Fixed-wing – Page 1115
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News
Mergers
Saab has completed its purchase of defence electronics specialist Celsius, the effective consolidation of the Swedish defence industry. Saab says it will seek new owners for two non-core divisions - Celsius Aviation Services and Bofors Weapon Systems, which includes air defence systems in its portfolio. BFGoodrich has completed its acquisition ...
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Belgium and Poland discuss F-16 deal
Belgium's ministry of Defence has held talks with the Polish Government on the possible sale or lease of 18 surplus Belgian air force Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter-bombers. Poland has a longstanding requirement for 60 Western-built fighters and is on the verge of a issuing a formal tender to Lockheed ...
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Italy offers Australia used G222s to replace Caribous
Andy Nativi/GENOA Concern that the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Light Transport Aircraft (LTA) requirement may be shelved because of budgetary problems has led Italy to attempt to interest Canberra in used aircraft to replace ageing de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribous. Australian defence spending on all programmes worth more ...
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Workshop
Lufthansa Technik is carrying out post-delivery modifications to 14 Germania Boeing 737-700s to bring them up to the latest production standard. The work, which takes five days for each aircraft, is covered by the manufacturer's warranty and involves the replacement of wiring bundles inside the leading edge of the wing ...
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Europe's heavyweights match for size but stake out different territories
Chris Jasper/MUNICH Julian Moxon/PARISThe future balance of power within Europe's aerospace and defence industry has become clearer, with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) and Aerospatiale Matra revealing their final set of financial results before their formation of European Aeronautic, Defense and Space (EADS), along with Spain's CASA. Taken with recently published data ...
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Dasa allies with Grintek on electronic warfare
DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) is to form an electronic warfare systems alliance with South African defence electronics specialist Grintek System Technologies (GST), under the brand name MRCM Products (Monitoring, Reconnaissance, Countermeasures). To help the alliance, Dasa will spin off its electronic warfare activities into a new wholly owned subsidiary, to ...
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Israeli defence group aims for US purchase
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV The new Israeli defence grouping formed by the Koor conglomerate is negotiating the purchase of a US defence electronics specialist, in line with its strategic aim of becoming a major manufacturer in the sector. Avner Raz, president of Koor electronic-warfare subsidiary Elisra and head of the ...
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Improved E-2C may extend production line beyond 2006
Northrop Grumman hopes to extend E-2C production beyond 2006, with development of the improved Future Hawkeye as a follow-on to the Hawkeye 2000, due to enter service this year. Initial funds have been allocated to test elements of the proposed Future Hawkeye, also known as the Hawkeye 2005, using ...
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Greece set to finalise purchase of 60 Typhoons
Greece's key defence and foreign policy committee has issued instructions to the defence ministry to conclude a deal for the purchase of 60 Eurofighter Typhoons, with 30 options. A meeting on 7 March of the committee, known as KYSEA, approved the deal and set aside DM10 billion ($4.9billion) of funding. ...
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Bids in for RAAF stand-off weapons needs
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA Israeli Military Industries (IMI), teamed with BAE Systems Australia, has offered the Delilah II missile and the Modular Stand-Off Vehicle (MSOV) gliding dispenser weapon as a solution to the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Project Air 5418 Follow On Stand Off Weapon. The MSOV, competing as ...
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RAF presses MoD for funds to improve precision strike
Carol Reed/LONDON The Royal Air Force is stepping up pressure on the UK Ministry of Defence to release funds to improve its precision strike capability in the wake of shortcomings exposed during last year's air campaign against Yugoslavia. Air Marshal Sir John Day, UK director of operations during the campaign, ...
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Enaer restarts Pillan line to meet growing regional interest
Paul Lewis/SANTIAGO Enaer is restarting production of the T-35 Pillan basic trainer and making a renewed push to launch a turboprop version as Latin American interest in the Chilean aircraft picks up again. Enaer has started work on four 225kW (300hp) Lycoming IO540-powered T-35s after a 12-month production ...
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First Texan II handed over to US Air Force
The first Raytheon T-6A Texan II has been handed over to the USAir Force's Air Education and Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas. The USAF and US Navy will operate 454 and 328 T-6s respectively. The aircraft, developed from the Pilatus PC-9, was the winner of the Joint Primary Aircraft ...
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Turkey goes back to shortlist for attack helicopter requirement
Turkey has produced a shortlist for its attack helicopter contest, rather than announcing an outright winner. The move had been expected (Flight International, 15-21 February). Turkish prime minister Bülent Ecevit announced that Boeing and Eurocopter have been dropped, but that Agusta, Bell Helicopter Textron and a Kamov/Israel Aircraft Industries ...
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UAE to get first Block 60
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC After lengthy negotiations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed "contractual agreements" to purchase 80 Lockheed Martin Block 60 F-16s. The deal is worth $6.4 billion to the US company, plus$1.5 billion to the US Government, which will supply weapons and support. The long-awaited agreement ...
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China converts Y-8 for AEW role
China's navy has completed the conversion of a Shaanxi Y-8 transport for airborne early warning (AEW), with radar supplied by the UK's Racal. It also carried out initial naval exercises with the aircraft. The conversion, a major upgrade in the navy's capabilities, is the culmination of more than four years ...
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In the dark
Kawasaki is puzzled by Eurocopter's reluctance to promote the BK117/EC145 Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) plans to lift the veil on its BK117C-2/EC145 helicopter programme, developed jointly with Eurocopter, at Tokyo Aerospace 2000 (TA2000). It faces an unusual problem, however, in its Franco-German partner's reluctance to ...
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Changing priorities
Growing regional threats meant Japan's defence procurement plans were relatively unaffected by economic downturn Andrzej Jeziorski/TOKYO The need to control defence spending in Japan has been offset by the evident anxiety caused by North Korea's recent testing of Taepo Dong ballistic missiles, one of which overflew Japan in what ...
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Comanche under threat as US Army cuts loom
The release of the US Army's aviation modernisation plan early next month is expected to decide the fate of major programmes at a time of growing political pressure to cut the size of the army's principal scout helicopter, the Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. Senate armed services committee members have written ...
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P&W plans STOVL recovery for JSF
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Pratt & Whitney is "optimistic" of overcoming development problems with the Lockheed Martin and Boeing Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) engine contenders by mid-year, and is to begin preparations for qualification tests and first flight by September. P&W JSF programme ...