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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 3034.PDF
MfVJTCff Greece outlines its ten-year defence- spending proposals GREECE HAS OUTLINED a $ 17 billion, ten-year defence spending plan, including the acqui sition of a further 60 fighters along with the purchase of three airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft. The Government is expected to buy 50 more Lockheed Martin F-16s, and ten Dassault Mirage 2000s, as well as financing an upgrade programme for the air force's McDonnell Douglas F-4s. Greek prime minister Costas Si- mitis unveiled the ambitious acqui sition programme on 13 Novem ber after a meeting of die national defence council. The AEW re quirement is attracting the atten tion of several manufacturers, but Northrop Grumman's E-2C Hawkeye is seen as the favourite. Transport requirements are expected to be met with additional helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Up to nine Boeing CH-47D Chi- nooks and six tactical transports (probably Lockheed Martin C-13 0 Hercules) are to be acquired. The air force's training capabili ty is also to be bolstered widi a fur ther 20 trainer aircraft. Although a final choice of aircraft has yet to be made, die Cessna T-37 is the most probable candidate. • BAe's Hawk trainer chosen for RAAF's lead-in fighter project AUSTRALIA HAS named British Aerospace, with its modified Hawk trainer, as the pre ferred tenderer for its new lead-in fighter (LIF) project. Aldiough details of the final package have yet to be determined, around 32-38 aircraft will be bought. The first 12 will be built in die UK, along with a fatigue-test airframe, with die rest to be assem bled in Australia. Negotiations leading to comple tion of the contract are scheduled to start early in 1997 and,subjectto successful completion, production will start by die end of 1997, widi handover of die first aircraft to die Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) by mid-1999. The first squadron of 12 Hawks would be ready for trainee pilots byjanuary 2000. One Australian source says diat BAe, which offered the aircraft widi the Rolls-Royce Adour, has been asked to launch a separate competition for die trainer's pow- erplant, widi die Adour and AlliedSignal Aerospace's Intern ational Turbine Fl 24 expected to be contenders. The AlliedSignal engine had earlier been nominated to power die rival McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk, eliminated by the short listing of the BAe and Aermacchi bids. The engine has been given only one flight test in the T-45. BAe and R-R say that they are unaware of any requirement for a contest over the engine choice, and AlliedSignal declines to comment. BAe will provide a substantially modified Hawk derivative — named die LIF Hawk — cus tomised to meet Australia's re quirements and to provide what die RAAF says is ".. .die best train er currendy available or likely to be available in die near future". The LIF Hawk will have a digital cockpit based around Smidis In dustries' displays, similar to those of its F-18s and F-111 s, to train pilots in fast-jet operations and weapons- systems management. The customised equipment will include hands-on throtde-and- stick operation and two or diree colour multi-function displays. Radar simulation, provided dirough an air-combat-manoeuv ring instrumentation system, and radar emulation, will also allow die LIF Hawk to be used for some fleet support functions previously pro vided by F-18s. Apart from introductory fighter pilot training, die LIF Hawk, which will replace die RAAF's age ing Macchi 326H trainers, will be used to provide support including weapons and tactical training. Although diere was no such con dition in the evaluation, BAe has recently been investing heavily in Australia's aerospace industry, including its A$50 million ($40 million) acquisition of AWA Defence Industries, and its buying of Ansett's 50% share in die Australian Air Academy at Tam- worth, New Soudi Wales. The firm has also based its offer on strong Australian industry par ticipation, with 16 Australian com panies involved in teaming part nerships. Qantas is expected to provide engine assembly, testing, and maintenance, while Hunter Aerospace will provide on-line maintenance and support for the first support period, which covers the time between the delivery of die first and last units, and die fol lowing five years. • Bell Boeing still hopes to increase tilt-rotor V-22 production BELL BOEING executives still hope diat production rates on the V-22 Osprey military tilt-rotor programme may be increased, despite a US Department ofDefense (DoD) rebuttal of dieir proposal. The DoD has rejected a request to increase the V-22 production rate and switch to multi-year con tracting which, die officials claim, could save die Pentagon $9 billion. The joint venture will deliver 42 5 MV-22 Bs to the US Marine Corps, 48HV-22BstotheUSNavy,and50 CV-22Bs to the US Air Force over die next 2 5 years at an average pro duction rate of 21 a year. Bell Boeing advised Paul Kaminiski, die Pentagon's acquisition chief, in August diat multi-year contracting and a production rate of 36 aircraft a year for die USMC and 12 each for the USN and USAF would allow all 523 V-22s to be fielded widiin 14years, saving25% of the V-22's estimated $36 billion cost. In a mid-September reply, how ever, Kaminski said: "While I agree diat an accelerated production rate diat could realise economic order quantities has great potential to reduce overall programme cost, the appropriate time to consider this approach must be balanced against programme risk and maturity." Kaminiski says diat he will con sider V-22 multi-year procure ment "...when the programme demonstrates sufficient maturity. The necessary conditions have his torically been achieved at die full- rate production milestone deci sion, due in calendar year 2000". The firm interprets the letter as V-22: multi-year contracting could save $9 billion, says Bell Boeing saying diat Kaminiski will recon sider the request in February dur ing a Defence Acquisition Board review of die programme. • 22 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 November 1996
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