The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a
light attack jet and advanced
jet trainer
A jet trainer is a jet aircraft for use as a trainer, whether for basic or advanced flight training. Jet trainers are either custom designs or modifications of existing aircraft. With the introduction of military jet-powered aircraft towards the e ...
co-manufactured by
Dassault Aviation of France and
Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany. It was developed specifically to perform trainer and light attack missions, as well as to perform these duties more ideally than the first generation of jet trainers that preceded it. Following a competition, a design submitted by a team comprising
Breguet Aviation Breguet or Bréguet may refer to:
* Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer
**Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker
** Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work
* Brégue ...
, Dassault Aviation, and Dornier Flugzeugwerke, initially designated as the ''TA501'', was selected and subsequently produced as the Alpha Jet.
Both the
French Air Force and
German Air Force procured the Alpha Jet in large numbers, the former principally as a trainer aircraft and the latter choosing to use it as a light attack platform. As a result of post-
Cold War military cutbacks, Germany elected to retire its own fleet of Alpha Jets in the 1990s and has re-sold many of these aircraft to both military and civilian operators. The Alpha Jet has been adopted by a number of air forces across the world and has also seen active combat use by some of these operators.
Development
Origins
![Alpha Jet - Red Bull - ILA2002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Alpha_Jet_-_Red_Bull_-_ILA2002.jpg)
In the early 1960s, European air forces began to consider their requirements for the coming decades. One such area of consideration was the requirement for a new generation of jet-powered trainer aircraft to replace such aircraft as the US-built
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
and French-built
Fouga Magister
Fouga (also known as Air Fouga) was a French manufacturing company established by Gaston Fouga at Béziers during 1920. Originally specialising in the repair of railway rolling stock, the firm eventually became most noted for the aircraft it p ...
. Britain and France established a collaborative program to pursue development of what was initially intended to become a
supersonic jet aircraft. This aircraft was to be produced in two distinct variants for different roles: trainer and
light attack aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pr ...
. The result of this collaboration, the
SEPECAT Jaguar, proved to be an excellent aircraft, but its definition had changed in the interim, and the type emerged as a full-sized, nuclear-capable
strike fighter, whose two-seat variants were used for operational conversion to the type. As such, the Jaguar was not well suited for the general training mission.
["Alpha Jet."](_blank)
''Dassault.'' Retrieved: 30 December 2012.
This left the original requirement unfulfilled; as a result of this outcome, in 1967, France entered into a series of discussions with West Germany on the topic of a prospective collaboration effort to meet this demand.
[Kocs 1995, p. 112.] West Germany was keen to participate in such talks, having long held an interest in conducting joint training operations with France along with a desire for strengthening positive political relations between the two nations. France also valued military cooperation with West Germany, wanting to break a perceived German ideological preference for American aircraft.
[Kocs 1995, p. 113.] In 1968, a joint specification was produced out of these talks. One substantial change to the requirements was that the sought trainer was now specified to be subsonic, supersonic trainer aircraft having proven to be superfluous to practical requirements. In July 1969, a joint development and production agreement was signed between West Germany and France; under the terms of this agreement, the two nations committed to purchasing 200 aircraft, these being domestically assembled in each of their own countries.
At one point, both the German government and the German Air Force had been keen to relocate pilot training activities from the United States to France as part of the project. In 1971, however, this was abandoned over fears of a hostile US reaction and West Germany's offset obligations to the United States making such a move unpalatable. While the joint Franco-German training proposal was abandoned, the German government felt obligated to proceed with the aircraft program; at the time, Germany did not require a new trainer aircraft, but it did have a need for a replacement for its fleet of
Fiat G.91 attack aircraft. Accordingly, Germany proposed that the aircraft be built in two distinct versions, as an inexpensive trainer for the French requirement, and as a
close air support platform for the German requirement; this position was accepted by France. An initial point of contention whether to use a French or American powerplant for the aircraft was also settled, with France agreeing to solely finance the development of the French-built Larzac engine while Germany agreed to adopt the same powerplant.
[Lambert 1974, p. 264.]
A total of three groups of manufacturers produced proposals in response to the requirement; these were Dassault, Breguet and Dornier submitted the "TA501", which had been developed through a merger of the Breguet 126 and Dornier P.375 concepts, VFW-Fokker submitted their "VFT-291" aircraft, while SNIAS/MBB submitted the "E.650 Eurotrainer".
[Braybrook 1984, p. 270.] Each of these proposals were to be powered by twin
SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac
The SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac is a military turbofan manufactured by GRTS (Groupement Turbomeca-SNECMA),Gunston 1989, p.172. a consortium between the two French companies, SNECMA and Turbomeca. Its main application was on the Dassault/Dornier Alph ...
turbofan
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...
engines.
The German Air Force had insisted that the trainer have two engines after having suffered from severe aircraft attrition rates due to the high accident rate of the single-engine
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...
.
Into production
![Patrouille-de-france-alpha-jet-dessous](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Patrouille-de-france-alpha-jet-dessous.jpg)
On 23 July 1970, the Breguet-Dassault-Dornier TA501 was declared the winner of the competition. In February 1971, the project definition phase was formally completed and the integrated design team was formally set up at
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest tow ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, France; that same month, a join Franco-German protocol was signed, launching the construction of four prototypes.
[Lambert 1974, p. 265.] In February 1972, the approval to proceed with full development was issued.
In May 1972, the first project meeting was held in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
, at which the order for the four prototypes was formally placed. By November 1972, the project had passed its first mock-up review.
Dassault was designated as the 'pilot' company for the project and possessed final authority on design and management decisions, this approach to project management has been claimed to have been a mostly efficient manner of running the program.
[Kocs 1995, p. 115.]
Two prototypes were to be built by Dassault in France (Dassault having bought out Breguet in the meantime) and a further two were to be built by Dornier in Germany. On 26 October 1973, the first French prototype performed its first flight at
Istres
Istres (; Occitan: Istre) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture.
Location
...
,
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
; on 9 January 1974, the first German prototype conducted its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alw ...
from
Oberpfaffenhofen
Oberpfaffenhofen is a village that is part of the municipality of Weßling in the district of Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is located about from the city center of Munich.
Village
The village is home to the Oberpfaffenhofen Airport and a m ...
,
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
. The remaining two prototypes were in the air before the end of 1974.
The first and second prototypes were used to explore the aircraft's
flight envelope
In aerodynamics, the flight envelope, service envelope, or performance envelope of an aircraft or spacecraft refers to the capabilities of a design in terms of airspeed and load factor or atmospheric density, often simplified to altitude. The t ...
, the third prototype was fitted with the French trainer equipment fit and the fourth with the German close air support equipment.
The prototypes were equipped with recording and
telemetry
Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', "remote", an ...
equipment packages, allowing for instrumentation readings and other useful data to be received on the ground in real time during test flights.
Manufacture of Alpha Jet sub-assemblies was divided between France (Dassault), Germany (Dornier) and Belgium (
SABCA), each country performing final assembly and checkout of the type in separate facilities. Dassault hosted the largest of these three assembly lines, typically producing 13 aircraft per month to meet the needs of French and export customers, it was reportedly capable of a maximum output of 15 Alpha Jets per month; the Dornier final assembly line typically maintained a maximum rate of six aircraft per month.
In contrast to the final assembly arrangements, none of the three sources duplicated the manufacture of any component: Dassault-Breguet produced the front and center fuselage, Dornier constructed the wing, tail and rear fuselage, while SABCA manufactured the nose and
flaps of the aircraft.
["Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 8 November 1978. p. 1882. A total of 4,500 people were employed in the manufacturing of the Alpha Jet in Germany, an equal number in France also worked on the programme.
''Flight International'', 1 May 1976. p. 1148.
Both Belgium and Egypt, who were early export customers for the Alpha Jet, domestically performed the final assembly of their French-configuration Alpha Jet E aircraft. On 17 September 1978, Dassault and the
Arab Organization for Industrialization
The Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) ( ar, الهيئة العربية للتصنيع) is an Egypt-based Arab military organization established in 1975 by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar to supervise the collecti ...
(AOI) signed a
license manufacturing agreement for the Alpha Jet; Egyptian assembly work was carried out in a facility in
Helwan,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.
In July 1978, Dassault signed an agreement with American aircraft manufacture
Lockheed to market the Alpha Jet in the US market, the arrangement included provisions for Lockheed to manufacture the Alpha Jet under license. It was considered as a candidate for the US Navy's VTXTS advanced trainer program (eventually won by the
McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) T-45 Goshawk is a highly modified version of the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft. Manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) and British Aerospace (now BAE Systems), the T-45 is u ...
, a modified version of the
Hawker Siddeley Hawk); proposed modifications included undercarriage changes for nose-tow catapults and a stronger arrestor hook, as well as various US-sourced avionics and other equipment.
On 4 November 1977, the first production aircraft made its first flight.
In September 1978, deliveries of production Alpha Jets formally commenced.
The four prototypes remained in service as flying testbeds, being used for further development of the type such as to evaluate a
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
graphite-epoxy wing and improved versions of the Larzac engine.
Prototype 01 was specifically used early on to support the development of the Larzac engine.
The different avionics fit makes French and German Alpha Jets relatively easy to visually distinguish the two, with French planes featuring a rounded-off nose and German ones featuring a sharp, pointed nose.
Further development
In 1980, work began on an "Alternate Close Support" version of the Alpha Jet, featuring a SAGEM ULISS 81 INS, a Thomson-CSF VE-110 HUD, a TMV630 laser rangefinder in a modified nose and a TRT AHV 9 radio altimeter, with all avionics linked through a digital databus. Initial flight was on 9 April 1982. Cameroon obtained seven (some sources claim 6) and Egypt obtained 15. As with the original Egyptian order for MS1 machines, Dassault provided four such machines under the designation of ''MS2'' and AOI of Egypt assembled the other eleven from knockdown kits.
The ''Alpha Jet 2'', originally the ''Alpha Jet NGEA'' (''Nouvelle Generation Appui/Ecole'' or "New Generation Attack/Training") was a proposed development of the Alpha Jet. It featured the basic avionics of the MS2 plus compatibility with the advanced French
Matra Magic 2 AAMs and the more powerful Larzac 04-C20 turbofans refitted to Luftwaffe Alpha Jet A aircraft. Some of the aircraft's new avionics were derived from the
Dassault Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''A ...
fighter.
In 1982, it was claimed that the Alpha Jet NGEA was the "only existing aircraft in its category featuring a completely integrated digital navigation and attack system".
While no new-build aircraft were produced of this variant, existing Egyptian Alpha Jets were reportedly upgraded to a similar standard.
A single prototype was flown, presumably a modification of one of the original Alpha Jet prototypes. In September 1982, this aircraft made its first public appearance at the
Farnborough Airshow
The Farnborough Airshow, officially the Farnborough International Airshow, is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors. Since its fir ...
.
["New Generation Alpha Jet First Public Appearance."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 4 September 1982. p. 657.
![Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Dassault-Dornier_Alpha_Jet_A.jpg)
Another proposed variant was the ''Alpha Jet 3 Advanced Training System'', at one point given the title of "Lancier". This proposal was intended to perform all-weather ground attack operations, as well as to perform
anti-shipping and anti-
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
missions.
Featured many of the same systems as the ''Alpha Jet 2'', it also was to be equipped with twin cockpit multifunction displays (MFDs) and potential carriage of AGAVE or Anemone radar, a
forward-looking infrared
Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation.
The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
(FLIR) imager, a laser targeting system and a modern countermeasures suite.
A prototype was also flown, again presumably an upgrade of an original Alpha Jet prototype.
In June 1985, Dornier announced that it was studying its own third generation Alpha Jet upgrade program, independent of Dassault. This proposed upgrade involved substantial avionics upgrades and
man-machine interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fr ...
alterations, such as the addition of multiple
head-up display
A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...
s (HUDs) to allow instructors to view what students are viewing, with the aim of being more suited for the sophisticated requirements of modern and impending fighter aircraft; Dornier had judged the Alpha Jet's airframe itself to have been suitable without modification for future market needs.
In September 1988, Dassault revealed that it had proposed a navalised variant of the Alpha Jet as a carrier-based trainer to the
French Naval Aviation
French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: ''Aéronavale'' (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or ''Aviation navale'', or more simply ''l'Aéro'') is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is ' ...
as a replacement for their
Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr and
Dassault Étendard IV
The Dassault Étendard IV is a transonic carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. It is the first indigenously designed carrier-capable jet aircraft to be produced in France. ...
fleets.
Designated ''Alpha Jet Maritime 3'', it was promoted as having been fully navalised and fitted with the avionics intended for the ''Alpha Jet 3 Advanced Training System'' to give it compatibility with the upcoming next generation of carrier fighter aircraft. Carrier adaptions included the addition of an
arrestor hook
A tailhook, arresting hook, or arrester hook is a device attached to the empennage (rear) of some military fixed-wing aircraft. The hook is used to achieve rapid deceleration during routine landings aboard aircraft carrier flight decks at s ...
as well as a strengthened
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
and undercarriage.
Design
![Alpha Jet Repair HDR (7380494872)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Alpha_Jet_Repair_HDR_%287380494872%29.jpg)
The Alpha Jet is a light twin-engine aircraft equipped with an intentionally simple airframe despite the performance delivered. Both the
leading edge
The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...
s and air intakes are fixed; while the
aerodynamic
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
shape of the aircraft, which was developed with the aid of
computer aided design (CAD), conforms with the
area rule.
[Lambert 1974, p. 266.] Fully powered controls are used, comprising a dual-
hydraulic
Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...
systems and load-factor limited dynamic feel system arrangement attached to conventional
flight control surfaces
Aircraft flight control surfaces are aerodynamic devices allowing a pilot to adjust and control the aircraft's flight attitude.
Development of an effective set of flight control surfaces was a critical advance in the development of aircraft. Ea ...
.
The cockpit is
pressurised for greater comfort during training. The Alpha Jet is designed to accommodate ten-minute turn around times with minimal ground equipment, using features such as pressurised single-point refueling, ladder-less entry/exit of the cockpit, and a ten-hour endurance of the
liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an app ...
system.
The Alpha Jet was designed to perform a diverse range of roles. The principal users of the type, Germany and France, operated their Alpha Jets in different capacities, the former as a
ground attack
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
platform and the latter as a
trainer aircraft
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...
.
Beyond performing different roles, the Alpha Jet fleets of France and Germany noticeably differed in their specification and equipment; German aircraft were fitted with a more extensive weapon-aiming system, a different fuel system, a
yaw damper
A yaw damper (sometimes referred to as a stability augmentation system) is a system used to reduce (or damp) the undesirable tendencies of an aircraft to oscillate in a repetitive rolling and yawing motion, a phenomenon known as the Dutch roll. ...
, different
brakes, nosewheel steering, an
arrester hook, and Stencel
ejector seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket ...
s in place of
Martin-Baker
Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited is a British manufacturer of ejection seats and safety-related equipment for aviation. The company's origins were originally as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection s ...
.
According to aerospace publication
Flight International
''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's old ...
, the majority of the specialised equipment used on the ground attack-orientated variant of the Alpha Jet was provided by German firms. In addition to the ground attack role, the Luftwaffe also employed the Alpha Jet in the
electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...
(ECM) and
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of i ...
roles; for the latter purpose, a reconnaissance pod could be fitted upon the port
hardpoint.
The Alpha Jet is powered by a pair of
SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac
The SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac is a military turbofan manufactured by GRTS (Groupement Turbomeca-SNECMA),Gunston 1989, p.172. a consortium between the two French companies, SNECMA and Turbomeca. Its main application was on the Dassault/Dornier Alph ...
turbofan
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...
engines. It is a low bypass-ratio, twin-spool engine that uses modular construction methods.
The Larzac was a new engine at the time, having only performed its first run a year prior to being selected to power the Alpha Jet. The need for greater thrust to power the aircraft than the original model of the engine could generate led to the development and adoption of the 2,970 lb ''Larzac 04'' in February 1972; it was this version of the engine that initially powered the Alpha Jet.
[Fulton, Ken]
"Power for the Alpha Jet."
''Flight International'', 8 February 1974. p. 268. Germany was interested in powering the type with the
General Electric J85
The General Electric J85 is a small single-shaft turbojet engine. Military versions produce up to of thrust dry; afterburning variants can reach up to . The engine, depending upon additional equipment and specific model, weighs from . It is on ...
, but France objected to the use of an American engine which would result in US export restrictions upon the overall aircraft and agreed to assume the cost of developing the French-built Larzac.
[Kocs 1995, p. 114.] During the 1980s, an upgraded model of the Larzac engine which increased the thrust by 10 per cent was developed.
The avionics of the original version of the Alpha Jet were of an austere nature, partly to make it a simple and easily exportable aircraft.
The basic type lacked features such as an
autopilot
An autopilot is a system used to control the path of an aircraft, marine craft or spacecraft without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator' ...
,
inertial navigation
An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors ( accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity ...
, or a
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
.
Later upgrade programs would typically focus on the addition of a
glass cockpit and other avionics systems. The Luftwaffe's Alpha Jets were equipped with additional avionics for the attack role, such as a
Doppler radar
A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that uses the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by bouncing a microwave signal off a desired target and analyzing how the object's motion has altered the fr ...
and additional
hardpoints.
During the 1970s, Dornier claimed that the Alpha Jet outperformed aircraft used as the
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and B ...
,
LTV A-7 Corsair II
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
, and
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in the
close air support role; the firms specifically stated that the Alpha Jet was smaller, faster, less vulnerable, more maneuverable, cheaper and had higher all-round performance than the A-10.
According to aerospace publication
Flight International
''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's old ...
, the Alpha Jet was more complex than competing second generation trainer aircraft, required seven
man hour
A man-hour (sometimes referred to as person-hour) is the amount of work performed by the average worker in one hour. It is used for estimation of the total amount of uninterrupted labor required to perform a task. For example, researching and wr ...
s of maintenance for every flight hour.
Nearly 5,000lb of munitions and equipment may be carried upon a total of five hardpoints, four of these being located upon the wings and a single one at the centerline on the lower fuselage.
In an armed configuration, a
gun pod
A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns, autocannons, revolver cannons, or rotary cannons and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns.
Descriptio ...
containing a 30 mm
DEFA cannon (as installed on French aircraft) or 27 mm
Mauser BK-27
The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (German abbreviation for ''Bordkanone'', "on-board cannon") is a caliber revolver cannon manufactured by Mauser (now part of Rheinmetall) of Germany. It was developed in the late 1960s for the MRCA (Multi Role Comba ...
cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
(as installed on German aircraft) would typically be installed upon the centerline hard point.
Operational history
France
![French Air Force Alpha Jet E](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/French_Air_Force_Alpha_Jet_E.jpg)
The
French Air Force decided to use the Alpha Jet primarily as a trainer.
On 4 November 1977, the first production Alpha Jet intended for French service conducted its first flight.
[Taylor 1982, p. 105.] The French variant was known as the ''Alpha Jet E'' (the "E" standing for ''Ecole'',
French for "School") or ''Alpha Jet Advanced Trainer/Light Attack'' aircraft. The initial deliveries to France for service trials took place in 1978, lead to the type being introduced to line service in May 1979. The Alpha Jet E quickly replaced the
Canadair T-33
The Canadair CT-133 Silver Star (company model number CL-30) is the Canadian license-built version of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer aircraft, in service from the 1950s to 2005. The Canadian version was powered by the Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turboj ...
and
Fouga Magister
Fouga (also known as Air Fouga) was a French manufacturing company established by Gaston Fouga at Béziers during 1920. Originally specialising in the repair of railway rolling stock, the firm eventually became most noted for the aircraft it p ...
in jet trainer role, as well as the
Dassault Mystère IV
The Dassault MD.454 Mystère IV is a 1950s French fighter-bomber aircraft, the first transonic aircraft to enter service with the French Air Force. It was used in large-scale combat in the Israeli Air Force during the 1967 Six Day War.
Design a ...
A in its weapons training capacity.
["Alpha Jet."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 4 November 1978. p. 1649.
![French Alpha Jet 1988](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/French_Alpha_Jet_1988.jpg)
The ''
Patrouille de France
), 1st Commandant of the Patrouille de France as of the official Aerial presentation on 14 September 1953, Commander of the 13th Aerial Brigade, World War II Veteran with 165 war missions.
, identification_symbol=
, identification_symbol_lab ...
'', air demonstration team of the French Air Force, fly the Alpha Jet.
[Braybrook 1984, pp. 275–276.] A total of 176 production Alpha Jet E machines were delivered up to 1985, not the 200 that had been planned. While an excellent aircraft, French air force commanders of combat units did have one complaint against the Alpha Jet, in that it was a very forgiving aircraft to fly, resulting in a lengthier and steeper learning curve when assigned to fly combat aircraft which were not so forgiving.
During the early 1990s, the French Air Force investigated the ''Alpha Jet 3'' program, which involved installing a fully digital cockpit, modernised communications suite, and a full navigation/attack and sensor training system; it was ultimately abandoned as being too expensive.
In 1998, France's defence ministry examined prospective upgrades focused on the Alpha Jet's cockpit, such as the installation of a new
Head-Up Display
A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...
(HUD) and multifunction displays.
["France studies Alpha Jet life extension."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 21 October 1998. In June 2003, Dassault revealed its plans for an Alpha Jet upgrade to potentially meet the French Air Force's long term training requirements. This upgrade was similar to that which was performed for the Belgian Air Force's Alpha Jet fleet, involving the installation of a
glass cockpit, increasing cockpit compatibility with frontline aircraft such as the
Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range ...
and
Dassault Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''A ...
, as well as a structural overhaul.
In September 2014,
Direction générale de l'armement
The Direction générale de l’armement (DGA; English: Directorate General of Armaments), is the French Government Defence procurement and technology agency responsible for project management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the Fr ...
(DGA) and French Air Force officials were reportedly investigating the
Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master
The Aermacchi M-346 Master is a family of military twin-engine transonic advanced jet trainers and light combat aircraft. Originally co-developed with Yakovlev as the Yak/AEM-130, the partnership was dissolved in 2000 and then Alenia Aermacch ...
as a replacement for the Alpha Jet;
Alenia Aermacchi
Alenia Aermacchi was a company active in the aeronautics sector, with offices and plants in Venegono Superiore, Varese, Turin Airport in San Maurizio Canavese, Province of Turin and Pomigliano d'Arco, Province of Naples. From 1 January 2016, ...
claimed that France was interested in procuring 35 M-346s in this capacity. In April 2015, the DGA issued an initial pre-solicitation request for a replacement trainer aircraft; likely candidates for this requirement reportedly include the M-346 Master,
Aero L-39 Albatros
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer designed and produced in Czechoslovakia by Aero Vodochody. It is the most widely used jet trainer in the world; in addition to performing basic and advanced pilot training, it has also flo ...
,
Beechcraft T-6 Texan II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company ( Textron Aviation since 2014). A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 has replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna ...
and
Pilatus PC-21
The Pilatus PC-21 is a turboprop-powered advanced trainer with a stepped tandem cockpit. It is manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.
Development
In November 1997 Pilatus flew a modified PC-7 Mk.II in order to test improvements for a ...
. The PC-21 was introduced in 2018.
Germany
![Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet A, Germany - Air Force AN1990606](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Dassault-Dornier_Alpha_Jet_A%2C_Germany_-_Air_Force_AN1990606.jpg)
The Luftwaffe decided to use the Alpha Jet mainly in the light strike role, preferring to continue flight training in the southwestern United States on American trainer types instead of performing training in Germany, although Germany also used Alpha Jets based at
Beja, Portugal for weapons training.
[Braybrook 1984, pp. 270, 276.] On 12 April 1978, the first production German Alpha Jet performed its maiden flight, deliveries commenced in March 1979. It was designated the ''Alpha Jet A'' (the "A" standing for ''Appui Tactique'' or "Tactical Support") or ''Alpha Jet Close Support'' variant.
The Luftwaffe obtained a total of 175 aircraft up to 1983, the type was used to replace the
Fiat G91R/3 fleet.
In 1985, Germany began a comprehensive upgrade program, known as the ''Improved Combat Efficiency'' (ICE) program, for their Alpha Jet fleet; these upgrades were to involve the installation of a
Mil Spec 1553B databus, new sensors integrated with the navigation/attack systems, modernized electronic countermeasures suite, measures to minimize the aircraft's radar and infrared signatures, protection measures around the fuel system, and new armaments such as the
AGM-65 Maverick
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, ...
. In 1988, it was announced that the ICE program has been cancelled.
["Dassault-Breguet Dornier Alpha Jet."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 19 August 1989. p. 38. A more austere upgrade program did proceed in its place, which integrated the
AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missile and navigation computer upgrades, along with several minor airframe and equipment refinements, such as the addition of a jettisonable
gun pod
A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns, autocannons, revolver cannons, or rotary cannons and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns.
Descriptio ...
.
["Dassault-Breguet Dornier Alpha Jet."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 13 August 1988. p. 36.
In 1992, the Luftwaffe began to phase out their Alpha Jet A aircraft, reserving 45 for lead-in fighter training. In 1993, a total of 50 were passed on to Portugal to replace the
Northrop T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first, and the most produced, supersonic trainer. The T-38 remains in service in several air forces.
The United States Air Force (USAF) operates the most ...
and
Fiat G.91 fleets, with five of these used for spares.
[Sijger 1994, pp. 128–129.] The rest of the Luftwaffe's Alpha Jets were gradually phased out, the last leaving service in 1998, and customers were sought to buy them. In October 1995, the German military offered 42 Alpha Jets to Poland for 143 million PLN. In 1999, 25 Alpha Jets were sold to Thailand at 1 million baht ($27,000) each, replacing the
North American OV-10 Bronco
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a f ...
in the border patrol role;
["Thailand wants F-16s and shrinks Alpha Jet plan."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 11 August 1999. while the British
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) was a part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) between 1995 and 2 July 2001. At the time it was the United Kingdom's largest science and technology organisation. It was regarded by its official h ...
obtained 12 as chase aircraft and flight test platforms due to a shortage in available
BAE Systems Hawk aircraft for the role.
Germany was keen to sell the retired Alpha Jets quickly since they were reported as costing around DM100,000 ($55,000) to keep in storage each month.
Fairchild-Dornier received a US$43 million contract to refurbish a number of the aircraft and provide support to the end users. Apparently 32 more, including two spares hulks, were sold to the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
, though details are unclear. Several were also sold to private owners, such as those used by the Austrian-based ''Flying Bulls'' flight demonstration team, which flies a range of classic aircraft.
["Alpha Jet."](_blank)
''The Flying Bulls'', Retrieved: 30 May 2016.
Nigeria
![Nigerian Air Force Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet Iwelumo-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Nigerian_Air_Force_Dassault-Dornier_Alpha_Jet_Iwelumo-2.jpg)
In 1990, four Alpha Jets of the
Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese ...
were deployed in support of
Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group
The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOMOG was a formal arrangement for separate armies to work ...
(ECOMOG) forces stationed in
Liberia, which were engaged in combat with the
National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) following an international intervention in the
Liberian Civil War. In a series of strikes, these aircraft targeted and launched successful attacks upon
Charles Taylor's HQ, rebel convoys and shipping, and gun emplacements at
Roberts International Airport; the results of their intervention was judged by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' to have given ECOMOG forces a decisive advantage in fire power.
In 1992, six Nigerian Alpha Jets were placed directly under ECOMOG command, and employed against the NPLF in an extensive campaign of air strikes, road interdictions missions, anti-shipping sorties, and night raids (a task which the Alpha Jet was not normally equipped to perform). They were even employed to deny access to key bridges in order to give ECOMOG ground forces time to capture them before they were sabotaged. In total, Alpha Jets flew approximately 3,000 combat missions in support of ECOMOG, sustaining no losses but incurring some damage from anti-aircraft artillery.
In 2013, Nigeria began taking steps to bring its Alpha Jet fleet back into service, upgrading 13 of the original 24 into serviceable condition, due to an urgent need for strike aircraft to participate in air support missions for
counterinsurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionari ...
operations against
Boko Haram. In March 2016, Nigerian car manufacturer
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (commonly shortened to IVM) is a Nigerian automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nnewi, Anambra, Nigeria. It was founded by Chief Innocent Chukwuma Nwala. Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing is nicknamed Pride O ...
(IVM) signed a supply agreement with the Nigerian Air Force to produce components and various spare parts for the Alpha Jet. In 2015, Nigeria ordered four additional aircraft from the United States; these aircraft had been de-militarized and prepared for civilian operations, however Nigeria had reportedly returned two of these to an unspecified armed configuration by early 2016.
The restored Alpha Jet force has been routinely employed in combat air patrols, and has conducted multiple air strikes against Boko Haram militants over a number of years. In September 2014, multiple Alpha Jets conducted a large number of aerial bombardment missions over and around the area of
Bama
Bama or BAMA may refer to:
Places
* Bama, shortened form of Alabama, a state of the United States of America
** The University of Alabama, the public university serving the state, often known as simply ''Bama''
* Bama, one of the colloquial Burm ...
,
Borno State, during the fight to regain the city following the withdrawal of friendly ground forces. In early October 2014, Boko Haram released a video containing the
decapitation of who they claimed was a captured Nigerian Air Force pilot of a downed Alpha Jet. In March 2016, attacks performed by Nigerian Alpha Jets had reportedly dislodged Boko Haram fighters from
Sambisa Forest
The Sambisa Forest is a forest in Borno State, northeast Nigeria. It is in the southwestern part of Chad Basin National Park, about 60km southeast of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. It has an area of 518 km².
Geography
The Sambisa fore ...
,
Borno State.
On 31 March 2021, a Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet (NAF475) went missing near
Borno State in northeastern Nigeria while carrying out air support for Nigerian troops fighting against Boko Haram, both pilots were missing, presumed dead. A video was released claiming to show the jet being shot down, however the video was evidently doctored including previous clips from Syria. The Nigerian Air Force attributed the crash to an accident, pending further investigation. However the video showed Boko Haram fighters at the crash site and remains of the pilots.
On 18 July 2021, in a rare occurrence of a military jet downed by a criminal organization, an Alpha jet was shot down after conducting an interdiction mission on the border of the states of Zamfara and Kaduna against criminal gangs. The military blamed intense fire from armed gangs for the shoot down. The pilot ejected and returned to an Army base, after evading capture.
Belgium
![Belgium Air Force Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet 1B Lofting-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Belgium_Air_Force_Dassault-Dornier_Alpha_Jet_1B_Lofting-1.jpg)
On 13 September 1973, the Belgian defence minister announced that 33 Alpha Jets had been ordered in two batches of 16 and 17 aircraft.
These aircraft were given the designation ''Alpha Jet 1B'', the assembly work being performed by Belgian aircraft manufacturer
SABCA. Deliveries took place between 1978 and 1980.
By April 1981, the Belgian Air Force had reportedly accumulated 10,000 flight hours on their 33 Alpha Jets during training operations.
The introduction of the Alpha Jet led to the retirement of Belgium's
Fouga CM.170 Magister fleet; changes to the training syllabus included the adoption of a new discipline, ''combined flight'', as well as a greater use of
flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...
s.
["Belgian Air Force Alpha Jet training."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 18 April 1981. p. 1109.
During the late 1990s and 2000s, SABCA performed a number of upgrades on the Belgian aircraft to the ''Alpha Jet 1B+'' configuration; improvements made included the addition of a laser-gyro
inertial navigation
An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors ( accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity ...
system, a
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
receiver, a
HUD
Hud or HUD may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman
* ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film
* ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program
Places
* Hud, Fa ...
in the front cockpit and a HUD repeater in the rear, a video recorder and other more minor improvements. In 2000, the initial Alpha Jet 1B+ was re-delivered to the Belgian Air Force.
The Alpha Jet was phased out in 2019. The next year 25 airframes and several spare parts were sold to the Canadian company
Top Aces which provides adversary air combat trainin
Top Aces acquires 25 Belgian Air Force Alpha Jets
Egypt
On 17 September 1978, Dassault and the
Arab Organization for Industrialization
The Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) ( ar, الهيئة العربية للتصنيع) is an Egypt-based Arab military organization established in 1975 by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar to supervise the collecti ...
(AOI) signed a license manufacturing agreement for the Alpha Jet; at the time, it was projected that up to 160 Alpha Jets would be domestically produced in
Helwan,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.
Shortly thereafter, Egypt placed an initial order for 30 aircraft, designated ''Alpha Jet MS1'', which were to a standard trainer configuration. Four complete aircraft were directly supplied from Dassault's facility in France, while the remaining 26 of the order were domestically assembled in Egypt using knockdown kits by AOI.
["Egypt rolls out Gazelle and receives Alpha Jets."](_blank)
''Flight International'', 10 December 1983, p. 1518.
During the early 1980s, an additional 15 aircraft, designated ''Alpha Jet MS2'', were ordered. The Alpha Jet MS2 bore high levels of similarity to Dassault's proposed ''Alpha Jet NGEA'', featuring a
Sagem-built Uliss 81 nav/attack system, a
Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialized in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon the aerospace and defence sectors of the market.
Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merger of Thomson-Houst ...
-built laser
rangefinder
A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, such as photography an ...
and HUD, along with a digital multiplex
databus.
The Egyptian Air Force used the Alpha Jet MS1 fleet to replace the
Aero L-29 Delfín
The Aero L-29 Delfín ( en, Dolphin, NATO reporting name: Maya) is a military jet trainer developed and manufactured by Czechoslovakian aviation manufacturer Aero Vodochody. It is the country's first locally designed and constructed jet airc ...
and
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 in the trainer role, while the later-built MS2 standard aircraft served to replace the
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 ...
in the ground-attack role.
In February 2000, Egypt was reportedly seeking to replace their Alpha Jet fleet, and was investigating several options, including the
BAE Systems Hawk.
Civilian service
![Alphajet-N88XA-071206-02-12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Alphajet-N88XA-071206-02-12.jpg)
Swiss firm
RUAG Aviation offers full support services for the Alpha Jet in cooperation with Dassault Aviation; services provided includes recommissioning, servicing, inspections, system upgrades integration work, along with technical and logistic support. Abbatare Inc. of
Arlington, Washington
Arlington is a city in northern Snohomish County, Washington, United States, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The city lies on the Stillaguamish River in the western foothills of the Cascade Range, adjacent to the city of Marysville. It i ...
, under the name of "Alpha Jets USA", has imported a number of Alpha Jets into the United States, the firm modifies and sells individual aircraft in the civilian market.
Canadian aviation specialist
Top Aces operates a fleet of
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed a ...
s and Alpha Jets as adversary aircraft in air combat training exercises; these are often operated under contract for various military clients. Multiple civil aerial display teams have procured Alpha Jets, such as the ''Flying Bulls'' and ''Mustang High Flight Aerobatics'' teams.
H211, a private company which manages the planes owned and leased by
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
execs
Larry Page
Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American business magnate, computer scientist and internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin.
Page was the chief executive officer of Google from 1997 unti ...
,
Sergey Brin
Sergey Mikhailovich Brin (russian: link=no, Сергей Михайлович Брин; born August 21, 1973) is an American business magnate, computer scientist, and internet entrepreneur, who co-founded Google with Larry Page. Brin was th ...
, and
Eric Schmidt, operates a single Alpha Jet, based at
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
's
Ames Research Center
The Ames Research Center (ARC), also known as NASA Ames, is a major NASA research center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) labo ...
in Mountain View, California. It is reportedly equipped with scientific instrumentation and used for research purposes.
Commencing in the third quarter of 2017, Air Affairs Australia and
Discovery Air will provide three Alpha Jets to the
Australian Defence Force for
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...
attack controller training and anti-surface training (simulating sea-skimming missiles) for the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
. They will be based at
RAAF Base Williamtown.
Others
![Alphajet rtaf analayo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Alphajet_rtaf_analayo.jpg)
Considerable foreign sales were expected for the Alpha Jet, with the type becoming available before its main rival, the United Kingdom's
BAE Systems Hawk. The two types, being relatively similar in role and specifications, ended up competing for many of the same contracts. This competition led to an aviation commentator stating of the two aircraft:
Several other nations also obtained the Alpha Jet E, including the Ivory Coast (seven aircraft), Morocco (24), Nigeria (24), Qatar (six) and Togo (five). All of these machines were from French production except for the 24 Nigerian aircraft, which were from German production.
Between 1979 and 1981, the
Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الملكية; ber, Adwas ujenna ageldan; french: Forces Royales Air) is the air force of the Moroccan Armed Forces.
History
The Moroccan air force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the ...
received 24 Alpha Jets which were organized into a training squadron and a
COIN
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
squadron both based in
Meknes
Meknes ( ar, مكناس, maknās, ; ber, ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas; french: Meknès) is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in northern central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th c ...
. Alpha Jets were employed in strike missions against the
Polisario Front
The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس ...
during the
Western Sahara War
The Western Sahara War ( ar, حرب الصحراء الغربية, french: Guerre du Sahara occidental, es, Guerra del Sahara Occidental) was an armed struggle between the Sahrawi indigenous Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991 (an ...
, one of their number being shot down in December, 1985.
Variants
![AlphaJet-e47](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/AlphaJet-e47.jpg)
* : Attack version originally used by Germany.
* Alpha Jet E: Trainer version originally used by France and Belgium.
* Alpha Jet 2: Development of the Alpha Jet E optimized for ground attack. This version was originally named the ''Alpha Jet NGAE'' (''Nouvelle Generation Appui/Ecole'' or "New Generation Attack/Training"),
* Alpha Jet MS1: Close support-capable version assembled in Egypt.
* Alpha Jet MS2: Improved version with new avionics, an uprated engine, Magic Air-to-Air missiles, and a Lancier
glass cockpit.
* Alpha Jet ATS (Advanced Training System): A version fitted with multi-functional controls and a glass cockpit that will train pilots in the use of navigation and attack systems of the latest and future generation fighter aircraft. This version was also called the ''Alpha Jet 3'' or ''Lancier''.
* Alpha Jet Al-Ghait: A single Moroccan Alpha Jet E modified with a
Sperry/
Honeywell Primus
Honeywell Primus is a range of Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) glass cockpits manufactured by Honeywell Aerospace.
Each system is composed of multiple display units used as primary flight display and multi-function display.
Primus ...
300SL
weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly pulse- ...
; known as ''Al-Ghait'' (''The Rain''). and an AN/ALE-40
chaff-
flare
A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...
dispenser, modified for
cloud seeding.
Operators
![alpha jet zj646 arp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Alpha_jet_zj646_arp.jpg)
;
*
Cameroon Air Force
The Cameroon Air Force (french: Armée de l'Air du Cameroun, AdAC) is the air force of Cameroon. The Cameroon Air Force, along with the Cameroon Army, the Cameroon Navy (including the Naval Infantry), the National Gendarmerie, and the President ...
(Alpha Jet MS2) – 27 (12 are in service)
;
*
Top Aces – 16 (former Luftwaffe Alpha Jet Aircraft) based in Montreal and operated by Canadian Air Combat and Electronic Warfare Support Services Company as well as
414 Squadron
No. 414 Squadron RCAF is a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron. It is currently located in Ottawa and conducts electronic warfare support training for other units in the Canadian Armed Forces.
History
World War II
On 13 August 1941, No 414 Arm ...
.
Also 25 from Belgium and the former Qinetic fleet.
;
*
Egypt Air Force (Alpha Jet MS2 and E) – 14 MS2 and 40 E (MS1), All upgraded to (MS2)
;
*
French Air Force (Alpha Jet E) – 99
;
*
Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الملكية; ber, Adwas ujenna ageldan; french: Forces Royales Air) is the air force of the Moroccan Armed Forces.
History
The Moroccan air force was formed on 14 May 1956 as the ...
(Alpha Jet E) – 24
;
*
Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese ...
(Alpha Jet E) – 24 acquired. 4 upgraded in 2011, 9 more reactivated. 11 in service.
![Alpha Jet - RIAT 2008 (3160630447)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Alpha_Jet_-_RIAT_2008_%283160630447%29.jpg)
;
*
Qatar Emiri Air Force
The Qatar Emiri Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الأميرية القطرية , Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEAF) is the air arm of the armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small aer ...
(Alpha Jet E) – six
;
*
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
(19 Alpha Jet A – former ''Luftwaffe'' aircraft)
![Royal Thai Air Force Alpha Jet in 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Royal_Thai_Air_Force_Alpha_Jet_in_2013.jpg)
;
*
Togo Air Force – 5 (Alpha Jet E)
Former operators
;
*
Air Affairs/Top Aces - 3 (Former ''Luftwaffe'' Alpha Jet A) provided by Top Aces. Operated in support of Australian Defence Force training.
;
*
Belgian Air Component
The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne belg ...
(Alpha Jet E) – 33 acquired in 1978, phased out 2019. Last remaining 25 sold to Top Aces
;
*
German Air Force – 93 (Alpha Jet A)
;
*
Côte d'Ivoire Air Force (Alpha Jet E) – seven
;
*
Portuguese Air Force – 50 (Alpha Jet A, former ''Luftwaffe'' aircraft) acquired 1993. Retired 13 January 2018.
;
*
QinetiQ – (Alpha Jet A) 12 former ''Luftwaffe'' aircraft - retired 31 January 2018.
Of these 12, only 6 flew. Whole fleet sold to Top Aces
Specifications (Close-support version)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Adebajo, Adekeye. ''Building Peace in West Africa: Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau''. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002. .
* Braybrook, Roy. "Training Maturity". ''
Air International'', Vol. 26, No. 6, June 1984, pp. 269–276, 312–313. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll. ISSN 0306-5634.
*Cuny, Jean and Pierre Leyvastre. ''Les Avions Breguet (1940/1971)''. Paris: Editions Larivière, 1977. DOCAVIA vol. 6. OCLC 440863702
* Eden, Paul, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft''. London: Amber Books, 2004. .
*
* Kocs, Stephen A. ''Autonomy Or Power?: The Franco-German Relationship and Europe's Strategic Choices, 1955-1995''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. .
* Lambert, Mark
"Alpha Jet: The co-operative trainer/attack aircraft."''Flight International'', 28 February 1974. pp. 264–267, 277.
* Mata, Paulo. "Last Days". ''Air International'', Vol. 93, No. 1, July 2017, pp. 86–89. .
* Michta, Andrew A. ''The Soldier-Citizen: The Politics of the Polish Army after Communism''. Springer, 2016. .
* Stijger, Eric. "Alpha Jets for Portugal". ''
Air International'', Vol. 46, No. 3, March 1994, pp. 128–131. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. ISSN 0306-5634.
*
Taylor, John W R (ed). ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83''. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. .
Further reading
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dassault Dornier Alpha Jet
Alpha Jet
The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet and advanced jet trainer co-manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France and Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany. It was developed specifically to perform trainer and light attack missions, as ...
Alpha Jet
The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet and advanced jet trainer co-manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France and Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany. It was developed specifically to perform trainer and light attack missions, as ...
1970s international attack aircraft
1970s international military trainer aircraft
Twinjets
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1973
France–Germany military relations