Aerospace & Defense News - Defense

AirGuide Business, Sept 8, 2008

Sep 8, 2008

Boeing

Strategic airlift remains a key capability shortfall for the UK, despite the Ministry of Defence's recent completion of a six-aircraft purchase of Boeing's C-17, says one of the Royal Air Force's highest-ranking officers. Praising the performance of the UK's C-17s, the first four of which entered use from 2001 under a lease-to-buy agreement with Boeing. Expanded this year through the delivery of two purchased aircraft, the fleet in 2007 operated at 122% of its planned flying rate said the RAF. Sep 4, 2008

Boeing

Pilot error has been identified as the primary cause of a mid-air collision between two US Air Force Boeing F-15C fighters early this year, and a previous lengthy grounding order imposed on the type was not a contributory factor, according to an Accident Investigation Board report into the mishap. One pilot was killed when the aircraft, assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, crashed during a 20 February training sortie off the Florida coast. The other ejected and suffered only minor injuries. Sep 4, 2008

Boeing

Australia is looking at new options to meet the army[sup.1]s tactical unmanned air vehicle (TUAV) requirement after terminating a contract with Boeing Australia today for the Israel Aerospace Industries[sup.1] I-View 250. Prime contractor Boeing Australia and partner IAI won the contract to supply the Australian army with the I-View 250 TUAV system under Joint Project 129 in late 2006. Sep 4, 2008

Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems has received a contract worth around $25 million to supply an undisclosed nation "in the Americas" with its Hermes 450 and Skylark 1 unmanned air vehicle systems. Sources indicate that the recipient will be Mexico. Announcing the sale on 1 September, Elbit said deliveries will be completed within a year. The 450kg (990lb) Hermes 450 is a tactical UAV capable of supplying real-time intelligence data to ground forces. The 6.1m (20ft)-long air vehicle has a wingspan of 10.5m and a maximum endurance of over 20h. The UAV is already in service in several nations, including Israel and Singapore, and forms the basis of the UK's future Thales/Elbit-sourced Watchkeeper system. In July Elbit won a $20 million contract to supply systems to an undisclosed new European buyer. Sep 4, 2008

General Atomics

Funds have been approved to expand the UK Royal Air Force's fleet of General Atomics Predator B/Reaper unmanned air vehicles and extend the lives of 30 Eurocopter Puma transport helicopters, while progress is also expected on a planned Tranche 3 order for the Eurofighter Typhoon, says a senior service official. Describing the UK's two operational Reaper UAVs as "absolutely vital assets", Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton, the RAF's air member for materiel, says a fourth example will be deployed to Afghanistan next year to replace one that crashed earlier this year. Sep 4, 2008

Lockheed

The US Air Force has for the first time flown its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter using a 50:50 blend of standard JP-8 aviation fuel and a natural gas-based synthetic fuel developed using the Fischer-Tropsch Process. During a 28 August test flight, an F-22 from the USAF's 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California received the traditional/synthetic fuel mix from a Boeing KC-135 tanker. The USAF intends to certificate its entire fleet of aircraft to operate using the 50:50 fuel mix by early 2011. Sep 4, 2008

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman has conducted the first flight of its own MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned air vehicle, designated P6, at the Webster Field Annex portion of NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The 20min flight followed the Fire Scout's routine fully autonomous functional flight mission plan of vehicle start, take-off, flight, landing and shutdown. The demonstration is part an ongoing effort to expand the development capabilities of the Fire Scout. Near-term plans include the integration of a maritime radar, a second electro-optical/infrared payload and various US Army-specific payloads. Sep 4, 2008

Qinetiq

Qinetiq has unveiled plans to transition a slightly larger version of the Zephyr high-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle into operational service for the US or UK militaries within two years. To support the transition plans, the rapid prototyping specialist is in the process of selecting an industry partner to manage production of a "modestly" scaled-up operational aircraft, says Paul Davey, a Qinetiq business development director. Meanwhile, the scaled-up aircraft with a slightly larger wingspan will be prepared for a round of flight tests starting in the second quarter next year, with the goal to demonstrate a week-long flight between 50,000ft (15,250m) and 60,000ft. Sep 3, 2008

Saab Aircraft, Lockheed Martin

Saab claims, in its response to the Netherlands' request for proposals for a Lockheed Martin F-16 replacement, that choosing the Gripen NG (Next Generation) could save the nation up to [euro]6 billion ($8.8 billion) over the life of the programme, partly due to the design's lighter weight and lower fuel consumption than the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Saab answered about 85% of the 250 questions posed by the Dutch defence ministry, with one of the causes of its failure to complete the process stemming from a need to secure US government approval to publicly release some information: a process which takes a minimum of 90 days. Sep 2, 2008