All Helicopters articles – Page 435
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News
Programme focus is key to BAe merger plan
British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems (MES)have unveiled a radical programmes-led management restructuring as they prepare to merge by the end of this month. The overhaul will see BAe's Aerostructures and Military Aircraft divisions replaced by 11 programme-specific units, each with its own managing director. The aim is ...
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Australia looks at splitting defence purchases
A draft paper being circulated within the Australian Department of Defence is proposing a shift to "block buys" for new major equipment orders. This is expected to directly affect the Project Air 6000 replacement for the Royal Australian Air Force's Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. A separate issues-paper dealing with the ...
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Bell challenges Australian Army's helicopter shortlist
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA The Australian Army's Air 87 armed reconnaissance helicopter project is being reviewed by the Australian Defence Inspector General following a Bell Helicopter Textron challenge to the shortlist process. The 88-point challenge, lodged with Australian defence minister John Moore at the beginning of October, alleges that the ...
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UK nears decision on airlift programmes
Stewart Penney/LONDON A UK Ministry of Defence Equipment Approval Committee (EAC) meeting scheduled for 6 December is to consider options to meet the Royal Air Force's Short Term Strategic Airlift (STSA) requirement, the Future Transport Aircraft (FTA) competition and the beyond visual range air-to-air missile contest. The STSA and ...
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Italian Air Force is looking for a new airlift plan after pressures build
Andy Nativi/GENOA Political and industrial pressures in Italy are throwing the proposed Italian air force purchase of Airbus Military Company A400Ms into confusion. They are also causing a rethink of its long-term airlifter plans. Due to the manoeuvring, the air force is instead considering a further acquisition of Lockheed ...
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British Aerospace reins in Nimrod work
British Aerospace is concentrating structural work on the troubled Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft at its Woodford factory. The move follows an announcement in March that the aircraft's in-service date has slipped from April 2003 until 2005. As a result Cobham subsidiary FR Aviation (FRA) will lose a contract ...
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USAF selects upgrade team for Stratotankers
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Air Force has selected a Rockwell Collins/Raytheon Systems team to upgrade more than 500 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers to meet global air traffic management (GATM) requirements. At the same time, the USAF has slowed down the $4.2 billion avionics modernisation programme (AMP) for 510 Lockheed ...
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Mergers
United Technologies is to acquire composite components overhaul specialist Cade Industries for $129 million and engine parts supplier Dallas Aerospace for $57 million. Both companies will become part of UTC's Pratt & Whitney Engine Services unit. Dallas Aerospace is owned by the parent company of Fairchild Fasteners. Derlan Industries is ...
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IAI warns Raytheon on Phalcon pricing
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)has told Raytheon, its airborne early warning (AEW) programmes partner, that a high price on its proposal for Turkey could mean an end to their teaming agreement. An IAI/Raytheon team was one of the losers in the Australian Wedgetail AEW competition, won by Boeing offering 737-700s ...
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Hard to digest
Whether it is clever politics, a knee-jerk reaction or just well-meant advice, the "closed" sign has gone up in the window of the transatlantic merger diner at which Europe has been trying to book a table since merger-mania gripped the industry earlier this year. Clever politics, perhaps, because Washington ...
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Contracts
United Industrial subsidiary ACL Technologies is to build a Lockheed Martin F-16 component overhaul depot near Cairo, Egypt. The $28 million centre will handle electrical, fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics, oxygen and landing gear systems. Raytheon has received a $16 million US foreign military sales contract to provide AGM-65 Mavericks trainers and ...
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News
Italian air force upgrades approved
The Italian Parliament has approved upgrades for the air force's Aermacchi MB339 advanced trainers, Alenia/Aermacchi/Embraer AMX fighter-bombers and Boeing 707 tankers. A mid-life update of the MB339 fleet will start by year-end and will last for five years. The L110 billion ($62 million) update will allow the Italian air force ...
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News
Greece to buy PGMs and more Chinooks
The Greek armed forces have concluded a deal to buy more Boeing CH-47D Chinooks and are close to finalising a deal for US-supplied AGM-142 Have Nap stand-off missiles. According to industry sources, the Clinton Administration will shortly notify the US Congress of its intention to sell an undisclosed number ...
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News
Boeing joins Meteor missile group
Stewart Penney/LONDONBoeing is joining Team Meteor, the European consortium competing in the UK's Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) competition to select a weapon to arm the Eurofighter. A decision is expected by early next year. Boeing joins a European grouping that includes the Matra BAe Dynamics (MBD), Alenia Marconi ...
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USAF gets funding to begin work on Galaxy re-engining
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Air Force has secured $18 million in long lead funding to begin work on re-engining the Lockheed Martin C-5A/B Galaxy, as the Air Mobility Command (AMC) prepares to conclude a critical study of its future heavylift transport options. Congress has approved initial funding in ...
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Austria ready to modernise
Keen to show its neutrality, Austria has long kept its air force to a minimum. This strategy could soon change René van Woezik/VIENNA Austria spends less than most European countries on defence, as a proportion of its GDP that is, and stretches the lives of its aircraft to their ...
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US Army seeks new Huey upgrade
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Army is again studying a series of industry suggestions for sustaining its remaining fleet of Bell UH-1 Huey utility helicopters. The service is doing so against the backdrop of a fundamental shift in military planning and uncertain future funding. According to the ...
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Kosovo air campaign shows up US and NATO disparities
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC US secretary of State for Defense William Cohen says the Kosovo air campaign highlighted disparities between US military forces and those of NATO allies, including precision strike capabilities. Cohen's assessment is contained in an initial Kosovo after-action report from the Department of Defense containing early lessons from ...
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Joint pressure
Togetherness is the byword for modern military operations as nations get round tight budgets by sharing resources Stewart Penney and DeeDee Doke/LONDON Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DCThe Australian-led Operation Stabilise in East Timor has at least 11 nations involved and Operation Allied Force over Kosovo and Yugoslavia included contributions from 14 NATO ...
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US sets Honeywell merger rules
Emma Kelly/LONDON Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES AlliedSignal and Honeywell must shed large parts of their avionics businesses as the price for US regulatory approval of their planned merger, although only in areas of product overlap. While approving the merger in principle, the US Department of Justice says Honeywell must give ...