Defence Helicopters news – Page 437
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Embraer assesses ALX potential
Chris Jasper/SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS Embraer estimates a potential export market of about 200 aircraft for the ALX trainer/light combat aircraft, the first production version of which was rolled out on 28 May. The Brazilian manufacturer's senior manager for defence market strategy, Anastacio Katsanos, says there is unlikely ...
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Decision day gets nearer for UK on JSF design participation
Graham Warwick/MONTREAL The UK must decide before the middle of next year whether it wants to remain in the US-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, if it wants a say in selecting the winning design. The UK Ministry of Defence is looking at doubling the number of aircraft it ...
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Quad TiltRotor under study
Graham Warwick/MONTREAL Bell Boeing is studying a four-proprotor tiltrotor aircraft as a potential replacement for both heavylift helicopters and tactical transports. The initial concept for the Quad TiltRotor (QTR) is to use the wing, nacelles, engines and proprotors from the Bell Boeing V-22, mating them to a modified ...
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Boeing joins EH101 team for Canadian bid
Boeing has joined the EH Industries-led team planning to offer the EH101 for the Canadian Forces' Maritime Helicopter Programme (MHP). Boeing will supply the maritime patrol mission system for the Cormorant version of the EH101 that will be offered to meet the 35-aircraft Sikorsky Sea King replacement requirement. The ...
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Marconi wins laser demonstrator deal for RAF's DIRCM
Marconi Electronic Systems has won a £2 million ($3.2 million) technology demonstrator contract to develop a laser for Northrop Grumman's AAQ-24(V) Nemesis Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), being fielded by UK forces. Last month, Marconi delivered a mid-infrared wavelength, single-band, solid-state laser to the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency ...
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Brazil's new teeth
With the roll-out of the Embraer EMB-145SA and ALX on 28 May, the Brazilian air force is preparing to add two long-awaited aircraft to its fleet Jackson Flores jr/SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS The addition of the EMB-145 surveillance platform and the ALX light strike aircraft will give the Brazilian air ...
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Contracts
Lockheed Martin Sanders, electronic warfare prime contractor for its parent company's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) proposal, has selected Litton Amecom to lead development of the electronic support measures (ESM)system, if Lockheed Martin wins the JSF contest. Israel's Rafael will supply its vertically launched Barak-1 point defence missile to Signaal of ...
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Nordic nations move ahead with agreement on joint helicopter buy
Stewart Penney/LONDON Defence ministers have agreed to proceed with the Nordic Standard Helicopter Programme (NSHP)to replace transport and naval helicopters in service in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden with a common type. A ministerial deal is expected to be signed in June and a request for quotations (RFQ) ...
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SBIRS upheavals delay Australian access plans
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA Funding to provide Australian access to the US Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)has been put on hold for up to three years following extensive restructuring of the surveillance programme. In February, the USAir Force terminated development contracts with Boeing and TRW for demonstration satellites to prove ...
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Lockheed Martin sees focus of UCAV shifting to surveillance
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA The US Air Force's proposed unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) may see its first operational applications in surveillance and reconnaissance roles rather than strike missions, according to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics president, "Micky" Blackwell. The shift in focus, Blackwell says, is likely to be driven by competing ...
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IMI changes course on talks to secure a partner for Star-1
Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Boeing have terminated negotiations on the possible joint development of the Light Defender stand-off weapon. IMI has opened talks with another US company. The Israeli company is discussing development funding with its unnamed potential partner, which could lead to an operational weapon system based ...
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US probes launches
The US launcher industry may be grounded for up to six months as President Bill Clinton has ordered Defense Secretary George Cohen to investigate recent launch failures of Lockheed Martin Titan IV, Athena and Boeing Delta III boosters. Six failures between July 1998 and May this year have cost over ...
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US DoD orders JDAM production ramp-up
Ramon Lopez/EGLIN AFB The US Department of Defense has ordered Boeing to accelerate production of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits for the US Air Force and navy because of a shortage created by its successful use in the air campaign over Yugoslavia, says Oscar Soler, JDAM programme manager. ...
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Space at premium as NATO builds air fleet
NATO plans to increase the number of aircraft taking part in Operation Allied Force to nearly 1,300 is driving the alliance to establish more bases in Hungary, while also shifting assets so that they are closer to the battlefield. NATO says that deployment of additional aircraft is a question of ...
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Russian delays 'cost $1.2 billion'
Contingency planning for Russia's participation in the International Space Station (ISS) will add $1.2 billion to the project's cost, says the US General Accounting Office (GAO). Delays in completing the Russian Service Module for the ISS have contributed to a two-year hold-up in the programme. In addition, NASA concedes ...
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V-22 delivery
Bell Boeing delivered the first production MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor transport to the US Marine Corps on 14 May. The first of 350 MV-22s for the USMC, 50 CV-22s for the US Air Force and 48 CV-22s for the US Navy, was handed over at Bell's Arlington, Texas, flight test centre. ...
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Warning revolution
The UK Royal Navy is set to make a quantum leap in its airborne early warning capability Tim Ripley/BOSCOMBE DOWNThe UK's Royal Navy is on course to field a revolutionary airborne early warning (AEW) helicopter early in the next century. It will allow the RN to fight in the so-called ...
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Investigators probe causes of booster failures
Preliminary investigations have identified hardware problems and corrupted software as possible causes of the recent failures of the Boeing Delta III and Lockheed Martin Titan IVB/Centaur boosters. The second burn of the Boeing Delta III second stage lasted 1s, rather than the planned 2min 47s, stranding the Orion 3 ...
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Rotary Rocket holds Virgin funding talks
Andrzej Jeziorski/PARIS California's Rotary Rocket is in talks with UK millionaire and Virgin founder Richard Branson on funding for its Roton re-usable launch vehicle (RLV) programme. Rotary Rocket chief executive Gary Hudson is understood to have met Branson to discuss the programme. The company needs about $150 million ...
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Australian defence budget gives priority to missiles
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA Australia's 1999 defence budget gives the go-ahead for the purchase of warstock quantities of advanced short range and medium range air to air missiles (ASRAAMs and AMRAAMs) for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ...