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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 3606.PDF
BUSINESS Three sign radar-seeker pact GEC-Marconi, Dassault Elec-tronique and Selenia have signed an agreement to co operate in the development, production and marketing of radar seeker heads for missiles, drones and other uses. GEC Marconi says the new agreement will involve technol ogy exchanges which will help eliminate duplication, reduce development and production costs and expand markets. The company adds that the deal is "a very general agree ment to look at seeker-head opportunities to see whether we would be best advantaged by putting together a collaborative bid". Missile programmes will be looked at on a "case-by-case" basis, says GEC-Marconi. The signatories stress that they will "recognise national programmes where the cus tomer may favour national solu tions". The agreement does not alter existing arrangements or programmes. The UK contractor says that the agreement between the three companies follows the Franco-Italian accord establish ing the FSAF (Future Surface- to-Air Family) missile-systems programme. This includes the development of the Aster mis sile using an active radar seeker presently under joint develop ment by Dassault Electronique and Selenia. GEC Marconi offi cials say this programme is one of the areas where there is potential for sharing the collec tive knowledge of the three companies. GEC Marconi and Dassault have collaborated on the devel opment of radio frequency seeker heads since signing a January 1989 agreement. • Military slump lifts Dassault's Falcons French aerospace manufac turer Dassault Aviation is attempting to boost sales of Falcon business jets over the next five years to compensate for the downturn in military markets. The group will also expand its CATIA computer software and Hermes spacecraft activities in a bid to earn more than half of its revenue from non-military sales. Dassault chairman and chief executive officer Serge Dassault says he is aiming to lift sales of civil aircraft from the current 30-35 a year to 40-50 by 1995, and to raise turnover, now at 20%, to 35% during the second half of the decade. Military sales are expected to plummet from 78% to 55%. The company will aim at increasing space activities to 10% of total sales. Dassault is pinning much of its hopes on the new Falcon 2000 twinjet aircraft due for first delivery by the end of 1994. With five firm orders and ten options already booked, Dassault hopes to sell 300 Fal con 2000s over nine years. Vice-president Bruno Revel- lin-Falcoz says the re-engining of the Falcon 900 with the Garrett TFE731-5B, planned for the third quarter of 1991, will also boost activities. Dassault Aviation, which has FAR EASTERN PROMISE FOR AEROFLOT Lloyd Helicopters of Singapore has set up a new company, Aerolift International, to market Aeroflot helicopter capabilities. In technical co-operation with Papua New Guinea operator Hevi Lift, the new company's main thrust will be with the Mil Mi-26 and the Kamov Ka-32. Both helicopters already operate in Papua New Guinea. Aerolift is also looking for outlets for the Mi-17. The helicopters will remain on the Soviet register and be flown by Aeroflot crews. Aeritalia as a risk-sharing part ner with a 25% stake in the Falcon 2000 programme, is looking for possible co-opera tion deals with foreign aero space groups in other projects. The group expects to hear shortly from Boeing whether it has won a competition to make wing flaps for the 777. Subassembly contract talks are under way with Saab and Piaggio. The French plane- maker, which already builds fuselage parts for the Fokker 50, says it is prepared to go into any civil aircraft project, including the planned 80-130-seat com muter which Aerospatiale hopes to build with Deutsche Aero space, Aeritalia and CASA. Dassault group last month posted a 65% drop in first-half 1990 pre-tax profits to Fr268.9 million. The Gulf crisis has tightened the screws further on military sales. Deliveries of Mirage F-l fighters to Iraq have been aban doned, and hopes for a large Mirage 2000 sale to Baghdad have evaporated. The French Government also ordered the suspension of Jordan's order of Mirage 2000 combat aircraft and, under pressure from China, blocked the sale of 100 Mirage 2000s to Taiwan. Dassault is resisting pressure to end his company's long standing independence, particu larly from Aerospatiale. • FFV links up with Volvo and Bofors FFV Aerotech and Volvo Flygmotor have formed a joint venture to maintain mili tary and commercial aircraft en gines. FFV is also to merge large parts of its defence business with Bofors. The engine move, part of the wider restructuring of the Swed ish defence industry, will see Volvo with a controlling 51% holding in the new venture and a further option to increase its shareholding at an unspecified date in the future. The Engines, Gas Turbine and Parts Repair divisions of FFV Aerotech along with its ScanMotive subsidiary will be transferred to the new company. Volvo will move the repairs and servicing of its RM8 engines, used in the Viggen fighter, into the joint venture. The company will be based at Arboga and will employ in the region of 900 people. In a separate move FFV has signed a letter of intent with Nobel Industrier — Bofors par ent company — to merge a wide range of defence operations. Negotiations, which are ex pected to be complete by April 1991, involve setting up a joint- owned company focusing on missiles, torpedoes, ammuni tion, and other weapons. D Cripen delays bite P 17 SAS reshapes for global alliances Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) has undertaken a major company reorganisation designed to manage its global alliances more effectively. The new business and strate gic development department (BSDD) contains a unit for air line alliances, to be headed by former chief operating officer Lars Bergvall. The aim of the BSDD is to supervise SAS's growing owner ship interests in other compa nies, and support the business interest of the alliance partners. The vacant chief operating officer post is now taken by Kjell Fredheim. D 14 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 5-11 December, 1990
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