Ian Sheppard has acted as Editor International Show Editions for AIN since June 2013. Based in the Redhill, England, Ian reports for the various AIN publications as well as providing support to International Editor Charles Alcock in covering international air shows (such as Farnborough, Paris, Singapore and Dubai), and the EBACE and MEBA business aviation events. His central role is to cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Prior to becoming more involved with AIN in mid-2011 (initially as deputy international editor), Ian worked for various aviation publications through his company, First Aerospace Media. This included being part of the AIN team covering daily news at international air shows.
Ian has worked for publications such as Flight International (technical reporter, 1997-8) and Aerospace International (editor, 1999-2000). He was publications manager at Airclaims (Ascend) between 2000 and 2004 before forming First Aerospace Media. Since mid-2009 Ian has also been managing editor of Regional International, the journal of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Ian hasis working towards a European commercial pilot licence, having held an FAA private pilot license in 1991, and instructor rating. He also has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath, England, and a graduate diploma in law from Kingston University, and is a graduate of the legal practice course (College of Law, Guildford).

Editor

Ian Sheppard

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded Terma Denmark a contract valued at $84 million for it to deliver new pylons for U.S. Air National Guard (ANG)&nbsp;Lockheed Martin F-16s, through a contract with the F-16 System Program Office (SPO). Deliveries will take place over a five-year period starting in late 2020.

 


Terma (Booth N93) said the contract comes as the danger of infrared seeker&nbsp;threats, such as manpads (man-portable air defense systems), increases, especially when operating from deployed bases.

 


The upgrade will include Pylon Integrated Dispensing System Universal (PIDSU) electronic warfare (EW)&nbsp;core pylons (with provisions for future missile warning system installation), as well as Flare-Up flare dispenser&nbsp;kits and test adapters.&nbsp;Originally designed for chaff dispensing, the Flare-Up&nbsp;flare dispenser modification kit&nbsp;was developed for PIDSU and&nbsp;comprises&nbsp;special magazines&nbsp;and a modified breech plate.

 


Once implemented, all the existing and new ANG Terma pylons will feature flare dispensers, and EW core pylons will have all the hardware for smart dispensing of, for example, expendable active decoys and multi-shot flares.

 


“This program will potentially pave the way for additional export contracts from other F-16 countries," said John Rygaard, Terma Aeronautics&nbsp;business development director.&nbsp;European F-16’s are already equipped with PIDS+.

 


In the U.S., the ANG PIDSU and EW core pylon configuration is the most advanced variant as both left- and right-hand pylons are equipped with three chaff/flare dispenser magazines, said Terma.&nbsp;This was made possible, added the company, “by introducing a new compact variant of the Terma Digital Sequencer Switch, which allows the installation of the additional dispenser magazine.”

 


Terma has been providing pylon-based solutions for improved self-protection since 1988 and has produced more than 1,000 new and modified/retrofitted pylons for F-16s with EW capabilities.

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