Friday, October 22, 2010

DTN News: Boeing Confident With Indian Super Hornet Bid

Defense News: DTN News: Boeing Confident With Indian Super Hornet Bid
Source: By Craig Hoyle - Flight International
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 22, 2010: Boeing is optimistic it will make the shortlist for India's medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) requirement in 2011 with its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, says Rick McCrary, capture team manager for its Defense, Space & Security business unit.

With India having completed in-country flight evaluations of the six candidate airframes, McCrary believes a shortlist will be issued next year to narrow the field, most likely after the Aero India air show in Bangalore.

"I think it will be the heavy twins," he says, referring to the Super Hornet and rival offers with the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and RSK MiG-35. "They're looking for more serious medium combat aircraft, in weight and performance," he says.


Lockheed Martin and Saab are also pursuing the MMRCA contract offering their single-engined F-16IN and Gripen NG designs.

The Indian air force is seeking an initial 126 aircraft, with an option for 50% more at the same unit price, but McCrary says the service could eventually need up to 400 of the winning design. "They've got a huge air force, but it's ageing," he notes.

Deliveries will start within 36 months of a contract award, which is expected to be made in 2012. The first 18 aircraft will be completed by the successful bidder before final assembly and manufacturing responsibilities are progressively transferred to India. "This is a 20-year programme," McCrary notes.

In the case of Boeing, the company would first transfer final assembly and test of the Super Hornet for India from its St Louis site in Missouri and then "work back from there."

McCrary says New Delhi's recent selection of GE Aviation's F414 engine - which also powers the Super Hornet - for the MkII version of its Tejas light combat aircraft could help Boeing's bid for MMRCA. "We think they're disconnected, but would certainly like to think there's some synergy there."

Boeing also continues to answer requests for information about the Super Hornet from the United Arab Emirates about its new fighter requirement. France is also pursuing a proposed sale of its Rafale to the UAE's air force.

*THIS ARTICLE IS BEING POSTED FROM TORONTO, CANADA BY DTN NEWS ~ DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS, CONTACT:DTNNEWS@YMAIL.COM
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DTN News: Airbus Military Looks To India For A400M Grizzly Airlifter

Defense News: DTN News: Airbus Military Looks To India For A400M Grizzly Airlifter
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources
(NSI News Source Info) SEVILLE, Spain - October 22, 2010: European aerospace major EADS is on the verge of bringing into markets its new A400M Grizzly to compete in Indian military proposals for inducting giant airlifters to boost its strategic reach.

Didier Vernet, Head of A400M Market Development, Airbus Military, said the European consortium is looking to increase sales of the multi-national four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft outside Europe, particularly to "the lucrative Indian defence market".

He said Airbus Military is looking beyond the continent for new business as it inches ahead to ink a final agreement among the launch nations -- France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Turkey, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Currently 180 aircraft are ordered by the seven launch nations, with an additional four from Malaysia.

"We can consider selling A400M to India after fulfilling the orders of the launch nations as we see India as a major market," Vernet told PTI here, adding they plan to manufacture thirty aircraft per year.

With India seeking to expand its strategic lift capacity, the Grizzly could give a run for money to Boeing C-17 Globemasters as well as the Russian competitors.

New Delhi recently announced a decision to buy through government-to-government deal 10 American C-17 Globemasters, with planners saying that airforce needed many more.

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), the parent company of Airbus Military, is looking to India as a key market for its A400M airlifter, which has been dogged by delays and spiralling costs.

In India, it plans to position the A400M between Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and Boeing C-17 Globemasters, the two hot ticket items on the US agenda for President Barack Obama's New Delhi visit next month.

The A400M programme, which was launched in May 2003 and moving into its industrial phase in 2006, was designed by Airbus Military "as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities".

The hulking gray A400M turboprop could be "rapidly reconfigured to become air-to-air tanker able to refuel fighters, helicopter and other large aircraft at their preferred speeds and height."

It has a "built in AAR refueling capability that is fast and high enough for fast jets and slow and low enough for helicopters" "to give a commander operational flexibility enabling him to assign these aircrafts to which ever role is most needed to meet rapidly changing operational scenarios," Vernet said.

Operation from austere airfields with short runways
under hot and high conditions is a key characteristic of A400M. The airlifter's "good low speed characteristic and ample power allow the use of short airstrips for take off and landing".

It can "deliver 25 tonnes of payload into a 750 metres (2460 ft) airstrip with enough fuel on board for a 500 nm return trip".

The ambitious joint European defence project is, however, running four years behind schedule and cost overruns. EADS has been in discussions with the seven customer governments, with some key nations hesitant to plough more money into the much-delayed project.

Despite reaching an agreement in principle earlier this year on how to share the cost overruns, they are still to sign the final agreement.

"We are moving to ink a deal," Vernet said, even as he agreed that efforts to trim defence budget by governments across Europe has prompted alarm for the ambitious project, already dogged by delays and spiralling costs.

However, he argued that inking a joint deal involving all seven nations is bound to take some time as consortium member nations are facing pressure from austerity budgets following the worst economic recession in generations.

Even as Vernet suggested a sense of uncertainty over the final agreement, many at Airbus saw a silver lining in global shift toward security - including anti-terror measures, border surveillance and disaster management - as key factors that will help the project survive defense spending cuts.

Manuel Portillo, Configuration Manager for A400M, agrees that the "biggest challenge for Airbus is to meet the timeline targets and cost overruns".

Vernet said the "versatile airlifter provides the strategic range capability" and undertakes both military and civic tasks.

"With a typical payload of 20 tonnes, it has an operating range of 3450 nm (6390 km) and 2450 nm (4535 km) range with a payload of 30 tonnes," he said.

*THIS ARTICLE IS BEING POSTED FROM TORONTO, CANADA BY DTN NEWS ~ DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS, CONTACT:DTNNEWS@YMAIL.COM

DTN News: KONGSBERG And Rheinmetall Sign Framework Agreement

Defense News: DTN News: KONGSBERG And Rheinmetall Sign Framework Agreement
Source: DTN News / Kongsberg Gruppen
(NSI News Source Info) KONGSBERG, Norway - October 22, 2010: The scope of this agreement is to provide a framework for the co-operation between the companies for the Remote Weapon Station (RWS) product area.

Through this agreement the companies intend to not only maintain, but also to expand the co-operation as well as establish joint sales efforts in some international markets.

Kongsberg and Rheinmetall have entered into this co-operation agreement to promote the KONGSBERG PROTECTOR family of RWS' and also increase the level of integration between the two companies' product lines. The overall objective of bringing the two high technology companies together is to offer leading-edge solutions and to raise the value for our international customers.

KONGSBERG (OSE Ticker: KOG) is an international, knowledge-based group that supplies high-technology systems and solutions to customers engaged in the oil and gas industry, the merchant marine, and the defence and aerospace industries. In 2009, KONGSBERG had a turnover of NOK 13.8 billion, and the Group had 5 423 employees in more than 25 countries.

Rheinmetall AG is a globe-spanning defence technology and automotive engineering group with an international customer base. Employing a 20,000-strong global work force, the Rheinmetall Group generated sales in FY 2009 of around 3.4 billion Euro. Rheinmetall Defence's six divisions – Vehicle Systems, Weapons and Ammunition, Air Defence, Propellants, Defence Electronics and Simulation and Training – supply the world's armed forces with a comprehensive array of products and services.

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DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated October 21, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated October 21, 2010
Source: U.S. DoD issued No. 964-10 October 21, 2010
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - October 22, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued October 21,
2010 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

NAVY

InfoEdge Technology, Inc., Austin, Texas, is being awarded a $44,505,174 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for litigation support services for the Naval Litigation Office, Washington, D.C. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C. (70 percent), and Austin, Texas (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by October 2015. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two offers received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00189-10-D-Z040).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Eagan, Minn., is being awarded a $7,300,000 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-06-D-0012) for services in support of the Pakistan Navy’s P-3C upgrade program under the Foreign Military Sales program. Support to be provided includes labor, aircraft hangar costs, and acoustic receiver technical refresh program report resolution required to upgrade and overhaul seven P-3C aircraft. Work will be performed in Greenville, S.C. (80 percent), and Eagan, Minn. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.