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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 0130.PDF
CONTRACT: • Saab Avionics has received a SKr600 million ($58 million) order from the FMV, the Swedish defence materiel administration, to develop a reconnaissance pod for the Saab JAS39 Gripen. • Elbit Systems has won an $80 million contract to supply avionics and logistics support for Brazilian air force Embraer Super Tucanos. • The Spanish air force has awarded Marshall Aerospace a contract to install Smiths Aerospace engine instru mentation display systems on 12 Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules. • Air Methods is to provide Sikorsky with five more multi-mission medevac systems for installation in US Army HH-60L Black hawk helicopters. • AAI has won a $1.5 million deal to supply seven Joint Service Electronic Combat Tester core test sets to support electronic warfare systems on Royal Australian Air Force Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. • Lockheed Martin Aircraft & Logistics Centers is to provide maintenance for US Air Force Boeing F-15 Eagles and Lock heed MartirvBoeing F-22 Raptors at Tyndall AFB, Florida, in a 7.5-year $86-million deal. • Raytheon is to make eight modi fied King Air B200T twin- turboprops (designated C-12s) for the US Army in a $41.5 mil lion deal. • Boeing is to upgrade the avionics in 66 Northrop T-38 trainers under a $9.4 million US Air Force con tract. The company has also received $25 million in long-lead funding for re-engining five RC-135 electronic-intelligence and two KC-135 aerial-refuelling aircraft. • Northrop Grumman is producing kits to upgrade eight Block 82 and six Block 89 EA-6Bs to Block 89A standard under a $9.6 million US Navy contract. In a $9.9 million deal, the company will install Block 89A upgrade kits in five Block 2 EA-6Bs. • Lockheed Martin's deal to demonstrate the powered low-cost autonomous attack submunition (LOCAAS) has been altered to increase testing, to include a live-warhead flight-test vehicle and a wing deployment/engine start flight-test vehicle. DEFENCE PROCUREMENT STEWART PENNEY / LONDON % Poland to resume talks with bidders in fighter competition But new government closes contest to fresh candidates after a series of delays The Polish government is to restart negotiations from 21 January with manufacturers in its fighter compe tition. It is expected to select a win ner by the end of the third quarter. Meanwhile, Hungary's contract signature for a Saab/BAE Systems Gripen lease has led to a series of offset deals, while the Czech Republic's selection of the same air craft means BAE is poised to begin due diligence on Aero Vodochody, before possibly taking a stake in the Czech company. Poland's fighter competition has suffered a series of delays, the most recent following a change of gov ernment in October. The air force is considering the Dassault Mirage 2000-5Mk2 and the Lockheed Martin F-16 as well as the Gripen. Germany is understood to have offered its RSK MiG-29 Fulcrums - the type is already in Polish service - as part of a deal including Leopard 2A4 main-battle tanks. Industry sources say the defence ministry has informed the original contenders that the competition will not be opened to new bidders. It is believed Germany has offered the same aircraft to Austria for its 30-fighter requirement. Poland's formal request is for 16 leased fighters to be delivered from the end of next year, and 44 new aircraft by the end of 2006. Last week, however, the defence min istry said any deal could now be for only 48 new aircraft. Meanwhile, BAE says it is awaiting approval to start due dili gence at Aero, and that it wants the process to proceed alongside con tract negotiations with the Czech government, which started last week. The company says, however, that the shareholders are awaiting a parliamentary vote on the Gripen deal, which is due before the mid dle of next month. Aero is owned by Boeing and the Czech government, with BAE expected to take over a significant proportion of the latter's 65% hold ing. Informal work placement talks with Aero have already started. Also in Eastern Europe, Saab/ BAE has signed its offset agreement with Hungary linked to its 10-year lease of 12 single-seat and two twin-seat Gripens. The company says it is in talks with 40 companies but has already signed pre-offset deals worth $661 million. The deal with the Swedish gov ernment also gives Hungary the option of buying the aircraft and support equipment at the end of the lease. The Swedish air force will pro vide operational and tactical train ing for 15 pilots, 32 maintenance technicians and five fighter con trollers. It will also supply mainte nance equipment, and pool spares with the Hungarian air force. FIGHTER DEVELOPMENT India readies for second LCA debut India hopes to fly the second LCA prototype by the end of this month India is preparing for the first flight of its second prototype of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), the much delayed indigenous multirole fighter. The first prototype flew in January last year, five years late. Washington DCs waiver of sanc tions imposed after India's May 1998 nuclear tests is expected to speed up deliveries of much-needed US-sourced components including General Electric F404 engines. An Indian engine, the Kaveri, is being developed, but will not be ready until 2006 at the earliest. Despite the easing of sanctions, the Indian Aeronautical Develop ment Establishment (ADE) still failed to meet the scheduled first flight date of the second aircraft last month. LCA project director Dr Kota Harinarayana says the aircraft will fly by the end of this month, with the third LCA due to fly in June or July. Meanwhile, ADE's parent, the Defence Research and Develop ment Organisation, has developed a maritime radar for helicopters and small vessels. Dr VK Aatre, Indian defence ministry scientific adviser, says the radar has com pleted the design and development stage and will be ready for field tri als within the next few months. A likely application is the Hin dustan Aeronautics Advanced Light Helicopter. The Indian navy has a requirement for 40 ALHs, some of which will be equipped for maritime roles, while the rest will be utility machines. 24 15-21JANUARY 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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