Fixed-wing – Page 1173
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Euromil Mi-38 signatures wait on Russian cash
Contracts for the launch of the Franco-Russian Euromil Mi-38 medium utility helicopter could be signed in the first quarter of this year, if funding is forthcoming from the Russian Government. Payment for the $500 million project is divided equally between Russia and a group of risk-sharing partners, including Eurocopter, ...
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Italy gives green light for JSF participation
Italian Parliamentary defence committees have approved the country's participation in the US-led Joint Strike Fighter programme, clearing the way for further participation in the project. Italy's involvement in the programme began last April with the signing of a bilateral statement and memorandum of agreement, with the USA giving the ...
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Lockheed Martin finalises Joint Strike Fighter designs
Paul Lewis/FORT WORTH Lockheed Martin has unveiled detailed configurations of its three planned Joint Strike Aircraft (JSF) X-35A/B demonstrator derivatives, as designs are fined-tuned and attention begins to focus on aircraft systems and cost control. "We're now at the point where we know we have the right aerodynamic ...
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Ka-50-2 attack helicopter on offer to India and China
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Kamov have offered the upgraded Ka-50-2 attack helicopter to the armies of India and China, industry sources say. Poland may also be offered the Ka-50-2 to replace the Huzar programme that was put on hold after the Polish Government cancelled an agreement with three ...
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Boeing faces An-124 challenge for airlifter bid
Howard Gethin/LONDON The Royal Air Force has been offered a wide variety of aircraft for its short term strategic airlifter requirement (STSA)with contenders offering aircraft including the Airbus A300 and Beluga, Antonov An-124 and Boeing C-17, by the clearing date for submissions on 29 January. Five companies are ...
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Flying training firms line up for Singapore
At least five major flying training organisations are expected to tender for a contract to provide flight training of about 200 pilot recruits a year for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). Among the invited bidders are British Aerospace Flight Training Australia at Tamworth, New South Wales, which ...
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Boeing studies early first flight for STOVL X-32B
Boeing is considering bringing forward the first flight of its X-32B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) demonstrator by several months, pending the successful completion of engine tests in Florida and final assembly in Palmdale, California. The company is building two X-32s for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) concept demonstration ...
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Eagle eye on Kosovo
Tim Ripley/KUMANOVO As NATO once again deploys additional combat and tanker aircraft forward to bases in Italy in the shadow of the looming Kosovo crisis, alliance leaders depend on intelligence from the Balkan hot spot to plan their way ahead. With the help of airborne intelligence systems, NATO has built ...
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P&W begins future fighter engine tests
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Pratt & Whitney has begun test runs of the XTE-66, the initial prototype of its PW7000 next-generation fighter engine family. The engine will offer a 50% thrust-to-weight improvement over the current F119 powerplant. The PW7000 is expected to provide the basis for a family of ...
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Single minded
Julian Moxon/BORDES As Europe's principal manufacturer of helicopter turboshafts and light military trainer engines, Turboméca clearly has strategic value. In the climate of mega-mergers, it is perhaps surprising to find that this company, nestling in the lee of the French Pyrennees, has no plans to offer itself as part of ...
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SIRFC testing
ITT Avionics has delivered the first ALQ-211 suite of integrated RF countermeasures (SIRFC) systems to Boeing for testing on the AH-64D Longbow Apache. Production is planned for late 2000. The SIRFC will be installed on US Army AH- 64Ds, Boeing MH-47Es and MH-60Ks, designated CH-47s and UH-60s and USAir Force ...
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P&W starts F100-299A fan blade tests
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Pratt & Whitney has begun tests of a new area-ruled fan blade on the F100-299A fighter engine as it closes in on the final configuration for design verification tests by the end of the year. The new blade design is derived from computational fluid dynamics ...
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Airbus Military gets ready in time for FLA decision day
Julian Moxon/PARIS Formation of the Airbus Military Company (AMC) is imminent as the 29 January deadline nears for submission of a definitive bid to the seven partner governments involved in the programme. AMC is charged with developing and marketing the European Future Large Aircraft (FLA) airlifter. The offer, ...
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UK helicopter command poised to take control
Tim Ripley/LONDON The UK Ministry of Defence is set to announce the formation of a new Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) by the end of January. It will be responsible for control of the peacetime operations of British Army Air Corps, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy battlefield helicopters. The ...
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USAF searches for KC-135 navigation/communications upgrade
The US Air Force has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a further upgrade of its entire fleet of Boeing KC-135 tanker aircraft with a new global air traffic management (GATM) capability. The RFP comes as it nears a final decision on a similar modernisation of the avionics in ...
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Cash shortage threatens more procurement delays in S Korea
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE The timetable for key South Korean defence procurement programmes looks likely to slip further as cash shortages continue, say senior defence and industry sources in Seoul. The delays are likely to hit programmes such as South Korea's F-X fighter programme and the E-X airborne early warning ...
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Eurocopter offers Turkey higher-powered Tiger
Julian Moxon/BORDES Eurocopter has offered Turkey a version of the Tiger anti-tank helicopter powered by the USLHTEC T800 turboshaft in response to a demand for more power for hot and high operations. Turkey has a requirement for 145 anti-tank helicopters and has asked contenders to offer a choice ...
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Bidders must offer new design
Bidders in the US Department of Defense's vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) competition will be required to submit new drone designs, since no existing models can meet the required operational requirements. Meanwhile, the US Navy UAV Programme Office is reviewing the concepts of operation for ...
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Czechs extend Polish link with trainer offer
The Czech Republic is offering Poland major industrial participation in Aero Vodochody's light attack and jet trainer aircraft programmes as part of a wider move to increase political and economic co-operation between the two countries. Prague is proposing the transfer of wing manufacture for Aero's L-159 light combat aircraft ...
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Testing times ahead
Guy Norris/WEST PALM BEACH A distant corner of the vast Florida everglades is reverberating to the sound of not just one, but four Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) engines on simultaneous test at Pratt & Whitney's extensive Large Military Engines site in West Palm Beach. While it may ...