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NEW GENERATION JET TRAINERS

"Certainly, the trainer market is an extremely cyclical business, and because many air forces have been drastically slimmed down, fewer pilots are needed," conceded marketing manager Dr. Sergio Coniglio of Aermacchi during an interview with FLUG REVUE. ìBut to prepare tomorrowís pilots for the fighters of the new generation such as the Eurofighter or Rafale, the aircraft used for advanced training urgently need to be upgraded to a higher standard. The main focus of training is shifting towards the management of complex missions in a dynamic environment.î

Coniglio's colleagues from EADS Military Aircraft have a similar view of the way things are going. "High-performance turboprops will cover an ever greater proportion of advanced training. At the same time there is a gap between the future fighter aircraft and todayís jet trainers," is the view in Ottobrunn. A spokesman from EADS went on to say that sales prospects were good for a light fighter which combines good performance with an acceptable purchase price and low operating costs.

According to EADS, market studies suggest that between 2005 and 2025 there is "clear potential" for 2,500 modern advanced trainers/light fighters. The military requirement is one thing, but finding the necessary funds is another. Yet according to Aermacchi there is reason to be optimistic. "Around 65% of advanced trainers are already at least 25 years old," the company says.

To modernise them or prolong their service lives is often uneconomic. In addition, the example of NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) shows that there is scope for greater use of civilian full service providers to provide crew training under contract. In the United Kingdom the Ministry of Defence is already considering a scheme known as the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS programme), while a Eurotrainer feasibility study is being conducted with a view to satisfying the training requirements of European NATO countries. All of these projects would only consider new aircraft.

A promising market can thus be expected to develop within the next five to ten years, and it is therefore no wonder that several companies have every intention of winning as large a share as possible of this business. The potential suppliers are approaching the requirement with different assumptions and objectives.

For example, the Mako project of EADS is the least advanced. After the failure to gain a foothold in South Africa and/or South Korea in the late 1990s, the Military Aircraft division has been working since November 1999 on definition of the Mako in collaboration with the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates.

This year contracts were signed at IDEX in Abu Dhabi and the Paris Air Show with some ten supplier companies for the provision of systems. These include no less than three engine manufacturers (Snecma M88, Eurojet EJ200 and General Electric F414) and two companies for flight control systems (BAE Systems Controls and BGT/Diehl).

As marketing manager Hans Studer points out, "Competition is important to achieve innovative solutions.î Moreover, signing of these contracts is boosting confidence in the Mako. ìWe need to produce something tangible now," Studer admitted to FLUG REVUE. Therefore according to EADS development of the prototype is to be kicked off at the Dubai Air Show in November. The Mako could then be flying in 2005 and enter full production in 2008.

ìBut with only the UAE on board we wonít be able to launch the programme,î says Studer. ìWe need to be able to sell 400 aircraft. EADS and two partners would be ideal here.î Discussions are therefore under way with other, unnamed countries.

Meanwhile Aermacchi is happy to go it alone for the time being with its M-346. After working with Yakovlev and Sokol for some time testing the Yak-130 the company decided last year to proceed on its own with a new development based on the Russian design. ìDifferent timescales regarding financingî were stated as the reason for the parting of the ways. In actual fact Aermacchi was afraid of becoming dependent on the uncertain developments in Russia and of missing out on the market.

The M-346 is now being presented as a smaller and more powerful derivative of the Yak-130, fitted with all-Western systems and with a significantly more powerful engine, the F124 turbofan from Honeywell (ITEC). As far as Aermacchi is concerned, this solution offers greater reliability, more secure logistics and interoperability. Test flights in Italy had actually shown that the Yak 130ís aerodynamic performance was extremely good. Angles of attack in excess of 40º are no problem, and with a fly-by-wire system the aerodynamic properties of different types can be simulated if required.

As a manufacturer of trainers with decades of experience under its belt, Aermacchi is aiming on the M-346 for low operating costs and a long service life (10,000 hours). Moreover, the aircraft has sufficient power to allow it to be deployed as a light fighter aircraft with up to 3,000kg of external stores as well.

Funded by a mixture of Aermacchi private venture money, contributions from suppliers (including Teleavio, Dowty, Microturbo, Alenia Difesa, Honeywell, Martin Baker and Liebherr) and research funds from the Italian government, Aer-macchi now expects the M-346ís maiden flight to take place by June 2003. Construction of the wings has already begun in Venegono. It should be possible to commence deliveries in 2006, although as yet no firm commitments have been received. The company would be pleased if it could sell 200 of the trainer by 2030.

Korea Aerospace Industries for its part has already as good as secured orders for half that number of aircraft, as South Korea has a requirement for 50 T-50 trainers and the same number again of A-50 fighter jets. This collaborative programme with Lockheed Martin is also significantly further down the road than its European counterparts. Assembly of the first prototype began in January, and this is expected to roll out at the end of September. The first flight is scheduled to take place in June 2002.

The aircraft originally designed by Samsung and designated the KTX-2 strongly resembles a smaller version of the F-16 and its technology is believed to be on the conservative side. It is powered by a General Electric F404 engine, while Lockheed Martin is supplying the APG-67 radar.

The US defence giant is also assuming a leading role when it comes to international marketing of the aircraft, which now goes by the name of Golden Eagle. Potential sales in this class are estimated at 800 aircraft. These exclude the USA, where the T-38 Talon is to remain in service with various upgrades to 2040.

The trainers used by the Russian air force will certainly not last that long. For this reason two possible successors to the Aero L-39 Albatross were developed back at the beginning of the 1990s. They may not be as powerful as the other types discussed in this article, but they also have fly-by-wire controls enabling simulation of other aircraft.

Chronic lack of funds has so far put a brake on progressing the work at Mikoyan and Yakovlev, especially since, contrary to various reports, no order has yet been placed by the Russian air force. Oleg Demchenko, director general of Yakovlev, announced at the Paris Air Show that two further aircraft and two test airframes, all representing the planned production standard, were to be built at the Sokol plant in Nishni-Novgorod. The design bureau is aiming for the Yak-130-01 to have its maiden flight in the fourth quarter of 2003.

RSK MiG is also planning to build at least a few MiG-ATís. Apparently preparations are under way for the production of a dozen aircraft so as to be able to deliver quickly if an order should come in. At Le Bourget Greece was said to be another possible customer. Mikoyan has the advantage here that marketing will be supported by Snecma and Thales, which are to contribute, respectively, the Larzac engines and large parts of the avionics (Topflight avionics suite) for the export version. The French state is even helping its former arch enemy: a loan of 400 million francs ($54 million) is being made available to jump-start series production as soon as a customers steps up.

From FLUG REVUE 09/2001, page 68