Revista Aérea » Defense

Embraer and Colombia to Partner in KC-390 Program

israelrafalovich — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:55:25 +0000

Embraer and Colombia signed a Declaration of Intent
according to which Columbia will take part in the
development program and the production of the KC-390
military transport jet.
Colombia’s participation in the program will result in
setting up a factory for machined parts, in order to serve
the aviation market, as well as in the purchase of 12
KC-390 airplanes by the Colombian Air Force(FAC).
Colombia joins Chile, which also recently signed a
Declaration of Intent for the participation in the military
jet transport program.
All together, purchase intents of the Colombian, Chilean
and Brazilian air forces total 46 KC-390 aircraft, 28 of
which by the FAB, 12 by the FAC, and another six by
the Chilean Air Force.

Tweet This Post

Chile – Brazil in Joint Venture for Transport Aircraft

israelrafalovich — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:15:16 +0000

The defense ministers of Chile and Brazil signed a
Declaration of Intent for the participation of Chile
and Brazil in the development of the KC-390 military
transport aircraft which will be produced by Embraer.
The declaration also marks the beginning of negotiations
regarding the future acquisition of six KC-390 aircraft
for the Chilean Air Force(FACH).
During the Farnborough International Air Show, in July,
Embraer and the FAB announced the intent of the
Brazilian government to make an initial purchase of
28 KC-390 jets to renew the Air Force fleet.

Tweet This Post

Persuader Patrol Planes for Mexico’s Maritime

thomas — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:41:57 +0000

As Mexico’s military needs have escalated the
Mexican government is signing contracts on a
number of fronts, from full systems, to UAVs and
aerostats, to to medium helicopters.
More equipment is on the way, via Mexico’s own
purchases and the USA’s Merida initiative.
One of the most important acquisition programs is
EADS-CASA’s popular CN-235 MPA maritime
patrol aircraft which currently serves, among others,
with Spain and Columbia.
The Persuader is important to Mexico’s current
Cartel War.
The estimated cost for three aircraft is $60 million plus
spare and repair parts,support equipment, personnel
training as well as training equipment.
Further more, Mexico and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
signed lately a contract for three UH-60M aircraft for
the Mexican Navy and three auxiliary power units inlet
barrier filter kits for the UH-60M.
The contract value is $35,252,210 and the estimated delivery
date is the end of 2012.

Israel Rafalovich

Tweet This Post

Sikorsky Innovations Achieves First BLACK HAWK™ Helicopter Autonomous Formation Flight

thomas — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:14:10 +0000

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW, London, England -– The first flight of the Sikorsky Autonomous Formation Flying (AFF) system was carried out on June 4 by Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development organization of Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

The demonstration used the Sikorsky AFF system implemented on the U.S. Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate’s (AFDD) JUH-60A RASCALTM aircraft, flying in formation with an unmodified EH-60L aircraft. The AFF Project is aimed to reduce a helicopter pilot’s workload by automating routine formation flight. The AFF system will allow a pilot to designate a lead aircraft and engage the system to maintain flight at a specified relative position.

“The AFF control system is the first in a series of demonstrations showcasing Sikorsky Aircraft’s competence in autonomy,” said Mark Miller, Vice President of Engineering. “This is the first in a series of planned technology demonstrations that highlight our capabilities in key areas to promote autonomous flight, including, sensing, control, and system integration.”

The AFF system demonstrated is completely passive, as it uses a single visual range camera and requires no modifications in the lead aircraft, thus placing no special requirements on the aircraft. It can be used to follow an unmodified BLACK HAWK helicopter or modified to follow another type of helicopter.

The AFF control system is another example of new capabilities enabled by fly-by-wire technology (FBW), and is another in a series of demonstrations that highlight the importance of FBW and the new capabilities it brings to the customer.

Tweet This Post

Airbus Military A400M development aircraft named Grizzly

thomas — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:43:02 +0000

Airbus Military is formally adopting the name Grizzly for its five-strong development fleet of
A400M airlifters.
The new name is not the product of an expensive marketing study, nor something devised by
a team of branding experts, nor the result of months of debate among the sales team.
Instead it is the affectionate nickname given to the aircraft by the close-knit group of flight
test pilots and engineers who first saw it safely into the air.
When the first aircraft was handed over to the flight-test team in Seville, Spain in November
2009, it was formally known as MSN1 in the time-honoured aviation tradition of referring to
the manufacturer´s serial number. But, working at the remotely located flight-test centre at
the western end of the lengthy Airbus Military flightline at Seville, the team quickly began
hunting for a handier nickname.
The Flight Test Team seized on the resemblance between the mighty airlifter´s hunched
appearance and the muscular shoulders of the grizzly bear, and soon afterwards the aircraft
was already being referred to inside flight-test as “the Grizzly”. By the time of the first flight on
11th December, the name had stuck sufficiently firmly that it was adopted as the aircraft´s
radio callsign – Grizzly One.
Furthermore, a little-known fact is that the first flight also carried a party of non-human
passengers – teddy bears to raise funds for the EADS-sponsored charity Aviation Without
Borders – a nice reminder of the Grizzly’s future role in civic and humanitarian missions.
The name rapidly spread throughout Airbus Military and beyond, and at the ILA Berlin
airshow in June 2010 an informal Grizzly One logo appeared on MSN1 when it made its first
public airshow appearance. Yesterday the company announced that it was adopting the
name Grizzly for the five development aircraft to be used during the flight-test programme.
In a ceremony at Farnborough, MSN1´s sister-ship MSN2 was formally named Grizzly by
two-times World Aerobatic Champion Catherine Maunoury of France.
Airbus Military Managing Director Domingo Ureña said: “Our Grizzly and the grizzly bear
share a rare combination of speed, strength, and agility, so it is no surprise that they also
bear a resemblance to each other. We are proud to associate the A400M with one of
nature´s great creatures.”

Tweet This Post

Bell Helicopter Has Begun Kiowa Warrior Cabin Conversion

thomas — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:18:43 +0000

FARNBOROUGH, England (July 19, 2010) – Work is underway at Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, on an Army contract for the conversion of an OH-58A cabin into a D-model cabin.

In April 2009, the Army exercised a contract option to have Bell Helicopter convert one OH-58A cabin into a new OH-58D cabin and also complete the non-recurring engineering effort required to establish a cabin build line. The creation of a cabin build line would enable the Army to acquire new OH-58D cabins from Bell to replace Kiowa Warrior aircraft whose cabins have been damaged beyond repair.

The first cabin conversion is scheduled for delivery to Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) next year. In May 2010, the Army issued a sole-source solicitation to Bell Helicopter for the conversion of additional OH-58 cabins. Up to 66 cabins could be required to support the Army’s objective to replace combat losses and damaged aircraft.

Bell is also supporting CCAD with crash damage repairs on OH-58D aircraft. One Kiowa Warrior cabin has already been repaired and delivered to the Army. Two additional cabins are undergoing repairs. As work on each cabin is completed, it is shipped to an AMCOM Aviation Field Maintenance Directorate site for installation of dynamic components.

Work also continues on the final lot of aircraft in the OH-58D Safety Enhancement Program (SEP). In March 2010, the Army awarded Bell a contract to modify the final 30 OH-58D aircraft scheduled to enter the Kiowa Warrior SEP program. The final aircraft are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. When Lot 13 is complete, a total of 371 Kiowa Warriors will have been modified to the SEP configuration.

To date, the U.S. Army’s fleet of Kiowa helicopters has accumulated more than 600,000 combat flight hours and approximately 2 million total flight hours. Despite unusually high usage rates and daily combat missions in a harsh operating environment, the OH-58D continues to maintain the highest OPTEMPO and highest readiness rate of any Army aircraft operating today.

Tweet This Post

Elisra Introduces New Capabilities with Advanced & Complete Self Protection Suite for Airborne Platforms

thomas — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:10:03 +0000

The company’s integrated system of systems suites are a proven success with a growing customer base worldwide

Farnborough, UK, July 19^th, 2010…Elisra, an EW, intelligence, and communications stalwart unveils its new and advanced complete self protection suites for airborne platforms. Elisra’s solution constitutes a new capabilities threshold that boasts operational success with customers worldwide, underscoring an emerging approach to self protection. Militaries around the globe have been quick to recognize the improved capabilities offered by this Elisra suite as evidenced by the systems’ growing sales success and increasing user portfolio of airborne platforms (combat & transport aircraft and helicopters).

“With this new, advanced and complete self protection suite, Elisra has achieved a capabilities breakthrough,” says Elisra’s CEO, Itzhak Gat. He goes on to say, “Industry trends point to the need for a total and comprehensive interoperability of all self protection systems and technologies to function as one, seamless system. Elisra has harnessed the considerable knowhow of all its divisions to develop the definitive next-generation protection solution that offers complete integration of RF and EO (IR and Laser) passive and active technologies for any airborne platform.”

Tweet This Post

FIDAE will participate in Farnborough 2010

thomas — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:08:07 +0000

FIDAE will be participating in The Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) in Hampshire, England. 19-25 July 2010. The main representatives of the largest aerospace, defence and security show in Latin America will visit Farnborough to make the official launching of the next version of FIDAE 2012, which will be preformed March 27th- April 1st, in Santiago de Chile.
The Chilean delegation is headed by the Commander in Chief of the Chilean Air Force (FACH), Ricardo Ortega Perrier and the recently appointed CEO of the fair, Jean Pierre Desgroux Ycaza.
The FIDAE team at Farnborough can be found in Hall 3, Stand D3.

Tweet This Post

Airbus Military receives certification for anti-submarine C295 MPA

thomas — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:06:54 +0000

Airbus Military’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) version of the C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) has been certified by the Spanish authority INTA which is responsible for their certification and military airworthiness. The aircraft is based on the C295, a military multi-role transport aircraft with proven capabilities for many military and civic missions to the benefit of society. These include many surveillance missions. With an autonomy enabling it to remain in the air for as much as 11 hours, a excellent manoeuvrability, digital avionics that are compatible with night-vision goggles (NVG), advanced self-protection systems, and numerous other features, the C295 is the most capable aircraft in its category.
The anti-submarine version of the C295 MPA is equipped with a tactical system proven during MPA/ASW missions, and underwing stations to carry weapons and other stores. It represents a modern, risk-free and much more efficient alternative to older generation veterans such as the P-3 Orion or the Bréguet Atlantique, while its operating and maintenance costs are significantly lower.
This important milestone further confirms Airbus Military’s capacity to integrate complex systems into its aircraft for any kind of military and civic use. It is also the first time in 30 years that a completely new Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft is developed and certified in Europe.
The C295 MPA benefits from the experience accumulated with the CN235 MPA since 1994 on maritime patrol missions. Today Airbus Military holds 85 firm orders for the C295. Of these 63 have been delivered and have clocked up more than 80,000 flying hours in operations as varied as Afghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Chad, Colombia, Finland, Haiti, Iraq, Mexico, and Poland.

Tweet This Post

Kaman Helicopters Delivers 1,000th BLACK HAWK Erosion Protection Coated Main Rotor Blade

thomas — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:52:06 +0000

BLOOMFIELD, CT, June 08, 2010 — Kaman Helicopters has delivered the 1,000th helicopter rotor blade protected with Kaman’s erosion-resistant coating system. U.S. Army BLACK HAWK helicopters are utilizing main rotor blades with Kaman’s innovative coating system and have reported significantly improved blade life, increased aircraft availability and reduced maintenance requirements.

The latest erosion-resistant blade delivery defines another successful chapter in Kaman’s ongoing support of U.S. war fighters around the world. The program has been in production for more than two years with a flawless quality assurance record.

As the only U.S. company certified to apply Hontek sprayable protective coatings to rotor blades, Kaman has improved the operational effectiveness of U.S. Army BLACK HAWK helicopters flying in the harsh desert environments of Iraq and Afghanistan where sand can cause damage to the leading edges of helicopter blades during rotation. Coated rotor blades operate effectively in rain, sand, gravel and icing conditions, and worn coatings can easily be repaired in the field. After reviewing the system’s proven performance with the U.S. Army, the Naval Air Systems Command is qualifying the coating process for use on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps helicopters.

Kaman has invested heavily in infrastructure and equipment at its HeliworX™ subcontracting facility to support the rotor blade protection program and to develop its world-class design, development, manufacture and repair of composite rotor blades.

Tweet This Post