Military Enthusiast Vol 3 No 16

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Battle

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From Freedom f ighter to

Tigershark- F5

The "Super Carriers"

XM-l Abrams

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Military ENTHUSIA,T vol-s/reMititary Enthusiast Magazine is published by Eshel GmbH,Neue Eilerstr. 38a, 5000 Cologne 90, West Germany, and distributed

world-wide. Contents O 1982 by Eshel Dramit Ltd'

The publishers welcome any contribution by freelance authorsand readers who can supply suitable material-

Please remit $2.50 postage fee for airmail return and send it toEshel-Dramit GmbH, at the above address.

The views expressed by named contributors and correspondents

do not necessarily reflect the Editor's view. The Editor retains all

rights to include or reject material provided to suit the editorialprogramme and scope of the magazine.

Editorial Board:

Illilitary

Cover: Two Hill AFB basei 3:8 TTt+'F-16Falcons with AIII-9J Sidew'irie' ;xt ir.,0 Ibs'

MK82 bombs.Below: The XM-t Abrams ;es::i:,: F:. Knox.

Editor & Publisher:Lt. Col. D. Eshel (ret.)

Assistant Editor:Lt. Col. Peter Frhr. v. Mala-pert-Neufville (ret.)

Design: T. EshelTypesetting: PanoramaPhoto offset: Kav OrPrinting : Proost PVBA, Belgium

The contents of this magazine

are based on intemational sour-ces unless otherwise specified;they do not necessarily reflectthe ideas and views of officialIsraeli sources.

IN THIS ISSI.JE

NEWS FLASH

-

3,18,19,37

* The )0{-l AbramsIn a short article, we bring you a compre-hensive update of the development anddeployment of this new tank. The first ina line of a new concept, the XM-l and itsplarured successors will be studied in detailin one of our BORN IN BATTLE issues.

* The SUPER CARRIERS. today

-15A review of the U.S. Navy gun conceptand its carriers deployed in the Mediter-ranean.

BNGHT STAR'82 -

5

20

* The F-5:Tiger SharkA study of this fighter and its latest variant, the F-5G. Operated by more than 20air crews, it is now deployed world widewith more than 2000 aircraft produced.

From Freedom Fighter to25

in lhis issu€

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KJ_.8!*

UK/Worldwide USA W. Gcrmany Switzerland Austria Israel

COMAGTavistock RoadWest DraytonuB7 7QE

U.K.

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Page 2 /Military Enthusiast No' l6

+ +++++World News++++ + ++ & +++ +Mid eastUS NAVY SELECTS THE HAWK

FOR VTXTS

An initial $300,000 contract has beenawarded to the team, headed by McDon-nell Douglas. McDonnell Douglas will bethe prime contractor, with British Aero-space being principal sub-contractor forthe airframe and Sperry being principalsub-contractor for simulators. The con-tract calls for continued work on VTXTSsystem definition, leading to full scaledevelopment work in 1983...

The modified Hawk planned for theNaqr will have a gross take-off weight of12,129 pounds and an empty weight of8,723 pounds. The Rolls-Royce Adourengine produces 5,340 pounds of thrustand uses 1,250 pounds of fuel an hour,less than half the fuel burn rate of the ex-isting Nar"y jet trainer. Modifications tothe Hawk for the Navy training programmecall for strengthened landing gear, an ar-resting hook and catapult launch fittings...

British Aerospace f McDonnel Douglas - Hawk

Lockheed - Dassault-Dornier Alpha iet

Sky Flash launched from Tornado F-2

The first firing of a British AerospaceDynamics Sky Flash air-to-air missile froma Tornado Air Defence Variant (or F.2 as

it will be known in the RAF) has beensuccessfully accomplished. The aircraftconcerned was A,02, the secondand this trial closely followed the jetti-soning of an inert Sky Flash to check thecorrect separation of the missile from theaircraft,..

The medium-range Sky Flash will bethe ADVs main offensiv€ armament; twoSidewinder AM-9L short-range missilesarrd a 27 mm Mauser cannon are also car-ried...

Round

US-Israeli Strategic Cooperation Talks

US Secretary of Defence Caspar Wein-berger welcoming Israel's Defence Minis-ter Major General Ariel Sharon, on hisvisit to the USA, November 30, 1981.First talks on US-Israeli strategic coopera-tion were successful and plans were made

to consolidate joint project. However, anIsraeli move to place the Golan Heightsunder Israeli law in early December,brought a sharp protest and a temporaryhalt to the fledgling strategic accord be-tween the two countries. Judging by Am-erica's position in the Middle East and So-viet initiatives within the Arab countries,the USA should be expected to renew thetalks in the near future.

The various contestants on the USN VTXTS.

N* Advan.edTe.hmbqy

NewNo* L.nding6e.thAviootEqqipmdDisiul Oatalls Sysrem

M.dn aaher TyFUSl0!VZeo-ZEoEi6de56&

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New twinSpesdbE&E

Rockwell T-2X (Buckeye T-2C variant)

The British Aerospace Dynamic group Skyflaslt;*oP*FQ

A Tornado F-2 (ADV) fires first BAe Skyflash.

Military Enthusiast No. 16 / page 3

Highlevel InfqmCItion,r;ffiffi*tr fOf DeCiSiOn

AEROSPACEINTERNATIONAL

treats the entire range ofmilitary aviation, airPort

equipment, navigation, airdefence, and space research.

Each issue presents aircraftand aerospace Programsand provides information

on new airports throughoutthe world.

NAVALFORCES

NAVAL FORCESis the new professional iournal for the international naval

matters printed in English. The declared goal of the editorialstatf is to report on the ever-growing importance of the

seven seas as a military lactor. NAVAL FOBCES will featurearticles on international naval affairs.and navies worldwide.

Strategic questions will be dealt with from the view pointof the super powers as well as the developing countries.

NATO'S FIFTEEN NATIONSis the oldest international defence iournal.It has been in publication for a quarter of

a century. Just as NATO, NFN is now enjoy-ing a renaissance. NFN disposes of a new

editorial team with an Editorial Board compris-ing members from 15 countries serving in

the role of consultant and supervisor.

nn

nD

NATO'S FIFTEEN NATIONSTECNOLOGIA MILITAR

TECNOLOGIA MILITARThe unique security requirements make it essential toestablish special lines of communication between theindustrialized world and Latin America. Contents of thisjournal are the economic resources, long coastlines,wealth of raw materials on land and beneath the seas,emerging industry and the desire to assert sovereigntyby means of confident armed forces.

MILITARY TECHNOLOGYNAVAL FORCES

Nie::.. j- 3 .r ;aru!\ Fofi A4ARlllME Pct!{?[ll

McrkersV;I

MILITARY TECHNOLOGYpresents articles and reportson current weapon systems.It contributes to the flow of inior-mation between nations bytransferring technology f romthe industrial states to developingcountries.MILTECH provides the industrialworld with marketing leads onthe developing states.

N AEROSPACEINTERNATIONAL

ItIIItIItI

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IIIIT

III

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Rank z Title Country

StreetDetach coupon and forward to:MONCH Publishing Group, CirculationIIIIIIIIIII

Town. City, Zip Code

Department, P.O. Box 1401 87, D-5300 Bonn 1, West Germany.IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

MBT-70. The Germon-American development here shown is one of the prototypes with its variable hydropneumaticsuspension system. The tank driver's position is on the left side of the turret in a counter-rotating ring, usually theloader's position in a four-ftwn uew tank. The MBT was laid out as a three-man uew tank with an auto-bader.

A group of grey-coloured steel monsters crash throughthe underbrush and'grind to a stop in a clearing. Theturret hatches open and muddy, dome-helmeted tank-ers slide smilingly down the hull, joined by the driverswho squeeze out of position up front.

The tankers, part of Company H 2nd Squadron 6thCavalry at Fort Knox US Armor Centre, have justcompleted another backbreaking phase in testingAmerica's newest main battle tank, the XM- 1.

Having driven many thousands of kilometres across

the United States in torrential rain, choking dust,snow and sleet, through knee-deep mud for weekson end, the tankers are in excellent morale - theyhave been given the task of becoming part of thecombat evaluation team, and their recommendationsare being carefully listed to by the experts. Althoughthey have driven the tanks under almost all possibleconditions, they have still a long way to go before thenew vehicle will become fully operational. [t is cer-tainly the most exhaustive test any American combatvehicle has undergone since WWII. Although the poli-ticians are still shaking their grey heads in doubt, thecheerful tankers seem satisfied with their mount.Asked about their feelings, they express their confi-dence in the tank in battle, should they have to facethe enemy.

The XM-l was named after General Creighton W.Abrams, late Commander-in-Chief, Vietnam, andChief-of-Staff, who approved the project personallyin September 1972.

The United States was a partner in the German-American MBT-70 project, a joint development effort

Page 6 / Military Enthusiast No. l6

Prototype M55l Sheridan light tank mount@ the duzl pur-pose 152mm gunfmissile launcher.

aimed at standardising the NATO advanced tank in-ventory. Conceived and nourished by the experiencessince WWII, both partners were to invest jointly in de-

signing the most advanced armoured fighting vehiclein the world.

But although prototypes were ready for combatevaluation n 1961 in the shape of a sleek 50-ton 3-man tank, problems soon arose.

While the Americans required the new tank for a

world-wide deployment, the Federal Republic of Ger-many favoured a design suited to Central Europe. Dif-fering fire-power concepts were also a prominent issue.

The Germans, based on their World War combat ex-perience in Russia, favoured a high-velocity long-rangelarge calibre BUfl, while the Americans felt at thetime that a multi-mission gun capable of firing bothKE and shaped charge missiles, was needed.

An autoloader was designed by the Allison Divi-sion of General Motors Corporation, based on a Ger-

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An M-60 AIE2 firing the Shillelagh missile duing a fire power demonstrqtton at Fort Knox Armor Center in 1971. The

missile is effective at 3000 metres maximum range. The l52mm MI62 gunf missile launcher can also fire a conventionalrange of ammunition with a combustile cartridge case.

XM-I crew relexing in their positions duing a short rest on an exhausting operational trial.

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The General Motors proposal for the MX-l proiect. This

model used the Teledyne Continental AVCR'1360 diesel

engine, an uprated version of the :combat-proven AVDS-

1790-2A, used in the M60 and the Israeli Centuion.

man development, the first suited for use with a large

calibre gun. Another novelty was the driver's posi-

tion, placed in the three-man turret to the left of the

commander in a counter-rotating pod, always facing

front. Powered by a Teledyne Continental 1350 HP

multifuel engine, the most powerful so far designed,

the MBT-70 could achieve last acceieration and

high cross-country speeds. Its new pnertrnatic sus-

pension, similar to the system used in the ingenuous

Swedish S-tank, enabled superior survivability duringmobile engagements, by raising or lowering the tank'ssilhouette according to the terrain. Unfortunately the

US congress ordered the joint project abandoned in1970 and allocated special funds for a new nationalproject. As a result, each country went its own way,the Germans ending up with their powerful l20mmgun Leopard II, and the Americans going along thepainful road which finally produced the XM-1.

But money must have been in abundance in Amer-ica during the early seventies, as the XM803, the in-

Front view of the XM-I showing its "teeth".

The first pilot modet of the XM'l tank shown to the public

at llarren, Michigan in February 1978. Note the wide shape

of the turret and extremely well-formed frontal, comparable

with contemporary German, French srui British tanks.

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XM-l prototype with 1976 camouflage colour scheme for combat triqls'

XM-1 on fietd trials negotiating heavy mud. Note the low silhouette and low-fitted gun over the hull clearly shown here

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termediate successor of the MBT-70, was cancelledonly one year after its inauguration. Now an urgentsolution had to be found, if the United States was notto be left far behind in modern tank warfare - andtime was running out fast as news of the new So-

viet tank designs filtered through Allied intelligencechannels. In February 1912 the US Army activated a

special task force, which included user, trainer anddevelopment agencies aimed at cooperating closelyin devising the concept of the new MBT.

Following the presentation of the proposals in1972, validation contracts were awarded n 1973 toChrysler Corporation and General Motors, who bothset about developing prototypes.In 1976, both prime

The AVCO Lycoming AGT-I500 gas-turbine engine, the

first of its kind powering a battle tank. With better powerand acceleration, the turbine is very economical from a fieWmaintenance point of view although present models are morefuel-consuming than the high-power diesels. Although muchdebated for its reliability, the Lycoming turbine performedoutstandingly during the long and exhausting field triels. Itis slso considered as a possible future rephcement of the900HP Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790-5A ,liesel power-ing the Merkava MKl.


XM-I during firing tests at OT IL

XM-I during. a ho't climnte desert test at Yums, Arizona.Designed for world wide deployment, the American

tank development concept differed shnrply from the Euro-

pean concepts of the MBT-70.

contractors presented their pilot vehicles for initialtesting. While GM opted for the 1500HP TeledyneContinental AVCR-1360-1 turbo-charged diesel,Chrysler adopted an innovative approach by installingthe l500HP AVCO Lycoming AGT 1500 gas turbine.In Novemb er 197 6 Chrysler was selected as the winnerof the validation phase, and a full-scale engineeringcontract was awarded, worth 196 million dollars.While the green light was given for local production, an

evaluation test was going on with the new GermanLeopard II, in view of possible standardisation forsub-systems.

In February 1980 the US Army accepted deliveryof the first two production XM-1 tanks in a ceremonyheld at the army production line at Lima, Ohio.

The Chrysler XM-l Abrams is the first Americanbattle tank to be developed from scratch in the US

since WWII. While the long line of Patton tanks origi-nated from the durable Sherman tank and underwentcouirtless upratings and modifications to sub-systems,ammi;nition and powerpacks, the new tank is a dif-ferent concept altogether, aimed at keeping the tanktop in its class until the end of the century. Whetherthis will be achieved is very doubtful, as the Soviets

seem to be doing their utmost to exceed the XM- I

with their T-80 and its immediate successor alreadyon the drawing boards.

Certainly an impressive armoured vehicle, the XM- Iis also the most expensive tank ever produced, withits unit price surpassing $1.55 million. With a topspeed of 72 kmlh on roads and up to 50 km/h overcrosscountry, the XM-l is a fast moving tank and amarked improvement over the existing M60A3. The

same goes also for the silhouette which is extremelylow enabling the tank to find better cover for hull

2 XM-l tonks can be canied by the C-5A Galaxy heavy

transport aircraft of usAF-MAC.

Military Enthusiast No. 16 /page 1l

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Tank interior - here the gunner's position showing gunsights

and computer terminal. The XM-L fire control is very ad'vanced. Behind the gttnner are the tank commander's seat and

his override handles.

XM-L with gun traversed right shou'ing the flat shape of the turret.

I

Page l2 / Military Enthusiast No. 16

Tank diver tooking into his compartment from the fronthatch. Note the motorcycleiype handles.

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down positions. Survivability is enhanced by betteracceleration by the powerful gas turbine and ittlowernoise and smoke signature.

As in the German Leopard II and the British Shir-Iran and Challenger models, the XM- I is protected bycompound armour technology. This covers the fronthull and turret structure, balancing the rest ofthe tankwith varying thickness of regular armour, rangingfrom 3.25mm to l2.5cm. Spaced armour plating is

added in vulnerable areas to increase anti-chemicalattack capacity.

While the first production batch mounts theUS-type M68-105mm tank gun, firing the standardM60 gun rounds of types M735 APFSDS, XM883 de- XM-I rear view. Note the close-fitting tuftet over the enginepleted uranium enhanced KE penetration rounds, it deck.

is planned to upgun the tank from 1984 onwards, The gunner and tank commander can both lay onwith the Rheinmetall 120mm smooth-bore gun fitted target and the commander is also equipped with a 3Xon the Leopard II. sight for the Cal. 50 MG. Passive crew protection

The tank's fire control system is very advanced. against hits is improved by greater obliquity of theGun and turret drive are hydraulically powered with hull and turret surfaces and by armoured skirts overthe gun's elevation and depression achieved by a hy- the suspension. Several protective innovations willdraulic cylinder. Turret traverse is powered by a hy- improve the chances of survival following eventual pe-draulic motor-gear box combination. The tank fea- netration.Ammunitionstowagehasbeencompartmen-tures a Hughes laser rangefire and a back up fuli solu- talised with 44 main gun rounds carried in the bustletion solid state digital computer, with an interior self- behind sliding armour doors. Eight main gun roundschecking fault control. are stowed in a compartment in the hull and threeSide view of the XM-I with gun pointed forward. Note the shape of the tunet with side-carrying bins and anti-shaped chargephtes over suspension. The tunet is designed to include the Rheinmetall l20mm smooth-bore gun later.

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Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page l3

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more on the turret floor, protected by spall plates. Inthe event of a hit, the blast of the explosion is vented

upwards and out of the bustle by specially constructedblowout plates, thus directing the detonating roundsaway from the crew department. During operationaltests on the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a prototypeXM-1 was fully loaded with fuel and ammunition and

subjected to various types of fire. The tank was notonly not destroyed, but was later driven away underits own power.

Although the shape of the turret is aimed at achiev-

ing a low silhouette over the hull, allowances for hu-man engineering considerations have prevented it fromreaching the close-fitting dome shape of the Soviettanks. Moreover, there are resulting HE pockets infront and at the sides, especially when the turret is

traversed.The driver's position is situation at the front centre

and is operated from a semi-reclining position when

driving with the hatch closed. Steering is done by a

rotating motorcycle type T-bar which acturates the

steering lever, with grips for throttle and fuel manage-

ment.A centre periscope and image intensification peri-

scope for night driving is provided.

One of the most crucial questions arising on thepresent validity of the XM-1 is the effectiveness of itsgun.

While the fire control system and the advanced op-tical equipment may well ensure a high rate of firsthit at medium ranges, it remains debatable whetherthe present l05mm gun, even with its advanced am-

munition, will cope with the frontal armour of the

T-64 and T-72.It is, of course, quite probable that gi-

ven a reasonable battle range of 1000-1500 metres at

certain flat angles, the XM883 arrowhead or long rodpenetrators will achieve penetration. howevet, a more

advanced arnour protection in the next generation ofSoviet tanks will make this more difficult. The lar-ger calibre of the l20mm smooth-bore may improveperformance of the KE penetrators, but the question

still remains how much. Probably developments inachieving enhanced penetration performance for large

calibre ammunition will become the state of the artfor the coming decade, once it is realised that the day

of the shaped charge has passed. The other question

remaining is that of the approval of the new gas tur-bine under combat conditions. Although it now seems

that the worst has already been overcome, and tests

prove that acceptable levels of reliability have been

achieved, the evidence is still scanty for long-range

approval. Surely the advantages are remarkable. Con-

siderable savings in maintenance costs over the high-power diesel engines are clearly evident. The tacticaladvantages surmount the higher fuel consumption,especially in close or medium range combat scenes,

such as Central Europe, where movement is limitedand staying power emphasised.

Although maintainability requirements are consid-

erably reduced due to technical modulisation, lack ofstandardisation of allied tank inventory in NATO willstill present great headaches for the logistical comman-

ders in Central Europe, should an emergency occur.However advanced the equipment, it will still be de-

pendent on highly skilled crews and excellent logisti-cal facilities to keep them rolling in battle'

SPECIFICATIONS(Specification is ptovisional and relates to tank armed with 105mm M68 gun)

4 GRADIENT53.390 ke \IERTICALOBSTACLE

TRENCH28.095 hp/ton TURNING RADIUS

9.766 m ENGINE8.966 m7.918 m3.655 m3.479 m TRANSMISSION

2.375 m2.895 m1.89 m

STEERING0.482 m FINAL REDUCTION0.432 m RATIO635 mm SUSPENSION

4.65 m

72.421 kmlh38.5 km/h8.3 km/h

6.2 s

1997 litres450 km7.279 m2.36 m

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMBATTERIESARMAMENT

(main)(coaxial)(anti-aircraft commander)(anti-aircraft loader)

SMOKE-LAYINGEQUIPMENT

(with preparation)

CREWCOMBAT WEIGHTPOWER TO WEIGHT

RATIOLENGTH FUN

(forwards)(rear)

LENGTH HULLWIDTHWIDTH REDUCEDHEIGHT(to turret roo0(overall)

FIRING HEIGHTGROUND CLEARANCE(hull centre)(hull sides)

TRACK WIDTHLENGTH OF TRACKON GROUND

MAX SPEED(road)(on 10% grade)(on 60% grade)

ACCELERATION0 - 32 km/h

FUEL CAPACITYMAX RANGE (road)FORDING

6jVo1.244m2.743 mpivot to infinitelyvariableAvco-LycomingAGT-1500C gas

turbine developing1500 hp at 3000 rpmDetroit DieselX-1 100-3A automatichydro-kinetic with 4forward and 2reverse gearshydrostatic

4.3"7advanced torsion bar24V6x12V

x 105 mmx 7.62 mm MGx 12.7 mmx 7.62 mm

6 smoke dischargerseither side of turretand integral enginesmoke generators

AMMUNITION(main)(12.7 mm)(7.62 mm)

FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMTurret power control

By commanderBy gunner

Max rate ofpower traverse

Max rate ofpower elevation

Gun elevation/depressionGun stabiliser(vertical)(horizontal)

551 00011 400

electro-hydraulicmanualyesyes

(tracking)4.2 /s(slew rate withstabitsation) 42 /s

(tracking) 1.4 /s(slew rate withcontrol handles)22.5 ls(slew rate withstabilisationcommands) 42 /s

+20 l-10

yes (sight)ycs (turret)

r*ttr*r ttt*t* ttt rtt trtt*t ***r**i tri***t*t**t ttt ttt ttt**t* tttttlr ***t*trttttt*t ttttttt tttt*t* ttt tr* tttt*rr *ttJ*tt ttt*tttt tt* tl* rrr tt* rr* r*t ttr t*r* tr* ttt*r** **aa*rt ttttttt*tt*t t*t*ttt **rt*tt **rrttr rr***** **r**t** ttrittt t*tt*t* rrttrr rr*ttt ttr tr* trt tr* t** ttt *r* *t* rt* *ttt *trtrr* rir trt r** ttt***t t** rttt ttatrrr tttttti r*r tttr*** tti *tt* tii*** rtratt r*r *ria*r* ttt *

THE CV IS IT STILL

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F-14 Tomcat belonging to VF 142, being tied to the catapult prior to launching.

The growth of Soviet fleet activity in the Mediter-ranean has been a source of concern to NATO for se-

veral years. Although the Russians have traditionallyaimed at control of these confined waters since thedays of the Czarist regirne, all their efforts to gain ascrious loothold in the "Mare Nostrum" were foiledby the Western powers. Turkey, with its dominantposition on the Bosporus, kept close watch on everyRussian vessel crossing lrom the Black Sea into theSea of Marmara, while Gibraltar, controlling the west-ern entrance to the Mediterranean, kept the Russiansat bay in tliat region. They have never given up hope,

however, that one day they would use a political op-portunity to play a role in the naval scene in this im-portant area.

It took them a long time to achieve their aim.Having both domestic and external problems to

deal with since the Soviet Revolution, the new Com-munist masters had other things on their minds dur-ing the 30's and during World War II than trying toenforce a presence in the Mid-East. But immediatelyfollowing World War II, the Soviets saw the impor-tance of a naval presence as vital to their defence.They realised the strategic vitality of the Med, zr sea

that would give them year-round access to their BlackSea ports. Getting supplies to the port of Murmanskin the north meant hazardous voyages over the frozenwaters of the Barents Sea. The end of the war saw

Russia emerge as a major power in direct competitionwith the USA. Watching the fast decline of Franceand Britain, the two conservative powers which had

controlled the Middle East for many decades, the So-

viets at last saw their chance to end their isolation,and leaped into the international maritime limelightPage l6 / Military Enthusiast No. l6

to claim their bit of the spoils.But to begin with, the Soviets had neither the tools

nor the funds to implement their aim. This explainsthe complete absence of Soviet naval vessels in theMediterranean during the fifties and early sixties. TheArab-Israeli wars gave the Soviets the chance theywere waiting for.

The Arabs, with few political connections, had lostboth the 1948 and 1956 wars. Following leftist revo-lutions backed by military regimes, the new Arab ru-lers shifted towards the Soviets. With their massive

arrns arsenals, the Russians were in a physical positionto restock Arab losses with an abundance of militaryhardware. The Western countries, even had they beenwilling to do so, were powerless to help;they couldhardly supply their own needs at that time.

The Soviets, shrewdly aware of Arab needs, de-

manded use of military bases as part payment for thearms deals. So it came about that following the Arabdefeat in the Six Day War, the Reds took control oflarge areas of the Mediterranean during the late six-ties. This was accomplished even with the limited na-val forces they had on hand. The major Soviet navalbases in the eastern Mediterranean were in Egypt and

Syria. Among them was a large Russian-built base atMersa Matruh; at times it was completely isolatedfrom the Egyptians themselves, the Soviets guardingtheir installations as if they were their own territory.Smaller bases were opened at Latakia in Syria, and inLibya, where the Soviets now stock a vast arsenal.

A-7 Corsair line on deck awaiting permission to take

catapult position.

Based on these logistical bases, the Soviet naval pre-sence grew from month to month, until it matchedthe American naval strength in the area. It has be-come a permanent threat for the Sixth Fleet to reck-on with, and present efforts clearly spell out the So-viets' determination to keep their naval presence in-tact, whatever the Arab-Israeli peace talks may bring.The big question is whether the Soviet naval force inthe Mediterranean will be eff'ective as an offensiveweapon in the event of war, or a mere nuisance factorduring peacetime, which hostilities will cause to with-draw or to be eliminated by the Western naval powers.

This is where the interesting controversy of Ameri-can versus Soviet naval power and doctnne, as well as

the insidious East/West armaments racc, comes intoview and must be considered.

The present American attack carrier concept resul-ted from the effective implementation of the carriertask force operations in the Pacific during World WarII. After the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Har-bour, eliminating most of the mighty AmericanPacific Fleet in minutes, the only effective fightingforces remaining afloat were the aircraft carriersLexington and Enterprise, which fortunately were onmanoeuvres far away. This left the Americans nochoice but to concentrate on a fast programme ofbuilding aircraft carriers, a move which later was tobring America its decisive victory in the Pacific. The

large and powerful carrier task forces roamed the Pa-cific, masters of the sea, as the war came to a bitterend for the Japanese.

The carriers proved their worth even more in theVietnam war, where the need for accelerated airstrikes, sustained for long periods and originatingfrom well protected, highly mobile bases, was a domi-nant factor. Here the carriers performed admirably.With the experience gained by self-sustaining nuclearpowered supercarriers, they kept on the move. Theirhuge storage capacity made them independent of sup-plies, and they carried a large number of aircraft onboard for a variety of operations. This is how theCVANs,and later the CVNs, came into being as a ma-jor force.

The Soviet concept is completely different. Herethe emphasis is placed on a highly defensible self-con-tained fighting unit, capable of operating alone. Thisis similar to the German WWII concept, where strongnaval units performed admirably as self-operatingweapons systems. Thb U.S. concept is based on thecarrier group made up of several naval units constitu-ting a fighting task force and complementing eachother.

The Soviets have only recently begun producingaircraft carriers, and nothing they have come up withso far comes even close to the giant American carrierssuch as the Eisenhower. Today the Soviet Navy has

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tAction on the flight deck - A-7 Corsair hunched off.

almost as many ships in the Mediterranean as the US

Navy. Large ships of the Kiev class VSTOL carrier(40.000 tons) and the Moskva missile and helicoptership (18.000 tons), cruise the Mediterranean, mainlyconfining their area of operations to the eastern wa-ters, close to their Syrian and Libyan allies. The US

Sixth Fleet moves in the western side, sailing east-

F*'sd #ffir_wards at times of political or military tension, such as

Arab-Israeli flareups.But the Soviets constantly shadow the movements

of the American ships, using their Tupolev Badger

maritime patrol aircraft, flying from bases in Libyaunder Libyan Air Force markings, but manned by So-

viet crews. Formerly, similar patrols were flown frombases in Eeypt.

HARPOON OPERATIONAL TESTS

NEWS.. . NEWS... NEWS...

A McDonnell Douglas Harpoon anti'ship missile

launched from a submarine.

Page l8 /Military Enthusiast No. 16

St. Louis, November 23, 1981 - SixHarpoon anti-ship missiles launched at a-

bout the same time from two U,S. Navyaircraft, two surface ships and a submarineall scored direct hits on a target during re-cent exercises of the Atlantic fleet, it was

announced today by McDonnell DouglasCorporation, manufacturer of the versatilemissile.

The exercise involved a co-ordinatedattack on a decommissioned destroyer,with all Harpoon missiles launched atnear-maximum range .

Firing single missiles were an ,4'-6 In-truder aircraft from Squadron VA-75, a

P-3 Orion aircraft from Squadron VP-l 1,

the destroyer Hancock, and the guidedmissile destroyer Barney. The nuclear at-tack submarine Birmingham launched a

salvo of two missiles...

Another Harpoon ASM hunched from a surface

ship.

The carrier task force and its main element, theCVN, is one of the most admirable weapon systemsman has ever devised.

Its flexibility and versatility are major political andmilitary factors for the implementation of U.S. for-eign policy. Its importance as a dominating factor inthe troubled Mid-East has no alternative so far. Havinglost access to most of the former military bases in thearea, such as Wheelus Field in Libya, the British navalbase in Malta, and, as a result of instability in theAegean Sea, the assurance of a continued use of bases

in Athens or Turkey, the US Navy now has to relymore and more on its nuclear powered vessels. Itseems that this trend will continue, in spite of themany differences of opinion regarding the future ofthe giant aircraft carriers. At this time, the onlyfriendly bases where the US Navy can call in the en-tire southeastern Mediterranean, are in Israel and per-haps in Egypt, if the present peace initiative continues.These ports, however, hardly have the necessary fa-cilities to sustain a major supply system. Should thisbe necessary, it would involve the USA in an ex-tremely sensitlve political decision regarding the Araboil sheikhs in the Persian Gulf. The sovereign BritishRAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus, being practically a

"ghetto" within unfriendly surroundings, could hard-ly be regarded as a military base in the event of war,as the Soviets already pay visits in the area. Moreover,the Reds already plan to take over the former Britishport facilities in Malta. Italy itself, being at presentthe only major supply and command base for theSixth Fleet, ffiay be in future danger, if the present

Any accident can cause major chaos on an aircraft canier.Here, an EAG9 landed on the Nimitz, destroy@ aircraft ondeck.and hurting rnny seamen.

trend for a leftist shift in the Italian government con-tinues. A Communist government will eventuallybring Italy toward the Soviets, or at best make itscontribution to NATO doubtful, a situation alreadyin progress in Greece and Turkey. The present bul-wark on the Bosporus is also crumbling from within,and it needs little imagination to picture what willhappen once the Soviets have free access to the Medi-terranean. As things are, they are already moving

NEWS.. . NEWS... NEWS...The combined air, surface and subma-

rine fleet exercise on November 14 wasthe latest in a continuing series to trainNavy personnel and to test weapons in atactical environment. Since 1976 when theHarpoon went into production, the mis-sile has performed reliably in more than95 per cent of its launches.,.

US Navy Buildupcelebration of the launching of USS

Norfolk (SSN-714) nuclear powered at-tack submarine, Later, the SSBN-726(USS Ohio) nuclear powered ballistic mis-sile submarine, and two guided missilefrigates - USS John A. Moore (FFG-19)and Gallery (FFG-26) were also launched.They are equipped with AA, SSM andanti-sub missiles, torpedos, guns, and carryASW helicopter.

The new Boeing ALCM cruise missileAGM-868) being mounted under B-52Gwings during flight test made at GriffinAFB, December 1981.

Military Enthusiast No. l6 /page 79

A-6 tanker landing successfully on deck

their naval units quite freely through the narrows,and in troubled periods the number ol Russian navalunits can match that of the USA. But at present, itis doubtful if Soviet vessels, regardless of this indis-putable individual importance as major fighting ships,

can be considered a serious threat. Their viability a-

gainst the present US naval strength is not heavilysignificant against the task force concept and its pow-

erful kingpin, the CVN. Although a 40.000 ton KievClass aircraft carrier, of which the Soviets are buildingseveral in the last years, is a versatile weapon system

having no equal in the western sense, it flies onlyVSTOL aircraft of the YAK-36 types, a plane similarto the land based Flogger. This VSTOL plane, thougheffective in its class (its role is reported to be mainlyfleet defence and anti-submarine warfare), couldhardly compete with the large variety of supersonic

The central below deck hanger with crews in full action

planes the US carrier task force can throw in againstit. Furthermore, the most that each of the Soviet na-val units can launch at the moment is only some 8anti-ship missiles at a time. A carrier force could, if allits strike aircraft were to be armed with this kind ofweapon, counter with close to a hundred missiles.These could be launched from different directions atbrief intervals, making them very effective against anynaval targets which might be endangering the taskforce.

The Soviet navy, conventionally powered and de-pendent on naval logistical support, is trying to gain

access to existing naval installations in the Mediter-ranean. Previously, most of their bases were concen-trated in Egypt; since they were ousted by PresidentSadat in 1973, these have been lost of them. Alterna-tive bases are being obtained in Libya and Syria butmore could be built in Malta and possibly in Algeria.Having no aircraft carriers to counter the AmericanCVNs, the Soviets would have to rely on land based

long-range aircraft such as the Badger and Backfire.These already fly out of Libyan bases on maritimepatrols, shadowing the movements of the Sixth Fleet.Whether they could effectively attack or eliminatethe carrier task forces in event of war is doubtful, be-

cause of the very efficient early waming and effective

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Grumman E2C Hawkeye of VAIU I2I early waming squodron A4 Intruder being catapulted, second in line A-7 Corsair

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One of the Sikorsky - SH-3D Sea Kings of the ASW squadron

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defence systems the carrier task force can operate un-der strict control. The main danger to the CVN wouldbe from missile-firing submarines; here, too, a highlyeffective ASW defence is available.

But as political threat or constant nuisance especi-ally (in a semi-cold war over oil routes), the Sovietpower display is more than effective and remains oneof the major sources of tension and potential troublein the Middle East. Should a Soviet-sponsored esca-

lation on the northeastern borders of Israel be initiatedin the future, as it has been in the past, the only ef-fective force the Americans could rush to the areawould be a carrier task force from the Sixth Fleet. Al-though this force could be reinforced in a relativelyshort time with several more units coming from theAtlantic, the Soviets could, short of an all out war,severely hamper the effective manoeuvrability of thecarrier force by land based air patrols flying out ofSyria and Libya. Surface and submarine forces couldalso limit the freedom of action of the US task force.A gamble, certainly, but one that would pay otf rtAmerica wishes to prevent war. In the meantime, theSoviet client states could make their military moveson the ground, undisturbed as long as they seemed tomake headway. Once the war would again shift in Is-rael's favour, the Soviets would withdraw quietly andleave the mopping-up to UN negotiations for a cease-

fire as they did in the past. By then, the task of theCVN would no longer matter.

But the carrier task force is not only apolitical wea-pon, although in time of peace it seems so oftenenough. It is really an elfective projection of power inits broadest sense, bringing a powerlul concentrationof lorce to bear on a given point, at tremendousspeed - a lorce corlprising a quantity and variety of

McDonnell Douglas F-L8 Hornet, the navy's future addition.

aircraft comparable to those from a dryJand base. Itcan operate a strike force of several squadrons onshort notice, firing several hundred tons of widelyvaried hardware in minute precision and under closecontrol. It can sustain action for long periods withoutdepending on external sources; it is able to defend it-self effectively against most oi its enemies, whetherfrom air, surface or subsurface attack. This powcrfulsea monster, although immense in weight and size, isstill within logical proportions compared with thepower it packs. It is interesting to compare its dis-placement with that of the USS Yorktown (of theW"\MII Essex class) which had a displacement of some33.000 tons and flew off over 100 propeller-drivencombat planes, each weighing only close to 7 tonsand packing over a one ton bomb load! In compari-son, the "Ike" displaces 95,000 tons, but its strike orinterceptor planes carry almost six times as much as

the Grumman Avengers which made up the strikeforce of the Yorktown. This means that while the dis-placement of the CVN itself is only three times thatof Essex class carriers, its aircraft now weigh morethan eight times as much. Since many of the Eisen-hower's planes are ASW or ECM mission planes, whilethe Yorktown had mostly attack craft or fighters onboard, to even out the "Ike"s numerical forcewould necessitate a displacement of over a quarter ofa million Essex class tons! But this comparison is onlypartial; the present performance of the carrier air-craft is a far cry from WWII. One squadron of 12 A-7

or 4.-6 aircraft can carry more hardware and in a greater

variety than could al1 the Yorktown's planes together.The carrier task force is a highly potent weapon sys-

tem, and its importance both militarily and politi-cally - is irreplaceable. It seems it will remain so fora long time to come.


TIGE, ST'4^NK

GHTER

x,6.,.(F3ue 25

Dutch Air Force NF-5 in formation low over the flatlands of northern Hollnnd. These F-5 were specially modified CF-S byCanadair. Note wingtip fuel tanks, one of the main features of the F-5 AIB . Later F-5 types were equipped with AIM-ISidewinder AAM fitted to the wingtips.

"Four-three to Buzzard Four Zulu" - comes the callover the radio, - "bogeys in contact bearing 070closing in."

It is a Phantom leader calling control while racingfar cut over the North Sea into the greyish murk.Several thousand feet below, two small aircraft flyingclose formation are climbing at a steep angle towardsthe clouds above. Their fuselages are painted in a

strange colour scheme with large numbers showingup front.

At 2000 feet the four aircraft suddenly burst intoclear air and close rapidly. tsoth leaders identify eachother simultaneously and light their RT buttons. lnthe next seconds all their world tumbles. As the Phan-

toms launch their Sidewinder AAM at the bogeys,these throw their little aircraft into a sudden 5-G breakthat throws the missiles off mark. Fronr above twomore bogeys scream into the attack. Aerial Ambush is

being played out here and the Phantoms are in bigtrouble. Now it is their turn to break and pulling alltheir available Gs, they run for their lives, with thePage 26 / Military Enthusiast No. 16

enemy in hot pursuit. The battle progresses quickly as

the jets pull high and accelerate downwards, crankinghard into each other to gain advantageous positions.The fight takes only a few moments but seems to lastfor an eternity as time stands still...

This kind of game is seriously played out the worldover by the USAF Aggressor squadrons flying theirNorthrop F-SEs. These small but powerful fightersare the ideal choice for Soviet fighter simulation inrealistic air combat. Painted in Soviet combat aircraftcamouflage and displaying their type numbers, the so-

called Aggressor fighters are doing a terrific job in for-warding realistic combat situations desperately neededto build up Allied fighter pilots in their skills.

The F-5 started off as a privately-owned invest-ment by Northrop, shrewdly aiming at the jet fightermarket of America's allies and the Third World.

Estimating that the requirements of those countriesflying the F-86 Sabre or F-84 Thunderstreak would

The Talon's extremely high safety and excellent in-flighthandling capability made it a foremost trainer. The Thunder-birds, the USAF Aerial Demonstration Team, flies Talons.

The Dutch Air Force Demonstration Team also flies the NF-5here seen at Twenthe AFB.

Norwegian AF RE-SA during Best Focus exercise 1980.

First gtoup of F-54 ariving at Mehrabad-Tehran Air Base

during the sixties. These airuaft were later delivered by theShsh to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, following the Six DayWar.

..,:ii11:j

xti

w t16 / page 27Mi I itary Enthusiast No.

USAF T-38 Talon, the first supersonic jet trainer.

involve potential for the dcvelopment of a suitablereplacement. Northrop engineers realized a low-costfighter concept to compete with the increasing costof the Century series fighter which began to takeshape.

Fortunately for Northrop, General Electric Cor-poration had developed a small, high thrust-to-weightratio turbojet engine, the J-8,5-1.

By the mid-fifties, the USAF decided that it re-quired a supersonic basic trainer to close the ever-

widening gap between the existing subsonic LockheedT-33 and the supersonic combat aircralt in service.

The T-38 Talon made its first flight on l0 April1959. With some 1200 aircraft in service, the Talon -also known as the "White Rocket" -- has an excellent

safety record. Having trained over 40,000 pilots intwenty years, its accident rate is below 2.2 per100,000 flying hours, less than half the average ratefor Air Force aircraft.

While the T-38 trainer came into production,Northrop went back to rvork on a fighter version.Larger engine intakes were designed for the twin dash

five afterburning GE-J'85 13 1850kg thrust turbojets;the leading edge rving roots became extended and adrag chute was installed at the base of the rudder.

ln 1962 the Kennedy Administration was lookingfor suitable ways to forrvard Western defence policiesby arms supplies to friendly nations, within a MilitaryAssistance Program (f,IAP). The new F-5A lightweightand low-cost fighter seemed ideally suited forthe task.

The msin differences betveen the F-5AlC and F-5E are the engine and wingtip fitted Sidex,inder AAills, replacing the

externally carried Juel tanks, now mounted inside the fuselage antl wings.


Aptly named "Freedom Fighter", the F-5A and itssubsequent versions became a fast-selling item over thenext years. With co-production rights granted to Ca-

nada, the Netherlands and Spain, the F-5 gained

ground quickly in those countries.While sales went ahead abroad, the USAF organized

the 4441 Combat Crew Training Squadron at WilliamsAFB Arizona. Starting in 1964 the CCTS turned outaircrew and maintenance personnel for countries in-cluding Iran, Korea and the MAAG to Vietnam.While the aircraft carried USAF markings, they wereactually property of the respective countries and werelater delivered.

In 1965 a combat evaluation was requested for theF-5 in Vietnam and Operation "Skoshi-Tiger" waslaunched with 12 F-5s taking part. Leaving WilliamsAFB on October 20, the 12 jets were accompanied intheir long flight by KC-135 tankers and after inter-mediate stops at Hawaii and Guam, they reached BienHoa safely and went into action a few hours after theirarrival. During their evaluation the F-5 flew over 3500combat sorties; two were lost to enemy fire, severalmodifications were made and an advanced version was

USAF T-38 at March AFB, California, used for flight trainingof B-52 airuew.

Jordanian Tigers - below: u F-5A at Mafraq (King HusseinAFB ). Bottom: F-SE of the Jordanian AF I I Sqn vistting theInternational Air Tattoo. Greenham Common, l98L

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Northrop facility at El Segundo, the largest plant now pro-ducing F-5ElF fuselages, to become the mainconstruction line for the F-5G.

The new "Shurk" nose on the F-5E first delivered to theThailand Air Force. A more efficient aerodynamic solution

for the high lift wings of the F-58, gring improved perfor-mance und better use of the full flight envelope - it is nowalso used in the F-SG version.

Swiss Air Force F-SE lined up qt Palmdale AFB, California,prior to their delivery in Switzerlnnd.

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A test made by the RF-58 camera shows the excellentresolution from 17,000 feet over the Los Angeles maina.

designated F-5C Tiger later turned over to theSouth Vietnamese Air Force. Unfortunately most ofthose surviving battle fell to the advancing NVA whostill seem to be operating 25 F-5s today.

The results of these combat tests showed clearlythat the akcraft in its present configuration couldoperate efficiently against ground targets, but waslimited in its air-to-air capability in face of the incom-ing NVA MiG 21 fighters. Northrop therefore came upwith an advanced version, the F-5E. This type is amuch toughter aircraft than its predecessor. A new andmore powerful version of the J-85 engine - the J-85GE-21 - developing a 22'/o increase in thrust over theprevious type, was installed. The larger engine resultedin the wings being relocated outboard from the air-

Military Enthusiast No. 16 / page 3l

First deployed with the Training Squadron ut Luke AFB, Arizorw, a 425 TFTS (405 TTW) F-58 Tiger II is seen here

in flight with 2 AIM-9J sidewinders on its wingtips.

F-5E with F-15 Eagte. Although completely outclassing the F-5, F-15 pitots are trained in a "real" environment by F-5

A ggre ssor S quadro n airuaft.

Dissimilar Combat TrainingDuring the prolonged action periods in Vietnam, theUSAF and Navy rcalized its poor showing in air-to-air engagements. Although superior in numbers outof proportion to the North Vietnamese, the Americanfighter pilots fell far below the achieved results in Ko-rea (Korea 9:1 South Vietnam; First Period: 2.3:l;Second Period: Navy l2:l USAF 2:l).In comparisonto the Mid East where the IAF achieved the amazingkill-rate of 50:1 fought over a relatively high-intensityaerial battlefield, these results provided a shattering ex-perience to American planners. They realized that,pitted against an all-out Soviet impact in Central Eur-ope, backed by saturated air-defence and overwhelm-ing numbers, the American fighter pilots could hard-ly expect to perform under such circumstances at thekill-rate estimated. The American Navy and Air Forcetherefore undertook drastic measures to uprate thecombat performance of their air crews. Starting offwith an effective "Top Gun" programme, carried outby the Fighter Weapons School at Miramar NAS, theUSAF followed suit with the establishment of the64th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB, which,

benefiting from accumulated comat experience,became the most advanced system in the world.As time progressed, the Americans established Aggres-sor Squadrons, charged with realistic combat trainingmissions and aimed at bringing American and laterAllied air crews to a high combat skill, short of ac-

tual battle experience.The Northrop F-5 was found ideal for this mission;

accordingly, the USAF now operates four Aggressor

Squadrons around the world - 64th and 65th FWS atNellis AFB, Nevada;26th TFTS at Clark AFB, Philip-pines and 527th TSTAS at RAF Alconbury, England.All are equipped with Tiger II F-5E/Fs. The US Navyalso operates F-5Es in two air combat manoeuvring(ACM) training units at Miramar and Oceana NavalAir Stations previously flying A-4 and T-38 Talons.

While the original Aggressor F-5As could simulateor effectively combat Soviet MiG-l7s or Mig-19s theF-5Es are able to counter Soviet MiG-21s or the advan-

ced type MiG 21 bis. To effectively tangle with theadvanced Soviet types, however, a more potent air-craft had to be designed.

3


F-5F has virtually the same performance capdbilities as the F-58,

craft centerline with an increased wing-span. Larger lar-intakes were also provided. The new engines broughtthe F-5E into the Machl6range. Advanced avionics andarmament and the higher speed enabled a new missioncapability. Two M-39 20mm cannon or two AIM-9Sidewinders on wingtip, with five pylon weapon sta-tions rendered multi-mission capacity.

Many of the modifications were taken over from al-ready existing realisations by foreign co-producers.The manoeuvring flap system has originally been de-signed for the Dutch Air Force NF-5. The two positionnose gear which could raise the aircraft three degreesfor an increased angle of attack on takeoff was devel-oped for the Canadian and Dutch F-5; coupled withthe new engines, takeoff performance was increased by30%. A JATO system and arrester hook were devel-oped for the Norwegian Air Force.

The first F-5E was ready for testing in 1972; deli-veries started early in 1973 to 425 TFS, now respon-sible for training foreign pilots.

The Royal Canadian Air Force selected the F-5 as

a fighter-bomber in 1965. Ordering 125 aircraft to bebuilt by Canadair as a licencee of Northrop, the CF-5was powered by two J-85-15. Modifications were madeincluding a gyro-optical gunsight, two position nose -wheel strut and an inflight refuelling probe. Five squad-rons were equipped with CF-5. Eighteen two-seaterCF-5D were operated at OTS Cold Lake, Alberta.Later modifications for Canadian models included anarrester hook intake, anti-icing, jettisonable underwingpylons. A quick-change recce housing for 3 70mm Vin-ten cameras was fitted in the nose housing for recon-naissance duty.

The Norwegian Air.Force ordered 94 F-5A and 14

Page 34 / Military Enthusiast No. 16

but is a two-seater version.

F-5B from Canadair, designated NF. It operates 6squadrons of F-5. 332, 336 and 717 (RF-5A) are atRygge, 334 flies F-5A at Bodo, 338 squadron is equip-ped with F-5A at Orland and No. 718 operates F-5B atthe OTU at Sola.

The Dutch Air Force replaced its F-84 at the end ofthe sixties with the first aircraft arriving at the Dutchair base at Twenthe. Ordered from Canadair, the DutchNF-5 were an improved version of the CF-5. These mo-difications included electrical-actuated louvre doors toincrease mass airflow for takeoff, strengthened wing,maneuvring flaps, provision for wing pylon tanks, ejec-tion-type bomb racks and other avionic systems.

Supported by the USAF 2nd Aircraft DeliveryGroup, the Dutch NF-5 were flown from the Canadairplant at Bagotville, Quebec, over the Atlantic.

Flying in batches of six, the aircraft flew via GooseBay, Labrador to Soustrom on Greenland; afterlandings at Keflavik, Iceland and Lossimouth, Scotland,they finally reached Twenthe. Second Aircraft DeliveryGroup provided ground support, weather briefings, andoperated two C-130 Hercules airborne navigation sta-tions, carrying special UHF and DF radio and radarflying at 25,000 feet at midpoints far out over the At-lantic. In spite of the long duration of the ferryingoperation, the twenty flights passed without mishap.

Although a few teething troubles were encountered,on introducing the NF-5 into the Dutch Air Force,most of them were of a minor nature and were over-come with several modifications.

In all, the Dutch Tactical Air Command operatedfour NF-5A squadrons, 313 and 315 at Twenthe, 314at Eindhoven,376 Squadron at Gilze Rijen.

For ground attock capobility, the F-sG TIGERSHARKmounts 4 Maverick missiles, 30mm gun pod or warload ofMK-82 bombs on top of the 20mm gun and two wtngtipmounted Sidewinder AAMs.

Assembled in Spain were eight SF-5 from parts manu-factured at the Northrop plant. The rest of 69 SF-5Aand SF-5B were manufactured at the Casa factory inSpain, the first Spanish SF-5 coming off the produc-tion line in June 1968. The Spanish Air Force operatesfive F-5 squadrons with 731 Sqn and 732 Sqn atTala-vera La Real, 212 and 211 Sqns at Moron and 464Sqn at Gando on the Canary Islands.

Greece received a total of 80 F-5A and 9 F-5B.Some of these served formerly with the Iranian AirForce. The bulk of the F-5 fleet is operated by twomulti-role squadrons, No. 341 and 349, based at NeaAnkhialos. A third squadron, No. 343, based at Salo-nika-Mikra, is equipped with F-SA/B and RF-5A,tasked at close air support mission roles.

Turkey operates five fighter-bomber squadronswith 70 F-SA/B and two reconnaissance squadronswith 27 RF-5A and 4 F-5B. Switzerland is anotherlarge operator of the F-5. Altogether four fightersquadrons are equipped with 7l F-58/F with a further

A rear view of the F-SG showing the GE F404 engine,specially designed for the advanced F-18 ftghter. The singleenRtne without ofterburner is more powerful and economicalthun the two GE-85-13 engines of the F-58 going at fullafterburner blast:


38 on order. These replaced the Swiss Hunters fromtheir original role to FGA missions, whereas the F-5Ejoined the Mirages in air defence roles. Including some

minor changes in structure and ILS equipment, theSwiss Air Force will eventually operate over 100 F-5s.

In the Middle East several nations operated F-5s.

One of the largest and oldest users is lran. With eightoperational squadrons flying F-SE/F these seem to be

the only seriously operational units in the Khomeini-Iranian Air Force at war with Iraq now for over a

year. The late Shah's Iran was one of the first buyersof F-5s in the sixties, and some of its F-5s have pro-bably been in action during the India-Pakistan wars.

Now .Lgain in combat, this time against the powerfulIraqi r\ir Force equipped with Soviet MiG 23 andFrench Mirage F-1, the Iranian F-5E, together with

Other F-5 Around the World

Far EastTaiwan - gFGASqnswith252F-5A|E/Fmanu=

factured by the Aero Industry Centrein Taichung. Taiwan plans 180 F-5Es.

Korea - The ROK Air Force operates 10 Sqns

with 228 F-5A/B/E and I recce sqnwith 12 RF-SA. A further 68 are onorder.

Singapore - Operates I air defence squadron with18 F-5E and 3 F-5F. A further 6 are

on order.

Page'36 / Military Enthusiast No. 16

the remaining Phantoms, carry the brunt of the airfighting. Although only a few air-to-air combats have

been reported, the F-5s are used in counter-air and

tactical air support missions as well as on bombingmissions. It seems that of the original 166 F-5s, pro-bably over half were lost in action, or grounded forlack of spares.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force has four squadronsequipped with F-5s. Originally it received its firstF-5As from lran following the Six Day War, duringwhich it lost most of its Hunters to Israeli air strikes.No. I and 2 Squadrons based at Mafraq, No. 17

Squadron is based at Prince Hassan AB near the Iraqiborder. An OCU operates 20 F-SA/B from King Hus-sein AFB. Saudi Arabia has three fighter-bombersquadrons flying F-SEs, as well as three OCU with 40F-5F/Bs based at Dhahran.

Other countries in the Middle East operating theF-5 include North Yemen with 12 F-5E and 4 F-5B,Morocco with 4 FGA squadrons of 47 aircraft, Ethi-

-'=*>,a& -€-

--L-t=1nEff ,

opia with one squadron of 7 F-SA/E, transferred bythe Shah's Iran during the Ogaden War in 1977 . Libyahad several F-5s in its inventory before replacingthem with advanced Soviet and French aircraft. Theremaining F-5s were later presented to Pakistan.

Canadian I TFS mixed colour CF-5D from Cold Lake AB Alberta, seen here at the Abbotsford Airshow, 1980.

Thailand - 1 FGA Sqn with 14 F-5A/B;2 ADSqns with 30 F-5E and 6 F-5F; 1 rec-ce Sqn with 4 RF-SA. On order: 8F-5E.

Vietnam - 25 F-5A (remaining operational)Philippines - 19 F-5A, 3 F-5B. On order: 1l F-5E.Latin AmericaBrazllChile

- 2 FGA Sqns with 33 F-5E, 5 F-sB

- 15 F-5E, 3 F-5F in FGA role.

?.;,,,

?

Ilith Moch 2 capability, this new fighter has exceptionalthe F-5E, due to its inueased power and excellent

Full scale operational mock-up of the F-5G TIGERSHARK.maneuvrability and its demonstrations are by far superior toaerodynamic design.

By now, apart from the American Aggressor Squad-rons, 28 countries have flown F-5s in their vari-ous models and configurations. To face the grorvingthreat from advanced Soviet aircraft, especially theMiG 23 Flogger, Northrop came up with its answer:the F-5G Tigershark.

Using advanced technologies to produce a potentfighter while producing a simple and reiatively inex-pensive aircraft by using existing infrastructures inthe new design, the F-5G is aimed to become a highperformance fighter.

Powered by a single General Electric F404 engine,specially built for the F-l8 Hornet, the Tigersharkwill have an improved thrust-to-weight ratio.with a Mach 2 speed and 9G load capable airframe.Its small size, smokeless engine and panoramic half-bulb shaped well-equipped cockpit, renders it excel-lent air-to-air combat capabilities. With remarkablylow maintenance requirements improving the alreadyexcellent achievements of the F-5E series, it will be

easy to maintain from a cost and manpower viewpoint.Advanced avionics, adaptable to the users' require-ments, enable cost-effective budgeting to prevent over-sophistication. Air-to-air and air-to-ground radarmodes give the new aircraft multi-mission capacity.

Several design features of the F-5E have been enhanced in

the F-5G Mach 2 Fighter. T'hese include the "Shark" nose

u raised and improved visibility cockpit canopy, leading edge

extensions, modified verticul stabilizer, superior cooling forthe engine, with an airflow directed from the stabilizer rootinlets

The new raised canopy of the F-SG provides an all-round view,

Using superior transparent material increases the visibility ofthe pilot. By removing the bulkheadi behind the pilot, theov er-the-shoulder view is eryanded considerably.

The new F-5G Tigershark may well become an ex-cellent combat aircraft in its class and provide the Ag-gressor Squadrons with a valuable addition for realis-tic combat training, one of the most important meas-

ures to keep Allied fighter pilots on their toes.Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page 37

Beaders Gornor

Dear Sir,I would like to comment on some of the recent artic-

les in your MILITARY ENTHUSIAST magazine. Ifound the Combined Arms Air defence destruction ar-

ticle, as well as the "Close Up" article on Soviet equip-ment very interesting. Other articles such as the StrikeEagle and F-18 articles, were less important, as in thelimited space provided tn magazines, one cannot get

enough for serious reading.Please keep up the MID EAST Round-up with more

details on this important update.On the pictorial work - please select photos of Armed

Aircraft. The reader can learn much more on aircraftfrom these details. If possible, do not remove squadronmarkings from the aircraft (particularly IAF).

Yours sincerely,G. HarZion, Israel

Dear Mr. HarZiot,Thank you for your letter. As editor, I am very grate-

ful to you and other readers for your ideas, as this is theonly way we can try to keep up the good work.

As for your requests for more detailed articles, we are

doing our utmost to bring different angles on new devices

such as the F-18 and FUSE which we do not find inother sources. These might, of course, bring similar and

additional articles. As for armed aircraft photos, we are

trying, but there are not many of them around today.We use this occasion to call to all our readers: please

send us your requests and ideas for items YOU want toread - and we shall try to publish them.

The Editor

BOOf,Sf,EI.F

Dear Readers,

As a service to our regular readers around theworld, we hereby place at your disposal our exclusiveBOOK MAILING SERVICE.

We have been able to secure for you importantbooks from lsrael and abroad which are related tosubjects covered in our publications. Some of theseare rare; several of them have been out of print for a

long time and are therefore limited in quantity. Allare new and in MINT condition.

We shall print book lists in all our next editions,updating the information according to subject head-ings, so that you will be able to order your requestswith ease. All our prices include handling and postagewith no additional cost. Please write your request inCLEAR BLOCK LETTERS on the order form. Allorders are to be prepaid before handling.

Our f irst list covers:1. Books by the Publishers;2. Rare lsraeli books;3. Books on Soviet armed forces;4. New compact guides and reference books.

From the Editor

NEW ! for our readers-

NEWS. . . NEWS. . . NEWS. ..

...RDF to deploy F-15C - The lstTactical Fighter Wing at Langley AirForce Base, Virginia, has started receivingthe first 68 F-15 C single-seat and four F-

15D two-place Eagles. Once transition is

completed in mid-1983, the fighter wingwill be the first U.S.-based Rapid Deploy-ment Force unit to be equipped with ad-

vanced Eagles.

The Rapid Deployment Force, whichincludes elements of all U.S. militarybranches, was created last autumn to be

sent quickly wherever vital U.S. interestsare threatened. The Force's F-15s, carry-ing 67 per cent more fuel than earlier ver-

sions of the F-l5A and F-15B, will be


able to fly more than 3000 miles (4830kms) nonstop and unrefuelled. With a

minimal number of refuellings they willbe able to reach potential trouble spotsthroughout the world.

... RDF - update - fust "Bright Star"evaluation. Fifteen UH-60A Black Hawkhelicopters flying in the U.S. Rapid De-

ployment Force BRIGHT STAR'82 exer-cise last month in Egypt achieved an ope-rational readiness rate of 98 percent. The

statistics, compiled by the U.S. Army and

United Technologies Sikorsky Aircraft,demonstrate the superior performance ofthe helicopters.

"The aircraft performed magnificent-

1y," according to Maj. Joe Fucci whocommanded B Company, 82nd CombatAviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Divi-sion, during the exercise. B Company's l5BLACK HAWKs were airlifted from FortBragg, North Carolina to Cairo West Air-field by Air Force C-5 Galaxy transportsfor BRIGHT STAR.

The BLACK HAWK company was as-

signed the task of keeping troops andequipment moving through ten days ofmanoeuvres in the Egyptian desert. Thehelicopters flew a total of over 304 hoursand carried an estimated 2,500 soldiers.The Sikorsky-built BLACK HAWKs flew275 sorties, making 1,107 landings,777of them in the desert.

SECTION 1 _ MID EAST WAR SERIESAn already nruch favoured, i.llustrated series

fiom Born in Battle, covering in detail the

armed lorces of Israel and the NIid East rvars.

Already published:Israel's Army / Israel's Air Force / Yom Kip-pur War / Israel's Armour / Airborne andCommando.

Next in the series:Six Day War / Suez Crossing / War of Inde-pendence.80 pages. Price erch S9.75.

SECTION 2 - RARE ISRAELI BOOKS

Major General Ezer Weizman

ON EAGLES'WINGSThe outstanding autobiography of ex-

Defence Minister and IAF Chief Ezer

Weizman. being also a history of Israel's

Air Force. Vividly rvritten. 306 ppillustrated.$ I 2.5 0 including postage.

Major General H. Herzog

THE WAR OF ATO\E\IENTThis now famous 'cook on the Yom KippurWar is available again atier being muchsought after b1'man1'readers around the

world. An exc€llent 3ccount of the war byan ex-Chief of Intelligence. 175 pp. illus-trated.

$15.95 includirg postage.

Edward Luttn'ali and Dan HorovitzTHE ISRAILI .{R\tYA rare book auihoritarivel!' describing

Israel's armeci tor'-es in detail. With an

historical background. this book gives a

complete insighi into rhe makings of the

Israeli Army'. .{ musi ior military students,long outof-prini and nos' available again

in limited numbers. -lE5 pp illustrated.

$12.50 including posrage.

H. Bar-Tov48 DAYS AND 20

A biography olthe lare Lt. General David"Dado" Elazar. Chief of SratT. Israel De-

fence Forces during the Yom Kippur War.

An excellent account. in unprecedented

detail, of this war. 606 pp.

$19.50 including postage.

Major General A. "Bren" AdanON BOTH BANKS OF THE SIJEZ

Unique personal account of the Yom Kip-pur War by an Israeli division commanderand chiei of its armoured corps. The mostdetailed and outspoken description of thiswar. Brearhtakingly written by an expertin his fielc. .A,osolutely indispensable!

512 pp. iliu.-irared.

$18.95 inciudiry postage.

BOOK MAILING SERVICESECTION 3

Books on the Soviet Armed Forces

David Isby

Weapons and tactics of the Soviet Army.One of the most detailed illustrated books

on the Soviet ground forces published inthe West. Updated information covering

all weapon systems currently in service.

384 pp. illustrated.$36.- including postage.

Edgar O'BallanceNO VICTOR NO VANQT'ISHEDA blow-by-blow account olthe OctoberWar through the critical eyes of a world-wide known expert. 370 pp illustratedand maps.


Air Vice Marshal Stewart MenaulTHE SOVIET WAR MACHINE /RUSSIAN MILITARY POWER

Completely revised and updated, thisexcellent book presents the entire Sovietarmed forces in vivid pictures and colourdrawings. 348 pp. illustrated.


SECTION 4

Compact Guides and Reference Books

SOVIET GROI.]ND FORCES $8.95

MILITARY HELICOPTERS $8.95

AIR WAR OVER VIETNAM 58.95

RIFLES $8.95

PISTOLS $8.95

MODERN TANKS $8.95

MODERN FIGTITERS $8.95

MODERN WARSHIPS 58.95

All books are abundantly illustrated withvivid colour photos and art drawings and

make an excellent buy for the enthusiast

and military student, indispensable fortheir clarity and easy reference vaiue.

Each contains 160 pp. illustrated.Prices include postage.

To: Eshel-Dramit Ltd.,P.O.B. 115 Hod Hasharon

45 100 Israel.

MAIL ORDER }'ORM

Please ship to me:

ITEM PRICE

TOTAL

All payments by cheque.

Enclosed t/$................ in cheque ororder (DO NOT SEND CASH)Allow 6 - 8 weeks for Bookpost mail,(Airmail prices on request).

IIf SRAETJARiTY

EZFR WEI2IT'IANlhainstd dory.l fp lqfrEffid.t .ollh. lgrlAltqco

Captain John Moore R.N.WARSHIPS OF THE SOVIETNAVYAn authoritative assessment of this power-ful nary by a former naval intelligenceofficer. Photographs, diagrams and tech-nical details. 224 pp.


JANES AVIATION ANNUAL I98I.82160 pp. 120 photographs. $16.95 includingpostage.

JANES NAVAL ANNUAL I98I-82160 pp. 120 photographs

$16.95 including postage.J.ANES MILITARY ANNUAL I98I-82160 pp. 120 photographs

$16.95 including postage.Based on the resources ofthe world-fdmousJane's Yearbooks, these three importantpubiications provide a brand-new source ofauthoritative information on military eventsincluding developments in their field. Abun-dantly illustrated with photos and drawings,updated aad precise.

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Military Enthusiast No. l6 /page39

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ISRAEL AIR FORCE,by Lt. Col. D. Eshel.

The most authoritative presentatior, covering all aspects,

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usAFE, by Lt. Col. D. Eshel. t'

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Military Enthusiast Vol 3 No 16