Israel’s Long Arm
With a possible confrontation with Iran in sight, IsraelDefense interviewed
the head of the Aircraft Engineering Department in the Israeli Air Force
Arie Egozi 13/4/2012
The heightened tension with Iran over its nuclear program is forcing the
Israeli Air Force (IAF) to rethink its special needs.
Colonel Shlomo Nissim, head of the IAF’s Aircraft Engineering Department,
says, “Our goal is to be at the forefront of technology. We have outstanding
people with brilliant ideas, whose professionalism is their calling. Their
dedication is expressed in achievements in every field.”
One of the department’s recently completed projects is flexible fuel tanks
that extend the range of Yasur (Ch-53 Sea Stallion) and Yanshuf (UH-60 Black
Hawk) helicopters. The IAF designed the fuel tanks, and an Israeli company
manufactured them.
The project has aroused considerable interest, especially after the
announcement of the establishment of the IDF Depth Command, headed by Major
General (Res.) Shai Avital. This command is officially charged with planning
and implementing long-range, multi-arm special operations in the enemy’s
strategic depth. This requires special operational and tactical equipment,
and one of the basic tools is extended-range cargo helicopters.
Col. Nissim’s department is constantly improving the performance of IAF
planes and helicopters, but not only in the Iranian context. One of the
department’s developments that elicited considerable international attention
is called the “smart patch.” The patch is glued to a smooth surface in an
aircraft suspected of suffering from rapid structural fatigue. The
band-shaped patch has microelectronic components that track the structural
fatigue and relay the data to mechanics, thus eliminating the need to
disassemble the aircraft for examination.
The engineering department is also working on a computerized system that
will collect all the flight data from IAF helicopters for analysis. “Today,
pilots fill out a questionnaire on their extreme flight maneuvers. However,
the method is cumbersome, irksome, and inaccurate. This system will
facilitate a new way to track aircraft fatigue. When development is
completed, the system will be installed in all IAF helicopters,” Col. Nissim
says.
Nissim also explained the IDF’s reasons for purchasing new Hercules
transportation planes. “The IAF chose the lengthier model of the C-130J
because it has an enhanced storage capacity. Naturally, we’ll be installing
a number of our own systems in the aircraft, but the less I speak about
them, the better.”
In addition to the procurement of new planes, the older Hercules, which has
been in IAF use since the 1970s, will get a new lease on life.
According to Nissim, “The main section of the wings will be replaced to
prevent dangerous cracking. Israel Aerospace Industries will put on new
wings that will guarantee the planes have many more years of flight.” As new
Hercules turboprop transport planes enter operational service, and some of
the older ones continue flying, others – mainly the C-130Es – will be
deactivated.
The Yasur helicopter has been in the IAF for many years, perhaps it too
needs to be retired?
“There are no current alternatives to a heavy helicopter. We keep our Yasur
fleet in top working condition through constant maintenance and upgrading.
The Yasur will be flying at least until 2024. Nevertheless, the IAF is
looking at the Sikorsky CH-53K helicopter, which is still in the planning
stages in the US. However, it won’t be ready for export until 2019, which is
only one of its problems. The price tag per aircraft is over $100 million.”
A new system that recently joined the Yasur fleet is the automatic hovering
system. This system, a product by DRS, is connected to all of the helicopter’s
sensors that monitor the aircraft’s altitude, speed, and other data. When a
pilot reaches the desired altitude, he activates the hovering system and
removes his hands from the flight control system. From that moment on, the
system takes control, and the helicopter is as stable as a rock. The IAF
played a key part in the system’s development.
The hovering system is being integrated into Yanshuf helicopters. “We test
every system that can improve mission performance,” says Col. Nissim.
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