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Aviation History
2004
2004-03 - 0020.PDF
DEFENCE PURCHASE India close to $300m UAV deal with Israel India is close to sealing a $300 million deal with Israel for an extensive package of Israel Aircraft Industries (lAI)-produced unmanned air vehicles. Industry sources say India will purchase an undisclosed number of Heron medium-alti tude, long-endurance UAVs with sensors including a syn thetic-aperture radar as well as Searcher II long-endurance systems and Harpy anti-radar attack drones. All three designs are now in service along India's border with Pakistan under a previous arrangement. Additional, short- range unmanned air vehicles may also be included in the latest deal. IAI has already supplied the Indian armed forces with at least six Heron systems and 10 Searcher II systems under con tracts worth $300 million. The Indian ministry of defence is pursuing the pro posed deal under a strategic decision to increase the use of UAVs in many areas of the armed forces. TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT VLADIMIR KARNOZOV/ MOSCOW Russia casts fresh doubt over An-70 programme Air force to concentrate budget on upgrading strategic and tactical aircraft and SAMs Russia has again cast doubt on the future of Antonov's An-70 project, with a senior air force official claim ing that the transport aircraft's D-27 propfan propulsion powerplant "may never attain maturity". The developmental system has still undergone insufficient testing, says air force commander Col Gen Vladimir Mikhailov, who adds that Western firms have also failed to perfect such an engine design. The air force had regular contact with Ukraine on the project last year, but Mikhailov says Moscow will provide only limited funding to Russian industry to support the An-70 in 2004. A joint investment of around $80 million is needed for design development work. Mikhailov says the air force will concentrate its limited 2004 budget on upgrading its strategic and tacti cal aircraft and surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, and acquiring a lim ited amount of new equipment for evaluation by combat units. The air force intends to equip one aviation regiment with the up graded Sukhoi Su-27SM fighter this D-27 propfans "may never attain maturity year. The service received its first five modernised aircraft last December, and will hand over a fur ther 20 airframes for conversion at Sukhoi's KnAAPO plant. It will begin operational trials later this year with the developmental Su-34 (Su-27IB) strike aircraft, which made its flight debut last month. An up grade to the air force's Su-25 ground-attack air craft is unlikely to extend beyond re-equipping one regiment. "Su-25s are able to perform current tasks, but it is time to think of a new design," says Mikhailov. The air force's Tupolev Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers will receive navi gation, targeting and wea pon systems improve ments, with a focus on air-launched weapons. Mikhailov says the air force remains under-res ourced, having been allo cated around 15% of the national defence budget. The ser vice raised additional funds last year through the sale or lease of redun dant and excess hardware. The air force is also considering other options for its redundant and excess aircraft. CONTEST PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA Large field looms for Australian TUAV need A host of companies are preparing to submit bids for the Australian Department of Defence's Joint Pro ject 129 tactical unmanned air vehi cle (TUAV) requirement, tenders for which will be issued in May. Australia wants the system to enter operational service by late 2007, with a source selection expected early next year and a contract signa ture planned for mid-2005. AAI of the USA has teamed with BAE Systems Australia to offer its Shadow 200 system, with options on a variety of BAE Systems-devel oped image processing and com mand and control toolsets. Sagem of France and Tenix Def ence Systems have been working for the past year to modify the Sperwer UAV's command, control and image processing systems to integrate with the Australian Army's battlefield command and control system (BCSS). Saab Australia, prime con tractor for the BCSS project, joined the Sagem-Tenix team late last year. Thales of France, ADI and Elta of Israel are offering the Hermes 180 and options on the Hermes 450, in a bid baselined on the air vehicle and command and control architecture offered for the UK's Watchkeeper programme. Boeing Australia and Israel Air craft Industries (IAI) are promoting the Searcher system. EADS subsidiary Australian Aero space will offer the Fox-T, although the company may propose options for the EADS/IAI Eagle medium- endurance UAV. The only rotary-wing UAV bid is expected from Bell Helicopter, which last year confirmed it was eyeing the Australian requirement for its Eagle Eye tiltrotor system. Northrop Grumman's RQ-8 Firescout is thought to be too capa ble for the TUAV requirement, and the company intends to pursue a proposed Royal Australian Navy fol low-on requirement for a vertical take-off and landing UAV. Aeronautics of Israel is planning to bid its Aerostar system via the Melbourne-based Point Trading company. Point Trading managing director Avner Klein says the team has also been working with the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority since early 2003 to secure approvals to establish a commercial UAV lease business in Australia. Korea Aerospace Industries is to offer its Night Intruder 300, with company officials having held talks with teaming partners in the past year. The South Korean defence ministry raised the proposed bid with the Australian Defence Head quarters capability development staff during bilateral talks held in Canberra last December. ATE of South Africa is expected to offer its Vulture system. 18 27 JANUARY - 2 FEBRUARY 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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