All Helicopters articles – Page 429
-
News
Forecasts for 2000 - Defence
Boeing and Lockheed Martin gird up for JSF fight Stewart Penney/LONDON Assuming funding difficulties do not kill the programme, or at least slow it to a snail's pace, the first flights of Boeing's X-32 and Lockheed Martin's X-35 will be the most significant events of 2000. The pair are ...
-
News
US industry ends the millennium on a high
US industry has posted record sales of $155 billion this year, but forecasts a $6 billion decline next year, largely because of a drop in commercial aircraft shipments, says the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). The AIA end-of-year performance analysis predicts that civil transport exports should start rising again in ...
-
News
New roles considered for Global Hawk
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Northrop Grumman is beginning to look at developments of its RQ-4A Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle that could include stealth features for the airframe and payloads that would allow it to perform nearly 20 more operational roles. Plans are also being developed to deploy Global Hawk ...
-
News
USAF settles with Northrop Grumman
The US Air Force has reached an $80 million out-of-court settlement with Northrop Grumman. The move comes after the company was forced to meet $100 million, higher than anticipated, costs to refurbish initial Boeing 707-300s for conversion to Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. Under the original ...
-
News
Malaysian defenders
Malaysia's and Singapore's air forces have ambitious development plans. They open their doors to Flight International as a prelude to the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 1999 on 1 - 5 DecemberAndrzej Jeziorski/KUALA LUMPURThe mission of the Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) - or Royal Malaysian Air Force - ...
-
News
Merlin leads CSAR field
Stewart Penney/WILTON The EH Industries Merlin HC3 is emerging as a front runner to meet the UK armed forces' requirement for a combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter. AVM David Niven, commander of the recently formed Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) says: "In the medium term, we need to work hard ...
-
News
USA allows JASSM to fly in RAAF weapons contest
Lockheed Martin has been given clearance by the US Government to offer the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) in Australia's stand-off weapon competition. The move comes shortly after a first powered test flight for the weapon. Australian officials had pressured the Clinton Administration to allow Lockheed Martin to ...
-
News
First Boeing 737-700 door takes shape
Boeing has begun to install the main-deck cargo door on the first cargo version of the Next Generation 737 at its plant in Wichita, Kansas. The 737-700C (Convertible) is under development for civil and military markets. The US Navy is the initial customer, with an order for three aircraft. The ...
-
News
Airbus offers to pay 30% of A400M costs
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Airbus Industrie is prepared to provide up to 30% of the development funding for the proposed A400M military airlifter if the money is required to get the programme launched, according to industry sources. The consortium believes its investment in the $6 billion development programme could be recovered through ...
-
News
RAF receives first C-130J Hercules
The first Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules has finally been delivered to the Royal Air Force, the launch customer. The aircraft was handed over at a ceremony at the main operating base in Lyneham, Wiltshire, on 23 November. The original delivery was intended for 1996. Lockheed Martin paid heavy penalty charges ...
-
News
Boeing selects Raytheon to develop Super Hornet radar
Boeing has selected Raytheon to develop an active-array radar for the F/A-18E/F. The companies will begin development at their own risk, as the US Navy is not expected to secure funding for the active electronically scanned array (ASEA) upgrade until 2001. The "advance agreement" to begin development of the ...
-
News
AB609 trainer
Bell is proposing a wet lease of Bell Agusta 609 tiltrotors as part of its proposal to the US Marine Corps to use the nine-seat tiltrotor as a trainer for the Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey. Bell's proposal would allow the USMC to operate AB609s without straining tight US acquisition budgets, ...
-
News
Military manoeuvre
A J Walter Aviation, the UK component supply and management business, has announced its entry into the military market with the acquisition of spare parts for the British Aerospace Harrier and Sea Harrier. The $48 million purchase consists of 16,000 lines from the UK Ministry of Defence. The move ...
-
News
Israel to rely on Apaches
Israeli air force Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will protect northern Israel when the Israeli defence forces (IDF) withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon in July. The move comes as the Israeli air force has decided to acquire 12 AH-64DApache Longbow helicopters to bolster its fleet of ...
-
News
Tiltrotor wet lease option mooted for US military
Paul Derby/DUBAI Bell/Agusta is offering a wet lease option to the US Marine Corps and US Air Force as a means of funding any future acquisition of BA609 tiltrotors. The move is just one option being put forward by Bell/Agusta as it seeks to capitalise on a potentially ...
-
News
Typhoon in running for European sales
Tim Ripley/DUBAI Eurofighter Typhoon is still firmly in the running in the Greek and Norwegian fighter contests, according to leading executives of the four-nation consortium that produces the hi-tech combat aircraft. Press reports that the Greeks had re-opened their fighter contest, after deciding last February to select the ...
-
News
European neglect hits demand for military transport
Around 630 military transport aircraft valued at $38.1 billion are expected to be built throughout the world over the next nine years. The prediction was made at Dubai 2000 by Teal Group analysts in their latest military transport forecast. The new forecast notes that international demand for military aircraft continues ...
-
News
Helicopter makers SABR rattling for UK orders
Paul Derby/DUBAI The UK's newly-merged future support helicopter programmes have a fresh identity. Competing manufacturers are now bidding to meet the requirements of the Support Amphibious Battlefield Rotorcraft (SABR). The three main contenders, EH Industries, Sikorsky and Bell-Boeing all have a presence at Dubai 2000 and are pushing the EH ...
-
News
Bahrain deal signals missile push in Gulf
Tim Ripley/DUBAI Sales of hi-tech missiles in the Middle East look set to take off after Bahrain signed a contract to buy the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) on Saturday. The government-to-government contract, which is believed to involve 26 missiles and is worth in excess of $100 million, makes ...
-
News
Boeing sees good Apache market in the Middle East
Paul Derby/DUBAI Boeing is set to capitalise on an emerging Middle East market for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Among other countries, Boeing is talking to the United Arab Emirates about upgrading its 30-strong fleet. The UAE currently operates the original -A model Apache but is considering a remanufacturing programme ...