Alpha Jet

Alpha Jet
Alpha Jet of the British company QinetiQ in Gloucestershire , England
Type:	Training aircraft light fighter-bomber ground attack aircraft
Design country:	Germany France
Manufacturer:	Breguet Dassault Aviation Dornier
First flight:	October 26, 1973
Commissioning:	1979
Production time:	1973 to 1984
Number of pieces:	508

The Alpha Jet is a twin- engine trainer aircraft and light fighter-bomber , especially for close air support . It emerged from a cooperation between Germany and France in the early 1970s.

history

The roots of the Alpha Jet go back to the 1960s. At the end of that decade, the German Air Force leadership toyed with the idea of ​​bringing the training of fighter pilots back to Europe instead of leaving it to the US Air Force . The fact that the Air Force already operated two airfields, the Decimomannu air base ( Decimomannu military airfield ) in Sardinia and Beja ( Base Aérea de Beja ) in Portugal , which were suitable for precisely predictable training due to their location and weather conditions, was also taken into account guarantee. On the other hand, a successor to the Fiat G.91 was sought, which, as a light fighter-bomber in the Light Combat Squadron (LeKG), would support the F-104 Starfighter- equipped fighter-bomber squadron .

At the same time, the French Armée de l'Air was looking for a successor to the Fouga Magister , which was used for the basic training of their jet pilots; The SEPECAT Jaguar was originally intended as a weapons trainer, but was then developed further into a purely operational aircraft, so that the young pilots had to switch from the jokingly called mouse killer , which is no longer up-to-date, to their operational model.

These preliminary considerations led to the fact that on July 2, 1968 the respective inspectors of the German and French Air Force, Lieutenant General Johannes Steinhoff and General François Maurin, and at the end of the year the managers of the Air Force who were responsible for equipment, met and initiated preparatory work. At the same time, a government agreement was drawn up, and on May 1, 1969, the project was launched by the defense ministers of the two countries.

development

After the specifications had been established (including take-off weight less than 4.5 tons, good-natured, two engines), industry studies were requested by February 1, 1970. Three consortia submitted drafts, in addition to Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm / SNIAS and Dassault / Dornier, VFW / Fokker also participated. However, their study was not taken into account because it was not based on the official call for tenders and, moreover, was sent in after the deadline. Breguet had originally submitted a draft together with Dornier ( TA 501 , for trainer / attack), but was bought by Dassault in 1970 and no longer an independent company.

In 1972 the two states involved commissioned four prototypes and a fifth hull for rupture tests. The French company SNECMA came into play for the engines, but the engines for the German machines were manufactured by MTU and Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz in order to achieve the specified development and production share of 50 percent each.

testing

The first flight of the Alpha Jet took place on October 26, 1973 at the French airfield Istres . The Dassault prototype P01 was flown by Dassault test pilot Jean-Marie Saget. On January 9, 1974, the P02, the first Alpha Jet manufactured by Dornier, followed in Oberpfaffenhofen , piloted by Dieter Thomas. For the flight test, about 1350 flight hours were flown by the four test models. On June 23, the last prototype P04 crashed after touching a safety net while taking off. However, this accident, in which both pilots were killed, had no influence on the program.

delivery

After completion of the test phase, series production began in 1975 . With Belgium now another country interest in the Alpha Jet had shown and ordered 33 machines. The first of 200 series aircraft of the Alpha Jet E version (for Ecole , training) destined for France took off on November 4, 1977, the first copy for close air support, the German version Alpha Jet A (for Appui , support) on April 12, 1978 Belgium received the Alpha Jet 1B version. 175 machines were manufactured for the Federal Republic of Germany.

For export customers, France offered the Alpha Jet MS2, which was delivered to Egypt , the Ivory Coast , Cameroon , Morocco , Nigeria , Qatar and Togo . The export version was upgraded with more powerful engines and the ability to carry modern weapons such as air-to-air missiles for self-defense. Egyptian Air Force aircraft have been upgraded to Alpha Jet 2 standard, with more thrust and a number of improved electronic devices.

The German model was equipped with more advanced technology than the French, it had a head-up display and devices for electronic countermeasures .

The Bundeswehr also considered using the Alpha Jet as an interceptor to combat approaching helicopters because of its mobility and good slow flight characteristics. The studies and tests showed that good results could have been achieved with armor to be retrofitted and special low-level flight procedures, but the alerting and approaching airfields could not do justice to the rapidly changing situation on the battlefield.

The Lancier is an attack and anti-ship model developed by the French, equipped with radar and other sensors, as well as the ability to carry anti-ship missiles , advanced free-falling bombs or laser-guided models.

The export of the Alpha Jet was mainly operated by Dassault. Despite some success in the Arab world and Africa, the market for trainers and light ground attack aircraft was limited. He lost some tenders for political reasons (India) or because of the higher costs of two engines against the British BAE Hawk . Even suggestions for improved versions with modern avionics could not change this. After the last orders in the early 1980s, production was stopped.

Alpha Jet of the Patrouille de France

On September 16, 1980, the French aerobatic team Patrouille de France chose the Alpha Jet as the successor to the Fouga Magister . The Portuguese aerobatic team Asas de Portugal also flies the Alpha Jet.

The aircraft also became famous for the relocation of 18 German Alpha Jets from the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force to Turkey during the Second Gulf War in January 1991 as part of NATO's Ace Guard operation .

On May 21, 2008, the French and Belgian air forces celebrated the 1,000,000 flight hours of the Alpha Jet in Cazaux .

Use in the Bundeswehr

The Alpha Jet A entered service in the Air Force in 1979 . Associations were the Jagdbombergeschwader (JaboG) 41 in Husum , the JaboG 43 in Oldenburg , the JaboG 49 in Fürstenfeldbruck , which was the first and last association to fly this type (most recently as the Fürstenfeldbruck flight training group ) and the training command in Beja (Portugal) . In the event of a defense, the latter would have been reclassified to JaboG 44 with parts of Air Force Supply Regiment 3, Fighter Bomber Wing 49 and the Leipheim Air Base Group.

After the reunification of the two German states, Germany had to reduce the number of Bundeswehr aircraft due to the CSCE treaties. In the early 1990s, the Alpha Jet was retired from the Air Force. Only the flight training group in Fürstenfeldbruck operated the Alpha Jet in the basic tactical training of the future Tornado crews until June 30, 1997.

Use in Thailand

In 1999 the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) wanted to acquire 55 Alpha Jets, which were offered by the Federal Republic of Germany from Fürstenfeldbruck airfield . The RTAF wanted to take over the transfer and transport, overhaul and flight clearance itself in Thailand in cooperation and with the support of Fairchild Dornier . The purchase price was reduced accordingly. However, due to political pressure from the United States, only 25 Alpha Jets were acquired, as were the US General Dynamics F-16s . In the context of the competitive discussions of the US lobby in Thailand, which were ultimately also held in the Thai parliament, the costs of the major overhaul of the Alpha Jets were also taken into account, which because of the one-time investment for a shipyard that is profitable in the long term exceeded the purchase price in the country. The American proponents ultimately wanted to prevent the procurement of the 25 Alpha Jets. The US also did not want Thailand to set up a national aircraft yard. The latter was also achieved as the Alpha Jets in Germany were overhauled.

The Alpha Jets A were taken over by the 231st Squadron in September 2000. The 231st Squadron belongs to the 23rd Wing and is stationed in Udon Thani . Only 20 machines were made airworthy, while the last six serve as spare parts donors. Between 2004 and 2007, the RTAF equipped all active Alpha Jets with chaff launchers in the stern and changed the wing stations so that AIM-9 Sidewinder can also be carried.

Versions

An Air Force Alpha Jet A

• Alpha Jet A: Close air support variant (Appui Tactique) for the Air Force. 175 built at Dornier.
• Alpha Jet 1B: Trainer version assembled in Belgium .
• Alpha Jet E: Trainer version (Ecole) for the Armée de l'air, basis for most export models.
• Alpha Jet MS1: Trainer version for Egypt.
• Alpha Jet MS2: Improved ground combat version for Egypt (first flight 1982).
• Alpha Jet NGEA: Further improved ground combat version based on the MS2 for Cameroon.
• Alpha Jet 2: New name for NGEA .
• Alpha Jet 3: The modernized trainer version proposed by Dassault with new cockpits, in each of which two large color displays were to be installed. No customers.
• Alpha Jet Lancier: Fighter-bomber version with systems similar to the Alpha Jet 3 as well as FLIR and EloKa equipment. No customers.
• Alpha Jet TST : test aircraft. A prototype was with transonic - wing equipped Dornier and raised for the first time from December 12, 1980th
• VTX-TS: Together with Lockheed, an attempt was made to sell the Alpha Jet to the US Navy in the early 1980s . The BAE Hawk won the competition .

Customers

Red Bull Alpha Jet at ILA 2002

Including the prototypes, 508 Alpha Jets were built. The customers were:

 Egypt

Air Force : 45 . including 30 MS1 and 15 MS2. One part was built in Helwan, ordered in 1981/82, in service with the 57th and 58th Squadron in Cairo-Almaza and with another squadron in El Minya .

 Belgium

Air component : 33 Alpha Jet E (trainer), in service from October 1974 to October 2018, some units were still transported by France at the base aérienne 120 Cazaux until the beginning of 2020, the location of the Franco-Belgian Advanced Jet Pilot Training School (AJeTS) until 2018 , continued to be used.

 Germany

Luftwaffe : 175 Alpha Jet A (close air support version), formerly in service with JaboG 41 , 43 and 49 , decommissioned between 1993 and 1997.

 Ivory Coast

Air Force: 12 Alpha Jet E. Ordered October 1977, stationed in Bouaké , current status unknown.

 France

Armée de l'air : 176 Alpha Jet E (trainer). Used for the ETO 01.008 "Saintonge" and ETO 02.008 "Nice" in Cazaux as well as the EAC 01.314 "Jean Langlet", EAC 02.314 "Henri Jeandet", EAC 03.314 "Henri Arnaud", ECA 04.314 "Martin le Meslee" and EAC 06.314 " Jean Maridor ”on base aérienne 705 Tours and the Patrouille de France stationed on base aérienne 701 Salon-de-Provence .

 Cameroon

The Armée de l'Air du Cameroun : 7 Alpha Jet NGEA. Appointed January 1981. Stationed in Garoua .

 Qatar

Air Force : 6 Alpha Jet E. Contract signed in December 1979, with No. 11 Close Support Squadron on duty at Al Udeid Air Base .

 Morocco

Luftwaffe : 24 Alpha Jet E. Ordered in February 1978, in service with the fighter pilot school in Meknes .

 Nigeria

Nigerian Air Force : 24 Alpha Jet E. Built in Germany, ordered in December 1978, based in Kainji.

 Togo

Air Force: 6 Alpha Jet E. Ordered May 1977, stationed in Niamtougou .

When Germany retired its Alpha Jets in 1993, 168 used aircraft became available. Of these, three were given to civil museums, while the Bundeswehr kept 32 for training and exhibition purposes. The rest went to:

 Canada

Top Aces Inc. (formerly known as Discovery Air Defense), Airborne Training Services over the years for the Royal Canadian Air Force , the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Base Williamtown and also the German Air Force at Wittmund : Jan.

 Portugal

Força Aérea Portuguesa : 50 . Used by squadrons 103 and 301 in Base Aérea de Beja ; decommissioned in January 2018

 Switzerland

RUAG : 22 . Fairchild Dornier at Oberpfaffenhofen airfield took over a number of machines for possible resale. After their insolvency, they now belong to RUAG Aerospace.

 Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force : 25 . 19 are actively flying, the rest are used as spare parts stores. On duty at No  23 Wing / No. 231 Squadron in Udon Thani .

 United Kingdom

QinetiQ : 12 . By the former DERA in 1999 bought for test items, six were made airworthy were stationed at MoD Boscombe Down .

Civil owner :

Red Bull in Austria

The Austrian energy drink manufacturer bought eight jets for Airshow performances by the Flying Bulls .

Various in the US

Seven Alpha Jet have been sold in the USA , including one to the well-known automobile manager Bob Lutz , who uses it privately, and two to Air USA , which organizes high-quality training courses on behalf of the USAF .

On behalf of the USAF, two Alpha Jets are being used at Edwards Air Force Base to check whether this type of aircraft is suitable for support tasks in flight test operations . They are supposed to supplement the F-16, which is not available in the required number for this task. The aircraft will be provided by the two civil companies, Modern Technology Solutions and Gauntlet Aerospace .

Google has owned an Alpha Jet since 2008 , which is located on NASA's Moffett Field site. It will be used to support NASA missions and to train the company's pilots. The aircraft was modified for civil use. Among other things, noise emissions have been reduced.

Technical specifications

Alpha Jet of the JaBoG 49

Alpha Jet of the Armée de l'air

Alpha Jet of the Patrouille de France

Three-sided tear

Parameter	Alpha Jet A data
Type	single-seat light attack and reconnaissance fighter aircraft, two-seat training aircraft for tactical training
length	12.47 m
span	9.11 m
height	4.19 m
Wing area	17.5 m²
Gauge	2.71 m
wheelbase	4.72 m
Empty mass	3515 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	8000 kg
Fuel capacity	1900 l (internal) 895 l (external)
Max. External load	over 2500 kg
Engines	two turbofan engines Snecma-Turbomeca-Larzac-04-C20 each with 14.12 kN thrust
Top speed	Mach 0.85 (at 10,000 m altitude) approx. 1000 km / h (at sea level)
Service ceiling	14,630 m
Max. Rate of climb	57 m / s
Use radius	540 km (coach)
Transfer range	2940 km (with two additional tanks )
Duration of use	up to 3.5 hours
Take-off run	410 m
Landing runway	610 m
Load factor	+ 8.6 / -6.4 g

Armament

Explosive ordnance up to 2200 kg at four external load stations (four fighter bombers / two trainers) under the wings

Air-to-air guided missile

• 2 × Lance Missile Type 2255 start rails for 1 × Matra R.550 "Magic 1/2" each - infrared controlled for short distances
• 2 × LAU-7 / A start rails for 1 × Philco-Ford AIM-9P "Sidewinder" each - infrared-controlled for short distances

Air-to-surface guided missile

• 1 × Aérospatiale AM-39 "Exocet" - radar end-phase guided anti-ship missile
• 2 × LAU-117A starting rails for one Raytheon AGM-65A / B "Maverick" each - infrared or tv-controlled

Unguided air-to-surface missiles

• 4 × Matra F1 rocket tube launch containers for 36 × unguided SNEB air-to-ground missiles each ; Caliber 68 mm
• 4 × Matra F4 rocket tube launch containers for 18 × unguided SNEB air-to-ground missiles each; Caliber 68 mm
• 4 × LAU-5003 rocket tube launch containers for 19 × unguided CRV7 air-to-surface missiles each ; Caliber 70 mm / 2.75 "
• 4 × Forges in Zeebrugge LAU-51 / A Mod-1 rocket tube launch container for 19 × unguided DM28 / 44 air-to-surface rockets each ; Caliber 70 mm / 2.75 inch

Unguided bombs

• 2 × double bomb racks for 2 × Société des Ateliers Mécaniques de Pont-sur-Sambre (SAMP) EU2 (250 kg free-fall bomb; analogous to Mk.82)
• 2 × Dafaut AUF-2 bomb racks for 2 × Matra / Thomson-Brandt BLG 66 "Belouga" (305 kg cluster bomb ) each
• 2 × double bomb racks for 2 × Matra "Durandal" (BLU-107) each (rocket-propelled 219 kg anti-runway bomb)
• 2 × double load carriers for 2 × Hunting Engineering BL755 each (264 kg anti-tank cluster bomb with 7 × 21 bomblets)

Additional container

• 1 × BK-27 cannon container under the fuselage with 1 × 27-mm revolver automatic cannon Mauser BK-27 F 01 with 150 rounds of ammunition
• 1 × Dassault cannon container with 1 × 30 mm revolver automatic cannon M550 F3 DEFA with 150 rounds of ammunition
• 2 × drop-off additional tanks for 310 liters of kerosene each

Alpha Jet A in museums

Alpha Jet 01 in the Dornier Museum

• Air exhibition Hermeskeil
• Defense technology study collection Koblenz
• Dornier Museum in Friedrichshafen
• Air Force Museum of the German Armed Forces in Berlin-Gatow at Gatow Airfield
• Hangar-7 in Salzburg at Salzburg Airport WA Mozart
• Manro Classic Auto Museum
• Schwenningen Museum
• Military history museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden
• Technology Museum Speyer in Speyer
• Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, USA

See also

• List of aircraft types

literature

• B. Vetter, F. Vetter: Der Alpha Jet , Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-613-03005-3
• Siegfried Wache: Alpha Jet . Part 1. In: Peter Buchholz (Ed.): F-40 The aircraft of the Bundeswehr . 1st edition. Bmvd-Verlag, Buchholz 2005, ISBN 3-935761-49-X .

Web links

Commons : Dassault / Dornier Alpha Jet  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Bundeswehr Classix: Alpha Jet (1974) ( YouTube video)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Guard: Alpha Jet. 2005, p. 12 f.
2. ↑ Guard: Alpha Jet. 2005, p. 14 f.
3. ↑ Guard: Alpha Jet. 2005, p. 16.
4. ↑ Guard: Alpha Jet. 2005, p. 17.
5. ↑ ^{a b} Guard: Alpha Jet. 2005, p. 20.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Guard: Alpha Jet. 2005, p. 21.
7. ↑ website to celebrate the one million flight hours (English)
8. ↑ History of the Air Force. Alpha Jet. Federal Ministry of Defense, accessed on September 17, 2012 . 
9. ↑ Nigerian Air Force upgrades Alpha Jet avionics. Retrieved March 25, 2020 (English). 
10. ↑ Top Aces has taken over other ex-Luftwaffe Alpha Jets. Aerobuzz, July 15, 2019
11. ↑ Portugal retires Alpha Jet - FliegerWeb.com - News reports Videos! Retrieved August 3, 2018 . 
12. ↑ Kenji Thuloweit: 412th OG chasing options for test support with Alpha Jet. In: www.edwards.af.mil. August 6, 2018, accessed on August 19, 2018 (English, press release of the 412th Test Wing). 
13. ↑ Ethan Wagner: Edwards AFB Experiments with Alpha Jets as Chase Aircraft. In: Aviation News. August 14, 2018, accessed on August 19, 2018 . 
14. ↑ http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/google-founders-fighter-jet-to-fly-nasa-missions/
15. ↑ Midosa ( Memento from February 11, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )