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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 1218.PDF
NEWS ANALYSIS two options: a new mission system for the Atlantics; or new P-3 air frames with a European mission system. "Our European partners call the shots," he stresses. "We can proceed in either direction." The P-3 Orion production line, now dormant, is expected to be restarted following receipt of a South Korean request for propos als for an additional four to eight aircraft, he says. South Korea has eight P-3Cs, and a requirement for 24. The improved Orion 2000, offered unsuccessfully to the UK, is".. .still alive and well", and avail able "almost off die shelf at a lower price than for a new maritime- patrol aircraft, Blackwell says. The backbone of Lockheed Martin's international presence remains the F-16 fighter, and Blackwell acknowledges that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fighter competition ".. .is a critical programme for us". A UAE con tract would underwrite develop ment of an advanced, 'Block 60', F-16 of interest to other potential customers, including Norway, which has already shortlisted the F- 16 for its next fighter purchase. "We have a firm backlog of over 400 aircraft, but if we want to go another 700-1,000 aircraft we need the Block 60. We'd like to see it developed with the UAE," he says. Lockheed Martin's bid to win the UAE contest has been set back by an apparent dispute over tech nology transfer, and the Arab nation is now openly considering the Eurofighter EF2000 in addi tion to the Dassault Rafale origi nally shortlisted against the F-16. Blackwell is hopeful of overcoming the latest obstacles, but acknowl edges: "The UAE is very demand ing, on the aircraft, the financing and industrial participation. We will have to wait and see...it's too close to call." Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is working towards the purchase of F-16s to replace its Northrop F-5s and Israel is in the early stages of planning its next fighter competi tion, codenamed Peace Marble V. In Latin America a new market has opened up, with die US granting permission for pricing data to be supplied to Chile, and Blackwell says that Brazil is also interested in the F-16. Follow-on orders are critical to the F-16's continued success, and The New Strategic Airlifter could presage a new strategic partnership Blackwell lists Bahrain, Egypt, Thailand, Singapore, Venezuela and die US Air Force among oper ators with extra requirements. Further F-16 sales would bridge die gap until F-22 production gets under way, and would help offset any reduction in F-22 deliveries which might emerge from the USA's Quadrenniel Defence Review (QDR), to be completed this month. Blackwell believes that the F-22 development programme is now "...on a very solid foundation" fol lowing a cost re view which added funds and extend ed flight testing. "For the first rime, the programme has reserves," he says. Blackwell also believes that F-22s will be delivered for "much lower" than the estimated average production unit-cost of $71 million, through cost-reduction initiatives agreed by industry and the US Air Force. Blackwell says that the agree ment gives contractors increased profits in return for taking on the added risk associated with bringing down the aircraft's price to offset budget overruns, mainly inflation- related. He says the team will receive "not unreasonable profits" for delivering the aircraft ".. .cheaper dian when we won the competition." Admitting that he was previous ly sceptical that the requirements of three US services could be com bined in the Joint Strike Fighter, "The UAE is very demanding ...we will have to wait and see...it's too close to call." Blackwell says that he is now "total ly disabused" of his doubts. "We can do it. We can build one aircraft for three services. The possibilities are there and the economies are staggering," he says. While previous joint program mes have collapsed, the JSF will survive "...because [the services] need each other. There's not enough money to do it by them selves," Blackwell says. While the QDR may change die timing of die programme, there is "...enough merit, rationale and desire for the ser vices to stay togeth er," he says. The JSF is a key programme for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, where the two X-3 5 concept demon strators will be built. Blackwell says that recent organisational changes have integrated the Skunk Works into the company's aeronautics sec tor. The Skunk Works is Lockheed Martin's lead site for stealth tech nology, which Blackwell describes as a "core capability": it is develop ing the airframe for the missile sec- tor'sjoint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile competitor and leading die company's space sector in develop ment of the X-3 3 reusable launch- vehicle. The Skunk Works is also Lockheed Martin's lead site for development of unmanned air- vehicles (UAVs), Blackwell says. The company sees a strong future in unmanned aircraft and has developed a detailed strategic plan for "...a whole family of UAVs". Problems with the Lockheed Martin/Boeing Dark Star "Tier 3 Minus" technology-demonstrator UAV have been rectified, and flight-testing is expected to resume "later this summer," he says. Blackwell sees "Tier 3 Minus or something like it" replacing the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance air craft. He says that the company is confident it can build the UAV for "close to $10 million a copy". Looking ahead 20-30 years, he foresees fighter UAVs and says the company has already proposed unmanned derivatives of the F-16. While UAVs form an area of potential long-term growth, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is looking nearer-term at growing through partnerships, joint ven tures "...and small acquisitions." Blackwell says. The latter are likely to be in aircraft maintenance and modification, a business sector which die company has complete ly restructured ready for expan sion, he reveals. "There is more money in main tenance, repair and overhaul than in any other line of business - it's bigger than tactical aircraft," Blackwell says. The company has consolidated its interests in this sector into Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers, at Greenville, North Carolina. This unit encompasses aircraft maintenance and modification, nacelle and aerostructures manu facture and airbase support, and manages the company's mainte nance ventures in Argentina, China and Hungary. Maintenance and modification plants in Ontario, California, and Tucson, Arizona, have been closed while the Greenville site is to be expanded, Blackwell says. "We are aggressively pushing to get back all Lockheed Martin aircraft," he says. At the same time, the company is pursuing maintenance business on other manufacturers' military and commercial aircraft, both in the USA and at its overseas sites. Lockheed Martin already han dles P-3 depot maintenance and is bidding for the same role on Lockheed C-5s. Lockheed F-117 maintenance is to be moved back to the Skunk Works and the F-22 avionics depot will be provided by industry, at least for the first few years. J 30 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 7 - 13 May 1997
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