| F-104S Starfighter | |
|---|---|
| F-104S ASA in low-visibility colour scheme flying over the Alps | |
| Role | Interceptor aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Aeritalia |
| Designer | Lockheed |
| First flight | 22 December 1966 |
| Introduction | 1969 |
| Retired | 2004 |
| Primary users | Italian Air Force Turkish Air Force |
| Number built | 246 |
| Developed from | F-104 Starfighter |
The Aeritalia F-104S Starfighter was a licensed production Italian version of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter which served in the Italian Air Force (AMI, Aeronautica Militare Italiana), and was the AMI's mainstay from the late 1960s until the beginning of the 21st Century. The F-104S also served in the Turkish Air Force until the mid-1990s. The F-104S was the final development of the Starfighter line.
Derived from Lockheed's design studies on a "Super Starfighter", the F-104S was one of the most capable of the F-104 series, and destined to be the last in service worldwide. The F-104S (upgraded to ASA/M standard) was retired from service in October 2004.
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The F-104 series had entered a second development phase with the F-104G. While the USAF had no more interest in the F-104, Lockheed proposed the Model CL-901 featuring the new J79-GE-19 engine and the Sparrow III missiles; "G" denoted "Germany", the lead country for this version, while "S" indicated the improved "Sparrow" version.[1] Further proposed developments included the CL-958 with larger wings, the CL-981 with retractable canard wings behind the cockpit, and the CL-984 optimised for low-level strike missions. An RF-104G was modified and flew in December 1966 as the prototype CL-901 "Super Starfighter". Externally, the new type had slightly larger air intakes and steel inlet guide vanes that allowed an increase in operating temperature from 121°C to 175°C, enabling a maximum speed of Mach 2.2.
During the first five years in Italian service, 23 F-104G aircraft were lost; and as only 80 to 90 F-104s (of 149 acquired) were operational at best, it was decided to purchase a new interceptor and fighter-bomber to reinforce the first line units.
The AMI mid-1960s "AW-X" (All-Weather-X aircraft) requirement for a new all-weather fighter aircraft led to an evaluation of many available types: the McDonnell Douglas F-4B/C Phantom, Mirage IIIC-1, BAC Lightning and North American F-100S Super Sabre among others. The eventual choice was the Lockheed CL-980 (a simplified version with the same wings of the projected Model CL-901). On 26 January 1966, the AMI chose the definitive F-104S as their future fighter. The first F-104S was actually a modified Fiat-built F-104G, MM6658, that acted as an aerodynamic prototype and first flew on 22 December 1966,[2] while a second prototype, MM6660, fitted with new avionics systems closer to the final configuration, flew on 28 February 1967.[3] MM.6701, the first production F-104S built by Aeritalia flew on 30 December 1968.[2]
The F-104S was designed to carry AIM-7 Sparrow missiles (while deleting the Vulcan gun). In the attack role, the F-104S had nine hardpoints, and could carry up to seven 227 kg (500 lb) or 340 kg (750 lb) bombs; an improvement over the F-104G which could hold only half that payload on five hardpoints, two of which were needed for auxiliary tanks. Theoretically an F-104S could be equipped with four or five bombs, two tanks and two AIM-9s, becoming a dual-role aircraft.
The new type entered service in mid 1969, with 22° Gruppo (51° Stormo);[4] and in that year, the F-104S accumulated 460 flying hours.
The AMI bought 205 examples, all delivered from 1969 to 1979,[5] with the 100th aircraft delivered in January 1973, and the 200th in May 1976.[2] The model was built in two versions; as an interceptor armed with AIM-7 Sparrow missiles (the M61 Vulcan being removed); and as a fighter bomber, with the gun retained and bombs and other air-to-surface ordnance. The models were interchangeable, making it unclear how many were built or rebuilt to these specifications.
AMI squadrons equipped with the F-104G and S versions were: 9, 10, 12, 18 (dual), 20 (training), 21, 22, 23, 28, 102 (reconnaissance), 154, 155, and 156 (bombers).
The J79-GE-19 allowed a faster climb, comparable with contemporary fighters (up to 277 m (909 ft)/sec, with a time-to-climb 10,600 m (34,777 ft) of 80 seconds claimed; ten seconds less than the F-104G), with the capability of reaching Mach 2 at 12,000 m (39,370 ft) in around five minutes.
Napoleone Bragagnolo, a test pilot for Aeritalia, was able to land at Ciampino, Rome, 19 minutes and 30 seconds after taking off from Turin. During this flight with two wingtip auxiliary tanks, he climbed 15 km (49,213 ft) and accelerated to Mach 2. The aircraft still had 1,300 l (290 imp gal; 340 US gal) of fuel onboard when it landed; enough to reach Palermo at subsonic speeds. The average speed for the flight was Mach 1.5. Even with these new Starfighters, the loss rate remained high, with peaks in 1973 and 1975 (ten F-104s of all versions were lost in AMI service during this period). Up to 1997, Italy had lost 137 (38%) of its F-104s in 928,000 flying hours (14.7 aircraft every 100,000 hours). Despite a drop in the loss rate in the 1980s (with 33 losses between 1981 and 1990 included), the debate about the reliability of this aircraft was often fierce in the mass media. In the 1980s the loss rate dropped, even more so in the 1990s, when all the old versions (except TF-104s) were scrapped. The last Italian F-104 was decommissioned in 2004, after the type had flown around a million flying hours in a total of over 40 years of service.
Turkey was the only other customer for the Aeritalia F-104S. The initial order was placed in 1974, with the first of 18 examples entering service by December 1974. These first aircraft were a gift from Libya; the reward for Turkish technical assistance to improve the capabilities of the Libyan Air Force.[7] Another 18 were ordered in May 1975, which eventually increased to 40 aircraft, but another batch (for 20 aircraft) was dropped, probably because F-4's were delivered as well. They served with 142 and 182 Filo from the 1970s, and around a dozen were still in service until the mid-1990s. While 200 Selenia AIM-7 missiles were delivered, Turkish F-104Ss were seldom seen carrying them, thus F-4E's were probably the main users of those missiles.
Two further update programs were carried out prior to the introduction into AMI service of the Eurofighter Typhoon, resulting in the F-104S-ASA and F-104S-ASA/M.
The F-104ASA (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma), developed in 1986, introduced a Fiar Setter radar, with 'look-down' capability and compatibility with the Selenia Aspide missile. AIM-9Ls were then used as the main armament, replacing the previous "B" and "F" version of this missile, while the older AIM-7s were retained. One AIM-7 was usually carried under each wing. In total, 147 of the F-104S airframes were converted to ASA standard at an expense of around 600 billion lire, the last ASA model was delivered in the early 1990s.
The ASA/M upgrade (initially known as the 'ECO' (Estensione Capacità Operative) upgrade) focused on improving reliability rather than combat enhancements, and involved 49 ASA aircraft. 15 TF-104Gs were also involved in this program .
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1976-1977[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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