All news – Page 6650
-
News
UK studies upgrade of firepower for helicopter forces
The UK Ministry of Defence is considering giving its helicopter forces more firepower by replacing the 7.62mm (0.3in) general purpose machine gun (GPMG) which is now in use in the door-gun role with a more powerful weapon. The UK's move towards installing a new door gun was also instigated ...
-
News
Erieye looks for ground surveillance role
Ericsson Microwave Systems plans to add a battlefield surveillance capability to its Erieye airborne early warning (AEW) phased array radar. "We are looking for launch customers," confirms the Swedish company. The Swedish air force, which operates four of a planned six Saab 340B AEW aircraft equipped with the Erieye, ...
-
News
Computer hitch hits Global Hawk
The Global Hawk unmanned aerial reconnaissance system completed its first night mission on 17/18 September, despite the inflight failure of one of its two integrated mission management computers (IMMCs). The aircraft left Edwards AFB, California, at 19:34 Pacific Time and suffered the IMMC failure at about 01:00. Teledyne Ryan ...
-
News
BAe eyes Asian training facility with Australian expansion plans
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE British Aerospace is in discussions over the expansion of its military pilot training operation in Australia to include offering lead-in fighter training for Asian air forces, in an operation that could be loosely modelled on Bombardier's NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme. Company sources emphasise that ...
-
News
Pentagon details Israeli F-15/16 fighter offerings
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Lockheed Martin is offering Israel 60 Block 50 F-16s with conformal long-range fuel tanks and the option of an active-array radar. Details of the bid emerged when the US Department of Defense notified Congress of plans to offer Israel the choice of either 60 F-16s ...
-
News
Japan plans defence after N Korea launch
Japan and the USA are to study the possible development of a ballistic missile defence system as concern mounts in Asia over North Korea's ballistic missile developments, following the launch of a Taepo Dong rocket on 31 August. The decision to look at potential ballistic missile defence systems was ...
-
News
Greece to decide on trainer contest soon
The Greek Air force trainer evaluation team is expected to select a new basic trainer by the end of the year. The Raytheon T-6A Texan II, the Pilatus PC-9G and the Embraer Super Tucano are the shortlisted contenders battling for an order involving at least 50 aircraft. A contract is ...
-
News
Boeing and US Air Force team on KC-135 maintenance
A public/private partnership combining Boeing and the US Air Force's Ogden Air Logistics Center is to perform Boeing KC-135 and Fairchild A-10 depot maintenance and modification. The team beat a private- sector bid led by Lockheed Martin. The competition was the first to pitch a public/private partnership against a ...
-
News
Marconi and MAPO discuss MiG-29 radar deal
Discussions are under way between Marconi Electronic Systems and MAPO over the supply of aircraft radars destined for export customers of the MiG-29 fighter. The UK company is also hoping to take advantage of the growing market potential for upgrades as German, Israeli, Romanian and Russian companies line up ...
-
News
AGM-130 test
Boeing has flight tested an extended-range version of the AGM-130 stand-off missile with a Microturbo turbojet engine in place of the normal rocket motor. The modification more than doubles range, but halves the warhead size to make room for fuel. Source: Flight International
-
News
European partners prepare to sign for anti-air missile system
France, Italy and the UK are expected to initial a £1 billion ($1.6 billion) contract at the end of October, launching full-scale engineering development and initial production (FSED+IP) of the trinational Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS). The contract, to be let via the Paris PAAMS Project Office on behalf ...
-
News
US Navy ready to issue final request for supersonic target bids
The US Navy is set to issue the final request for proposals (RFP) for a Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target (SSST).The award of a 30-month full-scale development contract is expected to be made by March 1999. The SSST winner can expect to supply 20 to 30 targets a year. USN Capt ...
-
News
Budget troubles cast doubt on naval Taurus
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Doubts have been cast on the future of the naval derivative of the Taurus KEPD 350 stand-off missile, built by Swedish-German venture Taurus Systems, in the light of an unexpected German navy budget shortfall of some DM800 million ($473 million). According to the Bonn defence newsletter ...
-
News
Enduring value
The Astra has been a steady, if not stellar, seller since IAI introduced the aircraft in 1985 as a long-range, high-speed, mid-size business jet. The design mated a stretched Westwind II fuselage with a new, low-set, swept wing featuring a cranked leading edge and supercritical aerofoil section. This increased both ...
-
News
Maintenance: Europe and the CIS
Andrew Chuter/London and Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC, Data supplied by Air Transport Intelligence After a Farnborough air show at which airliner sales exceeding $20 billion were announced, any talk of recession seems like scaremongering. But the air transport industry is already bracing itself for the next downturn - the ...
-
News
Noughts and losses
Tim Furniss/LONDON Over 29 days, beginning on 12 August, about $3 billion-worth of spacecraft and boosters fell in pieces from the sky following three launch failures. A Titan 4A, the first Delta III and a Zenit 2 were lost, together with 14 satellites, 12 of them on the Zenit. ...
-
News
GPS approach network completed for AirEvac
Development of a network of 19 global positioning system (GPS) instrument approaches has been completed for Tulsa, Oklahoma-based AirEvac, which operates an emergency medical service (EMS) Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopter. The helipad-to-helipad instrument flight rules (IFR) network serving hospitals in eastern Oklahoma was designed by Satellite Technology Implementa-tion (STI), the ...
-
News
Bombardier keeps to delivery target
Bombardier says it is on target to deliver more than 100 business jets in its current fiscal year, which ends on 31 January, 1999. This is an increase from the 89 aircraft delivered in its last financial year. The Canadian company expects to see a further increase in deliveries next ...
-
News
Helicopter Service snaps up work and eyes new markets
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Norway's Helicopter Service has secured three contracts in Australia through its Adelaide-based subsidiary Lloyd Helicopters. The deals have a combined value of NKr300 million ($40 million). Under the terms of the first contract with the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra, Lloyd will supply a Bell 412 ...
-
News
Internet flight tracking prowlers raise hackles at NBAA
Concerns over the publication of business aircraft registration numbers on the Internet have prompted the US Government to intervene, according to the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). "Business aircraft operators, especially those undertaking sensitive missions, are demanding that flight tracking software providers block publication of aircraft registration numbers at ...