+++ German Tornados arrive in Afghanistan +++ Boeing 787 passes 500 orders +++ Fast jet pilot directs multiple unmanned aircraft +++ Fraport signs Xi'an Airport participation +++ Diamond DA50 makes maiden flight +++ News in brief +++
German Tornados arrive in Afghanistan
Luftwaffen-Aufklärer in Masar-i-Sharif eingetroffen
On 5 April, six Luftwaffe Tornado recce aircraft arrived in Afghanistan on a six-month mission to provide assistance to NATO-led troops. The aircraft are stationed in Camp Marmal on the outskirts of Mazar-e Sharif. After some preparation work, the Tornados from AG 51 will come under the command of NATO on Monday. The first regular surveillance missions over southern Afghanistan should start on April 15. Some 200 Luftwaffe personnel are stationed at Camp Marmal where half the 3,000-strong German military contingent in Afghanistan is based. The Tornados are equipped with two optical cameras and an infra- red sensor. The Tornados took off on 2 April from their base at Schleswig Jagel and routed via Italy, the Mediterranean and the VAE.
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Boeing 787 passes 500 orders
Über 500 Bestellungen für Dreamliner
Boeing announced the 500th customer order for the 787 with a follow-on order from Japan Airlines Corp. (JAL). "Today we are celebrating some great news with one of our great customers," said Scott Carson, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This is an unprecedented achievement for Boeing and yet another wonderful milestone for the 787 program. We are very gratified that the 787 will play a key role in the future plans of JAL and so many other industry-leading airline customers."
The JAL order for five 787-8 airplanes, in addition to several orders from unidentified customers, brings the 787's order total to 514 airplanes from 43 customers since its launch on April 26, 2004, making it the fastest-selling commercial airplane in history. This increases JAL's total 787 order to 35 airplanes from their previous order of 30 in December 2004.
"Surpassing the 500 order mark this early in the program - more than a year before the first airplane is delivered - shows that Boeing made the right choice in our point-to-point business strategy, and that the 787 team made the right choices in designing the airplane," said Mike Bair, 787 vice president and general manager." This is an enormous compliment to the people around the world who are working hard to ensure we keep the promises we've made to our customers."
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Fast jet pilot directs multiple unmanned aircraft
UAVs aus Kampfjet gesteuert
A system which provides a single pilot with the ability to fly their own aircraft while simultaneously directing up to four further unmanned aircraft has been successfully demonstrated from the cockpit of a military fast jet for the first time. The system, developed by QinetiQ and funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), gives unmanned aircraft an advanced level of independence and intelligence, or autonomy. A series of successful flight trials were flown using a Tornado as the command and control aircraft and a BAC 1-11 trials aircraft acting as a "surrogate" unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The Tornado pilot also had responsibility for commanding a further three simulated UAVs.
The demonstration flights were conducted last week, taking off from MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire and flying largely in uncontrolled airspace over South West England. Throughout the sorties a mixed RAF and QinetiQ flight crew was retained on the 1-11 for safety monitoring and control during takeoff and landing. QinetiQ's Tornado Integrated Avionics Research Aircraft (TIARA), flown by an RAF test pilot, then assumed control of the 1-11 surrogate UAV and three simulated UAVs for the middle section of each flight.
Working in combination, the Tornado and four UAVs carried out a simulated ground attack on a moving target. The sophisticated computer on the UAVs allowed them to act autonomously i.e. self-organise, communicate, sense their environment, including possible enemies, and target their weapons. However, the final decision to fire any (simulated) weapons was retained by the Tornado pilot. The system has been designed to provide the UAVs with a significant degree of independent intelligence in order to greatly reduce the workload of the pilot but also ensures that the most important decisions are retained by a human operator.
Tony Wall, Managing Director of QinetiQ's Air Division, said: "The UK is playing a leading role in the development of UAV technology and this autonomy programme is truly world-leading. Working closely with our MOD customers and RAF partners, we are delighted with the successes achieved at Boscombe Down last week. There remains a great deal of work to be done before a system like this could be considered for operations but the trials represent an important step in proving that complex autonomy technologies are ready to move from a simulated world to realistic flight conditions."
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Fraport signs Xi'an Airport participation
Flughafeninvestment in China
Fraport AG is the first foreign airport operator to invest in a Chinese airport that is not listed on the stock exchange. "We are playing a pioneering role in this important area and I think we can certainly be proud of this success," declared Fraport executive board chairman Dr. Wilhelm Bender. Bender inked an important international project for the Frankfurt-based airport company. Fraport AG is taking a 24.5-percent share in Xi'an Airport located in central China and will take charge of the airport's operational optimization and commercial development.
Fraport will be investing approximately EUR50 million in the total project. Approval from the Chinese authorities and completion of the transaction is expected in the third quarter of 2007. Bender stressed that Fraport is now opening a new chapter of activities in China - Asia's other booming growth market - following the company's airport concession contract signed in Delhi, India, last year. He described the company's participation in Xi'an as a "first step" and indicated that Fraport intends to expand its activities in the Chinese market.
Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, has a population of about 7.2 million. It was once China's first imperial city. The famous silk road begins at Xi'an and the city is especially known for its world-famous two-thousand-year old Terra Cotta Warriors - China's second-biggest tourist attraction after Peking.
Negotiations for Fraport's investment in Xi'an started in November 2005. The airport's previous and exclusive owner, the state-owned China West Airport Group, will retain the majority of shares. Fraport's second project partner is China National Aviation Corporation (Group) Limited, with whom Fraport has been cooperating on other projects for many years.
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Diamond DA50 makes maiden flight
Erstflug der DA50 Super Star
On 4 April, less than one year after the first flight of the D-JET, the single-engine aircraft DA50 Super Star with an MTOW of 1,660 kg (3,670 lbs) flew for the very first time in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Christian Dries, CEO and owner of Diamond Aircraft flew the aircraft as pilot in command. Also on board was Soeren Pedersen director of Sales, as chief test pilot.
The Diamond DA50 Super Star is equipped with Teledyne Continental TSIOF - 550J engine 350+ HP, FADEC controlled with twin turbo charger. Dries stated that he is proud that Manfred Zipper and his team made the DA50 Super Star a reality in less than 11 months from the idea to the maiden flight. He added "The DA50 Super Star will become a big hit with 350 HP big bore and with variations of turbo-charged diesel engines. I have a team that is unmatched in general aviation manufacturing. I know that they design and build the safest aircraft in the world." Production start should not be later than January 2008.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
The French Government has announced the selection of the FUSCOMP R&D program proposed by EADS Socata for the Aerospace Valley, aerospace competitiveness cluster in South-West France. This decision opens the way to public funding (government and local authorities) of 68% of the Euro 9.3 million for the program. The remaining 32% will be provided by a private-sector partnership lead by EADS Socata. FUSCOMP (FUSelage COMPosite) is an R&D–focus program has been initiated and coordinated by EADS Socata for the the manufacture of a composite fuselage demonstrator . This prototype, which takes the TBM 850 fuselage design as its basis, will be developed using the vacuum infusion process and materials qualified or proven in the aeronautical industry. As the program will extend over four years period it is envisaged that new materials associated with the infusion process could be studied. Vacuum infusion, used in the manufacture of large-scale composite parts such as wind turbine blades and in the shipbuilding industry, is rising interest within the aerospace industry. This process is based on using vacuum-pressure to inject liquid resin, into a dry fiber (glass, carbon or aramid fiber) in a closed mould. The vacuum infusion is an alternative to the usual current process for high-quality parts manufacture which uses preimpregnated fabrics and autoclave polymerization. Adoption of the vacuum infusion process combined with new materials aims to reduce the production cycles, manufacturing and material's costs and to, the use of autoclaves. It is planned to use this technology not only for future EADS Socata aircraft, but also for sub-assemblies for the next generation of airliners such as the A350 or the future NSR as well as regional airliners, business aircraft and helicopters.
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The first high-cabin NH90 transport helicopter destined for the Swedish Defence Forces and assembled by Patria in Finland has flown successfully its first test flights. This helicopter is the third Swedish NH90 to take off after the two others have been test-flown and assembled by Eurocopter in Marignane, France. Of the 18 NH90 ordered by the government of Sweden, 14 are to be assembled in Finland. The average duration of the test flights was 1 hour and 30 minutes. This important milestone of the NH90 program demonstrates the capacity of all industrial partners involved in this program to achieve a sustained and regular ramping up pace.
Patria has already assembled the standard NH90 transport version for the Finnish Defence Forces, which test flights have also fulfilled all expectations. Patria is responsible for assembling most of the Nordic NH90 ordered by Sweden, and Finland. Patria's teams have been working very closely for the past 3 years with Eurocopter and its partners to acquire the requested knowledge and skills to assemble and maintain the NH90.
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ARINC Engineering Services opened a sophisticated new 81,000 square-foot Aircraft Modification and Operations Center at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, featuring the largest commercial aircraft hangar in the OKC area. Oklahoma's Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins welcomed guests, and a ribbon-cutting was performed by John M. Belcher, ARINC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Young, ARINC Vice President, Aerospace Engineering Systems & Support, Richard Tanenbaum, CEO of Gardner Tanenbaum Group, and Mark Kranenburg, Oklahoma Director of Airports.
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AgustaWestland and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) have signed an agreement to modify six EH101 Merlin helicopters the MoD are buying from Denmark, to provide additional helicopter support for the UK armed forces. The agreement also includes the purchase of six new build EH101 Merlin helicopters that will be delivered by the MoD to the Royal Danish Air Force to replace the original aircraft. The six ex Royal Danish Air Force EH101 Merlin Joint Supporters, which will be known as EH101 Merlin HC Mk3As in RAF service, will be delivered to AgustaWestland's Yeovil facility where they will be modified to MoD requirements. The aircraft were delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force in the last 12 months and will enter service with the Royal Air Force later this year after modification. The aircraft will be also equipped with BERP IV technology main rotor blades which will provide further improved performance. The Merlin Mk.3As will be the first helicopters to be equipped with these new technology blades, developed under a jointly funded AgustaWestland and UK MoD research and development rotor technology programme. Orders for 152 EH101 have been placed to date by customers around the world including the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Italian Navy, Portuguese Air Force, Canadian Forces, Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Royal Danish Air Force and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
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In the 2006 financial year the RUAG technology group achieved its best operating result since it was set up as a joint stock company. EBIT rose to CHF 71 million, sales revenues increased by 4.5%. The growth was particularly apparent in the civilian segment, which now accounts for 45% of sales. RUAG, which has manufacturing locations in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden, grew its sales in the defence, civilian and services segments by 4.5% from CHF 1,194 to 1,247 million. The share accounted for by civilian business rose sharply from 38% to 45%. When RUAG was founded eight years ago, this figure stood at just 7%. With an unchanged 39% share of sales, the Swiss defence ministry DDPS remains the biggest single customer in the defence segment. In geographical terms, 53% of business was with international customers, 40% of them in the EU area. When comparing year-on-year EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes), the following should be borne in mind: The operations generated an EBIT of CHF 61 m in 2005. However, extraordinary factors, notably storm damage at the Altdorf site amounting to CHF 150 million, meant that the EBIT was stated at a mere CHF 19 million and that a loss of CHF -19 million had to be published. RUAG moved swiftly back into the profit zone in 2006: The EBIT figure of CHF 71 m was a hefty CHF 52 m above the CHF 19 m reported a year previously. Taking out the extraordinary expenses, the operating EBIT - up from CHF 61 m in 2005 to CHF 71 m in 2006 - improved by 22%. RUAG has thus posted its best result since its founding as a joint stock company in 1999. All business units contributed to this success.
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The Sikorsky S-92 helicopter has successfully demonstrated its capability to discharge a Chaff and Flare Counter Measures Dispensing System, which is designed to ward missiles away from the aircraft. The S-92 helicopter fulfills several missions including Head of State transport and has military derivatives including the H-92 SUPERHAWK helicopter. Both functionality and effectiveness were demonstrated in separate tests with the latter occurring March 2 at the U.S. Naval Weapons Test Center at China Lake, Calif. The Chaff and Flare Counter Measures Dispensing System is a version of the ALE-47. The ALE-47 is widely employed on U.S. platforms such as the Sikorsky UH-60, MH-60, HH-60, and internationally on the S-70 helicopter. Sikorsky's S-92 standard survivability suite, offered to international military customers, is based on this system coupled with the AAR-47 Missile Warning System and the APR-39 Radar Warning Receiver.
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Finmeccanica has completed the purchase of the remaining 25% stake in Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems from BAE Systems for a total of around EUR 400 million, with a further payment estimated at around EUR 12 million in the next few months. The total price also includes the profits not yet distributed by Selex S&AS that were due to BAE Systems for the whole period of its ownership of Selex S&AS. The value of this investment, excluding the estimated additional payment, is already included in Finmeccanica's total net debt figure at the end of 2006 (EUR 858 million) the transaction does not therefore affect the group's financial position. Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, Chairman and CEO of Finmeccanica, stated, “The acquisition of complete control of Selex S&AS contributes significantly to our objectives of growth and consolidation in the fields of aerospace, defence and security, and will enable Finmeccanica to speed up its strategy of penetrating the US market, thanks to its participation in a number of important military programmes that are expected to see strong growth in the next few years”. In 2006, Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems, which operates in the avionics business in both Italy and the UK, recorded revenues of around EUR 1,750 million and profitability in line with the average for Finmeccanica's Defence Electronics business. The company has over 7,200 employees, of whom 3,100 are based in Italy and more than 4,100 in the UK. The order backlog stands at over EUR 4 billion.
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Saab has been awarded two new contracts, worth approximately 300 million SEK, for carrying out new missile tests with Meteor. "Meteor is the leading missile programme in Europe and Gripen has once again been selected for carrying out new tests in the project", says Thomas Hellström, project manager for Meteor at Saab Aerosystems. Gripen is the first and so far only fighter aircraft that has launched Meteor. The two new contracts mean that Saab will continue testing and carrying out important activities involving Meteor up until 2010. The contract includes firing and radar tests, taking place in the Hebrides in Scotland, at Aberporth in Wales and at FMV´s test base in Vidsel, Sweden.
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The EADS Board of Directors appointed Rüdiger Grube (Member of the Management Board of DaimlerChrysler AG) to join Arnaud Lagardère as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Grube has been member of the EADS Board of Directors since 2004 and will succeed Manfred Bischoff with immediate effect. Bischoff resigned after having taken over new responsibility as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of DaimlerChrysler AG. "Manfred Bischoff was one of EADS' founding fathers and took the chair of the EADS Board of Directors in 2000. European mindset and broad experience made him one of the great leaders and a visionary of the global aerospace industry," said Arnaud Lagardère. "Rüdiger Grube has a broad top management industrial experience including aerospace and will dedicate all his knowledge to the success of EADS. I'm looking forward to jointly develop with him the future of the Group." Furthermore, the EADS Board of Directors has nominated two new members: Michel Pébereau (President of BNP Paribas) and Bodo Uebber (Member of the Management Board of DaimlerChrysler AG) will be proposed to the Annual General Meeting of shareholders on 4 May 2007 to join the Board. Pébereau and Uebber are to take over the Board positions, which are vacant following Louis Gallois' appointment as EADS CEO and Manfred Bischoff's resignation as member of the Board.
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Air Berlin has selected the Rockwell Collins MultiScan Hazard Detection System, Multi Mode Receiver (MMR) and Passenger Address Unit (PAU) for 85 Boeing 737NG aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in April 2008. Rockwell Collins' award-winning WXR-2100 MultiScan Hazard Detection System is the first and only weather radar in the market which analyzes and determines actual weather hazards, not simply atmospheric moisture content. MultiScan is a fully automatic, hands-free airborne weather radar system with over four years of operational experience. The advanced system reduces pilot workload, enhances safety and passenger comfort by minimizing unexpected turbulence encounters, and provides optimal clutter free weather detection from the nose of the aircraft to 320 nautical miles.
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CAE was awarded a contract by AgustaWestland to design an EH101 full crew mission simulator (FCMS) for the Marina Militare Italiana (Italian Navy). The EH101 FCMS will include the full mission flight simulator (FMFS) for training EH101 pilots and the rear crew trainer (RCT) for training the rear crew in the operation of all tactical, sensor, and weapon systems in the aircraft. The two trainers can be operated as standalone training devices or networked to provide full crew mission training. AgustaWestland will serve as prime contractor for the program with Italian industry, including Meteor, providing key subsystems such as the radar environment simulation. The EH101 FCMS will be delivered to Naval Air Station Luni in early 2010. The EH101 FMFS will feature the CAE Medallion-6000TM visual system with Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) projectors and a 220° x 60° field-of-view display system. CAE will also lead development of the sonar simulation for the RCT. The Italian Navy has ordered 22 out of 24 EH101 helicopters to be used for anti-submarine warfare, amphibious support, and airborne early warning.
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In Germany, CAE will continue to provide on-site maintenance and support services for all German Armed Forces flight simulators including Eurofighter, Tornado and P-3C Orion training devices. In addition, CAE will provide maintenance and logistics support, repair services, and engineering support for the helicopter simulators located at the German Army Aviation School at Bueckeburg. CAE will team with Indra of Spain to design and develop two EC135 FTDs for use at Eurocopter training centres in Germany and the United States.
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Embraer informs that Australia's Virgin Blue Airlines has confirmed three EMBRAER 170 jet options and taken three more EMBRAER 190 purchase rights, thus complementing its former order announced on November 2, 2006, and increasing its firm order backlog to 20 E-Jets. Virgin Blue's EMBRAER 170 jets will have 78 seats in a single-class layout, and the first delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2007. The first E-Jets delivery occurred in March 2004. As of December 31, 2006, Embraer had logged 619 firm orders and 568 options for the EMBRAER 170/190 family, with 209 jets flying in the colors of 20 airlines in 16 countries worldwide.
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Bell Helicopter said that its 429 model continues to perform well as it advances through its flight test paces. According to the flight test pilots, to date, the performance of the 429 has been "very stable and predictable, "and is exactly what you want as you continue to expand the test envelope. Production rotor blades have replaced the prototype blades that flew on the first flight, and ground runs were completed last weekend with the new blades. The data accumulated has been positive, and a program spokesman has indicated that these initial flights were the best for a new helicopter in Bell's history. In addition to the production rotor blades, new software has also been loaded into the helicopter. Like all modern helicopter programs, software is a major component of development and testing. This version of the software affects the cockpit displays and is more representative of the production aircraft. All indications are positive and the pilots have said that "the handling was well balanced, and the aircraft was a pleasure to fly."
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The Federal Aviation Administration's Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) system, developed by Lockheed Martin, is now fully operational. The Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center in Alaska, the last of three FAA sites transitioning to ATOP, successfully completed its transition in March. The Anchorage center, which successfully transitioned its sectors on March 1, is the first ATOP site to use the radar functionality of the system. As a result, the ATOP system is capable of operating both non-radar and radar separation. Air Route Traffic Control Centers in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., and Oakland, Calif., deployed ATOP technology in 2005 for the Atlantic and Pacific regions. The system provides safe separation of aircraft in areas outside radar coverage or direct radio communication, such as over the ocean. It detects conflicts between aircraft, provides satellite data link communication and position information to air traffic controllers, and significantly reduces the intensive manual process that limited the flexibility of controllers to safely handle airline requests for more efficient tracks over long oceanic routes.
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The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition by Thales of France of Alcatel's shareholdings in the space joint ventures Alcatel Alenia Space (AAS) of France and Telespazio of Italy, currently jointly controlled by Alcatel and Finmeccanica. Thales holds a leading position for Travelling Wave Tubes (TWTs), a critical component for telecommunications satellites. AAS is a leading satellite manufacturer. In November 2006, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to determine whether the new entity would be likely to restrict access to TWTs for its downstream satellite and satellite subsystem rivals. The Commission's investigation in fact found that the new entity's ability and incentive to do so would be very limited and significantly constrained by both competitors and customers. As a result, the Commission concluded that the concentration would not significantly impede effective competition within the European Economic Area (EEA) or a significant part of it.
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The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced that shipments of every type of general aviation airplane increased in 2006. These strong numbers have led to another record high in industry billings, and the Pilatus PC-12 remains the top selling single model of turbine-powered business aircraft for the fourth consecutive year. The PC-12 is in its 14 th year of production and it is now being produced at the highest rate to date. 90 PC-12s were delivered worldwide in 2006, ahead of 73 Citation XLS, 72 Citation CJ3, 59 Grand Caravan.
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With L-3 Communications' Integrated Systems (IS) subsidiary being named preferred contractor to carry out risk reduction studies in the final part of the UK MOD HELIX Assessment Phase contract worth in excess of £11.5M, QinetiQ, as a tier-1 partner, will receive a significant workshare. HELIX is a major mission system upgrade to the capabilities of the Royal Air Force Nimrod R1 electronic reconnaissance aircraft fleet. QinetiQ will be providing advanced electronic reconnaissance technologies from it's technology development centre at Malvern in Worcestershire along with expert design advice in the areas of human factors and operator training. Other partners working with L-3 IS as the lead systems integrator and prime contractor are LogicaCMG that will contribute ground systems, information management and security services and technologies and BAE Systems that is providing aircraft modification, aircraft certification, long-term support and logistics services, and some sensor technologies.
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Estonian Airlines, the national carrier of the Republic of Estonia and part of the SAS Group, has signed a contract with Saab Aircraft Leasing for the lease of two Saab 340s. The aircraft will join its fleet in May and September to commence scheduled flights from the airline's Tallinn Airport base. The Saab 340s will replace Estonian Airlines larger 50-seat Fokker 50s and become the mainstay complement to the airline's six-strong Boeing 737-500 fleet.
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The Bell Boeing V-22 fleet surpassed 25,000 flight hours when a crew from the 71st Special Operations Squadron (71st SOS), Kirtland AFB, flew a 2.4-hour student qualification flight in CV-22 No. 02-0024, March 9, 2007. The 71st SOS is the Air Force training squadron for the CV-22. Air Force crew-members on the historic flight included Lt. Col. Todd A. Lovell, aircraft commander and director of operations for the 71st SOS, Lt. Col. James E. Breck and Capt. Patrick D. Fronk, both members of the first student class of the 71st SOS. Additional aircraft crewmembers aboard the flight were SSgt Jeremy Hoye, TSgt. Joseph N. Levine and TSgt Aaron S. Brown.
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The US Air Transport Association (ATA), the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, today praised the United Kingdom decision to continue nonstop express rail service between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria Station. ATA applauded the decision, announced today by U.K. Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander, to retain and expand the quarter-hour, nonstop service between Gatwick and London. "We are delighted that the United Kingdom has recognized the importance of this dedicated, nonstop service to all airline passengers, especially those from the United States, visiting London," said ATA President and CEO James C. May. "Passengers long have relied on the service that the Gatwick Express provides. This decision means continued convenience for our customers who frequent Gatwick Airport, while also ensuring Gatwick remains a competitive international airport.
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CAE announced that the European Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) have completed the qualifications and certified four CAE-built full-flight simulators (FFSs) with electric motion to Level D, the highest performance rating for flight training equipment. The four simulators – two Boeing 737-800 and one A320 for Flight Simulation Company (FSC) and one Boeing 737-800 for Japan Airlines – are the first full-flight simulators with electric motion for Airbus and Boeing aircraft to ever receive Level D certification . CAE's state-of-the-art all-electric motion system, available to civil and military customers, provides more accurate and authentic cues for pilot training and is more environmentally friendly than hydraulic-based or hybrid electric-hydraulic motion systems. It also consumes less energy, requires less maintenance and reduces labor requirements, therefore decreasing overall simulator operating costs. CAE collaborated with Moog FCS on the development of CAE's new all-electric motion system which features CAE's true-fidelity motion cueing software to maximize the responsiveness and fidelity of the electric actuators. In addition, CAE has leveraged its know-how in safety protection features which meet the strictest international standards.
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According to data of the Federal Office for Environment Protection, the portion of air traffic to the German CO2-emissions amounts to 2.5%. On all domestic flights of the European Union annually approx. 23 million tons of CO2 are emitted, while e.g. the brown coal power station Jänschwalde alone discharges 25 million tons of CO2 annually. The airlines lowered the specific emissions of their fleets in the past years continuously. New airplanes like A380 use less than 3 litres kerosene per passenger on 100 kilometers. Ralph Beisel, managing director of the German airport federation:“Against this background considerations to raise a CO2-tax for every ticket sold in Germany are pure symbol politics. An overall extra charge burdens the airline passengers independently of how much CO2 is produced by its air passage. It is thereby no climaticpolitical control instrument.”
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Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company, and TsAGI, the Russian Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, have announced a joint feasibility project for cooperation in the field of research & development and design of aerostructures for commercial aircraft and, in a second phase, for the working-out of joint projects in the field of advanced aerodynamics and other design activities on next-generation aircraft. The Memorandum of Understanding, signed in Moscow by Alessandro Franzoni, Alenia's Chief Technical Officer and by Vladimir Kargopoltsev, TsAGI's Director, marks the beginning of joint studies for the assessment of all potential collaboration areas. The start of the joint Alenia-TsAGI activities is scheduled by the end of next summer.
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Boeing announced deliveries across its commercial and defense operations for the first quarter of 2007. Major program deliveries during the first quarter were as follows: 7 37 Next Generation (83), 747 (3), 767 (3), 777 (17).
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Bristow Group announced that it has completed the acquisition of Helicopter Adventures, Inc. ("HAI"), a leading flight training provider, on April 2. The purchase was for approximately $15 million plus debt of approximately $5 million, and with completion of the transaction, the flight school has been renamed Bristow Academy Inc. Patrick Corr, the founder and owner of HAI, was appointed as Senior Vice President of Global Training for Bristow Group Inc. Bill Chiles, Bristow's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are excited about the addition of Bristow Academy and the addition of Patrick Corr to our senior management team. Bristow Academy will help us execute our growth strategy by helping address the industry's long-term pilot supply challenge. Bristow Academy's predecessor HAI has a stellar reputation in the rotor wing industry and a 20 year profitable history. Patrick will lead our training efforts, which is a key element of our overall corporate strategy."
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Arianespace announced that it will launch the Horizons-2 spacecraft for Horizons Satellite LLC (a joint venture between Intelsat and JSAT), and Intelsat-11 for Intelsat. An Ariane 5 will orbit both payloads from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana during the third quarter of 2007. After delivery to geostationary transfer orbit, Horizons-2 will occupy an orbital slot at 74 degrees West Longitude, and Intelsat-11 will be located at 43 degrees West Longitude. Weighing approximately 2,350 kg. at liftoff, the Horizons-2 satellite -- based on Orbital Science's STAR satellite platform -- carries 20 high-power Ku-band transponders, and will generate 3.5 kilowatts of payload power. This powerful new satellite will provide service for everything from digital video, high-definition television (HDTV) and IP-based content distribution networks, to broadband Internet and satellite news services in the continental United States, the Caribbean and parts of Canada.
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The MV-22 Osprey has accomplished two major steps required for initial operational capability (IOC) with completion of a major Block B operational test period and a successful IOC Supportability Review pre-board, program officials announced at a press conference April 4. Col. Mathew Mulhern, V-22 Osprey Joint Program Manager, and Gene Cunningham, Bell Boeing V-22 Deputy Program Manager, briefed reporters at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Expo in Washington on the MV-22's progress toward combat readiness. The Marine Corps' tiltrotor is expected to earn the go-ahead this summer for operational deployment, bolstered in part by the aircraft's high performance under mission-representative testing in February and March. Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22) put the Block B Osprey - the combat configuration of the aircraft - through its paces for that evaluation period, known to testers as OT-IIIA. Crews completed 120 Block B flight hours and an additional 65 hours on Block A aircraft, in real-world scenarios over 18 days in the California and Arizona deserts. Crewmembers from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 (VMMT-204) also participated.
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Australian telecom operator Optus has chosen Arianespace to orbit its D3 satellite. Optus D3 will be orbited by an Ariane launcher or a Soyuz launcher in 2009 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This contract reflects Arianespace's successful strategy of offering launch Service & Solutions tailored to operators' needs. Optus D3 will be the fifth satellite launched by Arianespace for the Australian operator. Optus D1 was launched by Arianespace in October 2006, following Optus & Defence C1 in 2003 and Aussat A3 in 1987. Optus D2 is scheduled for launch by Arianespace later this year. Optus' parent company SingTel also chose Arianespace to launch its ST-1 satellite in 1998.
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BAE Systems celebrated the official handover of the first aft fuselage of the F-35 Lightning II short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant to its industry partner, Lockheed Martin. This represents a major milestone in the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the F-35 programme, as progress on manufacturing and assembly is made ahead of the STOVL aircraft's first flight in 2008. The SDD phase is estimated to be worth more than £1.3 billion to the company. The STOVL variant is the second of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II and has been identified by the UK Government as the preferred replacement for its Harrier aircraft when it goes out of service. The aft fuselage is the first major airframe component to be delivered by BAE Systems for the STOVL variant and will be followed later this year by the BAE Systems-designed and built vertical and horizontal tails.
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Bristow announced that it had exercised options under its Helicopter Sales Agreement with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to purchase four additional S-92 helicopters. In conjunction with this exercise of options for the four S-92 helicopters, nine medium aircraft ordered previously have become options. In addition, Bristow has acquired options for ten additional S-92 helicopters, bringing the total number of options for S-92 helicopters to fourteen.
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On 21 March ESA and NASA signed an agreement in Washington, DC, extending the two agencies' long-standing cooperation in the areas of satellite tracking, spacecraft navigation and mission operations. The agencies' new "Network and Operations Cross-support" agreement covers the ongoing provision to each other of services for missions where no specific Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in place, typically due to the short-term nature or limited scope of the support. This type of support has been provided in the past, but was limited only to the sharing of ground tracking stations and had to be arranged for each mission separately through a Letter of Agreement (LoA), which was a long process. Agreement covers tracking, navigation and systems sharing. The new agreement was signed in Washington, DC, by William H. Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations, and Gaele Winters, ESA Director for Operations and Infrastructure.
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Sea Launch reports significant progress in the investigation into the cause of the unsuccessful launch on January 30 and repairs to the Odyssey Launch Platform. The national space agencies of Russia and Ukraine formed an interagency commission in early February to investigate the cause of the incident and determine the necessary corrective actions. The commission recently concluded its investigation and issued a summary statement to Sea Launch, indicating an anomaly within the first stage engine caused early termination of thrust, resulting in the loss of the mission. The Sea Launch Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) is meeting this week in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, with representatives of the interagency commission and Sea Launch partner companies, to evaluate the commission's findings regarding the root cause of the anomaly and recommended corrective actions. The FROB is comprised of Sea Launch technical leadership and U.S. aerospace industry experts as well as customer representatives. Upon completion of the meetings, the FROB Chairman will determine whether to close the FROB and begin implementation of the recommended corrective actions or to keep the FROB open for further investigation and evaluation.
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UK Defence Minister Lord Drayson today launched a new organisation, called Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), that will equip and support our armed forces for operations. This is the latest in a Defence Acquisition Change Programme (DACP) reforms. These changes, which work in support of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), are already improving the way UK Forces are equipped, sustained and supported. This reform will create one single organisation that is responsible for equipment throughout its life, from design, through delivery to disposal. By bringing these areas of responsibility together in one organisation, the Armed Forces' equipment will be better managed and with more effective maintenance, technology upgrades and cost control. DE&S will manage a budget of £16bn, comprising some 43% of the defence budget and employ around 29,000 people across the UK and abroad Lord Drayson said: "My primary concern is that we continue to provide our Forces with the equipment they need to do the job asked of them. The creation of this new organisation, combining the best of military and public service cultures with a hard commercial edge, shows our determination to continually improve the support we deliver to the front line. Both MoD and Industry are making real progress in improving acquisition performance but much remains to be done."
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The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable Michael Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister Responsible for Montreal, announced the launch of a new transparent and fully accountable research and development (R&D) initiative to promote excellence and accelerate innovation in Canada's aerospace, defence, security and space (A&D) industries. The Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) will support strategic research and development that result in new products, processes and services for the benefit of Canadians. "This new cross-Canada initiative includes strong transparency and accountability requirements, and faster repayment features," said Minister Bernier. "Since our government took office, transparency, accountability and value for money have been among our highest priorities and are the norm for new initiatives. SADI will support innovation by Canadian players which is critical to accelerating new technologies so they can continue to be at the leading edge of the knowledge-based economy." "This collaboration between Canada's New Government and the aerospace and defence industries through the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative will ensure that leading edge research and development activities are undertaken in Canada and Canadians continue to reap the benefits," said Minister Fortier. SADI, a repayable contribution program, will be administered by Industry Canada's Industrial Technologies Office (ITO), a Special Operating Agency, which is subject to regular internal and external reviews. New transparency and accountability measures include providing Canadians with such information as project assessment criteria, the assessment process, contribution recipients, as well as regular updates on project results, program performance, and program accomplishments.
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The Italian carrier Mistral Air, a subsidiary of Gruppo Poste Italiane (Italian Mail), and Lufthansa Technik signed far-reaching contracts for the technical support of the newly acquired fleet of three Boeing 737QC (Quick Change) aircraft. The contracts include Total Component Support TCS, with Lufthansa Technik supplying the carrier's homebase stock and Mistral Air having access to Lufthansa Technik's large pool of spare parts. Lufthansa Technik will also carry out all engine maintenance and overhaul tasks via a Total Engine Support TES agreement, including APU Services. Thrust reversers will be maintained by Lufthansa Technik's Airframe Related Component Services ARC®. The agreement also includes ad-hoc support and troubleshooting as well as landing gear services. Additionally, as an option C-checks could be performed at Lufthansa Technik facilities.
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The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Lockheed Martin conducted another successful flight test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system today, intercepting a unitary target in THAAD's second flight test at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, HI. This hit-to-kill intercept demonstrated THAAD's precision against in-bound threats and its ability to provide increased protection for troops and assets. Preliminary data indicates the flight test met all objectives. This included new goals which set this test apart from previous flight tests: The target was intercepted in the mid endo-atmosphere; the THAAD Fire Control and Communications unit's data link communicated with a simulated Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ship via a satellite link with the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, located in San Diego. This successful link highlights the interoperability of the various elements of the United States' Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS); proved THAAD's endgame capability; examined hit assessments in radar data
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SEC documents filed reveal that Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) will pay $1.8 billion, $300 million more than originally estimated, for the Carlyle Group's Landmark Aviation of Phoenix and Standard Aero of Winnipeg, Canada. More than half of the total, $1.034 billion, is for Standard Aero. The filing confirms DAE's commitment to selling off the Landmark network of FBOs soon after the deal is completed. According to the document, DAE will submit a filing to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States shortly, one of the steps involved in regulatory approval. A source close to the deal said this is to make the process as transparent and smooth as possible. Final approvals are expected in the third quarter. DAE was founded in February last year by the Dubai government as a global aerospace solutions corporation. The company claims an initial investment of $15 billion.
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