DEFENCE

Al Hakim to be offered for CASOM

BY SIMON

ELLIOTT

EC Marconi Dynamics is
expected to offer a variant
of its Al Hakim stand-off missile for the UK Ministry of
Defence's requirement for a
conventionally armed stand-off
missile (CASOM).
The weapon has been developed with funds from the
United Arab Emirates.
Although officially it denies
the existence of the system, the
company has already begun
talking to potential subcontractors. As a result of the move,
GEC Marconi is not expected
to team with an off-shore manufacturer to offer a rival.
Development of the Al
Hakim range of weapons is
being funded by the Government of Abu Dhabi for deployment on United Arab Emirates
Dassault Mirage 2000s.
Work on the programme was
undertaken initially by USbased International Signal and
Control (ISC). The Al Hakim
missile was acquired by Fer-

BAe briefs India

on Sea Harrier
FRS.2 upgrade

ritish Aerospace has briefed

the Indian navy on the
FRS.2 update for its fleet of Sea
Harrier FRS.51s. The service,
which took delivery of the last
of 23 aircraft in 1992, is understood to have a long-term
interest in potential upgrades.
Meanwhile, a Hughes AIM120 Advanced Medium-Range
Air-to-Air Missle missile was
launched successfully from a
Royal Navy Sea Harrier FRS.2,
on 29 March at Eglin AFB,
Florida, USA.
BAe says: "This is the first of
a series of firings planned
through this year and is the
culmination of extensive UK
flight testing of the system by
BAe." The company expects to
receive a contract for up to 18
new-build FRS.2s by the end of
this month, while 31 FRS.ls
will be returned to BAe for
upgrade to the new standard U
16

ranti International as part of

its disastrous merger with ISC
in 1987.
The missile was sold subsequently to GEC Marconi, along
with the rest of Ferranti's missile business (Flight International, 21-27 August, 1991).
Despite a protracted development, caused in part by delays German ECRs will not be based at Jever
in integrating the missile on
the Mirage 2000, the PrecisionGuided Munition-1 (PGM-1)
version is now thought to be in
the initial stages of production.
This variant is believed to have
a weight of around 230kg, feature electro-optical guidance
and have a range of up to
20km (llnm).
Further versions, including a
The German ECR Wing will
BARRIE
PGM-2 and a PGM-3, would BY DOUGLAS
eventually be assigned to
feature different guidance sys- IN MUNICH
NATO. Officials indicate, howSTREETLY
tems and warheads. To meet AND MARTIN
ever, that this will not happen
the CASOM requirement, a
he German air force has immediately, as the unit will
turbojet would probably be
revised deployment plans need to work up to a full
used to boost the range to the for its Panavia Tornado elec- operational capability, using all
250km believed to be stipu- tronic combat reconnaissance the ECR systems.
lated by the draft cardinal- (ECR) aircraft. All the aircraft
The Tornado ECR is being
points specification, issued at will be based at Lechfeld in flown by JaboG 38, based at
the beginning of April (Flight southern Germany, and not at Jever, with each aircraft loaded
International, 21-27 April).
Jever as well, as was intended. with between two and four
With GEC Marconi due to
Deutsche Aerospace is fitting AGM-88 HARMs, in an interim
make its own bid and British the ECR aircraft with produc- SEAD role. This has also given
Aerospace in discussion with tion-standard Texas Instru- the air force the opportunity to
Rockwell over offering the lat- ments emitter-location systems build experience with ECR, as
ter's AGM-130E, the number of (ELS) at its Manching site in its specific equipment is being
phased in.
UK companies available to southern Germany.
form teams with foreign comTwo squadrons will eventuUnder the revised plan, the
petitors is diminishing.
ally form the ECR Wing at ECR aircraft at Jever will be
The remaining potential Lechfeld. The air force says transferred to JaboG 32 at
partners include Hunting Engi- that consolidation of the ECR Lechfeld, while one squadron
aircraft at one base is intended of interdictor-strike (IDS) airneering and Shorts.
craft is moved from Lechfeld to
Industry officials point out, to ease logistics support.
however, that having a UK
The first aircraft will have JaboG 38. The latter will retain
partner is not a requirement for the full suite by the third a fighter-bomber role.
the CASOM competition, for quarter of this year, according The Italian air force has
which a request for proposals to Panavia, with all 35 air force earmarked its 155 Gruppo for
is expected in late 1994. Other ECR aircraft fitted with the ELS the SEAD role. It will be
major contenders include Ra- and the infra-red linescan (ILS) equipped with 16 converted
Tornado IDS aircraft, which
fael and McDonnell Douglas. by the end of the year.
The ECR programme has will be equipped with the
been the subject of some slip- Texas Instruments ELS and
NEWS IN BRIEF
page, with specification and AGM-88 HARM missiles.
integration issues, including
Conversion work on the airAGUSTA CONTRACT
the ELS, causing the delay.
craft will be carried out by
The Swedish defence minisThe ECR aircraft will be Alenia, with first delivery of a
try's procurement agency,
used for reconnaissance and production aircraft in the latter
FMV, has ordered five
suppression of enemy air- half of 1996. Aircraft converAgusta AB-412 helicopters
defence (SEAD) roles. The mis- sion is tentatively planned to
for the utility and medicalsion suite composes a forward- be complete by 1999.
evacuation
roles.
The
looking infra-red, the ELS and
The air force had intended
helicopters are scheduled to
the ILS, and the ODIN digital originally to buy new-build
be delivered during 1994. A
datalink. Offensive armament Tornado ECR aircraft, but Italfurther 12 options are covcarried is the Texas Instru- ian funding constraints saw
ered by the contract.
ments AGM-88 HARM.
this plan abandoned.

Germany revises its

Tornado ECR plans
T

FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 28 April - A May, 1993