says. “The airplane is incredibly cost-efficient to run and through miniaturization of components, there is tremendous upside potential.
“There’s also been an unimpressive mishap rate in the industry, mostly because of engine or component failures, or a bird going down the intake. That is why we felt we needed two engines instead of one. It’s risk mitigation.”
The company has been exploring several capability upgrades that would bring the F-5 into the 21st century and make it more “F-20 Tigershark-like.” TacAir has been looking into everything from cockpit upgrades to infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensors, helmet-mounted cueing systems and radars. The firm has been talking with Lockheed Martin about potentially adopting the Legion Pod IRST, and perhaps Northrop Grumman’s APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar, which would require structural modifications to move the firewall back and extend the nose. The company is even considering new engines, conformal fuel tanks and a larger wing.
“The beauty of the F-5 is we can go upmarket or downmarket,” Thompson says. “We can supply any level of the capability that’s needed.”
Pentagon Luring Commercial ‘Red Air’ Firms with Major Contract Opportunities
The Defense Department has announced at least six major contract opportunities that have enticed industry:
1. The Navy’s Fourth-Generation Fighter Jet Services program would provide contractor-owned aircraft with the approximate range, airspeed, signature and radar capabilities of an F-16 or Boeing F/A-18 Hornet to fly against Navy and Marine Corps combat pilots.
2. The Air Force’s Combat Air Forces Adversary Air (CAF ADAIR) program would provide threatlike aggressors for pilot combat readiness training at up to 12 training bases in the U.S.
3. The 99th Contracting Sqdn.’s Nellis AFB, Nevada, Adversary Air Phase 2 contract would provide red air support for the local Air Force Warfare Center and 57th Adversary Tactics Group. This would be a follow-on to the Phase 1 contract with Draken International that has been extended through Sept. 30.
4. U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa has a requirement for commercially supplied aggressors for pilot combat readiness training in Germany (Spangdahlem Air Base), Italy (Aviano Air Base) and the UK (Royal Air Force Lakenheath). The 764th Specialized Contracting Sqdn. is responsible for that contract.
5. The Naval Air Warfare Center’s weapons division at China Lake, California, has expressed interest in commercially operated aircraft to fly against the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for software development and testing. The period of performance could run through September 2023.
6. There are multiple contract opportunities to support JTAC training, and most do not require sophisticated or high-speed aircraft. Air Force Special Operations Command wants contractor close air support to train JTACs at nine Army bases, including Forts Bliss, Riley, Hood, Carson, Campbell, Drum, Bragg, Stewart and Polk in, respectively, New Mexico, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, New York, California Georgia and Louisiana. The list of acceptable aircraft includes (but is not limited to) the Alpha jet, A-4, L-39, L-59, BAC-167, MB-339, L-159E, AT-6, A-29 Super Tucano, Short Tucano, IAR-823 Brasov, SIAI-Marchetti SF260 and OV-10 Bronco.
|
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar
Merk: Bare medlemmer av denne bloggen kan legge inn en kommentar.