All Helicopters articles – Page 437
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News
Embraer angling for increase in military sales
Embraer's ALX advanced trainer/light combat aircraft has made its first flight on the eve of the Paris air show. The Brazilian air force has ordered 100 ALXs, also known as the Super Tucano, and the company believes there will also be a "strong" export market. The first flight, from Embraer's ...
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Digital domain
The digital revolution is spreading to the battlefield and a leading light, the Comanche, will be on view at Paris Paul Lewis/NASHVILLE The US military is preparing for a warfare revolution by forming the world's first digitised army early next century. At the head of this planned Army XXI ...
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Smart bombs in demand
Paris will be a showcase for US smart weapon developments as intensive NATO use in Yugoslavia deplenishes stocks Ramon Lopez/EGLIN AFB, FLORIDA As NATO ordnance continued to rain on military targets in Yugoslavia, US Air Force programme managers for the latest generation of "smart" bombs were busy conducting ...
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Matra BAe/IMI team for Australian bid
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA Matra BAe Dynamics (MBD) has ditched plans to offer its Storm Shadow for the Royal Australian Air Force's Follow On Stand Off Weapon requirement. Instead, British Aerospace Australia (BAeA) has joined Israeli Military Industries (IMI) to offer the Delilah II. An agreement between IMI and BAeA ...
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Airbus angst
While the proverbial fly on the wall would doubtless encounter many colourful conversations at next week's Paris air show, one exchange almost certain to raise a few eyebrows is likely to be heard at a meeting of trade ministers from the four Airbus nations scheduled for 14 June, when the ...
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Coming of age
The high-profile use of UAVs in combat puts them high on the Paris agenda Ramon Lopez/BRISTOL With some unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) - including the Bombardier CL-289, IAI/TRW Hunter, General Atomics RQ-1A Predator (above) and IAI/AAI Pioneer - being put through their paces over Yugoslavia, gathering intelligence in what may prove ...
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A400M cost may be $80 million
Stewart Penney/LONDONAirbus Military Company (AMC) will supply its A400M four-engined tactical airlifter for $80 million each, if the participating nations buy all 288 covered by a seven-country request for proposals issued in 1997. Meanwhile, France, one of four nations evaluating competitive bids, is expected to declare the A400M winner of ...
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Military EMB-145 makes maiden flight
Although Embraer's EMB-145SA Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft rolled out on 28 May, it had its first flight on 22 May. The flight lasted 2h 30min, with the aircraft flying at 20,000ft (6,000m) . The Brazilian Government will receive the first of five on order in January 2001. ...
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Quad TiltRotor under study
Graham Warwick/MONTREAL Bell Boeing is studying a four-proprotor tiltrotor aircraft as a potential replacement for both heavylift helicopters and tactical transports. The initial concept for the Quad TiltRotor (QTR) is to use the wing, nacelles, engines and proprotors from the Bell Boeing V-22, mating them to a modified ...
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Marconi wins laser demonstrator deal for RAF's DIRCM
Marconi Electronic Systems has won a £2 million ($3.2 million) technology demonstrator contract to develop a laser for Northrop Grumman's AAQ-24(V) Nemesis Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), being fielded by UK forces. Last month, Marconi delivered a mid-infrared wavelength, single-band, solid-state laser to the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency ...
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Decision day gets nearer for UK on JSF design participation
Graham Warwick/MONTREAL The UK must decide before the middle of next year whether it wants to remain in the US-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, if it wants a say in selecting the winning design. The UK Ministry of Defence is looking at doubling the number of aircraft it ...
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Embraer assesses ALX potential
Chris Jasper/SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS Embraer estimates a potential export market of about 200 aircraft for the ALX trainer/light combat aircraft, the first production version of which was rolled out on 28 May. The Brazilian manufacturer's senior manager for defence market strategy, Anastacio Katsanos, says there is unlikely ...
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E-2C technology part of AEW offer to Australia
Northrop Grumman is including electronically scanned technology from the planned E-2C radar modernisation programme (RMP) as part of its airborne early warning (AEW) offer to Australia for the soon-to-be decided Project Wedgetail. Australia is expected to finalise its choice of AEW systems from three competing systems within a month. ...
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Boeing joins EH101 team for Canadian bid
Boeing has joined the EH Industries-led team planning to offer the EH101 for the Canadian Forces' Maritime Helicopter Programme (MHP). Boeing will supply the maritime patrol mission system for the Cormorant version of the EH101 that will be offered to meet the 35-aircraft Sikorsky Sea King replacement requirement. The ...
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US probes launches
The US launcher industry may be grounded for up to six months as President Bill Clinton has ordered Defense Secretary George Cohen to investigate recent launch failures of Lockheed Martin Titan IV, Athena and Boeing Delta III boosters. Six failures between July 1998 and May this year have cost over ...
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Lockheed Martin sees focus of UCAV shifting to surveillance
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA The US Air Force's proposed unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) may see its first operational applications in surveillance and reconnaissance roles rather than strike missions, according to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics president, "Micky" Blackwell. The shift in focus, Blackwell says, is likely to be driven by competing ...
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US DoD orders JDAM production ramp-up
Ramon Lopez/EGLIN AFB The US Department of Defense has ordered Boeing to accelerate production of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits for the US Air Force and navy because of a shortage created by its successful use in the air campaign over Yugoslavia, says Oscar Soler, JDAM programme manager. ...
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Contracts
Lockheed Martin Sanders, electronic warfare prime contractor for its parent company's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) proposal, has selected Litton Amecom to lead development of the electronic support measures (ESM)system, if Lockheed Martin wins the JSF contest. Israel's Rafael will supply its vertically launched Barak-1 point defence missile to Signaal of ...
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Brazil's new teeth
With the roll-out of the Embraer EMB-145SA and ALX on 28 May, the Brazilian air force is preparing to add two long-awaited aircraft to its fleet Jackson Flores jr/SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS The addition of the EMB-145 surveillance platform and the ALX light strike aircraft will give the Brazilian air ...
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Space at premium as NATO builds air fleet
NATO plans to increase the number of aircraft taking part in Operation Allied Force to nearly 1,300 is driving the alliance to establish more bases in Hungary, while also shifting assets so that they are closer to the battlefield. NATO says that deployment of additional aircraft is a question of ...