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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0433.PDF
French funding dispute over export Rafale is resolved JULIAN MOXON/PARIS THE FRENCH Government and the industry team respon sible for the Dassault Rafale multi- role fighter have resolved die long standing dispute over funding development of an export version. The deal was cemented just in time to meet die deadline for responses to die South Korean request for proposals for up to 60 aircraft, which pitches die Rafale against die Boeing F-15K Eagle, Eurofighter Typhoon and Sukhoi Su-30. The funding solution involves die French Government paying for development of die F2 and F3 Rafale versions for die French air force and die navy's two-seat version. In return, Dassault Aviation, Thales Avionics (former ly Sextant) and Snecma will take full responsibility for die export version, which is set to cost Fr5 bil lion ($700 million) to develop. Snecma and Thales will shoul der die main funding burden. Snecma is charged widi developing an 18% more powerful version of die M88 engine, bringing dirust up to 19,8501b (88.3kN), Thales will increase die RBE2 phased array radar's range and Dassault will develop more advanced integrated avionics. Dassault says die export aircraft could be ready by 2006 "if an order was placed today". Under die original Rafale devel opment contract, industry funding for die French versions amounted For export, Rafale needs radar, engine and avionics development work to 25% of die total development cost which was to have included die F2 and F3 variants diat will take die aircraft to full air-to-air and multi- role capability respectively, as well as die two-seat version recently approved for die navy. The partners and the govern ment had long disagreed over die cost of developing die more advanced versions for die air force and navy, and wanted to follow die precedent set by die Mirage 2000- 5, die export version of die Mirage 2000 which was entirely funded by industry. Internal disagreements between die partners also had to be resolved. According to a report in French financial newspaper Les Echos, Dassault has agreed to transfer some of die Fr400 million it will save from not having to take a fund ing share in F2 and F3 develop ment to Snecma as compensation for die latter's heavier cost burden for die higher thrustM88. Besides South Korea, Dassault has hopes of sales in Singapore and Australia, and it is still offering the aircraft to Greece, which has com mitted to die Eurofighter. • Thales has received Fr740 mil lion from die French Government for die production investment and manufacture of an initial series of die Optronique Secteur Frontal electro-optical system for Rafale.Q Armed Predator test to take place this month LIVE-FIRE tes^ with an armed General Atomics RQ-1A Predator unmanned air vehicle (UAV) are set to take place this mondi. The move follows a test missile launch last mondi and die resolution of legal issues diat had delayed die trial Flight International, 23-29January). US Air Force officials say two live-fire flight tests are planned for between 12 and 16 February at a Nellis AFB, Nevada, test range. On 2 3 January a ground launch of a missile was successfullv conducted from a USAF. RQ-1 A, hitting a sta tionary target at die Naval Air Weapons Center's China Lake, California, test range. ^ During die initial line-of-sight, live-fire test, die plan is for die Predator to launch and self-desig- nateaLockheedMartinAGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided missile from 2,000ft (600m) against a stationary target. That would be followed by a non-line-of-sight firing against a moving target from Predator's nor mal 15,000ft operating altitude. The USAF envisions arming UAVs widi in-development minia turised munitions to attack time critical and mobile targets. The flight tests will establish whedier diere are physical con straints to arming die RQ-1A, which was not designed for weapons carriage, aldiough die design has two sets of underwing hardpoints for sensor payloads. A successful demonstration could lead to additional flight testis and development of an Oper ational Requirements Document (ORD) for armed Predator. • CONTRACTS ++ Newfoundland-based Vector Aerospace has received four mili tary overhaul contracts totalling C$32.5 million ($21.6 million). Its Aero Aerospace and Helipro International subsidiaries will refurbish the Venezuelan army's Agusta/Sikorsky AS-61DS by March 2002; overhaul gearboxes forTunisian Government Sikorsky S-61s; and refurbish Honduran Government Bell 412s and MD Helicopters MD500s. Vector will also overhaul turbine engines for the Colombian Government. ++ Rockwell Collins is to supply the US Air Force with its HF Mess enger to provide high-frequency e-mail capability to the SCOPE Command HF network. Ground and airborne tests are due from Sept ember, followed by installation on multiple platforms. ++ Saudi Arabia has given a €140 million ($129 million) contract to Thales to support and upgrade defence systems. Thegroup has also won a €50 million orderfor 15 Damocles navigation/targeting pods for French navy Dassault Super Eten- dards. ++ The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a £42 million ($62 million) contract with Ray theon Systems UK for Enhanced Paveway ll/lll bombs which can be targeted using laser guidance or GPS. ++ Newport News Ship building has a $3.8 billion con tract for detailed design and construction of CVN 77, the tenth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Lock heed Martin Integrated Sys tems will be responsible for the integrated warfare system. ++ Northrop Grumman has won a $20.1 million contract for 23 Block 82 to 89a and six Block 89 to 89a EA-6B Prowler upgrade kits. ++ Spain has awarded Boeing a $35.3 million contract to remanu- facture two AV-8B Harriers to B+ standard. ++ Sikorsky has been awarded a $13.7 million US Army contractfortwo UH-60L helicopters for 2003 delivery. ++ Raytheon has won a pre-production contract for 18 Pagan anti-jam GPS satellite navigation systems forthe Sikorsky Boeing RAH-66 Comanche heli copter. ++ Cessna has received a US Army contractfortwo UC-35Bs. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 6 - 12 February 2001 17
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