Fixed-wing – Page 1209
-
News
Lockheed Martin gears up F-22 fuselage line
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems is gearing up production of the F-22 mid-fuselage manufacturing line - the largest and most complex of the new fighter assemblies. Five mid-fuselages are now in production at Fort Worth, Texas - only one of which is not for delivery this year - as the ...
-
News
GOA confirms record
A US General Accounting Office (GAO) report confirms that the US military completed one of its safest flying years during fiscal year 1997 despite a rash of accidents last September. The mishap rate was 1.5 accidents per 100,000 flying hours, which is unchanged from the previous two years. There were ...
-
News
Australia reveals scope of future fighter study
Paul Phelan/Cairns Australian Defence minister Kyle McLachlan has spelled out the aims of a far-reaching study into the air force's future fighter requirement, suggesting that a discussion paper on the subject will address a broad range of possible technical solutions. McLachlan says that the Government will launch a ...
-
News
Egyptian Stinger
The US Department of Defense plans to sell Egypt more than 1,000 Stinger air defence missiles and 50 Avenger air defence systems, plus related equipment and training worth an estimated $304 million. The Pentagon says that the missiles will be configured only for firing from the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled ...
-
News
Thais finalise F- 5 upgrade plan
Paul lewis/Singapore The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is to finalise a contract with Elbit Systems to upgrade its fleet of Northrop F-5E/Fs, in anticipation that funding for the programme will now become available following the recent cancellation of a planned Boeing F/A-18C/D purchase. Thailand selected the Israeli ...
-
News
Russia rules against Ukraine bombers
Russia has finally ruled out purchasing the strategic bomber force Ukraine inherited from the former Soviet long range aviation force, after a meeting with Ukraine's deputy defence minister in Moscow in late March. "This question has been permanently closed," says the Kremlin. Ukraine had offered to sell Russia ...
-
News
Fighter competition warms up in Chile
Graham Warwick/SANTIAGO Chile plans to shortlist two finalists for its Fighter 2000 programme by the end of this month, and select the winning aircraft by the end of May. The air force is completing its technical evaluation of the four competing aircraft - the Boeing F-18, Dassault Mirage 2000, ...
-
News
USAF tests new tactics in EFX '98
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Air Force will explore new fighting concepts, including the use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for tactical missions, during the Expeditionary Force Experiment '98 due to take place in September. The experiment will cost an estimated $40 million to conduct. While military exercises ...
-
News
Alenia seeks export customers for Super AMX development
Andrea Spinelli/GENOA Alenia is proposing development of a new version of the AMX combat aircraft for the export market. The company has already made proposals to South Africa and Venezuela for sale of the upgraded aircraft. At the same time the Italian air force is considering the future of the ...
-
News
Study panel draws the curtain on B-2 purchases
The US Air Force should not purchase additional Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers, according to an independent panel appointed by Congress to consider the issue. The Long Range Air Power Review Panel was charged with evaluating the adequacy of the US bomber force and determining whether B-2 bomber production should ...
-
News
US Navy wants new carriers to support CTOL and STOVL
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC A US Navy study has concluded that its next generation aircraft carrier, the CVX, must be able to support conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) and short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) operations. The study also says that the USN's future carrier-deployed air wing must total ...
-
News
Cost explosion threatens plan to upgrade German Lynx fleet
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Germany's planned upgrade of its navy's fleet of 17 GKN Westland Sea Lynx Mk 88 helicopters is being threatened by soaring costs, with the price rising by 110% above original estimates. The defence ministry is refusing to accept the price rise, driven by an increase in ...
-
News
Ericsson Saab wins contract to supply Gripen electronic warfare
Ericsson Saab Avionics has been selected as prime contractor for an electronic warfare (EW) suite for the export version of the Saab JAS39 Gripen fighter. The companies have signed an agreement for Ericsson Saab to develop and manufacture the system, designated EWS 39. According to Saab, export customers will ...
-
News
Busy Socata is forced to delay Tangara
Julian Moxon/PARIS Production of the Socata Tangara light twin is to be delayed by up to a year, as the French manufacturer meets increased demand for subcontracting work and its TBM700 single. French certification of the Textron Lycoming 0-360-A1G6 powered Tangara was obtained in December 1997, with production start-up originally ...
-
News
Fighter competition warms up in Chile
Chile's need for combat aircraft has w Graham Warwick/SANTIAGO Chile plans to shortlist two finalists for its Fighter 2000 programme by the end of this month, and select the winning aircraft by the end of May. The air force is completing its technical evaluation of the four competing aircraft - ...
-
News
Sextant gears up for merger
Ian Sheppard/PARIS Sextant Avionique is already gearing up to offer avionics systems from its future sister company Dassault Eléctronique. The initiative is part of the French company's efforts to build a flightdeck package to compete with integrated products offered by major US suppliers. Dassault Eléctronique developed an array ...
-
News
Lockheed Martin chases A-4 upgrade work
Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina plans to pursue opportunities to overhaul and upgrade McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks expected to be acquired by Bolivia and Brazil. The Cordoba based company, which is upgrading A-4s for Argentina, also hopes to participate in a proposed upgrade of the Argentine air force's Dassault Mirages. Argentina's ...
-
News
Bidders line up for competition to upgrade Brazil's F-5 fleet
Bids for Brazil's Northrop F-5 upgrade programme were submitted on 23 March. Embraer will act as prime contractor and system integrator for the structural and avionics upgrade programme, and will evaluate the bids, but the selection will be made by the Brazilian air force. Other aviation procurement programmes are also ...
-
News
MAPO MIG to close for five months
MAPO MIG's Moscow factory has closed for at least five months from 1 April because of a lack of orders. The closure comes at a time of rising controversy over the future of the group. The shutdown of the plant was ordered by the general director of the VPK ...
-
News
Turkish Eeyx
Aerospatiale of France has signed a preliminary agreement with Turkey for co-production of Eryx anti-tank missiles. The deal, revealed by the Turkish defence ministry, is worth around Fr2.6 billion ($420 million) and the ten year production run will be carried out locally by an Aerospatiale-led consortium which includes two Turkish ...