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Aviation History
2004
2004-00 - 0016.PDF
DEFENCE FIGHTERS STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC F/A-18E/F deal includes EA variant Contract should secure production until 2011 and boost morale at Boeing's beleaguered Integrated Defense Systems unit Boeing has received orders to build at least 210 more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets over a five-year period and to develop an electronic attack (EA) variant for the US Navy under 29 December contracts worth $9.6 billion. The navy's second multi-year procurement (MYP-2) deal includes a commitment to buy 42 aircraft a year from 2005 to 2009, with a yearly option to increase the order by up to six airframes. A $1 billion contract will launch system development and demon stration (SDD) of the EA-18G. The navy has, however, revamped its original acquisition strategy, which had called for the conversion of 90 F-model two-seaters for the elec tronic attack role, including 56 dur ing the MYP-2 period. The navy now intends to keep its options open as the contract period evolves, says Rear Adm James Godwin, programme execu tive officer for tactical aircraft. The service may decide to slide either F- or G-model deliveries to later in the order cycle or even to a third • Raytheon has received a $139 million contract to produce 315 AGM-145A JSOW stand-off weapons for the US Air Force, plus 231 for the US Navy. The navy will also receive 97 AGM- 154Cs under the deal. • Lockheed Martin is to supply 22 PANTERA targeting pods to Poland and seven to Oman by May 2005, under an $81.1 mil lion contract. The systems will equip the countries' respective F-16 fleets. • Sikorsky will build a further 10 UH-60L Black Hawk utility helicopters for the US Army by December 2007, under a $138 million contract. • Lockheed Martin will update several weapon system trainers for the Royal Saudi Air Force's Boeing F-15S fighters, following its receipt of an award worth $9.1 million. multi-year procurement deal if spe cific needs arise. Godwin says num bers could also be influenced by the results of an ongoing effort to combine US Navy and US Marine Corps tactical aviation units into a single, streamlined force. There are limits to the navy's flexibility, however, since sufficient EA-18G squadrons must be ready to replace the existing fleet of Northrop Grumman EA-6Bs by 2015. The first two EA-18G squadrons will become operational The US Navy has launched the brief bidding phase for a high-pro file contract to build 23 helicopters for the presidential transport fleet. A decision between the two- engine Sikorsky H-92 Super Hawk and the three-engined Lockheed Martin US101 is expected by next spring. The initial $1.6 billion VXX contract award covers devel opment and early production lots. Sikorsky hopes to secure the deal as a launch order for its H-92, and maintain its status as the supplier of the presidential heli copter fleet, which now includes the VH-3D Sea King and the VH-60 Black Hawk. US101 designer AgustaWestland hopes to gain a foothold in the USA with team- by 2009, with the navy to support 10 carrier air wings by 2015 with electronic attack squadrons of five or six aircraft each. With the EA-18G scheduled to remain in development until December 2009, the navy has sev eral years to make a final decision. Added flexibility will be provided as all F/A-18Fs built in MYP-2 will have wiring harness and bracket provisions for easy conversion to the EA-18G standard. The latest orders all but secure mates Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter. The latter would per form final assembly at Texas plants in Fort Worth or Amarillo if selected. The VXX decision could also influence a much larger helicopter order planned by the US Air Force in fiscal year 2006 to replace the service's combat search and rescue fleet. The navy's John Milliman says flight testing is due to begin in 2005, giving the air force a chance to view the winning aircraft's per formance. The navy limited the VXX com petition to the H-92 and US101 after ruling out the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey as non-transportable by military airlift, says Milliman. an active Super Hornet production line until 2011. The contracts also offer cheering news for Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems busi ness unit, which remains the target of a US Department of Defense probe into the circumstance of sev eral favourable contract decisions by the US Air Force. Boeing has received contracts for 272 Super Hornets through the pro gramme's low-rate initial produc tion (62) and MYP-1 (210) phases and 170 have been delivered. RSK MiG loses MiG-29 deal Bulgaria's ministry of defence on 22 December announced its intention to terminate a contract with Russia's RSK MiG for the upgrade of 20 of its air force MiG-29 fighters, writes Arie Egozi. Conducted in co-operation with Thales, the work is being carried out under a $64 million contract awarded last February. Seven fighters have so far been upgraded to NATO standards. EADS has joined forces with Israel Aircraft Industries to pur sue the contract, and Lockheed Martin has teamed with Elbit Systems of Israel. As there are no funds earmarked for the upgrade in Bulgaria's 2004 bud get, the ministry hopes to agree a credit with the winning com pany to conduct the revamp. Super Hornet production will continue until at least 2011 under US Navy contracts worth $9.6 billion ROTORCRAFT STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC UPGRADES Offers in to supply US presidential helicopter 14 6-12 JANUARY 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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