Fixed-wing – Page 1186
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News
Boeing's tailless 'Super Frog' hops on to the drawing board
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Boeing has begun initial development of an advanced tailless, four-engined tiltwing short take-off and landing military transport using company funds. The company believes potential customers for the turboprop, which could be available within 10 to 12 years, include the US Air Force Special Operations Command, ...
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India shops for more Su-30s to maintain air force strength
The Indian Government has approved the purchase of 10 more Sukhoi Su-30 strike aircraft for the Indian air force, in addition to the 40 aircraft which were ordered in 1996. India has an initial batch of eight Su-30PUs in service (originally built for the Russian air force), which will ...
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Peruvian MiG-29 purchase seals service deal
Peru will buy three new MiG-29 fighters from MAPO, in addition to the 18 secondhand models purchased last year from Belarus, in a deal that secures service and logistics support for the whole Peruvian MiG-29 fleet. Peru has reportedly had difficulty with spares and technical support direct from Belarus. ...
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Singapore Pumas move to Australia
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has moved a squadron of 12 Eurocopter AS332L Super Puma transport helicopters to the Australian Army Aviation air base at Oakey, Queensland, under an overseas basing agreement with Canberra. Under the 15-year basing agreement, signed with Australia in October 1996, Singapore has ...
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Pakistani Hercules collide on the ground
Two Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft belonging to the Pakistani air force were destroyed during a collision at Rawalpindi airbase on 10 September. Five crew members died when one C-130 returning to the parking area after a ground check failed to stop because of a brake failure thought to ...
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German Tornados to get Israeli
The German air force is to equip its Tornado fleet with 60 Tornado self-protection jammers (TSPJ) which are being supplied by the Elta division of Israel Aircraft Industries and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa). Deliveries of the jammers to Germany are already under way. Elta has been awarded a $150 million ...
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Under surveillance
Graham Warwick and Howard Gethin/FARNBOROUGH NATO is watching the UK's Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) competition with keen interest as it works to restart its stalled Air Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme. The winner of the £730 million ($1.2 billion) UK contract is likely to take pole position for any NATO procurement, ...
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Power struggle
Andrzej Jeziorski and Guy Norris/FARNBOROUGH International Aero Engines (IAE) may be celebrating its biggest ever V2500 order, the $2.5 billion deal to power up to 188 Airbus A320 family airliners for British Airways, but the partner companies seem intent on carving up the consortium rather than enjoying its belated ...
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Boeing JSF is ahead of schedule
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES The first bulkhead has been attached to the keel in final assembly of the Boeing X-32A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) concept demonstrator at Palmdale, California. The company says that final assembly is running two months ahead of schedule. The X-32A and X-32B JSF demonstrators are ...
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ASTOR radar contenders increase lobbying efforts
Preserving UK radar capability and guaranteeing export potential are emerging as key factors in the three-way competition to win the UK Ministry of Defence's £750 million Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) programme. All three teams stepped up lobbying efforts at Farnborough, with heavy emphasis on the implications of the competition for ...
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News
Dassault rejects merger until 'conditions are right'
Julian Moxon/PARIS Serge Dassault has rejected any merger of the Dassault group with the new Aerospatiale/ Matra Hautes Technologies company "-until the conditions are right and when it is in our interests to do so". Any merger will only be undertaken on the basis of "clear industrial and commercial ...
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US Air Force starts tests in bid to verify fighter safety device
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Flight testing of an automatic ground collision avoidance system (AGCAS) is under way using a Lockheed Martin Block 50 F-16D fighter assigned to the US Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. The AGCAS involves three main components. The first is an updated ...
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Dasa steps up search for AT2000 partners
Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) is stepping up efforts to enlist partners and customers for the AT2000 Mako advanced trainer/light combat aircraft (LCA) as it gets closer to deciding on full-scale development. At the same time, the company is looking at the potential for an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) derivative. ...
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Canada aims to keep Hornets and Orions sharp with updates
Canada has launched studies into phased upgrades of its Boeing F-18 Hornet and Lockheed CP-140s. The work is aimed at keeping them operationally effective while staying within the country's limited defence budget. "It's important that these aircraft maintain their operational relevance, and their credibility with our allies," says Lt ...
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Greek Litening pod deal nears fruition
The Greek air force is to equip its McDonnell Douglas F-4s with the Rafael Litening targeting and navigation pod in a $35 million contract expected to be signed soon. The deal includes options that may bring the total value to the Israeli company to around $50 million. Last month ...
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Refuellling order
Flight Refuelling is to supply Mk32B air-to-air refuelling wing pods for Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules tankers. The launch customers are the US Marine Corps, which has five aircraft on order, and the Italian air force, which will have six aircraft. The contract is valued in excess of $20 million. ...
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F-22 testing stays on course to meet Congress deadline
Graham Warwick/FARNBOROUGH Flight testing of the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 is "on track" to meet a deadline set by the US Congress, which wants to be convinced that the fighter is meeting its performance goals before releasing funds for the first production-standard aircraft. Congress has demanded that 183h of ...
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Sweden looks to restructure
Proposals on restructuring the Swedish armed forces will be submitted to the Swedish Government on 12 October. The plans will reflect Sweden's shift in stance from maintaining a neutral defence posture to participating in international peacekeeping operations. Maj Gen Jan Jonsson, Swedish air force Inspector General, says the restructuring will ...
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Eurofighter prepares bid for Norwegian contest
Eurofighter is preparing to submit a Typhoon bid to Norway in the first major international fighter competition since the United Arab Emirates elected to order the rival Lockheed Martin Block 60 F-16C/D. The Norwegian decision is viewed as being of major importance, with several countries now drawing up similar ...
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Helicopter builders line up for contracts
Eurocopter, GKN Westland and Sikorsky are lining up to supply Finland and possibly neighbouring Scandinavian countries with up to 80 helicopters. Finland plans to buy an unspecified number of utility transport helicopters to replace its Mil Mi-8s, and is expected to issue a request for proposals early in 1999. ...