More news from Jane's

US Air Force presses ahead with AOC automation
The US Air Force (USAF) has significantly expanded its use of the
Theatre
Battle Management Core System (TBMCS) since the terrorist attacks of
September 2001. Air Force Materiel Command’s Electronic Systems Centre
(ESC) has worked with prime contractor Lockheed Martin to implement
enhancements more rapidly than had been planned. TBMCS has also been
installed in the homeland defence operations centre at Tyndall Air
Force
Base in Florida, and at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The
latter
is responsible for co-ordinating the air war over Afghanistan.
[Jane’s Int’l Defense Review – first posted onto http://idr.janes.com –
14
February 2002]

Adour Mk.106 – a complex compromise
The Adour Mk.106 re-engining programme for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF)
fleet of 62 SEPECAT Jaguar attack aircraft has turned out to be more
complex than anticipated when the Pds105 million (US$148m) contract was
awarded to BAE Systems’ Customer Solutions and Support (CSS) business
in
September 1998 (see JDU Vol II No.17 p4).
[Jane’s Defence Upgrades – first posted on http://jdu.janes.com on 22
February 2002]

Norway weighs up new fighter, airlift options
Norway will decide within the next two months whether to join the
US-led
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) system development and demonstration (SDD)
phase, a further development of the four-nation Eurofighter, or examine
the
Rafale programme more closely.
[Jane’s Defence Weekly – first posted onto http://jdw.janes.com on 22
February 2002]

A400M engine rejected as too heavy, underpowered
Europe’s leading aircraft engine manufacturers will submit a fresh bid
for
the contract to build the power plant for the future A400M military
transport aircraft next month, after the airlifter’s manufacturer,
Airbus
Military SAS, rejected their initial proposal and re-opened the
competition.
[Jane’s Defence Weekly – first posted onto http://jdw.janes.com on 22
February 2002]

Fighter pilots make movies, Bomber pilots make history and Nerds make money from the sims!