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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 0572.PDF
• The US Congress has been notified of a potential $255 mil lion foreign military sale of 53 Boeing Harpoon Block II anti- ship missiles and four Ray theon Phalanx close-in weapon systems to arm four fast missile craft on order for the Egyptian navy. • Magellan Aerospace has won a C$15 million ($9.4 million) deal by Northrop Grumman to deliver structures for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. • Lockheed Martin has received a $79 million US Air Force contract to provide up to 11 standard radar systems by 2008 for use at tethered aero stat surveillance sites. • Goodrich is to supply stand by attitude indicators for over 300 new US Navy MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters under a six-year deal with Sikorsky. • Atlantis Systems Internation al has won a C$32 million ($20.1 million) contract to develop an integrated mainte nance training system for Boeing F/A-18s operated by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Canadian Forces. • Pilkington Aerospace has been selected by Lockheed Martin to supply the Integrated transparency system for the cockpit of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The initial award is worth $10 million, but the final value could be $400 million including production for the UK and USA, potential exports and spares. • DRS Technologies has won a $2 million contract to supply AQH-13 acoustic data recorders for upgraded Span ish air force Lockheed Martin P-3 Orions. • Raytheon has won a $16.2 million US Marine Corps deal to develop and demonstrate an affordable ground- based advanced devel opment model. This will feed into the emerging Multi Role Radar System, which will pro vide mobile air surveillance systems to support early-entry forces. • India and Russia have concluded technical talks on the former's acquisition of the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier and four Tupolev Tu- 22M3 bombers. Indian defence minister George Fernandes says a price negotiation com mittee will finalise the deal. DEFENCE HELICOPTER SENSORS PAUL LEWIS / ORLANDO Arrowhead hits the mark Singapore will be first overseas customer for Lockheed Martin's new targeting sensor Singapore will be the first interna tional Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow operator to field the new Lockheed Martin Arrowhead tar geting and night vision system, as the manufacturer considers im proving the attack helicopter's elec tro-optical and radar suite. Lockheed Martin is to test the modernised-target acquisition and designation sight/pilot's night vis ion sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) in June, with first flight in September. Production begins in March 2003, with the US Army due to field the Arrowhead from the third quarter 2004. Foreign military sales deliver ies are expected shortly afterwards. Traditionally, the US Army has been reluctant to export systems before qualification and a full-rate production decision. But Lockheed Martin wants to offer the new sys tem in place of the legacy TADS/ PNVS. "We're putting fixed-price bids on the street now," says the company. In addition to new-build helicopters and the US Army's 700- strong Apache fleet, the system is being offered as a retrofit for around 280 export AH-64A/Ds. Singapore will be first M-TADS/ PNVS customer when it receives a second batch of 12 AH-64Ds from 2004, followed by Israel, which has Arrowhead can be retrofitted into in-service AH-64s ordered eight new machines and a single AH-64A rebuild. The Neth erlands and the UK are seeking funds for an Arrowhead retrofit on their AH-64Ds around 2005/6. Arr owhead export rules are still being drawn up and may restrict software access to functions such as scene stabilisation and extended range. Arrowhead comprises a second- generation, long-wave forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor with selectable 30°x40° and 30°x52° fields-of-view for targeting and navigation. As well as resolution and range upgrades, better reliabil ity may save the US Army $964 million over the next 30 years. Add-on provisions include fusing FLIR and image-intensified TV with automatic target recognition. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are considering offering the mid-wave Hawkeye target sight system for export machines. It offers longer range, but is more vulnerable to smoke and atmospheric condi tions. Software enhancements to the Apache's APG-68 Longbow fire- control radar, which could extend range by over 50%, are also being considered, say sources. JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER Australia could join JSF programme, but warns orders may not follow The Australian government will decide whether to join the Joint Strike Fighter systems development and demonstration (SDD) phase in April, but defence minister Robert Hill says this does not mean there will be a decision to purchase the aircraft. "Even if Australia decided to invest in the development of that project, it doesn't necessarily mean that JSF will be the aircraft that ultimately wins what will be Australia's largest ever military pro curement," he adds. Australia is due to begin a fighter competition in 2006, and launched a market survey last year to acquire pricing and capability data. Responses were submitted by BAE Systems, Boeing, Dassault and Lockheed Martin at the end of last month. It is unclear whether Suk- hoi, which had expressed interest, has submitted a proposal. During a visit to Australia last week, French defence minister Al ain Richard said France is willing to consider joint Dassault Rafale pro duction with Australia. "We can accept a large part of technology sharing," he said. Meanwhile, the Netherlands government has approved a pro posal to join the JSF development phases. A proposal has been sub mitted to parliament, which will make a final decision on 2 April. It would cost the Netherlands $800 million to join the SDD, and the government has stated that the cost is such that it will probably buy the Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF to replace its Lockheed Martin F-16s in 2010-2025. 20 26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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