Authorities chose new aircraft over upgrades

Published: 5/12/2000

The Romania's Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement to purchase 24 new Avione IAR-99 Soim (Hawk) advanced trainer/light attack aircraft The deliveries of the aircraft are due to be delivered in four batches of six aircraft according to reports, with the first due to be delivered this year, with the final aircraft delivered in June 2004. This deal appears to cancel the deal agreed in 1998 to modernise some of the IAR-99s currently in service with the Romanian Air Force, of which 13 were reported to be flying in 1999 of the 21 delivered since 1988. Reports in early February of this year suggested that the Romanian Ministry of Defence was looking for $20m to continue production of the aircraft, that the Romanians consider the equal of its BAe Systems namesake, the Hawk. The new aircraft will be fitted with Elbit Systems intergrated avionics suite capable of supporting a full range of weapons systems from a number of suppliers allowing the aircraft to perform a variety of missions. The aircraft is the fruit of three years of development work involving Elbit and Avionne, and part of a relationship that started in 1994, with the first IAR-99 in new configuration flying in 1997. Elbit has relationships with another Romanian producer Aerostar, with whom the Israeli company has upgrade programmes ranging from the MiG-21 Lancer to the recently announced MiG-29 Sniper. The engine for the new aircraft will be the Soim's original powerplant of the RR Viper 632-41M turbojet produced by Romanian engine manufacturer, Turbomecanica.

Article ID: 1765