Leonardo’s KRONOS family of radar products are multi-functional, multi-mission solutions
The KRONOS LAND radar is highly mobile and quick to deploy: it can be brought into operation in the field in just 15 minutes
The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) has ordered Leonardo’s KRONOS LAND radar to provide air surveillance, allowing operators to detect and track targets in tactical environments. Leonardo has announced the contract at BIDEC (Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference) tri-service exhibition, which is taking place at Manama (Baharain) from 28 to 30 October.
Leonardo will also supply communications equipment, twelve months of technical support services, spare parts and a comprehensive training programme for Bangladeshi Air Force personnel with modules in Italy and Bangladesh. As a complete package, this contract will enable the BAF to develop a long-term maintenance capability and preserve the functionality of the system.
Completely designed and developed by Leonardo, the KRONOS LAND is a multi-functional, multi-mission 3D radar for air surveillance and defence, based on latest-generation Full Active-Electronically-Scanned-Array (AESA, also known as E-scan) technology. Leonardo has sold more than 40 KRONOS family systems worldwide.
The contract to supply KRONOS LAND to the Bangladesh Air Force bolsters Leonardo’s presence in Bangladesh. It follows the earlier provision of the RAT31 surveillance system to the BAF for early warning and air defence.
STRATFORD, Conn., Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today announced the Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) program achieved a Milestone C decision from the U.S. Air Force, which moves the program into low rate initial production. The Combat Rescue Helicopter will perform critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all U.S. military services. View the latest CRH video
The four instrumented test aircraft at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, demonstrated their production readiness during rigorous U.S. Air Force (USAF) performance and flight load survey testing. The joint Sikorsky and USAF flight test team has executed over 150 hours of envelope expansion flights, which provided USAF the data necessary to execute a Milestone C decision. This decision allows Sikorsky to begin production of the aircraft, which is based on the venerable BLACK HAWK helicopter.
“This affirmative Milestone C decision validates the modifications to Sikorsky’s most successful BLACK HAWK helicopter, making it capable of saving downed airmen anytime, anywhere around the world,” said Greg Hames, Sikorsky program director. “This establishes the Combat Rescue Helicopter as a production program.”
Prepared for Production
There are five CRH aircraft in various stages of production at Sikorsky’s Stratford facility. Sikorsky employees and our nationwide supply chain are ready to begin production and support delivering this all new aircraft to the warfighter.
The USAF program of record calls for 113 helicopters to replace its predecessor, the Sikorsky HH-60G PAVE HAWKs.
“We have just successfully gained approval to launch the production of a helicopter that will save the lives of our warfighters and our allies all over the world. This decision begins the transition to this more capable and reliable helicopter to fulfill the Air Force’s mission to leave no one behind. I could not be more proud of our government-contractor team for making this happen,” said Col. Dale R. White, Program Executive Officer, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Special Operations Forces, USAF.
The CRH is significantly more capable and reliable than the HH-60G PAVE HAWK. The aircraft hosts a new fuel system that nearly doubles the capacity of the internal tank on a UH-60M BLACK HAWK, giving the USAF crew extended range and more capability to rescue those injured in the battle space. The CRH specification drives more capable defensive systems and enhances the vulnerability reductions, hover performance, electrical capacity, avionics, cooling, weapons, cyber-security, environmental, and net-centric capabilities beyond the current HH-60G.
The Sikorsky Combat Rescue Helicopter will perform critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all U.S. military services. “This decision begins the transition to this more capable and reliable helicopter to fulfill the Air Force’s mission to leave no one behind,” says Col. Dale R. White, Program Executive Officer, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Special Operations Forces, USAF.
WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) – An American Airlines mechanic was on Thursday charged with purposely damaging an aircraft in July amid a dispute between the airline and its mechanics union involving stalled contract negotiations.
Pilots of a flight from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas on July 17 aborted take-off plans after receiving an error message involving the flight computer, which reports speed, pitch and other data, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court of Southern Florida.
It said after returning to the gate for maintenance, a mechanic discovered a loosely connected pitot tube that measures airspeed and connects directly to the flight computer.
A later review of video surveillance footage before the flight captured “what appears to be the sabotage of the aircraft” by a man walking with a limp, the complaint said.
When suspect Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani was interviewed, he told law enforcement he was upset at the stalled contract between the union and American, which he said had affected him financially, according to the complaint. It said Alani claimed to have tampered with the aircraft to cause a delay or have the flight canceled in anticipation of obtaining overtime work.
Unions have complained that American is trying to outsource more maintenance jobs, a move American has indicated is necessary to cover increased wages.
A U.S. federal court last month issued a permanent injunction against American’s mechanics union, which the airline had accused of illegal slowdowns it said had devastated its operations during the peak summer travel season.
A spokesman for American said the airline had an “unwavering commitment” to safety and security and had placed passengers on the July 17 flight subject to the criminal complaint on another plane to get to their destination.
“At the time of the incident, the aircraft was taken out of service, maintenance was performed and after an inspection to ensure it was safe the aircraft was returned to service,” the spokesman said. “American immediately notified federal law enforcement who took over the investigation with our full cooperation.”
The Miami Herald reported that Alani is set to make an initial court appearance on Friday. Court records did not indicate if Alani had an attorney.
The U.S. federal court order last month prohibits employees from “calling, permitting, instigating, authorizing, encouraging, participating in, approving, or continuing any form of disruption to or interference with American’s airline operations,” including a refusal to accept overtime or complete any maintenance repairs in the normal course of work.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Writing by Jamie Freed; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
PARIS, June 18, 2019––Longview Aviation Capital (“Longview”) and its subsidiary Viking Air Limited, a global leader of utility aircraft, support and services and manufacturer of the world-renowned Twin Otter, today announced a seven aircraft sales contract for six new-production CL-515 aircraft and one CL-415EAF.
The CL-515 is a newly developed, technically advanced multi-mission aerial firefighting aircraft – the next generation of the CANADAIR CL-415, the aviation industry’s benchmark amphibious aircraft and the backbone of firefighting missions around the globe. With enhanced firefighting capabilities, and the flexibility to support a wide range of critical mission operations, the CL-515 will be a vitally important strategic asset to fleets around the world.
The Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense has agreed to purchase six all-new CL-515 aircraft, four of which will be delivered in “First Responder” multi-mission configuration, and two delivered in optimized aerial firefighter configuration. The purchase agreement also includes one CANADAIR CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” aircraft converted from a CANADAIR CL-215 to EAF standard by Longview Aviation Capital’s subsidiary, Longview Aviation Services.
The Republic of Indonesia’s purchase agreement is a firm commitment that is conditional only on Longview Aviation Capital’s Board of Directors approving the production launch program.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Republic of Indonesia as the first customer for this extraordinary aircraft,” said David Curtis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Longview Aviation Capital. ”This contract is a major milestone in bringing the next generation CANADAIR to market. The confidence of a sovereign government in our program is matched by our own confidence in our ability to deliver this new aircraft platform to the world. We are very well advanced in all aspects of program planning, including our supply chain, and we are nearing a final decision on manufacturing and final assembly sites. We expect to complete the remaining program milestones in the near future, and deliver the first new CL-515 on schedule in 2024.”
Program Development Process
Since acquiring the type certificates for the CANADAIR amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier in 2016, Longview has had positive discussions with numerous potential customers from around the world, including both governments and private operators, who have enthusiastically encouraged a production restart.
On the basis of the global interest in the unique and unrivalled capabilities of the CL-515, Longview and Viking have invested in a rigorous process ahead of full production launch decision:
Consulted extensively with current global operators to understand their future aerial firefighting resource requirements
Conducted
extensive market research and feasibility studies and developed a new
all-season multi-mission platform, leveraging advanced technology not
previously included in the CL program
Consulted with key supplier partners
Undertaken
advanced supply chain and manufacturing planning, including options
associated with Longview’s current facilities and potential new
facilities in Western Canada
CL-515 Highlights
Up to 15% better aerial firefighting productivity, including increased tank capacity and ability to refill in 14 seconds
State-of-the-art Collins Pro Line Fusion® digital avionics suite for unrivaled situational awareness
Flexible architecture to support multi-mission capabilities including aerial firefighting, maritime patrol, surveillance, medevac, environmental monitoring, insect control, oil spill detection and dispersant
Reduced maintenance and operating costs through improved, scalable avionics and superior design
Unmatched mission efficiency and flexibility, requiring no runway or reloading capacity during waterbombing firefighting
“Indonesia is on the front lines of increasing challenges like forest fires, and as an island nation has extensive needs for a range of amphibious capabilities,” said Air Chief Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, chief of staff for Indonesia’s Air Force. “We have chosen to invest in this aircraft based on the CANADAIR’s solid track record demonstrated around the world over the last 50 years, and Viking’s established capabilities as an aircraft developer and producer. The next generation CL-515 will have unmatched operational performance, particularly as a firefighter. This aircraft has the best productivity of any aerial firefighting aircraft, capable of delivering the highest quantity of foam retardant per day, while at the same time providing the flexibility to save lives and protect our coastal areas through its multi-role SAR and Maritime Surveillance functionalities. We are proud to sign the first contract for this extraordinary aircraft that will enhance our mission capability at excellent value.”
Ottawa, Ontario, May 29th, 2019: Today during the CANSEC Defence & Security show, Viking Air Limited of Victoria, British Columbia has announced its plans to hold a world demonstration tour for its Guardian 400 aircraft, the special missions variant of the Viking Series 400 Twin Otter. The world tour will include detailed briefings and demonstration flights in Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, South East Asia, Oceania, and North America.
For the past six months, a production Series 400 Twin Otter has been undergoing modifications to transform into Viking’s Guardian 400 demonstrator aircraft for the proposed world tour. It will feature a right-hand SCAR pod with Hensoldt Argos EO/IR imaging turret, multi-spectral HDTV camera, mega-pixel HD Thermal imager, laser range finder, multi-mode auto tracker, and Remote Image Bus (RIB) video feed for display on the cockpit MFD or crew workstation. The demonstrator will also feature a left-hand SCAR pod with Leonardo Osprey Radar System and Sentient Vidar Camera system.
In addition to its mission sensor package, the Guardian 400 prototype will be equipped with an Airborne Technologies’ tactical workstation with high-definition touchscreen monitors, data/voice/video recorder, Mission Management Unit (MMU), mission radio communications, intuitive hand controller for MCU & SLR camera targeting, CarteNav AIMS mission system software, Kestrel MTI targeting software, and IKHANA ergonomic mission seat for optimized crew comfort. The prototype will also be equipped with Viking conformal bubble windows, left and right wing-mounted hard points by IKHANA, Thunder Bay Aviation stretcher racks, and an aft lavatory for crew comfort.
With a target launch date of September 2019, the Guardian 400 world tour has briefing and demonstration flights proposed throughout Europe, North Africa, Central Africa, Southeastern Africa, the Middle East, Southern Asia, Asia Pacific, North America and will culminate in Ottawa, Canada to coincide with the 2020 CANSEC Defence & Security show.
“As we’ve anticipated development of a Guardian 400 technical demonstrator for many years, to now be able to show off its unique performance capabilities and incredible versatility to interested military and government organizations in their home countries is exciting to say the least,” said Robert Mauracher, Viking executive vice president, Sales & Marketing. “While the tour details are still under development, we encourage interested parties to contact us if they wish to participate in a flight demonstration.”
About the Guardian 400 Twin Otter:
Viking developed the Guardian 400 in response to foreign military and government agency demand for a medium-range maritime patrol, SAR and critical infrastructure platform based on the new Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft. Designed as an economical force multiplier for 21st century surveillance and security requirements, the Guardian 400’s low acquisition and operating costs combined with its modern, flexible architecture allows it to be customized to suit operators’ financial and mission requirements.
The Guardian 400’s robust design, minimal maintenance requirements, and exceptional short-field performance capabilities make it ideally suited for specialized government operations in extreme environments. Certified under the restricted category, the Guardian 400’s increased take-off weight and extended range internal Patrol Tank allow for operational sorties over 10 hours in duration.
Trusted by the governments of Peru, Panama, the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, over thirty Twin Otter Guardian 400 aircraft have now entered service in various roles, including maritime surveillance, search & rescue, parachute operations, pipeline monitoring, drug enforcement, medevac, and critical infrastructure support.
KWAJALEIN ATOLL, Marshall Islands, May 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Air Force Space Fence system detected the breakup field from an anti-satellite test conducted by India during a scheduled endurance exercise of the new space surveillance radar.
As MICROSAT-R was expected to pass through the un-cued surveillance fence, Space Fence automatically issued a “breakup alert” indicating there were multiple objects within close proximity. Space Fence observed a significant amount of debris tracks surrounding the time of the event crossing labeled as uncorrelated targets. Long-arc tracking was initiated within the orbital debris cloud to form accurate initial orbit determinations. With this information, the system was able to automatically predict and correlate the next crossing time.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) system operators then prepared for the next crossing by setting up an enhanced sensitivity task volume ahead of the normal un-cued surveillance fence to increase the low altitude track duration. Although the Space Fence is currently in its test phase and not yet operational, the Space Fence un-cued surveillance coverage showed its unique ability to observe these events unfolding at different altitudes in real time. Although the anti-satellite test was conducted at approximately 300 kilometers, the debris cloud extended beyond the original parent object orbit.
“Although the Space Fence system is still under test, it continues to demonstrate its advanced capabilities providing operationally-relevant information in all orbital regimes from Low Earth Orbit through Geosynchronous Earth Orbit,” said Dr. Rob Smith, vice president and general manager of Radar and Sensor Systems for Lockheed Martin. “The criticality of space assets to both national defense and the world economy cannot be understated. As multiple new mega constellations consisting of thousands of satellites become a reality and the space domain continues to become more congested, the demand for more accurate and timely space situational awareness data will be of the utmost importance to the warfighter.”
The Space Fence system continues to track objects from the anti-satellite event through the government-led testing phase which began in early April.
Colonel Stephen Purdy, Director of the Space Superiority Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, who oversees the Space Fence program said, “Space Fence is already proving itself as a capable system even before becoming operational. The Indian test showcased Space Fence’s capabilities in a real-world event. The system was able to quickly respond to a highly dynamic situation providing critical data. Space Fence is the latest in a long line of capabilities we are collectively bringing to the warfighter as we continue to build out space capabilities for the United States.”
About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Aerial view of Space Fence facility in Kwajalein Atoll. Lockheed Martin photo
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday grounded Boeing Co’s 737 MAX
jets, citing new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday’s
crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed 157 people, the second
disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.
It
was the second time the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has halted
flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It had grounded the 787
Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries.
Shares
of the world’s biggest plane maker, which were up earlier in the
session, fell 2 percent to $370.48. The shares have fallen about 13
percent since Sunday’s crash, losing about $32 billion of market value.
Shares of Southwest Airlines Co, which has the largest fleet of 737 MAX aircraft, fell 0.4 percent.
“The
agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and
new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today,” the FAA said in
a statement, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the
planes would be grounded.
“This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision.”
The grounding will remain in effect as the FAA investigates.
Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said it supported the move to temporarily ground 737 MAX flights.
The
United States joins Europe, China and other countries in grounding
Boeing’s newest plane since the Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed soon
after taking off from Addis Ababa.
The
still-unexplained crash followed another involving a Boeing 737 MAX in
Indonesia five months ago that killed 189 people. Although there is no
proof of any link, the twin disasters have spooked passengers.
The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States.
“He
(Trump) did the right thing by grounding this fleet, both for air
travelers and aviation workers,” John Samuelsen, international president
of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represent aviation
workers and flight attendants, told Reuters shortly after the
announcement.
“Our
members are excited, and are no longer concerned about stepping into a
workplace which could lead to the end of their lives, potentially.”
NEW SATELLITE DATA
Canada
also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data
suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane
model in October.
U.S.-based
aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA,
Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman
Jessie Hillenbrand said.
Aireon’s
space-based system can monitor data from aircraft equipped with
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. The
data is considered less detailed than that in black boxes, which look at
systems running inside the plane.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Germany’s federal agency responsible for investigating
air accidents said it would not analyze the black box from the Ethiopian
Airlines plane, casting uncertainty over the process of finding out
what may have caused the disaster. The U.S. FAA said the black boxes
were headed to France later on Wednesday.
Ethiopian
Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what
happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed
to external factors such as birds.
“The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back,” he said.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Kumerra Gemechu in Gora-Bokka, Ethiopia, David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri and Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa; Doina Chiacu in Washington, Omar Mohammed and Maggie Fick in Nairobi; Tim Hepher in Paris; Jamie Freed in Singapore; Terje Solsvik in Oslo; Aditi Shah in Mumbai; Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Angela Moon in New York; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne, Frances Kerry and Bill; Rigby; Editing by Gareth Jones, Nick Zieminski and Grant McCool)
AVALON,
Australia (Reuters) – Boeing Co on Wednesday unveiled an unmanned,
fighter-like jet developed in Australia and designed to fly alongside
crewed aircraft in combat for a fraction of the cost.
The
U.S. manufacturer hopes to sell the multi-role aircraft, which is 38
feet long (11.6 metres) and has a 2,000 nautical mile (3,704 kilometre)
range, to customers around the world, modifying it as requested.
The
prototype is Australia’s first domestically developed combat aircraft
since World War II and Boeing’s biggest investment in unmanned systems
outside the United States, although the company declined to specify the
dollar amount.
The
Australian government is investing A$40 million ($28.75 million) in the
prototype programme due to its “enormous capability for exports,”
Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne told reporters at the Australian
International Airshow.
Defence
contractors are investing increasingly in autonomous technology as
militaries around the world look for a cheaper and safer way to maximise
their resources.
Boeing rivals like Lockheed Martin Corp and Kratos Defence and Security Solutions Inc are also investing in such aircraft.
Four
to six of the new aircraft, called the Boeing Airpower Teaming System,
can fly alongside a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, said Shane Arnott, director
of Boeing research and prototype arm Phantom Works International.
“To
bring that extra component and the advantage of unmanned capability,
you can accept a higher level of risk,” he said. “It is better for one
of these to take a hit than for a manned platform.”
The
Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in the United States said last
year that the U.S. Air Force should explore pairing crewed and uncrewed
aircraft to expand its fleet and complement a limited number of
“exquisite, expensive, but highly potent fifth-generation aircraft” like
the F-35.
“Human
performance factors are a major driver behind current aerial combat
practices,” the policy paper said. “Humans can only pull a certain
number of G’s, fly for a certain number of hours, or process a certain
amount of information at a given time.”
MULTI-MISSION CAPABILITIES
In
addition to performing like a fighter jet, other roles for the Boeing
system include electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance alongside aircraft like the P-8 Poseidon and E-7
Wedgetail, said Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of
Boeing Autonomous Systems.
“It
is operationally very flexible, modular, multi-mission,” she said. “It
is a very disruptive price point. Fighter-like capability at a fraction
of the cost.”
Robertson declined to comment on the cost, saying that it would depend on the configuration chosen by individual customers.
The
jet is powered by a derivative of a commercially available engine, uses
standard runways for take-off and landing, and can be modified for
carrier operations at sea, Robertson said. She declined to specify
whether it could reach supersonic speeds, common for modern fighter
aircraft.
Its
first flight is expected in 2020, with Boeing and the Australian
government producing a concept demonstrator to pave the way for full
production.
“I
would say we are some years away from exports, we are probably years
away from it being in operation here in Australia,” Pyne said. “It is
designed to be a cheaper platform, a shield if you like around the more
expensive platforms, to protect our servicemen and women who might be on
a Poseidon or a Wedgetail or a F-35A.”
Australia,
a staunch U.S. ally, is home to Boeing’s largest footprint outside the
United States and has vast airspace with relatively low traffic for
flight testing.
The
Boeing Airpower Teaming System will be manufactured in Australia, but
production lines could be set up in other countries depending on sales,
Arnott said.
The United States, which has the world’s biggest military budget, would be among the natural customers for the product.
The
U.S. Air Force 2030 project foresees the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint
Strike Fighter working together with stealthy combat drones, called the
“Loyal Wingman” concept, said Derrick Maple, principal analyst for
unmanned systems at IHS Markit.
“The
U.S. has more specific plans for the wingman concept, but Western
Europe will likely develop their requirements in parallel, to abate the
capabilities of China and the Russian Federation and other potential
threats,” he said.
Robertson
declined to name potential customers and would not comment on potential
stealth properties, but said the aircraft had the potential to sell
globally.
“We
didn’t design this as a point solution but a very flexible solution
that we could outfit with payloads, sensors, different mission sets to
complement whatever their fleet is,” she said. “Don’t think of it as a
specific product that is tailored to do only one mission.”
($1 = 1.3914 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Jamie Freed; additional reporting by Gerry Doyle; editing by Gerry Doyle)
BERLIN
(Reuters) – The German Defence Ministry is evaluating a bid from Canada
to buy a high-altitude surveillance drone prototype that has been
parked at a German air base for years after the cancellation of the Euro
Hawk programme in 2013.
A
formal bid for the prototype aircraft, which was demilitarised by the
United States in 2017, was received from Canada, a ministry spokesman
said on Wednesday without providing further details. The Canadian
embassy in Berlin had no immediate comment.
NATO was also considering a bid for the drone, but had not yet submitted it, according to sources familiar with the process.
A
sale of the drone would end an embarrassing chapter that raised
concerns about the German military’s procurement process and triggered
the transfer of former Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere to another
cabinet post.
The
German government told lawmakers last year that it had spent about 700
million euros ($793.5 million) on the Euro Hawk prototype built by U.S.
arms maker Northrop Grumman and the ISIS surveillance system built by
Airbus.
Berlin
initiated plans in 2000 to buy five Euro Hawk drones based on
Northrop’s Global Hawk unmanned system at a cost of about 1.2 billion
euros but later cancelled the programme because of cost overruns and
problems obtaining certification for use in civilian airspace in
Germany.
It had only received the one prototype aircraft that is now being sold.
Berlin
is now negotiating with Northrop to buy several MQ-4C Triton drones for
delivery after 2025. Northrop last year said the process could take
years to complete.
German
opposition lawmaker Andrej Hunko, a member of the radical Left party,
said the German government had declared the aircraft incapable of flight
after the U.S. Air Force removed key systems.
“The airplane has salvage value at best,” he told Reuters.
“Any proceeds from the sale would be a drop in the bucket, compared with the huge amounts spent on the programme.”
For
NATO, the drone could provide additional support to the fleet of five
high-altitude unmanned Global Hawk planes it agreed to buy from Northrop
in 2012 for $1.7 billion, along with transportable ground stations.
Industry
officials said the Euro Hawk saga highlighted problems in German
military procurement, noting that NATO’s sister aircraft regularly
traverse German air space to conduct surveillance missions over the
North Sea. They also have no blanket approval for use in German civilian
airspace but use case-by-case permissions from air traffic authorities.
It was not immediately clear what steps would be needed to return the German Euro Hawk prototype to flight.
($1 = 0.8821 euros)
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by Riham Alkousaa and David Goodman, William Maclean)
São Paulo, Brazil, February 6th, 2019 – Embraer Defense & Security and its partner Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) were awarded a contract to deliver 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force.
“SNC is proud to work with our partner, Embraer Defense & Security, to build A-29s in support of the Nigerian Air Force in addressing their on-going training and security needs,” said Taco Gilbert, Senior Vice President of ISR, Aviation and Security (IAS) at SNC. “The combat-proven A-29 is designed and built for the mission in Nigeria. It’s the most reliable and cost-effective solution for basic and advanced flight and combat training, close air support operations, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), counterinsurgency and irregular warfare scenarios.”
“The A-29 Super Tucano has become the global reference for light attack and advanced training with a proven track record in several combat zones around the world”, said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “Embraer welcomes Nigeria as the latest member of this true international coalition that is helping bring peace to the world.” The A-29 is conducting combat missions on a daily basis in theaters around the world. It has more than 46,000 combat hours and more than 360,000 total flight hours. With the Nigeria order, the A-29 is the choice of 14 air forces worldwide.
In addition to its combat record, the A-29’s robust landing gear and enhanced clearance enable take-off and landing in even the most austere field conditions. The aircraft also offers exceptional dependability and accuracy in weapons delivery, making it highly effective in the light attack role.
The contract for the Nigerian Air Force includes ground training devices, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment, alternate mission equipment, contiguous U.S. interim contractor support, outside of continental U.S. (OCONUS) contractor logistic support and field service representatives for OCONUS support.
The aircraft will be produced in Jacksonville, Florida, and modified in Centennial, Colorado. The aircraft are expected to be delivered to Nigeria in line with the contract timelines, as part of a larger more comprehensive training and support package.
