RSAF SIGINT Fokker 50???
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Is this the long suspected SIGINT Fokker 50?
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/156879/M/
Note, it has got the extra at the rear section of the fuselage and an addition receiver at the tail. No other MPAs have them I think. I don't see these antennas and receivers on 714, 715. Not sure about 716 and 717 though. -
i was wondering where did s'pore buy it's sigint plane[s]? the aircraft is a fokker but what about the "electronic equipment" inside??? or did s'pore buy the plane & built the electronic gear together themselves?
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last time the rsaf webpage published WSO job positions for F-16, E-2C and C-130. Can only guess that the C-130 WSO is for ELINT purpose.
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The receiver at the tail is present on all the MPAs including 718 and 715 which appeared at Open Hosue 98. I believe the tail unit is part of the Fokkers ESM suite, I've seen a photo caption somewhere to that effect. You're right about the lower fuselage bulges though, 718 seems to be the only one with them....Originally posted by Joe Black:Is this the long suspected SIGINT Fokker 50?
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/156879/M/
Note, it has got the extra at the rear section of the fuselage and an addition receiver at the tail. No other MPAs have them I think. I don't see these antennas and receivers on 714, 715. Not sure about 716 and 717 though.
Does this mean its the SIGINT? I don't know, your guess is as good as mine
714 photo
718 photo -
Originally posted by Viper52:
One interesting observation though. There are two fixed hardpoints near each side of the fuselage. However, most of the wing's hardpoints are hardly seen in both official photos and photos taken from airplane enthusiast.
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The receiver at the tail is present on all the MPAs including 718 and 715 which appeared at Open Hosue 98. I believe the tail unit is part of the Fokkers ESM suite, I've seen a photo caption somewhere to that effect. You're right about the lower fuselage bulges though, 718 seems to be the only one with them....
Does this mean its the SIGINT? I don't know, your guess is as good as mine
Other than air-launched Harpoons, does the MPA carry other weapons? I would assumed that it would also carry AS244/S Whitehead Torpedoes. What about other weapons like depth charges? Other kind of Torpedoes? etc? -
Probably its SOP in peacetime, after all, most pics I've seen of the Vipers and F-5s during peacetime ops (excluding Peter Steinemann's publicity shots) tend to show less than the normal complement of hardpoints, if any at all.Originally posted by Joe Black:One interesting observation though. There are two fixed hardpoints near each side of the fuselage. However, most of the wing's hardpoints are hardly seen in both official photos and photos taken from airplane enthusiast.
Other than air-launched Harpoons, does the MPA carry other weapons? I would assumed that it would also carry AS244/S Whitehead Torpedoes. What about other weapons like depth charges? Other kind of Torpedoes? etc?
Whitehead torpedoes are correct, there a Fokker photo on the net showing one of our enforcers in the delivery markings(and Dutch civil regos) carrying them. Other than that I don't know, although depth charges seem to be a holdover from another era (as opposed to guided AS torps) so thats unlikely don't you think? -
yep, you need a very large number of depth charges for any effect. . .and err, even if the Fokker can carry a torpedo, how does it locate them, does it carry sonar buoys too? and does singapore use any helicopter in a partial naval role currently? no, rite?
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Originally posted by laser51088:even if the Fokker can carry a torpedo, how does it locate them,
does it carry sonar buoys too? and does singapore use any
helicopter in a partial naval role currently? no, rite?
The current 4 Fokker50 Enforcer works very closely with RSN units.
You can say the Sqn 121 is an unofficial airwing of the Navy.
ASW role is very much the domain of the Navy, hence the RSAF
require easy & fast access to their assets and personel. This
combine-arms approach allows effective use of resource &
expertise. This cooperation is enhanced further when navy relocate
to Changi where Sqn121 is stationed
The planes tail art and sqn motto already speaks more than just
surveillance alone ---> Seek and Destroy. -
If the Fokker 50 does not have the means to detect submarines, how can it even be classified as a ASW platform??Originally posted by laser51088:yep, you need a very large number of depth charges for any effect. . .and err, even if the Fokker can carry a torpedo, how does it locate them, does it carry sonar buoys too? and does singapore use any helicopter in a partial naval role currently? no, rite?
Or is it actually a surface survelliance(sp??) and anit-ship platform with very very limited ASW role -
The Fokker 50 MPA aircrafts do have only limited ASW capabilities. It can use the FLIR to detect the diesel exhaust fumes from the snorkel, or use the maritime search radar to detect periscope masts. It they carry magnetic anomaly field detection equipments, they could also detect the submerged submarines. However, they still lack acoustic detections as they currently do not deploy sonar bouys.Originally posted by spencer99:If the Fokker 50 does not have the means to detect submarines, how can it even be classified as a ASW platform??
Or is it actually a surface survelliance(sp??) and anit-ship platform with very very limited ASW role
They are probably fed enemy submarines location by the RSN ships via datalink and fly to the proximity and drop the Torps. I cannot confirm but this would be a logic thingy to do and a common ASW tactics.