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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1899.PDF
Chile heads queue for export F/A-18E/F PAUL LEWIS AND GRAHAM WARWICK/WASHINGTON DC CHILE IS EXPECTED to be the first country to request price and availability data on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, initiating moves to release the upgraded fighter for export. Boeing hopes to secure export release for the F/A-18E/F by year end, after the US Navy has com pleted its operational evaluation. A formal request from Chile would start the process of securing the necessary export approvals from the US Departments of Defense and State. Talks are under way with the navy to agree the configuration that will be offered for export, says Bill Lawler, Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems vice- president and general manager for business development. An active- array radar "will be part of the export package", he says. Chile, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, had been considering the F/A- 18C/D, production of which will end next year. Lawler says it would take orders for "40 to 50" C/Ds to make it worthwhile restarting the production line. Until the F/A-18E/F is released for export, however, Boeing can only provide "public domain" information on the fighter. Nor mally, a new US combat aircraft is released for export only after it has been in service for two years. "The navy is very supportive," says Lawler. "We've had interest expressed [in the F/A-18E/F] and both parties need to respond." Congressional approval for the US Navy's planned five-year purchase of 232 Super Hornets beginning nextyear, which looks certain, will clear the way for price and avail ability data to be firmed up. The target is to offer the F/A- 18E/F, priced at over $40 million a copy, for export delivery from 2005. While this is in line with die delivery timescales of potential customers, Lawler admits Boeing will have to persuade some nations to delay their decision deadlines. Chile had planned to make its fighter decision by the end of July, before the E/F could be released for export, but it appears increas ingly unlikely that a contract could be awarded ahead of the Chilean presidential election scheduled for the end of the year. A delayed decision would open up an opportunity for Boeing to offer Chile the F/A-18E/E As an interim solution, the US Navy has indicated that around 50 F/A- 18A/Bs in desert storage could be made available for lease. Lawler says Boeing has also pro vided information on the F/A- 18E/F to Norway, which has just received bids on the shortlisted Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin FT 6. Norway has "expressed interest", but would have to re-open its fighter compe tition, he admits. J Greece is to get early warning ofErieye's capabilities Greece to fly Saab 340 in Erieye deal GREECE IS to operate a Swedish air force Saab 340- based Argus equipped with Ericsson Erieye airborne early warning radar as part of a deal to buy four Erieye systems mounted on an Embraer regional jet. Ericsson won a SKr4.5 billion ($525 million) deal for four Erieye systems in December last year FlightInternational, lit December 1998-5 January, 1999). The phased array, S-band radar will be mount ed on Embraer RJ-145s. Ericsson says a final contract will be signed within weeks. The Argus - one of six in service - will be deliv ered one year after signing with the Greek air force receiving its first ERJ-145 mounted system two years later. Greece will use the Saab 340 for training and to establish operating procedures for the radar. Ericsson says Greece may operate the air craft for just a year or until its first regional jet mounted systems arrive. • Bids in for US Army UAV contest SEVEN BIDS HAVE been sub mitted for the US Army's tacti cal unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV) competition, although the number could rise following a deadline extension. The competition is for an off- the-shelf unmanned air vehicle (UAVs) - equipped with electro- optical and infrared payloads - mat can provide surveillance and target acquisition at up to 50km (25nm). The US Army requires 42 systems, costing less than $4 million each andwithatleast three air vehicles as well as a tactical control station. The US Army expects to pick between three and five competitors for a flyoff. One will be selected to enter engineering and manufac turing development and low-rate initial production. The original 17 June close of bidding has been extended to 30 June because of minor technical issues. AAI with the Shadow 200, General Atomics with the Prowler II, and the team of TRW, Israel Aircraft Industries and S-TEC Unmanned Technologies with the STM-5B Sentry were among the companies that answered the request for proposals. Freewing Aerial Robotics also confirms that it is bidding its Scorpion Tilt-Body, but would not discuss any teaming arrangements. Industry sources, however, believe the firm may have formed a part nership with Marconi Astronics. Another likely competitor is Alliant Techsystems with the Outrider, which was snubbed after unfavourable flight testing in the US military's last attempt to procure a TUAV. France's Sagem wants to enter its SPERWER, the export derivative of the Kestrel UAV but must find a US prime contractor to partici pate. Negotiations have been car ried out with a number of US aerospace firms. • US Air Force test fires Aim-9X Sidewinder THE US AIR Force has test programmed manoeuvres over the fired the first Raytheon AIM- White Sands range in New Mexico 9X Sidewinder missile from a Boeing F-15. The separation and control test vehicle performed pre- on 23 June. Two other firings have taken place since March from US NavyF/A-18Cs. • 20 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 30 June - 6 July 1999
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