The EC665 Tiger is a tandem-seat attack helicopter designed for all-weather, day/night anti-tank, ground-support, anti-helicopter and armed escort missions. Power is supplied by two MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 turboshafts, rated at 1,285 shp each. Variants include the HAC Tiger basic anti-tank version and HAP Gerfaut escort/fire-support versions for the French army; the UHT German combat support version; the ARH hybrid version selected for the Australian armed reconnaissance helicopter program; and the HAD multirole version with uprated engines.
The Harrier II (AV-8B) is a single- or two-seat, single-engine ground- attack aircraft now out of production. Through 1998, Boeing/McDonnell Douglas and BAE had built 428 Harrier II vertical/short-takeoff-and-landing (V/STOL) aircraft. AV-8Bs are powered by either a 21,450-lb.-thrust Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11-21 (U.S.-designated F402-406A) vectored-thrust turbofan or a 23,800-lb.-thrust Pegasus 11-61 (F402-408). U.K. Royal Air Force GR7 and GR9 models were powered by a Pegasus Mk 105 (21,500-lb.-thrust), and GR7A/GR9As with the Pegasus Mk 107.
As the Arab Spring progresses, Israel is being surrounded by what its intelligence community calls Safar—bad lands, wilderness, no man's land. These enclaves are administered by weak governments with limited influence where the rule of law is often absent.
The Mitsubishi F-2 is a single- and twin-seat air combat fighter/interceptor aircraft based on the Lockheed Martin F-16. The first F-2 prototype flew in October 1995, with production deliveries following in September 2000. Lockheed Martin supplies various components for the F-2. The aircraft is powered by a single 29,500-lb.-thrust GE F110-129 augmented turbofan, license-produced by IHI. Ninety-eight F-2 aircraft were built, including four flying prototypes. Production ended in 2011.
Oct. 30-31—Precision Strike Technology Symposium: “Precision Strike's Role in Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership.” (Secret/U.S.-Only Level) Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Kassiakoff Center. Laurel, Md. Call +1 (703) 247-2590 or see www.precisionstrike.org/2PST.htm Oct. 30-Nov. 1—American Helicopter Society Southeast U.S. Chapter's 15th Biennial Helicopter Military Operations Technology Specialists' Meeting. Crowne Plaza Williamsburg, Fort Magruder, Va. See www.vtol.org/events/helmot-xv
The cutthroat competition in the Australian long-haul market is just as prevalent in the regulatory arena, as several airlines are proving with their vociferous opposition to a partnership proposed by Qantas and Emirates. While it would be a major surprise if permission were not granted by Australian regulators, the heated debate underlines how high the stakes are—not only for Qantas and Emirates, but for all of the international carriers serving this region.
Boeing is hoping that a new, Ground-Based Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB) concept will dramatically change the way the U.S. Army handles ground fires and expand the portfolio of capabilities offered by the 250-lb. glide weapon.
First flight of the AW129 attack helicopter occurred in 1983 and AgustaWestland has delivered 66 aircraft, including prototypes, through 2011. The Turkish army selected the AW129 in 2007 for a requirement for 51 attack helicopters, plus 41 options. To be built locally by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), this version is known as the T129 and is powered by LHTEC (Honeywell/Rolls-Royce) CTS800 turboshafts. An estimated 93 T129s are forecast for production in the 2012-21 period.
The multinational F-35 program last week conducted its second weapons drop and gained two fully installed full-mission simulators. On Oct. 17, a conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35, AF-1, performed its first weapons drop, jettisoning a 2,000-lb. Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), during a flight test at Edwards AFB, Calif. The program's first weapons drop took place this summer with an F-35B, designed for short-takeoff-and-landing, dropping a 500-lb. JDAM. While weapons-testing continues, the U.S.
The “cracked and broken path” of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as discussed in a recent editorial (AW&ST Oct. 1, p. 58), can be traced back to an early-1990s Defense Department decision. This was to subsume the then-successfully developing U.S. Navy/Marine Corps program for the AV-8B Harrier replacement vertical-short-takeoff-and-landing (Vstol) aircraft and use that engineering design as the ostensive developmental base for one grand Pentagon acquisition project designated Joint Strike Fighter.
The Kawasaki OH-1 is a tandem-seat, twin-engine, armed scout helicopter developed for the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force. The aircraft is powered by a pair of Mitsubishi TS1-M-10 turboshafts, rated at approximately 885 shp each. First flight of an OH-1 prototype occurred in August 1996 and 31 OH-1s had been built through 2011; another three are expected this year.
The S-300C is a piston-powered, 2-3-seat light utility and training helicopter model acquired by Sikorsky when it bought Schweizer Aircraft in 2004. The S-300C has its roots in the Hughes Helicopter Model 269/300 family of helicopters, and Schweizer produced its first 300C in 1984 after signing a deal with Hughes. Through 2011, 1,245 civil and military Model 300 helicopters had been produced by Schweizer, and another 24 for military use are forecast for production through 2021.
The SW-4 is a Polish light single-turbine helicopter powered by the 458-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2. First flight occurred in 1996, but deliveries to the Polish air force did not start until 2004. AgustaWestland acquired PZL-Swidnik in January 2010. By the end of 2011, some 32 SW-4s had been built. Production of 35 SW-4s is forecast over the next decade.
The piston-powered Canadair CL-215 amphibian first flew in 1967, finding primary use as a firefighting platform. Production of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-powered aircraft ended in 1989, with a total of 125 produced. A new variant, the Bombardier 415, is in production and powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprops. A multi-mission version is available. Some 83 415s had been built through 2011. An additional 32 are forecast for production from 2012 through 2021.
Europe's aerospace and defense industry missed a unique opportunity to complete a wide-ranging consolidation process that began nearly 50 years ago. Combining EADS and BAE Systems would have created a world-class giant with an impressive €72.9 billion ($94.3 billion) in revenues, 216,000 employees and a comprehensive product range. Moreover, the initiative looked like a perfect fit.
The C-17 is a long-range, heavy-lift transport aircraft powered by four 40,440-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney F117-100 turbofans. First flight took place in 1991. The C-17 can carry outsized military payloads such as the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the M1 Abrams main battle tank. Through 2011, Boeing had produced 240 C-17s, while another 32 are forecast for production from 2012 through 2015.
The P-8A, an anti-submarine warfare aircraft, is a variant of Boeing's 737-800, and is powered by two CFM56-7B turbofans rated at 27,300-lb.-thrust each. The aircraft will replace the U.S. Navy's remaining Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions in maritime patrol/ASW service. Flight testing of the Poseidon began in April 2009, and deliveries begin in March 2012. The Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As, with initial operational capability planned for 2013. Through 2011, eight P-8As had been produced, including prototypes.
The V-22 tiltrotor aircraft has two Rolls-Royce AE1107C turboshaft engines housed in wingtip nacelles that can rotate from vertical for rotary-wing operation to horizontal for fixed-wing flight. The MV-22B assault-transport version is in production for the U.S. Marine Corps, while the CV-22B special-operation model is in production for the U.S. Air Force. A total of 186 V-22s were built through 2011; some 264 more are forecast to be built during the 2012-21 period.
The BO105 is a 5-7-seat, twin-turboshaft light utility helicopter used for both military and commercial roles. BO105CB/CBS are powered by two Rolls-Royce 250-C20B turboshaft engines rated at 420 shp each, while the BO105LS has a pair of 500-shp 250-C28Cs. Approximately 1,400 aircraft, including some 680 military BO105s, had been built through 2005. Eurocopter's newer and more advanced EC135/635 light twin has replaced the BO105 in the company's product line.
The AS532 Cougar and new EC725 are twin-engine, medium-lift military transport and special-purpose helicopters. They are the military versions of Eurocopter's commercial AS332 and EC225 Super Puma, respectively. Current engines include two Turbomeca Makila 1A1 turboshafts rated at 1,819 shp each for the AS532 Mk 1, and Makila 2As rated at 2,100 shp each for the EC725. Armament can include a 20-mm cannon, twin 7.62-mm machine guns, or two rocket pods. AS 532 Mk 1 naval versions can carry twin AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles or two torpedoes.
The M-346 is a two-seat, twin-engine advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft derived from the Yak-130. The aircraft is powered by two 6,250-lb.-thrust ITEC F124-200 turbofans. First flight occurred in July 2004 and through 2011, three prototypes and two production aircraft had been produced. Italy has ordered 15, Singapore 12 and this year Israel ordered 30. For the 2012-21 period, 136 aircraft are forecast for production.
The Saab 340 and 2000 are out-of-production twin-turboprop commuter aircraft used in the military market as airborne early warning and control platforms. The 340B is powered by GE CT7-9Bs rated at 1,870 shp each, while the larger Saab 2000 uses Rolls-Royce AE2100s, rated at 4,591 shp. Operators of 340Bs modified for AEW&C use include Sweden, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan operates the Saab 2000 AEW&C.
Entertainment value aside, industry participants in Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking, supersonic plunge from 128,100 ft. on Oct. 14 from Roswell, N.M., say the feat will prove valuable for manufacturers of survival gear for high-altitude military operations and pleasure seekers.
The first flight of the J-10 combat aircraft occurred in March 1998. The single-engine, single or two-seat interceptor/ground-attack aircraft is powered by a Lyulka Saturn AL-31FN turbofan rated at 27,560-lb.-thrust with reheat, although the Chinese have been working on a version powered by the indigenous WS-10 engine. About 198 J-10s had been produced through 2011. Production of an additional 240 is forecast for the 2012-21 period.
