Fixed-wing – Page 1139
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Sikorsky gets go-ahead to produce S-92
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Sikorsky has been given the green light by its directors to launch the S-92 Helibus into full-scale production, ahead of expected requests from Canada and the Nordic bloc for a potentially large number of military helicopters. Production approval was revealed by Sikorsky president Dean Borgman while ...
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USAF strike studies look beyond B-2
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are studying concepts for a future strike aircraft (FSA) under a 12-month US Air Force contract. The companies are refining requirements for a strike capability that could replace the USAF's B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers beyond 2030. The manufacturers are looking at a range ...
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Defining moment
Raytheon and the US Government's offer to give the UK a 50% share in future missile development if the US company's Extended Range Air-to-Air Missile plus is selected to arm the Royal Air Force's Eurofighters could make the selection of a winner of the Beyond Visual Range Air to Air ...
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UN builds up East Timor air assets
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA The USA is to deploy an intelligence gathering aircraft to support the UN-backed International Force East Timor (INTERFET) now being deployed to restore security in the Indonesian province. According to the Director of the US Joint Staff for Operations, Admiral Scott Fry, the aircraft are ...
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Sweden's Celsius mulls options in European defence shake-up
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH European aerospace consolidation seems about to embrace Swedish defence manufacturer Celsius, which is weighing its options amid reports that three major firms are considering launching take-over bids. "Celsius is at the forefront of discussions on restructuring of the European defence industry because we lead the world ...
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Snecma closer to outside investment
Julian Moxon/PARIS Snecma has taken a further step towards opening up to outside investors by reorganising into two major divisions under a new holding company. The company says the move is aimed at creating a "more flexible structure for development of the group through alliances with national or ...
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US Air Force studies re-engining A-10s under life extension plan
The US Air Force is soliciting information for possible Fairchild A-10A re-engining as part of a proposed wider structural and avionics programme to extend the attack aircraft's operational life by another 30 years. Northrop Grumman, which acquired A-10 design responsibility from the former Fairchild, has approached General Electric to ...
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Singapore tanker
The Republic of Singapore Air Force has taken delivery of the first of four Boeing KC-135 tankers at a handover ceremony at Boeing's Wichita Division Modification Facility in Kansas on 10 September. The aircraft, which are being upgraded with a new Pacer Crag digital avionics suite, will replace Lockheed Martin ...
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F-16 upgrade
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $108 million contract to upgrade the first 64 of 700 F16C/D Block 40 and 50 fighters to a common avionics configuration. The update will include a new modular mission computer, colour displays, electronic horizontal situation indicator, common data entry electronics units, helmet mounted cueing ...
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Decoy top-up
Raytheon is to produce an additional 1,600 ALE-50 towed decoys for US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16s to replace units used in the Kosovo conflict. Decoys will also be supplied to the US Navy. The contract is worth over $41 million. Source: Flight International
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Airbus roll-out
Germany's Lufthansa Technik has rolled-out the first of two Airbus A319CJs for the Italian Air Force in its full livery. The Frankfurt-based maintenance and completion centre, which took delivery of the aircraft on 24 August, will outfit the cabin for January delivery. The second aircraft is due for delivery in ...
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Precision prerequisite
Without precision strike capabilities, a nation will not be asked to participate in coalition warfare. In most air forces, the laser-guided bomb (LGB) is the primary precision guided munition (PGM). Poor weather over Kosovo and Iraq during Desert Fox highlighted problems with bombing through cloud. RAF Chief of the ...
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Venezuela resurrects trainer competition
Venezuela has re-opened its advanced trainer/light attack aircraft contest and is evaluating new tenders after reversing its selection of the Aermacchi MB339 and Alenia/Embraer AMX-ATA. Last year, the country split its decision between the MB339 and a new tandem-seat AMX-T version offered by Embraer and fitted with Elbit avionics. ...
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Sweden pressed over funding next phase of X-31 programme
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Germany and the USA are pressing Sweden to decide on whether it will fund its share of the planned second phase of the tri-national X-31 experimental aircraft programme. Spain, meanwhile, is interested in joining the project to provide Spanish engine manufacturer ITP with a platform to ...
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Strike spearheads
Strike aircraft are still the teeth of any air campaign, but investment in training, as well as assets, is crucial Stewart Penney/RAF MARHAM & RAF WITTERING During the past decade, fighters have flown into harm's way over Iraq and Yugoslavia almost daily to ram home the international community's determination ...
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Force of the future - Coping with demand
Preparing for the unknown is central to USAF's concept of air power Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Air power has been a reality since the early days of aviation, but only recently has it come to be regarded as the preferred means of waging war. Air power is mobile, lethal ...
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Mission possible
EW aircraft, tankers and AWACS turn the impossible into the achievable Stewart Penney/RAF Brize Norton & RAF Waddington DeeDee Doke/Aviano AB & RAF Mildenhall Missions over Iraqi and Yugoslavia would not be possible without force multipliers such as the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), electronic warfare (EW) assets ...
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Key RAAF decisions imminent on future refuelling needs
Peter La Franchi/RAAF RICHMOND Key decisions on the future shape of the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) tanker requirement are expected this week. Australian capability planners are pushing for an all-jet solution, using private finance initiative (PFI) type funding, a lease or an outright capital purchase. A submission prepared ...
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Light Defender deal signed
Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Lockheed Martin have signed a deal to develop jointly the Light Defender stand-off weapon. The move follows the collapse of talks between Boeing and IMI earlier this year (Flight International, 26 May-1 June). Lockheed Martin has significant offset commitments to Israeli defence companies related ...
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Northrop awaits USAF decision after completing DIRCM tests
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Northrop Grumman has completed a second series of live-fire tests of its AAQ-24(V) directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system, paving the way for a US Air Force decision on production for special-operations Lockheed Martin C-130s. The company has also demonstrated an upgrade to the system, which replaces ...