Polish-Israeli venture unveils 'Fitter' fighter upgrade

Jane's Defence Weekly - October 10, 2001
[With thanks to ARMS TRADE NEWSWIRE]

Poland's Ministry of Defence-owned WZL-2 (Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze No. 2)
aircraft depot and Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI's) Lahav division have
unveiled an upgrade package for the Su-22M4 (NATO reporting name:
'Fitter-K') fighter-bomber.
Displayed for the first time during the 3-6 September MSPO 2001 exhibition
in Kielce, Poland, the demonstrator was prepared under the terms of a
preliminary memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by IAI and WZL-2 in Tel
Aviv in May 2001. This MoU followed initial discussions in late 1998. The
WZL-2 facility in Bydgoszcz is the primary overhaul centre for Poland's
Su-22 and MiG-29 ('Fulcrum') fighters.
The proposed upgrade covers the provision of: a new mission computer; hybrid
inertial navigation and global positioning satellite (GPS) system; Flight
Vision head-up display; two head-down displays; and hands-on throttle and
stick controls. IAI will also promote an Israeli datalink for the aircraft.
A range of modern weapons - including laser-, TV- or GPS-guided stores - can
be integrated, as could the Rafael Armament Development Authority's Litening
targeting pod and the EL/M-2032 fire-control radar with a synthetic-aperture
mapping capability supplied by IAI's Elta Electronics subsidiary for
precision-strike duties.
Weapons shown with the aircraft last month included the IAI MBT Systems
Griffin laser-guided bomb, Polish ZCh Nitro-Chem/Prexer- Projekt LBOB-100
Mokrzycko bomb and a mock-up of the Saab Bofors Dynamics RBS 15 anti-ship
missile. Poland's Prexer-Projekt company supplied adaptors for the
aircraft's hard-points.
WZL-2 officials believe they will soon receive approval to develop a flying
prototype, with its first flight planned to take place in June 2002, about
six months before deliveries should begin. A 1999 estimate put the cost of
developing two prototypes at between $18 million and $20 million. The
transfer of seven Polish aircraft to Uganda that year was expected to cover
about $8.5 million of this cost. That sale comprised six Polish Air Force
and Air Defence (Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej; WLOP) MiG-21bis
('Fishbed-L') fighters and one MiG-21UM ('Mongol-B') trainer.
The WLOP is the primary target for the new upgrade, although an earlier plan
to modernise up to 36 of its Su-22s has been put on hold. The service has,
however, agreed to donate one of its current airframes to support the
programme, which aims to upgrade 32-36 aircraft with a basic weapons package
for less than $150 million. The Polish Navy's Aviation branch could also
consider replacing its MiG-21bis fighters with a squadron of 18 Su-22M4s
capable of providing reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strike services.
The navy's MiG-21s will be withdrawn from service by 2003.
WZL-2 is already conducting a further series of improvements to the Su-22M4,
as authorised in Poland's 2001-06 defence plan, which recommends the
extension to the service lives of up to 78 WLOP Su- 22M4s for Zl 127 million
($30 million), and includes the provision of new navigation and
communication systems. The air force next year plans to replace the
aircraft's Russian R-862 with Have Quick II/Saturn-compatible radios, to be
selected from Rockwell Collins' AN/ARC-210 Talon and Raytheon's AN/ARC-232
Starblazer designs. The aircraft will also be prepared for the installation
of a Link 16 or Improved Data Modem data transfer system. The first of the
aircraft to receive a Marconi MMR Instrumented Landing System is due for
flight-testing later this month.
An IAI official described the proposed Su-22M4 enhancement as having "a very
moderate price", while being "very similar in capability to the upgraded F-4
developed [by IAI] for Turkey". Company officials project the global upgrade
market for the Su-22 at up to 200 aircraft over the next five to seven
years.