Jungle BoyWhen India will upgrade the MiG-27 fleet? I read it could be fitted with the AL-31FP. Is this true?
Jungle BoyFrom Military News Group
Spy gear may not fit in Embraer plane
By Tony Quesada
The Business Journal of Jacksonville
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET July 17, 2005
JACKSONVILLE — Embraer is waiting to learn whether it will be
replaced as the airframe provider for the next U.S. spy plane.The Brazilian aircraft maker is part of the Lockheed Martin Corp.
team chosen by the U.S. Army last year for the Aerial Common Sensor
program. With much fanfare, including a visit from Gov. Jeb Bush,
Embraer celebrated the news with a groundbreaking ceremony at Cecil
Commerce Center. That’s where the Jacksonville Airport Authority
plans to build a plant in which Embraer was to assemble its ERJ 145
for the program.But in recent weeks Embraer’s status has become less certain as
doubts surfaced among program managers with the Army and prime
contractor Lockheed Martin over whether the ERJ 145 airframe can
accommodate the sensors and electronic components required.Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and the Army say they’re evaluating
various larger aircraft made by a number of companies, including
Embraer.How the ACS program has reached this point is a topic of great
interest among those who follow military aviation. Lockheed
spokesman Keith Mordoff said it wasn’t until the detailed design
phase that Lockheed and the Army determined they needed to consider
larger airframes.The problem with that explanation, analysts say, is that a
significant amount of engineering goes into — or should go into —
the bid process. Discovering a discrepancy of this magnitude
afterward doesn’t speak well of those involved in awarding the
contract.“They [the Army] should have known,” said Bill Dane, military
aviation analyst with Forecast International Inc. “To see something
as basic as it won’t fit, that shouldn’t happen at this level of
command and responsibility.”Lockheed and the Army say they have no timetable for making a
decision. They also won’t say whether the ERJ 145 is out of
consideration. But all indicators are that they’re going bigger.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., which had offered its 450 aircraft as
part of a bid by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC), is now being
asked for information about its 550 aircraft. The 550 is seven feet
longer and has a 23 percent greater maximum takeoff weight.If they go too much larger, however, it’s sure to raise eyebrows
even higher among those who track military aviation. The next step
up in the Embraer line is the ERJ 170, which has a payload capacity
nearly 50 percent higher. But word is that its ERJ 190 is in
contention. The 190’s maximum payload is more than twice that of the
145. Above the 170, the perception — if not the reality —
of “mission creep” begins to set in, said analyst Richard Aboulafia
of Teal Group Corp.“The credibility of the program would be in jeopardy if they go too
big,” Aboulafia said.Embraer would benefit if the 170 were deemed big enough because at
that size it would face fewer American equivalents.“The problem is that if you go to a 190, then Boeing might attack
with its 737,” Aboulafia said.Another question looming is whether Embraer would be entitled to
compensation or otherwise have a legal leg to stand on should it
essentially get cut from the Lockheed team before the game starts.Embraer spokeswoman Betsy Talton referred questions to Lockheed, and
Mordoff said he didn’t know whether Embraer would be entitled to
compensation.Neither Dane and Aboulafia nor Army and Lockheed spokespeople could
recall a situation in which an airframe maker had been replaced in a
military aviation program after the contract had been awarded. But
at the same time, they all noted that the Aerial Common Sensor
program differs from the typical program in that the capability of
the airframe is secondary to the equipment it’s meant to carry.“This is a surveillance plane,” Mordoff said. “It’s the sensors that
we’re putting onboard that’s important to the Armed Forces.”That concept is borne out by the fact that, unlike in past programs,
the airframe maker is not the lead contractor.On the other hand, the operational capabilities of the platform are
not insignificant, said Robert Baugniet, a spokesman for Gulfstream,
a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).“It’s not just a matter of payload, but a whole bunch of factors,”
including operational costs, he said. “If you could buy two aircraft
at a lower price but you need two crews to do the mission of one,
are you really ahead?”When the initial system development and demonstration contract was
awarded, it was announced to be for $879 million. Follow-on
contracts with the Army for a total of 38 planes were expected to
bring the total value of the program to $7 billion. That’s not
including up to 19 planes the Navy may buy to replace its EP-3
aircraft. In all, officials said, the program could be worth about
$10 billion over 20 years.It’s unclear how that might change if a larger and more expensive
airframe is used.
The ACS program will end with the Boeing 737 ariframe being used. 😀
Jungle BoyWhat is you choice and why! My favourites are Hawk 100/200 and AMX but I have been away from modern military aircraft for the last 10 years! So I have probably missed the latest development! 😉
Good to be back
Sorry, but AMX isn´t suitable for training. That´s what FAB thinks and the reason to buy ex-south african air force Impalas. AMX won´t be used as advanced jet trainer. Of course Embraer will try to force it into FAB´s inventory as advanced jet trainer, but I doubt FAB will purchase then to replace de Xavante fleet especially after the FX program outcome.
Embraer will not suceed if try to sell the AMX as advanced jet trainer. AMX is a light-medium atack aircraft, a lousy one, but still an atack aircraft.
Mako is dead and deep burried. It appears EADS has no intentions to revive the project.
You forgot, perhaps, the most promising aircraft, the russian Yak-130.
Jungle BoySemi-Sukhoy
The future Russian fighter needs Europe’s assistance
The head of the Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company (AKhK), Mikhail
Pogosyan, announced yesterday the possibility of cooperating with
European firms in the creation of the fifth generation fighter.
According to existing regulations, the Russian military will not
adopt into the inventory equipment which is assembled using foreign
components. Earlier Russian officials had talked about India’s
possible financial participation in the project for the creation of
the fifth generation fighter. No one up to now had mentioned
publicly the attraction to this projects of the Europeans.
Nonetheless, a highly-placed source in the Sukhoy AKhK has declared
to Vremya Novosti that such cooperation “would respond to the
modern trends in worldwide aircraft construction.”Mr. Pogosyan spoke regarding the desirability to attract Europe to
the development of a new generation combat airplane, appearing at
the on-going European conference on aerospace research in Moscow.
According to him, the AKhK right now is forming the requirements
which the future combat complex is supposed to meet. “And many
question in this plan may be the object of the joint cooperation of
the Russian and European aviation industry,” ITAR-TASS quotes Mr.
Pogosyan. The head of the AKhK named the development of the avionics
as the top-priority field of such cooperation with Europe.It must be noted that the AKhK already is using actively Western
avionics developed in its own projects, true for the time being only
in civil. The French Thales company is one of the lead partners of
Sukhoy in the development of the Russian RRJ regional airplane. In
the past month, Sukhoy signed a contract with Thales for the
delivery of avionics for the RRJ worth 125 million dollars. However,
a highly placed employee of the Sukhoy AKhK on the conditions of
anonymity said to Vremya Novostey that one must not understand Mr.
Pogosyan’s words in the sense that the contract with Thales will be
extended in the near future to the military theme.“Such things take the settlement of sensitive questions, in
particular the protection of intellectual property and the of the
control over the spread of military technologies, which is possible
only within the framework of interstate agreements,” our source
noted. – “Only after such agreements are reached, management
subjects such as Sukhoy and the profile foreign firms can proceed to
discuss the commercial aspects of cooperation.”Speaking about the possibility of permitting foreigners to
participate in Russian defense programs, the AKhK representative
emphasized that this would respond to modern trends of worldwide
aircraft construction: “Pay attention, in our time all the largest
aircraft construction projects are international – both civil and
military, for example the F-35 (a fifth generation fighters being
developed for the USAF and Great Britain with the participation of
American, British and Canadian firms — – ed.) or the Eurofighter
(this fighter is being designed by a consortium of German, British,
Italian and Spanish Companies — – Ed.)”Source: 06.07.05, Vremya Novostey, Correspondent: Mikhail Kukushkin
From Roy´s Via Military News Group
Jungle BoyEmbraer Takes Hit in Indian AWACS Effort
06/27/05 12:56
New Delhi’s recent decision to avoid sole-source contracts has
dealt a setback to Brazil’s Embraer, whose EMB 145 had been selected
as the platform for India’s Airborne Early Warning and Control
System (AWACS) development program.Now the Indian Ministry of Defence is requiring a global
competition for the intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
aircraft, a ministry official said. Other ministry sources said the
tender could take four months to clear the red tape, and one to two
years to make the new selection.The tender will be offered by the state-owned Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is developing the AWACS
using Indian radar. DRDO picked the EMB 145, and last year the
ministry granted approval.
Jungle BoyThe frontrunner is the Embraer 190. It has the volume in the fuselage for all the stuff that LM wants to stuff into it.
Why buy the ER-190 if the US can get the Boeing 737 to replace the EP-3II Aries. The 737 will also replace the P-3C Orion. Makes sense to me choose the same aircraft again.
There´s no suprise on this decision. ERJ-145 is short-legged, 737 isn´t and its development costs are reduced due Boeing´s work on P-8 MMA.
No ******* way US getting the ERJ-190.
Jungle BoyNews from Military News Agency
Russia, Peru to sign agreement on aircraft repairs
12:03BUENOS AIRES, June 18 (RIA Novosti, Yuri Nikolayev) – Peru is set to sign an agreement on aircraft repairs with Russia, Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said. According to him, the agreement on repairs and modernization of Russian-made aircraft of the Peruvian army will be signed on Tuesday. At the initial stage, $7 million will be allocated for this purpose, Toledo added.
The president said he intended to ask the Russian government to lend four helicopters for the period of repair works.
Peru is Russia’s traditional partner in the military-technical sphere in Latin America. Peru was the first South American country to start military cooperation with the Soviet Union. The Peruvian army has Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters, Su-20 and Su-22 strike fighters and MiG-29 fighters.
The majority of aircraft needs modernization and repairs as well as replacement in the future.
According to expert estimates, the modernization and repairs of the aircraft cost some $250 million.
11 missing, four injured after Peru military helicopter crash
LIMA (AFP) Jun 17, 2005
Eleven people are missing and four were injured after a Peruvian military helicopter crashed in a remote zone of the country’s border with Colombia, the military said in a statement Thursday.
The Russian-made helicopter crashed in the vicinity of the Putumayo river during a routine check of border posts along Peru’s northern frontier.The craft was carrying military and police personnel as well as some civilians and a young girl, the military said.
Jungle BoyI don´t believie the deal will be signed. Mr. Lula is involved in a bribery scandal right now and he wont spend money with new toys for FAB because he will need it, after all he has to pay the PL and PP the “mensalao”.
Brazil is really a joke.
Jungle BoyCanada actually still operates four CT-133’s with the AETE at CFB Cold Lake in Alberta. I love the paint scheme on CAF T-Birds. It makes them look quite modern.
Last T-33 jet trainers taken out of service
Belleville, Ont. — The last of the Canadian Forces T-33 jet trainers
touched down yesterday afternoon at CFB Trenton.
The landing marks the retirement of the last of the T-Birds and ends
more than 50 years of service with the Canadian Forces.
More than 650 of the two-seater jets were produced by Canadair and
started service in 1951. CP
Jungle BoyVery interesting article. Does anyone knows more info about that?
Regards,
“The Specter
of Russian-Made Fighter Jets in Venezuela
Where did you found this news? What´s the source of the article?
Jungle Boy“Russia to replace Sukhoi
Russia would take back India’s Su-30K fighter jets and replace them with the brand new Su-30 MKI aircrafts at a very low price.”
Can anyone comment this?
Is this true?
Jungle BoySecond Yak-130 Joined Flight Trial Program
(Source: Irkut Corporation; dated April 8, web-posted April 11, 2005)
On April 5, 2005, second prototype in series configuration joined Yak-130 trainer flight trial program.
The aircraft was piloted by Yakovlev Design Bureau test-pilots V.N. Sevastyanov and R.P. Taskaev.
The main purpose of the test flight that lasted for 42 minutes was to check power plant and aircraft systems operation as well as maneuverability performance. The aircraft reached speed of 680 km/h and altitude of 6000m. In flight, it was followed by the first Yak-130 with board number 01.
Yak-130 trainer is intended for intermediate and advanced training of fighter pilots. The aircraft is equipped with a quadro-redundant digital fly-by-wire system providing simulation of all modern fighters’ control algorithms.
In 2002, Yak-130 won a tender of the Russian Ministry of Defence to develop a trainer for the Russian Air Force.
Jungle BoyProblem: the main customers of for Soviet Bloc: e.g. African countries, SE Asian countries, basically 3-world countries, would no way buy the Yak-130. THey would go for something much simpler and much more reflective to their needs, e.g. Hawk or MB-339.
I´m sorry but the MB-339 production line is closed and it will be replaced by the Aermachi MB-346, a license built Yak-130.
The BAe Hawk is much more expensive than the Yak-130. It costs more than 20 million dollar each. The Yak-130 will hardly cost more than 15 million dollar each.
The Yak-130 will be a more affordable aircraft and with high performance as bonus for those who choose to buy it.
Jungle BoyMig-AT was rejected by russia long time…
too underpowered ….
Also too french. Larzac engine is considered outdated. Perhaps this is the first time a russian engine is considered better than a western engine.
Jungle BoyWhats going on with it? Any news?
Thanks!
From Roy´s page
First Flight of Second Yak-130 Trainer in Series-Built Configuration
On 5 April 2005, first flight of the Yak-130 combat training airplane in series-built configuration was made from the Nizhniy Novgorod Sokol Aircraft Building Plant airfield. The first Yak-130, which is undergoing flight development tests at the present time, accompanied it in flight.
Honored test pilot and hero of Russia R. ((Roman)) Taskaev piloted the new aircraft.
The Yak-130 training airplane, which was designed at the A.S. Yakovlev OKB, is being assembled at the Nizhniy Novgorod Sokol Aircraft Building Plant. The airplane is intended for delivery to the air force of the Russian military.
Source: 06.04.05, NAZ Sokol Company
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