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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 0625.PDF
ASIAN AEROSPACE 2002 INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATION EADS moves to up regional profile European manufacturer courts ST Aero in bid to boost revenues and decrease dependence on Airbus airline business EADS is discussing a wide-ranging tie-up with Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) in airborne sys tems and defence electronics. The move is part of efforts by the pan-European aerospace conglom erate's Defence and Civil Systems unit to increase its Asia-Pacific pres ence and boost revenues to ease concern that the parent company is too reliant on Airbus. "We have to look for more industrial co-operation in South- East Asia," says EADS Systems and Defence Electronics business unit head Stefan Zoller. He says the company is interested in recruiting ST Aero as a "technology hub" for Asia, partnering EADS in funding, developing and manufacturing new technologies and products for the Asian market. The arrangement would also give ST Aero greater ac cess to the European market. ST Aero will not comment on specific talks with EADS but says it is discussing potential new part nerships with several companies. Zoller says EADS Defence and Civil Systems is expected to return to profitability this year and adds that the business will be expanded rapidly in the next couple of years. "The company is far too small, and we have to invest far more to enlarge these activities," he says. "It is quite clear EADS suffers to some extent from being far too Airbus- orientated," says Zoller. EADS aims to grow the contribu tion to total sales of its defence activities to 25-30% during the next five to 10 years, says co-chief executive Rainer Hertrich. This is to be achieved through a combina tion of mergers, acquisitions and investment in new technology. • European missile house MBDA is to co-develop a new missile programme with ST Aero. Chief executive Fabrice Bregier declines to specify what sort of weapon will be developed, but says it will be designed to meet Singapore's defence needs. MBDA, owned by BAE Systems, EADS and Finmec- canica, already has links with Sing apore's DSO, the national labora tory, and arms technology agency, the DSTA. USED AIRCRAFT SALES BAT prepares for TWA 717s Boeing Aircraft Trading (BAT) will start to remarket the first of 24 ex-American Airlines Boeing 717s next month. The used aircraft sales and leasing arm has been tasked by sister company Boeing Capital to remarket the 24 717s American inherited following last year's take-over of TWA. The aircraft were delivered to TWA over the last two years on long term leases and are held on Boeing's balance sheet, "We are due to receive the air craft from April, though we haven't finalised delivery sched ules," says BAT president Dr Dinesh Keskar. BAT normally concludes 10- 15 deals a year, but Keskar says the 717s will push this to 30-35 this year: "We're looking for out side consultants to help us go through aircraft records." Keskar says it is a challenge to place the young 717s as they are competing with new-build examples.Their used aircraft sta tus will be reflected in their values, although some are less than a year old. Target airlines, he adds, are in China, India, Latin America and the Philip pines, where he believes there is an emerging market for young second-hand 100-seaters. UNMANNED SYSTEMS Silver Arrow's Hermes 180 set to make first flight Raised tail boom is intended to prevent damage Israel's Silver Arrow plans to fly its latest unmanned air vehicle (UAV), the Hermes 180, in May. The aircraft is designed for heavy-duty use in the field, says Silver Arrow senior director UAV operations Hemi Kurlander. The 6m-(1.8ft) wingspan, 4.4m-long UAV features a three-sensor package in a turret under the fuselage, and a 30kg (66lb) Elop package containing day and night sensors and a laser des ignator for aiming weapons. Like Silver Arrow, Elop is an arm of Elbit Systems. Silver Arrow-owned UEL supplies the UEL741 rotary engine. The Hermes 180 has common avionics and datalinks with Silver Arrow's Hermes 450 tactical long- endurance UAV and Hermes 1500 medium altitude long-endurance system, says Kurlander. The ground control station is common except for twin-engine controls in the Hermes 1500 system. Kurlander says the UAV will operate from a wheeled undercar riage or a ramp, landing under a parachute using two dual-cell airbags to cushion the impact. Flight tests will begin with three months envelope expansion. Kurlander declines to say when the system will enter service and with which country. BUSINESS JET ORDER Gulfstream wins first Chinese deal Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is acquiring three Gulfstream 200s (formerly the Galaxy) in a $60- million deal. Deliveries will be in the third and fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2003, says Gulfstream vice president international sales, Roger Sperry. The G200s will be the first super midsize business jets in the Asia- Pacific region and the first Gulf- streams in China, Sperry adds. Hai nan's Deer Jet will operate the air craft on charter services alongside Raytheon Hawker 800XPs. The development of the business jet market in Asia-Pacific has previ ously been held back due to a lack of infrastructure, such as secondary airports, and poor access to slots at major airports. Gulf stream vice chairman Bryan Moss says: "Particularly in western China, I suspect that there will be some very quick infrastructure developments." • Gulfstream expects to receive European Joint Aviation Authori ties' certification for the Gulfstream V by the end of the second quarter. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 5-11 MARCH 2002 13
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