Military: February 2010 Archives

This week Flightglobal publication Flight International reviews biofuels. They could be the answer to aviation's carbon concerns, but will governments help with their development?

(For insight to this week's cover decision, read an entry about it on Flight International editor Murdo Morrison's new blog.)

Also featured are:
Middle East MRO: Region's players are extending their radius

Geared Gamble: With its civil engines market share in freefall, why Pratt & Whitney must bet the farm on GTF

It's Deal Time: Private equity money is still scarce but there's life in the aerospace acquisitions market

Elsewhere in the issue:

Our David Learmount argues that last year's big climate change summit was not all hot air and no firm action.

There are news stories on a study into the contribution of pilot handling errors to airliner accidents, on the resurrection of the US presidential helicopter programme, progress on the 787 flight test schedule, and much more.

You can subscribe to Flight International here or here for the digital version.

The US Air Force has issued a "presoliciation notice" for the KC-X tanker contract that suggests at least two of the three changes demanded by the Northrop Grumman/EADS North America team will not be incorporated in the final request for proposals (RFP).

The notice released on 8 February on the Federal Business Opportunities web site precedes the publication of the final RFP, which the notice says will not occur before 23 February. Continue reading...

BAE Systems is offering its out-of-production regional aircraft as a bridging solution for armies and air forces affected by military transport delivery delays, and is looking to build on a breakthrough deal with a UK Ministry of Defence contractor.

In December, BAE revealed that Titan Airways had leased one of its BAe 146s to fulfil a six-month MoD contract in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Raytheon has revealed plans to challenge Boeing and Lockheed Martin for a US Navy contract to modify a torpedo for high-altitude launch by a P-8 Poseidon.

The Raytheon Fish Hawk programme integrates a wingkit, flight-control surfaces and a guidance system to a Mk 54 or Mk 46 torpedo, says Mark "Smoke" Borup, senior business development manager for Raytheon's advanced missiles and unmanned aircraft systems unit. Continue reading...

Embraer is in discussions with more than five countries in Asia Pacific with regards to buying the Embraer Super Tucano, which is both a trainer and light attack aircraft.

"This year we expect to sign something in Asia Pacific" and "we are talking to more than five countries" in the region, says Embraer executive VP defense market Orlando Neto.

He also says that if the company's sales campaign is successful, the customer it signs up will become the second-largest customer for the Super Tucano after Brazil. Continue reading...

The Boeing Airborne Laser Testbed successfully shot down a Scud missile-like target at 2044 PST off the California coast, a landmark achievement in the $6 billion programme's 16-year history.

The ALTB, a 747-400 freighter modified with a 1MW-class chemical laser and a 1.5m telescope mounted on the nose, used onboard sensors to acquire the short-range ballistic target shortly after launch from an offshore, mobile platform, the Missile Defense Agency says in a press release. Continue reading...

Lockheed Martin has countered a potential cut in US Air Force orders for its F-35A by claiming the in-development fighter could fill an air superiority role as well as the ground-attack mission for which it is officially designed.

The USAF officially lists the F-35's conventional take-off and landing variant as a ground-attack fighter complementing the air superiority mission, replacing only the Lockheed F-16 and the Fairchild A-10.

Sukhoi has conducted the first flight of its prototype PAK FA fifth-generation fighter, with the aircraft having conducted a 47min sortie this morning.

Flown from KnAAPO's Komsomolsk-on-Amur site, the PAK FA was piloted by Sergei Bogdan, and "performed excellently", says Sukhoi.

The Royal Australian Air Force's first Airbus A330-based multirole tanker/transport has for the first time passed fuel to another large aircraft, moving the type closer to its delayed service entry late this year.

One of five RAAF-designated KC-30As on order, the modified airliner transferred almost 30t of fuel from its centreline boom to a French air force Boeing E-3F airborne warning and control system aircraft during two test flights conducted from Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid. Continue reading...

This week's Image of the Week (featured on page 3 of Flight International), is taken by AirSpace user Flyer1. His photo depicts a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 'Sally' [299P] G-BEDF/124485/DF-A [cn.8693].