[Fábio G.]

EH101: new tail rotors send UK Merlins flying again

All of the UK’s EH101 ‘Merlins’ are being fitted with the latest version of the tail rotor hub – a move which should have both the Royal Navy and RAF fleets (39 and 22 aircraft respectively) back to full time flying within the week.

Chris Palmer, deputy chief of aviation, Royal Navy, speaking to rotorhub.com said that the preliminary results of the RN’s investigation into the crash of a Royal Navy EH101 at RNAS Culdrose (30 March) revealed that the aircraft had suffered “vibration sufficient to cause the failure of the hub and the subsequent detachment of a rotor blade.”

Tests conducted at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility in the UK with the new tail rotor hub fitted onto an RAF aircraft have satisfied the investigation team that all of the Merlins can be cleared to fly.

“Our aim in conducting a detailed investigation was to maintain crew confidence in the aircraft,” said Palmer. “We are fully behind the Merlin and consider it a fantastic aircraft to fly,” he confirmed.

Both the Italian and Canadian aircraft fleets have different tail rotor hub varients to those on UK aircraft.

[Fábio G.]

RAF: first of 16 SAR STAR-Q thermal imagers delivered

The RAF’s Search and Rescue Mk3A Sea King fleet has just taken delivery of its first two FLIR Systems STAR-Q thermal imaging systems with the larger detector chip which provides 640 (W) x 480 (H) resolution (the first UK customer to take this variant).

Although the contract stipulates a delivery time of 18 months, FLIR’s programme manager Richard Bower says the company hopes to have completed delivery and installation by the end of the year. “It’s not a matter of when we can deliver but when the RAF can rotate these valuable aircraft out of line,” said Bower.

In November 2001, FLIR won the RAF tender and will now supply 16 turrets to the Sea King fleet at a total cost of £10 million. There are eight RAF SAR stations with two aircraft per station, each of which will have a turret fitted. “All of the RAF’s reserve aircraft will also be made ready to accept the FLIR kit which can be installed in around 20 minutes,” said Bower

Although STAR-Q is an off-the-shelf package, the operators desktop controls (joystick and function switches) have been ergonomically designed to fit around the standard onboard keyboard.

The increasing prospects of a warm summer will guarantee plenty of people out along the coastline and therefore a correspondingly higher work-rate for SAR Sea Kings. The first two aircraft are operating out of RMB Chivenor in North Devon, UK.

[Fábio G.]

Royal Air Force Of Oman Super Lynx 300 Deliveries Begin

The first three of sixteen AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300 helicopters ordered by the Royal Air Force of Oman arrived in Oman on 24th June 2004. The three aircraft were loaded aboard an Antonov An-124 cargo plane at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton on the 23rd June, having completed pre-delivery inspections at AgustaWestland's UK plant in Yeovil.



This important milestone was achieved just 28 months after contract signature. Richard Case, Managing Director of AgustaWestland, commenting on the achievement said  "We are delighted that the Super Lynx 300 will soon be entering service with the Royal Air Force of Oman; our first customer for the type in the Middle East.  The exceptional hot and high performance of Super Lynx 300, combined with the Royal Air Force of Oman's multi-role equipment fit makes this version of the Super Lynx 300 the most capable version of Lynx to be developed so far."

The Royal Air Force of Oman will become the second operator of Super Lynx 300's and the first customer to operate the aircraft in a multi-role configuration. The aircraft are equipped for a wide range of overland and maritime roles including search and rescue, utility, troop transport and coastal patrol.

In 2003 the Royal Malaysian Navy became the first operator of the Super Lynx 300 when its aircraft entered service in the shipborne anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare role. The Royal Thai Navy and the South African Defence Force have also placed orders for Super Lynx 300 aircraft for ship based naval roles, maintaining Super Lynx as the number one maritime helicopter in the market place

The Super Lynx 300 represents a new generation of the Lynx family incorporating more powerful CTS800 engines, a fully integrated avionics and mission system with a colour LCD instrument display system, new mission sensors, new weapon systems and an upgraded airframe. Over 420 Lynx helicopters have now been sold to sixteen nations.

About AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica and GKN Company, is one of the largest helicopter companies in the world. The company offers an unrivaled range of helicopters designed to satisfy the most diverse requirements of civil and military customers. Committed to delivering outstanding products and services, AgustaWestland is capable of supporting wide-ranging missions in globally competitive markets. AgustaWestland has its primary operations in Cascina Costa, Italy, and Yeovil, United Kingdom. AgustaWestland has two subsidiaries in the USA: AgustaWestland Inc located in Arlington, VA and Agusta Aerospace Corporation located in Philadelphia, PA., where helicopters are assembled and customized for the US market.

[Fábio G.]

Eurocopter Delivers the First EC 130 B4 into the Canadian Market
Edouard Gaillat, President, Eurocopter Canada Limited, handed over the keys to a new EC 130 helicopter to Mr. Barry O’Brien, General Manager, Aviation Services for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR).


“Our decision to evaluate the 130 was easy”, said Mr. O’Brien.  “We needed a helicopter for forest fire initial attack, and the EC 130 meets our specialized criteria.  The large cabin also provides remarkable visibility and is especially quiet with the shrouded tail rotor.  These are very important features in our line of work”.  

The EC 130 will be engaged in utility type operations.  Along with the initial attack operations OMNR is planning to use the EC 130 in Ministry of Natural Resource activities including: wildlife surveys, fish planting, reconnaissance, compliance monitoring, remote sensing and forest fire management.  

The EC 130 is currently operated in the tourism, EMS, police, passenger transport and utility markets around the world.  The EC 130 profits from the proven experience of the Ecureuil (AS350) family offering users exceptional performance with straightforward maintainability and low operating costs.  

About Eurocopter Canada Limited
Eurocopter Canada Limited a subsidiary of Eurocopter, the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of civil helicopters.  Eurocopter, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS.  EADS is the second biggest aerospace and defence company in the world with a turnover of 29.9 billion euro in 2002 and over 100,000 employees. It is among the market leaders in almost all sectors in which it is active.  The company has more than 70 sites in Germany, France, Great Britain, the USA, and Spain. It is active throughout the world, including Russia and Asia.

[Fábio G.]

UK start to upgrade IR systems on SAR Sea Kings

New equipment that will significantly improve the ability of RAF Search and Rescue teams to detect missing people in all weather conditions has begun to enter service across its fleet of Sea King helicopters.

Sea Kings are used to rescue downed aircrew around the UK, as well as a range of other groups from fishing vessels in trouble at sea to stranded mountain climbers.

Two Mk3A Sea King helicopters, based at RMB Chivenor, North Devon, have been fitted with an infra-red detection system that has the ability to detect a person from over one kilometre away, even in choppy or stormy seas.

Procurement Minister Lord Bach said:
"The installation of these advanced new sensors will give the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue crews a hugely enhanced capability which will undoubtedly help save lives. The advanced sensors being fitted incorporates the latest technology which will allow people to be seen at ranges of one kilometre or more - even at night or in poor visibility. It will be a significant boost to our capabilities and I am delighted to say has come in under budget and on time, representing excellent value for the taxpayer."

Search and Rescue Commander, RAF Group Captain Jim Goodbourn, said:
"RAF Search and Rescue helicopters perform hundreds of rescue operations in and around British coastlines and remote areas every year. This new system, which is at the cutting edge of modern infra-red technology, will greatly enhance the capability of the helicopters by allowing them to locate and rescue people in danger
much quicker than before.

"This has obvious benefits - the helicopters and their crew can carry out their missions more efficiently and effectively, but most importantly, we have a greater chance of saving the lives of those who need us most."

The £10 million Sea King Multi Sensor System (SKMSS) comprises a thermal imaging camera mounted alongside a daylight TV camera in a gyro-stabilised turret. The turret is mounted on the side of the lower hull of the Sea King and feeds pictures into the cabin where it is displayed and recorded by an airborne video recorder.

Source: UK Ministry of Defence - Defence Procurement Agency

[Fábio G.]

First flight for H-1 turned exhaust

NAVAIR PATUXENT RIVER, MD - A major survivability upgrade to the AH-1Z/UH-1Y aircraft, currently in the latter stages of developmental flight test here, made its first flights this week at the Bell Helicopter XworX facility in Texas.

The upgrade, consisting of an integrated engine exhaust management system that then turns the hot exhaust gases out and away from the aircraft's tail boom, quickly followed Monday's ground run accomplishment by expanding the flight envelope from hover to 120 knots Tuesday.

"The flight consisted of a six-minute hover," explained Marine Lt. Colonel David J. Anderson, the H-1 program's assistant program manager for Systems Engineering, "followed by an over-night teardown and inspection. Tuesday, after the Bell team put everything back together, we took it up to 120 knots."

Bell's Advance Programs unit has been exploring ways to improve survivability of the Cobra for several years, developing a solution by managing the exhaust flow and integrating off-the-shelf components, then turning the exhaust away from the helicopter's tail boom.  "This is the culmination of over a year of design integration effort by a team of dedicated professionals," said Tom Mast, a Bell design engineer on the program. "Not only will it further decrease the helicopter's infrared signature, but engineers expect it will help with decreasing engine exhaust heat on AH-1Z and UH-1Y tail booms and reducing engine compartment temperatures. The upgraded T-700 engines require more advanced engine exhaust management than the older, less powerful ones. Finally, the system permits the engine to perform more efficiently, burning less fuel for  the same amount of power."

The upgrade, which will also be applied to currently fielded AH-1W Super Cobras, many of which are supporting Marine Corps operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, is the first major engineering prototype effort for Bell's XworX to benefit the H-1 program. Flight testing of the turned exhaust modification on the AH-1W Super Cobra is scheduled to begin in October with fielding in March 2005.

"Performance of the new turned exhaust over the past two days confirms what we hoped we would see," Anderson said. "Bell Advanced Programs and XworX are living up to our expectations - they're cutting their teeth on the AH-1Z and so far, we like what we see."  

As originally configured, exhaust gases flowing over the tail boom made for a larger IR signature in both the AH-1W and the upgraded AH-1Z and UH-1Y. Because of greater heat coming out of the up-rated engines in the AH-1Z and UH-1Y, the exhaust heat also started affecting the structure of the tail boom itself. Advanced non-destructive inspection technology enabled NAVAIR engineers to understand the problems caused by the heating before they became safety of flight issues.

"We developed this innovative modification to save lives and reduce support costs," said Kendall Goodman, Bell's engineering team leader.  XworX engineers, working with their NAVAIR counterparts, fabricated and installed the parts for the turned exhaust modification. Complete flight test envelope expansion flights for both the AH-1Z and UH-1Y will continue at NAS Pax River.

"We were going to do this all along to gain additional survivability," explained Marine Col. Doug Isleib, H-1 program manager here, "but we found that what works for IR signature reduction also works to lower tail boom temperatures - making turned exhaust the optimal solution to both concerns."

The H-1 Upgrades Integrated Test Team here currently has achieved approximately 1,800 flight test hours with five aircraft (three AH-1Z and two UH-1Y test aircraft, of which all but one AH-1Z are production representative). The test aircraft have flown 222 knots, maneuvered from -0.4 to +3.5 g's, been well above the 10,000-foot altitude mark and recently completed their second operational assessment by Fleet pilots. The report from that assessment is pending.

With the turned exhaust-equipped AH-1Z returned to a flight status, XWorX artisans are now turning their attention to performing the same modification on the 84 percent identical UH-1Y. Flight test on that Y-Model Huey will resume once the modification is completed.

Source: NAVAIR

[Fábio G.]

Sikorsky S-92 Completes First Production Flight

STRATFORD, Conn., June 15, 2004 – Sikorsky Aircraft’s first production S-92 helicopter took to the Connecticut skies on June 14, accomplishing a successful first flight and ushering in a new era in civil rotorcraft.

Pilots Ron Doeppner and Andy Evans guided S-92 #6 into a standard 30-minute hover over Sikorsky’s Stratford plant, performing all routine controllability maneuvers and completing engine and avionics checks.

“The aircraft is spectacular,” said Doeppner.  “The engines have more power margin than anything I’ve ever flown before, and the vibrations were incredibly smooth for a first flight.”

Aircraft #6 is scheduled for a mid-summer production delivery to Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., and a total of 12 aircraft will be delivered this year.  Customers include VIP transport as well as both domestic and international offshore oil operators.

On June 8, Sikorsky’s S-92 became the first helicopter in the world certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency/Joint Aviation Authorities (EASA/JAA) to the latest and most rigorous safety standards.  The S-92 is the first and remains the only helicopter in the world certified by the FAA to FAR Part 29 Transport Rotorcraft, Amendment 47, the latest U.S. safety regulations. The Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) are the European counterpart of the USA-based FAR, with similar safety regulations.  On the heels of last week’s EASA/JAA certification is Transport Canada approval, slated for later this summer.  

Sikorsky recently established another rotorcraft industry first when the company standardized its new S-92 and S-76 safety baseline to include Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS) in all civil aircraft configurations.  EGPWS helps pilots avoid controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).

“Sikorsky has a fierce commitment to customer value, which encompasses constant safety oversight and unwavering customer support,” said Jeff Pino, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Programs.

Sikorsky is moving full speed ahead with the S-92 performance expansion envelope.  The S-92 was certified for flight in instrument conditions (IFR) in April, while major advancements toward certification of the S-92 for flight into known icing conditions were achieved earlier this year, as the aircraft completed successful tests behind a CH-47 icing tanker.  Favorable weather at test sites throughout North America produced a broad range of natural icing temperature and moisture conditions that spanned the entire certification envelope.  The concluding aspects of full icing certification will occur later this year when regulatory agencies fly the S-92 for final approval in known icing.

As first deliveries approach, all necessary elements of support are ready or in final preparation.  A multi-million dollar range of spare parts inventory, publications and support equipment are in place, and technical manual validation on the first aircraft is being completed. Sikorsky’s Worldwide Customer Service organization is implementing systems to capture and use data originating on the first operational aircraft.  Combined data from the Health Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), bearing monitors, maintenance data computers, and maintenance management systems will electronically flow to Sikorsky for real-time analysis and action.

Training, conducted by Sikorsky’s partner FlightSafety International, is in full swing.   Crews scheduled for operational missions are already using the FlightSafety S-92 flight simulator at the West Palm Beach Learning Center, and customers are currently attending training courses. The simulator is on track for FAA Level D certification in July.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial and military uses.  Sikorsky helicopters occupy a prominent position in the intermediate to heavy range of 5,300 kg. to 33,000 kg. gross weight. They are flown by all five branches of the United States armed forces, along with military services and commercial operators in more than 40 nations.


Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), of Hartford, Conn., which provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

[Fábio G.]

Contract signed for EC120 production line in China

The official signing of the contract for the assembly in China of the EC 120 light helicopter - baptized the HC 120 for the Chinese market - took place in the presence of Mr. Jean Pierre Raffarin, the French Prime Minister, and Mr. Zeng Peiyan, the Chinese Vice Premier today in Paris.

This signifies a decisive step forward in the development of co-operation between Eurocopter, CATIC and Hafei Aviation Industry Co. Ltd.

The contract was signed by Mr. Fabrice Brégier, the Eurocopter President, Mr. Wang Bin, Chairman of the Board of Hafei Aviation Industry Co. Ltd (Harbin – China), and Mr. Yang Xueling, the Helicopter Department Director of CATIC (Peking – China).

This official signing follows the Memorandum of Agreement that was signed in November 2003 in Peking, following the visit to China of the French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, and the negotiations conducted between Philippe Camus, the EADS President, and Zhang Yanzhong, the AVIC II President, with the aim of strengthening relations between the Chinese and French and German aeronautical industries.

To mark this occasion, Fabrice Brégier declared: "The launch of a local assembly line for the EC 120 indicates a new step in the strengthening of co-operation with the Chinese helicopter industry. Considering the growing potential of the Chinese market, and the capacities of Chinese industry, I believe this is only the beginning and that other developments will swiftly follow."

This agreement forms part of the new strategy implemented by Fabrice Brégier concerning emerging markets.

The EC 120 is a genuine commercial success with 400 aircraft already delivered to date, representing 75% of the five-seat helicopter market.


China is currently the largest potential market in the world for the helicopter industry and the EC 120 (HC 120 in China) is the 'ad hoc' aircraft for meeting the requirements of military, civil and parapublic customers.

The EC120 is recognized as an aircraft that is easy to maintain with a reasonable purchase price, which is perfectly adapted to these types of market.

Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2003, EADS generated revenues of € 30.1 billion and employed a workforce of about 109,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second-largest missile producer in the global market. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.

Source: Eurocopter

[Fábio G.]

Bell Launches "Team Eagle Eye" Core Team to promote Tiltrotor UAV

Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC), AAI Corporation and Textron Systems Corporation have reached an agreement in principle to form the Core Team for TEAM EAGLE EYE to develop, produce and market the Eagle Eye Vertical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VUAV) System.

The Eagle Eye System consists of one or more Eagle Eye tiltrotor unmanned air vehicles, ground control equipment, payload (sensors, weapons and other items carried internally or externally by the air vehicle), communications, and integrated logistics support.  

The Eagle Eye System offers a potential revolution in vertical unmanned warfighting in the tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV) environment.  The unique combination of speed, range and versatility of Bell’s tiltrotor technology, the precision control and downlink capability of the AAI One Systemä ground control equipment, Textron Systems’ innovative tactical UAV munitions solutions, and LMC’s advanced technology make the Eagle Eye System the clear solution for all vertical tactical UAV requirements.  

 Already selected for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VUAV) portion of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Integrated Deepwater System contract, the Eagle Eye passed a critical milestone recently within the Deepwater System program, with the highly successful completion of its Preliminary Design Review (PDR), a required deliverable to proceed to the next stage of the contract.  

The PDR demonstrated that Eagle Eye will successfully fulfill the U. S. Coast Guard missions.  In meeting these mission requirements, the system is well within margins for risk, performance, supportability and cost allocations.

The preliminary design of the Eagle Eye is based on the successful demonstrator that flew over 90 hours, and achieved 200 knots in level cruise while carrying 210 pounds of payload at 7/8 the scale of the planned production version.

Prospective markets include the emerging US Marine Corps’ VUAV requirement.

 

Core Team members for TEAM EAGLE EYE:

Bell Helicopter.    A Textron company, Bell will bring a unique, innovative air vehicle and 6000 hours of tiltrotor expertise to the team.  Responsible for overall system performance, programmatics, air vehicle design, development, production, flight-testing and delivery.  

Lockheed Martin Corporation.   Will provide advanced technology expertise, prototyping, network centric knowledge and low cost composite capability to the realm of vertical lift.  

AAI Corporation.  Will provide its One Systemä joint, common ground equipment and any integration expertise required.  AAI will bring time-tested, operational, combat-proven, real-time UAV expertise to the team.

Textron Systems Corporation.  Will provide a variety of specialized UAV weapons payloads specifically designed or adapted for a tiltrotor UAV, to include ordnance integration support.

Source: Bell Helicopter

[Fábio G.]

UK RAF picks ESL Defence's EW stimulators

ESL Defence Ltd, a world leader in Electro Optic stimulation, announces the winning of a contract to supply long-range UV stimulators to RAF Spadeadam, the UK EW range.

The UV Mallina System, capable of stimulating AAR 47, 54, 57, 60 and MWS 200 at distances in excess of 3km provides an ideal training tool for pilot and aircrew. It is also often used as an Operational Test and Evaluation stimulator when countries accept aircraft platforms that have a Defensive Aid Suite incorporating a UV Missile Warner.

Pilot Confidence in Aircraft Defensive Aid Suite

With “In theatre” operations becoming more frequent, it is vitally important that pilots have the utmost confidence in the systems that are protecting them, and that they are fully conversant with the indications and alarms they should expect if they were to be attacked by MANPADS threats. UV Mallina is capable of replicating today’s threats and provides the pilot training link.

The Mallina system is fully transportable and operates from a tripod. It can be powered from a Battery pack making it totally autonomous and able to behave like a MANPAD threat moving around the training range with ease. Simply visually sight the aircraft and when in range, “fire the missile”. The cockpit indications are as if under attack from a SAM.

The Laser rangefinder enables the system to accurately determine aircraft range and automatically select and fire the range-optimised profile ensuring a high probability of declaration, whilst at the same time exercising the Laser Warning Receiver if fitted.


The UV Mallina system has been fielded with many NATO countries and is proving to be an invaluable and cost effective training aid.


For further details contact:   Steve Pilling -  Business Development Manager,
ESL Defence Ltd.          Tel: +44 2380 455110 Fax +44 2380 8074 4200.

[[PT]HKFlash]

Mais noticias do Eurofighter:

Eurofighter Typhoon Single-Seat Production Aircraft Takes Flight  15 June 2004  

PS002, the fifth Eurofighter Typhoon Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA5), successfully carried out its first flight on 7 June 2004, at BAE SYSTEMS Warton, United Kingdom. IPA5 took off from Warton at 1602h, piloted by Typhoon Project Pilot, Mark Bowman, and landed at 1630h. This new Eurofighter Typhoon production test aircraft was assembled by BAE SYSTEMS on behalf of the Eurofighter partners and will now join the four nation flight test programme.

IPA5 is the first UK single seat production aircraft to roll off the final assembly line at the BAE SYSTEMS facility in Warton. IPA5 is primarily designed to qualify production standards and functionality in concert with single-seat production across the Eurofighter Partner Nations. IPA5 joins the test fleet of six Development Aircraft, three twin-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft and two single-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft. IPA4, the first single-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft flew on 26 February, 2004, at the EADS CASA flight test facility in Getafe, Spain.

Production and Functionality Qualification – Eurofighter Typhoon IPA5
Single-seat fuel system
Single-seat production cockpit lighting
Single-seat structural health monitoring (SHM)
Sensor Fusion
Radar (Captor)
Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS)
Mission Assessment
Carefree Handling
Head Equipment Assembly (HEA)
Through a series of flight qualification tests Eurofighter Typhoon IPA5 will make a major contribution to finalising integration of the Full Operating Capability (FOC) standard avionics system for the production single-seat weapon system.

Commenting on events, Aloysius Rauen, Chief Executive Officer Eurofighter GmbH, said ‘This is a significant step for our programme as we transition to the next production phase for single-seat aircraft. In this phase we will deliver the Weapon System that will equip the frontline units of the four Eurofighter Typhoon Partner Nations.’

eurofighter website

[Fábio G.]

25 de junho de 2004
OGMA iniciou trabalhos nos SA 330B Puma do Exército francês
A OGMA-Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal SA venceu um contrato para efetuar a revisão periódica do tipo P2 em 130 helicópteros Eurocopter SA 330B Puma utilizados pela ALAT (Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre, a aviação do Exército francês). Essas revisões, feitaa a cada 500 horas de vôo ou a cada 24 meses, vão ser executadas nas instalações da empresa. Em 2002 a OGMA já havia feito o mesmo trabalho em 22 aeronaves, em colaboração com a sua representada em Franca, a GMD. A OGMA já faz revisão e manutenção dos SA 330 da Força Aérea Portuguesa e de outros países.

Segurança e Defesa
(Victor Manuel Saraiva Barreira).

[Fábio G.]

Segurança e Defesa

Aermacchi modernizará treinadores
A Aermacchi assinou um contrato de 33 milhões de Euros com o Comando Logístico da Força Aérea Italiana para suporte e modernização dos treinadores MB-339A, MB-339CD e SF-260, incluindo simuladores de vôo e equipamento de solo. Além do fornecimento de peças de reposição e serviços de revisão e apoio técnico no solo, o contrato inclui a Modernização de Meia Vida do MB-339° (foto ao lado). Ao final do programa, a Aermacchi terá modernizado 49 MB339A.
O MB339 é utilizado na Itália para treinamento básico/avançado, ataque ao solo (como segunda linha) e interceptação de aeronaves lentas. Durante a recente visita de George Bush a Roma, o MB339CD foi utilizado nessa última missão, reforçando a defesa aérea sobre a capital italiana.

[Fábio G.]

Segurança e Defesa

Mais um golpe para a Boeing
O Departamento de Defesa dos Estados Unidos resolveu adiar a decisão sobre a aquisição ou não de uma centena de aeronaves de reabastecimento KC-767A, provavelmente até após a eleição presidencial. O programa da nova aeronave de REVO da USAF já envolveu um escândalo que resultou até na demissão do CEO da Boeing. Não está descartada a possibilidade de que seja aberta uma nova concorrência, que incluiria não só a EADS (que participou da primeira) como também a Lockheed Martin,que está propondo o desenvolvimento de um avião inteiramente novo, ao invés da adaptação de um avião civil. Apesar dos desmentidos da Boeing, o adiamento é um sério golpe para a empresa, já que a carteira de encomendas pendentes do 767 soma apenas 24 unidades.

[Fábio G.]

US Ambassador Hands Over 30 refurbished UH-1s to Royal Thai Army

U.S. Ambassador Darryl N. Johnson today handed over 30 refurbished UH-1 helicopters to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) at the RTA Aviation Center in Lopburi Province. The cost of the aircraft, spare parts, and training totals approximately $30 million.

In late 2001, the RTA signed an agreement with the U.S. Government to procure 30 refurbished UH-1 helicopters. These helicopters were refurbished and delivered to the RTA in three shipments. The shipment containing the last 10 UH-1s arrived recently.

During his remarks in Lopburi, Ambassador Johnson said the ‘like new’ airframes are “designed to meet RTA aviation needs for the years to come.”

UH-1s are normally used for day-to-day operations, generally transporting troops and light equipment. These UH-1s were used by the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1990.

“We know you will make good use of these UH-1s, as you have the Black Hawks you have purchased the past several years, and which we hope will be the long-term future of Army Aviation in Thailand. We know you will put these helicopters to good use because we and our predecessors have been working closely with you and your predecessors in the Royal Thai Army for over 40 years as you and they have defended Thailand’s borders,” Ambassador Johnson noted.

Source: US Embassy in Bangkok