FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1999
1999 - 2126.PDF
DEFENCE Brazil offered more industrial assistance on F-5 upgrades ATEAM FROM Marconi Electronic Systems/Lock heed Martin is planning to offer Brazil improved industrial co operation and technology transfer concessions. The move comes as efforts are stepped up to overturn protracted negotiations with Elbit and Embraer to upgrade the air force's Northrop F-5E/F fighters. The two companies, in consul tation with the UK Defence Evaluation Research Agency, have put together a comprehensive package of work, equivalent to a 100% offset, to be presented to Brazil. Proposed concessions would include Brazilian participation in research and development, as well as production of avionics software and hardware. Brazil would also be offered a share of other international F-S upgrade programmes. Officials claim that, based on current requests for information, there is market potential for up to 200 F-5 upgrades, with attention focused on Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. The F-S offering is being pro moted as part of a wider strategy to invest in and partner the local aero space industry. Beyond the $280 million upgrade, the Brazilian air force's future F-X fighter require ment is potentially the most valu able prize. The Marconi-led initiative comes at a critical time for the Brazilian air force which, after more than 10 months of negotia tions with prime contractor Em braer and systems integrator Elbit, has not concluded a contract. The deal was initially delayed by Brazil's currency crisis, but this is believed to have been overcome. Questions are being asked with in the air force about the perfor mance of the Elta 2032 radar and its capability to support a beyond- visual-range missile (BVR). Marconi is proposing the Lock heed Martin APG-67 radar, which the UK company claims would comply with Brazil's future BVR missile needs. • Swedish air force Gripens have taken part in a road base exercise in Poland Sweden offers loan of Gripen squadron to Polish air force ANDREW DOYLE/LONDON SWEDEN HAS offered to loan Poland 18 Saab/British Aero space Gripens for five years from 2001 if the country selects the type for its fighter requirement. The proposals, approved by the Swedish air force, were included in the Saab/BAe response to Poland's request for information (RFI) issued earlier this year. Five replies to the RFI were received in July after the 30 June deadline was pushed back two weeks, at the request of the US Government, to allow Boeing and Lockheed Martin to complete submissions. The other respondents were Eurofighter and France's Dassault. A formal request for proposals is to be issued before the end of the year. Poland, which recently joined NATO, wants to buy 60 fighters between 2 006 and 2 012, but needs used aircraft from 2 001 to help pre pare for their introduction. Saab/BAe had been expected to push an interim lease of used Swe dish air force Saab Viggens, but the availability of a squadron of Gripens will strengthen its bid. The 18 air craft - including a pair of two- seaters - will have to be modified with NATO-compatible commu nications and identification friend- or-foe systems. Around 8,000 flight hours-worth of training would be provided to Polish pilots in Sweden. Boeing plans to offer the F/A-18E/F with an interim lease of US Navy F/A-18A/Bs. Lockheed Martin is bidding with the F-16C/D, coupled with a loan of surplus US Air Force F-16A/Bs. Both US manufacturers'lease pro posals are based on seven aircraft, Dassault is offering Mirage 2000-5s, but declines to comment on its lease proposals. Daimler- Chrysler Aerospace is heading the Eurofighter bid and is offering to upgrade Poland's MiG-29s. Agusta, Bell, Boeing and Euro- copter responded to a separate RFI covering the supply of new attack and upgraded W-3 Sokol battlefield support helicopters. The Denel Rooivalk is effectively out after Poland's decision not to send the RFI to the South African manufacturer. Meanwhile, BAe has awarded Polish manufacturer PZL a con tract to build wing parts for the Avro RJ regional jet and has select ed Mielec to make tooling which is used in producing Airbus wing assemblies. • Korean Air pins hopes on more UH-60P orders KOREAN AIR'S (KAL) aero space division is pushing for more licence production of Sikorsky UH-60P Black Hawk helicopters to follow the current production batch of 138 aircraft, due for completion this year. "My goal is another batch of UH-60 assembly," says aerospace division managing vice-president Suh Sang-Mook. According to Suh, the South Korean armed forces still need to replace their remaining UH-1S utility heli copters "in the very near future". "The only alternative is that the army could upgrade its UH-ls [to extend their life] for another 10 years...or they adopt a new air frame," says Suh. The latter would be an expensive, and therefore unlikely, option. Suh says he is hoping for a follow-on order worth as much as Si billion. The armed forces are believed to have operated over 100 UH-ISs, but recent figures suggest the army is operating only 20, five of which are in service with the air force. KAL's aerospace arm, based at Kmhae airport, Pusan, has been licence-producing UH-60s for the South Korean armed forces since 1990. Since 1996, the unit has completed a command and control avionics improvement programme for the air force and navy, including installation of satellite navigation equipment and defensive aids on navy aircraft. It is carrying out a similar upgrade for the army, due for completion in September 2000. The army upgrade includes an external tank system, as well as satellite navigation and communi cations upgrades. Suh says this may be followed by a modification programme for night-time operations, covering an unspecified number of UH-60s and CH-47s in all three services. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 21 - 27 July 1999 13
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
