GEC-Marconi is to open commercial negotiations with China to supply the Argus 2000 airborne-early-warning (AEW) radar. This follows agreement with Ilyushin and British Aerospace on integrating the system into the Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft.
The UK manufacturer is understood to be about to begin contractual talks with the Chinese air force to supply four AEW systems, following the recent visit to China by GEC-Marconi chairman Lord Prior and other senior managers.
Negotiations will focus on the cost of the Argus 2000 radar and the necessary structural modifications to the Il-76 to accommodate the system. China is pressing for a cost reduction, and one proposed saving being discussed is to supply a less-expensive, downgraded electronic-countermeasure suite.
China has been engaged in on-off talks with GEC-Marconi about the Argus 2000 for several years, but agreement was reached only recently on co-operation with the Russian airframe manufacturer.
As part of the understanding, BAe will draw on its earlier experience with the now-defunct British Nimrod AEW programme to provide assistance with the structural mounting of the bi-polar on to the Il-76's forward and aft structure.
GEC-Marconi has produced a mock-up of the system on the Il-76 to show the air force, but until now it had been hampered by a lack of access to Ilyushin design data. Competing AEW supplier Israel Aircraft Industries has reached a similar accommodation with Russia to fit the phased-array Elta Phalcon system to an Il-76 testbed.
According to industry sources, an arms-buying delegation on a recent trip to Russia placed an order for an additional five to six Il-76 transports for possible AEW modification.
The air force already operates a fleet of ten Il-76s, but the four-engine aircraft are fully used as military transports. GEC-Marconi was given permission by the previous Conservative UK Government in 1994 to initially offer the Argus 2000 system to China, but officials warn that the new Labour administration could take a harder line on granting an export licence.
Source: Flight International
