Italy Takes Delivery of First F-35

Italy took formal delivery Thursday of its first joint strike fighter — the first F-35 to be built outside the US.

Italy has formally received its first F-35. Here, the aircraft rolls out of the Cameri production facility.

The handover took place at Italy’s Cameri Air Base, where Italy’s joint strike fighters are being assembled, after the aircraft made its first flight at Cameri in September.

The Cameri final assembly and check out (FACO) line is owned by the Italian government and operated by Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi and Lockheed Martin.

The aircraft, AL-1, is expected to fly across the Atlantic in February to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona — marking the first trans-Atlantic F-35 flight — where Italian pilots will train in it under US supervision. Enroute to the US, the plane will be refueled by an Italian 767 tanker.

The FACO line at Cameri is the only one of its kind outside the US and will also serve as a maintenance hub for European based JSFs after being designated for the role by the Pentagon last year.

AL-1, the first of Italy’s currently planned 90 JSFs, came off the line in March and its engines were turned on for the first time in June.

Italian pilots are already training at Luke. Last month, two Italian pilots completed initial F-35 training there, making the first F-35 flights under the control of Italian pilots. The US Air Force said one of the pilots flew an Australian F-35.

Raytheon-Alenia Aermacchi to Compete in USAF's T-X Competition Together

Raytheon has been discussing the T-X trainer replacement program with the US Air Force for months, and has had conversations about joining the Alenia Aermacchi T-100 bid as prime contractor, report says.

Raytheon joining with Alenia Aermacchi to market its M-346 trainer for the US Air Force's T-X competition.

Alenia is offering its M-346 trainer for the T-X program and rebranded the T-100 as part of a joint offering with simulation firm CAE. General Dynamics had been part of that offering as the prime contractor until March, when it surprisingly dropped off the team.

Brig. Gen. Andrew Croft, director of Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments at Air Education and Training Command (AETC), and Col. Philip Wielhouwer, chief of AETC's Capability Requirements Division, revealed during an exclusive interview Monday that the Air Force has been discussing the program with Raytheon since around May of this year, two months after GD split from the offering.

An industry source with knowledge of the situation said that Alenia and Raytheon have had ongoing talks about the possibility of joining forces for a T-X bid. The source was not clear if a final agreement had been reached. Italian sources, meanwhile, have hinted for some time that a new prime for the T-100 bid is in the works.

Since GD's withdrawal, Alenia has continued to promote the T-100 as an option for the Air Force. But industry consensus has been that without a US prime, the Italian company was unlikely to fight off its competitors.

Raytheon, the fourth largest defense contractor in the world, has a portfolio largely focused on providing electronics, sensors and weapons to other contractors, rather than producing airframes. However, the fact the M-346 is a platform already in production could make this an attractive program for the company.

The winner of the T-X competition will provide the Air Force with 350 new aircraft to replace the aging T-38 fleet used for advanced jet training. The service believes a new trainer is needed not just because of the age of the T-38 fleet but because it cannot provide ample training for pilots who will be flying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the future.

Grabbing the T-X contract will also provide the winning company an inside track to any number of international customers, especially given the prevalence of the F-35 around the globe

The Air Force's order could grow by 200 aircraft if the service decide to do away with the T-1 Jayhawk, used to train airlift and tanker pilots, and go to a single training aircraft.

Competitors include a pair of clean-sheet designs being put forth by a Boeing/Saab team and a Northrop Grumman-led coalition that includes BAE Systems and L-3; Textron AirLand's new Scorpion design; and the T-50, the Lockheed Martin/Korean Aerospace Industries offering.

The two Air Force officials confirmed that the schedule remains on track for a request for proposal to come in September 2016, a contract award in fall of 2017 and IOC coming sometime in 2023.

Spokesmen for both Raytheon and Alenia declined to comment for this piece.

The ATR 72 MP, Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

The ATR 72 MP is a maritime surveillance aircraft developed by Alenia Aermacchi. Built based on the ATR 72-600 platform, the ATR 72 MP serves as a low-cost, consistent, sea-surface surveillance platform for the military forces across the world.

ATR 72 MP is a maritime surveillance aircraft manufactured by Alenia Aermacchi.

The aircraft helps to detect, locate and rescue people from broken ships and aircraft. It offers cost-effective surveillance and exclusive economic zone patrol and search-and-rescue (SAR).

The equipment installed on the aircraft, such as sensors, communications equipment and mission systems can be customised depending on the mission requirement.

ATR 72 MP aircraft orders and deliveries

The Italian Air Force awarded a contract for delivery of four ATR 72 MP maritime patrol aircraft to replace its ageing Breguet Atlantic aircraft, in December 2008.

A $137.4m contract was awarded to Alenia Aeronautica in November 2011 for providing logistical support for four ATR 72 MP aircraft of the Italian Air Force.

Design features of ATR 72 MP patrol aircraft

Compared to its predecessor the ATR 42 MP, this aircraft has significant endurance, more interior space and the latest control systems.The ATR 72 MP is manufactured with composite materials, which make the aircraft highly resistant to damage and corrosion. The airframe is designed to install sensors and other function-specific modules such as bubble windows and an in-flight operable door.

The ATR 72 MP has an operational empty weight of 14,586kg and maximum take-off weight of 23,000kg. The aircraft can carry a payload of 5,000kg.

ATR 72 MP aircraft cockpit and avionics

The ATR 72 MP aircraft is equipped with a glass cockpit that integrates five LCD screens as a standard fitment, along with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for better interface and high resolution graphics.

The SELEX Galileo airborne tactical observation and surveillance (ATOS) mission system is installed with four interchangeable strategic operator stations to simplify the operations. It includes three sensors including an electro-optical turret FLIR system Star Safire HD, AESA SELEX Galileo Sea Spray 7000E search radar and an ESM (Electronic Support Measures) sensor from Elettronica.

The 360° operated turret helps to identify targets around the clock using its wide elevation range.

The multimode, X-band 360° search radar enables long-range target detection, tracking and identification of approximately 100 targets at a time using track while scan application (TWS).

The ATR 72 MP aircraft includes automatic identification system (AIS) and a V/UHF 360° direction-finding device to locate the direction of range radio emitters between 30MHz and 470MHz frequencies.

The side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) installed on the aircraft helps to detect water pollution from long range and trace underwater activities close to the sea surface. The Hyper Spectral Scanner (HSS) of the aircraft helps to find the type of polluting agent.

ATR 72 MP self protection system and countermeasures

Self protection systems on the ATR 72 MP aircraft include chaff and flare dispenser and a warning system for radars, missiles and lasers. The standard aircraft configuration includes ESM and self-protection systems for reconnaissance and operations in mission critical battlefield.

Engine details of ATR 72 MP

The power plant of the aircraft includes two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 127M turboprops, which each provides a maximum take-off power of 2,750shp.

The engine is fitted with a Hamilton Sundstrand 568F six-blade, variable-pitch propeller.

ATR 72 MP aircraft performance

The ATR 72 MP aircraft can cruise at a maximum speed of 459.29km/h. It can fly at an operational altitude of 7,620m, but has a maximum endurance of ten hours at 1,524m altitude.

The aircraft can take-off from runways as short as 1,170m and land on runways as short as 630m.

The aircraft can be operated in extreme weather conditions and altitudes. It features a Hotel Mode, which enables the aircraft to operate from remote bases.