Print Page - Salon aeronautike Paris Air Show

15.06.2009.

Air Tractor predstavio svoj avion za zaprašivanje u naoružanoj verziji namenjenoj borbi protiv gerile. Oklopljena varijanta aviona, ali nenaoružana, je već korišćena za uništavanje polja koke u južnoj americi zaprašivanje. Dodavanjem oružnih sistema kao što su podvesni kontejneri sa topovima kalibra 12.7mm ili do 9 preciznih vođenih bombi mase 225kg, dobijen je pravi borbeni avion namenjen borbi protiv gerile i narko kartela. Avion može ostati i do 10 sati u vazduhu i nadgledati očekivanu zonu sukoba u podršci trupama na zemlji.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Cropduster-turned-gunship makes Le Bourget debut
By Stephen Trimble

Seeking to capitalise on rising global demand for anti-insurgent weapon systems, Texas-based Air Tractor is unveiling the new AT-802U gunship today.

The AT-802U Air Truck prototype on display is a weaponised and armoured version of the civilian AT-802 employed around the world as an aerial firefighter and crop-duster.

Its militarised metamorphosis has not come overnight. In recent years, about 16 armour-plated - but unarmed - versions of the AT-802 have been operated by the US Department of State in South America to eradicate drug crops, says Lee Jackson, Air Tractor's design engineer.

The two-seat, tail-dragger may perhaps appear primitive, but features a sturdy design with ample power, which is provided by a 1,600shp (1,190kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67F engine. With a maximum takeoff weight of 7,260kg (16,000lb), it can carry a payload up to 3,720kg, Jackson says.

That means when fully loaded the AT-802U could haul up to nine 225kg (500lb) precision-guided bombs and 50-calibre gun pods, Jackson says. The aircraft's pedigree as an aerial firefighter means it is designed for high agility at low speeds and low-altitude.

It can also loiter for up to 10h to provide surveillance support to troops on the ground. The Air Tractor was ferried to the show from Olney, Texas, crossing the North Atlantic.

Air Tractor also plans to qualify two of Lockheed Martin's powered munitions, the Hellfire missile and the Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) - a guided version of the 2.75 Hydra rocket.

So far, market interest in the AT-802U has not led to an order, but that could soon change, Jackson says. Air Tractor has responded to two requests for information from the Department of Defense, he says.

The US Air Force is considering the idea of standing up an irregular warfare wing equipped with two-seat trainers that can be coverted for the light attack role.

The aircraft is ideal for a rugged operational environment such as Afghanistan, but it could also gain interest in the USA from the Air National Guard, Jackson says.

Izvor: Flightglobal

15.06.2009.

Kompanija MBDA predstavila dve nove verzije protivbrodske rakete Marte MK2S namenjene za upotrebu sa lakih borbenih aviona poput M-346, Aermacchi MB-339 ili AMX, kao i verziju za lansiranje sa helikoptera.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: MBDA reveals two new variants of Marte anti-ship missile
By Craig Hoyle

MBDA (Hall 2C) has launched study work on two new versions of its proven Marte Mk 2S air-launched anti-ship missile. One is designed to be integrated on Alenia Aermacchi's M-346 advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft to meet the requirements of an undisclosed customer.

"We have launched the studies with internal funding," says Antonio Perfetti, chief executive of MBDA Italy. "It is a strategy of MBDA to show customers the robustness of our intention to develop."

The first new variant, the Mk 2S-A, is intended for carriage by light strike aircraft, such as a combat version of the M-346 recently selected by the United Arab Emirates. "We have a potential customer, but it's too early to say," confirms MBDA.

A prototype of the M-346 on display at Finmeccanica's outside exhibit area is shown with the Marte weapon system and MBDA's dual-mode Brimstone air-to-surface missile and PGM 500 bomb -possible weapons options for the UAE.

Some flight development work has already been conducted with the Mk 2S-A, and MBDA also identifies the Alenia Aermacchi MB-339 and the AMX strike aircraft jointly developed with Embraer as other candidate airframes. The weapon weighs around 260kg (570lb), and has an effective range of up to 45km (24nm).

The company is also working on an extended-range version of the weapon for use by helicopters such as the AgustaWestland AW101 and NH Industries NH90, both of which are already platforms for the Mk 2S weapon system.

The introduction of a turbojet engine will enable the subsonic missile to fly faster and achieve an extended range of up to 100km. A new seeker will add radar or imaging infrared guidance, and the design also includes a datalink, says MBDA. The new design has a reduced launch weight of under 300kg.

Izvor: Flightglobal

15.06.2009

Francuska razmatra mogućnost slanja svojih Eurocopter Tigar borbenih helikoptera u misiju u Avganistanu. Ovi helikopteri su u upotrebi u Francuskoj vojsci već dve godine i vojska tvrdi da su oni spremni da učestvuju u misiji, tako da se čeka samo politička odluka.

PARIS AIR SHOW: France's Tiger poised for Afghanistan deployment
By Kieran Daly

Gen Monique Legrand-Larroche, head of state helicopter programmes at national procurement agency DGA, declares: "The technical aspect is ready, but the political decision has not yet been made to engage Tiger."

Her colleague Col Pascal Point, helicopter programme co-ordination officer, general joint staff equipment division adds: "The decision to engage Tiger is of course a political one and a very important topic because it is a new helicopter. What I can say with confidence is that the helicopter is ready to be engaged due to the very important effort made by industry and the DGA programme team to prepare this helicopter."

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In fact the Tiger HAP has been flying with the French army's 4th Brigade for two years and developing tactics to capitalise on the type's capabilities.

Capt Bruno Cavailles, who has been involved throughout that programme, says: "The question is: does the Tiger require a new way to fight? We can now engage almost simultaneously an enemy contact and another coming from behind. We are talking about doing both with the same aircraft.

"The combat radius is almost twice what it was before. Endurance has considerably increased and so has the speed. So it is not just hit-and-run missions, but crews can complete different roles in one mission. And we are less vulnerable in some kind of engagements because of increased weapon range.

"In consequence the limit seems to be the man. The huge capabilities of the aircraft are probably going to increase the crews' tiredness. Therefore, the human factors have to be considered accurately in order to organise the deployment of this aircraft."

That is something high on the agenda of the dedicated Franco-German Tiger training school at Le Luc in southern France, known to the French as the Ecole Franco-Allemand (EFA), which is working at a frenetic tempo to turn out new pilots even before hitting full operational capacity by October this year. The centre opened in July 2003 and is building towards 350 staff by 2011. Currently it deploys five German and nine French Tigers and will eventually have 12 and eight respectively.

INCREASED ENDURANCE

Deputy commander Col Christian Fanchini says: "Fielding the Tiger is a major challenge for the armed forces of France and Germany and of the army aviation in particular.

"The main mission of EFA is to give the pilots the tactical and technical skills they will need for the missions to be carried out with this weapons system."

A small group of instructors has now completed 550h on the Tiger and all have 300h, or in some cases 450h. The school itself has clocked up more than 6,600h on the type and says it has fired more than 16,000 20mm shells and 2,395 rockets.

French pilots are ahead in weapons training because, explains Fanchini, the German machines will not have their weapons system until September this year. By the end of 2009, however, France is looking to have 16 combat-qualified crews.

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Fanchini says that crews would be ready to be deployed to Afghanistan "four to six weeks after the political decision" with industry-support agreements, notably with Thales and Sagem for its mission-planning module, already being in place.

Col Eric Merck says the French army's comprehensive simulator operation is building up its Afghan database to provide crews with increased familiarity with the theatre before deployment, and instructors praise the devices' capability to replicate the notorious brown-out conditions that routinely accompany take-offs and landings in the country. Pilots of other helicopter types undergo two weeks of dedicated simulator training for Afghanistan before deployment.

Pilots and gunners typically train in separate dome-simulators, networked together as required, and sometimes with the gunner being simulated.

DEDICATED TRADE

Merck says a growing number of the French air force instructors are NCOs who now train in the role as a dedicated trade. Their own training requires six months on generic simulator instruction followed by seven months on the Tiger. Already 18 are serving at EFA with a target of 72 by 2012. The air force is delighted with the programme and Merck says it has effectively gained three months in the progress of its overall Tiger training programme as a result.

The German objective at year-end is to have operational training underway with the 36th Army Aviation Regiment. And Spain, effectively a customer of EFA, is looking to increase its instructor force and solidify its simulator programme.

A significant difference between the French and German training programmes is that whereas German pilots are trained from the outset as potential mission commanders, French pilots are not initially qualified in that way and move up to it later.

Fanchini says: "Since the beginning of French Army aviation the pilots were trained only for piloting. In Germany and the UK there is a different philosophy - they are trained as mission commander and can do both roles. We think it could be dangerous to have the same level in the cockpit because the pilot could do more than he is really able. What is important is that the crew commander to be trained to do both tasks so he can do that."

"We train all the pilots in the front seat and then as commanders in the back seat. Then the most experienced become patrol leaders. It ensures that each man of the crew is fully aware of the mindset of the other one."

Differences between the French and German aircraft additionally mean that the simulators require a two-hour changeover if swapped between the two configurations, something the managers try to avoid.

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RAPID MOVEMENT

Meanwhile the HAD version of the Tiger, due to enter service with France and Spain in 2012, is moving rapidly ahead.The DGA's Le Berre says first flight with the uprated Rolls-Royce-Turbomeca MTR390E engine, now fitted on pre-production aircraft PS01, has passed ground tests and will fly "in the summer".

The key difference from the HAP is the version's missile equipage - Hellfire II for France and Spike ER for Spain. Le Berre says the first Hellfire launch on the HAD is due in September.

Other improvements are the laser designator required for the missiles, upgraded IFF interrogator, and enhanced composite ballistic protection for the crew. The result is a weight of 6.6t versus the 6.1t of the HAP, and the consequent 14% greater power of the engine.

France will mix its planned 40 HAPs and 40 HADs in service, and Berre says there is currently "no serious discussion" of retrofitting the HAD capability to the HAPs.

Izvor: Flightglobal

15.06.2009.

Izraelska kompanija Urban Aeronautics je predstavila bespilotnu letelicu Mule (mazga) na statičkom delu izložbe. Mula je bespilotna letelica namenjena logističkoj podršci trupama na frontu a može da se koristi i za izvlačenje ranjenika.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Urban displays Mule VTOL UAV
By Rob Coppinger

Israel's Urban Aeronautics' Mule vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle is making its static display debut here among other UAV systems from the Mediterranean state.

The Mule, a logistics UAV that could also evacuate casualties, is expected to make its first flight in Israel this month, although the test was originally planned for April.

Using a Fancraft louvered internal-rotor lift and propulsion system its maximum take-off weight is 1,130kg (2,490lb) with a cargo capacity of 226kg, endurance of up to 4h and 100kt (185km/h) top speed.

Also here is Aeronautics Defense Systems and its Picador helicopter UAV. It has already made its first test flight. Designed for naval and land-based missions its cargo capacity is 180kg with an endurance of up to 8h and a range of 200km (370nm).

The third Israeli VTOL capable UAV here this week is Israel Aerospace Industries' Naval Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. It is to be capable of 6h missions at a distance of 120km from its ship to provide early warning and detection of aircraft, cruise missiles and enemy surface vessels.

Beyond the newly flight tested and yet to be designed, two operational UAVs Israel will display here are the medium-altitude long-endurance vehicles, the IAI Heron TP and the Elbit Systems Hermes 450. The Hermes 450B is also the Watchkeeper for UK armed forces and could be test flown in that country later this year.

"Israel pioneered the field of unmanned systems 30 years ago and continues to lead this market with evolutionary and revolutionary technologies," says Israel's Export and International Cooperation Institute chairman, David Arzi. "Equally exciting are the payloads, avionic systems, datalinks and command and control systems that make the entire system".

Another new development is Aeronautics' long endurance twin-engines Dominator II. Unveiled last year it can carry payloads up to 400kg, has an operational ceiling of over 30,000ft (9,150m) and endurance of 28h.

At the other end of the spectrum are the smaller UAVs. Aeronautics' has various versions of its Orbiter, an electrically powered 1m-long vehicle with an endurance of up to 4.5h and ceiling of 18,000ft. Its new variant is to fly for 7h.

The smallest Israeli UAV making its debut is the Micro-Falcon I. Designed for being carried and operated by one person it weighs 6kg and carries the MicroBat 275 electro-optical payload developed by Bental Industries. This lightweight payload is expected to extend the mini-UAV's endurance to 2h.

Izvor: Flightglobal

16.06.2009.

Rafael danas predstavio novi podvesni kontejner Recce-U sa izviđačkom opremom namenjen bespilotnim letelicama. Ovaj podvesni kontejner je zasnovan na onom namenjenom borbenim avionima pod nazivom RecceLite i u stanju je da obezbedi slike visoke rezolucije noću i danju u vidljivom i u infracrvenom delu spektra.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Rafael unveils new Reccelite variant for UAVs
By Arie Egozi

Rafael has unveiled its new Recce-U reconnaissance system for use with unmanned air vehicles.

A scaled-down version of the Israeli company's successful Reccelite pod, which equips manned fighters such as the Lockheed Martin F-16, the new derivative can collect high-resolution images by day or night and across a wide field of view.

Lova Drori, Rafael's vice-president of marketing, says the Recce-U payload is available in two configurations. The first is suitable for carriage by medium-altitude, long-endurance systems such as the General Atomics MQ-9 Predator B/Reaper or Israel Aerospace Industries' Heron TP, while the other will fit smaller UAV designs.

Rafael says the payload's free-moving turret will provide continuous photography of an area of interest, irrespective of air vehicle manoeuvres. Its multiple operating modes include the "routine" scan of a pre-defined area, plus spot, stare, strip and line search coverage.

Izvor: Flightglobal

16.06.2009.

Prvi helikopter Sikorsky S-70i (International) Black Hawk je sklopljen van SAD, u poljskoj fabrici PZL Mielec, ranije ovog meseca, objavljeno je danas na salonu u Buržeu. Delovi su stigli iz Turske (repna sekcija) i iz američke kompanije Kaman Aerospace (kabina).

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PARIS AIR SHOW: First international Black Hawk assembly completed in Poland
By Niall O’Keeffe

The major components of the first Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopter have been assembled at PZL Mielec's facility in Mielec, Poland.

This is the first time a Black Hawk helicopter has been assembled outside the USA. The first major join of components was completed earlier this month when the first cabin produced at Mielec was fitted to a Turkish Aerospace Industries tailcone and a cockpit section produced by Kaman Aerospace.

Launched by United Technologies-owned Sikorsky Aircraft at the Farnborough air show in 2006, the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter is intended to provide multi-mission, 10t utility lift capability at a price comparable to helicopters in the 6-8t class.

PZL Mielec, a Sikorsky company, is the S-70i's final assembly location. The helicopter is designed with a modular platform, a glass cockpit, an active vibration control system, a dual global positioning system/inertial navigation system with a digital map, and a General Electric T700-GE-701D engine with -701C controls.

The first S-70i assembled at Mielec is due for delivery at the end of 2010.

Meanwhile Sikorsky has delivered the first of three UH-60M helicopters to the US Federal Bureau of Ivestigations. The UH-60M incorporates a new composite-spar wide-chord blade providing 225kg (500lb) more lift than the UH-60L's blade, as well as the new T700-GE-701D engine. It is the US Army's third standard baseline Black Hawk helicopter version in the 30-year history of the programme. The -60A was delivered from 1978 and 1989, and the -60L from 1989 until 2007.

Sikorsky is working on an upgrade to the UH-60M helicopter. It will feature fly-by-wire flight controls, full authority digital engine controllers, and enhanced cockpit displays.

Izvor: Flightglobal

16.06.2009.

General Electric/Rolls-Royce predstavljaju alternativni motor za pogon borbenog aviona F-35 pod nazivom F136, koji ima 190kN potiska, a razvija se verzija od 200kN. Konkurentni Pratt & Whitney F135 koji trenutno pogoni F-35 ima potisak 180kN, a sledeće godine bi trebalo da se pojavi unapređena varijanta sa 190kN potiska.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: F136 revs up thrust setting
By Stephen Trimble

General Electric/Rolls-Royce claims the F136 alternate engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be introduced with a major power advantage over its rival propulsion system.

The F136 engine core has been sized to enter service with a maximum rating of about 43,000lb thrust (190kN), and could be further upgraded over time to 45,000lb, says Mark Rhodes, senior vice-president for the F136 joint venture Fighter Engine Team.

By contrast, the Pratt & Whitney F135 has demonstrated about 41,000lb thrust in hover pit tests for the short-take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant in April. That system will be upgraded by 5% next year, raising the F135 to 43,000lb thrust.

Rhodes says the F136 was designed in the aftermath of the weight growth problem that delayed the F-35 development schedule by two years, so the company was able to size the engine core and fan to provide a higher level of thrust from the beginning.

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That built-in advantage should make the F136 more desirable over the next decade as operators add more capabilities - and weight - to operational F-35 fleets, he says.

"The experience has been you always need more thrust," Rhodes says.

Further, an R-R executive last week also noted that the F136 would be in line for a dramatic thrust upgrade around 2020, when either his company or GE would be prepared to introduced variable cycle engine technology.

Those arguments could figure largely into the ongoing debate about the future of the F136 funding account.

In response to the Pentagon's decision to remove funds for the F136 for the fourth year in a row, Congress has again moved to restore the programme's budget, says Jean Lydon-Rogers, president of the Fighter Engine Team.

Last week, a House armed services subcommittee added $603 million to the DoD's authorisation bill, which includes $463 million to continue development and $140 million to buy the first four production engines.

It was not immediately clear if the added funding would require the F-35 programme to buy fewer jets next year.

Meanwhile, the process of clearing the F136 for first flight in February 2011 on the conventional take-off and landing AF-1 prototype has recently begun, Lydon-Rogers says.

A second test engine is scheduled to begin testing in July, and a third engine should run by the end of the year, she adds. By next July, the first six F136s should be delivered to Lockheed.

Izvor: Flightglobal

16.06.2009.

Raytheon je predstavio raketu AIM-9X Sidewinder u verziji zemlja-vazduh. Ova sasvim nova uloga ove rakete je demonstrirana na poligonu 16. maja kada je oborena bespilotna letelica - meta, a raketa je lansirana sa lansera LAU-7A/D montiranog na terensko vozilo Humvee.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Raytheon demonstrates surface-launched AIM-9X
By Stephen Trimble

Raytheon announced yesterday it is demonstrating the AIM-9X Sidewinder as a surface-to-air missile, potentially opening a new mission for the short-ranged, air-launched weapon.

A second intercept test on 16 May engaged an unmanned air vehicle in a demonstration series sponsored by the US Marine Corps, Raytheon says.

"A ground-based AIM-9X missile system makes perfect sense from a value and capabilities perspective," says Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems vice-president of Air Warfare Systems.

The UAV's position was provided to the telemetered AIM-9X using an off-board sensor, Raytheon says. The missile launched from a LAU-7A/D launcher mounted on a USMC Humvee, and guided to "within lethal range" of the target.

Raytheon is currently producing the AIM-9X Block 1, which includes a reprogrammable guidance unit. A block II version would add lock-on-after-launch, an better fuze and a one-way forward quarter datalink.

Raytheon says either variant could be used as a SAM.

Izvor: Flightglobal

16.06.2009.

Pratt & Whitney se zalaže za politiku jednog dobavljača motora za avion F-35, kako bi izbacio iz trke konkurentni projekat F136 kompanija General Electric i Rolls-Royce. Pored činjenice da PW F135 ima već skoro milion sati rada na avionu F-35, trenutna ekonomska kriza ugrožava projekat F136, tako da se vodi teška bitka za nastavak finansiranja za koje se tvrdi da će poskupeti ceo program tko da se strahuje da će ovo možda odbiti neke kupce F-35 ili smanjiti postojeće narudžbine.

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PARIS AIR SHOW: Pratt urges single suppler strategy for JSF
By Craig Hoyle

Pratt & Whitney (hall 5) is touting the benefits of a single supplier strategy for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, countering the efforts of a rival team involving General Electric and Rolls-Royce.

Citing the development advantage held by the lead JSF engine, Warren Boley, vice-president F135 programme for Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, says: "The F135 core will have over one million [flight] hours by the time the F-35 enters service."

More than 100,000 operational hours have already been recorded on F119 engines powering the US Air Force's Lockheed F-22 Raptors, with the current design to provide the core for the F135.

P&W expects an F-35B to perform its first vertical take off around September, and says the F135 "passed all criteria" during recent hover pit tests conducted by Lockheed in Fort Worth, Texas. Three test aircraft have now logged almost 130 flight hours in 99 sorties with the design.

The GE/R-R Fighter Engine Team continues to urge US Congress to reinsert funds for the alternative F136 in the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2010 budget, saying a propulsion system choice will reduce costs over the life of the programme.

P&W is meanwhile optimistic of securing further sales linked to the F-22, despite a DoD plan to halt production of the type after 187 aircraft. Congress could soon add eight Raptors through a supplemental spending bill, and the possibility of export sales - primarily linked to Japanese interest - has also resurfaced within the last few weeks.

"We're not talking about shutting down any time soon," says Bill Begert, head of business development. However, P&W says clarity is needed within the next year on Washington's long-term plans for the fighter.

Military Engines president Tom Farmer also confirms that the company is interested in participating in Embraer's C-390 tactical transport programme. "We are in discussions," he says. "We see that as a very good air system." Part of Boeing's team promoting the KC-767 to meet the USAF's KC-X tanker requirement, P&W is also "anxious to see a draft request for proposals within a few weeks to compete again".

Izvor: Flightglobal

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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

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. [attachment=1] 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

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

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

19.06.2009.

Eurocopter će poslati helikopter AS550 na testiranja u Indiju na ponovljenom tenderu za laki helikopter indijske vojske i RV. Prvi tender je otkazan nakon pritužbi ostalih učesnika da je Eurocopter bio favorizovan i da je koristio civilnu verziju AS350 umesto vojne na testovima, na šta su iz Eurocoptera tvrdili da nema razlike između ta dva helikoptera. Indija kupuje 197 lakih helikoptera od kojih 133 za armiju, a 64 za ratno vazduhoplovstvo. Ugovor vredi oko 750 miliona dolara, a zahtev je da kompanija koja dobije ugovor mora da reinvestira u Indiju 30% vrednosti po ofset aranžmanu.

PARIS AIR SHOW: Eurocopter to send AS550 for Indian trials
By Siva Govindasamy

Eurocopter will provide the AS550 C3 Fennec military helicopter for the trials in India's light utility helicopter competition, instead of the AS350 civilian helicopter that was tested in an earlier tender that was later cancelled.

The company has an AS550 with its weapons on display at Paris (below) and Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter's senior vice-president for sales and customer relations in Asia Pacific, says that the flight tests for India's LUH competition could be begin shortly.

"This time, we have a military version of the Fennec that is ready to go on trial in India. We are waiting for the instructions and we expect the process to begin shortly. We do not know when a contract will be awarded but we are sure that we have the best product for India," he adds.

Industry sources say that the company is favoured to get the contract, given that Bell chose not to offer its 407 this time. Eurocopter was close to winning an earlier LUH tender, but New Delhi cancelled it in December 2007 after Bell and several other companies complained that the EADS subsidiary was unfairly favoured in the selection process. Some also said that Eurocopter did not follow the rules by using the AS350 instead of a military version of the aircraft during the first trials.

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Eurocopter, however, always denied any charges of wrong-doing. It added that the AS550 was "exactly the same" as the AS350 "in terms of airframe, systems, main gear box, rotor head, blades, engine and performances". India's former defence minister subsequently exonerated the company of any wrong-doing.

India requires 197 military light utility helicopters, of which 133 are for its army and 64 for its air force. It hopes that deliveries will begin by the end of 2010 after a year-long evaluation, although this is expected to slip. The contract could be worth up to $750 million, and the companies must reinvest 30% in India under the country's offsets policy.

State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics has been asked to develop and manufacture another 187 light utility helicopters, and the company could either do this on its own or with the help of a foreign partner.

The move comes as New Delhi aims to completely revamp its military helicopter fleets by 2020. The AgustaWestland A129, Bell AH-1Z Cobra, Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow, Eurocopter Tiger, Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 are in the contest for a 22-unit attack helicopter requirement, and anti-submarine warfare and naval reconnaissance helicopters are also sought. India has also ordered 80 Mil Mi-17-V5 transport helicopters, and continues to induct the HAL Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter.

Izvor: Flightglobal

PALUBA

Vesti => RV i PVO => Topic started by: dexy on June 15, 2009, 03:28:07 pm