Fixed-wing – Page 1147
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Engine rivals are urged to talk on A400M bid co-operation
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Airbus Military Company (AMC) has shelved the engine selection for its proposed A400M medium transport because of political pressure for the competing powerplant manufacturers to find a joint European solution. A decision between the Snecma/MTU M138 turboprop and the rival BMW Rolls-Royce BR700-TP had been set for late ...
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Civvy strip
Ed Reavis/FRANKFURT Two German airports regain economic ground lost when the US Air Force leftWith the end of the East-West confrontation and the following military drawdown, Germany's economy suffered major after-shocks from the closure of several major US military installations. Among those given up by the US Air ...
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Philippine fillip
Paul Phelan/CLARKAFB, PHILIPPINES A former US Air Force base could be the answer to traffic saturation at Manila airport Some airlines apologise in advance to their passengers for the bumpy rollout at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). With insufficient space for a new runway, NAIA is ...
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American dream
Paul Seidenman/SAN FRANCISCO The new $585 million Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opened in May after four years of construction on the site of the old Bergstrom AFB, which closed in 1993. Thirteen kilometres (8 miles) south-east of Austin, the new commercial airport for Texas' capital replaces the 68-year-old Robert ...
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US Air Force fights for F-22 funding after Congress shock
The US Air Force has acted to justify its need for a stealthy air superiority fighter in the light of its Kosovo experience after being surprised by a Congressional move to delay the Lockheed Martin/ Boeing F-22 Raptor. A key Congressional subcommittee proposed that funds for the first six production ...
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IAI snaps up Airborne 767 freighter contract
The Bedek division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has won a contract from Airborne Express for cargo conversions on at least 11 Boeing 767-200s. Airborne is acquiring 22 passenger General Electric CF6-powered 767-200s from All Nippon Airways for its cargo fleet, with the initial conversions being carried out by ...
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Sweden offers loan of Gripen squadron to Polish air force
Andrew Doyle/LONDON Sweden has offered to loan Poland 18 Saab/British Aerospace Gripens for five years from 2001 if the country selects the type for its fighter requirement. The proposals, approved by the Swedish air force, were included in the Saab/BAe response to Poland's request for information (RFI)issued earlier ...
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BASE tests Terprom on a helicopter
Stewart Penney/PLYMOUTH British Aerospace Systems and Equipment (BASE) is preparing for flight trials of a helicopter version of its Terprom digital terrain avoidance and navigation system. Terprom - which recently added US Air Force Boeing C-17 airlifters to its list of applications - will be evaluated on a ...
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Korean Air pins hopes on more UH-60P orders
Korean Air's (KAL) aerospace division is pushing for more licence production of Sikorsky UH-60P Black Hawk helicopters to follow the current production batch of 138 aircraft, due for completion this year. "My goal is another batch of UH-60 assembly," says aerospace division managing vice-president Suh Sang-Mook. According to Suh, ...
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Brazil offered more industrial assistance on F-5 upgrades
A Team from Marconi Electronic Systems/Lockheed Martin is planning to offer Brazil improved industrial co-operation and technology transfer concessions. The move comes as efforts are stepped up to overturn protracted negotiations with Elbit and Embraer to upgrade the air force's Northrop F-5E/F fighters. The two companies, in consultation ...
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General Electric pushes on with JSF powerplant development
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES General Electric's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) JSF-F120 engine team has signed a $440 million contract with the JSF programme office covering Phase III of the alternative engine development effort. The contract, consisting of $115 million covering the firm requirement for Phase III and an option ...
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Indian trainer programme gets go-ahead
India has given the go-ahead to the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) HJT-36. The aircraft will replace ageing HJT-16 Kiran basic trainers in service with the Indian air force. HAL chairman Krishnadas Nair says the company has been given the green light and already received Rs1.8 billion ($42 million) for the production ...
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Thailand finds aircraft bargains in Germany
Thailand is buying 50 Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets advanced trainers/light strike aircraft from the German air force for the knock-down price of 1 million baht ($27,000) each. Although the aircraft are cheap, another 60 million baht will have to be spent on each one to make it airworthy. The first ...
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Contracts
Israeli electronic warfare specialist Elisra has won a $6 million order, with a potential $9 million follow-on, to supply its SPS-65(V2) self-protection system to the Canadian Forces, which will retrofit the system to Bell CH-146 Griffon utility helicopters. Lockheed Martin Information Systems has won a $267 million, 10-year contract to ...
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US Navy to upgrade Tomahawk stocks
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Navy is resisting moves to re-open production of the Raytheon AGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile . Instead it will top up its inventory by converting 200 stored Tomahawk anti-ship missiles and upgrading another 424 Block II Tomahawk land attack missiles (TLAMs). Moves are afoot ...
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Kaman wins USMC remote helicopter work
The US Marine Corps has awarded Kaman Aerospace a $4.2 million contract to modify and demonstrate a remotely piloted version of the K-MAX helicopter to further validate its Broad Area Unmanned Responsive Resupply Operations (BURRO) concept. Flight testing of the unmanned helicopter is to begin around August next year at ...
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Pentagon prepares for Global Hawk
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Department of Defense is preparing to approve limited production of the Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical RQ-4A Global Hawk as the high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle begins 13 months of US military user assessments and prepares to be deployed to Australia. US Navy Rear Adm ...
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Aerospatiale Matra fishes for army contract with Heron
Aerospatiale Matra is using an Israeli long endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to compete for a French army requirement for a medium altitude vehicle. The Israel Aircraft Industries Heron UAV (above) was displayed by Aerospatiale Matra at the Paris air show as the Eagle without any hint that it was ...
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Shorts close to Starstreak Apache fix
Stewart Penney/BELFASTShorts Missile Systems (SMS) is closing on a solution to eliminate an adverse pressure wave when the Starstreak missile is fired from the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Tests by the US Army have revealed problems with debris from the missile's packaging and a pressure wave created by the ...
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Battle expected for USAF C-130X award
At least four US aerospace firms are expected to compete in the US Air Force's $4 billion C-130X avionics modernisation programme (AMP). Incumbent Lockheed Martin will be trying to keep the work away from Raytheon Systems, Boeing and the Austin, Texas-based unit of Marconi Electronic Systems (formerly Tracor). The ...