The T129Bs will complement a pair of used Bell AH-1S HueyCobra attack helicopters acquired from Jordan, along with armed light observation and transport helicopters in the Philippine Air Force’s inventory.
Malaysia is seeking 18 jets to replace its fleet of Hawk 108 trainers and Hawk 208 light-attack jets, which were introduced in 1994 and have suffered from increasing attrition.
While the use of lasers are unlikely to cause physical damage to the aircraft, the intensity of the beam could distract the pilots or cause injury to their eyes.
The A3R system automatically flies the boom and maintains alignment between the boom tip and the receiver receptacle with an accuracy of a couple of centimeters.
A government spokesman confirmed to Defense News that the 68 F-15s in line for the upgrade will be single-seat F-15Js that have previously gone through the Multi-Stage Improvement Program. That leaves the fate of 34 jets still up in the air.
A KC-46A and F-35As join several other U.S. military aircraft at the show, including a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon multimission aircraft on static display.
Video released by Proteus Advanced Systems states that Blue Spear’s flight profile and mission execution are programmable by its operators but could also be highly automated, depending on mission requirements.