Monitoring the radioactivity of the air with the F-5 Tiger

In connection with the volcanic ash clouds that led to the closure of European airspace in April 2010 after the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano and thus paralysed both civilian and military aviation (see NEWS *** LATEST INFORMATION of 19 April 2010), the media reported on 20 April 2010 that Swiss Air Lines and the Swiss Air Force had carried out four test flights on behalf of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA).

• But what resources does the air force have to carry out such tests?

These test flights were carried out with a F-5 Tiger air defence fighter, both of its wing stations equipped the EKUR high altitude air filters. The abbreviation EKUR stands for the former ‘Eidgenössische Kommission zur Überwachung der Radioaktivität’ [federal commission for monitoring radioactivity] (today’s Section for Radioactivity in the Environment of the FOPH). These sampling devices were developed by RUAG Aerospace in Emmen to enable the air force to regularly monitor radioactivity at high altitudes for scientific purposes. Under normal conditions six sampling flights are scheduled a year. The devices are opened and closed by the pilots through remote control, enabling sampling under predetermined conditions (flight altitude, flight route, duration, speed). Both single and double seat Northrop F-5E Tigers are deployed.

These aerosol collectors or high altitude filters could finally also be used in April 2010 to take air samples from the volcanic ash clouds.

Further information can be found below on this website in an article from the Swiss aviation magazine SkyNews.ch.