Number 29 – 15 April 2024

“Aviation and space travel, in particular – have always been especially captivating.” Felix Baumgartner

Shocking ATC transmissions from OR Tambo tower

Recording
https://www.facebook.com/duncan.gillespie.0/videos/407767402208856?idorvanity=4685518014

I listened to this recording and my first response was – how far do the standards need to deteriorate before ICAO starts investigating South African State-owned enterprises (SOEs) such as ATNS? This is clearly a finding and if the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) do not intervene then airline aviation in this country is being seriously compromised and the international airlines need to start filing complaints about the poor standards of South African ATC clearances. In addition, my information is that many flights departing from OR Tambo International Airport have been delayed between 30 minutes to sometimes nearly an hour due to the present ATC incompetence of ATNS controllers issuing instructions when they have zero situational awareness of the actual situation at OR Tambo International airport.   

This should be a serious ‘wake-up call’ for intervention by the regulator. For those of us who are used to ‘first world’ ATC standards, this is a very sad moment, because when I was still flying, I also encountered several serious issues with the quality of some of the inadequate ATCs at Rand Airport and yet they have all been though the ATNS training academy. This is not about ‘if a tragic accident that will take place at Africa’s most import international airport, but when this will happen!’ For goodness sake ATNS management if you are actually reading this this, when will you start to understand that your training systems are seriously flawed and it is only a matter of time? In addition, this example be a serious ‘wake up’ for the regulator from an ATNS oversight position.

Congratulations to our April C208 crew on obtaining this rating, may you enjoy it thoroughly to fly this aircraft.

Meet Achmed the dead terrorist – spark of insanity by Jeff Dunham

SAPFA ANR rally competition staged at Brakpan airfield

I spent most of Saturday at Brakpan airfield covering the South African Power Flying Association’s (SAPFA) ANR rally series that was contested by eight crews. Once again, this was a very well organised event with the host Brakpan Aero Club being accommodating. It was good to spend time with the members of SAPFA as well as members of the local flying club. The regular SAPFA competitions are designed to hone the skills of pilots and I would like to see far more pilots and navigators attending the up-skilling events that SAPFA regularly stages. More about this ANR Rally in the May edition of African Pilot.

Yet another jet fuel crisis looming in South Africa

The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has warned it is faced with a potential jet fuel crisis and blamed it on a dispute between South African Revenue Service (SARS) and fuel companies. Stock levels at the OR Tambo International Airport have recently dipped below the acceptable five-day benchmark and some airlines have already been warned of a reduced fuel supply from their suppliers, forcing them to take operational decisions to plan for this impact. The supply concerns come as the inland refinery, NATREF, which is also the main source of jet fuel into OR Tambo International Airport, is preparing for its planned temporary shutdown sometime between May and June this year. This will result in a greater reliance on imported fuel from Durban. But the planned shutdown coincides with a dispute between petroleum companies and SARS relating to the use of the multi-product pipeline from Durban to Johannesburg.

Failed SAA deal now under SIU’s radar

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has set its sights on the failed sale of South African Airways (SAA) shares to strategic partner Takatso Consortium. The unit, which has a team investigating SAA in line with a proclamation issued in 2020, is already gathering information to be assessed with a view to seeking a fresh proclamation to investigate the deal. The failed SAA deal made headlines recently with the public enterprises portfolio committee recommending that the SIU should further investigate the now-cancelled deal.

Mothibi said they knew that the portfolio committee would like the matter to be referred to them. “This is really not the first time the matter has been raised. It was raised with us before. In fact, we presented it before the standing committee on public accounts (SCOPA),” he said in reference to their appearance before SCOPA last November. “The matter was raised because it is our mandate to ensure that where we become aware that the state would have lost unduly, our mandate enjoins us to really consider ensuring that we look into the matter,” he said.

“Even before the portfolio committee on public enterprises made a pronouncement, we still have to receive a formal referral. Our team that investigates at SAA has already started gathering info to ensure we assess it in line with our mandate and will ultimately make a call and prepare a proclamation to ensure we investigate that matter,” Mothibi said. Although the portfolio committee adopted its report, it still had to be adopted by a resolution of the National Assembly.

On Wednesday, SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed to the ‘Cape Times’ that the SIU was awaiting a formal referral from Parliament. Kganyago confirmed that Mothibi told the SIU team already investigating at SAA ‘to also look at this thing to see if there was a need to do a proclamation’.

In November last year, SIU chief investigator Leonard Lekgetho told Scopa that the SIU received new allegations in relation to the SAA-Takatso deal, which was undergoing SIU internal processes of assessment. “The SIU has made requests for information from various sources that include the Competition Commission, the auditor-general and the Department of Public Enterprises in order to assess and motivate for a proclamation. The information is being packaged and is to be submitted soon from various entities,” he said at the time.

Asked when the fresh proclamation was likely to be prepared, Kganyago said it was difficult to say because there were certain processes to be followed. “It is important to say the process has started,” he said. “If they get enough information, there is another process that will happen. We will need to send a request for a proclamation to the Department of Justice and for it to go to the Presidency. That process will still happen,” he said. Kganyago indicated that should the SIU’s current investigation at SAA find anything on the SAA-Takatso matter, “if it falls under the existing proclamation, we take it and continue with the investigations”. The Department of Public Enterprises did not respond to a request for comment. Minister Pravin Gordhan had threatened to take the portfolio committee to court over its decision to call for the SIU to probe the failed deal. Political parties across the complete spectrum welcomed the proactive stance by the SIU, while Parliament has yet to make a formal referral.

Editor responds: It seems that the shenanigans at SAA V2 just do not stop as the airline rocks from one serious flaw to another. However, as long as the thoroughly corrupt ruling ANC party is in power this situation will continue that that the ‘comrades’ have a ‘feeding trough’ to further embedded corruption within the state of South Africa.

South Africa is among the top five countries with the highest number of female pilots

South Africa and India are making strides in the employment of female pilots. According to a study by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots in 2021, India has more than 1200 female pilots taking to the skies, around 10% of them being commercial pilots. The ISA study revealed that 12.4% of India’s pilots were women. Ireland and South Africa followed with 9.9% of the countries’ pilots being female. Though the figures are not very high, they are significant in comparison to other countries around the world.

A recent report by the Anadolu Agency, Türkiye’s national carrier Turkish Airlines employs 329 female pilots with two of those being South Africans, Annabel Vundla, the airline’s first black female captain, and First Officer Refilwe Moreetsi, the first black female pilot. The airline highlighted that in South Africa, the number of female pilots had grown over the past few years and women now made up almost 10% of all pilots in the country. When it comes to India, the country has long been empowering women to break barriers and make their mark in traditionally male-dominated fields.

Commenting on equality in the aviation industry, Turkish Airlines said that women were demonstrating a strong desire to pursue a career in piloting and aviation-related jobs around the world. Turkish Airlines said it was committed to the advancement of female pilots in aviation with Emel Arman being one of its pilots. Arman is the first female pilot to fly commercial flights, the airline’s first female pilot and the first female captain and still flies with Turkish Airlines.

17 April
Talk by Wouter Botes at the Grahamstown Flying Club
Contact E-mail contact@fagt.info

17 to 20 April
AERO Friedrichshafen 30^th anniversary
Contact E-mail: info@fairnamic.com Website: www.fairnamic.com

18 April
Air Accident SA – the safety goal at 43 Air School
Speaker Wouter Botes

18 & 19 April
SACAA National Aviation Conference Venue TBA
Contact Nomhle Mabunda E-mail: MabundaN@caa.co.za

20 April
SACAA airshow at Wonderboom National Airport

20 April
EAA Chapter 322 fly-in breakfast to Airspan airfield
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

23 to 25 April
MRO Africa Conference incl. African Aviation Training Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Contact Nick Fadugba E-mail: nickfadugba@africanaviation.com www.mroafrica.com

27 April
Ekurhuleni East Flying Club fly-in breakfast at Springs airfield
Contact James E-mail secretary.eefc@gmail.com

27 April
Bill Harrop’s Dinosaur Derby night glow
Contact Jacquie Pastor Cell: 083 443 2662 E-mail: jacquie@balloon.co.za

27 April to 4 May
Gauteng Regional Gliding Championships at Magalies gliding Club
Contact Soaring Society of South Africa Website: www.glidercomps.co.za

May

4 May
SAAF Museum airshow at AFB Zwartkops
Contact Lt. Gaelejwe OC Zwartkops Cell: 079 110 5855

4 May
EAA Chapter 322 monthly gathering at the EAA Auditorium 
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

4 May
Algoa Flying Club breakfast fly-in to Jay Kilian Farm
RVSP E-mail: info@algoafc.co.za Tel: 041 581 3274 Cell: 079 502 6421

10 & 11 May
Wings and Wheels Queenstown
Contact 082 921 2879

11 May
Lowveld airshow at the Nelspruit airfield
Contact Willemien E-mail: willemein.hodgkinson@kishugu.com Cell: 079 499 5733

11 May
SAA Museum Society Planes Trains Automobiles 09h00 to 14h30
Contact E-mail: info@saamuseum.co.za Cell: 076 879 5044

12 to 15 May
African Airlines Association 12^th stakeholders convention in Addis Ababa
Contact E-mail: events@afraa.org   

14 to 16 May
Airport Show with ATC Forum, Airport Security Middle East DWTC, Dubai
Contact Jamille del Mundo E-mail: jamm.delmundo@rxglobal.com

14 to 17 May
NAMPO Harvest Day Bothaville
Contact Wim Venter E-mail: wim@grainsa.co.za Tel: 086 004 7246

17 to 19 May
Zuikerkop fly-in 
Contact E-mail: info@zuikerkop.co.za Cell: 083 389 0587

17 to 19 May
BOABAB Fly-In Polokwane Civil Airport
Contact Whatsapp: 083 375 6322 E-mail: info@area51rcflyers.co.za

17 to 19 May
EAA Chapter 322 weekend fly-away to Pyramid airfield
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

18 May
Tedderfield Airpark breakfast fly / drive-in 07h00 to 12h00
Sponsored by Sling Contact Alan Cell: 083 702 3680

18 May
SAC Free State regionals at Tempe airfield
Contact Quintin Hawthorne E-mail: pak02496@pixie.co.za

21 to 23 May
Air Finance Africa Conference and Exhibition Sandton Convention Centre
Contact Nick Fadugba E-mail: nickfadugba@africanaviation.com

23 to 25 May
SAPFA President’s Trophy Air Race at Louis Trichardt civil airfield (FALO)
Contact David Le Roux E-mail: David@pilotinsure.co.za Cell: 073 338 5200
Contact Iaan Myburgh E-mail: race@sapfa.co.za  Cell: 082 449 2531

Presidents Trophy air race video from 2023:

23 to 27 May
NAC fly-away to Magoebaskloof 
Contact Agnes Phillips E-mail: agnes.phillips@nac.co.za Cell: 082 893 3399

25 May
Tempe airshow Bloemfontein
Contact Conrad Botha E-mail: rowco24cc@mailbox.co.za Cell 082 465 4045

28 to 30 May
EBACE business aircraft show Geneva, Switzerland
Website: www.ebace.aero VP Exhibitions Sacha Carey E-mail: scarey@nbaa.org

June

1 June
Potchefstroom airshow

Contact E-mail: sally@creativespacemedia.co.za Tel: 011 467 3314

1 June
SAA Museum Society Specialised Tour limited to nine adults
Contact E-mail: events@saamuseum.co.za Cell: 076 879 5044

6 & 7 June
Drones and Unmanned Aviation Conference Emperors Palace Convention Centre
Contact Ms Maria Ndlovu E-mail: info@bussynet.co.za Tel: +27 11 074 7095

6 to 8 June
France Air Expo International General Aviation Show 
Lyon Bron Airport www.franceairexpo.com  

6 to 10 June
Zimbabwe Air Rally (50 years)
Contact E-mail: zimairrally@gmail.com Website: www.zimairrally.com 

7 to 9 June
Bona Bona annual fly-in
Booking details visit website  

8 June
EAA South Africa Young Eagles day Lanseria International Airport
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

15 June
Maputo airshow
Contact Gavin Neil E-mail: gavin@haps.co.mz

15 & 16 June
SAC Event KwaZulu Natal venue TBA
Contact Quintin Hawthorne E-mail: pak02496@pixie.co.za

15 & 16 June
Hluhluwe fly-in to Hluhluwe airfield
Contact Christiaan Kleyn 082 945 7362 or Mike Currie 084 506 7610

20 June
Rand Airport Safety Symposium at the Harvard Cafe
Contact Dave le Roux PilotInsure E-mail: david@pilotinsure.co.za

28 to 30 June
EAA Taildraggers fly-in to Warmbaths airfield
Richard Nicholson E-mail: Richard.nicholson1963@gmail.com Cell: 082 490 6227

29 June
SAPFA Speed Rally at Warmbaths airfield
Contact David le Roux E-mail: david@pilotinsure.co.za  Cell: 073 338 5200 

29 June
Polokwane airshow at Gaal airport
Contact Robin Tapinos E-mail: airshow.polokwane@gmail.com Cell: 074 117 6384

Airlines cancel Mogadishu flights as US Embassy issues do not travel warning

On 9 April a few flights to Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport were cancelled after the US Embassy issued a security threat alert. However, some airlines have resumed flights to the Somali capital. The US Embassy in Nairobi received information about threats to several areas in Mogadishu, including the country’s largest and busiest airport, Aden Adde International (MGQ). As such, all movements of US Embassy personnel were cancelled for Tuesday 9 April. The security threat alert is unrelated to the airspace disputes between Somalia and Somaliland

According to the US Embassy in Somalia, the US Department of State level-four travel advisory ‘do not travel’ for Somalia had remained in effect because of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health, kidnapping, and piracy concerns. The embassy warned of terrorists continuing to plot kidnappings, bombings and other attacks, targeting airports and various areas that attract large crowds and Westerners. In response to the alert, some major airlines cancelled services to Mogadishu while other flights were diverted to nearby airports.

Resumption of flights to Mogadishu

The US Embassy advised travellers to exercise caution while in Somalia, review personal security plans, notify trusted individuals of travel and movement plans, stay alert in locations frequented by tourists or Westerners and stay updated by following local media and news outlets. However, there have been no reports of any incidents at the airport. There are about 12 airlines with scheduled passenger flights to Mogadishu, connecting the airport with various destinations in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Flydubai and Qatar Airways operate two and four weekly flights to Mogadishu, respectively. Other airlines include Freedom Airlin

KLM 787-10 moving at over 200km/h aborts take-off due to LOT 787 still on runway

A KLM Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner was forced to abort its take-off when an LOT Polish Airlines 787-9 failed to clear the runway after landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada.

Details of the incident were released in a report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) on 10 April 2024. According to the report, the incident happened shortly before 21h10 local time on 22 March 2024, when the KLM 787-10 was accelerating down the runway at over 200km/h (110knots).

The KLM aircraft registered (registered PH-BKC) had been cleared for take-off on runway 6L after the LOT 787-9 (registered SP-LSB) had landed on the same runway and was at taxiway C5 to exit. 

As the KLM jet proceeded down the runway, it became clear to air traffic control (ATC) that, instead of exiting the runway at taxiway C5, the LOT flight crew had continued further down to taxiway C7. With the LOT aircraft still on the runway, the KLM crew were alerted by ATC. The crew then reduced the aircraft’s speed and eventually taxied off the runway. According to the TSB’s report, the two passenger planes came within 5,400ft (1,646m) of each other. 

RV-4 crash at Tedderfield on Saturday

According to eyewitnesses the aircraft conducted a ‘show piece’ take-off and lost its engine at around 300 feet. Apparently, there was plenty of runway ahead, but the pilot attempted some manner of ‘impossible turn’ and stalled, departing controlled flight before hitting the ground. The pilot had to be cut out after the engine was moved out the way and has a broken leg. Remarkably the passenger was not injured, but likely has a couple of aches and pains to deal with.

US sends a top general to Israel amid fears of Iranian strikes

On Thursday the United States dispatched its top military commander for the Middle East to Israel, after President Biden stated that, despite recent friction, American support for Israel ‘is ironclad’ in the event of an attack by Iran. Iran’s leaders have repeatedly vowed to punish Israel for a 1 April strike in Syria that killed several senior Iranian commanders. Israel has placed its military on alert and Biden said on Wednesday that Iran was threatening a ‘significant’ attack.

Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, the American commander, will coordinate with Israel on what is widely expected to be imminent retaliatory action by Iran and will also discuss the war against Hamas in Gaza and humanitarian aid operations there, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel acknowledged on Thursday that Israel was facing ‘challenging times,’ noting that ‘in the midst of the war in Gaza’ his country was ‘also prepared for scenarios involving challenges in other sectors.’ “We have determined a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” he said while visiting an air base, using language that has been used in recent days to refer to threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.

Active fighting in Gaza has ebbed to its lowest point since November. Israel withdrew troops from southern Gaza over the weekend but said the military would stay in other parts of the territory to preserve its ‘freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence-based operations.’  Netanyahu has said that a date has been set for a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than a million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter, an operation US officials have warned would be catastrophic for civilians. Some analysts have suggested that his threats are bluster or attempts at gaining leverage in cease-fire negotiations. The Biden administration has urged Netanyahu to shelve the invasion plans and focus on ‘alternative approaches that would target the key elements of Hamas.’

Iran attacks Israel on Saturday night

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles toward Israel in its first full-scale military assault against the country. US military forces in the region helped Israel intercept the strikes, President Biden said, adding that he would convene the Group of Seven leaders Sunday for a ‘united diplomatic response.’

More than 99 percent of the missiles and drones were intercepted, Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said. A few fell inside Israeli territory, causing minor damage to a military base and seriously injuring a young girl, he added. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel and its allies “thwarted this attack in a way that is unparalleled” and that while the current wave of attacks against Israel was complete, Israelis should remain alert. Hagari said a ‘coalition’ of countries worked with Israel to intercept the strikes.

Growing demand in Central Europe draws Gulfstream to Aero Friedrichshafen

Gulfstream Aerospace is eyeing growing demand in Central Europe with plans to showcase its G500 large-cabin business jet at Aero Friedrichshafen from 17 to 20 April Germany. While a General Aviation show, Aero Friedrichshafen attracts a range of exhibitors and industry professionals, from the ultra-light and experimental to the eVTOL and novel inventions on up to light turbines. But Gulfstream’s return shows a continuing growth in the show’s reach across the General Aviation and Business Aviation spectrum. Gulfstream marked its first appearance in Friedrichshafen at the 2023 show, viewing the event as a window to the market in the heart of Europe. The move continues its decision to focus on regional events in place of exhibiting at the large business aviation staples of NBAA-BACE held last October in Las Vegas and the upcoming EBACE in Geneva in May.

Instead, Gulfstream looked to the Middle East market with an exhibit at the Dubai Airshow and the Southeast Asia market with the Singapore Airshow, debuting its new flagship, the G700 at each of those events in recent months. At Aero Friedrichshafen, Gulfstream is displaying its Mach 0.925, 5,300-nm jet that brings advanced technologies such as active control sidesticks, extensive touchscreen use, and Phase-of Flight intelligence.

“Gulfstream is seeing strong demand and a growing fleet opportunity in Germany,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president of worldwide sales for Gulfstream. “The fuel efficiency, safety advances and performance capabilities of our next-generation aircraft are ideal for operators in this region.”

Japan Coast Guard boosts fleet with additional H225 order

The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has placed an additional order for three H225 helicopters, increasing its total H225 fleet to 18. As the largest Super Puma operator in Japan, the Coast Guard received three H225s in December 2023 and one in February 2024 to bolster its expanding fleet. These new helicopters will support territorial coastal activities, maritime law enforcement and disaster relief missions across the country.

“The Japan Coast Guard has been actively operating Super Puma-family helicopters for three decades. This follow-on order reflects the customer’s confidence in our products and the dedicated support provided to their fleet,” said Jean-Luc Alfonsi, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Japan. “We believe the H225 is the ideal choice for JCG’s critical missions in law enforcement, coastal and island protection, given its versatility in all weather conditions. We are committed to fully supporting its existing fleet, as well as its upcoming deliveries, ensuring high availability for its operations.”

JCG’s H225 fleet benefits from Airbus’ highly adaptive HCare Smart full-by-the-hour material support. This customised fleet availability programme allows the national Coast Guard agency to focus on its flight operations while Airbus manages its assets. As the latest addition to the Super Puma family, the H225 is renowned for its high performance in challenging conditions, outstanding range and payload capacity. The H225 has undergone continuous improvement by Airbus Helicopters, now equipped with new avionics including the largest screens available on the market and an innovative interface that, combined with its renowned autopilot, reduces pilot workload and enables them to focus on the mission at hand. Presently 24 H225s are flown in Japan by Japan’s Ministry of Defence or para-public operators for various search and rescue missions, VIP transport, firefighting, as well as passenger and cargo transportation.

Natilus and MONTE to facilitate blended-wing-body aircraft leasing

On 11 April 2024, Californian startup Natilus and UK-based lessor MONTE Aircraft Leasing announced that the company has entered into a partnership to provide financing options to potential customers of the currently under-development Kona aircraft. The Kona is a blended-wing-body cargo aircraft. Thanks to its clean-sheet design, once it becomes operational it will provide owners with double the payload capacity of traditional aircraft of a comparable size.

However, its unusual shape is not the only innovative aspect of the Kona. Natilus is developing this aircraft with the idea that it will become possible to operate remotely at a future date and that it will also be able to accommodate novel sustainable propulsion technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. Natilus flight-tested a small-scale prototype of the Kona in April 2023, as the first step towards the launch of a whole family of blended-wing-body cargo aircraft that will range from the smallest Kona, with a payload of 3.8 tons, to the larger Alisio (60 tons) and Nordes (100 tons). In turn, MONTE Aircraft leasing is an active player in the regional aircraft leasing market industry. In recent years it has taken a prominent role in the advanced air mobility space.

Crisalion Mobility partners with Swedish vertiport firm Kookiejar

Spanish Crisalion Mobility has entered into a strategic agreement with Swedish vertiport company Kookiejar, renowned for its extensive expertise in developing air mobility solutions. This collaboration aims to jointly develop vertiports, crucial infrastructure for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Crisalion Mobility and Kookiejar are pooling their resources to devise an action plan and roadmap, outlining a set of shared objectives pivotal to their project advancement. Their focus will be on pinpointing potential synergies between the eVTOL INTEGRITY and Kookiejar vertiports, as well as evaluating the operational efficiency of Crisalion Mobility’s activities within these facilities. These operations encompass freight transportation, medical emergencies, as well as urban, regional and tourism missions.

Moreover, the agreement places significant emphasis on formulating strategies to mitigate environmental impact, improve turnaround efficiency and adhere to sustainability standards. Joint training initiatives will be implemented for the teams of both companies, alongside research endeavours into upcoming technologies aimed at further enhancing the efficiency and safety of air mobility operations pertinent to the project. The collaboration between Crisalion Mobility and Kookiejar stands as a pivotal milestone in the expansion and advancement of air mobility within urban environments. It not only opens up a plethora of opportunities for integrating aircraft into the global transportation infrastructure but also heralds a new era in urban air mobility. Cooperation has proven to be essential in crafting sustainable, ground-breaking solutions. Each of the two companies brings to the fore its unique expertise in developing innovative, secure solutions that will facilitate the widespread implementation of vertiports across the globe.

Taking inspiration from Sweden’s IKEA, Kookiejar’s scalable, modular construction approach for vertiports empowers businesses, cities and towns to make their commercial real estate flight-ready and establish an efficient Vertiport network. Kookiejar’s cost-effective solutions offer flexibility in vertiport deployment, with the aim of minimising landing fees and making air mobility accessible to all.

Israel’s maritime C-Dome downs drone in first operational combat interception

Israel’s C-Dome, the naval version of Iron Dome, downed a unmanned aerial vehicle over the Red Sea in what the Israel Defence Forces said was the first operational interception by the air defence system. The interception was carried out Monday from a Sa’ar 6 class corvette, one of four modern Sa’ar six corvettes, which began arriving in Israel in December 2020 and were then fitted out with the C-Dome and other defence systems.

In the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel’s Sa’ar 6s have seen extensive operations during the war in Gaza. They were deployed off the coast of Gaza and sent to the Red Sea off the coast of the southern port city of Eilat, which had been threatened by drone and missile attacks from the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. According to reports, in recent weeks Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have also threatened Eilat with kamikaze drones. The incident involving C-Dome began on Monday evening when sirens sounded in Eilat and an industrial area north of the city at 23h32 local time. “IDF Naval forces identified a suspicious aerial target crossing into Israeli territory. The target was successfully intercepted by the ‘C-Dome’ naval defence system,” Israeli Defence Forces said. “The target was tracked by the IDF, no injuries were reported and no damage was caused.”

Later the IDF noted that this was the first operational interception by C-Dome and that it had downed a UAV that ‘approached from the east and had crossed into the area of the Gulf of Eilat.’ The IDF did not say from where the drone was launched. Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, which makes the C-Dome and Iron Dome, said in a statement “We are incredibly proud of this landmark achievement for the C-Dome in its 1st operational, combat interception, neutralising a UAV at sea.” Israel Aerospace Industries, whose subsidiary Elta makes the radar used by the C-Dome system as well as Israel’s land-based air defence systems, also heralded the success of the system using its MF-STAR radar. The system ‘located and classified the aerial threat and directed the interceptor to enable a successful hit.’

Threats to Eilat have led to a number of new operational achievements for Israel, as well as concerns about the increasing drone threats to the city. A UAV struck a hangar at an IDF base in Eilat in the early hours of 1 April, whilst another drone launched from Syria targeted the city in November 2023. Israel used F-35s to shoot down a cruise missile threat for the first time in November. The Arrow 3 air defence system also notched its first operation intercept over the Red Sea in the same month.

Boeing pitches new surveillance, strike missions for MQ-25 tanker drone

The US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray has not yet hit the carrier deck, but Boeing believes now is the time for the sea service to start thinking about upgrades for the tanker drone that the company says could open up new missions such as gathering surveillance or striking enemy targets. The aerospace giant showed off such a lethal variation of the MQ-25 model outfitted with two Lockheed Martin-made Long Range Anti-Surface Missiles during the Sea Air Space conference earlier this week.

Troy Rutherford, Boeing’s MQ-25 programme manager, said Boeing and the Navy are in the early stages of discussing alternate configurations for the MQ-25, a drone with a75-foot wingspan that the service currently plans on using as an aerial refueler and is scheduled to become operational in 2026 after carrier trials next year. Because the MQ-25 started off as Boeing’s offering for the Navy’s defunct Unmanned Carrier-Launched Strike & Surveillance programme, “that capability to haul weapons or sensors is inherently still built in the airplane. It is just not something that is currently activated,” Rutherford said. While fielding the tanker version remains the priority, Boeing and the Navy are “now starting to open up conversations about what else can it do as we start to look at air wing of the future,” Rutherford said.

Boeing stated that alternative missions for the MQ-25, Naval Air Systems Command said, “The MQ-25 programme is intended to pave the way for future multi-mission unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to keep pace with emerging threats. The primary mission of MQ-25 today is aerial refuelling, which is set for initial operational capability (IOC) in 2026.”

The US Navy intends to buy 76 MQ-25s over the programme of record and has requested $553 million to procure three aircraft in fiscal 2025. The Navy awarded Boeing a $657 million contract modification for two MQ-25s late last month and a request for proposals for the first batch of low-rate production aircraft is expected in May, said Rutherford. Capt. Daniel Fucito, who leads the Navy’s unmanned carrier aviation efforts, said this week that the two recently ordered aircraft will be the first MQ-25s to be built with components for which the US Navy and Boeing were forced to find replacements due to issues with parts obsolescence. “The production line is maturing,” Fucito said, adding that addressing the obsolescence issues “was the right thing to do at the time.” Congress approved a Navy request to reprogramme funding to address the MQ-25 obsolescence issues in March. Discussions about future MQ-25 configurations come as the Navy also begins publicly talking about potential interest in drone wingmen, known also as collaborative combat aircraft, envisioned to fly alongside manned aircraft.

Rear Adm. Stephen Tedford, the US Navy’s programme executive for unmanned systems and weapons, told reporters he believes US Navy CCAs should have a service life of a ‘couple hundred hours’ and a unit cost of under $15 million. Fucito, who leads the US Navy’s CCA effort as well as the MQ-25 programme characterised discussions as ‘very young,’ adding that the service’s experiences operating the MQ-25 onboard the carrier deck will ‘set the stage’ for a future CCA programme. The US Air Force is bullish on its own CCA programme, having identified five vendors competing to build the first round of drones, with a down select to two or three companies anticipated to occur over the next few months.

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