Poland Seeks Advanced Jet Trainers/ Light Fighters
Oct 30, 2011 12:16 EDT
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RFP to be redone, competition too. (Oct 28/11)
Poland is looking for 16 Lead-in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) aircraft to replace its aged fleet of over 100 PZL Mielec TS-11 Iskra trainer jets. The Iskras were initially going to be retired by 2009, but the tender’s submission date moved all the way back to October 2010, and the new trainer jets aren’t expected until at least 2013.
The big question is which trainer jets they will be. Right now, Polish pilots mostly train in the USA on supersonic T-38 Talons and USAF F-16s, but that contract expires in 2015. There are a number of competitors, and the Polish RFP v1.0 placed a justifiable but surprising focus on combat capability. That affected the competition – and eventually, appears to have killed it…
- Poland’s Fighters & LIFT Competitors [updated]
- Contracts and Key Events [updated]
Poland’s Fighters, & LIFT Competitors
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Poland’s air force flies 35 upgraded Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, which are expected to remain in service until 2025, and 48 F-16 C/D Block 52 Falcon fighters, which were purchased in 2003. Another 45 swing-wing Sukhoi SU-22M “Fitter-J” strike aircraft are scheduled for retirement in 2016. That makes SU-22 compatibility irrelevant to the future trainer competition, but it does create a much smaller air force if their numbers and capabilities aren’t replaced.
The LIFT jets would be the bridge to Poland’s front-line fighters, after pilots train on its 28 modernized PZL-130 Orlik TC-II basic and intermediate turboprop trainers. The RFP also indicates that the new jets will have secondary duties of air policing and light attack, which will help offset the loss of the Fitters.
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The contenders to fill this role are becoming familiar.
Alenia’s M346 Master. Italy remains the aircraft’s only confirmed contract, for a limited number of planes. The United Arab Emirates has also selected it as their next trainer, though negotiations are stalled, and Singapore has chosen it as their preferred trainer aircraft over the T-50.
This aircraft is mostly sub-sonic, but has limited low-supersonic capability under the right circumstances. M346s have become a consistent contender in advanced trainer competitions. They are the outgrowth of a joint program with Russia that also produced the very similar Yak-130, which is Russia’s next generation trainer and light attack aircraft. Unlike the Yak-130, however, the M346 is only a jet trainer; its light attack version is “under development.”
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BAE Systems Hawk. Poland is reportedly examining proposals to buy some of Finland’s Hawk trainers, as well as new variants like the Hawk LIFT Mk.128/T2 in service with Britain. Finland has 49 older Hawk Mk.51 trainers, but they’re expected to reach the end of their lifespans around 2017-2019. Another 18 Finnish Hawk Mk.66s were bought from Switzerland and then upgraded beginning in 2010, but aren’t likely to be sold. That makes the Finnish option look like more of a stopgap, which would compete against proposals for a modernized set of PZL TS-IIFs. Polish officials believe the Finnish Hawks might be made to last until 2025 – but that would still mean just 10 or so years of service, at higher maintenance costs.
The sub-sonic Hawk is the most popular western-built jet trainer in the world, and new variants remain in production. NATO doctrine has long marked Hawks as secondary air patrol assets in times of conflict, and the type can be armed with a variety of weapons. Even so, BAE pulled its Hawk LIFT from the v1.0 competition. A change in the v2.0 RFP may change that calculation.
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KAI/ Lockheed Martin’s T-50 Golden Eagle. At first glance, this competitor appears to have all the advantages. It’s a fully supersonic trainer like the T-38, could be fitted in ways that would make it a cheap but effective reserve fighter force in times of need, offers the prospect of improving relations with a growing Asian economy, and is backed by the same American firm that sold Poland its F-16s.
Media reports suggest, however, that the Lockheed Martin tie could be the T-50s big weakness. The firm’s implementation of the F-16 sale’s industrial economic offset commitments has reportedly come in for criticism. International setbacks in the UAE and Singapore have also hurt the type, but as long as Poland wants some combat capability, the T-50 remains a strong contender.
Russia is an obvious non-contender in this race, given its history in Poland. The neighboring Czech Republic might have been a contender, and could offer an excellent deal on more than enough of its L-159 sub-sonic trainer and light attack aircraft to fill Poland’s needs. Reports to date have not mentioned it, though the v2.0 competition may create another chance.
Contracts & Key Events
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Oct 28/11: Poland steps back from its existing RFP, and says it will re-do the competition. They seem to have been surprised at the cost of meeting their previous specifications, and will opt for a trainer with lower combat capabilities in the next round. That means the new jets won’t really be able to replace their SU-22s, but it also means that, in the words of deputy defense minister Marcin Idzik, Poland won’t “be the sole country to acquire such an [aircraft as we had requested].” The new RFP is expected in spring 2012. Defense News.
June 14/11: BAE pulls its Hawk LIFT aircraft from the competition. BAE VP for Central and Eastern Europe, Steve Mead, told Reuters UK:
“We have offered a trainer with combat capabilities, while Poland’s defense ministry in the end went for combat first, and training second.”
That is an unfair description. It would be more accurate to say that Poland doesn’t see a distinction, and wants a fully combat-capable trainer. As many defense budgets come under more pressure, and fast-growing economies look to bulk up their capabilities quickly, that could become a wider trend.
June 10/11: Poland LIFT RFP deadline of July 29/11 is approaching, triggering a Flight International report. The goal is to sign a deal by early 2012, and as the Sept 2/10 entry notes, the requirements are extensive. They include a combat radar, delivery of laser and GPS-guided weapons, and air defense capability.
Those requirements could be a problem for contenders like the M-346, and Patria’s used Finnish Hawk Mk.51s. BAE Systems, competing with a more advanced Hawk variant, has integrated radar and Paveway capabilities into some of its Hawk family, while South Korea’s TA-50 and the Czech L-159 already have these characteristics built in. On the other hand, reports say that the first 8 planes can be training only, allowing all contending firms to hit the 2014 target date for deliveries to begin. Only the 2nd batch of 8, delivered from 2016 on, need to have full training and combat capabilities.
Sept 6-8/10: Poland’s 18th International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO is held in Kielce. Alenia brings the M-346 to Poland for the 3rd time, and its announcements include some interesting tidbits.
The first is a tacit admission that the M346 is currently only a jet trainer: “The development of the light attack version is already under way to meet specific requirements of individual customer Air Forces.” That’s a reference to a United Arab Emirates requirement, but the UAE isn’t an M346 customer yet.
The second point of interest is their confirmation that “The M-346 has also been selected by the Republic of Singapore for its Fighter Wings Course (FWC) requirement, which aims to replace its current advanced trainers fleet.” There is no contract yet, but its status as Singapore’s preferred bidder is a sharp blow to Korea’s KAI. A contract was, in fact, signed at a later date – read “Finmeccanica’s M-346 AJT: Who’s the Master Now?” for complete coverage.
Sept 2/10: Poland’s Ministry of Defense (MON) issues its jet trainer RFP for 16 planes, plus support, related training systems like simulators; and initial training for 6 instructors, 6 pilots, and 50 ground crew. 1.45 billion zlotys (about $467 million) has been budgeted. Initial proposals are due Oct 4/10, and bids that meet the RFP’s conditions will move on to the technical negotiation stage. The next stage, once a security payment has been lodged, will be the “best and final” offer, followed by either an electronic auction for multiple bidders, or direct negotiations if there’s only one. The first 2 trainers would be due by December 2013, with all deliveries done by the end of 2015.
Closer investigation of the RFP’s requirements shows that none of the existing competitors can meet of of its requirements, but MON undersecretary of state Marcin Idzik gave an unusual response to Flight International, stating that the requirements were so far-reaching in order to give more companies the ability to bid. That can only be true if almost all of the requirements are negotiable, or if they work on a “most points” system.
Requirements like fly-by-wire are normal for modern trainers, to duplicate the fighters they lead to. On the other hand, Poland’s requirements certainly seem to indicate interest in a secondary fighter capability, including 2,000 pounds of ordnance to include GPS/laser-guided bombs and targeting pods, an internal 20mm cannon, electronic countermeasures and decoys for operations in threat environments, supersonic performance, an in-flight refueling probe, Link 16 datalink, and an AESA radar. Polish MON RP [in Polish] | Defense News | DefenseTalk re: BAE Systems | Defense Update | Flight International.
June 19/10: The Polish Air Force Academy celebrates their 85th anniversary with an air show at Deblin AB. Alenia’s M346 is invited as one of the participants. Alenia Aermacchi.
June 3/10: Defense News reports that the RFP is still several months away, but the Polish Ministry of Defense has reportedly set aside 1.45 billion zlotys (currently $431 million) for the aircraft and related infrastructure, according to Deputy Defense Minister Marcin Idzik.
Jan 14/09: Flight International reports that Poland hopes to acquire 16 lead-in fighter trainers for delivery from the third quarter of 2010, with KAI’s T-50 and Finland’s Hawk 51s as the contenders. The magazine reports that Polish officials believe the Finnish Hawks could be modified to remain in service to 2025. It adds that Poland is waiting on a firm T-50 offer from KAI, and:
“The jet trainer purchase is expected to advance no later than mid-2010 without a formal tender, due to the need to replace PZL Mielec TS-11 Iskras in use at the Polish air force academy in Deblin by 2012.”
Sept 8-11/08: Flight International reports that Poland’s air force institute of technology (ITWL) displayed the technology demonstrator for a modernised PZL Mielec TS-11F Iskra trainer at the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce.
The TS-11F replaces the Polish-made SO-3W engine with a General Electric CJ610 turbojet, strengthens the main wing spars, rebuilds cockpit structure to accommodate Martin Baker Mk 11 ejection seats, then adds modern navigation and communications equipment, plus avionics modifications that include color screen displays and head-up displays.
Oct 2-4/06: Alenia Aermacchi’s M-346 performs 8 evaluation flights at the Polish Airbase of Deblin in Poland. Alenia.
