Defence Helicopters news – Page 451
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Bell strikes at S America
Graham Warwick/SANTIAGO Bell has begun marketing a variant of the AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter configured for reconnaissance and armed escort. The "multi-mission" MH-1W is aimed principally at Latin America, where there is growing demand for armed helicopters to support anti-drug and counter-insurgency operations. The US manufacturer argues that the MH-1W ...
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V-22 award
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey joint venture has been awarded a $419 million contract from the US Navy to begin low rate initial production of five MV-22 tiltrotor transports for the US Marine Corps. The contractor team was also awarded $59 million to provide long-lead items for a further seven ...
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RAF tries to trade Tornados and Harriers to salvage Jaguar fleet
Douglas Barrie/London The Royal Air Force has told the UK Government that it will sacrifice Panavia Tornado GR1, Tornado F3, and British Aerospace Harrier GR7 aircraft to prevent the Sepecat Jaguar being axed. In arguing its corner within the ongoing Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the RAF is battling to keep ...
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In position at last?
A dose of reality does the global positioning system no harm in the long term Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Anyone observing events surrounding the global positioning system (GPS) over the past few months would be forgiven for believing that European scepticism about the system has been justified. But Europe's reluctance ...
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US Coast Guard starts replacement programme
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC The USCoast Guard has launched a programme to replace its fleets of aircraft and surface vessels. A request for proposals for the Integrated Deepwater System programme was released in March, and up to three teams will be awarded concept development contracts in July. The Coast ...
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Egyptian Stinger
The US Department of Defense plans to sell Egypt more than 1,000 Stinger air defence missiles and 50 Avenger air defence systems, plus related equipment and training worth an estimated $304 million. The Pentagon says that the missiles will be configured only for firing from the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled ...
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Thais finalise F- 5 upgrade plan
Paul lewis/Singapore The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is to finalise a contract with Elbit Systems to upgrade its fleet of Northrop F-5E/Fs, in anticipation that funding for the programme will now become available following the recent cancellation of a planned Boeing F/A-18C/D purchase. Thailand selected the Israeli ...
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USAF tests new tactics in EFX '98
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Air Force will explore new fighting concepts, including the use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for tactical missions, during the Expeditionary Force Experiment '98 due to take place in September. The experiment will cost an estimated $40 million to conduct. While military exercises ...
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USA launches advanced rotor systems research
Advanced helicopter rotor systems are to be developed for existing and future US military rotorcraft in the Helicopter Active Control Technology (HACT) programme launched by the US Army late last month. The US Army says that the overall objective of the project is to develop and demonstrate an active, digital, ...
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Cost explosion threatens plan to upgrade German Lynx fleet
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Germany's planned upgrade of its navy's fleet of 17 GKN Westland Sea Lynx Mk 88 helicopters is being threatened by soaring costs, with the price rising by 110% above original estimates. The defence ministry is refusing to accept the price rise, driven by an increase in ...
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Bidders line up for competition to upgrade Brazil's F-5 fleet
Bids for Brazil's Northrop F-5 upgrade programme were submitted on 23 March. Embraer will act as prime contractor and system integrator for the structural and avionics upgrade programme, and will evaluate the bids, but the selection will be made by the Brazilian air force. Other aviation procurement programmes are also ...
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Messier-Bugatti aims to double repair business
Messier-Bugatti aims to double its repair business to achieve annual sales of Fr1 billion ($165 million)over the next five years. This ambition follows the integration of the Dowty Aerospace landing gear maintenance unit into the French company. "We intend to become one of the five world leaders in this ...
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Boeing signs up for Israeli RADA stake
Boeing and Israeli avionics specialist RADA have signed a preliminary agreement covering the US aerospace giant taking a minority stake in the company. The $10 million investment in RADA will make Boeing its largest single shareholder, with about 40%. RADA manufactures civil and military equipment, including avionics test stations ...
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First C-130J tour generates sales leads
Lockheed Martin is preparing bids in response to interest generated by the C-130J Hercules 2 sales tour through southern European and the Middle East. Of the 12 countries visited, most have active procurement requirements "of some degree of maturity", says Rick Hundley, vice- president international business development for Lockheed Martin ...
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Boeing expects South Korea to go ahead with AEW proposals
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing remains optimistic that the South Korean air force will press ahead on schedule with its airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft procurement, despite the country's economic difficulties. Jack Sperry, Boeing 767 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) programme manager, says: "Our perception is that Korea is a ...
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Aerostructures wants risk share role in Bell Boeing 609
Aerostructures is negotiating to supply the fuselage of the Bell Boeing 609 civil tilt-rotor as a risk sharing partner. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company would take over the work from Boeing, which has transferred its stake in the venture to partner Bell Helicopter Textron. Bell is seeking risk sharing partners to ...
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Boeing makes cuts
Boeing plans to cut 8,200 jobs and eliminate 15% of its facilities as a result of the merger with McDonnell Douglas. Most of the job cuts come from the previously announced decision to end MD-80/90 production: 6,200 jobs will go at Douglas Products division in Long Beach, California, and 800 ...
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Diamond Back flight tests scheduled for 1998
GEC-Marconi Dynamics plans to conduct company-funded flight tests of its Diamond Back smart-bomb wing kit at a US military range within the next 12 months, says John Cleveland, the company's project manager. Under development for the last four years, the Diamond Back attachment could be used to extend the ...
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JDA seeks cash to fund future attack helicopter programme
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE The Japan Defence Agency (JDA) is seeking initial funding in its next budget to begin a formal study of future attack helicopter requirements. Interested local and foreign suppliers are already formulating a range of options with which to respond. Full-scale funding for the AH-X programme is expected ...
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Decoy test finds heat snag
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Flight testing of the ALE-50 towed decoy on the Boeing F/A-18E/F has revealed that heat from the engine exhausts burns through the cable when afterburners are engaged, and can melt cable insulation and short out power to the decoy when engines are on full unreheated power. The ...