FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2001
2001 - 1261.PDF
Italy discusses navy aircraft mix TIM RIPLEY/MILAN ITALY IS to finalise contracts by the end of the year with Agusta- Westland for the next batch of eight EH101 helicopters for the Italian navy. Talks are underway but compa ny sources say the service has yet to finalise the aircraft mix. "We have indications that the Italian navy is moving towards a larger number of utility versions to move marines ashore," says an AgustaWestland executive. "We don't know the mix of anti-submarine and utility ver sions, it could be four and four, six and two or three and five." Italy has strong interest in the EH101 with a developing require ment for two VIP machines to replace Sikorsky S-61s used by the Pope and Italian political leaders. The air force is also seeking 12-16 combat search and rescue machines. "The air force have looked at lighter helicopters than the EH 101 and they feel a bigger more power ful helicopter is the way to go for this demanding and dangerous mission," says a company source. Italy has contracted for 16 EH 10Is - eight and submarine/ surface vessel (AS W), four airborne early warning (AEW) and four util ity versions. Two ASW machines have been delivered and another example is undergoing acceptance trials. The AEW machines are to be delivered in 2003 and the utility aircraft the following year. AgustaWesdand says 10 of Canada's 15 Cormorants are in assembly or flight test at its Vegiate plant, with the first aircraft due to fly to Canada in June or July. Studies continue with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to develop an air borne mine countermeasures ver sion to replace the Maritime Self-Defence Force's Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon minesweep- ing helicopters. "A requirement is likely to be issued in three to four years," says Pasquale de Luca, head of EH 101 marketing. • USN EP-3 diversion delivers secret surveillance equipment to China THE DIVERSION of a US Navy Lockheed Martin EP- 3 E ARIES II to the Chinese island of Hainan has given China access to some of the USAs most sensitive electronic surveillance equipment. The diversion followed a colli sion with a Shenyang J-8 Finback fighter, which crashed into the sea. Interception of US surveillance flights by the Chinese is routine, although recently it has become "more aggressive", says the USN. The incident happened 130km (70nm) southeast of Hainan, claims the USN. Damage included loss of the nose radome and to the port pro pellers. Loss of the radome removed the pressure probe for the airspeed indicator forcing a flapless landing at Lingshui air base, Hainan. Washington says that the crew destroyed sensitive equip ment on-board. * The EP-3E Airborne Reconn aissance Integrated Electronic System (ARIES) is a signals intelli gence (SIGINT) aircraft, based on the P-3 Orion. It is also able to per form electronic and communica tions intelligence (ELINT/ COMTNT) tasks. The ARIES architecture com prises threeVtask-specific subsys tems: electronic support sensors (ESS), special station sensors (SSS) and the special/ES common sub system (SESCSS). ESS is used for The EP-3E has a host of additional antennas and radomes intercepting and analysing radar signals, while the SSS provides COMINT capability. SESCSS is the system's computing capability. The mission crew comprises seven ESS operators, five SSS operators, an in-flight techni cian/data recording operator and a "scientific/technical" operator. Supporting these is a flight crew of four, two communications special ists and four relief crew. ARIES is undergoing the Sensor Systems Improvement Programme that incorporates sub-programmes, understood to include: • Story Book- a signals collection, fusion and exploitation system enhancement; • Story Classic - the introduction of enhanced SSS workstations; • Story Finder - a radar signal, amplitude collection capability; • Story Maker - an analysis sub system still in development; • Story Scanner - described as a data fusion capability or an optical collection and processing subsys tem, also still in development; • Story Seeker - an emitter detec tion, identification and tracking subsystem; • Story Teller - improved data comparison, correlation and reporting capabilities. Story Teller is reportedly imple mented on four of the 11 ARIES lis, thought to include the Hainan EP-3E. ARIES II is also set to receive the Joint SIGINT Avionics Family high- and low-band receiver sub systems. Apodded prototype of the former began flight trials in 1998.Q Bidders line up for satcom contract FIRST ROUND tenders for the Australian Department of Defence's new satellite ground infrastructure project have attract ed at least seven bids with a shortlist due to be released in five weeks. The A$70 million ($35 million) requirement closed at the end of March with B AE Systems Australia, Boeing Australia, Clough Eng ineering, Raytheon Australia and Tenix Defence Systems seeking prime con tractorship. Other poten tial candidates include ADI as well as Cable and Wireless Optus, pos sibly teamed with RLM Systems. Defence plans a maximum shortlist of five for the Joint Proj ect 2008 Phase 3E Advanced SAT COM Terrestrial Infrastructure Systems with a second round "win ner take all" tender to commence by October. The new infrastructure is to sup port transmission of secure com mand and control information between Defence headquarters and deployed command units via the new Optus C1D satellite, which is due for launch in May 2002. Project requirements include an upgrade to the satellite earth sta tion at Canberra, a deployable Theatre Injection Facility, the design and installation of satellite communication facilities for 11 warships, a prototype suite for the navy's Minehunter coastal force, 2 8 deployed HQ compact receive suites and seven compact trans mit/receive suites. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 April 2001 17
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
