FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2313.PDF
DEFENCE UPGRADES Finland eyes Hawk 51s for Eurotraining Patria Aviation is proposing to upgrade some Finnish air force BAE Systems Hawk 51 lead-in trainers with glass cockpits to strengthen its push for an interim Advanced European Jet Pilot Training (AEJPT) facility, writes Peter La Franchi. Patria says it has a study under way on options for devel oping its own cockpit tailored to match common European fight ers. It has also held discussions with BAE on the possible adop tion of the standard Hawk glass cockpit supplied to Australia and South Africa. The upgrade would remain dependent on an agreement among European air forces for the proposed Nordic Pilot Training Centre, or securing indi vidual air force deals. Finland has already ruled out any near- to medium-term requirement for a more capable Hawk cockpit and will instead wait for the pro posed AEJPT system to come on line in 2012-17. Patria, the air force and the Finnish defence ministry are jointly promoting the Nordic Pilot Training Centre concept, which would be located at Kauhava air- base in western Finland. The centre would use existing air force training areas over the Gulf of Bothnia and southern areas of the country. Approvals have also been given for an expansion of airspace available to the training centre to include exten sive areas above central Finland and Lapland. European air force chiefs were due to make a decision on future directions on the AEJPT, or Eurotraining system, later this month, although this is widely expected to be deferred. Patria is in the final phases of completing a major life extension for Finland's Hawk fleet, including a wing replacement that will extend its service until 2015. The company undertook final assembly of 46 of Finland's original 52 Hawks. SEE FEATURE P34 INVESTIGATION STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC Hundreds of US Air Force contracts to face scrutiny Effort to restore procurement policy credibility in wake of Darleen Druyun scandal Hundreds of US Air Force contract decisions dating to 1992 will be re opened for scrutiny as the service seeks to restore credibility to an acquisition system tainted by acknowledged corruption. Marvin Sambur, assistant secre tary of the air force, has asked the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to review all contracting activities influenced by Darleen Druyun, his former principal de puty, who has acknowledged offer ing deals worth billions of dollars to Boeing as a "parting gift" to secure employment with the company after her retirement in late 2000. Druyun came to the air force in 1992 after serving stints at NASA and the White House Office of Management and Budget. Meanwhile, the air force has for warded contract protests on the C-130 Avionics Modernisation Programme (AMP) award to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Druyun, who is now serv ing a nine-month prison sentence, has admitted in court documents to unfairly favouring Boeing's bid Boeing's C-130 avionics modernisation contract faces a review over Lockheed Martin's during the competition. Contractors includ ing BAE Systems and L-3 Communications are expected to refile protests with the GAO. A decision could come within 100 days, although expedited cases can be resolved in less than 65 days. The GAO reviews expose the air force to financial penalties in cases of wrong-doing. Druyun accumulated vast pow ers during her 12-year tenure, becoming the selection authority on 11 key contracts, fiv« of which were awarded in whole or in part to Boeing, the air force says. Since Druyun's departure, the air force has moved to return more decision-making powers to the ser vice's five product centres. Sambur has also asked the OSD to review the reforms to ensure the Druyun episode cannot be repeated. TRIALS ARIE EGOZI / TEL AVIV IAI to test heavy-fuel Heron UAV Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is to conduct later this month the first test flight of a Heron unmanned air vehicle powered by a diesel engine. Ground trials of the 180hp (135kW) powerplant have already been completed by the company's Malat division, which will next conduct a series of flight tests at varying altitudes to evaluate its suitability for sustained operations. The Heron's current lOOhp Rotax gasoline engine is capable of delivering a mission endurance of around 51h, but the company says the adapted commercial diesel design will provide several benefits for operators, including improved fuel efficiency and increased oper ating altitude. Diesel UAVs will also be able to use the same fuel as ground vehicles and be safer to refuel, it says. IAI plans to equip all its future UAVs with diesel powerplants and says existing and potential cus tomers have indicated a clear pref erence for heavy-fuel engines. The increased weight of diesel engines has until now prevented their use by UAVs, but this issue is becoming less acute, it says. The company's heavy-fuel work is expected to support its proposed delivery of a new variant of the Heron for the US Army's extended- range multipurpose UAV pro gramme. Dubbed the Strike Heron, or Hunter II, this is being promoted by IAI in conjunction with Northrop Grumman and Aurora Flight Sciences as a replacement for the army's RQ-5A Hunter air vehicles. • Meanwhile, IAI is close to final ising a deal with the Indian defence ministry for advanced UAV systems for use by the country's army during border surveillance operations. The deal, worth roughly $230 million, is expected to cover the delivery of about 50 Heron and Searcher II air vehicles equipped with payloads, including synthetic aperture radar sensors. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CRAIG HOYLE IN LONDON 20 16-22 NOVEMBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
