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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 0202.PDF
DEFENCE Aermacchi challenges for S African trainer Aermacchi is to compete with Britsh Aerospace for a South African advanced jet- trainer requirement, with the Italian company offering a vari ant of its two-seat MB.339. The South African air force has a requirement to replace its Atlas Impala trainers, a licence- built variant of the Aermacchi MB.326 aircraft. The air force is looking at procuring be tween 40 and 50 aircraft. Italian company officials confirm that the MB.339 is on offer to South Africa. Any deal, however, depends on the lifting of the United Nations arms embargo (UN Resolution 558). The officials add that, al though the South African air force's preferred option is for new aircraft, possible funding constraints mean that it is also looking at the option of up grading some of its Impalas. One option is a retrofit pro gramme covering the air force's single-seat Impalas, based on the MB.326K — modifying the forward fuselage to accommo date a second seat. In offering a new-build air- NEWS IN BRIEF B-2 CONTRACTS Northrop has been awarded contracts worth $4.41 bil lion, covering long-lead items for the last five of 20 B-2 bombers for the US Air Force. The work is expected to be completed in early 1998, when the final cost of the total B-2 fleet is likely to total $44.5 billion. HUNGARIAN DEAL Hungary is set to receive the S-300PMU (SA-10 Grumble) medium-long-range surface- to-air-missile system from Russia to pay off the latter's remaining $800 million debt with its former Warsaw Pact ally. Russia recently supplied Hungary with 28 Mikoyan MiG-29 interceptors. craft, the most likely variant to be proposed by Aermacchi is the MB.339C. If an upgrade to the Impalas proved to be the only finan cially viable option, then it is likely that Aermacchi would be involved in the project at some level. The officials indicate that the bulk of any airframe modi fication work could be carried out locally by Atlas, with Aer macchi providing assistance. BAe is looking to set up licensed production of the Hawk trainer in South Africa with Atlas. • ROYAL NAVY ORDERS SEA HARRIERS British Aerospace has won a contract to produce 18 new Sea Harrier FRS.2s for the Royal Navy, expected since April 1993. Delivery of the aircraft, to be built in Brough, Humberside, will begin in 1995. BAe is already conducting upgrade work on 31 Harrier FRS.ls to bring them up to the new standard, which includes fitting the GEC Ferranti Blue Vixen radar and Hughes A1M-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles. Nimrod re-vamp details announced BY SIMON ELLIOTT British Aerospace has re leased details of the refur bished Nimrod it is offering for the UK Ministry of Defence's Staff Requirement (Air) 420 to replace the Nimrod MR.2. The re-vamped Nimrod mar itime-patrol aircraft (MPA) will have a fully re-furbished cock pit, with six liquid-crystal dis plays; new acoustic sensor suite; an infra-red optronics system; a defensive-aids sub system; and a stores-manage ment system. The aircraft's radar and elec tronic-support measures suite will be upgraded, while the current magnetic anomaly de tector will be retained. BAe will carry out only minor modifications to the airframe. These are aimed at reducing weight, improving en durance and reducing drag. It is examining numerous op tions, including fitting gurney flaps to the wing trailing-edge, fitting wingtip end plates or winglets, and attaching riblets to the wing surface. The in flight refuelling probe may also be faired in to reduce drag. BAe has decided to retain the current powerplant, rather than replace the wing-root-mounted Rolls-Royce Speys with R-R Tays, or with podded engines beneath the wings. A formal invitation to tender (ITT) is expected in January 1995, with responses required within six months. The current in-service date is 2000, with the aircraft required to remain in operation until 2025. Martin Blaze, BAe's head of business development on the Nimrod, says that the MoD's major drivers behind the SR(A) 420 procurement include global long-range operational capability, integrated logistics support, the advanced sensor and mission suite, and mini mum development costs from a low-risk solution. Industry will bid for prime contractorship, taking all risk away from the MoD. BAe, Lockheed (with a version of the P-3C Orion Update 3) and Dassault, with the Atlantique ATL.2, are expected to be the only airframers to respond, with Boeing, Martin Marietta, IBM, Grumman and Loral E- Systems also in contention. D Nimrod face-lift will include a fully refurbished cockpit 16 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 January • I February, 1994 J
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