All news – Page 7915
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French agency considers Topex-Poseidon successor
Julian Moxon/PARIS French space agency CNES is looking for a successor to its Topex-Poseidon oceanic-research satellite, produced in co-operation with NASA and launched in 1992. The "Topex follow-on" craft will be smaller than the 2,430kg Topex, at around 450kg, and will cost around Fr1 billion ($208 ...
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MDC offers the USAF 88 more Globemasters
McDONNELL DOUGLAS (MDC) has submitted a proposal to the US Air Force covering the purchase of up to another 88 aircraft at prices ranging from $212 million, down to around $190 million per unit. The proposal was submitted to the USAF as part of the preparations for the ...
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JDA lists aircraft requirements
THE JAPAN DEFENCE Agency (JDA) has provisionally requested funding in the 1996 fiscal year budget to purchase a total of 85 new military fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) seeks 42 aircraft, the Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) wants 26 and the Maritime Self-Defence Force ...
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Pentagon threat puts Heliwing UAV on hold
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC US DEPARTMENT of Defense moves to kill the Boeing Heliwing project have led to plans for a second unmanned-air- vehicle (UAV) demonstrator being at least put on hold by the manufacturer. Boeing had decided to build a second demonstrator, but says that its ...
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Boeing climbs back on top in jet-airliner orders competition
Gunter Endres/LONDON AFTER HITTING rock bottom in 1994, jet-airliner orders in the first half of 1995 provide some encouragement for the three major manufacturers. Total order intake reached 250, with few cancellations to take the shine off the figures. Honours so far go to Boeing, with ...
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Hong Kong and Taiwan agree on routes deal
HONG KONG HAS agreed to Taiwan's demand that two airlines from each country can serve the lucrative route between the two. The two sides have been wrangling for months over the opening up of competition between the two destinations. The previous agreement expired at the end ...
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Indians go to Moscow for Sukhoi Su-30MK talks
A SENIOR INDIAN delegation is visiting Moscow this month to discuss the potential purchase of 20 Sukhoi Su-30MK multi-role combat aircraft. The discussions may also cover the possibility of licence production of the aircraft. The Indian air force is looking for a long-term replacement for its Mikoyan MiG-27M ...
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Il-76MF flown at last
ILYUSHIN'S STRETCHED version of the IL-76, the MF, finally had its first flight on 1 August from the Chkalov production plant-owned airfield in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 40min flight went well, according to test pilot Anatoly Knystov. A shortage of funds and the late availability of a suitable engine ...
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Asiana sets RFP deadline for fleet bid
ASIANA AIRLINES of South Korea has given Airbus Industrie, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas until 10 August to respond to its request for proposals (RFP) for up to 24 new 150-seat aircraft (Flight International , 2-8 August). The airline has asked the three airframe manufacturers to provide pricing for ...
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EC expresses 'serious doubts' about Lufthansa/SAS alliance
THE EUROPEAN Commission (EC), has written to Lufthansa and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), expressing "serious doubts" about the two airlines' planned strategic alliance. Although the EC says that it is "unlikely" to reject the proposed alliance completely, it may impose conditions. The details of the EC's concerns are ...
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Vietnam signs for Fokker 70s
VIETNAM AIRLINES HAS signed a contract to purchase two Fokker 70 twinjets for use on domestic routes and as Government VIP aircraft. The deal, reportedly worth $50 million, calls for the two 70-seat aircraft to be delivered by the first quarter of 1996. Vietnam Airlines plans to use ...
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Hot Bird tanks
Propellant tanks are being installed in Eutelsat's Hot Bird 2 satellite at Matra Marconi Space (MMS), Stevenage UK. MMS is also building the Hot Birds 3 and 4 (Flight International, 26 July-1 August). The 20 Ku-band transponder Hot Birds will be co-located at 13°E in geostationary orbit to provide direct-to-home ...
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Asiasat 2 launch is delayed after Long March finding
THE LAUNCH OF THE Asiasat 2 communications satellite aboard a Chinese Long March 2E has been delayed until later this year following the release of the findings of the accident to a 2E on 26 January. The destruction of the launcher and its Hughes-built ApStar 2 satellite at ...
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India's prime minister launches bid for Malaysian contracts
INDIAN PRIME MINSTER Narasimha Rao has visited Kuala Lumpur to lobby the Malaysian Government on a bid by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to win micro-satellite work. Antrix, ISRO's commercial arm, signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year with a Malaysian consortium to undertake a feasibility ...
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Poles eye Falcon to fulfil fighter need
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH THE POLISH ministry of national defence has confirmed that it is considering buying 100 Lockheed F-16C/D fighters from the USA to replace aging Mikoyan MiG-21 Fishbeds. Poland needs a new multi-role combat aircraft to replace 220 MiG-21s in fighter, ground-attack, training and reconnaissance ...
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Red Arrows on migration
CONCERNS surrounding the future base of the Royal Air Force Red Arrows display team are likely to be eased by a Defence Export Sales Organisation and industry-sponsored initiative to send the team on a globe-trotting tour, beginning in September. After appearances in Turkey and Greece, the display team will head ...
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UK eyes used AH-64s
Douglas Barrie/MIDDLE WALLOP THE BRITISH ARMY Air Corps (AAC) could eventually supplement its procurement of attack helicopters by picking up secondhand McDonnell Douglas AH-64A Apaches from US Army stocks. In an exclusive interview with Flight International, Maj. Gen. Simon Lytle, Director Army Aviation, made it ...
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Zagreb Abandoned
Austrian Airlines has joined Lufthansa and Swissair in suspending its flights into Zagreb, in response to the worsening situation between Croatia and Serbia over Krajina. Flights were suddenly suspended on 3 August, leaving return passengers to make their way back to Vienna by train or rented cars. Air travelers still ...
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Russian Aviation Consortium flexes its muscles to push Tu-204 sales
Paul Duffy/SHANNON THE NEWLY formed Russian Aviation Consortium has called for the resignation of transport minister Vitali Yefimov following his opposition to the grant of state funding for Tupolev Tu-204 production. A new plan to fund Tu-204 sales is also proposed. The consortium, which won ...
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Loral to upgrade USAF's GPS ground system
LORAL FEDERAL Systems has won a US Air Force contract, potentially worth $400 million, to upgrade and maintain the global-positioning system (GPS) ground-control system. The Gaithersburg, Maryland based company will replace the mainframe-based operational-control segment with an open, distributed, architecture based on high-performance workstations. The upgraded ...