Defence Helicopters news – Page 136
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News
CEO Garrison leaving Bell for non-aerospace company
Bell Helicopter chief executive John Garrison is leaving the company to take over the top leadership post at a non-aerospace company, parent Textron announced on 15 October.
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NewsBoeing’s MOP bomb approaching second phase of redesign
Boeing can expected a sole-source contract for redesign, qualification and testing of the US Air Force’s largest non-nuclear penetrating bomb, the 13.6t GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP).
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NewsSaudis seek nine more Sikorsky Black Hawks
Saudi Arabia could purchase up to nine Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk combat helicopters under a $495 million foreign military sale package approved by the US State Department this week.
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NewsLockheed secures split-buy of -ER and baseline JASSM missiles
Lockheed Martin’s JASSM cruise missile programme has locked in a contract for 280 more missiles, with an even split of baseline and extended-range variants.
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NewsGeneral Atomics confirms first Improved Gray Eagle purchase
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has confirmed the US Army’s purchase of 19 “Improved Gray Eagle” UAVs following the service’s disclosure this week that its MQ-1C procurement has been “amended” to the extended-range version.
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NewsBoeing to fly new CH-47 Chinook ‘Block II’ rotor blade in 2016
Boeing’s development of an advanced blade for the tandem-rotor CH-47 Chinook is moving ahead, with the first blade “about to finish this week” ahead of flight trials in 2016.
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NewsBAE secures US Army Apache as APKWS laser-guided rocket customer
The US Army has ordered its first batch of 70mm laser-guided rockets from BAE Systems for its Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow “for immediate deployment” following the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System’s qualification on the helicopter gunship last year.
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NewsUS Navy orders super-sensor for RQ-21 UAS
Logos Technologies will develop a highly advanced sensor suite for the Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack unmanned air system under an $18.2 million contract awarded by the US Office of Naval Research.
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News
Boeing, Lockheed unveil competing UAV-killing concepts
With reports that Islamic State (IS) militants have begun operating commercially-produced unmanned air vehicles to support their activities in the Middle East, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are pursuing two very different approaches to knocking unmanned aircraft out of the sky.
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NewsUS Army wants more Gray Eagle weapon options
The US Army is interested in new weapons options besides the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missile for its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C, and the service has asked industry to offer smaller, cheaper and more specialised alternatives as it considers a future requirement.
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News
Chinook, Apache face cuts if budget talks fail
Two Boeing helicopter programmes – the Boeing AH-64 and CH-47 Chinook – face several cut-backs if the Congress is unable to pass a new budget for Fiscal 2016, US Army acquisition leaders warn.
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NewsUS Army replaces Lockheed data link on AH-64 Apache
A Lockheed Martin communications system will be replaced on the Boeing AH-64E Apache fleet as the US Army moves to standardise data links for manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).
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News
Sikorsky S-97 Raider reaching for top speeds by “summer 2016”
Sikorsky will conduct a significant amount of ground testing on its S-97 Raider before returning to flight trials, with just 2.2h of a 110h test programme clocked since the maiden flight in May.
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NewsBell and Lockheed modify V-280 contract ahead of Sikorsky takeover
Lockheed Martin’s pending acquisition of Sikorsky has caused some contractual changes between Lockheed and Bell Helicopter for V-280 Valor development to ensure there is no cross pollination with its competitor, the Boeing-Sikorsky SB-1 Defiant.
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NewsUAE firm studies civil twins for next armed helo
A UAE-based firm is evaluating twin-engined commercial helicopters for conversion to military gunships, having successfully delivered several armed Bell Helicopter 407s to its host country.
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News
Thai army to boost AW139 fleet size
The Royal Thai Army is to increase its fleet of AgustaWestland AW139 utility helicopters to 10 units, after awarding the manufacturer a follow-on order for eight of the intermediate twins.
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NewsUK Puma crash kills five in Kabul
A Royal Air Force-operated Airbus Helicopters Puma HC2 transport crashed in Afghanistan on 11 October, killing five of the 10 personnel aboard the upgraded type.
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NewsKEEP IT TIGHT: 10 flight display teams of note
With the South Korea air force “Black Eagles” display team featuring on the cover of this week’s Flight International, what better excuse to celebrate – somewhat at random and in no particular order – 10 military flight display teams that may be coming to an air show near you.
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NewsLockheed reaffirms F-35 production target despite supplier statement
Lockheed Martin has re-affirmed the full-rate production goal for the F-35 programme remains 17 aircraft per month, despite a supplier’s statement on 7 October that it is significantly less.
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NewsSierra Nevada touts Dream Chaser as X-37B alternative
Sierra Nevada Corporation believes its Dream Chaser could be a viable alternative to the Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for long-duration, recoverable experimentation in space.