As Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter enters production, Dassault Electronique is beginning to talk more about the fighter's integrated countermeasures system, called Spectra. Dassault Electronique is the integrator for Spectra and provides most of its radar-frequency detecting and jamming equipment. Thomson-CSF provides the jamming transmitters and laser warning equipment, and Matra provides Rafale's missile approach warning system and decoy launchers.
Pratt&Whitney signed a memorandum of understanding with Aviation Industries of China, or AVIC, which the enginemaker says "opens the way for AVIC's participation" in the new PW6000 engine series. The move follows an agreement worked out late last year outlining a risk- and revenue-sharing partnership with AVIC that included "significant" production in China (AP, Dec. 6, 1996). P&W has had its eye on AVIC's Asia Express 100, or AE100, as a potential PW6000 application from the start (AP, Aug. 31, 1995).
Lufthansa Technik's Shannon Turbine Technologies subsidiary won an exclusive five-year deal with Braathens S.A.F.E. to repair CFM56-3 medium turbofan combustor assemblies after what Lufthansa describes as a 12-month trial period.
The House was immersed in controversy on the B-2 bomber late Wednesday night even before a vote on an amendment that would strike an unrequested $330 million down payment on a long term plan to buy nine additional B-2s beyond the present force of 21. The amendment was offered by ranking House National Security Committee Democrat Ronald Dellums (Calif.), House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-Ohio) and second-termer Mark Foley (R-Fla.).
Israel Aircraft Industries and Lockheed Martin are planning to expand their cooperation, aiming at upgrades of F-16A/B fighters for international fleets. The effort will expand the activity Lockheed Martin has with European air forces under the F-16 Mid-Life Update program. In addition, the two companies are discussing joint marketing and an eventual merger of their commercial space imaging programs.
GE Aircraft Engines is in exploratory talks with a potential partner that would open the door to airframe maintenance and enable it to offer "one-stop shopping for airline customers," GEAE President Eugene Murphy says.
A modified version of S-7, the Missile Defense Act that Senate Republicans have said is a centerpiece of their legislative effort this year, has made it into the Senate Armed Services Committee's fiscal 1998 defense authorization - but with the consent of Democrats.
Boeing and the Seattle Professional Engineering Employees Association (SPEEA) agreed to an another option for employees affected by the company's joint venture with FlightSafety International, Boeing announced Monday. Boeing Customer Training employees can now remain employees of Boeing or move to FlightSafety. Originally, the training employees were asked to leave Boeing and join FlightSafety, which will manage the joint venture.
The British aerospace industry is leaner and more fit than ever and can compete with anyone, including the U.S. giants, according to David Marshall, director general of the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC).
Rolls-Royce Industries Canada sold Winnipeg-based Bristol Aerospace Ltd. - western Canada's largest aerospace company - to Toronto-based Magellan Aerospace Corp., and now only awaits the Canadian government's blessing to complete the transaction. Proceeds, which weren't disclosed, will top up Rolls' general working capital funds. Bristol's repair and overhaul and components businesses don't fit with Rolls' vision of focusing solely on the gas turbine engine market (DAILY, Oct. 8, 1996).
Facing an increasing threat from advanced, man-portable, surface-to-air missiles, the U.K. Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Special Operations Command are preparing to deploy Northrop Grumman's Nemesis Directional Infrared Countermeasures System (DIRCM) on 15 aircraft. Northrop Grumman won the contest to develop Nemesis in March 1995, and flight tests are getting underway now. Live-fire tests will be conducted late this year.
The U.S. Army hopes to launch a cooperative effort to develop high stiffness/high strength shaft technology for next-generation turboprop and turboshaft engines, but awaits funding for the work under the Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) initiative. The Army says it anticipates spending $725,000 on its share of research into new shaft technology for both gas generators and power turbines, and hopes to award contracts for work on the topic, outlined in a June 20 Broad Agency Announcement, before next February.
Defense Secretary William Cohen has come to the support of another of the Pentagon's tactical aircraft program, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee he's concerned about a proposed $420 million cut in the U.S. Air Force's fiscal 1998 F-22 program.
Shorts Missile Systems expects to gain further access to the U.S. market via an agreement signed here this week. It specifically links SMS, which is jointly owned by Shorts and Thomson-CSF and headquartered in Belfast, with Hughes of the U.S. in bidding for all potential beyond- visual-range, air-to-air missile programs in international markets. The agreement further confirms SMS' status as a leader in missile systems and a partner in major international collaborative teams, said Shorts Chairman Roy McNulty.
CFM International will have to start assembling engines for Boeing at SNECMA facilities in France as well as General Electric Aircraft Engines in the U.S. as it doubles production for Boeing's new generation of 737s, says CFMI President and Chief Executive Gerard Laviec.
U.K. Ministry of Defense plans to purchase an additional 1,000 Starstreak air defense missiles from Shorts, bringing total number of missiles deployed with the British Army to 7,000. The order comes amid testing of an air-to-air Starstreak on the McDonnell Douglas Apache attack helicopter. Under a joint U.S./U.K. program, the tests are exploring integration of the missile's guidance system with the helicopter's target acquisition system. A crew of three can fire up to 20 air defense missiles from an Alvis Stormer tracked armored vehicle.
NEW CONTRACTS announced at the Paris air show by the Thomson-CSF group include one worth nearly $100 million from British Aerospace for simulation and training equipment for the Nimrod 2000 maritime patrol aircraft program. The equipment will be manufactured by Thomson Training and Simulation in Crawley, England. Also, Thomson-CSF Communications has received a contract of unspecified value from the Romanian Aerostar company for NATO-standard IFF recognition systems.
German enginemaker MTU and France's SNECMA a few days ago agreed to a joint study of turbofan efficiency, looking especially at intercooled compressors and heat exchangers which could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30% over the next 20 years. MTU President Ranier Hertrich disclosed the deal here Monday. After the initial one-year study, other companies could be invited to join, he said.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force has picked the LANTIRN navigation and targeting system for its F-16 fighters. Lockheed Martin, prime contractor for LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared by Night), said yesterday that the Dutch parliament must still approve the selection, which has been endorsed by the ministry of defense. Approval is expected this summer, Lockheed Martin said.
While the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has made improvements in its financial management system, the Senate Intelligence Committee says a classified audit has revealed more could be done on management of classified programs.
The U.S. Army will be able to field several Army Airborne Command and Control System (A2C2S) helicopters 21-months ahead of schedule because the system was picked to get additional funding in fiscal 1997 and 1998 after its performance in the Army's Force XXI exercise at the National Training Center earlier this year.
BFGOODRICH, Troy, Ohio, announced its new brake assembly for the 727 has successfully completed all laboratory dynamometer qualification testing and received TSO approval. The new brake is designed to offer a 15-20% reduction in operating costs and is already in service with two major airlines.
Augustine said the third phase of U.S. consolidation, the formation of "super companies" that started with Lockheed Martin, is almost complete, and he is leaving his company ahead of predictions in terms of sales, profits and share price, and with a better win record than any of its predecessor companies achieved alone.
