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Bahraini air force details modernisation plans
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
22 January 2015
The Royal Bahraini Air Force is currently in negotiations with Turkish Aerospace (TAI) for the T129 ATAK combat helicopter. Once in service, the T129 will augment the service's upgraded Cobras. Source: TAI
The Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) is to embark on a comprehensive modernisation plan to enhance the capabilities of both its fixed- and rotary-winged combat fleets, a senior disclosed on 22 January.
Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter conference in London, Colonel Salah Al Mansoor, Head of Planning, HQ, RBAF, said that the service is about to undertake a two-phased recapitalisation programme that will see some of its current first upgraded, with new platform acquisitions to follow after.
"We are a very new air force," said Col Al Mansoor. "In 1985 we got our [Northrop] F-5s, and in 1990 our [Lockheed Martin] F-16s and we need to upgrade our fleets."
According to the colonel, Phase 1, which is currently under way, will first see the RBAF upgrade its fleet of Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. "For the Cobra upgrade we are looking to integrate new and modern weapons systems to improve the combat effectiveness and to enhance coalition interoperability. We also want to improve the [crew's] situational awareness," he said.
The fixed-wing portion of the Phase 1 upgrade involves upgrading the air force's F-16C/D platforms. "For the F-16s, we are looking to integrate the new generation of smart guided-weapons, new systems, advanced avionics and displays, new sensors, datalinks, and a new active electronically scanned array [AESA] radar to be fitted now that Boeing has offered us its Advanced Mission Computer capability. Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are offering their [Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) and Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR)] systems, but we have not finalised our choice yet," the colonel explained. This F-16 modernisation effort will begin in 2016 and run through to 2019.
With the F-16s set to be modernised, Col Al Mansoor noted that the RBAF will also look at improving its BAE Systems Hawk jet trainer aircraft to better prepare pilots for the advanced capabilities of the upgraded F-16s.
Phase 2, the colonel said, will see the air force acquire a new attack helicopter type, as well as a new 'generation 4+' combat aircraft. In terms of the rotary-winged portion of this phase, Col Al Mansoor said that the RBAF has now entered into negotiations with Turkish Aerospace (TAI) for T129 ATAK combat helicopters. These, he noted, would augment the upgraded Cobras and replace the Eurocopter BO-105 Bolkow platforms that were first delivered in 1978.
The fixed-wing portion of Phase 2 will see the RBAF look to acquire a new fighter aircraft type "beyond 2025", to augment the upgraded F-16s and replace the F-5s.
ANALYSIS
While the RBAF was known to be looking at modernising its capabilities, Col Al Mansoor's comments provide the first official detail of these plans.
In early 2014 IHS Jane's reported that Bahrain was looking at a number of attack helicopter options, including the T129 and Bell AH-1Z Viper, and that other platforms such as the Airbus Tiger, Boeing AH-64E Apache, and Denel Rooivalk, Mil Mi-35 'Hind', Mi-28 'Havoc', and/or Kamov Ka-50/52 'Hokum' might also be offered. The colonel's comments are doubly surprising as they indicate that the air force has already made its selection (not something that has previously been known), and that the T129 will not actually replace the Cobra as had been thought.
In terms of the fixed-wing modernisation plans, while Col Al Mansoor did not name candidate platforms for the 'generation 4+' type that the air force is seeking beyond 2025, a number of have declared an interest. In August 2013, government and industry officials confirmed that Bahrain and the United Kingdom were in preliminary talks over a potential sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon to the Middle Eastern nation. While no further announcements relating to this have been made, at this stage it would appear that the Typhoon is the frontrunner for this particular requirement.
http://www.janes.com/article/48238/bahraini-air-force-details-modernisation-plans
الخبر يشير لخطة مملكة البحرين الشقيقة تحديث قواتها الجوية ...
اهم ملامح التحديثات القادمة :
1- مفاوضات حالية لاقتناء الهيليكوبتر التركية T129 ATAK
2- تحديث مروحيات الكوبرا
3- تحديث اسطول الاف 16 ( يشمل دمج الاسلحة دقيقة التوجيه , انظمة جديدة , افيونكس وشاشات متقدمة , مستشعرات جديدة , وصلات بيانات , رادار ايسا - لم يتم تحديد النوع سواء RACR او SABR - هذه التحديثات مجدولة مابين 2016-2019 )
4- التطلع لحيازة المقاتلة الجديدة فيما بعد العام 2025
****************
والف الف مبروك مقدما ..
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
22 January 2015
The Royal Bahraini Air Force is currently in negotiations with Turkish Aerospace (TAI) for the T129 ATAK combat helicopter. Once in service, the T129 will augment the service's upgraded Cobras. Source: TAI
The Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) is to embark on a comprehensive modernisation plan to enhance the capabilities of both its fixed- and rotary-winged combat fleets, a senior disclosed on 22 January.
Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter conference in London, Colonel Salah Al Mansoor, Head of Planning, HQ, RBAF, said that the service is about to undertake a two-phased recapitalisation programme that will see some of its current first upgraded, with new platform acquisitions to follow after.
"We are a very new air force," said Col Al Mansoor. "In 1985 we got our [Northrop] F-5s, and in 1990 our [Lockheed Martin] F-16s and we need to upgrade our fleets."
According to the colonel, Phase 1, which is currently under way, will first see the RBAF upgrade its fleet of Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. "For the Cobra upgrade we are looking to integrate new and modern weapons systems to improve the combat effectiveness and to enhance coalition interoperability. We also want to improve the [crew's] situational awareness," he said.
The fixed-wing portion of the Phase 1 upgrade involves upgrading the air force's F-16C/D platforms. "For the F-16s, we are looking to integrate the new generation of smart guided-weapons, new systems, advanced avionics and displays, new sensors, datalinks, and a new active electronically scanned array [AESA] radar to be fitted now that Boeing has offered us its Advanced Mission Computer capability. Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are offering their [Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) and Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR)] systems, but we have not finalised our choice yet," the colonel explained. This F-16 modernisation effort will begin in 2016 and run through to 2019.
With the F-16s set to be modernised, Col Al Mansoor noted that the RBAF will also look at improving its BAE Systems Hawk jet trainer aircraft to better prepare pilots for the advanced capabilities of the upgraded F-16s.
Phase 2, the colonel said, will see the air force acquire a new attack helicopter type, as well as a new 'generation 4+' combat aircraft. In terms of the rotary-winged portion of this phase, Col Al Mansoor said that the RBAF has now entered into negotiations with Turkish Aerospace (TAI) for T129 ATAK combat helicopters. These, he noted, would augment the upgraded Cobras and replace the Eurocopter BO-105 Bolkow platforms that were first delivered in 1978.
The fixed-wing portion of Phase 2 will see the RBAF look to acquire a new fighter aircraft type "beyond 2025", to augment the upgraded F-16s and replace the F-5s.
ANALYSIS
While the RBAF was known to be looking at modernising its capabilities, Col Al Mansoor's comments provide the first official detail of these plans.
In early 2014 IHS Jane's reported that Bahrain was looking at a number of attack helicopter options, including the T129 and Bell AH-1Z Viper, and that other platforms such as the Airbus Tiger, Boeing AH-64E Apache, and Denel Rooivalk, Mil Mi-35 'Hind', Mi-28 'Havoc', and/or Kamov Ka-50/52 'Hokum' might also be offered. The colonel's comments are doubly surprising as they indicate that the air force has already made its selection (not something that has previously been known), and that the T129 will not actually replace the Cobra as had been thought.
In terms of the fixed-wing modernisation plans, while Col Al Mansoor did not name candidate platforms for the 'generation 4+' type that the air force is seeking beyond 2025, a number of have declared an interest. In August 2013, government and industry
officials confirmed that Bahrain and the United Kingdom were in preliminary talks over a potential sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon to the Middle Eastern nation. While no further announcements relating to this have been made, at this stage it would appear that the Typhoon is the frontrunner for this particular requirement.http://www.janes.com/article/48238/bahraini-air-force-details-modernisation-plans
الخبر يشير لخطة مملكة البحرين الشقيقة تحديث قواتها الجوية ...
اهم ملامح التحديثات القادمة :
1- مفاوضات حالية لاقتناء الهيليكوبتر التركية T129 ATAK
2- تحديث مروحيات الكوبرا
3- تحديث اسطول الاف 16 ( يشمل دمج الاسلحة دقيقة التوجيه , انظمة جديدة , افيونكس وشاشات متقدمة , مستشعرات جديدة , وصلات بيانات , رادار ايسا - لم يتم تحديد النوع سواء RACR او SABR - هذه التحديثات مجدولة مابين 2016-2019 )
4- التطلع لحيازة المقاتلة الجديدة فيما بعد العام 2025
****************
والف الف مبروك مقدما ..
