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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 2364.PDF
Plessey takes NIS lead Plessey has won the competition to lead UK devel opment of the Nato Identi fication System (NIS). The contract covers full-scale devel opment, which will start shortly when the present project defini tion stage is completed. Plessey's selection is some thing of a surprise, given that its competitor, Cossor, supplies 85 per cent of UK identification friend or foe (IFF) equipment. Cossor points out that the contract means only that Plessey will be NIS team leader. Every element of the eventual system will be put out to competitive tender by Plessey, with the MoD ensuring that competition is fair, Cossor explains. Plessey claims it won the contract because its prop osal used higher technology, and was therefore a more capable system. Although the value of this contract is not large, its importance lies in the commer cial advantage that team leader status confers on Plessey when the production stage is reached, Flight understands. The equip- . ment value is potentially huge. Every Nato airframe and weapons system will adopt NIS equipment as it replaces the present IFF system over the next decade. Plessey's contract includes a clause to investigate closer links between the various European teams working on the system. Although the various systems being developed are inter operable, they may vary in cost, size, and resistance to jamming. NIS will be compatible with the present Mk X and Mk XII IFF systems in that it can inter rogate, and be interrogated by, them. Mir prepared for visit The unmanned Progress 37 tanker undocked from the Soviet Mir Space station on August 12, leaving the rear port free to receive Soyuz TM6, which is due to be launched on August 29. The prime Afghan cosmo naut researcher for this mission, Mohammad Dauran Sholam Masum, has been replaced by his backup, Abdol Ahad Mohmand. TM6 will be commanded by Vladimir Lyakhov, with doctor Valeri Poliakov. Cosmonauts Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov, the Mir resident crew, clocked up 244 days in orbit on August 23, a duration exceeded only by Yuri Romanenko's 326 days, achieved last year. The cosmonauts are expected to remain in orbit for at least one year and possibly for 400 days. 0 Soviet cosmonaut Anatoli Levchenko died on August 6 during surgery on a "brain tumour that was hard to localise". Levchenko, 47, who was training for flights on the Soviet shuttle, was given seven days' space experience during the routine Soyuz TM4 mission to the Mir space station last December, which delivered a new long-duration crew and returned two cosmonauts, including Yuri Romanenko after 326 days in space. Immediately after landing, Levchenko flew an Ilyushin airliner on simulated shuttle descent profiles. As Igor Volk is the only space-experienced shuttle pilot in training and was to have flown with Levchenko on the first manned shuttle mission, the Soviets will need to give another pilot from the shuttle group, possibly Levchenko's TM4 backup Alexander Shchukin, some space experience before a shuttle mission. Levchenko was the joint 203rd man and joint 63rd Soviet in space. Uruguay approaches Iberia Iberia is considering taking a 49 per cent stake in Pluna, Uruguay's national carrier. Pluna approached the Spanish carrier, and representatives of the two airlines are now meet ing in Montevideo. The move follows similar discussions between other South American carriers such as LanChile and Aerolineas Argentinas with other European airlines. "If the study is positive, it will be made public when Iberia and Pluna feel it is appropriate," says Iberia. It refused to confirm or deny that it is also looking at a possible stake in Dominicana de Aviacion, the Dominican Republic's national carrier. Pluna operates only four aircraft, one Boeing 707-320B and three Boeing 737-200s. Its international services cover neighbouring South American nations and Madrid. Iberia has extensive fifth-freedom rights within South America, but few within Uruguay. In total the Spanish carrier flies to 19 cities in Latin America. Iberia's fifth- freedom rights allow it to carry passengers between South American cities and countries. On some routes Iberia is the only carrier linking the two destinations. Iberia returned to profit ability in 1986, the first time in nearly ten years. Last year it recorded a profit of about $166 million. "Indian Lindbergh" takes off Dubbed "the Indian Lindbergh", millionaire industrialist Vijay Singhania left Biggin Hill, Kent, on August 18, planning to reach Bombay in a record-breaking 23 days in his CFM Shadow microlight, which is christened l'Esprit D'Indian Post Australia seeks VIP transports Detailed negotiations are to begin soon for the supply of new VIP jets for the Australian Federal Government. Austra lian Airlines, British Aerospace, Canadair, and Hawker Pacific make up the shortlist of com panies being considered by the Government. The Government plans to lease five new aircraft for ten years to replace the existing seven aircraft. It has decided to lease four 10-18-seat jets and one large aircraft seating about 40 passengers, and is looking at four aircraft types—two medium-sized and two larger jets. Australian Airlines is bidding to supply a Boeing 737-300 twinjet seating up to 40 passengers in a VIP config uration, and British Aerospace has put forward a BAe-146 with a 35-passenger capacity. The two medium-sized jets being looked at are the Dassault-Breguet Falcon 900, seating 16 to 18 passengers and offered by Hawker Pacific, and the Canadair Challenger, seat ing 10 to 12 passengers with the same VIP layout. 52 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 3 September 1988
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