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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2317.PDF
DEFENCE DEVELOPMENT BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE CTRM bids to grow military work Malaysia-based manufacturer wants expanded relations with Airbus and Eurocopter to secure government contracts Composite Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM) is proposing solu tions to Malaysian army require ments for training helicopters and tactical unmanned air vehicles as part of an effort to expand its small defence business. The manufacturer's only current defence product is the Malaysian air force's Eagle aerial reconnaissance vehicle, developed with BAE Sys tems. However, it is trying to sell a newly developed UAV, expand into military helicopters by refurbishing Eurocopter BO105s, and begin man ufacturing flight data recorders. Chief executive Rosdi Mahmud says the new projects support a goal of expanding CTRM's defence busi ness from 5% to 20-25% of rev enues, or 52-66 million ringgit ($14- 17 million) annually. CTRM's primary business will continue to be supplying Airbus with composite components for the A320 and later the A380 and A400M. "We are very established in the composite busi ness and we need to diversify and go into the defence market," he says. CTRM last year forged a relation ship with Eurocopter, which has already resulted in the refurbish ment of a BO 105 demonstrator. The company aims to open a military and civil helicopter refurbishment line at its Malacca factory, but the Malaysian army has not yet agreed to lease 10 BO105s on offer. These would fill the gap between the ser vice's two Eurocopter EC 120 pri mary trainers and 11 Agusta- Westland A109 light utility helicopters that will equip a new army aviation unit from late 2005. Malaysia's Aviation Academy In tegrated Training and Services, hired by the army to train its pilots using the EC120s, would also operate the BO105s under the CTRM proposal. If the BO105 programme does not go forward, CTRM will look at other potential helicopter projects, and Rosdi says the company hopes to eventually manufacture compo nents for Eurocopter. The tactical UAV has already flown using a flight control system purchased abroad, but CTRM has also tapped Malaysia's Ikramatic to develop a control system that will be demonstrated next year. CTRM believes the army has a requirement for up to 12 aircraft. The flight data recorder proposal involves building systems to be certificated by Malaysian authorities and installed initially on Pilatus PC-7s. UPGRADE IAR-99 Soim for update The Romanian air force has awarded an Israeli-Romanian industry team a $43 million con tract to upgrade a further eight of its IAR-99 Soim lead-in trainers. The work, to be complete by mid- 2008, will be conducted by Elbit Systems and Avioane Craiova. Elbit will supply a new avionics package and a combat training system, which will enable Romanian pilots to transition on to the country's MiG-21 Lancer and future fighter types. The con tract follows a 2001 award, under which an initial four IAR-99s have been modernised and returned to frontline use. REQUIREMENT Bulgaria launches tenders for new helicopters and transport aircraft Bulgaria's defence ministry has launched tenders for the acquisi tion of new utility helicopters and transport aircraft, with the former contest expected to be concluded by year-end. Air force commander-in-chief Lt Gen Dimitar Georgiev lists the two new equipment programmes as Bulgaria's top priorities since gain ing NATO membership earlier this year, along with the modernisation and life extension of the service's current Mil Mi-17 utility and Mi-24 assault helicopters. Bulgarian media reports suggest the utility helicopter requirement is to be contested by European companies AgustaWestland and Eurocopter, with competition also coming from Sikorsky. The Mi- 17/24 upgrade will be conducted by a team headed by either BAE Systems, Elbit Systems, Israel Aircraft Industries or Sagem. The emerging transport aircraft requirement appears set to be a bat tle between EADS Casa's C-295 and the Lockheed Martin/Alenia C-27J Spartan. Air force sources suggest the latter is viewed as the preferred choice, due to its performance char acteristics and its rough- field oper ating capabilities. The selected air craft will replace the air force's Antonov An-26 transports, which have been deployed in support of Bulgarian peacekeeping troops in Iraq, but lack sufficient range, mod ern navigation equipment and a self-protection capability. The transport aircraft purchase is to have an associated direct and indirect offset package of at least 80% of the contract value, with the defence ministry also seeking favourable payment conditions for the purchase. cmc electr nics ]v ri •? SJ r\ Y -p| -f oc ecnnoioaies • For Trainer Fighter, Helicopters and Transport Aircraft • Open Architecture • Off-The-Shelf Technology cmc electronics CHICAGO • MONTREAL • OTTAWA • www.cmcelectronics.ca 24 16-22 NOVEMBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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