Noticias Aeronáuticas del Mundo (archivo)

[Carlos Martín]

9/4/2008 - CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- Eleven C-17 Globemaster III aircraft here evacuated Sept. 4 due to the possibility of severe weather caused by Tropical Storm Hanna.

The evacuation of the C-17s began midmorning and continued until about 2:15 p.m. Six of the aircraft relocated to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, while the remaining five were repositioned at Whiteman AFB, Mo.

Currently, flying operations are suspended here until the aircraft are cleared to safely return. The last time Charleston AFB officials evacuated aircraft for a hurricane was in August 2006.

"We've been watching Tropical Storm Hanna this past week and we are taking the appropriate actions to make sure that both the base and our people are ready," said Col. John Millander, 437th Airlift Wing commander. "We are repositioning our aircraft for two reasons. One is to maintain the security of the aircraft; the other is to continue the ability to use the aircraft, so that if we get tasked for missions, we still have the ability to operate."

The colonel said the day-to-day operations here would continue up until the point that base leaders determine the safety of Charleston's population could be jeopardized because of the storm.

Mas vale prevenir...

[Carlos Martín]

ADQUISICION DEL ATS PARA LOS C-17 AUSTRALIANOS

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 05, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that it has been awarded a $33 million U.S. Air Force Foreign Military Sales contract to provide a C-17 Aircrew Training System (ATS) to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The contract marks the first international sale of the system. The ATS, which will be located at the RAAF's Amberley base, consists of a Weapons Systems Trainer, a loadmaster station and a learning center.

Boeing subcontractor Flight Safety International of Tulsa, Okla., is providing the hardware for the program. Boeing Support Systems is responsible for software development and integration as well as program management. The contract also includes logistics support, to be provided by Boeing Australia Limited.

The RAAF operates four C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, all delivered between November 2006 and January 2008 and based in Amberley.

"The commissioning of C-17 training devices in Australia will provide greater independence and flexibility in the ongoing training of RAAF C-17 crews," said RAAF Group Captain Andrew Doyle, Heavy Air Lift Director. "To this point we have relied on the magnificent cooperation and support of the U.S. Air Force in making C-17 training places available for our crews and have deliberately reduced the frequency of simulator training to minimize the requirement for our crews to travel to the United States. In-country C-17 training capability will greatly enhance the effectiveness of our small fleet and increase the operational contribution of our C-17s to national and coalition tasks."

"We have been successfully delivering the C-17 ATS to our U.S. Air Force customer since 1992 and are excited about launching our program into the international market," said Mark McGraw, vice president of Training Systems and Services for Boeing Support Systems.

The system will include Boeing's newly developed Virtual Cargo Load Model, a new training device that allows loadmaster students to practice configuring a variety of cargo loads on a laptop computer.

The C-17 ATS provides guaranteed students, meaning that Boeing provides remedial training if aircrews don't pass their flight evaluations. With 10 Boeing-developed, -operated and -supported sites currently active, the system provides student instruction to more than 1,500 new pilot, co-pilot and loadmaster students each year while maintaining follow-up training for more than 8,000 active, reserve and Air National Guard aircrew.

[Carlos Martín]

MODERNIZACION DE LOS C-130 SATISFACTORIA

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 05, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that it has completed software development for its C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP). The milestone was achieved following the successful flight test of aircraft AMP 2 (H2.5), conducted by Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 18. During the 1.6-hour flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the combined Boeing/Air Force crew tested the functionality of Core Complete 2.2.

"This is a great day for the AMP team," said Mark Angelo, Boeing C-130 AMP program manager. "This flight marks the completion of the developmental stage of both the aircraft's hardware and software. We are ready to begin Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) early next year."

Boeing will install kits on 11 C-130 transport aircraft under the LRIP agreement. The company is expected to provide the AMP modifications and upgrades to more than 200 C-130 aircraft under the Air Force contract awarded in 2001.

The first AMP aircraft, AMP 1 (H2), is at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., for isochronal inspection, which is a comprehensive nose-to-tail inspection and system check. AMP 2 will continue ground and flight testing at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards.

A third aircraft, AMP 3 (H3), is undergoing modifications and upgrades at Boeing Support Systems' San Antonio facility. The aircraft will receive a fully integrated, night-vision-goggle compatible, digital glass cockpit and a new digital avionics system, increasing situational awareness for the warfighter. The AMP upgrade also brings commonality to the C-130 fleet and offers flexibility in assigning aircrew, regardless of the model design type.

[Carlos Martín]

CONTRATO 17 UAVs SHADOW PARA EL US ARMY

Army Armaments Incorporated, Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Sept. 3, 2008, a $242,090,132 firm/fixed price contract for the purchase of 17 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle systems and associated support equipment. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 15, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58GRGZ-08-C-0023).

[Carlos Martín]

EL A-42 SE PERFILA COMO FUTURO AVION ASW DE RUSIA

05/09/2008 13:01 GELENDZHIK (South Russia), September 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Navy will put into operation four new A-42 amphibious planes by 2013, a senior military official said on Friday.

The A-42 (Be-42) amphibious plane is the search and rescue variant of the A-40 Mermaid ASW aircraft, which can be used for reconnaissance and target designation during patrols over coastal and international waters. It is the largest amphibious aircraft in the world.

"The Russian naval aviation will receive four A-42 amphibious planes by 2013, with the first one to be commissioned in 2010," the deputy commander of naval aviation, Maj. Gen. Nikolai Kuklev.

He said the A-42 would become the main reconnaissance and ASW aircraft of the Russian Navy after 2015 and would replace the ageing fleet of Be-12 Mail and Il-38 May maritime patrol aircraft.

At present, Russia deploys nine Be-12 aircraft with the Black Sea Fleet and has about 40 Il-38 planes operating with the Northern and Pacific fleets.

[Carlos Martín]

MODERNIZACION DE LOS UH-60M BLACK HAWK DEL US ARMY

WINDSOR LOCKS, USA- North America, Connecticut, Sep 8, 2008

Hamilton Sundstrand's hardware has contributed to a successful first flight of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.'s UH-60M BLACK HAWK Upgrade. Both Hamilton Sundstrand and Sikorsky are subsidiaries of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

Hamilton Sundstrand supplies the UH-60M Upgrade's flight control computers, active vibration control and rotor blade de-icing, while its Claverham, U.K., business supplies the aircraft's ballistic-tolerant main and tail rotor servos. The flight control computer, part of the aircraft's fly-by-wire flight control system, lessens pilot workload while offering enhanced maneuverability.

The UH-60M Upgrade is expected to generate more than $850 million in revenue for Hamilton Sundstrand over the life of the program.

"The UH-60M Upgrade is a major step forward in Sikorsky's ability to provide the U.S. military with superior technology," said Sal Marano, Hamilton Sundstrand general manager of Airframe Products. "Hamilton Sundstrand is proud to be an integral part of this exciting new technology."

The UH-60M Upgrade is currently the only fly-by-wire rotary wing aircraft in flight test development within the Department of the Army. The UH-60M Upgrade will offer the U.S. Army a safer, more responsive and versatile aircraft. It will reduce pilot workload, increase lift, and offer better protection and enhanced survivability.

[Carlos Martín]

CONTRATO POR 5 CV-22 ADICIONALES PARA LA USS NAVY

Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $358,694,214 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee multi-year contract (N00019-07-C-0001) for five additional CV-22 Tiltrotor aircraft to the current multi-year V-22 production contract. Pursuant to the Variation in Quantity clause, this procurement will bring the number of CV-22 aircraft on this contract from 26 to 31. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., (50 percent); Fort Worth, Texas, (35 percent); and Amarillo, Texas, (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in Oct. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

[Carlos Martín]

BUQUES RUSOS REALIZARÁN MANIOBRAS EN VENEZUELA

08/09/2008 16:30 MOSCOW, September 8 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian naval task force from the Northern Fleet will go on a tour of duty in the Atlantic Ocean and participate in joint naval drills with the Venezuelan navy in November, a Navy spokesman said on Monday.

"In line with the 2008 training program and in order to expand military cooperation with foreign navies Russia will send in November a naval task force from the Northern Fleet, comprising nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy and support ships, to the Atlantic Ocean," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.

During the tour of duty, the Russian warships will participate in joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy.

"The decision to conduct Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises was adopted at the meeting between presidents in July this year," Dygalo said.

"During the exercise, ships and naval aircraft will practice coordinated maneuvering, search-and-rescue, and communications," he said.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez earlier said Venezuela would hold joint naval exercises with Russian warships in the Caribbean in late November-early December.

Russia announced last year that Russia's Navy had resumed, and would build up its continual presence in different regions of the world's oceans.

A naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet, consisting of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Udaloy-Class destroyers Admiral Levchenko and Admiral Chabanenko, as well as auxiliary vessels, conducted from December 2007 to February 2008 a two-month tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic.

[Carlos Martín]

YA ESTA LISTO EL LASER ABL

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Sept. 8, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The high-energy laser installed earlier this year on the Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft fired successfully Sept. 7 in a ground test at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), under contract to The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), ABL's prime contractor, designed and built the megawatt-class laser, the most powerful directed energy weapon ever developed for airborne use.

Called "first light," the lasing or test firing proved that the laser is ready to demonstrate power output sufficient to destroy a ballistic missile in flight. The firing of the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) from its permanent home aboard the ABL aircraft followed a recent series of activation tests and once again validated the integration, operation and control of the six laser modules that form the core of the flight laser and their associated optics.

"We're very confident in the ability of the high-energy laser to shoot down multiple missiles from a single platform as part of a directed energy weapon system," said Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Space Technology sector. "The ABL team has successfully demonstrated the technology and moved us another significant step closer to shooting down a ballistic missile."

Future firings with longer duration are planned as ground testing continues throughout the remainder of this year. Those will be followed by flight tests of the entire ABL weapon system, culminating in an airborne intercept test against a ballistic missile scheduled for 2009.

"The COIL laser met or exceeded all our predictions based on the laboratory test firings in 2005," said Dan Wildt, vice president of Directed Energy Systems for Northrop Grumman Space Technology. "This test was conducted under realistic conditions. The laser fuel was supplied by onboard chemical tanks, and the laser was subjected to atmospheric conditions consistent with those at the altitude at which the aircraft will fly."

The laser was fired into an onboard calorimeter, a test instrument that captures and measures characteristics of the beam. During upcoming ground tests prior to resuming flight, the beam will be sent through the ABL beam control/fire control system and out of the turret mounted on the front-end of the aircraft.

The ABL aircraft consists of a modified Boeing 747-400F whose aft section holds the high-energy laser. The front section of the aircraft contains the beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), and the battle management system, provided by ABL prime contractor The Boeing Company.

[Carlos Martín]

NUEVO CONTRATO PARA EQUIPAR EL RAID DEL US ARMY

EWKSBURY, Mass., Sept. 9, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a U.S. Army contract modification to provide additional persistent surveillance capability through the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) program.

Raytheon was awarded $27.6 million to provide RAID elevated sensor systems to the U.S. Army as part of the Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance System program (BETSS).

"The continued high demand for the RAID system demonstrates its effectiveness in saving lives," said Pete Franklin, vice president, National & Theater Security Programs for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "RAID continues to be one of the most valuable systems fielded today, and Raytheon is proud to be a partner with the U.S. Army in this critically important endeavor."

RAID provides persistent surveillance using infrared sensors elevated on a stationary platform. Raytheon first developed RAID to respond to the U.S. military's critical need for persistent surveillance in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The RAID system is currently in wide use throughout Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and will be an integral part of the BETSS effort.

RAID is an example of IDS' OpenAIR(TM) business model that leverages the best of academia, large and small business to provide the best value solution. Work will be performed at Raytheon IDS' Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass., Cross Business Integration Center, Billerica, Mass., and Warfighter Protection Center, Huntsville, Ala.

[Carlos Martín]

CANCELACION DECISION SOBRE MODELO DE AVION CISTERNA ELEGIDO POR EE.U.

Today 10 Sept. 2008, the Department of Defense notified the Congress and the two competing contractors, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, that it is terminating the current competition for a U.S. Air Force airborne tanker replacement.

Secretary Gates, in consultation with senior Defense and Air Force officials, has determined that the solicitation and award cannot be accomplished by January. Rather than hand the next Administration an incomplete and possibly contested process, Secretary Gates decided that the best course of action is to provide the next Administration with full flexibility regarding the requirements, evaluation criteria and the appropriate allocation of defense budget to this mission.

Secretary Gates stated, “Over the past seven years the process has become enormously complex and emotional – in no small part because of mistakes and missteps along the way by the Department of Defense. It is my judgment that in the time remaining to us, we can no longer complete a competition that would be viewed as fair and objective in this highly charged environment. The resulting “cooling off” period will allow the next Administration to review objectively the military requirements and craft a new acquisition strategy for the KC-X.”

In making this decision, it was concluded that the current KC-135 fleet can be adequately maintained to satisfy Air Force missions for the near future. Sufficient funds will be recommended in the FY09 and follow-on budgets to maintain the KC-135 at high-mission capable rates. In addition, the Department will recommend to the Congress the disposition of the pending FY09 funding for the tanker program and plans to continue funding the KC-X program in the FY10 to FY15 budget presently under review.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has cancelled the competition for the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract.

Gates told the House Armed Services Committee today that he decided the contract cannot be awarded by January, and that rather than award a contract that will be contested, the better idea is to let the next administration make its decision.

“It has now become clear that the solicitation and award process cannot be accomplished by January,” he said. “Thus, I believe that rather than hand the next administration an incomplete and possibly contested process, we should cleanly defer this procurement to the next team.”

The Air Force had awarded the contract for what’s known as the KC-X to the Northrop-Grumman/EADS/Airbus consortium, which prompted a protest from rival bidder Boeing. The General Accountability Office found irregularities in the awarding of the contract, and Gates determined to re-open the bidding process on July 9.

Gates told the representatives that the department has been trying for seven years to find the proper way to replace the current fleet of KC-135 tankers. Over that time, the process has become most complex and emotional, Gates said, partly because of Defense Department mistakes.

“It is my judgment that in the time remaining to us, we cannot complete a competition that will be viewed as fair and competitive in this highly-charged environment,” the secretary said. “I believe the resulting cooling-off period will allow the next administration to view objectively the military requirements and craft a new acquisition strategy for the KC-X as it sees fit.”

Gates said he’s been assured that the current KC-135 fleet can be adequately maintained to satisfy Air Force missions for the near future, and sufficient funds will be recommended in the fiscal 2009 and follow-on budgets to maintain the KC-135 at high mission-capable rates.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sept. 10, 2008 - The following is the statement of Brandon R. "Randy" Belote, III, Northrop Grumman vice president, Strategic Communications, in response to today's decision terminating the current KC-X tanker competition:

"We are extremely disappointed at the decision to terminate the current tanker competition, especially on behalf of our men and women in uniform who will now be denied a critically needed new tanker for years.

"The Department of Defense, as recently as last week, stated the urgency to replace the Eisenhower-era fleet of refueling tankers. With this delay, it is conceivable that our warfighters will be forced to fly tankers as old as 80 years of age.

"Northrop Grumman entered this competition in good faith and proposed the most modern, most capable tanker available, at the best value to the American taxpayer. While we understand the complexities of this procurement, we are greatly concerned about the potential future implications for the defense acquisition process."

Esta decisión del Gobierno de los EE.UU. puede tener nefastas consecuencias para Northrop y EADS, aunque no hay que olvidar que la mayor perjudicada será la USAF, que vé de nuevo como se posterga la decisión y tiene que mantener en servicio los KC-135 más tiempo del previsto.

Según informaciones facilitadas por los medios de comunicación españoles, los demócratas (Obama) estarían decantados por la opción de Boeing, apoyándose en crear puestos de trabajo en los EE.UU., mientras que los republicanos (McCain) estarían del lado de Northrop-EADS ya que McCain había apoyado públicamente la primera decisión de adjudicar el contrato a Northrop-EADS. Esto parece el mundo al reves ya que tradicionalmente los republicanos eran los que cerraban las puertas a los europeos en temas de defensa, mientras que los demócratas eran más receptivos a la tecnología europea.
Tendremos que estar muy atentos al resultado de las elecciones, y no olvidar nunca el gran peso político que tiene el gigante Boeing en los EE.UU.

[Carlos Martín]

FINALIZACION PRUEBAS MODERNIZACION E-3 AWACS DE LA USAF

SEATTLE, Sept. 10, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has completed mission system flight testing for Block 40/45, the largest upgrade in the history of the U.S. E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet.

During a 15-month period from April 2007 to July 2008, Boeing and the Air Force's Joint Test Force flew missions aboard Test System 3, an AWACS test aircraft, to complete the System Design and Development program.

"Test data indicate the Block 40/45 system meets or exceeds all its key performance parameters and technical performance requirements," said Stu Oliason, 40/45 System Design and Development program manager for Boeing.

"The success of this flight-test program is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of 40/45 employees. We're all very excited about bringing this new capability to the warfighter," Oliason added.

Under the Block 40/45 program, the aircraft's legacy mainframe computer has been replaced with an open system architecture using network servers in a user-friendly operating environment. The vastly improved computing power helps automate what is currently a manually intensive workload for the AWACS operators.

A multisource integration capability automates the process of detecting and identifying targets to provide a single-target/single-track resolution. Outgoing tasking messages are automatically prioritized via a data link infrastructure. Features are displayed to operators on the Primary AWACS Display in a user-friendly, intuitive manner. The numerous buttons and switches around the current operator console have been replaced with point-and-click simplicity and a display featuring drop-down menus and rapid access to all required information. This functionality shortens the time required to execute either combat or search-and-rescue missions.

The cumulative benefit of the Block 40/45 upgrade is to increase overall mission effectiveness for AWACS operators in the 21st-century battlespace, while boosting the reliability of the mission system and lowering life-cycle costs. The baseline capability is designed to allow future upgrades.

The Air Force is expected to make a decision on the next step -- a Block 40/45 production contract -- by the end of this year.

[Carlos Martín]

LA NAVY EJERCE OPCION POR DOS P-8A ADICIONALES

The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $278,030,886 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-3146) to exercise an option for two P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) air vehicles, with mission systems in support of the System Development and Demonstration Phase of the MMA. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., (90 percent), and Wichita, Kan., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in Sept. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River Md., is the contracting activity.

[Carlos Martín]

LA NAVY CONTRATA 3 UAVs DE DESPEGUE Y ATERIZAJE VERTICAL (VTUAV)

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Sector, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $32,903,698 not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0041) for the procurement of three low rate initial production Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle air vehicle units. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed in Oct. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

[Carlos Martín]

NUEVOS AMRAAM PARA LA USAF

Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, of Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $7,388,454. This action will provide Advanced Medium Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-120C-3 through AIM 120C-7 Counter Advanced Electronic Attack (EA) Risk Reduction/Concept Refinement (RR/CR). At this time all funds have been obligated. 328th Armament Systems Group, Eglin AFB, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-08-C-0247).