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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2106.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT PRODUCTION BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE Alenia aims for role in ARJ21 assembly Manufacturer in talks with ACAC to establish second regional jet production line in Europe to attract international sales Alenia Aeronautica is looking at possible partnership opportunities with China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC I) that could result in European assembly of the ARJ21. Alenia chief representative for China Salvatore Grasso says the Italian manufacturer is engaged in "very preliminary" talks with AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Company (ACAC). ACAC has finished select ing all the major hardware and software suppliers for the ARJ21 programme, but Alenia believes room could be made for a different type of partner. "The programme at the moment looks like a 100% Chinese pro gramme designed for Chinese air lines," Grasso says. "If they want an international market, they need some sort of co-operation [with a foreign manufacturer]." While the ARJ21 will have a Western cockpit, powerplant and other systems, the aircraft will be assembled in Shanghai using Chinese-built air frame components. For Alenia, the ARJ21 is the latest in a long-running attempt to push into the regional jet market. The company previously studied devel oping regional jets at ATR, which it owns with EADS, and purchasing regional jet assets from a liquidated Fairchild Dornier. Grasso says Alenia still must complete a viability study into the ARJ21 before it extends ACAC an offer. "We seek some kind of involvement in the programme, providing it is sound," he says. ACAC is also unsure if it will offer Alenia a role in the pro gramme, which plans to deliver regional jets seating 76 to 105 pas sengers from late 2007. ACAC pres ident Tang Xiao Ping says "the train has left the station" for select ing partners, but adds: "We will not close the door to [new] partners that can improve our systems and our marketing campaign." Grasso says the idea is to estab lish a second assembly line in Europe for potential sales of the air craft outside China. "We've asked to take a closer look. Nothing is firm," he says. Assembling a Chinese design in the West would be a novel approach given historically China has approached civil aircraft manu facturing from the opposite direc tion, producing Western-developed aircraft in China. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LEITHEN FRANCIS IN BEIJING AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT First Emirates A340-500 ready The first of eight Airbus A340-500s for Emirates has begun flight testing in Toulouse ahead of deliveries to the carrier in October. Following the delivery, which is around six months later than originally scheduled, the air line will become the first customer to put the Rolls-Royce Trent 500- powered airliner into service, in December. The widebody will initially be operated on Emirates' new non-stop Dubai-Sydney route, as well as to London Gatwick and Osaka, Japan. The airline will use the A340-500 to launch US services next year. Singapore Airlines will be the next customer to receive its -500s, early next year. COUNTERMEASURES AARON KARP / WASHINGTON DC USA to fund $100m missile protection effort that any anti-missile technology will be deployed before 2005. A request for proposals is immi nent, and an industry day has been set for 6 October. The "aggressive" two-phase programme will re-engi neer military technology for com mercial aviation use, and is a for mal follow-on to the broad area The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to fund the devel opment and demonstration of countermeasures systems to protect airliners from shoulder-fired mis siles under a two-year, $100 million programme. None of the funds will be used to deploy systems and the DHS says there is no expectation MISSILE DEFENCE Rafael plans Britening trials Israel's Rafael may co-operate with rival Elbit Systems, as the former plans the first airborne test of its Britening system for the third quarter of 2004. Britening consists of ultraviolet sensors to detect a missile's launch and a gimballed turret to track trajectory and transmit a false target. Elbit's multi- spectral infrared countermeasure (MUSIC) emits a narrow laser beam which jams a missile's guidance system, causing it to veer off course and miss the aircraft. Israeli defence sources say that Rafael may link with Elbit Systems as the laser radiator may increase the capability of the Britening. The Israeli CAA is working on the certification of the Elta/IMI Flight Guard system based on decoy flares, to be fitted on up to 10 passenger aircraft. announcement by the DHS in May that drew 90 responses. Of these, eight concepts were shortlisted and further information requested. Phase I will be a six-month analysis of the economic, manufac turing and maintenance issues involved in producing and support ing systems effective against the man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) threat to airliner. The 18-month Phase II will include the development and demonstration of prototypes using existing technol ogy. Congress appropriators have agreed to provide the DHS with $60 million for fiscal year 2004, which begins on 1 October. House of Representatives homeland security appropriations chairman Harold Rogers says Congress also plans to fund the programme with $60 mil lion in fiscal year 2005. US Transportation Security Administration chief James Loy earlier this month testified to the US Senate that "one of the most important projects taking place" at the DHS is developing technology to address the MANPADS threat. Some members of Congress say deployment of systems on airliners should be done as quickly as possi ble. House aviation subcommittee chairman John Mica has estimated that equipping all 6,800 commer cial jets in the US fleet with anti missile systems would cost $7-10 billion, or $1-2 million per aircraft. • Flight International's Counter- measures conference will now take place in Washington DC on 28 January 2004. For more infor mation contact Sallie Edwards on sallie.edwards@rbi.co.uk or +44 (0) 208 652 8718. 12 30 SEPTEMBER - 6 OCTOBER 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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