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Aviation History
2000
2000-1 - 0486.PDF
FARNBOROUGH SHOW REPORT The fatal crash of Concorde in Paris darkened the mood at what was a record show for orders. Topping last year's Paris Air Show record of $20 billion on the first day of the Famborough show alone, more than $40 billion worth of orders were announced, with Airbus and Boeing taking the lion's share between them with $33 billion in airliner sales. And with the A400M military transport programme promising a further $17 billion to Europe's defence industry, questions remain over when exactly the bubble will burst. ANDREW CHUTER, ANDREW DOYLE, DEEDEE DOKE.CHRIS JASPER, ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI, EMMA KELLY, MAX KJNGSLEY- JONES, GUY NORRIS, STEWART PENNEY, CAROL REED, KATE SARSFIELD, ALEX VELOVICH, GRAHAM WARWICK, AND PETER LA FRANCHI REPORT. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK WAGNER. PRODUCTION BY PARUNA PATEL. Political issues compromise EADS/Alenia military venture CASA'S military transport air craft business is to be excluded from the new European Military Aircraft Company (EMAC) due to be formed by Italy's Finmeccanica and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space), of which the Spanish company is now part. EADS says the military trans port activities of Finmeccanica's Alenia Aeronautica will be part of EMAC, although industry sources say the business - part of the LMATTS joint venture with Lockheed Martin - may yet be excluded. The CASA decision means that EMAC's three core businesses - fighter aircraft, transports and trainers - will effectively face com petition from three other business es in which the EMAC partners are shareholders. In addition to the transports contest between the EADS (CASA) C295 and EMAC (LMATTS) C-27J, rival fighter offerings will see Eurofighter, which will effectively become a joint venture between EMAC and the UK's BAE Systems, competing with the Rafale, offered by Dassault Aviation, in which EADS has a sizeable holding. At the same time, the MB339 and the new M-346 trainer, pro duced by Aermacchi, in which Alenia has a 20% stake, will com pete with EADS's proposed Mako (planned by the former Daimler- Chrysler Aerospace). Alenia's AMX (a joint venture between Alenia and Embraer) will also go head-to-head with the light strike version of the Mako. EMAC is working to persuade Aermacchi's majority shareholder, the Italian Foresio family, to fold the trainer specialist into EMAC in time for its launch at the start of next year, but is so far unable to report any concrete progress. EADS sources admit the EMAC situation is confused, but say that while the integration process is progressing well at an industrial level, political issues mean the new company must pass through a "transitional phase" before it can achieve true consolidation. "We think, for example, that the Dassault business should be included in the group through another integration phase," the source adds, "because Rafale is a competing product." EMAC had a pro-forma 1999 turnover of €2.5 billion ($2.6 bil lion) - €1.1 billion from Dasa, €200 million from CASA and €1.2 billion from Alenia. Its workforce will total 17,000 - almost 10,000 from Alenia, 6,300 from Dasa and 900 from CASA. • The C-27Jfaces a future within EMAC but could yet be excluded A400M secures 225 orders as Europe defines export policy DEFENCE ministers from seven European nations have unveiled commitments for 225 Airbus Military Company (AMC) A400Mairlifters. At the same meeting, six European nations signed an agree ment on the future of European defence co-operation. Belgium will acquire seven A400Ms, France 50, Germany 73, Italy 16, Spain 27, Turkey 26 and the UK 2 5 - a total of 224. Luxem bourg, despite lacking an air force, has ordered one aircraft "in close co-operation with Belgium". In a joint statement at the show, the ministers said they "firmly intend to procure" the aircraft and stated that a contract was expected to be signed "at die earliest possible date in 2001". The programme is worth $17 billion over 20 years. A firm number allows AMC to establish workshare agreements and gives the organisation a basis for final negotiations foran engine. A Snecma-led group, Turboprop International (TPI), and Rolls- Royce Deutschland have submit ted bids, but another offer with R-R joining TPI to propose a three-shaft turboprop based around the Snecma M88 core is expected by mid-September. AMC plans to fly the first aircraft 51 months after contract signature, with first deliveries 20 months later. Meanwhile, defence ministers for France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK signed a treaty establishing procedures for the "restructuring and operation of the European defence industry". Known as the Framework Agreement, the treaty covers secu rity of supply, export procedures, handling of classified information, research and technology, treatment of technical information, and mili tary requirements harmonisation. • The Australian Department of Defence and the UK Ministry of Defence have agreed to exchange data on their respective Air 6000 and Future Offensive Air System (FOAS) programmes. The pair will also develop co-operative con cept and technology demonstra tion programmes. Air 6000 will replace Boeing F/A-18s and gener al Dynamics F- Ills. FOAS will replace the Panavia Tornado. 3 10 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1 - 7 August 2000
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