All news – Page 6239
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UK implements Defence Review with joint service Harrier force
Stewart Penney/LONDON The final elements of the UK's 1998 Strategic Defence Review have been implemented by the Ministry of Defence with the formation of a combined joint service BAE Systems Harrier force and a single organisation responsible for supply and engineering throughout the three services. Joint Force Harrier (JFH) - ...
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USN to test upgraded Seahawks
Lockheed Martin Federal Systems (LMFS) is preparing to deliver the first Sikorsky SH-60R Seahawk prototypes to the US Navy and expects to be awarded a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract in May for five modernised machines. The US Navy has awarded LMFS a $37.2 million contract to upgrade a third ...
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Thailand upgrades aggressor force
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has upgraded its aggressor flight to squadron status. The aggressor squadron, 904, is based at Don Muang airbase, Bangkok, and equipped with Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs. The aircraft became available following the disbandment of 231 Sqn at Udon Thani late last year. Only half ...
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Denel advances with naval SAM
South Africa's Denel has unveiled a new radar-guided version of its Umkhonto naval surface-to-air missile (SAM), ahead of an expected Chilean navy request for proposals for weapons to equip its planned Tridente-class frigates. The Umkhonto-R is being developed using a combination of company resources and South African National Defence ...
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Mexico looks to Embraer to fill AEW order
Mexico is in advanced talks to order up to 11 Embraer EMB-145SA airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft and a new EMB-145MP maritime patrol derivative. The deal is understood to comprise firm orders for four EMB-145SAs and three MPs, plus options for another four aircraft. The order is still ...
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K-Max customers
Kaman Aerospace has announced two new customers for its K-Max external lift helicopter. Heli Air Zagel Lufttransport has taken delivery of a new machine and Wucher Helicopters of Austria will take a second, previously owned, K-Max shortly. The helicopters will be used for heli-logging, as well as ski resort support. ...
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Production An-140 prepared for delivery to launch customer Ikar
The first production Antonov An-140 twin turboprop is being primed for delivery and has been painted in the colours of launch customer Ikar Airlines. The Ukrainian carrier has five An-140s on order for delivery from mid-year and each aircraft's scheme will feature a different flower. This aircraft was involved in ...
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Piper for Argentina
New Piper Aircraft's first Malibu Meridian for Latin America will be delivered to an Argentinian customer in November, says the Florida-based manufacturer. The Meridian is "on track" to be certified by the end of July, says the company, which has stopped taking new orders until it settles on a new ...
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Spread of A320s leads to power struggle among maintainers
The growing influx of International Aero Engine (IAE) V2500-powered Airbus A320s is generating intense competition among powerplant maintenance companies vying for a share of the potentially lucrative after-sales support market. LanChile, TAM and Grupo Taca have collectively ordered 103 A319/A320s and hold options on another 84, all powered by ...
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Gyroscope snags lead to Compton de-orbit
NASA will de-orbit its Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite sometime after 1 June, following the failure of one of its three gyroscopes. The US space agency has decided to de-orbit the Compton, the second in NASA's Great Observatory series - which was deployed from Space Shuttle Atlantis in April 1991 ...
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Raytheon wins data system ground work
Raytheon is to provide the ground network infrastructure for the Faisat satellite-based wireless data system being developed by Final Analysis. The deal includes a "significant" equity investment to be made by Raytheon in Lanham, Maryland-based Final Analysis. Raytheon will be subcontractor to General Dynamics Information Systems, an investor in ...
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NASA chooses Planet Finders
Four teams have been selected to develop concepts for NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) mission, planned for launch in 2012. Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, SVS and TRW have been selected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to lead industrial/academic teams in 19-month studies to identify "feasible and affordable" approaches ...
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Globalstar confident despite collapse of Iridium system
Globalstar remains confident that there is a market for its global mobile satellite communication services, despite the recent collapse of competitor Iridium, which was declared bankrupt last month. Iridium's demise was a result of inadequate marketing, excessively high prices and supply problems with its heavy and expensive telephones, with a ...
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Delta II launches IMAGE satellite
NASA's $154 million Imager for Magnetosphere-to-Auroral Global Exploration (IMAGE) satellite was placed into orbit by a Boeing Delta II booster after launch from Vandenberg AFB, California, on 25 March. The satellite, operating from an 987 x 45,993km, 89.9°-inclination orbit, will be the first to study how the Earth's magnetic ...
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Overload 'caused Mars failures'
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Flaws in NASA's "faster, better, cheaper" approach overloaded programme management at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and contributed directly to the failures of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander, says the report by the Mars programme independent assessment team (MPIAT). The US space agency ...
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Access all areas
Business aviation is battling for a long-term future at Europe's busy hubs Kate Sarsfield/LONDON As the curtain is raised on the sixth European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) convention in Brussels this week, to be held from 4-6 April, the thorny issue of business aviation operators' access to European airports ...
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Seamless system
Central European nations are pushing for a unified ATC system Julian Moxon/BUDAPESTThe European air transport community is looking to central Europe to provide an example of what Eurocontrol is trying to achieve elsewhere. The latest step in unifying a large portion of European airspace involves seven historically diverse countries that ...
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Regulation overload
The European business and general aviation community will soon face new rules Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Europe's commercial business aviation community is no stranger to regulation. A gauntlet of costly and often burdensome requirements faces operators that want to continue to fly in Europe's increasingly congested airspace. Now the Joint Aviation ...
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Future shock
The latest gun technology is opening new dimensions in saturation bombing and ballistic missile defence Peter La Franchi/ADELAIDEImagine an airborne gunnery system capable of firing 40mm grenades millions of rounds a minute against ground targets. Australian stock exchange-listed Metal Storm has unveiled concepts for such a futuristic-sounding system. It has ...
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Export conundrum
US industry and military are fighting to reform US export controls to promote competition and coalition operations Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC During the Kosovo conflict, the Italian Coast Guard tried to buy air-sea rescue flares with which to locate downed NATO aircrew. The US manufacturer's request for an export licence was ...