Defence Helicopters news – Page 428
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Sharp focus
If 1999 was the year of the aerospace mega-merger, the first few weeks of 2000 have produced more than enough evidence to suggest that the consolidation craze is not over yet. But while Boeing's purchase of Hughes Electronics' satellite business and Thomson-CSF's swoop for the UK's Racal are both multi-billion ...
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USMC holds fire on joint rotorcraft
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Marine Corps is reserving judgement on participating in the US Army-led Joint Transport Rotorcraft (JTR) programme until the joint staff's critical Overarching Rotorcraft Capabilities Assessment (ORCA) is completed. Meanwhile, the USMC is drawing up plans to extend the service life of its Sikorsky CH-53E helicopters. ...
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Stretching the limits
US restrictions are hampering the Australian Defence Force's electronic warfare plans Peter La Franchi/CANBERRAUS policy on technology release has become a sticking point in an Australian Defence Force (ADF) project to develop an integrated family of electronic warfare self-protection (EWSP) systems for its combat and support aircraft. The Australian Department ...
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Y2K glitch knocks out satellite spying system
A classified US satellite-based intelligence system was knocked out at the start of the year by what the US Department of Defense (DoD) describes as a "significant problem" caused by the Y2K computer bug. The National Reconnaissance Organisation (NRO) - which controls US spy satellites - was unable to ...
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Back to the future
Working in a global, virtual design environment, future aerospace engineers will need broader-based skills - and a flair for communication The aerospace engineer of the future will be multi-disciplinary, a good communicator and able to work in global, virtual product development teams. While the design tools are light years ...
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Sensing the future
Airflow-sensing commercial aircraft and fighters with their own laser shields are just two revolutionary products that could result from technologies emerging from laboratories Aircraft that can sense and control the airflow around them; fighters that can defeat missiles with a laser shield - these are just two emerging technologies ...
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Attacking options
Unmanned air vehicles may not be ready - yet - to replace manned aircraft in combat, but they are close to being able to take on more of the riskier missions During its lifetime, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will start operating routinely alongside unmanned combat aircraft. Unmanned vehicles will ...
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My view - Terry Stinson, Chairman and Chief Executive, Bell Helicopter Textron
As we enter the next millennium, it is worth reflecting on just how far the helicopter industry has come. This is truly a field in its infancy. It is only 53 years since the Bell 47 was certificated as the world's first commercial helicopter. With wooden blades and an old ...
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Rotorcraft revivals
As helicopters near the edge of their performance envelope, radical designs such as tiltrotor and tiltwing are coming into their own What goes around comes around and that is the case for the rotorcraft industry, which is seeing the re-emergence of radical concepts from the 1950s and 1960s. With ...
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$4.6 billion USAF engine support deal for GE and P&W
General Electric and Pratt & Whitney have won engine improvement contracts from the US Air Force worth more than $4.6 billion over the next 15 years. The US Defense Department describes the unusual arrangement as an "indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract", and says it reflects increasing USAF awareness that more resources ...
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Forecasts for 2000 - Aerospace
The shape of the industry is changing radically Chris Jasper/LONDON The face of aerospace manufacturing has been transformed over the past few years by rampant merger activity, but in 2000, the industry may at last be prepared to take a breather as companies concentrate on extracting value from the ...
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Forecasts for 2000 - Defence
Boeing and Lockheed Martin gird up for JSF fight Stewart Penney/LONDON Assuming funding difficulties do not kill the programme, or at least slow it to a snail's pace, the first flights of Boeing's X-32 and Lockheed Martin's X-35 will be the most significant events of 2000. The pair are ...
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BAE and EADS battle for Alenia
Andy Nativi/GENOABAE Systems and the European Aeronautic, Defense and Space company (EADS) are battling to recruit Alenia Aeronautica, the biggest element of Finmeccanica's Alenia Aerospazio subsidiary and one major European concern that is not yet tied to a strategic partnership. Discussions have taken place at industry and government level. BAE ...
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New roles considered for Global Hawk
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Northrop Grumman is beginning to look at developments of its RQ-4A Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle that could include stealth features for the airframe and payloads that would allow it to perform nearly 20 more operational roles. Plans are also being developed to deploy Global Hawk ...
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US industry ends the millennium on a high
US industry has posted record sales of $155 billion this year, but forecasts a $6 billion decline next year, largely because of a drop in commercial aircraft shipments, says the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). The AIA end-of-year performance analysis predicts that civil transport exports should start rising again in ...
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USAF settles with Northrop Grumman
The US Air Force has reached an $80 million out-of-court settlement with Northrop Grumman. The move comes after the company was forced to meet $100 million, higher than anticipated, costs to refurbish initial Boeing 707-300s for conversion to Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. Under the original ...
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First Boeing 737-700 door takes shape
Boeing has begun to install the main-deck cargo door on the first cargo version of the Next Generation 737 at its plant in Wichita, Kansas. The 737-700C (Convertible) is under development for civil and military markets. The US Navy is the initial customer, with an order for three aircraft. The ...
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USA allows JASSM to fly in RAAF weapons contest
Lockheed Martin has been given clearance by the US Government to offer the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) in Australia's stand-off weapon competition. The move comes shortly after a first powered test flight for the weapon. Australian officials had pressured the Clinton Administration to allow Lockheed Martin to ...
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RAF receives first C-130J Hercules
The first Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules has finally been delivered to the Royal Air Force, the launch customer. The aircraft was handed over at a ceremony at the main operating base in Lyneham, Wiltshire, on 23 November. The original delivery was intended for 1996. Lockheed Martin paid heavy penalty charges ...
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Merlin leads CSAR field
Stewart Penney/WILTON The EH Industries Merlin HC3 is emerging as a front runner to meet the UK armed forces' requirement for a combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter. AVM David Niven, commander of the recently formed Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) says: "In the medium term, we need to work hard ...