OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos & Spare Parts for Transfer to the Philippine Air Force

As early as 04 February 2018, MaxDefense made a photo post that left many of our readers puzzled. It was of a black horse-like illustration with several stars underneath it. Many were able to guess what it was although majority were not able to identify it, even until now. For those who are long time MaxDefense readers or followers, it is known that we usually leave clues, meanings, or ideas in almost if not all the posts that we made. And many back then speculated that the PAF was to acquire something very soon there is no reason for MaxDefense to post the illustration considering they are not something from the Philippine military.

To answer the question what the illustration was, it was simply a "bronco",  a type of feral horse that habitually bucks, according to dictionary. The bronco is also the name of Rockwell International's OV-10 aircraft, which is in service with the Philippine Air Force (PAF). Aside from the PAF, there are a few flying units that remain in the United States. And the illustration of the bronco came from the OV-10G+ Bronco, which were made as part of the Combat Dragon II program of the US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM).

One of the OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Bronco operated by the US Special Operations Command. Two of the aircraft plus two unmodified OV-10As will be transferred to the Philippine Air Force.
Photo taken from Defense Media Network's website.

Come July 2018, and the website "The Drive" posted an article by Joseph Trevithick discussing the possible transfer of  these OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos to an unspecified US partner, which the author believes is the Philippines, being the only remaining user of the type.

It turns out, the author's guess is right if MaxDefense is to say it. Here's why:

To those following our page regularly, you may have remembered when we changed our Facebook page's profile picture to this one last February 2018. Now its out.
Credits to Defense Media Network for the cropped photo.

By the way, yes, it came from this picture.
Photo taken from Defense Media Network's website.

OV-10s in the Philippine Air Force:
The Philippine Air Force is said to be the last and only operator of the Rockwell International OV-10 Bronco, which it has been operating since the early 1990s when it replaced the T-28B/D Trojans used by the 15th Strike Wing. Depending on sources, the PAF currently has around 8 to 10 operational OV-10s, composed of OV-10As acquired from the US in the 1990s, an OV-10M upgraded from OV-10A, and OV-10Cs provided by the Thai government under a PAF-RTAF swap agreement for F-5A/B spare parts and previously operated by the Royal Thai Air Force.

Some, if not all of the remaining OV-10s in PAF service are upgraded with the capability to deliver Paveway II laser guided bombs via the Wireless Paveway Avionics Kit (WiPAK).

More information on PAF OV-10s can be found on our old blog entry, which can be found on the link below:

"The PAF OV-10 Bronco: A Short Story (1st of 2 parts)" - first posted in June 2013.




OV-10G+ for the Philippine Air Force:

MaxDefense was informed about the negotiations to acquire the OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos as early as February 2018. The acquisition was really focused not on the aircraft itself, but for the transfer of OV-10 Bronco spare parts in possession of the US government.

The Philippine Air Force was originally after the OV-10 spare parts pool, which is said to be worth several millions of dollars. With nothing to use them for, the US government offered them to the PAF for far less, by just paying the transfer and shipping costs, which MaxDefense believes to be at just over US$2 million for everything. And as part of the deal, the US government is gracefully including 4 air-worthy airframes with it, plus some new equipment to replace some of those they removed. The spare parts are said to be enough for the Philippine Air Force to allow them to operate whatever flying OV-10s they have in their fleet up to year 2024, and might even be enough to revive at least 2 more cannibalised units that can also continue operating for several years more.

The Philippine Air Force currently has a rapidly ageing and depleting fleet of OV-10A/C/M Broncos, which are expected to continue service until the Super Tucano which will replace them becomes fully operational and in sufficient numbers. The spare parts included in the deal with the US government will allow the PAF to extend the life of these OV-10s until 2024, and might be even able to resurrect a couple of cannibalised aircraft in its yard. Here it is seen dropping Mk.82 dumb bombs on hard targets during the Battle of Marawi last year.
Credits to owner of photo.

Due to the urgency of the deal, the Philippine Air Force was said to have been forced to use its own annual operating funds to pay for the package, instead requesting for funding from the national government, which would take several months. Case in point: the Jordanian AH-1Fs which are unpaid until now despite the transfer funds requested almost a year ago, and the Pohang-class corvette transfer which took almost 2 years to fund.

As for the airworthy airframes, it was mentioned to MaxDefense that it would be two of the OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos, and 2 unmodified OV-10A Broncos. All four aircraft are currently with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), are will be disposed off if by scrapping if nobody is interested in taking it from them. Naturally being the only user of the type in the world, the Philippines was informed of such plan, and the PAF immediately started negotiations for the transfer.

A few months ago, some Philippine Air Force officers went to the US to inspect the aircraft and the spare parts. They found that all are in acceptable condition, in correct content and are indeed what the PAF needed. MaxDefense got confirmation that inspection was not only made once but at least twice.



OV-10A and G+ Details:

According to our sources, the OV-10A Broncos included will be standard models, no modifications made, and have acceptable airframe life left in them compared to the OV-10s still in service with the Philippine Air Force. The PAF's 15th Strike Wing won't have any problem accepting them into service, as they are very similar to the standard OV-10A they have been using since for almost 30 years.

But the OV-10G+ would be something else. These aircraft were heavily upgraded and modified by the US military for use with the US Special Operations Command. They were equipped with a L3 Wescam MX-15D Electro-Optical Infra-Red (EO/IR) turret and cameras with full motion Vortex and ROVER capability and connected to a helmet-mounted targeting system, chaff/flare dispensers for defensive purposes, a partially glass cockpit, a Line of Sight / Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system, a Link 16 tactical data link, and Harris Falcon III tactical radios.

The OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Bronco are equipped with an L3 Wescam MX-15D electro-optical infra-red (EO/IR) turret. Although removed by the US military prior to transfer to NASA, the PAF intends to acquire them immediately and install the turrets once the aircraft are assembled in the Philippines.
Photo taken from L3 Wescam's website. 

The OV-10G+ are also capable of carrying and firing the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) which is essentially a guided rocket that is linked with the aircraft's EO/IR turret. This is in addition to the smart bombs (Paveway) that it could deliver.

Aside from that, the OV-10G+ also uses a four-bladed propeller from Hartzell, similar to those used by OV-10Ms of the PAF.

With the US SOCOM, the OV-10G+ was used as a test bed for capabilities while also used as  a terrorist hunter. It was flown as a test platform for the US Air Force's Light Air Support Aircraft program.

The OV-10G+'s purpose is seen in this illustration from the US SOCOM. It was an observation aircraft capable of directing forces to terrorist targets, and have its own capability to attack targets if necessary.
Photo taken from US SOCOM c/o The Drive.

Transfer Package to the Philippines:

As already mentioned by The Drive's article, the OV-10s were previously with the US military and were transferred back to NASA in demilitarized mode, meaning all its military capabilities were removed prior to the transfer. The photos from NASA already show that the EO/IR turret is missing.

MaxDefense was also told that the TDL Link 16, the Helmet Mounted Targeting System, and chaff/flare dispensers were all removed too. So essentially, the OV-10G+ only has its 4-bladed propeller and the partial glass cockpit as the most obvious upgrade at the moment.

But based on the US Air Force's own solicitation as seen below, the US will retain the wirings installed during the upgrade, once it's transferred. The contractor was asked to reinstall the wirings once its assembled upon delivery, which is good news for the PAF.

The solicitation made by the USAF for the disassembly, crating, shipment and reassembly of OV-10A and OV-10G+ aircraft. Take note the special requirement on the wirings for the OV-10G+.
Photo cropped from FedBizOps (FBO) website of the US Government.

Now that the aircraft were demilitarized, then what?

The Philippine Air Force actually plans to reinstall some of the upgrades made by the US military, but it would be paid for by them. Among the items to be immediately acquired by the PAF for installation upon delivery is the L3 Wescam MX-15D EO/IR turret. It also appears that the PAF is negotiating if the US can provide some of its used helmet mounted targeting system, although the possibility is slim. The PAF could acquire brand news ones separately later on though.

All other upgrades will be made later on after the acquisition, as this deal is being rushed by the US government before the end of the year. Since the PAF paid for the deal in cash using its annual funds, it wull need to request for a separate funding for them to be able to upgrade the OV-10G+ with its desired capabilities.

The Philippine Air Force may already have some of the Harris Falcon III tactical radios available considering this is the standard tactical radio of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Equipping the aircraft with this allows it to communicate with ground and other forces seamlessly, as PAF Forward Air Controllers also use Harris Falcon III radios.

The PAF is also seeking for the acquisition of the APKWS, which is long in their plans and might also be acquired for the upcoming fleet of Embraer A-29B Super Tucanos which will start delivery by 2019. MaxDefense has yet to confirm if the TDL Link 16 will also be included in the re-upgrade plan. Plans to install chaff/flare dispensers and ROVER capabilities are highly likely to happen later on as well.

Like the upgraded OV-10Ms and OV-10A/C in the PAF, the OV-10G+ is expected also to be able to use the GBU-12 Paveway II and the GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II, both of which are in PAF's inventory.

These additions will make the OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II Broncos still the most modern Bronco in PAF service once they join the fleet, and would be a good stop-gap measure and training platform for the upcoming Super Tucanos which will have the same capabilities as the Combat Dragon II Bronco.

Unlike its useage with the US SOCOM which is to observe targets at a safe distance, the PAF may not use this primarily as an observation aircraft, but will likely be used  primarily for day/night attack aircraft, capable of carrying out precision strike against hard or mobile targets, and as a close air support aircraft for ground troops. It could made to be linked to data from surveillance unmanned and manned aerieal vehicles like the Cessna 208 Grand Cavaran ISR aircraft, Scaneagle UAVs, C-130T ISR aircraft, future Long Range Patrol Aircraft, or other future UAVs of the Philippine Air Force.

Having the MX-15D EO/IR turret also allows the Combat Dragon II Bronco to use laser-guided bombs without the support of ground-based forward air controllers (FAC) which are usually PAF ground combatants embedded with other AFP ground troops to provide target acquisition or lacing to attack aircraft like the OV-10. Current PAF OV-10s and other attack aircraft were dependent on FACs during the Battle of Marawi, and the new capability to use the EO/IR turret for target lacing allows the aircraft to conduct its own precision bombing run without the need for eyes on the ground even or targets where collateral damage is highly likely to happen. This is something new for the PAF and the AFP in general.

Like the OV-10 Bronco fleet used by the PAF, the OV-10G+ is expected to be able to carry and fire the GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II smart bombs which are in PAF's inventory. The 2 upcoming OV-10A Broncos may also be upgraded to be capable of firing them by installing the WiPAK system found on PAF OV-10s.
Photo taken from PAF's website years ago.

The newest capability the OV-10G+ can provide the PAF is the ability to launch the APKWS guided rocket system, which is currently unavailable with the PAF. The PAF is also interested in arming its AW109E armed helicopter fleet with this weapon system, as well as the upcoming A-29B Super Tucano which will start to arrive in 2019.
Credits to owner of the photo.

Delivery Date:

Now the big question, when is the aircraft expected to be delivered?

MaxDefense was informed while we were writing this blog entry that it is expected to arrive on or before December 2018, since the US government wanted the aircraft and parts to be shipped ASAP, as they need the space it currently occupies in NASA's storeyard, If these aircraft and parts are not removed, the US government will be forced to scrap them all.

Therefore, it is also expected that the 2 OV-10G+ and 2 OV-10As will be operational with the PAF's 15th Strike Wing by early 2019, and will be operated by the 16th Attack Squadron.




More updates will be provided by MaxDefense later on, as the deal is still being ironed out as of the moment. But one thing is certain according to our sources - this deal will push through urgently and the PAF does not have any plans of not pursuing this acquisition.




Summary:

1. Acquisition and Shipment of OV-10 Bronco Aircraft and Spare Parts

End User: Philippine Air Force (15th Strike Wing)
Modernization Phase: PAF General Appropriations Fund (not under any Horizon phase)
ABC: ~US$2,000,000.00
SARO Release: N/A
Proponent: US Government, Still Unknown contractor for shipping and assembly
Bid Price: Negotiated Procurement, unknown value
First post by MaxDefense: 24 February 2018

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Embraer Advances in Philippine Air Force's Close Air Support Aircraft Acquisition Project (Horizon 1)

The acquisition of the Philippine Air Force's (PAF) next Close Air Support Aircraft has finally reached an important milestone after 4 years of failing to have it move beyond planning and pre-bid conferences.

On June 7, 2017, the Submission and Opening of Bid Envelopes (SOBE) finally went through with a bidder announced as the Sole Compliant Bidder, pending settlement of issues of another bidder.

The A-29 Super Tucano, Embraer's bid for the Philippine Air Force's Close Air Support Aircraft acquisition project under the Horizon 1 phase of the AFP Modernization Program.

Prior to SOBE:

MaxDefense previously mentioned in its Facebook community page post that there were at least three expected bidders who were present in the Pre-Bid Conference held last May 2017. The Pre-Bid Conference is a meeting wherein the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and prospective bidders and their suppliers are given the chance to clarify items specified in the Bid Documents, mostly paper works, permits, and financial requirements, aside from the Technical Specifications of the product being eyed for supply.

Three prospective bidders were present then: 

Aero Vodochody of Czech Republic, who was offering their L-39NG, a new product but was derived from the proven L-39 Albatross advance jet trainer. Apparently the initial offer made by Aero Vodochody is for six (6) brand new armed L-39NG, and two refurbished L-39 Albatross trainers upgraded to L-39NG standard. 

Aero Vodochody offered the L-39NG, which is a new development of the original L-39 Albatross advance jet trainer. The L-39NG are either made brand new, or are upgraded L-39s. 

Embraer of Brazil, which offered their EMB-314 / A-29 Super Tucano. Previously MaxDefense mentioned in an earlier blog entry that the Super Tucano was the PAF's favorite, and is "unofficially" the basis for the CAS aircraft project's technical specifications;

The Super Tucano is the said to be the favorite among PAF pilots, and is the most proven among the products offered.
Photo taken from the Colombian Defense Forum @ webinfomil.com, 

Textron Aviation - Beechcraft of the US, which submitted their AT-6 Wolverine, an armed variant of the successful Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft family used by numerous countries including the US military.

Textron Aviation offered the AT-6 Wolverine for the PAF's CAS aircraft acquisition project. They have been lobbying for the type for years now.

There were other avaiation companies that showed interest on the project, including Turkish Aerospace Industries, which according to MaxDefense sources, discussed with the PAF regarding their armed variant of the Hürkųs, and Korea Aerospace Industries who previously made known its intention to offer the KA-1 Woongbi light attack aircraft. Both companies did not submit a bid. KAI proba ly determined early on that their product do not meet the Technical Specifications, while TAI did not have enough time to prepare their bid for the project.

Bid Submission Period:

Of the three expected bidders, only two formally submitted a bid to the Bids and Awards Committee, and these are Embraer and Textron Aviation-Beechcraft.

Like most biddings for AFP Modernization Projects, bidders are required to submit two envelopes. The first is the Eligibility and Technical Component, while the second is the Financial Component. The former includes all documentation requirements related to the company and the product as well as their capabilities as a supplier. Meanwhile the latter envelope contains the financial aspects of the bid, including the amount they are bidding for the project.

The process in opening bids by the BAC is to first open the Eligibility and Technical Component envelope, and check its compliance to requirements, before opening the envelope for the Financial Component.

Both of Embraer's bid envelopes were opened without any issue. But when Textron's Eligibility and Technical Component envelope was opened, the BAC found out that there are problems with the eligibility documents. Due to this, Textron was immediately disqualified, and opening of their Financial Component envelope did not proceed. This made it impossible for BAC and everyone else to know how much Textron's bid was.

This means Embraer is considered the Single Lowest Calculated Compliant Bidder, effectively winning the bid. But rules also allow Textron three (3) working days to file a Motion for Reconsideration that will ask the BAC to reconsider allowing their bid documents to be approved and be given the chance to have their Financial Component envelope be opened to determine if they outbid Embraer and take the position as the Lowest Calculated Compliant Bidder.

Based on MaxDefense sources, Embraer's bid is almost US$2 million lower than the ABC, surprising considering that MaxDefense believes that the ABC itself is already on the low side compared to acquisitions deals made by other countries with Embraer for the Super Tucano aircraft.

The Super Tucano made an appearance in the Philippines early 2016, and was flight tested by 15th Strike Wing pilots assisted by Embraer test pilots. The test unit was seen here (above) in Danilo Atienza Air Base in Cavite.
Photo taken from Pinoy Aviators Facebook page.

What are the Chances of Textron to Bounce Back?

When BAC gave Textron time to contest the bid results, many observers including PAF officers believe that Textron's chances of gaining a foothold after their debacle is too low. For one, the documents missing are not difficult to attain and could be a sign of the Textron tender team's carelessness. MaxDefense believes heads will roll in Textron because of this.

After the SOBE itself, no further documents can be submitted since it is unfair for the other bidders. Only extraordinary reasons might be given a chance, and this does not happen often as seen in dozens of big ticket item SOBEs in the past 5 years concerning the AFP Modernization Program projects.

But as respect to Textron, MaxDefense did not publish Embraer's win last June 7,  just to make sure that Embraer's win would not contested by anyone. But it appears that Textron will not contest the results of the bidding, giving a reason for MaxDefense to post this blog entry.

It is also surprising to note that the BAC agreed that Textron Defense's AT-6 Wolverine was found compliant of the technical specifications provided by the Philippine Air Force, considering that previous discussions we had mentioned that there are several parameters wherein the AT-6 might be at a disadvantage considering the PAF closely used the Super Tucano as basis for its specifications.

MaxDefense believes that if Textron did not mess up their bid submission, there is a chance that they could have been declared the Lowest Compliant Bidder, 


What's Next?

With Embraer already considered the Sole Compliant Bidder, the Philippine Air Force will be conducting Post-Bid Qualification Inspections to confirm the submitted documents of Embraer, while also checking Embraer's aircraft manufacturing as well as the Super Tucano itself. This would probably be done in Embraer's facility in Brazil.

Once they get the conformance approval from the PQ inspection team, the PAF would make a recommendation for the DND to provide a Notice/Letter of Award to Embraer which fomally signifies the awarding of the project to Embraer, and with that a Contract will follow between the two parties.

Once a Letter of Credit and Notice to Proceed from the DND/PAF will be provided to Embraer, it is the signal that  the implementation of the contract has started, and this is where the count-off for the manufacturing and delivery milestones get its basis.

Based on the bid  requirements of the project, Embraer should be able to deliver all six aircraft by 2019. 

It means the PAF's OV-10 Broncos will have to shoulder on a few years more. These ageing assets are in need of immediate replacement, despite their spectacular performance providing close air support and surgical strike missions against Maute terrorists in Marawi City.

Despite their spectacular performance in conducting surgical strike and close air support to ground forces in Marawi City, the OV-10 Broncos are in need of immediate replacement as the platforms are ageing fast.
Photo taken from Associated Press.

Beyond Horizon 1:

While the total number of aircraft for this specific deal only covers six (6) aircraft, the plan is for to acquire more aircraft in the next Horizon phases of the Philippine Air Force's Modernization Program.

Depending on the version of the Horizon 2-3 wish list submitted by the Philippine Air Force, the common plan is to get a total of 24 Close Air Support Aircraft to replace both the OV-10 Bronco and the SF-260TP used by the 16th and 17th Attack Squadrons of the 15th Strike Wing.

This means 18 aircraft more are needed by the PAF, and based on the submitted Horizon 2 proposal by the AFP and DND to Malacanang early this year, all 18 aircraft will be for acquisition within Horizon 2.

In the end, its up to the blessings of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to make sure this plan happens, considering that Close Air Support to ground troops has shown its importance during the ongoing Marawi City occupation by Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists. The president, based on his previous speeches, has given his approval to acquire more propeller-powered attack aircraft, which he believes are cheaper and easier to maintain and operate than jet aircraft.



But for now, MaxDefense looks forward for Embraer passing the Post Qualification Inspection, which is already being prepared as of this writing.

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Is it Time to Replace the Philippine Air Force's S-211 Aircraft?

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is among the foremost organizations that has started its preparation for transition, with its manpower and organization, doctrine and training, and assets acquisition all pointing for a stronger emphasis to air defense, domain awareness, and maritime support capabilities. Among those that may require modernization are the training aircraft fleet, most notably the SIAI Marchetti AS-211 for fast-jet pilot training preparation, as the PAF is in the process of accepting more advanced fighters and fighter trainers.

The Philippine Air Force's AS-211 Warrior, a modified SIAI Marchetti S-211 basic jet trainer with limited attack capability.

SIAI Marchetti S-211 in Philippine Air Force: Currently the PAF's foremost asset is the SIAI-Marchetti (now Aermacchi) S-211 jet aircraft from Italy. It is the only jet powered combat and trainer aircraft in the PAF, and is only available in limited numbers due to poor serviceability and funding issues. Originally designed as a basic jet trainer, it was procured by the PAF in the early 1990s as the first step to improve the training capability of future PAF pilots. A total of 25 units were acquired, 9 units built by SIAI-Marchetti in Italy, 15 units assembled locally by the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC), and 1 non-flying airframe. These aircraft were divided into 2 training squadrons, one each based in Fernando Air Base in Batangas and Basa Air Base in Pampanga.

PAF S-211s in flying school trainer colors, probably taken in the early 1990s.

Plans to acquire more sophisticated advanced jet trainers were made before 1995, with the PAF considering the BAE Hawk, Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatross, and Dassault Alpha Jet. But this plan did not materialize due to lack of funding and support from the national government. Instead, it was included in the 1995 AFP Modernization Program as part of the PAF's wishlist for around 24 Surface Attack / Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft. And 17 years later on, nothing was acquired by the PAF for this role until the awarding of the SAA/LIFT acquisition project to Korea Aerospace Industries for its FA-50 Fighting Eagle.

Then PAF Gen. Loven Abadia (in orange) after conducting test flight with the Dassault Alpha Jet in the early 1990s, which was then offered to the PAF.
Photo taken from Lt. Col. Francis Neri (PAF) Facebook page on The Greats of the Philippine Fighter Force: Gen. Loven C. Abadia

The absence of an advanced jet trainer forced the S-211 to shoulder the role of transitioning pilots to the F-5A/B Freedom Fighter jets after the last T-33 Shooting Star jet trainer was withdrawn from PAF service in the early 90s. Then, with still no replacement for the ageing F-5A/B, the S-211 was again made to shoulder the role of being the PAF's only air defense asset and the entire working fleet were upgraded to AS-211 Warrior standards. Being an aircraft designed for as a basic jet trainer without radar, missile capability, internal gun, and enough power and size to match any of the Philippines' neighbors, it is only apparent that it is not the proper aircraft for the job. It was overused to do duties other than what it was designed for aside from lack of budget to maintain and repair the entire fleet, 


Current Training Aircraft Inventory of the PAF:
Currently, there are 2 aircraft models that all upcoming pilots will have to fly before moving on to specialist training. These are the Cessna T-41B/D Mescalero for Ab-initio / Primary Pilot Training, and the SF-260F/TP for Basic Flight Training. Pilot graduates that are going for advanced / specialized jet training will then proceed to the Air Defense Command to train with the AS-211.

Lacking enough aircraft, the PAF was forced to push the AS-211 to become its basic and advanced jet trainer, and combat jet all at the same time. With the FA-50 expected to enter service soon, the AS-211 may be given some rest on combat duties and might concentrate on advanced  training flights until a replacement is provided.


Why Replace the S-211?
The most obvious reason is that the AS-211 fleet is getting old, with the aircraft in service with the PAF for almost 24 years, its systems outdated, and is becoming a maintenance burden. The PAF, being the only remaining military operator of the type, was said to be experiencing difficulty in maintaining the remaining operational aircraft in its arsenal. The lack of enough operators of the type has made spare parts availability an issue, similar to what the PAF experienced with the F-5A/B in the past. There are several non-operational aircraft that are not being revived by the PAF even if budget can be made available for such move. Latest press releases by the PAF only indicated a plan to revive 2 non-working units to raise the total fleet to 6 aircraft.

A fleet of non-working F-5A/B and S-211 jets at Clark Air Base. Several S-211 airframes can be revived if the PAF wanted to, but the service is not making such effort. 

When Singapore retired their S-211, the PAF did not make any major effort to acquire them to beef up its current fleet, instead letting a private Australian firm have the priority to acquire most of the Singaporean aircraft. They were reportedly being sold at a very low price, and being a major operator of the type, the PAF was expected to push hard for its acquisition.  

MaxDefense believes that the PAF was already contemplating to find a suitable replacement for the aircraft, although budget is scarce as the PAF is prioritizing other aircraft requirements in their short term acquisition program.

The S-211 was preceded by the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, like the one shown in the photo above now displayed in the Philippine Air Force Museum, which was the PAF's jet trainer from the mid 1950s to the early 1990s.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

The need for a bridge between the SF-260 and FA-50
The PAF's SF-260F basic trainer aircraft is said to be categorized in a lower level than the basic-advanced trainers used by friendly air forces, like the USAF's T-6 Texan II, the RoKAF's KT-1 Woongbi, the RAAF's PC-9, and the RSAF's PC-21. A cash-strapped PAF, which will definitely do its very best to protect its FA-50 from unnecessary losses due to pilot error, will probably not risk SF-260F graduates to go directly to the FA-50. 

This is even evident with the pilots chosen by the PAF to train in South Korea for its first batch of pilots, wherein they chose the pilots with the most flying hours and experience with the AS-211.

Any move by the PAF to retire the AS-211 may include inducting a new platform to bridge the performance gap between the SF-260 and the FA-50. A good example that can be used by the PAF is that of the Italian Air Force's system, which uses the SF-260 in the basic training role, bridged by an advanced trainer (currently filled by the MB-339), and finally with a LIFT (currently using the M-346 Master).



Options for Replacing the AS-211:
A. New Advanced Trainer:
There are several trainer aircraft in the global market today that meets the PAF's requirement for an S-211 replacement that could slot in between the SF-260 and FA-50. A good example to look into is the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), which is a former S-211 user, and the like the PAF, used the S-211 for basic to advanced flight training purposes. The RSAF replaced the S-211 with the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop aircraft, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract awarded to Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support in 2006, which in turn acquired 19 units together with flight simulators and maintenance. RSAF's first aircraft delivered by 2008. RSAF pilots finishing their training with the PC-21 moves up to the M-346 Master LIFT, which is in the same level as the PAF's FA-50.


 

The RSAF replaced the S-211 with the Pilatus PC-21 advance turboprop trainer.
Photo taken from Victor Pody c/o Planespotters.com

                              
Aside from the PC-21, other designs available in the market today include the  jet powered Alenia Aermacchi M-345 HET, a modern derivative of the PAF's S-211. Unlike the S-211 which did not enter service with the air force of its country of origin, the M-345 is slated to enter the Italian Air Force in the next few years to replace the ageing MB-339 in its arsenal including those of their famous aerobatic team the Frecce Tricolori.  

The PAF could also consider replacing the S-211 with its modern derivative, the Alenia Aermacchi M-345 jet trainer, which will see service with the Italian Air Force soon, and replace the MB-339 with the Italian aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori.

B. Adjusting the PAF's trainer fleet role:
Although MaxDefense believes that options "A" above is a better option, the PAF can look at adjusting the roles of its current trainer aircraft fleet. This includes retiring the Cessna T-41 Mescalero from the Ab-initio / primary training role and replacing them with the SF-260F. To fill in the basic to advance trainer, the PAF could opt to acquire more advanced turboprop trainers like the Pilatus PC-9M, Beechcraft's T-6C Texan II, and Korea Aerospace Industries' KT-1 Woongbi. 

With the PAF currently in the market for Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft to compliment and eventually replace the venerable OV-10 Bronco with the 15th Strike Wing, the PAF can look at the trainer versions of the CAS candidates. As discussed in previous MaxDefense blog entries, possible candidates include the Embraer EMB-314 /A-29 Super Tucano, Beechcraft AT-6C Texan II, Korea Aerospace Industries KA-1 Woongbi, and IOMAX Archangel. Except for the Archangel, all are based on basic-advanced turboprop trainer aircraft, with the EMB-314 being a further development of the successful EMB-312 Tucano, the AT-6C and KA-1 being an armed variant of the T-6 Texan II and KT-1, respectively.

Beechcraft's T-6 Texan II can be a good replacement, especially if the PAF opted to get the AT-6C Texan II for its CAS aircraft requirements.
Photo taken from Beechcraft's website.

MaxDefense believes that the PAF could consolidate its CAS and basic/advanced trainer platforms to allow better and simplified logistics, training, and maintenance commonality. But this could be a problem if the PAF and DND's baseline specifications for the CAS aircraft allows for a specific model that doesn't have a trainer derivative like the IOMAX Archangel.

(Originally MaxDefense believes that the specifications indicated in the CAS project is very close to the A-29 Super Tucano from Embraer.)

According to MaxDefense sources, the EMB-314 Super Tucano (which MaxDefense believes is most possible choice for the CAS requirement) has disadvantages in being a platform for the training requirement, as the aircraft was design more for light attack use and have features that are not needed for training duties (examples are the rugged terrain landing gears, strengthened airframe to carry ordnance and additional armor, etc.) and may push the aircraft's cost higher than the competition. Although converting them to purely training aircraft by removing vital equipment used for armed missions can be done.


C. Send PAF pilots to get advance training with Air Forces of Friendly Countries:
The lack of enough aircraft to train upcoming pilots or keep its pilots in high operational readiness may require the PAF to get the assistance of friendly air forces for its pilot and even ground crew training requirements. AETC-graduate pilots may be sent to countries like the United States, Australia, or South Korea and train under their system. Although this is not a permanent solution, this might be needed to meet the PAF's training requirements in the shortest possible time. Not only are PAF pilots being trained, they are also immersed in a different and probably more advanced training system than what the PAF currently offers. These pilots could then pass on their knowledge and experience to the service by becoming PAF instructors later on to younger batches of pilots.

Whatever option the PAF chooses, it is inevitable for them to find a replacement for the aircraft, or acquire a new aircraft that could work in tandem with the S-211/AS-211 in the basic to advanced training requirements. The PAF expects the number of pilots ready for fast-jet training to increase in the coming years, and the current fleet number may not be enough to reach the required target. It is expected that aside from the S-211 getting older and more difficult to maintain, the PAF must upgrade its training curriculum to improve its pilot's capabilities and prepare them to fly more advanced aircraft like the incoming FA-50 Fighting Eagle and the expected new MRF the PAF plans to acquire beginning 2017.

Until then, the PAF should provide adequate budget to keep the AS-211 fleet in tip-top condition, provide the best maintenance support it can give, and make efforts to improve the fleet numbers and operational readiness of the fleet.

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More Information Released for PAF's Close Air Support Aircraft Requirements

The Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) released the copy of the new Supplemental Bid Bulletin Nr. DND-AFP/PAF-CASA-14-07-003 (link provided pages 1-22 HERE, and pages 23-47 HERE) which shows the queries submitted by the interested bidders and the replies provided by the DND and Philippine Air Force (PAF). This holds an important information on who are we expecting to join the bid, what products they intend to submit, and who might have the chance of bagging the deal.

The SBB strengthens our earlier analysis on the CAS Aircraft acquisition project as shown on our previous blog entry (link here). It shows that Beechcraft Defense, IOMAX, Airbus Military, KAI, Embraer, and surprisingly, Elbit Systems, has shown interests on the project by acquiring the bid bulletins and making their questions heard by the DND. It was expected that Beechcraft will offer the AT-6 Texan II, IOMAX the Archangel Block 2, Embraer with the A-29 Super Tucano, and KAI with the KA-1 Woongbi.

Embraer  with its Super Tucano continues to lead this CAS Aircraft acquisition project.

Based on the queries made by these companies, it appears that Embraer has an edge over all other entities, with most queries only pertaining to legalities, integrated logistics support, and training clarifications and not much on technical concerns except for a simple (and rather obvious) question on the number of EO/IR system. It also shows that their partner for the US LAS aircraft project, Sierra Nevada, is not part of the tender for PAF's requirement.

Airbus CASA's query was requesting to change the technical requirements to allow their PZL-130 Orlik ACS to join the bidding, which includes request to lower down the required payload, the number of hardpoints, and the weight capacity of each hardpoint. They also requested changes on the protection system to reduce the aircraft weight, and the requirement for OBOGS system. All of these requests were turned down by the DND, thus it is expected that Airbus Military won't submit a bid due to this.

Airbus Military may offer the PZL-130 Orlik ACS, a new armed variant of the company's Orlik trainer.
Photo taken from Airbus Military website.

Elbit Systems requested for an extension of bid, which was actually provided (the new bid submission and opening schedule was moved to August 11, 2014 as of this writing). MaxDefense has no idea yet what they intend to offer, but it appears that they may use an existing aircraft type with integration of systems done by Elbit. So far they have done this for Embraer's Super Tucano, and it may be possible that they could be offering a base aircraft with Elbit using most of its systems and integration capability. Previously Elbit Systems  has demonstrated their capability to This is a curious offering and might be worth waiting.

Could Elbit Systems be offering a heavily-"Elbitified" L-159 ALCA? MaxDefense lets its viewers take a stab on what Elbit may offer.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) only requested for an extension of the bid submission schedule, although it was already confirmed before that they would be offering the KA-1 Woongbi, an armed version of the KT-1 which was discussed in MaxDefense's previous blog entry.

The KA-1 Woongbi being offered by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).

Beechcraft Defense and IOMAX both submitted several queries to the DND and has made up the largest percentage of queries, and it appears that the answers provided by the DND has disappointed both aircraft manufacturers due to the non-acceptance of the DND to change several technical specification details to suit their respective offerings.

IOMAX requested several considerations that their Archangel cannot provide, like the provisions on being a fully aerobatic aircraft, retractable landing gears, minimum cruise speed, full Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS), capability to use heat-seeking air-to-air missile, and zero-zero ejection seats. All these features are not found on the Archangel Block 1 and 2 aircraft, as discussed previously in a separate MaxDefense blog entry. It is expected that because of these multiple non-compliance to the specifications, IOMAX is not expected to submit a bid for this acquisition project.

IOMAX's Archangel Block 2 is probably out of the running for the PAF's CAS Aircraft Acquisition Project.

Beechcraft Defense's technical questions were regarding the requirement for self-sealing fuel tanks, the type of EO/IR sensors and video output, need for a missile alert warning system (MAWS), radar warning receiver (RWR), and automated chaff and flares dispenser, and the minimum weight requirement for each weapons hardpoint. Beechcraft's queries on the EO/IR sensors are mostly clarificatory in nature, as they are offering the L-3 Communications Wescam MX-15Di EO/IR system. MaxDefense believes this type is compliant to the technical specifications. The strict requirement for a MAWS and RWR suggests that the PAF intends to use the CAS aircraft for territorial defense duties in support of ground and possibly naval units, and it is expected that the aircraft will face missile threats as well. Take note that there are currently no missile threats encountered by the 15th Strike Wing in its internal security operations. The AT-6 appears to meet the minimum number of hardpoints requirements, but may not meet the minimum 600 lbs. capacity for all hardpoints, which means a possible non-compliance issue, although the DND and PAF may give considerations depending on the projected accepted normal load-out that the PAF intends to do with these aircraft.

The Beechcraft AT-6 Texan II testing the Talon laser-guided rocket system.

So far, it still appears that the Embraer Super Tucano is still in the lead for this project, while Beechcraft Defense AT-6 and KAI KA-1 may have some difficulties in meeting certain technical requirements that may mean their disqualification from the race. IOMAX and Airbus Military are not expected to meet most of the requirements and may bow down without even submitting a bid. While Elbit is a dark horse that will need a very good offer to shoot the Super Tucano down. With the bid submission and opening moved again to August 11, 2014, MaxDefense expects the remaining bidders to make use of the additional time to refine their offers, as it was expected by many industry, aviation and defense analysts and suppliers that that the PAF may ultimately order up to a total of 24 units in the near future based on whatever aircraft will win this tender for 6 initial units.That is a large order that is worth giving a serious interest at.

MaxDefense continues to monitor the developments for this acquisition project, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

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UPDATES:
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July 31, 2014:
The DND has moved again the bid submission and opening date for the CAS aircraft, as indicated in their new Supplmental Bid Bulletin. From August 11, 2014, it was moved to October 3, 2014. MaxDefense believes this might have something to do with possible problems with some of the expected bidder's capacity to provide the best offer on time. MaxDefense expects Elbit Systems to possibly steal the show from Embraer, Beechcraft Defense and KAI.

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October 29, 2014:
After several adjustments that delayed the bid submission and opening date for this project, the DND has again released a Supplemental Bid Bulletin dated October 28, 2014, moving the bid submission and opening date from November 5, 2014 to December 15, 2014. This further delays this crucial project, which is one of the foremost acquisition projects of the Philippine Air Force in this current phase. 

The PAF recently announced their intention to do refurbishing works on a single OV-10 Bronco to keep them airworthy until a new replacement comes in. MaxDefense now believes that there are factors that are keeping this project from being implemented: either the DND/PAF are waiting for a preferential supplier to meet their requirements and is giving time for it catch-up, or there are several requests from bidders to extend the deadline as they are having difficulty meeting the project. Another possibility is that the budget allocated for this project is still unclear. Nonetheless, the PAF is in need of new Close Air Support aircraft very soon, and while the project still hangs in limbo, they have no other choice but to continue to soldier on with the venerable OV-10.

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Updates and Analysis on the Close Air Support Aircraft Project of the Philippine Air Force

With the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) starting its tender submission for the bid to acquire 6 Close Air Support aircraft, MaxDefense will give an update on its earlier blog entry analyzing the possible offers that can be considered.

DND releassed their invitation to bid on May 2014, with a Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) of Php 4.968 billion (about US$ 113 million) for 6 aircraft plus integrated logistics support (ILS). The latest Supplemental Bid Bulletin released by the DND reschedules the bid submission and opening to July 11, 2014. MaxDefense believes that the bidders requested for the rescheduling for them to be able to provide an offer that is fair for both the vying manufacturer/supplier, and the receiving customer.

Originally the PAF CAS program was supposed to be a US FMS acqusition program, with it being closely related to the USAF Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft program. Delays on the implementation of the US program due to legal and political confict between Embraer/Sierra Nevada and Hawker Beechcraft may have been a major issue for the FMS deal to fall out. With the PAF in urgent need of an OV-10 replacement, it is logical for the PAF to go through with its own acquisition route.

The favorite, Embraer EMB-314 / A-29 Super Tucano, where the technical specifications was said to have been taken from.
Photo taken from ARC Forums website.

As expected, MaxDefense confirms that majority of those listed in the previous blog entry are interested in the PAF CAS acquisition project, these includes Embraer (Brazil) with their EMB-314/A-29 Super Tucano, Korean Aerospace Incorporated (KAI - South Korea) with the KT-1 / KA-1 Woongbi , IOMAX USA with the Archangel Block 3 BPA , Beechcraft Defense (USA) with AT-6 Texan. Also shown interest on the project are Pilatus Aicraft (Switzerland), Pacific Aerospace Ltd. (New Zealand), and EADS-CASA Airbus Military (EU). Possible contenders, although highly unlikely, are the Aero L-159 ALCA from the Czech Republic, and the Yakolev Yak-130.

MaxDefense expects EADS-CASA Airbus Military to offer a variant of the PZL-130 Orlik ACS if they proceed, but may not be able to comply with the requirements. It is also expected that Pilatus Aicraft and Pacific Aerospace Ltd. may not submit a bid as they do not have any product that can fit the requirement. Also interesting is IOMAX's decision to move away from the Air Tractor-based platform it sold to the UAE (and now with Jordan) to the Trush 710-derived Block 3 BPA. 

Technical Specifications Summary:
The DND released some important information on the specification of the aircraft, which was said to be loosely based on the specifications of the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano. This include the following details:

Quantity: 6 brand new, factory new aircraft, fully aerobatic
Landing Gears: Retractable 
Flight Capability: Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Condition (IIMC) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capable;
Cruising Speed: minimum of 220 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS)
Endurance: minimum of 2 hours and thirty minutes (2.5 hrs) at armed configuration at normal cruising speed without auxiliary tanks
Seating Configuration: dual tandem seating
Payload: at least 3,000 lbs, with at least 5 hard points, and at least 600 lbs capacity for each hard point. 
Service Ceiling: at least 25,000 feet
Short Take-off and Landing Capability: maximum 3,000 meters take-off and landing roll @ Maximum Gross Take-off Weight (MTOW)
Power Plant: New turbine engine(s), time between overhaul of at least 3,000 flight hours, suitable for tropical (hot, humid and high altitude environment), restart ability within 15 minutes after shutdown. 
Weapons Systems: all weather capability, capable of multiple munition mix loading, and capacity for 2 50-caliber machine guns either built-in or using gun pods 
Avionics Systems: compatible or better with current data bus MIL-STD 1553
Flight Instrument: 
- Day Visual Flight Rules (DVFR), Night Visual Flight Rules (NVFR), and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR);
- Heads Up Display (HUD) with integrated flight performance, navigation, and weapons targeting and delivery in day and night environment;
- 2 Multi-function Display for front and rear cockpits, 5x7 inches showing aircraft flight performance, navigation, targeting, and tactical mission system display;
- Hands-on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) for both front and rear cockpits;
Navigation Equipment:
- Basic equipment for IFR flights, brand new and calibrated for sustained high G-forces;
- Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS)
- Digital Moving Map, compatible with Night Vision Goggles (NVG),
- at least 1 unit VOR/ILS;
- at least 1 unit IFF Transponder;
- TACAN
Fire Control System:
- compatible or better with current data bus MIL-STD 1553
-capable of Air to Air, and Air to Ground modes;
- Equipped with EO/IR capable of FLIR, Imaging, and Targeting System, with Laser Designator and Rangefinder, NVG compatible;
Airframe: rated for minimum of 12,000 flight hours
Survivability:
- Zero-Zero ejection seat, with life raft, survival and First Aid Kit, and Emergency Located Transmitter Device per seat
- Front and Rear Cockpit armor plating, ballistic tolerance up to 7.62mm ammunition;
- Jettison-able external stores;
- Equipped with Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Missile Alert Warning System (MAWS)
- Equipped with Chaffs and Flares
Environmental System:
- Equipped with On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems (OBOGS),
- Cockpit Temperature Control / Equipment Cooling,
- Anti-G System

The KAI KA-1 Woongbi light attack aircraft, which is a stablemate of the PAF's incoming FA-50 aircraft.
Photo taken from airwar.ru website.

Analysis:
With the specifications allegedly resembling that of the Super Tucano, it only means one thing - the PAF is interested in the Super Tucano, and the bidding is for compliance of government acquisition laws, and as a way to see if there are other available models in the market that can match the Super Tucano in specification and pricing. The technical specifications can already show who can be knocked-out for non-compliance. Remember that the DND Bids and Awards Committee is strict in enforcing the compliance requirements, as shown in previous tenders for PAF aircraft.

MaxDefense tries to breakdown the technical specifications versus the possible aircraft candidates. For simplicity, the candidates are shortlisted with the most possible candidates: Embraer's A-29B Super Tucano, KAI's KA-1 Woongbi, Beechcraft Defense's AT-6C Texan II, IOMAX's Archangel Blk. 2 and Blk. 3. The PZL-130 Orlik ACS is taken out as it cannot meet majority of the requirements by a far margin, while the Yak-130 Mitten and L-159B ALCA was said to not have shown interest in the project and may cost higher than the ABC.

Aircraft in Service:
The DND specifies that the aircraft must be in service with the armed forces of its source country, or with 2 other foreign armed forces.

- The Super Tucano is in service with the Brazilian Air Force, and with more than 7 other air forces. 
- The armed variant of the Texan II is in service with the Greek Air Force, and only has the Iraqi Air Force as its other buyer. The trainer version of the Texan II, the T-6, is in service with the US Air Force and Navy, and with 7 other air forces. 
- Only Peru ordered the KA-1 so far, although the KT-1 series is in service with the South Korean Air Force and 2 other air forces. 
- The Archangel Blk. 3 is still under development and has not received any orders, although the older Blk. 1 is in service with 2 Middle Eastern air forces, and the Block 2 has been ordered by the UAE Air Force. 

This means that the Super Tucano is the only real compliant aircraft if based on the actual armed variant only, although if the DND will consider derivatives, then all shortlisted aircraft can be considered.

Although in service with the US Armed Forces and other air forces in the trainer variant, the AT-6C light attack aircraft variant is only in service with Greece, and Iraq as the only other country that ordered.
Photo taken from ainonline.com.

Landing Gears - All except the Archangel Blocks 2 and 3 BPA have retractable landing gears. Although IOMAX, in their previous press releases, will try to improve on aerodynamics of the Block 3, the aircraft is still non-compliant to this requirement.

The IOMAX Archangel Block 3 still features a fixed landing gear, which is non-compliant to the technical specifications.
Photo taken from IOMAX website.

Crusing Speed - The Woongbi has a cruising speed of 297 knots, the Super Tucano at 281 knots, the Texan II at 278 knots. No official details yet on the Archangel Block 3, but the original Block 2 has a cruising speed of 180 knots although IOMAX is looking at aerodynamic improvements to reach the requirement. With the bid submission scheduled 2 weeks from now, it seems impossible for IOMAX to make changes in their aircraft to suite the PAF specifications.

Endurance - The Archangel Blocks 2 & 3 lords this requirement, as it has a maximum endurance of 10+ hours in ISR (unarmed) mode, and it is expected that in full armed configuration it can meet this requirement. The Super Tucano officially indicate that it has an internal fuel endurance of 3.4 hrs, although it did not indicate if in armed configuration. Woongbi's maximum loiter time is 5 hours, probably unarmed. 

The IOMAX Archangel Block 2 has the most to offer in terms of endurance and payload capacity.
Photo taken from Flightglobal website.

Payload and Hard Points - All aircraft, except for the Woongbi, can meet the payload requirement of 3,000 lbs. total. The Woongbi and Super Tucano has 5 hard points, the Orlik has 6 hard ponts, while the Texan II and Archangel Blk.3 has 7 hard points. It is confirmed that the Super Tucano and Archangel can meet the 600 lbs capacity for each hard point. The Texan II may not meet the required 600 lbs capacity per hard point for all the 7 that it has, and same for Wongbee for all its 5 hard points. 

Service Ceiling - All aircraft meets this minimum requirement, with the Woongbi, Super Tucano, and Texan II exceeding 30,000 feet, while the Archangel Block 2 barely meeting at 25,000 feet. IOMAX claims that the Archangel Block 3 may have a higher service ceiling than the Block 2.

STOL Capability - Not much is provided by manufacturers on this regard, but information taken from other sources claim that the Woongbi and Texan II may have problems meeting the required take-off and landing rolling distance provided in the technical specifications. 

Turbine Powerplant - this is a tricky part, since turbofan-powered aircraft like the Aero L-159 ALCA and Yakolev Yak-130 can also be considered turbine engine-powered aircraft. The specs shows openness to multi engined platforms. All comply this requirement. 

Weapons and Fire Control Systems - It is expected that the requirement must at least exceed what the PAF's upgraded OV-10s can currently do. All shortlisted aircraft models can be armed with 2 50-caliber machine guns, although only the Super Tucano has them internally without the need for gun pods. MaxDefense believes that being built-in would be an added advantage as it can provide more hard points for other munitions, sensors, and fuel instead of being carried as a gun pod. The requirement includes an Air to Air modes for the Fire Control System, which might not be available for almost all the shortlisted aircraft models except for the Super Tucano and the Texan II. Adding this feature means that it must also be able to carry weapons to shoot down aircraft. So far, the Super Tucano is cleared to carry the AIM-9L Sidewinder, the Israel Python 3 & 4, and the Brazilian MAA-1A Piranha missiles. The AT-6 is said to compatible with the AIM-9L Sidewinder but acceptance tests are not yet made until now.

Avionics, Flight Instruments, and Navigation System - All shortlisted aircraft are compliant to the avionics requirements of the specifications, and can be configured according to the PAF requirement. Although there are specifics details indicated in the specifications that may require several manufacturers to modify their standard systems, or will require them to confirm with the DND/PAF if their offer / counter-offer is acceptable for merit. We'll leave this to experts on the field with this matter.

Survivability - So far, the Archangel Block 2 are not equipped with ejection seats, while the Archangel Block 3 is planned to be installed with such system. Instead, IOMAX offers a crash-resistant seating and roll-cage for the Archangel Block 2. 




Summary:
As some say, the devil is inbthe details. And as expected, the Super Tucano still appears to be the aircraft to beat for this competition, in the same way it won its way to the top for the USAF LAS Program. Although the AT-6C Texan has the backing of extensive program to fit the USAF requirement and is capable of matching some of the features of the Super Tucano, it loses out in a lot of essential capabilities like payload, endurance, and STOL capability. This might be due to its smaller size, and being an aircraft that was closely taken from an existing training aircraft. This is the same problems encountered by the even smaller KA-1 Woongbi. 

The Archangel Blk. 3 is a promising aircraft, with its strong endurance and payload capabilities, and proven rough airfield operating capability. But being an aircraft still in development, it may not be able to catch-up to the tender submission this coming July 2014. Thus it is expected that IOMAX will submit the Archangel Blk. 2 for the PAF CAS bidding, which falls short on several requirements like cruising speed, ejection seat and landing gear requirements. The best counter-offer they can provide is the pricing, wherein several sources indicate that it costs far less to acquire the Archangel compared to the Super Tucano. This will enable the PAF to acquire more than 6 aircraft for the same budget, if it allows such offer to pass through the stringent requirements.

The Super Tucano trumps as a more balanced aircraft, with a proven track record and reputation with the aviation industry and military forces, a design that has CAS as its strong point, and a good political tool for the Philippine government to have closer relations with far away Brazil. 

The point that it was chosen by the PAF as the basis for its CAS specifications means that the PAF acknowledges the Super Tucano's strengths. And without a close competitor to meet all its capabilities, it means that the Super Tucano still has the strongest chance of being able to pass through all the technical requirements. MaxDefense believes so as well. 

The only question now is the costs - did the PAF provide an ABC that will fit the Super Tucano's acquisition costs, together with all the goodies and support the PAF required? Let us see in the next few weeks from now. Till then, MaxDefense will update this blog entry as more details come into place.

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UPDATES:
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July 5, 2014:
The DND has again reset the bid submission and opening for the CAS acquisition program, from July 11 to July 23, 2014. MaxDefense is still checking the reasons but media reports says that the DND did not give any specific reason.

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