Sunday, April 11, 2010

France Orders 8 CN-235 Transports Pending A400M Deliveries

Defense News: Paris - France's (April 11) Direction Générale pour l'Armement (DGA) has ordered eight Casa CN-235 transport aircraft for 225 million euros ($305 million) as a stopgap measure pending delivery of the larger A400M airlifter, the procurement office said April 1.
"In line with the decision of the Ministry of Defense taken at the end of last year at a ministerial investment committee, the Direction Générale pour l'Armement has ordered 8 light transport aircraft of the Casa CN-235 type," the DGA said in a statement The contract, signed March 25, includes initial service support from EADS Casa, with deliveries to the French Air Force scheduled between 2011 and 2013.
The eight new aircraft will join the 19 CN-235 planes in service and allow missions to be better distributed among the Transall C-160, Hercules C-130 and Casa CN-235s flown by the Air Force.
DGA chief Laurent Collet-Billion told a parliamentary hearing March 24 that the present fleet of aging transports met only about 25 percent of the cargo mission set out in the white paper on defense and national security. Some aircraft are more than 40 years old and are costly to maintain.
A major concern of the service is the difficulty in maintaining pilot skills and flight hours with the present fleet.
The twin-engine propeller Casa CN-235 performs logistical supply and parachute drops. The plane has a range of 3,500 kilometers and carries 5 tons of cargo or 40 passengers.
A first delivery of the A400M aircraft in its basic cargo-carrying configuration is due in 2013, with an expected entry into service the following year.

DTN News: Russia Sends Additional Missile Cruiser To Indian Ocean

Defense News: DTN News: Russia Sends Additional Missile Cruiser To Indian Ocean
Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) SEVASTOPOL, - April 10, 2010: The Moskva missile cruiser will set sail on Friday on a long-range tour of duty, which will culminate with exercises in the Indian Ocean, a Navy official said.
The flagship of the Black Sea Fleet will join other Russian warships in the region, including the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser, which left Russia's Northern Fleet headquarters of Severomorsk on March 31.
"During the tour of duty, the Moskva cruiser will cross the Mediterranean, pass through the Suez Canal and conduct joint exercises with warships from other Russian fleets, including from the Northern Fleet, in the Indian Ocean," a spokesman for the Black Sea Fleet said.
The cruiser, which has a compliment of naval infantry on board, will also make several port calls in the Indian Ocean.
The Moskva is a Slava-class missile cruiser designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-aircraft and ASW capability.
The ship has 16 SS-N-12 Sandbox supersonic anti-ship missiles, mounted in four pairs on each side.
Russia announced in 2007 that it was building up its naval presence in the world's oceans. Once one the world's most powerful navies, Russia now has few ships regularly deployed.
A Russian Pacific Fleet task force, comprising an Udaloy class missile destroyer, Marshal Shaposhnikov, a salvage tug and a tanker, is currently on an anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast.

DTN News: US Troop Flights At Kyrgyzstan Base Suspended Says US Military

Defense News: DTN News: US Troop Flights At Kyrgyzstan Base Suspended Says US Military
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - April 10, 2010: The US military has suspended troop flights out of its base in Kyrgyzstan and will instead transport forces to and from Afghanistan via Kuwait, military officials said Friday.
Amid political upheaval in the strategic Central Asian nation, US commanders at the Manas air base decided late Friday "to temporarily divert military passenger transport flights," Major John Redfield, a spokesman for US Central Command, said in an email.
Decisions on continuing other military flights "will be made on a case-by-case basis," he said.
The suspension came after the Americans spotted armored vehicles on the civilian side of the airport, a defense official told AFP.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said details were still unclear and there was no sign of tensions with the civilian authorities at Manas, a crucial hub for the NATO-led war in Afghanistan.
The suspension of troop flights -- which were diverted to a US base in Kuwait -- would remain in effect for at least 72 hours, the official said, but aerial tanker aircraft were continuing to use the runway.
Kyrgyzstan's interim leader Friday offered president Kurmanbek Bakiyev safe passage out of the country, but only if he first resigns.
Bakiyev, however, remained defiant. He told AFP in an interview that he would not resign and accusing the opposition that ousted him of having blood on their hands over this week's uprising that killed at least 75 people.
NATO has increasingly relied on the Manas base amid a surge of US forces in the Afghan war, with an influx of 30,000 troops due by August.
But the US military presence has irritated Russia, placing Kyrgyzstan at the center of a big power rivalry for regional influence.
Kyrgyzstan last year threatened to close the base after receiving a promise of more than two billion dollars in aid and loans from Moscow, which many saw as a sign of Russian resentment over the American operation.
Bishkek eventually agreed to keep the US base open after Washington more than tripled the rent paid to use Manas.
The US base operates round-the-clock, carrying out mid-air refuelling missions and medical evacuations while transporting tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tonnes of cargo every month.
In March, about 50,000 troops passed through Manas, en route to or out of Afghanistan, according to US Central Command.

Embraer and Austral Seal Contract for 20 Embraer 190 Jets

Defense News: SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, April 9/PRNewswire/ -- The contract for the sale of 20 EMBRAER 190 jets to Austral Lineas Aereas, of Argentina, was finalized. The agreement was announced in May 2009, and was conditioned on fulfilling several requirements, which were finalized. From the 20 jets on order, three were already included in the firm order backlog of the first quarter of 2010, as "Undisclosed".

The EMBRAER 190 jets ordered by the Argentine airline are of the Advanced Range (AR) model, and can fly nonstop for 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km). The passenger cabin configuration, with four seats per row, is very comfortable and will have a total of 96 seats divided into two classes: eight in the executive and 88 in the economy. Furthermore, all passengers will have a modern inflight entertainment system with individual monitors.

Austral will use the aircraft mainly to substitute older jets on domestic routes, to increase current flight frequencies, and to serve new cities. The modern and comfortable E-Jets will allow the airline to fly any route within Argentina's territory, nonstop.

The EMBRAER 190 is one of four models of the EMBRAER 170/190 E-Jets family and entered operation in 2005. The broad customer base is comprised of 56 companies in 39 countries. With over 620 units in operation, these aircraft have transported 200 million passengers worldwide.

Note to Editors

Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. - NYSE: ERJ; BM&FBovespa: EMBR3) is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 120 seats, and one of Brazil's leading exporters. Embraer's headquarters are located in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo, and it has offices, industrial operations and customer service facilities in Brazil, China, France, Portugal, Singapore, and the United States. Founded in 1969, the Company designs, develops, manufactures and sells aircraft for the commercial aviation, executive aviation, and defense segments. The Company also provides after sales support and services to customers worldwide. On March 31, 2010, Embraer had a workforce of 16,792 employees – not counting the employees of its partly owned subsidiaries – and its firm order backlog totaled US$ 16.0 billion

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Elbit Systems Schedules First Quarter 2010 Results Release for May 13, 2010



Conference Call Scheduled for May 13, 2010 at 10:00am ET

Defense News: HAIFA, Israel, April 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq:ESLT - News) announced today that it will be releasing its first quarter 2010 financial results on Thursday, May 13, 2010.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080408/300441 )

The Company will also be hosting a conference call later the same day, Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 10:00a.m. Eastern Time. On the call, management will review and discuss the results and will be available to answer questions.

To participate, please call one of the teleconferencing numbers that follow. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number.

US Dial-in Numbers: 1 888 407 2553

UK Dial-in Number: 0 800 917 9141

ISRAEL Dial-in Number: 03 918 0610

INTERNATIONAL Dial-in Number: +972 3 918 0610


at 10:00am Eastern Time; 7:00am Pacific Time; 3:00pm UK Time; 5:00pm Israel Time



This call will also be broadcast live on Elbit Systems' web-site at http://www.elbitsystems.com. An online replay will be available from 24 hours after the call ends.

Alternatively, for two days following the call, investors will be able to dial a replay number to listen to the call. The dial-in numbers are:

1 888 326 9310 (US) or +972 3 925 5901 (Israel and International).

About Elbit Systems:

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international defense electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems ("UAS"), advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, airborne warning systems, SIGINT systems, data links and military communications systems and radios. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing military platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial aviation applications and providing a range of support services.

For additional information, visit: www.elbitsystems.com.

Company Contact


  1. Joseph Gaspar, Executive VP & CFO
  1. Dalia Rosen, Head of Corporate Communications
  1. Elbit Systems Ltd.
  1. Tel: +972-4-831-6663 / Fax: +972-4-831-6944
  1. E-mail: j.gaspar@elbitsystems.com

Dalia.rosen@elbitsystems.com


IR Contact


  1. Ehud Helft
  1. Kenny Green
  1. CCG Investor Relations
  1. Tel: 1-646-201-9246

E-mail: elbitsystems@ccgisrael.com



This press release contains forward looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward Looking Statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forward looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

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