Salon aeronautike Paris Air Show - Le Bourget

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

RAF (Royal Air Force) je prikazao na statičkom delu izložbe avion pod nazivom ASTOR (Airborbe Stand-Off Radar), a za koji su rekli da planiraju da ga pošalju na misiju u Avganistan. Reč je o avionu Bombardier Global Express modifikovanom kako bi nosio radarsku opremu za osmatranje vazdušnog prostora i tla sa velike daljine.

PARIS AIR SHOW: RAF confirms plans to send ASTOR back to Afghanistan
By Craig Hoyle

The UK's Airborne Standoff Radar system is on static display this week ahead of a crucial deployment of the surveillance system in the skies above Afghanistan.

One of five Sentinel R1 aircraft heavily modified Bombardier Global Express business jets - from the Royal Air Force's 5 (Army Co-operation) Sqn is in Raytheon's outside exhibit area, accompanied by part of the ASTOR system's ground-based imagery exploitation equipment.

Used in combination, these have performed two earlier deployments to the Middle East and above Afghanistan, and the aircraft's synthetic aperture radar and ground moving target indication sensor have been used to support operations by ground forces in the country's southern Helmand Province.

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"The intelligence provided by ASTOR has had an immediate operational impact on the success of UK and ground forces in theatre," says Gp Capt Harry Kemsley, officer commanding 5 Sqn. He confirmed the new commitment at the show yesterday, saying: "We are preparing to deploy again to provide airborne support during the Afghanistan presidential elections."

In addition to providing over-watch services for the election process, the new ASTOR deployment will also support operations involving British and coalition troops, by for example looking for suspect vehicle movements by insurgents.

Kemsley says other key requirements for the coming operation will be to prove ASTOR's ability to be integrated with operations involving other intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets used in the theatre.

He declines to say exactly when the squadron will go and how long it will stay, but confirms that this will be longer than the previous deployment, which saw two Sentinel R1s and related equipment deployed between February and May this year.

Raytheon is promoting its wider array of ISR products at the show. Ranging from sensors for unmanned air vehicles up to a complete system like ASTOR, these are being pitched at an available market worth more than $20 billion over the next 15 years, says Neil Peterson, director of strategy and business development for the company's Space and Airborne Systems business unit.


Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Boeing je danas najavio da će letni testovi aviona P-8 Poseidon početi u četvrtom kvartalu ove godine. Reč je o mornaričkom avionu namenjenom osmatranju, otkrivanju i uništavanju podmornica, ali i površinskih brodova. Avion je baziran na Boeing 737, i treba da zameni P-3C Orione, a za sada su ga naručile mornarice SAD i Indije.

PARIS AIR SHOW: Boeing to begin P-8 flight tests in Q4
By Siva Govindasamy

Boeing expects to begin flight tests for the first test aircraft in the US Navy's 737-based P-8 Poseidon programme in the fourth quarter of 2009. It completed loads calibration tests two weeks ahead of plan before the first flight on 25 April, and will complete all systems and installations in the next four months. The tests will check the aircraft's flying qualities, performance, loads and in-flight refuelling, says Boeing.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

Kompanija Aerophile iz Pariza promoviše svoj balon punjen helijumom za upotrebu u vojsci. Oni smatraju da bi njihov balon punjen helijumom Aero30NG predstavljao dobro, jeftino i ekološki čisto rešenje za trening padobranskih jedinica, a za ovu svrhu se već koristi u Jemenu.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Aerophile targets military jumper market for savings
By John Croft

Paris-based Aerophile (Chalet A320) is marketing its Aero30NG helium-filled tethered balloon platform to paratrooper-equipped militaries as a cost-saving and environmentally sensitive training aid.

Already in operation with the Yemeni army for the past two months, the system comprises a 6,000m3 (210,000ft3) circular envelope connected to a fixed tether. A gondola connected to the envelope lifts 20 parachutists to heights of 985ft (300m) for static line jumps and is pulled back to the ground by a hydrostatic winch. Aerophile is also researching a mobile platform that holds the winch. The system can be operated in gusts of up to 12kt (13mph) when extended, the same limits put on paratroopers for training jumps, and 60kt when moored.

Jerome Giacomoni, chairman and president of Aerophile, says the Yemeni system will pay for itself in training cost savings within a year. The country's army trains several hundred parachutists every year who will use the tethered balloon, rather than a C-130, for the first seven jumps required for certification. Cost for the system, including spare parts for 10 years of operations, was €2 million ($3 million).

Giacomoni says he hopes to sell the Aero30PARA to roughly half of the 100 armies worldwide conducting paratrooper operations.

Aerophile has sold 51 tethered balloons to date, mostly used for entertainment purposes at amusement parks.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Ratno vazduhoplovstvo Tajvana odlučilo da odobri program modernizacije aviona AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo na standard "Goshawk" i sada se samo čeka odobrenje države.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Taiwan air force okays IDF upgrades, awaits govt approval
By Siva Govindasamy

Taiwan's air force has decided to go ahead with an upgrade for its indigenous AIDC F-CK-1 Indigenous Defence Fighters to the "Goshawk" standard and is waiting for the government's nod to launch the programme.

Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation unveiled the first two F-CK-1C/D IDF-2 prototypes in 2007 and handed them over to the Taiwan air force for tests. The company proposed upgrades to half of the 130 A/B-model IDFs, the last of which was manufactured in 1999, but this has been put on hold as successive Taiwanese governments have not given their nod.

"The air force has conducted initial operational tests, recording in excess of 100 flights in evaluation of the IDF-2 Goshawk upgrade system. The aircraft has met or exceeded project goals," says AIDC. "Based on their operational requirement, the air force has launched a retrofit programme, the "Xiang Zhan" programme, to upgrade 71 IDFs from 2009 through 2012. While the programme is in government review, AIDC remains confident it will receive the approvals to proceed."

There is some debate within Taiwan about funding the upgrade, especially since Taipei has wanted to buy 66 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters from the USA for several years.

However, both the Bush and Obama administrations have not taken any action on the request and observers believe that it is unlikely to go ahead due to the impact it would have on China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province.

AIDC believes an F-16 sale will not affect the upgrade programme, saying: "The sale of the F-16C/D is expected to complement the IDF-2 upgradeeach aircraft performs different roles in Taiwan's defence".

Apart from the IDF, Taiwan's fighter inventory includes Lockheed F-16A/Bs, Dassault Mirage 2000-5s and Northrop F-5s. Washington has sold refurbished Lockheed P-3C maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and the Boeing AH-64D Apache helicopters to Taipei over the last few years, and is likely to go ahead with a deal for Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Rollse-Royce je objavio da su uspešno instalirali i testirali novi motor Adour 821 na avion Jaguar indijskog RV i da nije bilo potrebe da se modifikuje zmaj aviona kako bi se instalirao novi motor.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Rolls-Royce tests engine upgrade for Indian Jaguars
By Craig Hoyle

Rolls-Royce revealed during the show that it has installed and tested its Adour 821 engine in a Sepecat Jaguar strike aircraft in support of a potential upgrade for the Indian air force. "The installation went smoothly and required no airframe changes," says the company, which ground-ran the propulsion system at up to full reheat using an ex-UK Royal Air Force example. "We believe we have proved that the Adour 821 meets all Indian air force performance requirements at the lowest risk," says Martin Fausset, managing director of Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Thales nastavlja razvojnu fazu projekta integracije rakete LMMS (lightweight multi-role missile) na helikopter AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat i očekuje da će potpisati ugovor kojim bi bilo obezbeđeno finansiranje sledeće faze programa.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Contract for arming of Lynx Wildcat with Thales weapon due by year end
By Niall O’Keeffe

Thales (Hall 2, B165) is continuing the assessment phase of its efforts to integrate its lightweight multi-role missile (LMMS) with the AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat utility helicopter, and expects to sign an agreement covering the next stage later this year.

The British armed forces' first Lynx Wildcat is due to make its debut flight on 13 November. Formerly referred to as the Future Lynx, the new aircraft will be delivered to the British Army and Royal Navy between March 2012 and 2016 under a combined production deal for 34 and 28 helicopters each.

The LMMS is compatible with Thales' very short-range air defence missile Starstreak, in use by UK forces since 1997. Steve Hill, vice-president and managing director of Thales UK's air systems division, estimates the LMMS' price at approximately 60% of that of the Starstreak. As such, it is intended as a "low-cost" missile, attractive to budget-constrained forces.

A "generic weapon" based on off-the-shelf technology, the LMMS is suitable for "most targets" but not main battle tanks or fast-moving jets, according to Hill, who notes that the Starstreak is capable of hitting more agile targets. The LMMS is deployable from unmanned air vehicles as well as helicopters. It arms BAE Systems' Fury, an armed reconnaissance and close air support UAV unveiled at last year's Farnborough air show. The laser beam-riding weapon will incorporate a two-stage rocket motor; a 3kg (6.6lb) blast fragmentation, shaped charge warhead; and a laser proximity sensor.

The weapon is in the second phase of a four-phase development process. Phase two focuses on development of the optical fuse and redesign of the rocket motor and warhead. Development of a semi-active laser seeker will follow in the third phase, and development of novel seekers in the fourth.

While phase one was entirely funded by Thales, the company has received support from the UK government during phase two, says Hill.

The first production unit of the LMMS will be delivered to the UK "at the back end of 2011". Hill says Thales is in discussions with other countries, including some outside Europe, as it looks to win export orders for the weapon.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Boeing je potvrdio da je Raytheon predložio svoj AESA radar APG-82 ta F-15SE (Silent Eagle). APG-82 ima istu antenu kao i APG-79, ali procesorska jedinica vodi poreklo od one sa radara APG-63(V)3. Iako je USAF već donelo odluku da ovaj radar bude deo modernizacije njihovih F-15E RMP (Radar Modernisation Programme), još uvek nije odlučeno da li će biti ponuđen i za izvoznu varijantu F-15SE.

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Raytheon APG-79 sa F/A-18E/F

PARIS AIR SHOW: Raytheon trumps Northrop with new AESA designation
By Stephen Trimble

Boeing confirms that Raytheon has proposed an active electronically scanned array (AESA) for the F-15 Silent Eagle called the APG-82.

The APG-82 matches the front-end antenna from the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's APG-79 antenna with an all-new back-end processor derived from the APG-63(V)3 radar.

The US Air Force designation of the APG-82 stems from its selection for the F-15E Strike Eagle's radar modernisation programme.

For marketing purposes, the new designation could become a coup for Raytheon. As it tops the Northrop Grumman APG-81 in development for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Raytheon can claim possession of the latest-generation radar system in the US inventory.

Although the APG-82 will be integrated for the F-15E RMP, Boeing has not yet decided whether to use it for the export-focused F-15SE.

"That's a subject of discussion between Raytheon and our company," says Tom Bell, the Boeing military aircraft division's director of business development.

Asked what factors are involved in those discussions, Bell replied simply: "Two words: customer requirements."

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Proizvođač aviona F-35 Lockheed Martin pregovara sa kompanijom Raytheon i jednom neameričkom firmom (verovatno Thales) o tome da bi one mogle biti alternativni proizvođači AESA radara za ovaj avion. Za sada je to ekskluzivno pravo kompanije Northrop Grumman koja proizvodi radar APG-81, ali ukoliko se pokaže da proizvodni kapaciteti ove kompanije nisu dovoljni, postoji mogućnost da se uposle drugi proizvođači, kažu iz kompanije  Lockheed Martin.

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Radar APG-81 na test avionu

PARIS AIR SHOW: F-35 looks beyond Northrop for AESA supplers
By Stephen Trimble

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme is in discussions with Raytheon and non-US suppliers to become a second source for components on the Northrop Grumman APG-81 active electronically scanned array.

The ongoing supplier negotiations, confirmed by F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin, clarify recent remarks by chief programme executive Brig Gen David Heinz.

Speaking to reporters on 2 June, Heinz named Thales and Raytheon as possible alternate suppliers for the F-35 radar, which is now exclusively supplied by Northrop.

"I don't have a capacity issue for radars today. But should I get to a [production] rate in the future and Northrop Grumman says 'Gee we're going to have to build another factory to do this'," Heinz said. "I'm going to look and say 'maybe not you'. There's no reason why I can't say 'Thales, Raytheon, you've got a shot at this. Come in and tell me what you can do better'."

Raytheon currently builds the APG-79 AESA for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and APG-63(V)2/3 AESA for Boeing F-15s. Thales is developing the RBE-2 AESA for the Dassault Rafale.

However, Lockheed confirmed there are no current plans to change the acquisition strategy for the F-35's AESA system. Instead, discussions are focused on potentially signing up Raytheon, Thales and perhaps Finmeccanica's Selex, among other international firms, as second source suppliers for the APG-81's components, Lockheed says.

Northrop and Raytheon compete fiercely for sales in the fighter market for AESA technology, but the two firms also collaborate on wide area surveillance radars, such as the multi-platform radar technology insertion programme (MP-RTIP) under development for the Northrop RQ-4 Global Hawk.

Both Northrop and Raytheon radars feature X-band frequency transmit and receive modules

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Boeing usporava razvoj aviona F-15SE zbog nedostatka konkretnih narudžbina i interesovanja stranih kupaca. Iako se očekuje da će prvi kupac biti Južna Koreja, iz ove zemlje još nije stigao zahtev za ponudu, a to se očekuje tek tokom 2010.

PARIS AIR SHOW: Boeing withholds funding for F-15SE go-ahead
By Stephen Trimble

Boeing has withheld further internal investment for its F-15 Silent Eagle concept pending a series of business case reviews, a top executive says.

Until last week, programme officials had confidently predicted an F-15SE first flight from February to June next year, but those pronouncements may have been premature.

"We're not at a point [on F-15SE] where we have a definitive path forward," says Tom Bell, the business development director for the Boeing's Military Aircraft division.

Specifically, the internal funding to launch the flight-test programme next year has not been released, Bell says.

A final decision is expected within the company over the next four months, Bell adds.

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Asked if Boeing required a formal action from a potential customer, such as a letter of request or request for proposal, Bell replied it does not. Boeing has previously identified South Korea as the most near-term potential customer, but its request for proposals is not expected to be released until mid-2010.

Aa go-ahead decision on the F-15SE depends on a comprehensive business case analysis performed internally, Bell says.

Bell also sought to lower expectations for the F-15SE's frontal aspect radar cross-section. While programme officials previously predicted that it would match its counterpart on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Bell says that Boeing could not be certain.

"Until we get one on the pole and do the studies, that's all theoretical at this point," he says.

Boeing launched the F-15SE without a customer in mid-March in a roll-out ceremony in St Louis, Missouri, using a cosmetically modified F-15E Strike Eagle testbed owned by the company.

If approved to move forward, the F-15SE would be offered to export customers as an alternative to the F-35. Boeing has proposed structural modifications, such as altering a conformal fuel tank into an internal weapons bay and canting the tail fins, and introducing fly-by-wire flight controls and a BAE Systems digital electronic warfare system.

The internal weapons bay configuration could also be changed within 2h, Boeing says, allowing the F-15SE to perform its multi-role mission.

In this way, the F-15SE is only stealthy for the "5% of missions where you want low observability", Bell says.

Boeing is meanwhile continuing to seek risk-sharing partners as well as customers for the project, Bell adds.

"Our conversations with customers betray a deep interest in this capability," he says.


Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

17.06.2009.

Američka mornarica je uvećala narudžbinu aviona P-8A za još 9 komada vrednih ukupno 1.8 milijardi dolara, čime je broj porudžbina koje su stigle u Boeing povećan na 123, uključujući i 8 indijskih P-8I.

PARIS AIR SHOW: US Navy adds aircraft to P-8A order
By Stephen Trimble

The US Navy has added nine aircraft worth at least $1.8 billion to the programme of record for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon programme.

The extra aircraft have been added based on the results of a recent force structure analysis by the office of the chief of naval operations, says Neal Rothback, the P-8A programme's deputy integrated product team leader, but he declines to elaborate on the scope of the results.

The change increases Boeing's order backlog for P-8A from 114 to 123, including six P-8Is ordered by the Indian navy. Australia has also agreed to collaborate on developing the requirements for an Increment 2 upgrade planned in 2015, although Canberra has not committed to purchase aircraft.

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Since 25 April, Boeing has flown the first two test aircraft, and both are now being equipped with instrumentation for continuing the flight-test phase, says Tony Parasida, Boeing's vice-president for airborne surveillance aircraft. A third flight-test aircraft should be flown by the end of the year, he adds.


Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

18.06.2009.

Indija planira da kupi najmanje 10 transportnih avion C-17, pa je s tim u vezi kontaktirala USAF tražeći informacije o ceni upotrebe i održavanja tih aviona, saopštio je Boeing. Namera Indije je da zameni 20 aviona Il-76.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: India seeks 10 Boeing C-17s
By Siva Govindasamy

India is looking to acquire at least 10 Boeing C-17 tactical transport aircraft as part of its plan to increase its airlift capabilities.

New Delhi issued a request for information to the US Air Force in February asking how much it would cost to own and operate a fleet of the aircraft, says Boeing. Any contract will be through the US government's foreign military sales mechanism.

"The USAF is handling this but we understand that India needs 10 aircraft. Delivery timelines are not clear at this stage," says Jean Chamberlin, vice-president for global mobility systems at Boeing. She was unable to say when a contract would be signed.

Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, chief of the Indian air force, told Indian media the deliveries would begin three years after a contract. The aircraft will replace some of the service's 20 Ilyushin Il-76 heavylift aircraft.

Chamberlin says Boeing hopes to conclude negotiations with the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and complete the deliveries of all four C-17s it has ordered by the end of 2010. The NATO Strategic Airlift Capability, which has ordered four aircraft, will receive its first C-17 at Papa, Hungary on 27 July. The rest will follow soon after.

On potential customers coming out of the delays to the Airbus A400M, she says there have been informal chats with those who had wanted to take delivery of the aircraft in 2009 or 2010 and therefore face a capability gap. "These are informal conversations with potential customers, but there have been no discussions on quantity. There is no request for information or proposals before Boeing."

The C-17 is now in use with the air forces of Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. Qatar has ordered two, and other potential customers include Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the Netherlands and Singapore.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

18.06.2009.

Kina promoviše školsko-borbeni avione firme Hongdu Aviation Industry,  L-15 na salonu u Parizu. Kompanija je izložila model aviona i simulator koji potencijalne mušterije mogu da koriste na njihovom štandu.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: China promotes L-15 trainer at show
By Siva Govindasamy

China is promoting the Hongdu Aviation Industry L-15 advanced jet trainer at the show, pushing both the base version and a light attack variant to foreign customers.

The company has an aircraft model and a simulator that potential customers can use at its stand, and company officials were talking to air force officers from several countries.

Officials from Hongdu and its parent company China Aviation Industry (AVIC) declined to comment, but African countries such as Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are among those believed to be interested in the L-15.

Hongdu has three prototypes of the twin-seat aircraft and a final configuration with the Ivchenko-Progress AL-222K-25F engine could be ready in 2010. Another version with an afterburner is expected to be primed in 2011 and a light attack version is being studied as well.

Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

19.06.2009.

Izraelska industrija bespilotnih letelica dominira ovogodišnjim salonom u Parizu, i pored pokušaja evropskih proizvođača da se predstave na najbolji mogući način. Izraelske kompanije koje proizvode bespilotne letelice su imale više najava od svih drugih zemalja u kojima postoji ova industrija.

Israeli industry overshadows UAV Paris first
By Rob Coppinger

While appropriate that a European unmanned air vehicle should fly for the first time at the Paris air show on its 100th anniversary, the reality for the UAV industry is that Israel's dominance was clear.

Austria's Schiebel S-100 camcopter made history with its daily display at the show and at the end of the year an expected initial requirement contract will see further use of the helicopter by the German navy and army. But it is a rare occasion where an entirely European UAV is taken on by one of the continent's governments. Instead Israel's products are dominating the European market with high-profile examples of the UK buying Elbit Systems Hermes 450, through Thales, while the French have placed orders for Elbit's Skylark and are using Israel Aerospace Industry's Heron in Afghanistan.

Now IAI's Heron TP is in a strong position in a German competition, with a decision expected early next year. The choice is between the Heron and General Atomics Predator B. Heron could win again when France, and possibly Spain, decide in December if they will buy the Thales, Indra, Dassault team version of the TP called Système de Drone.

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Austria's Schiebel S-100 camcopter

At the show IAI has also been able to boast about the recent news that its Heron is being used by the US military in El Salvador in the war on drugs.

Israeli companies also had more announcements at Paris than any other country's industry. New products and new versions of existing ones were among those anouncements, with Kadima-based BlueBird Aero Systems' fuel cell powered Boomerang, Elbit's catapult launched Hermes-90 UAV, which is based on Holon based-Innocon's Mini Falcon UAVs, and Innocon's Micro Falcon now being available with Bental Motion System's MicroBat sensor package.

Bental is also providing technology for Germany's 3W new UAV engine. Finally, Aeronautics Defense Systems announced that its Orbiter 3 maiden flight is being planned for August.

Europe's Sagem displayed its Patroller long-endurance surveillance vehicle and announced a successful first flight that occurred earlier this month. But it, like the full-scale model of the EADS Advanced UAV, is a project with no guarantee of full development by any government.

Worse still Germany's federal ministry of defence state secretary Rudiger Wolf has told his French and Spanish partners for Advanced UAV that his government will not continue with that project.

Among the major US UAV players at Paris, Raytheon revealed that its surveillance KillerBee product had completed flights using a heavy fuel engine and with a Linux-based control system. Raytheon is offering its KillerBee-4 version to the US military. And Northrop Grumman announced that it had started windtunnel tests for its new cargo concept called the Mover.

But back in Israel, Urban Aeronautics is preparing to test fly this month its prototype Mule ducted fan frontline logistics and medevac vehicle, which is a contender for the US Marine Corp's cargo UAV competition.

Reflecting the embyronic nature of the commercial UAV sector, Paris announcements saw the promotion of French start-up company Aeroart and its low-cost Featherlite mini-UAV and Alsace-based company Flying Robots' FR102 cargo UAV.

Aeroart sees its role as conducting civilian security and observation missions while Flying Robots says it is seeking certification for its cargo UAV from the European Aviation Safety Agency. The company is promoting its secure on-board mission control software where uncertificated workers can load and unload the FR102 and stop and start it so the vehicle can then follow a set route without any need for human intervention.

A company with more proven credibility in advanced avionics technology, Rockwell Collins declared that unpiloted commercial passenger aircraft would be a part of aviation's future. "UAVs will fly with manned aircraft in commercial airspace soon," says its senior director of control technologies David Vos.

While not offering any sense and avoid magic wands for integrated airspace UAV operations, Boeing did announce that it was setting up its Unmanned Airborne Systems division and that reliability would be its key selling point. But like the indigenous European industry on the international and domestic markets it will face a range of Israeli products that are already operationally proven.


Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

19.06.2009.

Boeing je demantovao sopstvene najave da je usporio razvoj aviona F-15SE zbog nedostatka finansiranja i konkretnog interesovanja potencijalnih kupaca, i izdao saopštenje u kojem se navodi da sve teče po planu i da će prvi let aviona F-15SE biti obavljen u trećem kvartalu 2010. godine kako je prvobitno i planirano.

Boeing holds F-15 Silent Eagle go-ahead pending business case review
By Stephen Trimble

Boeing has disavowed an executive's statement at a show news conference that questioned the company's internal financial commitment to its high-profile F-15 Silent Eagle programme.

The company on 17 June issued a statement that "reaffirmed" its commitment to a flight-test programme for a more stealthy version of the venerable F-15E, and scheduled the flight trials to launch in the third quarter of 2010.

The statement came a day after Tom Bell, Boeing vice-president for business development, said categorically that the company had withheld funding for the F-15SE flight test programme next year, pending a business case review within the next four months.

"We're not at a point [on the F-15SE] where we have a definitive path forward," he said.

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But by the end of the week, Boeing's ricocheting statements seemed to put the programme's status back where it had begun: as one of the company's top investment priorities.

"We know from talking with current international F-15 operators that they are very interested in the capabilities of the Silent Eagle," says Jim Albaugh, Boeing's president of Integrated Defense Systems.

"Making this commitment to get the programme through to a flight demonstration will ultimately help international customers understand how this aircraft meets their need for a flexible, long-range, large-payload, high-speed, multirole strike fighter with reduced observability."

Boeing rolled out the F-15SE in mid-March without a customer, using a cosmetically modified, company-owned F-15E testbed.

The configuration introduces a canted tail and a new internal weapons bay based on a modified conformal fuel tank. It is also proposing to introduce fly-by-wire flight controls and a BAE Systems digital electronic warfare system.

Bell confirms that Boeing is in talks with Raytheon about the option of integrating a new active electronically scanned array radar designated the APG-82. That would provide export customers of the F-15SE with the same radar system selected for the US Air Force's F-15E radar modernisation programme.

Bell also sought to lower expectations for the F-15SE's frontal aspect radar cross-section characteristics, noting: "Until we get one on the pole and do the studies, that's all theoretical at this point."



Izvor: Flightglobal

[dexy]

19.06.2009.

Vijetnamska mornarica je u pregovorima sa Eurocopterom oko kupovine nekoliko helikoptera tipa EC225 i EC155. Iz Eurocoptera najavljuju da bi posao mogao biti sklopljen pre kraja godine. Ovi helikopteri će biti korišćeni u ulozi traganja i spasavanja, kao i u transportnoj ulozi.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Vietnam navy in talks to buy Eurocopter helicopters
By Siva Govindasamy

Eurocopter could be on the verge of a major military deal with Vietnam after confirming that it is in negotiations to sell helicopters to the Southeast Asian country's navy.

The service is in talks to buy several EC225 and EC155 helicopters and Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter's senior vice-president for sales and customer relations in Asia Pacific, says that a deal could be made before end-2009.

"We are having good discussions with Vietnam on this issue," says Ducrot. "Eurocopter has an excellent relationship with Vietnam and the discussions with the navy are going well. We are hopeful of a breakthrough this year."

The country's navy primarily uses its helicopters for search and rescue and transport missions, according to industry sources. Older Eurocopter helicopters such as the SA365 N2 Dauphin, Eurocopter AS350 B3 Ecureuil, SA330J Puma and AS332 L2 Super Puma are already in service with the country's air force.

Vietnam opened its economy in the early 1990s and registered one of the highest annual gross domestic product growth rates in Asia for several years until last year's global economic crisis. Investment from US and European companies has helped it to wean itself off a dependence on the former Soviet Union and Russia, and that could soon be the case in the military sector as well.

Since the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s, the country has mostly bought Soviet-bloc and Russian arms. The air force, for instance, has ordered 24 Sukhoi SU-30MK2s and received 12 of them. It seeks more fighters and officials from Lockheed and Boeing say that they have received positive signals about their prospects in what could potentially be a huge market.

Izvor: Flightglobal