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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 1335.PDF
HEADLINES aircraft cost, he indicates. De Vore says that the study will look at configuration issues and at the likely shape of any eventual joint programme. Boeing says that it is "open to international co-operation beyond Japan and China". The small-aircraft project is expected to be discussed when Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president Ron Woodard visits South Korea in June. There is "no definite time commitment — no end date" for the study, de Vore says. Boeing is already discussing with CATIC the possibility of Chinese-industry involvement in manufacture of the 737-X tail section. • cussions" are under way, but warns "...it is not a fait accom pli that Boeing will get the Air China order" now that the MFN is resolved. China has become Boeing's single most impor tant region for new-aircraft sales, accounting for 14% of recent orders. The pace of air transport growth in China is slowing after record increases in 1992 and 1993.• Russia aims Alamo at new target Russia has developed, and probably fielded, an anti- radiation variant of the Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) medium- range air-to-air missile, dubbed the R-27P. Unlike previously detailed Russian anti-radiation missiles, such as the Zhvezda kh-31P, the R-27P may not be intended to counter Boeing E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System- type aircraft. Instead, its target may be the air-intercept radars of other fighters, according to Russian sources. So far, NATO has allocated the designations Alamo A to D to cover semi-active radar and infra-red variants known to be in Russian service. The R-27P F-15 offer to DoD McDonnell Douglas (MDC) has submitted an unso licited proposal to resume pro duction as early as 1995 of the F-15E strike fighter for the US Air Force. The move follows the extension of the F-15E pro duction run to fulfil orders from Saudi Arabia for 72 air craft and from Israel for 21. The MDC proposal is for three aircraft at $50 million each; six at $49.8 million each; 20 at $49.5 million each; or 36 at $49.4 million each. The options offered range in total price from $150 million to $1.78 billion. The USAF has acknowl edged a requirement for 30-50 more F-15Es, but says that the issue is affordability. • is discussing with the DoD its status as a contractor. The company has already admitted falsifying tests of elec tronic units for Maverick mis sile launchers and has also agreed to pay a $12 million fine to escape further legal action (Flight International, 25-31 May, P20). Suspension could last for up to one year and banishment for up to three years and could cost the company up to $200 mil lion annually in DoD business. Company-wide suspension or banishment would be "unprecedented", according to Lucas, as Pentagon punishment is usually restricted to the sub sidiary which is responsible for the violation. The company says that cor rective action has begun, includin: re-organising its US aerospace operations to strengthen local responsibility; appointing a president of North American aerospace opera tions; changing the manage ment at Lucas Western's Park City, Utah, plant; and arrang ing independent quality audits at its US sites. • is likely to fill the Alamo-E slot and that of Alamo-F, if an extended-range variant is also to be deployed. Previous variants of the AA- 10 have been fielded with what design bureau Vympel calls "small" and "large" solid-pro- pellant motors. Using a passive anti-radia tion missile against an air-inter cept radar would provide the user with several advantages, not least the ability to engage a fighter target at medium range without having to illuminate it. Alongside the R-27P, Vympel has also developed an active variant of the R-27, the R-27AE, although it is not yet known if this variant has entered service. • Brazil names surveillance shortlist Brazil has shortlisted Raytheon and Thomson- CSF for a massive Amazon- basin surveillance project. Award of the estimated $800 million Amazon Vigilance System (SIVAM) contract is expected before the end of the year. Other bidders included Unisys and Deutsche Aero- space/Alenia. The programme involves a network of sensors which will monitor Brazil's northern bor ders, detect illegal activities in the Amazon rain forest, such as smuggling, mining and de forestation, and control air space over an area of 5 million km2, nearly two-thirds the size of the USA. The SIVAM system will con sist of three monitoring centres in Manaus, Belem and Porto Velho. These centres will receive data from existing and planned Earth-observation satellites, surveillance aircraft, ground radars and water and weather sensors. The system will be used to integrate and monitor the sen sor data automatically and to warn operators of changes associated with illegal activi ties, such as river pollution from mining or forest fires associated with de-forestation. SIVAM will include aircraft equipped with infra-red and other sensors. Raytheon is leading a team which includes IBM Brazil. Thomson-CSF's team includes France's Alcatel. Brazil will launch its second indigenous satellite early in 1995, to collect data as part of the surveillance programme, says INPE, the Government- owned national space-research institute. A contract to launch the country's second data-col lector satellite, the SCD-2, will be signed by the end of the year, INPE says. • ALL-METAL FINIST ROLLED OUT Technoa\ia of Russia has rolled out its prototype SM-92 Finist light-util ity aircraft. The Finist, designed by ex-Sukhoi Su-26 designer Slava Kondratie\, is a six- to seven-seat short take-off and landing all-metal aircraft. Power is provided by a Vedeneyev M-14P 270kW (360hp) radi al engine. The aircraft will be seen in the West at the Great Warbirds D-Day Air Display at Wroughton, UK, on 11-12 June. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL I - 7 June, 1994 5
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