Bern, Switzerland, Oct. 31, 2023 – United States and Switzerland officials formalized an agreement for Switzerland to purchase Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related support equipment. With this agreement, Switzerland becomes PAC-3’s 15th partner nation.
PAC-3 MSE will bolster Switzerland’s Patriot ground-based air defense system as a part of the Switzerland Air Force’s Air2030 program.
Lockheed Martin and armasuisse also finalized the Offset Agreement supporting the PAC-3 MSE program. This agreement is the catalyst for multiple new projects that will support Switzerland’s security-relevant technology and industry base (STIB).
The PAC-3 MSE expands the battlespace with a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, providing increased performance in altitude and range. PAC-3 MSE is a high-velocity interceptor that defends against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, advanced threats and aircraft. The PAC-3 MSE missile uses Hit-to-Kill technology, intercepting threats through kinetic energy via body-to-body contact.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Saab has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nammo and Nordic Shelter to support the ongoing GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) campaign.
The new agreement was announced during a signing 23 November 2021 in Oslo, Norway. Nammo will contribute with its expertise in rocket motor development and production as part of the GLSDB propulsion sub-system. Nordic Shelter brings the knowledge and experience needed for the development and production of a modular GLSDB launcher, based on a purpose built 20-foot ISO-container.
GLSDB is a long range, precision artillery system developed by Saab and Boeing. The system is based on Boeing’s air-launched Small Diameter Bomb, which has been in production since 2006, with more than 30 000 units shipped. GLSDB enables Small Diameter Bomb to be ground-launched from a wide variety of launchers and configurations.
Lockheed Martin successfully delivered Sweden’s first Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors in April, providing the country with the world’s most advanced air defense missile that uses Hit-to-Kill technology to defend against incoming threats.
U.S. and Swedish officials formalized an agreement for Sweden to purchase PAC-3 MSE interceptors and related support equipment in August 2018.
The PAC-3 MSE’s revolutionary two-pulse solid rocket motor provides increased performance in both altitude and range while employing the same proven Hit-to-Kill technology that the PAC-3 CRI missile uniquely brings to the Patriot system.
Vonlane, The Texas private jet on wheels bus service provider, has announced the resumption of 2 more routes! Service between San Antonio and Houston will resume starting on May 1, 2021. Service between Fort Worth and Austin will resume starting May 2, 2021.
Be sure to check out all of Vonlane’s routes and make your reservations by clicking the link below!
PHOENIX, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced it is developing a power source for hybrid-electric aircraft, planned for demonstration later this year. At 280 pounds, the Honeywell 1-Megawatt generator weighs about the same as a motor scooter but delivers enough energy to power an entire neighborhood block. This generator will be combined with the Honeywell HGT1700 auxiliary power unit, currently flown on every Airbus A350 XWB, to form a turbogenerator 2.5 times more powerful than the version the company unveiled in 2019.
The new turbogenerator from Honeywell will be able to run on aviation biofuel, including Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, which is chemically similar to fossil fuel but made from more sustainable alternatives, as well as conventional jet fuel and diesel. Honeywell’s turbogenerator can be used to operate high-power electric motors or charge batteries and can satisfy missions from heavy-lift cargo drones to air taxis, or commuter aircraft. The first demonstration of this turbogenerator system will occur in the third quarter of 2021, with ongoing development and qualification to follow.
Traditionally, aircraft use fuel-burning engines to mechanically turn rotors, propellers or fans. Many new designs, however, use a distributed electric propulsion architecture, in which many electric motors can be tilted or turned off for vertical takeoff and horizontal flight. A Honeywell turbogenerator can provide electric power for multiple electric motors anywhere on an aircraft.
In December, Honeywell signed a memorandum of understanding with British startup Faradair Aerospace to collaborate on systems and a turbogeneration unit that will run on sustainable aviation fuel to power Faradair’s Bio Electric Hybrid Aircraft (BEHA). Faradair intends to deliver 300 hybrid-electric BEHAs into service by 2030, of which 150 will be in a firefighting configuration. Honeywell is in advanced discussions with several other potential turbogenerator customers, working to help define power requirements based on mission profiles required by various manufacturers.
Honeywell unveiled its first turbogenerator for urban air mobility (UAM) at the 2019 HAI HELI-EXPO in Atlanta. It combined Honeywell’s HTS900 turboshaft engine with two 200-kilowatt generators. Since then, the company continues to grow its role in the UAM segment, highlighted by advancements in electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems.
Honeywell is a major player in the emerging UAM segment, offering a full line of avionics, propulsion and operational systems—all tailored for piloted and autonomous vertical take-off and landing UAM and cargo vehicles. Honeywell also offers aerospace integration and certification expertise for enabling the commercialization of these vehicles.
Honeywell pioneered the sustainable aviation fuel market with its UOP Ecofining process. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced by this process is blended seamlessly with petroleum-based jet fuel at commercial scale. When used in up to a 50% blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight.
– New Documentary Celebrates Workforce Response to Covid-19
https://youtu.be/lYHgV2u1T2Y
DEARBORN, Michigan, Sept. 4, 2020 – Following completion of its 50,000th ventilator to help clinicians treat COVID-19 patients, Ford is pivoting to target production of 100 million masks through 2021 for communities across the U.S. with limited access to personal protective equipment. The company, currently manufacturing 2.5 million medical-grade masks a week for its employees and at-risk communities, is growing the number of mask-making machines by mid- to late-October to increase production and deliver on its goal.
Ford is working with Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, to identify donation recipients across the U.S. through a network of nonprofit and state and local partners. The company is focusing on military veterans, schools, food banks and African American communities, among others.
This announcement comes ahead of a new short documentary by award-winning director Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights,” “Patriots Day,” “Lone Survivor”) titled “On the Line.” Premiering on YouTube at 2 p.m. EDT today, the documentary focuses on Ford’s Project Apollo, the internal codename for the company’s all-out effort to design and manufacture personal protective equipment, including powered air-purifying respirators, face shields, medical gowns for healthcare workers and first responders, plus ventilators for COVID-19 patients.
Berg’s deep dive into the story features members of Ford’s Project Apollo team – from the engineers who led the project to the UAW team members who volunteered to work at the height of the pandemic.
Last week, Ford Motor Company Fund shipped 10 million face masks to the National Urban League, American Red Cross, Disabled American Veterans and other local organizations to protect against COVID-19.
Ford, in partnership with the UAW, has produced more than 72 million pieces of personal protective equipment to meet the enormous demand. Altogether, this amounts to:
– More than 45 million face masks and 20 million face shields
– 50,000 patient ventilators
– More than 32,000 powered air-purifying respirators in collaboration with 3M
A Tesla logo on a Model S is photographed inside of a Tesla dealership in New York
Tesla Inc <TSLA> has cut prices of its electric vehicles by as much as 6% in North America following a decline in auto demand in the region during weeks of lockdown that have now started to ease.
Tesla also said its Supercharger quick-charging service will no longer be free to new customers of its Model S sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles (SUV’s).
Auto retail sales in the United States likely halved in April from a year earlier, showed data from J.D. Power. However, sales in May are likely to improve due to pent-up demand and incentives offered by most carmakers, the analytics firm said.
Automakers including General Motors Co <GM>, Ford Motor Co <F> and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV <FCAU>, are offering 0% financing rates and deferred payment options for new purchases.
Factories in the United States started to reopen earlier this month with suppliers gearing up to support an auto industry employing nearly 1 million people.
Tesla was briefly forced to stop work at its Fremont, California, factory due to stay-at-home orders. It resumed production after resolving a dispute over safety measures with local authorities.
On Wednesday, Tesla website’s showed the starting price for its Model S sedan is now $74,990, down from $79,990.
Its Model X SUVs are now priced at $79,990, from $84,990, and the lowest-priced Model 3 sedan is $2,000 cheaper at $37,990.
Tesla said it will also cut prices in China – as per usual after price adjustments in the United States – by around 4% for the Model X and Model S.
Tesla China, which is delivering Model 3 sedans from its Shanghai factory, in a Weibo post said it has also cut prices for the Model S and Model X cars it imports, but will keep prices of locally made Model 3 cars unchanged.
(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh; Editing by Tom Hogue and Christopher Cushing)
PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus <EADSY> said in a stock market filing on Monday that customers could seek to cancel or postpone delivery of airliners and helicopters as the coronavirus crisis continues to escalate.
It issued the warning in an annual reference document ahead of its upcoming Amsterdam shareholder meeting, for which it urged participants to vote by proxy rather than attend in person due to widespread measures to slow the spread of the disease.
Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said earlier that several airlines had asked to defer deliveries, but that most were continuing to pay their deposits.
“Weaker market and economic conditions in China and their knock-on effects in other markets could result in requests by customers to postpone delivery or cancel existing orders for aircraft (including helicopters),” the filing said, though Faury said earlier there were some signs of recovery in China.
Airbus also detailed steps to improve compliance practices after paying a 3.6-billion-euro fine last month to settle a four-year multinational bribery probe.
But it warned that possible further investigations in other jurisdictions could trigger claims against it by shareholders, impact its ability to raise finance or limit its eligibility for public contracts, as well as harm future commercial sales.
Malaysian authorities last week cleared AirAsia Group <5099.KL> after Britain’s Serious Fraud Office faulted a sponsorship deal between former Airbus parent EADS and a motor racing team owned by the airline’s co-founders.
But the SFO probe, supported by Airbus’s own lawyers, caused a severe rift between AirAsia and its sole supplier, adding to doubts over whether long-haul unit AirAsiaX will take delivery of A330neo jets on order, three people close to the matter said.
AirAsia officials could not be reached for comment. Airbus declined comment.
Loss-making AirAsiaX has said only that it wants to defer delivery of A330neo jets due to the coronavirus crisis.
Deliveries of the wide-body aircraft have also been hit by the impact of U.S. tariffs on Airbus aircraft under a long-running trade dispute, as well as concerns about overcapacity.
Airbus trimmed A330 output in January from about four a month in 2019, Reuters reported earlier this month.
In Monday’s filing, Airbus said it would maintain production of the A330neo at 3.5 aircraft a month.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter, William Maclean)
Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ: ALGT) today announced plans to establish a base of operations at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA). The Las Vegas-based company will invest $50 million to establish the new base in Concord, creating at least 66 high-wage jobs and housing two Airbus aircraft.
The company, which focuses on linking travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class leisure destinations, plans to begin its base operations in Concord on October 7, 2020. Concord-Padgett Regional Airport will become the airline’s 21st aircraft base.
Located minutes from Charlotte, Concord is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, with a robust business infrastructure and a diverse workforce. Home to some of North Carolina’s top tourist destinations, including NASCAR’s famed Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills, the city boasts a historic downtown district and a wide variety of entertainment and leisure activities for visitors and local residents. Concord is the largest city in Cabarrus County, with a population of more than 94,000.
“Since Allegiant’s first flight from Concord-Padgett Regional Airport in 2013, their growth has been truly remarkable,” said Concord Mayor Bill Dusch. “We are very pleased that Allegiant has selected Concord for a new base of operations, which brings new jobs and travel opportunities for the citizens of Concord and the Charlotte region. We look forward to continue developing our partnership with Allegiant in the future.”
“We’re excited about making Concord a permanent base, and further establishing Allegiant as a hometown airline for this high-performance city,” said Keith Hansen, Allegiant’s vice president of government affairs. “With a growing and diverse population seeking affordable vacation travel, and as a regional destination for race enthusiasts, arts fans and more, Concord is an ideal location for an Allegiant base. Having locally-based operations will mean opportunities for expanded hours, as well as more – and more frequent – flight offerings for residents and visitors alike.”
“This decision reaffirms that what began as a wonderful opportunity for a growing destination has grown into a committed relationship,” said Concord-Padgett Regional Airport Aviation Director Dirk Vanderleest. “My staff and I are humbled by this opportunity and milestone for USA. We look forward to working hand in hand with Allegiant Air to ensure that both residents and visitors alike are recipients of excellent customer service and expanded vacation opportunities.”
“Allegiant took Cabarrus County’s tourism industry to the next level with commercial air service and we’re proud to offer our support as they continue to grow,” said Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau President & CEO Donna Carpenter. “Visitor spending reached over $469 millionin Cabarrus County in 2018. These enhancements will fuel that figure, generating tax revenues that will positively impact the local economy and quality of life in our community.”
Allegiant began operating at USA in 2013 and currently offers seven non-stop routes: one to the Mardi Gras City of New Orleans and six to premier Florida destinations, including Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando/Sanford, Palm Beach, Punta Gorda and St. Pete-Clearwater. Since establishing service, Allegiant has flown more than one million passengers through Concord, including 353,000 in 2019 alone.
“Cabarrus County’s investment in Allegiant emphasizes the power of collaboration,” said Cabarrus CountyBoard of Commissioners Chair Steve Morris. “Our support of projects related to the Concord-Padgett Regional Airport boosts the economic stability of all municipalities in our county and throughout the region.”
Both the Concord City Council and Cabarrus County Commissioners approved three-year economic development grants for the expansion. Based on a portion of the increased tax investment, the grant amount from the City of Concord would not exceed $48,649 and $75,001 from Cabarrus County.
“The establishment of this base really reinforces Allegiant’s commitment to our community,” said Cabarrus Economic Development Existing Industry Director Page Castrodale. “It sends a message that Cabarrus County is the right place to do business.”
Allegiant, which employs more than 4,300 team members across the U.S., plans to immediately begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and ground personnel to support the operations. The majority of the new positions are expected to offer salaries that are more than double the state’s average wage. Interested applicants may apply online.
DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co is putting more chips on a bet that it can profit from selling electric vans to delivery businesses that need to reduce carbon emissions.
Ford will roll out an all-electric version of its Transit van for North America in model year 2022, mirroring the timetable for launching a similar model for the European market, the company said on Tuesday in conjunction with the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
“Our electric bet as a company is different than our competitors,” Ford Chief Operating Officer Jim Farley said in an interview. “The most critical bet we will be making over the next several years will be our commercial vehicles.”
Two of three electric vehicles Ford has announced as part of an $11.5 billion investment in electrification through 2022 are aimed at commercial customers – the Transit and an electric version of the company’s best-selling model, the F-150 pickup.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E electric SUV represents a low-volume challenge to electric luxury vehicle market leader Tesla Inc.
The electric Transit and F-150 will play in market segments Ford dominates in the United States and Europe.
“Half of the vehicles doing work in the U.S. are Ford Motor Co vehicles,” Farley said. Ford is also the No. 1 commercial vehicle brand in Europe, and has led the commercial van market in Britain, which is Europe’s largest, for 55 years.
Regulators in Europe and in some U.S. cities are stepping up pressure on businesses to replace diesel or gasoline-fueled delivery vans with electric models to reduce pollution in city centers.
In the United States, Amazon.com Inc, has ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from start-up Rivian, the first of which will be delivered in 2021 and built in Normal, Illinois. Ford has a separate partnership with Rivian.
The electric Transit will not be related to the Rivian van, said Ted Cannis, Ford’s director of electrification.
The new Transit will be an early test of the company’s efforts to deploy new connectivity technology and services to go with it, Farley said.
Ford said the electric Transit will be built in America and cost more than the gasoline-powered version, which starts at $34,500. Research firm Auto Forecast Solutions said it will be built in Kansas City, Missouri, along with the gasoline version.
Supplier sources who asked not to be identified said Ford will launch production in late 2021, with plans to build around 2,000 that year and increase to 14,000 annually by 2023.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Additional reporting by Paul Lienert; Editing by Richard Chang)
