First Shoe Drops For EADS On A400M
South Africa announced that it had canceled their order for eight A400M transports due to the price increase caused by the program delays. This is...Pomerleau To Build New Facility For C-130 Training
Filed under: Business Line, Canada, Companies, Contract Awards, Countries, Events, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, logistics, production program, training
The Canadian government has invested in several C-130J transports from Lockheed Martin. These are to improve their tactical and operational mobility. The aircraft are to be built in the United States but the contract has significant offset requirements so that Lockheed will have to spend money in Canada. As part of their plans to stimulate the economy due to the global recession Canada also planned to invest in defense infrastructure and this kind of project is the kind of thing that they proposed doing.
The Ontario based company Pomerleau, Inc received a contract worth about $40 million Canadian to build the facilities to support C-130J aircrew and maintenance training at the Trenton. The hanger based facility will be completed in 2012.
The U.S. military has been able to utilize some of the stimulus bill money from Congress to build or rehabilitate facilities. These seem to be the kind of project that will generate jobs and investment in the local economy. At the same time like Canada they are getting an enhanced capability.
Lockheed Accelerates India’s C-130 Aircraft
Filed under: Boeing, Business Line, Companies, Contract Additions, Contract Awards, Countries, Events, India, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, logistics, production program
India had purchased six C-130J transports from Lockheed Martin last year. This is part of that nation’s program to improve their armed forces through buying new technology from U.S. , European and Israeli suppliers. Along with the buy of the U.S. transports the Indian Government purchased P-8 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and patrol aircraft from Boeing. There is also a major fighter contract contest underway that has seen Lockheed bid their F-16 aircraft for as well.
Lockheed announced that they are accelerating the production and delivery of the six aircraft. It is hoped that the first one will be delivered in about two years. The hope is that by showing good performance it might drive India to execute the second buy option in the contract. This is for a further six aircraft. Lockheed is hoping that the new agreement between the two countries allowing U.S. control on technology sold to India will facilitate further deals.
U.S. Company Receives FAA Certification For Russian Tanker Aircraft
Filed under: Business Line, Events, Florida, Military Aviation, Promotions, Services, States, Tactical Air Defense Services, commercial aviation, logistics, training
Tactical Air Defense Services announced that the FAA certified their Illyushin IL-78 “Midas” tanker aircraft for use in the United States. The IL-72 and IL-76 transports and the IL-78 tanker variant have served the Soviet and Russian military for years successfully.
Due to the world’s shortage of heavy lift transport aircraft various Russian companies have made a living out of leasing their Antanov and Illyushin aircraft to support non-American Western military in their deployments and operations. This includes moving troops and supplies to Iraq and Afghanistan. For modern ground operations this kind of support is critical and there are only so many C-17 and C-5 aircraft to go around.
It only make sense that this would spread to use in the United States. The company intends to use the aircraft to support training operations as well as firefighting. There are certainly opportunities for both missions as the U.S. Air Force tanker fleet is also stretched as it waits for the KC-X contract to get going again.
Photo from jamesdale10 Flickr stream.
Support for the A400M from Spain and Turkey
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Countries, EADS, England, Events, France, Germany, Military Aviation, Restructuring, Spain, Turkey, development program, logistics, production program
The Guardian is reporting that these two countries have affirmed their support for their orders from EADS for the new transports. Unlike France, the UK and Germany who have openly discussed canceling or modifying their orders Spain and Turkey have said that they still want the new aircraft. The A400M will be assembled in Spain. There two orders make up about 25% of the planned fleet of the aircraft. It has been decided that the seven NATO countries who have bought the plane will talk every two weeks or so to review the status of the program. The decision on whether EADS would have to pay back the customers due to the two year delay in the program has been extended to May 1st. EADS feels that they need relief both in time and price and really need to renegotiate the contract to account for this long delay. Either canceling the contract or making EADS pay the penalties would be a great blow to the company.
Boeing’s role in defense aviation shrinks
Filed under: Boeing, Military Aviation, commercial aviation, development program
This good article in The Seattle Times summarizes how defense aviation is playing a less-and-less role in Boeing’s business. See the article here. It traces how from World War II on Boeing built large transports, tankers and bombers for the US Army Air Corps and Air Force. Now, with the loss of the KC-45 contract, they really are not doing any such business. They obviously rely primarily on their civil aircraft for the bulk of their earnings and profits. Boeing defense business is starting to be more and more in the area of engineering services and total program development and management. They were the Lead System Integrator (LSI) on what used to be called National Missile Defense (NMD) in the Nineties. They have also had similar roles in other major contracts.
Air Force awards LAIRCM contract to Boeing
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, U.S. Air Force, production program
Boeing won a contract to buy and install Large Aircraft Infra-Red Countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems on US Air Force aircraft. These would go on tankers and transports and provide protection against heat-seeking missiles. While no aircraft has recently been attacked in Iraq or Afghanistan there remains the chance that it will be. Forbes.com article on this is here. The contract is worth $77 M.



