While the FAA insists that it will make major strides with a vital air traffic control upgrade by year-end, serious questions are being asked in Washington about whether revised timetable and cost estimates can be met. The En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) program was rebaselined mid-year, but the agency has already missed an important near-term milestone in September. The FAA says this delay will only be a matter of months, and if that is true it would help ease the skepticism of lawmakers and government watchdog agencies.
EADS Astrium entered uncharted territory this month in accepting financial backing from the European Space Agency (ESA) to build a new high-speed data relay service for Europe while simultaneously creating a market for it. Astrium has taken privatization of satellite communications and remote-sensing services further than anyone else in the business, showing a willingness to spend hundreds of millions of its own euros with little or no government backing.
A new U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J outfitted with a precision-guided weapon and deployed in Afghanistan seems to be proving its worth, scoring multiple Taliban kills. Only days into its deployment last year, the so-called Harvest Hawk system detected three improvised explosive devices (IED) and scored five enemy kills, with no civilian casualties. Its growing track record of intelligence collection and close air support could bolster Lockheed Martin's efforts to sell similar strap-on capabilities to Hercules users abroad.
How far is China's military reach? The answer depends on what it wants to do. A Chinese warship deployed to the Mediterranean this year, so, by that yardstick, global reach is at hand. But the isolated ship only supported civilian evacuations from Libya, and had no real military potential.
There is growing interest in a U.S. aviation force—perhaps based primarily on existing aircraft in the effort to save shrinking defense dollars—that could carry out precision surveillance and strike missions thousands of miles away.
Washington and Beijing continue to eye each other warily as they try to assess if the other is a friend and potential ally or a politically unpredictable and culturally confusing foe. Distrust is generated by two factors—the uncertainly of world politics and the speed with which technology is changing.
If programs are the lifeblood of the Western military world, then the sector is showing signs of anemia. How else could one describe the existential debates going on among officials and executives in and between Washington, London, Berlin, Paris and other allies?
The L-39 family includes two-seat trainers and single-seat light attack aircraft; all single-engine. The most recent version is the L-159, and, although the plane is still available for order, no new aircraft have been produced since 2003. Power for the L-159 is provided by a 6,300-lb.-thrust ITEC (Honeywell/AIDC) F124-GA-100 turbofan engine. The maiden flight of the L-39 occurred in 1968, with the L-159 following with its first flight in 1997 and first delivery in 1999. Nearly 3,000 aircraft in the series have been produced.
A three-engine, medium-lift, multirole helicopter, the AW101 (formerly known as the EH101) has been produced in naval, military utility and civil versions. The various versions have been equipped with a number of engines, such as the General Electric CT7 and T700 and Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322. Through 2010, 168 AW101s were produced. Some 77 more are forecast to be built in the 2011-20 period.
The current military model of this twin-engine, eight-seat, single-main-rotor multipurpose helicopter is the AW109LUH, which is powered by two Turbomeca Arrius 2K2 turboshaft engines, rated at 670 shp each. Armament capability includes 7.62-mm and 12.7-mm machine guns, rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles (TOW, HOT or Hellfire) and/or air-to-air missiles (Stinger or Mistral). Through 2010, 1,250 AW109s were produced, including 70 LUHs. In the 2011-20 time period, more than 800 AW109s are forecast, including 94 LUHs.
First flight of the AW129 attack helicopter occurred in 1983. Agusta delivered 66 of the aircraft, including prototypes, through 2010. The Turkish army selected the AW129 in 2007 for a requirement for 51 attack helicopters, plus 41 options. The Turkish version is known as the T129 and is powered by CTS800 engines. An estimated 96 T129s are forecast to be produced in the 2011-20 period, most by Turkish Aerospace Industries.
This twin-engine, multirole military and commercial helicopter has been produced for anti-submarine warfare, training, utility and transport roles. The Super Lynx 300 series aircraft is powered by a pair of LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engines rated at 1,384 shp each. The upgraded AW159 Lynx Wildcat, designed for the U.K. military, features a new airframe, digital communications, CTS800-4N engines rated at 1,361 shp each and a new glass cockpit. First flight of the AW159 occurred in November 2009.
The F-CK-1 (also called the Indigenous Defense Fighter) is a light fighter aircraft developed by the Taiwan state-owned aerospace company in the 1980s. Powered by two Honeywell/ITEC F125-GA-100 turbofan engines, the aircraft entered service in 1994. In all, 134 aircraft were completed before production stopped in 1999.
The A400M is a four-engine, turboprop-powered military transport aircraft currently under development. Seven European nations are participating in the A400M program: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the U.K. The seven nations intend to acquire a total of 170 A400Ms. Malaysia joined its European counterparts in the development effort in 2005 and plans to acquire four A400Ms. First flight occurred in December 2009, with initial deliveries planned by early 2013.
The C212 is an unpressurized, twin-turboprop-powered military transport with room for up to 25 fully equipped troops or a payload of up to 6,504 lb. Along with transport duties, the aircraft has seen popularity in a maritime patrol role. Developed by Spain's CASA, and once known as the Aviocar, the C212 made its first flight in March 1971 and deliveries began in May 1974. Some 474 C212s of all versions were built through 2010. The C212-200 is powered by two Honeywell TPE331-10R-511C or -512C turboprop engines rated at 900 shp each.
The 340 series is a family of twin-turboprop commuter aircraft designed and initially produced jointly by Saab and Fairchild Aircraft. The Saab 340 has been used in the military market as a platform for the airborne early warning mission. The 340A is powered by two GE CT7-5A2s rated at 1,735 shp each, and the 340B by GE CT7-9Bs rated at 1,870 shp each. Operators of 340Bs modified for AEW use include Sweden, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, although the aircraft also finds use as a military transport.
The Sikorsky S-300C is a piston-powered, 2-3-seat light utility and training helicopter acquired by Sikorsky when it bought Schweizer Aircraft in 2004. The S-300C has its roots in the Hughes Helicopter Model 269/300 family. Schweizer produced its first 300C in 1984 after signing a deal with Hughes in 1983. Specially configured models of the S-300C are offered for a variety of dedicated military missions, including introductory pilot training and scout/observation.
Schweizer Aircraft developed the Model 330 and 333 prior to the company's acquisition by Sikorsky in 2004. The 330 was developed from the company's piston-powered Model 300. The 330 and the improved 330SP models were both powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C20W turboshaft engine derated to 232 shp. The uprated Model 333 (redesignated the S-333 in 2009) featured the same engine as the Model 330, but offered a 100-lb. increase in useful load, redesigned rotor system and larger-diameter blades. Production of the Model 330 ended in 2008.
The Jaguar light strike/reconnaissance aircraft was produced by Societe Europeenne de Production de l'Avion ECAT (Sepecat), a consortium consisting of BAE and Dassault. A prototype made its first flight in 1968 and deliveries began in 1972. Production by Sepecat ended in 1985, but Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. built a licensed version in India at various times through 2008. Power for the Jaguar comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan engines; the exact Adour version varies by aircraft model.
The Sikorsky CH-53 and MH-53 are three-engine, heavy-lift transport and special-purpose helicopters. They were initially developed out of twin-turboshaft models. Power for the current CH-53E and MH-53E models is provided by three GE T64-GE-416 or -419 turboshafts rated at 4,380 shp and 4,750 shp, respectively. Sikorsky built 177 CH-53Es, 48 MH-53Es and 11 S-80s (export version) through the end of production in 1999. In January 2006, Sikorsky was awarded an $8.4 million contract to begin preliminary design work on the CH-53K, a new model for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The H-92 is the military variant of Sikorsky's S-92 civil model. It is powered by two GE CT7-8C turboshaft engines rated at 2,550 shp each. When configured for the land assault mission, the H-92 provides a 200-nm radius of action and the ability to carry 22 troops at 3,000 ft. on a 91.5F day. Five H-92s were produced through 2010, with approximately 70 units forecast for production in 2011-20.
The HH/MH/SH-60 are medium-lift, anti-submarine warfare and special-purpose maritime helicopters. Current production models, the MH-60R and MH-60S, are powered by two GE T700-GE-401C turboshafts rated at 1,690 shp each. The MH-60R configuration combines systems and capabilities from earlier Seahawk variants, plus further upgrades. Current plans call for the U.S. Navy to procure 298 new-build MH-60Rs and 275 MH-60Ss.
The UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk series is a family of single-main-rotor, twin-turbine, medium-lift military transport and utility helicopters. Past models have included the UH-60A, powered by two GE T700-GE-700 turboshafts, and the UH-60L, fitted with two GE T700-GE-701Cs. The latest version is the UH-60M, powered by two 2,215-shp GE T700-GE-701Ds. The UH-60 family also includes the new S-70i, which undergoes final assembly at Sikorsky subsidiary PZL Mielec in Poland. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries produces the Black Hawk under license in Japan.
The Su-25 is a twin-engine, single- and tandem-seat, ground attack and weapons training aircraft powered by two Tumansky/Soyuz R-195 turbojet engines rated at 9,921 lb. thrust each. First prototype flight occurred in 1975. A number of versions have been produced, the most recent of which, the Su-25TM, included new avionics and increased fuel capacity. Production of the Su-25 ended in the 1990s after more than 1,200 were built.
