11. januar 2008. godine
Flota od 70 lovaca bombardera AMX italijanskog ratnog vazduhoplovstva prizemljena je sudskom odlukom, kao delom istrage o rušenju aviona ovog tipa koja se dogodila 2005. godine. Sumnja za krivca za rušenje pala je na defekt poklopca kabine.
Radjen u koprodukciji italijanske Alenie i brazilskog Embrarera, prvi lovac-bombarder AMX isporučen je italijanskom RV 1989. godine. Od 136 aviona koji su se nalazili u operativi, srušeno je 12, dok su 54 aviona povučena iz operative, tako da je ostalo 50 aviona koje Italija namerava da zameni avionima JSF.
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AMX brazilskog ratnog vazduhoplovstvaKompletna vest:
ROME — Italy’s active fleet of 70 AMX fighter-bomber aircraft has been grounded by a judge as part of an investigation into a 2005 crash reportedly prompted by a canopy defect.
The indefinite grounding of the fleet will continue as experts appointed by the Sardinia-based magistrate who requested the grounding push on with their investigation of the crash, although the Italian Air Force has already disputed some statistics on AMX accident rates given by the magistrate.
Prosecutor Giancarlo Moi has been probing the Oct. 20, 2005, crash of an AMX near Decimomannu in Sardinia. After the opening of the canopy in midflight, pilot Alberto Faccini was able to aim the AMX away from populated areas and at a deserted field before ejecting to safety.
In July 2006, as part of the investigation, Air Force police officials sequestered technical documents about the canopy from canopy manufacturer Aermacchi, the jet-trainer maker and unit of Finmeccanica.
“There are elements suggesting that the AMX fighters are dangerous and therefore not suitable for flight,” Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera quoted investigators saying. “The investigation continues, and we have asked for all aircraft to be grounded so that all can be checked.”
The investigators were quoted saying that the canopy fault had provoked the crash of “tens” of fighters and the death of 14 pilots, but the Air Force immediately issued a statement saying that 12 AMX fighters had been lost during a total 160,000 fleet flying hours, with the loss of five pilots. Only one aircraft loss — the 2005 crash now being investigated — involved the canopy opening, the Air Force said.
The Italian Air Force has previously grounded the fleet to resolve engine problems.
In September 2007, an AMX from the 32nd squadron at Amendola crashed during a training flight in Poland because of a bird strike. Two pilots, one Italian and one Polish, ejected safely.
An Air Force official said AMX crash rates were not higher than other NATO strike aircraft — 0.75 aircraft losses for 10,000 flight hours. That compared to 0.81 for French Jaguars, 0.62 for British Royal Air Force Jaguars, 1.2 for British Harriers and 1.02 for leased Italian F-16s.
Lower loss rates have been incurred by Italian Tornadoes and Italian MB339 aircraft, with 0.4 for both, he added.
Co-built by Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica and Brazil’s Embraer, the AMX was first delivered to the Italian Air Force in 1989. Of the 136 acquired, 12 have crashed and 54 are out of service or being retired from service, leaving an active fleet of 70 aircraft, which Italy plans to replace with the Joint Strike Fighter.
Italy flew the aircraft in missions during the Kosovo war. Military planners then eyed a possible deployment in Afghanistan, but the idea was scotched by resistance from left-wing parties within the Italian government.
The bulk of the active fleet has recently been involved in an upgrade program involving firms such as Finmeccanica unit Galileo Avionica, with the first completed aircraft appearing at last year’s Paris Air Show.
GPS navigation, Joint Direct Attack Munition armaments, improved communications and identification-friend-or-foe capabilities are being been added, while head-up capabilities have been enhanced. A crash recorder has also been added, as have precision approach capability and digital mapping.
Of the first 52 to be upgraded, 42 are single-seaters that will also get night-vision goggle capability.
The Air Force official said the upgrade also includes an audio warning to pilots should the canopy of the aircraft become loose.
