All news – Page 6847
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French Government gets going on Air France privatisation
Julian Moxon/PARIS The privatisation of Air France has officially been launched, with the appointment of the two investment banks which will handle the sale for the French Government. Astake of close to 50%could be sold, including a holding for staff. The USA's Morgan Stanley and France's Crédit Agricole ...
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Moving goalposts
The UK Government's decision to give British Aerospace £123 million ($200 million) launch aid for development work on the wing of the Airbus A340 500/600 airliner may give a much-needed morale boost to the UK aerospace industry, but it may also do little to bolster (and may even harm) the ...
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ABL team studies laser turret
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Lockheed Martin is studying new turret design options to improve the performance of the Airborne Laser (ABL) ballistic missile defence system following the completion of windtunnel tests by programme leader Boeing. The YAL-1 ABL will be based on a modified Boeing 747-400F, and the design of the ...
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Raytheon wins deal for anti-cruise missile aerostats
The US Army has picked Raytheon to continue development of an aerostat based system designed to spot low flying cruise missiles. The joint venture has won an initial $12 million for the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System demonstration. The Raytheon team (originally a joint ...
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US Army looks into 'transparent armour'
The US Army is to launch a 24-month study to determine whether "transparent armour" developed for armoured vehicle windows can be used as windscreens on US military rotorcraft. The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate is to award one or more contracts for the research to assess the feasibility of using ...
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Dutch test skis on Cougar for Snow Falcon exercise
The Dutch Air Force has tested skis on a Eurocopter AS532 Cougar MkII of the Tactical Helicopter Group's 300Sqn, ahead of the "Snow Falcon" exercise in southern Norway later this month. The Dutch have borrowed skis from the Swiss air force to equip four of the seven Cougars to be ...
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Pentagon seeks more money for weapons
The US Department of Defense wants to spend $257.3 billion during fiscal year 1999, according to budget figures presented to Congress. The request is $2.4 billion more than the US Congress allowed the Pentagon for FY1998 weapons spending. There are no surprises in the budget submission, which includes ...
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CFM pushes commonality in USAF re-engine bid
CFM International (CFMI) is stressing fleet-commonality benefits to the US Air Force in its bid to re-engine almost 200 Boeing KC-135E, RC-135, E-3 and Northrop Grumman E-8 aircraft. The company's response to the USAF's request for an "alternate propulsion-system assessment" will be complete in the "March-April timeframe", according to ...
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Australia opens competition door to admit CN235 Phoenix
Australia has revised its earlier draft request for tenders (RFT) for a replacement light tactical-transport aircraft so that the Indonesian IPTN CN235-330 Phoenix can be included (Flight International, 4-10 February). The move follows approaches by Indonesian science and technology minister Bacharuddin Habibie to Australian defence minister Ian McLachlan. Habibie, ...
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Global Hawk eyed for missile defences
The US Department of Defense is considering using the Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Global Hawk long-endurance unmanned air vehicle to shoot down theatre ballistic missiles in their boost phases. The Global Hawk, being prepared for its first flight, is among several options under study. A modified Global Hawk mounting an ...
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F-16s modified
Modification with night-vision-goggle-compatible lighting of 43 US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16s at Aviano AB, Italy, is to be completed in March. Source: Flight International
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Pakistan buys refurbished Mirages from France
France has sold Pakistan 40 refurbished ex-air force Dassault Mirage III and Mirage V fighters. Under the deal, known as "Blue Flash 6", the aircraft are being upgraded by French companies Sagem and Sogerma. The contract was organised by the French defence ministry's maintenance division. The first refurbished aircraft was ...
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Phoenix training
Phoenix Air of Georgia is to provide electronic warfare training to support NATO Integrated Air Defense Systems training periods and the alliance's planned Distant Thunder, Dynamic Mix and Strong Resolve exercises. The company has been awarded a one year contract. Source: Flight International
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Italians say Prowler was not cleared for ski area
David Learmount/LONDON A US Air Force Grumman EA-6B Prowler which severed the wires of a cable car, causing the deaths of 20 people in north-eastern Italy, was not cleared for low flying in that area, the Italian authorities say. The aircraft suffered minor damage, but was able to land ...
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US Army allocates cash for THEL test
The US Army has awarded TRW an additional $43 million to field-test the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL). The THEL, which is a joint US/Israeli project, is also known as the Nautilus, and it would be used to neutralise short-range rockets. Nearly $132 million was previously allocated for the ...
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A smarter attacker
Allan Winn/DUBAI Ever since the then-Hughes AH-64 Apache entered service with the US Army in 1984, it has been the benchmark against which other combat helicopters are measured. Since then, it has undergone two marque-name changes (first to McDonnell Douglas, then, more recently, to Boeing) and become the most prolific ...
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Light twin, right price
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC When Bell introduced the Model 407 light single-turbine helicopter it was essentially competing with itself, or rather with the longevity of its popular Model 206 JetRanger/LongRanger family. With the new Model 427 light twin, the company is breaking new ground, and competing with helicopters from established manufacturers. ...
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Shake, rattle and roll
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC With deployment of the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche not due until the next century, and a conceptual Joint Transport Rotorcraft (JTR) available no earlier than 2015, the US Army and various defence contractors are working to improve the safety, comfort and performance of current-generation military rotorcraft. For ...
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Italy breaks waterbomber sales drought
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Bombardier anticipates additional orders for its CL-415 waterbomber this year, after breaking a year-long sales drought with the follow-on purchase of two aircraft by Italy's civil protection department. The company is confident that it will find customers for most of the 21 aircraft remaining from the first ...
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Eurocopter delivers Super Puma for North Sea
Eurocopter has delivered an AS.332C-L1 Super Puma to British International Helicopters (BHI) at Aberdeen in Scotland. The machine, which has been converted to the stretched L1 configuration by Eurocopter, was originally built as a "C" model. The Super Puma is destined for offshore work in the North Sea oil support ...