Tag: procurement (Page 2 of 2)

Boeing Responds to Germany Heavy Lift Helicopter Invitation

January 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The H-47 Chinook offers the German Armed Forces a highly modern, proven and capable multi-mission helicopter
German industry will benefit from opportunities to work on the Chinook as well as opportunities across the Boeing enterprise

BERLIN, Germany, 14 January 2019 – Boeing [NYSA: BA] has submitted its response to the STH invitation to tender for Germany’s New Heavy Lift Helicopter program, also known as Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH). The response was submitted yesterday, 13 January.

The STH invitation to tender was issued on 24 June 2019 by the German procurement authority, specifically, the Federal Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw). A contract award is expected in 2021 for the acquisition of 44 to 60 aircraft, including sustainment and training.

“We’re pleased to have submitted our response and look forward to working with the BAAINBw and German industry to bring the best value proposition to the German Bundeswehr,” said Michael Hostetter, vice president of Boeing Defense, Space & Security in Germany. “The H-47 Chinook is a one of a kind platform capable of performing missions that other helicopters cannot. It is a proven multi-mission heavy lift helicopter with advanced technology that meets the German requirements.”

Today, there are more than 950 Chinook aircraft operating in 20 countries, including eight NATO member countries (the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey, UK, Canada, and the United States). The Chinook will provide immediate interoperability to Germany while meeting a wide range of mission needs. As the world’s most proven heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook has a track record of on-time delivery and first time quality, with the lowest operating and acquisition costs and a technology roadmap that will keep it relevant for decades to come.

“We are committed to having the sustainment and training as well as parts of the production done in Germany,” said Dr. Michael Haidinger, president of Boeing Germany. “We will continue to build on and expand our Germany Industry Team for the H-47 Chinook Schwerer Transporthubschrauber competition. In addition, we are committed to bringing high end engineering and production opportunities from across the Boeing enterprise to German industry.”

Ex-British Airways Executive Indicted Over Alleged JFK Airport Bribery Scheme

November 19, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NEW YORK, Nov 19 (Reuters) – A former British Airways executive who oversaw the carrier’s operations at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport has been indicted for accepting bribes to help a ground handling company win contracts, New York’s attorney general said on Tuesday.

The charges announced by Attorney General Letitia James against Steven Clark, who she said directed British Airways operations at JFK Terminal 7, arose from “Operation Greased Runway,” a probe into contracting and procurement at JFK.

John Kinsella, a former chief executive of Ground Services International (GSI) accused of making improper payments to Clark, was also charged in the case.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty, according to their respective lawyers. British Airways, part of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, was not charged.

James said Clark received more than $5 million and a secret 5% stake in GSI over several years from Kinsella, in exchange for promoting that company’s services.

According to court papers, payments were concealed from Britain’s flag carrier with fake invoices, and sometimes laundered through companies that Clark or Kinsella created.

James said Clark also received improper sums from another vendor, while Kinsella paid an executive who helped run JFK Terminal 1, which houses several airlines, to win his support.

Clark, 61, of New York, and Kinsella, 59, of Naples, Florida, were each charged with several counts, including bribery and money laundering, and arraigned before a New York state judge in Queens.

“Mr. Clark is innocent of the charges to which he pleaded not guilty, and expects to be vindicated,” Clark’s lawyer Kevin O’Brien said in a phone interview.

Kinsella’s lawyer Brian Legghio said his client was also innocent, looked forward to clearing his name, and had been awarded his JFK contacts on merit and based on his reputation. He said Kinsella sold GSI three years ago.

GSI agreed with James’ predecessor Barbara Underwood last December to a $12.3 million settlement related to the probe.

“Today’s indictment sends a clear massage to airline companies and airport vendors: pay-to-play schemes will not fly in New York,” James said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Editing by Tom Brown)

French Navy Received First Two “Standard 6” ATL2’s

November 2, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Saint-Cloud, October 29, 2019) – This summer, Lann-Bihoué French naval air station received the first two ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft upgraded by Dassault Aviation.

Last week, Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, flew on one of these aircraft.

These two events demonstrate the progress made on the upgrade program which is designed to modernize the ATL2 combat system to standard 6.

The contract for the upgraded (standard 6) ATL2 combat system was awarded by the defense procurement agency DGA on October 4, 2013. The program covers a fleet of 18 aircraft. Dassault Aviation will deliver a further five upgraded ATL2s in the period 2020-2023. In parallel, the SIAé aeronautical maintenance center will upgrade 11 aircraft.© Dassault Aviation – C. Cosmao

Standard 6 includes:

new radar: Thales Search Master with active antenna,
new Thales acoustic subsystem to gather and process signals from the latest-generation air-dropped sonobuoys for submarine detection,
new navigation console designed by Dassault Aviation,
new consoles for the tactical display subsystem, developed by SIAé.

The upgrade work is performed by Dassault Aviation and Thales (co-contractors), in association with Naval Group and in cooperation with SIAé. Architect of the combat system, Dassault Aviation is as well responsible for development of the core system including LOTI software designed by Naval Group. Dassault Aviation is also in charge of overall integration of all subsystems.

All the specifications for this program were established using the PLM Systèmes tool as part of a Dassault Aviation-Thales-Naval Group-SIAé collaborative work platform installed at St-Cloud in the Dassault Aviation design office.

The standard 6 upgrade will improve the ATL2s’ capability to support the Strategic Ocean Force, to deal with modern threats (future nuclear or conventional submarines, naval forces at sea, etc.) and to support air-land missions, until 2030.

France is one of the very few countries producing high-technology maritime patrol aircraft combining detection (optronics, radar, acoustics) with a variety of weapons (anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, laser-guided weapons).

“This expertise as an architect of maritime patrol solutions, both for the platform and for systems integration, is the result of experience dating back to the late 1950s and the launch of the ATL1 program, the predecessor of the ATL2. Dassault Aviation has extended this experience, from the 1970s onwards, with the maritime surveillance Falcons, the latest version of which is the Falcon 2000 MRA-based Albatros program. As we have shown once again with the standard 6, this maritime patrol/maritime surveillance expertise builds largely on the trust and the excellent working relations between our company, the DGA and the French Navy, to which I express my sincere gratitude. We will leverage this know-how to prepare together maritime patrol solutions beyond 2030”, declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

ATR appoints Eric Segura as SVP Procurement & Supply Chain

October 31, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, 29 October 2019 – Eric Segura, 55, has been nominated SVP Procurement and Supply Chain of ATR, the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer. Starting 1 November 2019, Eric will be reporting to the CEO, Stefano Bortoli and joins the ATR Executive Committee. Eric will be succeeding David Brigante, who was nominated SVP Programmes and Customer Services earlier in the year.

With more than 30 years in key positions within the Airbus group, Eric brings additional, comprehensive knowledge of the global aviation ecosystem to ATR.

Stefano Bortoli, ATR CEO stated: “We are very proud to have Eric joining the ATR team. His in-depth industry knowledge and strong expertise in procurement and the supply chain combined with a leadership style that fits the agile ATR culture and values, will help us put in place ATR’s strategy of continuous product improvement and innovation and contribute to preparing the future”.

Eric commented: “I am excited to have joined a company which is both a global leader and “into life”, connecting millions of people in all places around the world in a responsible and efficient way. In my new role I look forward to extend the purpose of ATR to the wider partner network and build an exciting future for the ATR turboprop.”

S. Korea Display F-35 Stealth Jets seen by the North as a Threat

September 30, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SEOUL, Oct 1 (Reuters) – South Korea showcased newly acquired F-35 stealth fighter jets to mark Armed Forces Day on Tuesday as President Moon Jae-in tried to allay concerns that his policy of engagement with North Korea would weaken the South’s commitment to defence.

At an event marking the founding of the South Korean military, Moon said South Korean fighter jets conducted patrol flights offshore, including over islands at the centre of a bitter territorial dispute with Japan.

North Korea has criticised the South’s weapons procurements and its joint military drills with the U.S. military as undisguised preparations for war that are forcing it to develop new short-range missiles.

Moon has thrown his support behind dialogue to end the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, urging that working-level negotiations between the North and the United States be held soon. No new dates or locations have been set.

Moon marked Armed Forces Day at a ceremony at an airbase in the city of Daegu that highlighted four of the eight Lockheed Martin F-35A jets delivered this year. Forty of the aircraft are to be delivered by 2021.

During the event, an F-15K jet patrolled over the islands claimed by both South Korea and Japan and called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

Moon made no direction mention of North Korea or Japan but said today’s security climate was highly unpredictable, requiring strength and innovation.

“As the recent drone attack in the Middle East region demonstrated to the world, the challenges that we will face will be entirely different from those of the past,” he said in an address to the military. “The war of the future will be a fight of science and intelligence against all elements that threaten our people’s safety and property.”

Analysts have said the F-35 stealth jets put North Korea’s anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems in a vulnerable position.

Negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes have stalled since a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un broke down in February over disagreements on denuclearisation.

North Korea blamed the United States on Monday for a failure to restart talks, with Pyongyang’s U.N. ambassador Kim Song saying it was time for Washington to share proposals for talks that showed Washington had adopted a new “calculation method”.

South Korea and the United States have separately begun talks for a new military burden-sharing agreement to decide how much South Korea will pay for stationing what is now about 28,500 U.S. troops in the country.

Moon told Trump during a summit in New York last week what South Korea would contribute, including an increase in purchases of U.S. weapons and future purchase plans, a senior official at South Korea’s presidential office said.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee Editing by Jack Kim, Paul Tait and Gerry Doyle)

Boeing Responds to Germany Heavy Lift Helicopter Invitation

Ex-British Airways Executive Indicted Over Alleged JFK Airport Bribery Scheme

French Navy Received First Two “Standard 6” ATL2’s

ATR appoints Eric Segura as SVP Procurement & Supply Chain

S. Korea Display F-35 Stealth Jets seen by the North as a Threat

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