FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1898.PDF
Tiger gets go-ahead while NH90 waits JULIAN MOXON/PARIS THE LONG-AWAITED contract for 160 Eurocopter Tiger anti-tank helicopters was signed by France and Germany on 18 June. Hopes that the four- nation memorandum of under standing (xVIoU) approving indus trialisation and production of an initial 152 NH Industries NH90 transport and naval helicopters would be signed at around the same time were not fulfilled, however. The Tiger deal is worth almost Fr20 billion ($3.3 billion) and will lead to the first of 80 helicopters for Germany being delivered in 2002. France has commited to purchas ing die same number, with initial delivery the year after. The two countries have a requirement for a total of 212 Tigers for Germany and 215 for France, with delivery stretching into the second decade of the next century. The order means that export efforts will be stepped up. Near term potential customers include Spain, with a requirement for up to 25 anti-tank helicopters. Turkey needs around 100 and Australia at least 20. The Tiger's principal competitor is the Boeing AH-64 Apache in all three competitions. French defence minister Alain Richard says that the NH90 con tract, worth between Frl5 billion and Fr20 billion, will be signed "before the end of the year". "All of the partners are agreed on the price and delivery timescales of the NH90,"hesays. Changes in the requirements of each partner nation are still being made, however, the Netherlands Tiger is awarded its production stripes but NH90 (above) waits for go-ahead having recently delayed delivery of its 20 Naval Frigate Helicopters (NFHs) by four years, to 2007, because of budget problems. Germany and Italy are committed to a combat search-and-rescue version of the helicopter. The first batch of 152 machines will be made up of: • France: 27 NFHs, first delivery 2004/5; • Germany: four NFHs, first delivery 2007, 61 Tactical Transport Helicopters (TTH), first delivery2003; • Italy: 25 TTHs, first delivery 2 004,15 NFHs, first delivery 2 004; • The Netherlands: 20 NFHs. The four nations require 619 helicopters. France, Germany and Italy will each have final assembly lines, although Germany will build only the TTH, taking its NFHs from the French line at Marig- nanne. Dutch NFHs will be sourced from Italy. • Raytheon contests MEADS decision RAYTHEON FILED a formal protest on 17 June to overturn its loss of the Medium Extended Air Defence System (MEADS), a j oint development being undertak en by die USA Germany and Italy to field the next-generation, highly mobile, medium-range battlefield air defence weapon. The NATO MEADS Organi sation (NAMEADSMO) on 19 May awarded Lockheed Martin a S3 00 million contract to begin developing the $12 billion MEADS project. The US team member for the three-year risk reduction effort is allied with Italy's Alenia and Germany's Daimler- Chrysler Aerospace (Dasa). Raytheon will not disclose reasons for the protest. NAMEADSMO has until the middle of July to review the bidding and give an opinion. Should the protest be turned down by NAMEADSMO, Raytheon can either drop the matter, seek arbi tration by a panel formed by MEADS member nations, or file a formal protest to the US General Accounting Office, which reviews US Defense Department contract awards. The Lockheed Martin-led team is to demonstrate a prototype sys tem in 2002. The hit-to-kill Lockheed Martin Vought Systems Patriot Advanced Capability air defence missile will be used as part ofMEADS. • C-130 avionics upgrade gets another HUD option FLIGHT VISIONS has teamed with French-owned Pilkington Optronics to offer a head-up dis play (HUD) for the US Air Force's forthcoming C-130 avionics mod ernisation programme. The US low-cost HUD manufacturer has held talks with the three likely bid ders for the contract to upgrade the USAF's Hercules fleet - Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Sales director David Klinchuch says a request for proposals to upgrade the C-130s is expected in September, leading to a contract award next year. Flight Visions, based in Sugar Grove, Illinois, is offering the potential prime con tractors an overhead-mounted derivative of its Night Hawk HUD, as well as flat panel multifunction displays. Pilkington will supply the optical combiner. The Night Hawk has been selected by Lockheed iMartin for its Joint Strike Fighter concept de monstrators. It is a wide field-of- view development of the Sparrow Hawk HUD being retrofitted to US Navy Grumman F-14s. Flight Dynamics and Marconi Avionics are the probable competitors. Flight Visions is to incorporate Israeli company BVR's embedded air combat training system in its FV-3 000 mission computer. • Singapore wants moreChinooks SINGAPORE PLANS to pur chase an additional four Boeing CH-47SD Super Chinook heli copters to supplement six earlier CH-47Ds and four improved -47SDs already on order. It is also embarking on a search for six to 12 naval helicopters to equip a planned fleet of new corvettes. Selection of the maritime heli copter is expected to be tied to a larger requirement for a Bell UH1H utility replacement. In the meantime, senior indus try sources say a request for pro posals is expected to be issued for a new multi-role fighter for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) next year. The RSAF may make a fighter selection as early as 2001, according to the sources. Contenders are die Dassault Ra fale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lock heed Martin F-16 Block 50+ and SukhoiSu-30. Singapore has joined the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) pro gramme as a low-level participant, but the JSF is unlikely to be avail able in time. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 30 June - 6 July 1999 19
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
