Noticias Aeronáuticas del Mundo (archivo)

[Iris]

Chacón destaca la importancia de una industria aeronáutica fuerte



Albacete - La ministra de Defensa, Carme Chacón, destacó la importancia de tener una industria aeronáutica fuerte para "satisfacer las necesidades de Defensa" de España, ya que concretó que actualmente el sector de Defensa nacional está formado por cerca de 850 empresas "con unas excelentes instalaciones y un alto nivel de competitividad".

Chacón, que visitó las instalaciones de la fábrica de helicópteros de Eurocopter y acudió a la inauguración de las instalaciones de la empresa ITH, dedicada a la construcción de turbinas de helicópteros, ambas ubicadas en el Parque Aeronáutico de Albacete, subrayó la importancia de esta industria porque "es estratégica a la hora de satisfacer las necesidades de Defensa en España".

Para la ministra, "la eficacia de nuestras Fuerzas Armadas está directamente relacionada con contar con proveedores sólidos".

Asimismo, señaló que la industria de la Defensa es impulsora de la inversión en I+D+i, generando a la vez nuevos puestos de trabajo que contribuyan "a la buena salud económica de España". Además incidió también en que la facturación conjunta del sector es superior a los 3.600 millones de euros, de los que "un 40 por ciento provienen de las ventas al exterior". De esta forma, Chacón aseguró que "la integración de nuestra industria de Defensa con la europea se puede afrontar hoy, sin ninguna duda, en mejores condiciones que hace unas décadas".

La ministra agradeció al Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha y al Ayuntamiento de Albacete el esfuerzo "por haberse convertido en un lugar estratégico para todo el sector aeronáutico militar, y no sólo militar", mencionando no sólo la presencia de Eurocopter e ITH, sino de la Maestranza Aérea y la Base de Los Llanos, que acoge desde hace unas semanas el TLP (Tactical Leadership Programme). De éste, la ministra de Defensa resaltó que "es un programa de enorme importancia para el planeamiento y la gestión de misiones aéreas con el personal militar de 10 países miembros de la OTAN".

"Entre todos estamos realizando un trabajo fundamental para que España cuente con tecnología punta de última generación para su Defensa, se fortalezca, además, económicamente y se convierta en un referente de excelencia".

Ideas y proyectos

Por su parte, el presidente de Castilla-La Mancha, José María Barreda, animó a los empresarios con ideas y proyectos a venir a esta región a instalarse. "En Castilla-La Mancha no estamos en las nubes ni estamos locos, sabemos lo que queremos" y eso se consigue, dijo, "gobernando en coalición con la sociedad", con empresarios, sindicatos y agentes sociales "con los que he firmado el Pacto por Castilla-La Mancha, con una parte fundamental que está dedicada a impulsar la inversión en I+D+i y a cambiar el modelo productivo para fomentar los sectores emergentes como el aeronáutico".

Igualmente, recordó que "con José Bono como ministro de Defensa y con Paco Pardo como secretario de Estado se pudo la semilla de lo que hoy es el Parque Aeronáutico de Albacete, donde está como principal imán la empresa Eurocopter", pero, defendió, "el actual Ministerio y su titular están apoyándonos de una manera incondicional e impresionante", añadió.

Presente y futuro

De otro lado, el director general de ITH, Ignacio Mataix, explicó el desarrollo de la empresa, perteneciente al Grupo ITP, en los 20 años de andadura, hasta inaugurar su planta en Albacete. Además, comentó que su industria se basa principalmente en el desarrollo de motores de defensa, pero no exclusivamente, puesto que "en los últimos siete años hemos invertido más de 1.000 millones de euros para conseguir fabricar turbinas de baja presión, donde hemos conseguido alcanzar una posición de liderazgo".

La apuesta de ITH para los próximos 20 años, avanzó Mataix, "será que el 50 por ciento de los aviones de doble pasillo tengan una turbina de ITP". De momento, a día de hoy, dijo, "mantenemos más de 20 tipos de motor diferentes" no sólo en España, para el Ministerio de Defensa, sino también en países de Latinoamérica y África. "Somos responsables, concluyó, de hacer de este centro una planta de referencia mundial".

.- Saludos.

[Iris]

EADS dice que España debe lanzar el UAV Advance, aprovechando la presidencia de la UE



La corporación europea EADS quiere hacer de España la plataforma de lanzamiento de su último proyecto militar, el avión no tripulado UAV Advance "Talarion" y considera que puede establecerse aquí un centro de entrenamiento y una línea de ensamblaje final.

"Hoy existen dos polos en la construcción de estos vehículos no tripulados: Estados Unidos e Israel. Europa, a imagen de semejanza de lo que ocurrió con el Eurofighter, no puede permitirse el lujo de depender de ninguno de los dos. Ni desde el punto de vista de seguridad, ni desde el desarrollo tecnológico", afirmó Enrique Barrientos, consejero delegado de la división española de EADS Defensa y Seguridad.

Barrientos afirmó que Francia, Alemania y España ya han cubierto una serie de fases "pero -agregó- necesitamos el empujón final y quiero que la presidencia española de la Unión Europea se pueda lanzar este vehículo. Estamos jugando en primera división y hay una oportunidad de que España lidere políticamente este programa.

En una entrevista con el diario El Mundo, el máximo responsable de EADS Defensa y Seguridad en España confirmó que ya existe un grupo de trabajo con el Ministerio de Industria para definir el sistema idóneo para crear una línea de montaje final y un centro de ensamblaje de este UAV, uno de los más grandes en tamaño.

"Es rentable para España porque todos los ensayos de vehículos no tripulados se harían aquí, además del entrenamiento de todos los operadores que van a operarlo", dijo.

Barrientos calculó que supondría entorno a 3.000 puestos de trabajo, entre director e indirectos. "Pero no se trata de un trabajo para poner ladrillos, sino de alta tecnología. Por eso la crisis la veo como una oportunidad", subrayó.

El responsable de EADS Defensa y Seguridad el reporte del presupuesto del Ministerio de Defensa español -entorno al seis por ciento para 2010- "es una oportunidad porque permite optimizar sus recursos (...). La optimización que se ha conseguido en el mundo civil se puede llevar al mundo de la defensa".

Interés entre las empresas españolas

El pasado mes de septiembre, un total de 61 empresas e instituciones asistieron a la sesión informativa sobre el estado del programa Advanced Unmanned Air Vehicle (A-UAV) organizada por la Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM) del Ministerio de Defensa español.

Según la DGAM, la presentación, llevada a cabo por la subdirección general de Tecnología y Centros (SGTECEN), "puso de manifiesto que, una vez terminada de modo satisfactorio la fase de reducción de riesgos, es conveniente que las empresas dispongan cuanto antes de información para posicionarse de cara a las posibilidades que se abrirían si se pasa a la fase de Diseño y Desarrollo".

Asimismo se explicaron la modalidad de contratación y subcontrataciones que se prevén durante las fases de diseño y desarrollo y fabricación.

Reducción de riegos

En 2007, la Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung (Oficina Federal de Tecnología y Adquisiciones de Defensa de Alemania), en nombre de Alemania, España y Francia, adjudicó el contrato para el estudio de la viabilidad de este nuevo vehículo no tripulado a EADS EADS-Military Air Systems (EADS-MAS) que lo finalizó en mayo pasado.

Sin embargo, en junio, el Gobierno alemán decidió retirarse del programa pese a haber sido uno de sus principales impulsores, por considerar que necesitaba un UAV fiable y activo antes de 2015. El país germano ha anunciado la compra de sistemas Heron 1 de la compañía Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Sin embargo, EADS Defensa y Seguridad decidió seguir con el desarrollo del l programa "Talarion" por estimar que Europa no pueda abandonar los UAV.

España recorta gasto

Por su parte y pese al "total compromiso" de España en el proyecto, según Enrique Barrientos, el Gobierno de Rodríguez Zapatero ha reducido en 3,9 millones de euros en gasto máximo autorizado para el estudio de viabilidad del "Advanced UAV", importe que se recortara en la anualidad correspondiente a este año de 2009.

El coste financiero total aprobado para este informe de viabilidad por el Gobierno español en julio de 2007 era de 57,72 millones de euros que se financiaría en partes iguales por los tres socios (33,33 por 100), lo que en principio supuso una contribución por parte e España de 19,24 millones, más una cantidad de 3,9 millones para futuros requisitos españoles y contingencias.

.- Saludos.

[Iris]

EE.UU ensayó laser militar

La Fuerza Aérea de EEUU el 13 de octubre ensayó junto con Boeing un láser militar de alta potencia instalado a bordo de un avión .





C-130. El rayo alcanzó un automóvil que se desplazaba a 200 kilómetros de distancia del avión, informó la agencia Associated Press.

Según declaración de la Fuerza Aérea de EEUU, el objetivo de los ensayos no fue destruir el automóvil, sino únicamente alcanzarlo con el rayo láser. El rayo hizo un agujero en la carrocería.

.- Saludos.

[pasadeno]

EE.UU ensayó laser militar

Un vídeo aquí: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfmEUqmgsK4

Saludos

[moises]

Swiss Fighter Competition Still On: Government
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 22 Oct 2009 09:16

GENEVA - The Swiss government said Oct. 22 that it was standing by plans for a multi-billion dollar contract to replace army fighter jets despite reports that the defense minister was thinking of scrapping it.

Europe's EADS, French firm Dassault and Sweden's Saab are vying for the contract to replace part of the Swiss army's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-5 "Tiger" fighters in 2011.

"The Federal Council (government) has decided to stick to the timetable fixed in March for the partial replacement of the Tiger fleet," the government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting.

However, it also acknowledged the "critical financial situation" of the army and asked the defense ministry to draw up an evaluation of its finances.

The Swiss army has been carrying out test flights in recent months with the EADS Eurofighter, Dassault's Rafale and Saab's Gripen, ahead of the scheduled choice in Spring 2010.

But recent Swiss media reports have indicated that the 2.2 billion Swiss franc ($2.2 billion, 1.5 billion euro) budget set aside for the new aircraft may not be enough, and that the required fleet of about 20 would cost 7.0 billion francs.

The daily Tages-Anzeiger had quoted unnamed sources as saying that Defense Minister Ueli Maurer, who only took office this year, was asking the government to scrap the acquisition.

slds,

moises

[moises]

Kuwait Awaits French Offer on Rafale Buy
By pierre tran
Published: 22 Oct 2009 14:02

Paris - Kuwait is waiting to get an offer from France on Rafale strike fighters, Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Hamad al-Sabah said Oct. 21 after a meeting with his French counterpart, Hervé Morin.

Kuwait would "be proud to have the Rafale in the heart of our armed forces," he said at a news conference on the signing of a defense cooperation agreement with France, the French Defense Ministry reported on its Web site.

"We hope to have an offer soon on this subject," Sheikh Jaber said. The offer would be studied very seriously by the Kuwaiti Air Force, he added.

Kuwait was also interested in French military technology for the Navy, air defense systems and helicopters, he said.

President Nicolas Sarkozy said in February that talks with Kuwait on the prospective sale of 12-14 Rafale aircraft were "quite advanced."

The strategic defense agreement between France and Kuwait covers exchange of information, assistance, training and equipment, and extends a previous accord signed Aug. 18, 1992.

France opened a naval base in Abu Dhabi this year and is in talks with the United Arab Emirates on the sale of 60 Rafales, built by Dassault Aviation. The UAE, however, wants France to help find a buyer for its fleet of Mirage 2000-9 fighters.

slds,

moises

[moises]

S. Korea's Defense Industry Shows Progress at Show
By wendell minnick and JUNG SUNG-KI
Published: 23 Oct 2009 13:44

SEOUL - The South Korean defense industry demonstrated both domestic and export prowess at the 7th Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), from Oct. 20 to Oct. 25 at the Seoul Airport.

South Korean companies showing their wares and services included Doosan DST, Hanwha, Huneed Technologies, Hyundai-Rotem, Hyundai Wia, Kia Motors, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), LIG Nex1, Oneseen Skytech, Poongsan, S&T Dynamics and Samsung Techwin.

KAI showed off its new T-50 Golden Eagle advanced trainer jet, KT-1 basic trainer and Surion utility helicopter. The South Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatics team debuted at the show with the T-50, and performed with the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds for the first time.

A KAI official said the company is in discussions with Taiwan for the T-50 to replace its aging AT-3 Tzu Chung fighter trainers, produced during the 1980s by Taiwan's state-run Aerospace Industrial Development Corp.

KAI also displayed its new Surion Korean Utility Helicopter (KUH), which will replace aging UH-1H and 500MD utility helicopters. The aircraft has been in development since 2006, and KAI officials expect its completion by 2012. The program is managed by South Korea's Agency for Defense Development and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. KAI is leading the KUH's development with the help of Eurocopter.

KAI displayed for the first time four new helicopter concept models based on the Surion. Two were variants for the Korean Attack Helicopter (KAH) requirement. The first was the "Full Development for Attack Configuration," sharing 60 percent of its components with the KUH, and the second was the "KUH Tandem Cockpit," a "reconstructed attack helicopter modification" that mates the KUH cockpit with an attack helicopter's weapons system. The concept model has a 70 percent component-sharing rate with the KUH.

"The KAHs are currently not operational, no prototypes," said a KAI representative. "We are going to offer both to the government. The tandem cockpit is cheaper but has less capabilities, and the full-attack configuration has more capabilities, but [is] more expensive."

A decision by the South Korean government is expected in 2010 on the exact requirements, and only then will a prototype be developed. "It will take six to eight years to develop and deliver a working prototype," the KAI representative said.

The two other concept models were the KUH-Medevac, with a 91 percent commonality with the KUH; and a KUH-Amphibious Helicopter for South Korea Marine Corps that has a 96 percent commonality rate. The amphibious variant will be both land- and sea-based.


FX-III Issues

Lockheed Martin clearly showed confidence that its F-35 Lightning II will win the third phase of South Korea's F-X competition, providing a full-scale mockup of the next-generation fighter jet for the show.

Lockheed's Steve O'Brian, vice president for F-35 business development, said South Korea would be able to procure the aircraft, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, and "there are slots in 2014 for international delivery."

However, Boeing plans to challenge Lockheed with the new F-15 Silent Eagle, a stealthy variant of the standard F-15 Eagle fighter.

Boeing's Greg Laxton, vice president, Integrated Defense Systems, said the company looks forward to the competition and is "currently in the process of developing an advanced F-15, which we hope will fulfill Korea's defense capabilities and needs for many years to come."

Boeing is providing 40 F-15K fighters to South Korea's Air Force under a contract awarded in 2002. The South Korean government ordered a second lot of F-15Ks last year to fill its F-X II requirement, according to Boeing.

"We are committed to building on the success of the F-15K next fighter I and II programs, by working with our Korean industry partners to continue to strengthen Korea's aerospace industry," Laxton said.

Joe Song, vice president of Asia-Pacific international business development with Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, said his company would offer a key option to transfer advanced fighter development technologies to South Korea for a homegrown fighter under the new "KF-X" project.

"We're considering connecting the third phase F-X deal to the KF-X program if necessary, given that packaging some related programs, in general, creates a synergy effect," he said.

In the KF-X program, South Korea aims to develop and produce between 120 and 250 F-16-class fighters beginning in 2013, with technology support from foreign aerospace companies. The aircraft are to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters.

Song added that there is a tentative plan to integrate Israel-based Elbit's three-dimensional sensor fusion/data display system into the Silent Eagle.


Armored Vehicle Competition

The South Korean military has a requirement for eight-wheeled and six-wheeled armored vehicles. Doosan, Hyundai-Rotem and Samsung Techwin are competing for the $1 billion contract, expected to total 1,000 vehicles. A request for proposals is expected next year.

* Samsung Techwin displayed a prototype of its six-wheeled Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) at the show.

"Our vehicle passed evaluation tests in 2007 for two months at Algeria's Army proving grounds in desert and urban combat conditions," a company representative said.

Algeria, along with unnamed countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America, has expressed interest in buying the six-wheel-drive vehicle. "However, the problem with exporting the vehicle is they have not yet been fielded by the military and not yet proven," the representative said.

* Doosan exhibited the eight-wheel-drive Black Fox Armored Wheeled Vehicle (AWV) as its entry into the competition. A company representative said there was already export interest from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq and Malaysia.

* Hyundai-Rotem displayed the six-wheel-drive AMV KW-1 prototype at its booth.

"The [eight-wheel] KW and KW-2 were solely designed by our company without outside assistance; the same is true with the new K2 main battle tank," a company official said.

The vehicle will come in several variants, including armored combat, anti-air gun vehicle, mortar carrier and troop transport.

slds,

moises

[moises]

Algunas fotos del helo surcoreano:

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

South Korea rolled out the first prototype of its high-end Korea Utility Helicopter (KUH) Friday, becoming the 11th nation in the world to develop an indigenous rotary-wing aircraft.

The Surion helicopter, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with technical assistance from Eurocopter since June 2006, will begin operation with the Army, the Marine Corps and other civil services after 2011 after flight and ground tests, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.

Development of the KUH is scheduled to end in June 2012, and mass production is expected to start later. About 245 KUHs will be manufactured to replace the Army's aging UH-1H and 500MD fleets.

The agency and KAI forecast that KUHs could replace about 300 of 1,000 transport helicopters globally over the next 25 years, the agency said in a news release.

The Surion also could be converted into an attack helicopter equipped with indigenous armament, and other sensor and avionics systems, it said.

A roll-out ceremony held in Sacheon, about 438 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was attended by about 800 government officials and developer representatives.

``The successful development will mark a turning point for Korea's bid to become an advanced nation with strong defense capability,'' President Lee Myung-bak said in a congratulatory speech.

Lee Yeon-seup, senior manager and chief of the KUH program management division at KAI, said the Surion will offer the best troop carrying and projection capabilities to the Army, as it has been designed for Korea's specific territorial and climate conditions.

The 8.7 metric ton class aircraft is able to hover at 9,258 feet with a climbing speed of 500 feet per minute, he said.

``The Surion will be able to conduct missions all over the Korean territory,'' Lee said. ``Simply, the ground troops can operate at North Korea's highest point, Baekdu Mountain, at a height of 9,012 feet in an emergency.''

The Surion features a variety of state-of-the-art technologies including a four-axis digital automatic flight-control system, a cockpit with multifunctional liquid crystal displays and an engine health and usage monitoring system.

Survivability gears include laser warning receivers, a missile warning system, chaff and flare dispensers, an electronic warfare commander and infrared countermeasures.

The helicopter has a top speed of 240 kilometers per hour and can carry two pilots and 11 troops. It can stay in the air for well over two hours.

Weapons systems include two sets of 7.62-milimeter machine guns and a ``friend-or-foe'' identification system.

In June 2006, KAI and Eurocopter inked the 1.3 trillion-won research and development contract, Seoul's biggest arms deal ever with a non-U.S. company.

A production contract worth about 4.4 trillion won is expected to be signed around 2011 before the start of mass production.

Eurocopter has a stake of 30 percent in the 2006-2012 development phase and 20 percent in the following 10-year production phase.

As the prime contractor, Eurocopter has provided technical assistance and has supplied the power transmission, automatic flight control system and rotor mast. It also provided technical assistance for certain sub-assemblies.

[email protected]

slds,

moises

[moises]

Alguna información que encontré en la web del KAH:

Korean attack helicopter

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South Korea has decided to build about 270 indigenous light-medium attack helicopters armed with advanced missile and self-defense systems in partnership with foreign defense firms, a military source said Wednesday.

The Army wants to initially deploy the aircraft in the field between 2013 and 2018.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) made the final decision last week after a 19-month feasibility study on the Korea Attack Helicopter (KAH) program estimated to cost between $5 billion and $10 billion, the source told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.

The KAH program aims to replace the Army's aging fleet of AH-1S Cobra and Hughes 500MD TOW attack helicopters. It is also designed to help boost the Army's independent anti-tank and fire support capabilities after 2012 when South Korean commanders take over wartime operational control of their troops from the U.S. military.

DAPA had been weighing since January last year whether to ............ foreign attack helicopters or develop the country's own aircraft with the help of foreign manufacturers. Many defense experts have advised, however, the latter option would not be affordable.

The agency commissioned the study by a private defense think tank, late last year.

The results also recommended Seoul purchase 36 older U.S. AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters to help fill the Army's possible operational gap before the KAH is completed around 2013 at the earliest, according to the source.

The agency wants to ............ the older Apache helicopters for about $864 million, or $24 million apiece, and upgrade them to the newest Block III standard, the source added.

The U.S. government plans to offer for sale about 260 Block I Apaches in the near future, according to the Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea (JUSMAG-K), which coordinates the South Korean purchase of U.S. weapons.

International customers would be able to refurbish or completely rebuild the helicopters to the customer's preferred configuration all the way up to Block III Longbow models, an official of the group said.

Major helicopter makers in the world have expressed keen interest in joining the KAH program, offering a package of benefits for Seoul, including technology transfer regarding the development of sophisticated attack helicopters, DAPA officials said.

Among the firms eyeing participation are Boeing and Sikorsky of the United States; AgustaWestland, a British-Italian joint venture; Denel Aerospace Systems of South Africa; and the Franco-German consortium Eurocopter, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautics Defence and Space (EADS), they said.

Sources say Eurocopter is expected to have the edge since the South Korean Army's proposed operational requirements closely reflect the firm's Tiger helicopter.

The Tiger is a medium-light air-to-air combat and fire support helicopter used by the armies of France, Germany, Australia and Spain. Its maximum takeoff weight is 13,000 lb (6,000 kg).

The Agusta A129 Mangusta and Denel's AH-2 Rooivalk are expected to compete for the KAH program.

According to the information on the KAH issued by DAPA to the foreign helicopter manufacturers in April, the Army wants a twin-engine medium-weight helicopter that has a flight endurance of more than two hours.

The KAH should have a maximum cruising speed of 130 knots or more and be equipped with satellite-guided GPS and inertial navigation systems, and systems supportive of night/instrument flights.

The helicopter also should be fitted with radar, laser and missile warning receivers and an integrated countermeasures system. Armament is to include more than eight anti-tank guided missiles and 38 70mm air-to-ground fire support rockets, as well as a 20mm cannon and more than two air-to-air missiles, the document said.

In 2005, Eurocopter beat out U.S. maker Bell Helicopter and AgustaWestland for South Korea's Korea Helicopter Program (KHP) to develop and produce 245 troop-carrying helicopters.

In June 2006, the state-funded Korea Aerospace Industries and Eurocopter signed a $1.3 billion research and development contract, South Korea's biggest arms deal ever with a non-U.S. company.

Production contracts worth $4.1 billion will be signed around 2011, a year before the start of mass production, once it is clear how much technology transfer has occurred.

slds,

moises

[moises]

UAVs Dominate Seoul Air Show
By wendell minnick and JUNG SUNG-KI
Published: 23 Oct 2009 18:39

SEOUL - Unmanned aerial vehicles have dominated the 7th Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), with both foreign and local companies displaying a variety of models. The trade show began Tuesday and runs through Sunday at the Seoul Airport.

Israel's Elbit Systems displayed models of the Hermes 90, 450 and 900 UAVs, along with the Skylark I.

"There is a lot of interest here in Korea for UAVs," said an Elbit representative.

South Korea is looking at intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms for the time being, and "our platforms can handle that requirement," the representative said. "We are very flexible about integrating indigenous systems built for the customer."

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) displayed two unmanned systems: the Heron medium-range long endurance (MALE) UAV system for strategic and tactical missions and the HAROP Loitering Weapon System.

"Local companies are looking at partnerships for a local build, and IAI is interested in working with them," a company official said. "However, a local UAV program could take 10 years to develop, and IAI is interested in providing an interim solution until they have their own capabilities."

South Korea has expressed interest in the HAROP, which is "basically a flying bomb" with an eight-hour loitering time, the official said. Unlike the anti-radiation HARPY, which seeks out radar installations, the HAROP uses an electro-optical payload and is used against high-value targets.

Northrop Grumman came with a mockup of the Global Hawk high-altitude, long-range UAV. Thomas Twomey, the company's director of Global Hawk business development, said with a maximum operational altitude of 60,000 feet, the Global Hawk system would meet all of South Korea's ISR requirements with only two to four aircraft.

"The Global Hawk is designed to replace the U-2 spy plane when it retires in 2012. It has a 98.8 percent effective time on station and is 91 percent mission capable," Twomey said. "Currently, the U.S. and [South] Korean governments are in negotiations on the release of the Global Hawk, and there is a lot of support from both sides for a release."

South Korea also is interested in Northrop's MQ-8 Fire Scout vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) UAV for both land-based and ship-based ISR missions.

Other foreign companies displaying models and giving briefings on UAV programs include EADS; the pan-European company has displayed its Talarion unmanned aerial system. Meanwhile, Saab of Sweden has displayed its Skeldar VTOL helicopter for sea-based missions.


Domestic Players

South Korean companies have come out strong with a variety of unmanned aerial systems:

* Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is showcasing a lightweight tactical UAV that uses a parachute recovery system. The Night Intruder NI-100N, a modified variant of the NI-100 (which uses a net recovery system), has undergone successful test trials and is waiting on more upgrades, said Koo Chung-seo, senior research engineer with KAI's UAV system integration section.

The Night Intruder could possibly meet the requirements of the South Korean Army, Koo said. The Army plans to deploy division-level tactical UAVs in the next few years, in an effort to boost its ISR capability for the 2012 transition of wartime operational control from the U.S. military to South Korean commanders.

"With its compact size and lightweight air vehicle and ground control station equipped with data link, launcher [and] parachute/airbag recovery system, the NI-100N is an optimum UAV solution for the [Army's] ISR needs," Koo said.

The NI-100N is retrieved by soft landing, with the assistance of a parafoil and inflatable airbag. By using the parachute recovery system and a lighter launcher, troops can conduct missions in almost all field environments and weather conditions with mobility, as it allows air vehicle recovery on unprepared terrain, KAI officials said.

The 2.5-meter-long UAV has a service ceiling of 3 kilometers and a mission radius of 60 kilometers. It can operate for up to six hours and has a speed of 90 to 180 kilometers. Its maximum takeoff weight is 100 kilograms.

* In addition, KAI unveiled the concept of the Korean Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (K-CUAV). The stealthy attack variant now under development would be able to carry out air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, as well as ISR missions, said a KAI source.

The K-CUAV is to feature a low-observable design, including internal weapon carriage, an electro-optical/infrared targeting system and fly-by-wire digital control system.

The 8.4-meter-long UAV will have a wingspan of 9.1 meters and cruise at a top speed of Mach 0.86. It will have a service ceiling of 12 kilometers and five hours of operational endurance, as well as a combat radius of 280 kilometers.

* The Kyung An Cable Co. unveiled the VTOL Urban Star UAV. Company representatives said South Korea's military and the Turkish government have expressed interest in the Urban Star. The UAV's payload ranges from 3 to 5 kilograms, with a mission endurance of 30 to 90 minutes.

The company also displayed the RAT-1J aerial high-speed target system for advanced air defense training. Pakistan has expressed interest in the system.

Two relatively unknown domestic companies, Oneseen Skytech and Ucon Systems, displayed smaller but impressive unmanned systems.

* Ucon Systems showed off the RemoEye-002, -006 and -015 fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems and the RemoH-C100 and M100 VTOL UAVs. Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates have expressed interest in the aircraft, and South Korea's military is looking at the RemoEye-006.

* Oneseen Skytech displayed its line of VTOL UAVs, which are relatively small, with a maximum payload of 30 kilograms and a flight time of 90 to 120 minutes.

They can be equipped with surveillance and reconnaissance sensors and operated in semi- or full automatic modes. Since 2008, the company has exported the systems to China, France and Turkey.

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Rotating E-Scan Radar May Push Eurofighter Exports
By tom kington
Published: 20 Oct 2009 06:54
ROME - The new "repositionable" electronically scanned radar being proposed for the Eurofighter could make the difference for the fighter in export markets, its designers claim.

The Eurofighter currently flies with the mechanically scanned Captor radar, but the consortium that built the Captor is now pitching an e-scan radar, known as Caesar, to the U.K., Italy, Spain and Germany for its third tranche Eurofighters.

Unlike most e-scans, where radar radiating elements are placed on a fixed panel, the proposed solution for the Eurofighter will rotate.

"We believe the repositionable antenna is the way ahead and this will be approved by the Eurofighter partners," said Bob Mason, marketing and sales vice president for radar and advanced targeting at Selex Galileo. "It will be a differentiator in the export market place when competing against French and U.S. competitors which feature only fixed antennae."

Selex Galileo, EADS and Indra form the Euroradar consortium.

Fixed array e-scans rely on their multiple radiating elements to shift the direction of the radar beam. The Euroradar proposal undertakes beam shifting in the same way, but is set at an angle to the flight path and sits on a revolving gimbal, enlarging the area the beam can cover when it turns.

Officials said at the Paris Air Show this year that the function increases the angle of coverage from about 70 degrees to left or right to over 100 degrees, effectively allowing the radar to see "behind" the aircraft, useful for tracking weapons after delivery.

Mason said the e-scan radar offer to Eurofighter partners had evolved since work on the radar started.

"The Euroradar proposal was initially for a fixed antenna AESA radar with growth to a repositionable antenna," he said.

Mason rebuffed statements by U.S. radar makers that moving dishes dramatically increase maintenance.

"We say that the increase in both air to air and air to ground capability far outweighs any minimal increase in maintenance," he said.

"We would like to get at least a view of a common requirement by year end (from Eurofighter partners). Everyone recognizes the need for AESA radar for export campaigns like India," he said.

"If we get a requirement by year end we can have the radar ready for Tranche 3 Eurofighters but it will be very tight."

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Program On-Track for Initial Operational Test and Evaluation in 2011

Northrop Grumman
BETHPAGE, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In preparation for its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E), Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye test aircraft, known as Delta One, has successfully completed its first land-based catapult launch tests - a required phase of testing prior to fleet introduction. Both E-2D System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft, Delta One and Delta Two, are currently undergoing shore-based carrier suitability testing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., conducted by the U.S. Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20 (VX-20).

"Since transitioning to NAS Pax River from our East Coast Aircraft Manufacturing and Flight Test Center in St. Augustine, Fla., earlier this year, both E-2D SDD aircraft have been performing well," said Jim Culmo, Northrop Grumman vice president of Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management Command and Control Programs. "This latest milestone brings us that much closer to delivering this state-of-the-art airborne early warning capability to the U.S. Navy and demonstrates the tireless commitment and dedication of the joint Advanced Hawkeye team to successfully meeting, or exceeding, all program milestones."

Prior to joining the carrier fleet, all naval aviation aircraft undergo carrier suitability testing. The bulk of this testing involves catapult and arrested landing structural tests, as well as the interoperability between the aircraft and the carrier.

In the cockpit for the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye catapult test were Northrop Grumman Flight Test Pilot Les Ryan, and Dan Carrigg, Wyle flight test pilot. "There is nothing more exhilarating than being 'shot' off the deck of a carrier at more than 100 miles per hour," said Ryan. "This phase of testing is critical to ensure that the aircraft can structurally handle the rigors of carrier operations. We completed multiple launches and, during each one, Delta One performed as expected -- with no noted anomalies."

Introduced in 2007, and built on the E-2's strong legacy of providing world-class airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability for more than 45 years, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the sixth generation of the E-2. While its external appearance is similar to the E-2C, the internal systems of the Advanced Hawkeye have been completely redesigned and the capabilities vastly expanded. With its newly developed, more powerful AN/APY-9 Electronic Scan Array (ESA) radar, the E-2D will provide the warfighter with the expanded battlespace and situational awareness required for today's and tomorrow's missions.

Under a $408 million contract awarded in July 2007, Northrop Grumman is producing three E-2D pilot production aircraft which are on-track for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2010. Following the successful completion of a Milestone C review, a $432 million contract, awarded in June, kicked off Low-Rate Initial Production. The Navy's Program of Record is for 75 total E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.

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U.S. Navy Awards Lockheed Martin $17 Million for P-3 Orion Aircraft Acoustic Anti-submarine Warfare System Upgrades

Lockheed Martin

MANASSAS, Va., October 21st, 2009 - The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $17.5 million contract to upgrade existing anti-submarine warfare systems aboard the P-3C Orion aircraft to improve current acoustic capabilities and significantly reduce parts obsolescence.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will design, produce and install the new AN/USQ-78(V) Acoustic Subsystem for the P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft. The contract includes upgrades and technical refreshes to software in addition to procurement of Acoustic Receiver Tech Refresh systems. By employing open architecture, the new system will allow future capability upgrades while improving reliability and maintainability that reduce overall cost.

Utilizing the Air Acoustic Rapid Commercial Off-The-Shelf Insertion approach, Lockheed Martin is producing the AN/USQ-78(V) system as part of an ongoing, planned series of technical refreshes to the baseline system. These planned internal upgrades are designed to replace obsolete components, provide increased processing capacity and provide the framework for future aircraft upgrades.

“This update provides an open Commercial Off-The-Shelf digital architecture using a modern digital receiver that is common across all maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters,” said Denise Saiki, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Undersea Systems business. “That helps drive down the total ownership cost of the platforms and provides enhanced acoustic capability to the fleet.”

Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin’s Undersea Systems facility in Manassas, Va.

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Northrop Grumman Begins Full Rate Production of New Radar for B-2 Bomber

Northrop Grumman

PALMDALE, Calif., Oct. 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The nation's fleet of B-2 stealth bombers will all receive a new Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-developed radar system following the U.S. Air Force's decision to authorize full-rate production of the units by the company's Radar Modernization Program (RMP).

The decision, made Oct. 16 by the assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (acting), allows Northrop Grumman to begin fabrication of the balance of radar units needed to outfit the entire fleet. Those units will be produced as the final installment of the $468 million RMP contract awarded to the company by the Air Force in Dec. 2008.

Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long range arsenal, and one of the most survivable aircraft in the world.

"Putting this new radar on America's flight line helps ensure that the B-2 fleet is ready day or night to protect the nation's interests worldwide," said Dave Mazur, vice president and B-2 program manager for Northrop Grumman. "The new radar also makes it easier for our modernization team to add additional mission capabilities to the jet in the future."

Northrop Grumman is currently producing radar units authorized under the RMP low rate initial production program, added Mazur. The company is also installing radar units in operational B-2s as part of the RMP system development and demonstration phase.
The B-2 radar modernization program replaces the aircraft's original radar system with one that incorporates technology improvements that have occurred since the B-2 was originally designed in the early 1980s.

Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif. developed the new radar hardware under contract to Northrop Grumman. The units include a new advanced electronically scanned array antenna, a power supply and a modified receiver/exciter.

The B-2 is the only U.S. aircraft that combines stealth, long range, large payload and precision weapons in a single platform. In concert with the Air Force's air superiority fleet, which provides airspace control, and the Air Force's tanker fleet, which enables global mobility, the B-2 helps ensure an effective U.S. response to threats anywhere in the world. It can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and more than 10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling, giving it the ability to reach any point on the globe within hours.

The 20-aircraft fleet of B-2s is operated by the 509th Bomb Wing from its headquarters at Whiteman AFB, Mo.

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Boeing Completes Dutch Apache Industrial Cooperation Program

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 22, 2009 - The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has successfully completed its industrial cooperation program for the AH-64D Apache Armed Helicopter Program for the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs. This achievement, reached one year ahead of schedule and exceeding the reinvestment obligation, demonstrates the company's continued success in meeting its industrial cooperation commitments. Boeing has successfully implemented industrial participation programs totaling more than US$31 billion in nearly 40 countries over the past 30 years.

"The completion of the Apache helicopter program continues our long-standing commitment to invest in the regions where we do business," said Gwen Kopsie, director of International Industrial Participation & Alliances for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. "This accomplishment further reinforces our focus on developing partnerships and issuing contracts that will result in long-term, high-value jobs for the Dutch while further establishing Boeing as an enduring partner to Dutch industry. Over the last 10 years, Boeing has completed more than 300 such projects with more than 85 Dutch companies and institutions."

Beyond the completion of the Apache program, valued at more than $1 billion, Boeing continues to support the Ministry of Economic Affairs in its efforts to grow technology and small-business activities through five active industrial cooperation programs in the Netherlands. These programs for AH-64D Apache support services, the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, Joint Direct Attack Munitions weapons, the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, and (K)DC-10 aerial refueling tanker cockpit upgrades are on track for completion before 2017.

"For more than 70 years, Boeing has been a partner to the Netherlands," said Jan Närlinge, president of Boeing Northern Europe. "Today, Boeing is a major contributor to the Dutch economy through its industrial cooperation programs, generating more than $50 million in business annually. Boeing has many suppliers and customers in the region and enjoys close, mutually beneficial collaboration with airlines, government, academic institutions and industry."

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