Collision Avoidance Upgrade For UK Tornados Delayed By Developmental Problems.

The UK's plans to field a new collision warning system (CWS) for its fleet of Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft are being delayed due to development problems, it was disclosed on 28 January.

Collision Avoidance Upgrade For UK Tornados Delayed By Developmental Problems.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Philip Dunne, parliamentary under-secretary of state for defence, said that trials of the system have shown that modifications are required to existing aircraft hardware and software in order to ensure compatibility with the Honeywell Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II.

"Work is continuing to resolve these issues and once further trials and testing has been completed we will be in a better position to determine when the full capability will be available," he said, adding: "The Ministry of Defence [MoD] is committed to obtaining early beneficial use of TCAS II and is embodying the system in as many Tornado GR.4 aircraft as possible to operate, initially, in Traffic Advisory mode."

BAE Systems was awarded the contract to install the new CWS in December 2012, with the aim of fielding it operationally across the first of approximately 100 remaining Tornado GR.4 aircraft (of which some 58 make up the forward fleet) by the end of 2014. 

Two aircraft were delivered to the company's facility at Warton in August 2013 for the trial installation of the modification, but at the end of 2014 Dunne conceded that the programme was behind schedule.

According to Dunne, just eight aircraft had been equipped with TCAS II by 23 January, although it is not clear if these have had the hardware and software modifications needed for the system to function correctly.

Questions relating to the installation of CWS systems on RAF aircraft were raised by Angus Robertson, shadow defence spokesperson for the Scottish National Party, whose constituency of Moray was the scene of a mid-air collision between two Tornados in July 2012, which resulted in the death of three of the four crew members.

Separately, Dunne said that the development of a CWS for the RAF's Eurofighter Typhoon force is in the concept stage, and that no investment decisions have yet been made. "It is too early to say what the time or cost of installing a collision warning system in Typhoon might be," he said, adding: "By way of context, other than the installations on our Tornado fleet, we are not aware of any combat jet in the world fitted with a collision warning system, which have been designed for use on civil and commercial aircraft."