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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2640.PDF
HEADLINES BUSINESS RAINER UPHOFF / MADRID Spain seeks greater industry role Government urges more prominence in EADS programmes as Boeing steps up technology links with Madrid Phil Condit (left) and Juan Costa last week signed an Moll for research AGREEMENT Boeing, CSIC to pursue research Spanish science and technology minister Juan Costa and Boeing chairman Phil Condit last week signed a memorandum of understanding under which the Spanish public research body CSIC and the US manufacturer will jointly pursue aerospace research, set up working groups and exchange information and personnel. Condit says the agreement with CSIC is an "important step forward" for Boeing's research and technology facility in Madrid, which is "poised to become a worldwide centre of excellence in the investigation of the environmental con siderations of flight, air traffic management and security". He hints that this could be expanded to other areas. "When it comes to Spain, the idea of carbon- fibre structures immediately pops up in my mind," says Condit. GENERAL AVIATION KARI modifies kitplane in bid to attract partner The Spanish government is press ing EADS to give the country's ind ustry a greater role in technology development and programme lead ership as the shareholders attempt to negotiate a new industrial plan for the multinational company. Spain owns 5.6% of EADS through state holding company SEPI. Spanish science and technol ogy minister Juan Costa says Spain's "technological and industrial partic ipation must grow more in accor dance with our capabilities than the strict criteria of do we own 1% more or less of the company". The initial three-year plan agreed when EADS was formed - through the merger of the former Aero- spatiale-Matra of France, Germany's DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and CASA of Spain - expired in July. Costa says he wants to see "more Spanish participation in general engineering work and in the global design of aircraft". This is in line with Spain's long-term strategy of moving away from being a compo nent and structural subcontractor to taking on project leadership roles. Costa's deputy Pedro Morenes, Spanish secretary of state for science and technology, is careful to avoid suggestions of a conflict between his ministry and EADS, however. "This is neither about increasing or decreasing shareholdings nor industrial participations," he told Flight International. "We are not going to interfere with EADS's man agement decisions. But what we def initely want is that the Spanish industry gets the role it deserves." He says Spain is "a major cus tomer of EADS and Airbus prod ucts, and we have provided exten sive financial support to several important research and develop ment projects. EADS cannot ignore the facts - we are just saying that Spain needs to get the participation which corresponds to the factors I just mentioned." EADS declines to comment on the talks, which it says are a "share holder issue" - but adds that "it is our policy to further develop our centres of excellence". The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is modifying the design of its Firefly four-seat kit- plane in an attempt to boost inter est in the aircraft. KARI first flew the Firefly nearly two years ago, but its South Korean partner, Shin Young Heavy Ind ustries, has not yet been able to forge an agreement with Velocity Aircraft of the USA to build kits (Flight International, 13-19 May). Shin Young is still talking to Velocity, which hosted Firefly flight tests and supplies the aircraft's fuselage, but is also considering alternative partners and building the kits on its own. KARI principal researcher Seokmin Ahn says that the new Firefly will feature a retractable landing gear, a slightly longer fuse lage and a foamless glassfibre machined wing. The original Firefly - there are now prototypes both at Velocity Aircraft and KARI - has a fixed landing gear. The original Firefly glassfibre wing includes foam and is made using a hand mould. The new Firefly should fly in early 2005 and eventually be avail able for sale in 2006. Shin Young, which signed a deal last December with government- funded KARI to build the Firefly, would like to sign a US partner because the USA is considered the biggest potential market. The part ner could build the kits, if it is cheaper to manufacture them in the USA than in South Korea. DEFENCE CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS Eurosam to produce SAMP/Ts and missiles for armed forces Eurosam has been handed a €3 billion ($3.4 billion) contract for the series production of 18 SAMP/T ground-launched air defence systems, and around 1,400 Aster 15 and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles for the French, Italian and UK armed forces. The SAMP/T has a conventional and anti-tactical ballistic missile (TBM) capability. Its Aster 30 missile has a 100km (55nm) range and is designed to protect battlefield and sensitive tactical sites against airborne threats includ ing cruise missiles, aircraft and TBMs in the 600km range. Twelve systems are for France (six for the army, six for the air force), which will receive two a year from 2007, and six are for the Italian army, which will receive one a year over the same period. The contract, awarded by European procurement agency OCCAR, also covers the supply of Aster 15 missiles for SAAM/FR, the principal self-defence system aboard France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, and the first of the future surface-to-air family of weapons to be operational. Missiles will also be supplied for the Italian SAAM/IT, to be installed on Italy's aircraft carrier Andrea Doha when it enters service in 2007, and for the PAAMS anti-air missile system for the Franco-Italian Horizon frigate. The contract also covers series production of Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles for the PAAMS sys tem to equip the UK's Type 45 Daring-class destroyers. The hit-to-kill Aster is part of the SAAM system developed by Eurosam, which was formed by France, Italy and the UK in June 1989 to develop future surface-to-air family weapons. 8 18-24 NOVEMBER 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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