Jane's Defence Weekly (June 2005)

44 Pages·2005·4.286 MB·English

jdw.janes.com •VOLUME 42 • ISSUE 25 • 22 JUNE 2005
IInnnnoovvaattiioonn
Israel pushes the
boundaries of
nnaattiioonn
homeland security
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jdw.janes.com • VOL 42 • ISSUE NO 25 • 22 JUNE 2005
Headlines Online this week
4 Paris Air Show:UK scraps FOAS in favour of a Interview
SUAVE approach 42 JDWtalks to Joseph jdw.janes.com
5 Paris Air Show: Embraer likely tender winner Ackerman, President
Paris Air Show: Thales looking for ‘boomerang’ and Chief Executive PA
6 PePexfaafterreiicrsstn AAalii rrs SSenhhsooowwr:: pUNooKdr stt ohf roloarp uG nGlcorhbu amnl emHwaa wUn kAeVye esffort MiddOEllbfeifti;c 1e1E1r6 a2o3f8s Etl/bAit fSryiscteams llen/Jane’s; 1116243
7 Paris Air Show: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works 17 Paris Air Show: Israel launches ‘all-in-one’
details morphing UAV progress DAS/ESM box
Paris Air Show:BRITE Star II featured on Bell Paris Air Show:Rafael’s Spyder out in the open Sagem Défense Sécurité, part of France’s Sagem
ARH helicopter 18 Paris Air Show: Israel seeks US support to Group, displayed at the Paris Air Show a Sperwer B
Paris Air Show:EDOplans further development counter ballistic threat unmanned aerial vehiclewith canister-loaded
of Sabre UAE upgrades ex-Libyan Chinooks Rafael Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles mounted
8 Paris Air Show: Italy aims high on JSF on pylons under each wing
Turkey agrees to Seahawks, stalls on Business
●PA recruits more troops ahead of Israeli
attack helicopters
10 UK audit warns on readiness 27 Paris Air Show: Finmeccanica angles to join withdrawal from Gaza
forces with Thales ●Estonia receives first XA-180EST APCs
Israel concerned over US export request
Paris Air Show:Lockheed Martin wants ●Czechs acknowledge aircraft allegations
more transatlantic integration ●Panther trials under way
The Americas PAllen/Jane’s; 28 Canada boosts industry demonstrator funding ●RUAG exploits new warhead technology
12 Paris Air Show: 1116241 Gripen aims for 200 sales internationally ●US Army to explore FCS training,
survivability issues
Boeing unveils
enhanced package for Briefings
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29 On the frontier of success:Israel’s perception of
transport aircraft (pictured)
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4•22 June 2005 • JDW• jdw.janes.com
HEADLINES: PARIS AIR SHOW
UK scraps FOAS
Staff
Editor Peter Felstead
Land Forces Editor Christopher F Foss
Aviation Editor Damian Kemp
in favour of a
Middle East and Europe Editor Robin Hughes
Naval Editor Richard Scott
Features Editor Melanie Bright
Reporter: Tony Skinner
SUAVE approach
Washington DC Bureau:
Bureau Chief Andrew Koch
Reporters Joshua Kucera, Michael Sirak
Asia Pacific Editor Robert Karniol
form of personnel – have been
Chief Sub Editor Lisa Zanardo diverted into “other project teams
Senior Sub Editor Susie Kornell NICKCOOK JDWAerospace Consultant where they will be better managed”.
Sub EditorsChris Evenden, Karen Deans Paris Air Show This probably refers to efforts
Jane’s Defence Industry Editor Guy Anderson T now under way to ‘rescope’the F-35
Group Technical Editor Rupert Pengelley he UK’s high-profile and Storm Shadow programmes to
Aerospace Consultant Nick Cook Future Offensive AirSys- The civilian world grabbed the attention meet key parts of the former FOAS
Business Consultant James Smith tem (FOAS) programme, at the Paris Air Show with the first (now FCAC) requirement, and to
Administrative Assistant Marian Chiles a replacement for the appearance of extend the life of the Tornado GR.4
Production ControllerMelanie Aris Royal AirForce’s (RAF’s) the Airbus A380 well into the 2020s.
e-Publishing Alexander Garrett, Ray Trott Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft, has and Boeing 7E7 The UK must decide by the end of
been scrapped afteryears of plan- Dreamliner 2006 whether it will commit to the
Publisher Jonathan Grevatt ning and concept evaluation to aircraft but production phase of the JSF and
Group Managing DirectorAlfred Rolington make way fora fundamentally dif- news on the whether it will stick by the short
ferent kind of project focused on a UK's Watchkeeper and future aircraft take-off and vertical landing
Correspondents family of long-range, long- programmes, more UAVs and a range of (STOVL) variant or supplement its
The Americas: endurance unmanned aerial new systems kept the defence visitors STOVLcapability with a conven-
Scott Gourley; José Higuera; Sharon Hobson; vehicles (UAVs) that will probably buzzing. JDWand Jane’s staff report tional take-off and landing version
Jeremy McDermott; Pedro Paulo Rezende; embrace the combat, reconnais- of the aircraft. The Storm Shadow,
Cesar Cruz Tantalean sance and surveillance roles. the conventional cruise missile meanwhile, will undergo a series of
The UK Ministry of Defence’s capability represented, respectively, growth evolutions, to be tested in the
Asia/Pacific: (MoD’s) Strategic Unmanned Aer- by the UK Royal Navy’s Raytheon next five to 10 years via technology
Iqbal Athas;Rahul Bedi; Joseph Bermudez; ial Vehicle Experiment (SUAVE) Tomahawk (later Tactical Toma- demonstration programmes that
Farhan Bokhari; Ian Bostock; Yihong Chang; will place the testing of UAVtech- hawk) and the RAF’s MBDAStorm will add bomb damage intelligence;
Anthony Davis; Shinichi Kiyotani; Ghazi nologies – and probable Shadow weapon systems. increased range; the ability to strike
Mahmud Iqbal; Robert Keith-Reid; Wendell procurement decisions stemming FOAS has drifted in the last five hard and deeply buried targets; net-
Minnick; Phillip Mckinnon from it – at the centre of a wide- years, however, as it has struggled to work ‘connectivity’; and other
ranging plan to replace the establish a firm identity. Big and modifications to the missile now in
Europe: capability currently vested in the amorphous, and scheduled to service.
Martin Bayer; John Berg; Piotr Butowski; Tornado. The Future Combat Air absorb a vast amount of money in an A SUAVE integrated project
Thomas Dodd; Tim Glogan; Grzegorz Capability (FCAC) programme, as increasingly constrained fiscal envi- team (IPT), meanwhile, will look at
Holdanowicz; David Ing; Henry Ivanov; the plan is known, will rely on ronment, FOAS had simply lost its UAV- and UCAV-related technolo-
Jiri Kominek; JA C Lewis; Georg Mader; ‘legacy’programmes – platforms way in the view of most observers. gies under development in the UK
Nikolai Novichkov; Tim Ripley; and weapons already in the inven- Moreover, the budget set aside for and elsewhere, to prepare the way
Lale Sariibrahimoglu; Radu Tudor; tory or on order – to fulfil the the system is badly needed else- for a ‘strategic’UK UAVand UCAV
Theodore Valmas; Paolo Valpolini mandate originally laid down for where. capability within the next 15 years.
FOAS. SUAVE, however, will add “It was not well-enough defined “The SUAVE IPTwill be responsi-
Middle East/Africa: the final dimension to the ‘force- and no one is prepared to take big- ble for directing all the work
Segun Adeyemi;Alon Ben-David; mix’ – placing a UAV and bang risks anymore,” one analyst (previously within FOAS) to estab-
Nicholas Blanford; Helmoed-Römer Heitman, unmanned combat aerial vehicle commented. “We don’t need any lish the potential of UAVs across a
Muhammad Najib (UCAV) capability at the centre of a more killing machines. There’s a wide variety of long-range roles so
gap that cannot be filled by manned view that the needs of the army the UK MoD can make informed
NATO and EU affairs:Adrienne Baughman combat aircraft and cruise missiles. should be met first, with money decisions on their procurement
UN: Thalif Deen FOAS began life as the Future invested in communications, body options by 2009/2010,” a DPA
Offensive Aircraft programme in armour and technologies that cater spokesman told JDW.
e-mail the editors: [email protected] the early 1990s but soon developed to the soldier of the future. In the The work will cover technology,
into a more broadly focused effort, current climate [the UK military’s cost-effectiveness and interoper-
as the UK attempted to address the commitment to Iraq and the war on ability issues, the DPAadded. A
strike gap vacated by the Tornado terror], a big aircraft programme at long-range UAVstemming from the
GR.4’s anticipated departure from this stage would simply have been evaluation may feed into an emerg-
service in around 2018. FOAS’ shot down in flames.” ing MoD programme for ISR
broad suite of capabilities were The UK Defence Procurement collection ‘in the deep’called Dabi-
expected to comprise the F-35 Joint Agency (DPA) acknowledges that nett. Other platforms, including
Strike Fighter (JSF) – to which the FOAS is “no more” and that parts of satellites, could ultimately feed into
UK committed itself in 2001 – and its former “activity” – mainly in the the Dabinett architecture.
jdw.janes.com •JDW•22 June 2005 •5
Embraer likely tender winner
Efforts are under way to
‘rescope’ the F-35 and Storm
Shadow programmes to JEREMYMcDERMOTTJDWCorrespondent Defence Minister Jorge Mario
meet key parts of the former Medellin, Colombia Eastman. “The predominant factor
FOAS (now FCAC) in combating the illegal groups is
requirement Embraerappears poised to win a air superiority, to give support to
Italian MoD;1116188 $234.5 million contract to pro- ● Embraer is the only remaining troops on the ground. That is why
vide Colombia with 22 combat bidder after other manufacturers this purchase must be made.”
The key question is whether the aircraft after the company pulled out Testing of the Super Tucano will
UK will end up buying a domesti- lodged the only formal offer. ● Colombia says only Embraer put begin on 22 June.
cally developed UAV or UCAV With bids now closed for the ten- in a serious offer If it passes all tests, an announce-
capability or one that has been pro- der, Embraer is the only remaining ment will be made in September
duced by the US or Europe. Since bidder after the other manufactur- with contract signature by Decem-
the early 1990s, BAE Systems has ers pulled out of the process and ordnance of the aircraft, speed ber. The first four aircraft will then
been working on a range of classi- claiming the Colombian Air Force and necessary runway lengths, be delivered 11 months later.
fied technologies at its Warton (CAF) had already made up its along with support facilities, the However, Eastman said it is not
facility in north-west England. mind to buy the EMB-314 Super whole process was a no-brainer,” guaranteed that Embraer will
Many of these technologies have Tucano. the source said.“Only Embraer can receive a contract.
been stealthy and directly applica- In a joint letter, aircraft manufac- fulfill the requirement and the other “If their proposals are not satis-
ble to UAVs and UCAVs. Funded turers Aero Vodochody, Korea manufacturers knew that, but have factory then it will not pass and the
by the UK MoD, BAE Systems may Aerospace Industries, China tried to discredit the process.” tender will not be awarded,” he
even have built and tested a National Aero-Technology Import The contract has been years in the said.
UAV/UCAVto validate its technol- and Export Company, and Avioane offing, but has gained a new Sources within the Defence Min-
ogy work. At the Paris Air Show, Craiova stated that the tender was urgency as the 41-year civil conflict istry, however, said that the deal is
BAE Systems chief executive Mike “an open violation of the principles enters a crucial phase with close air assured.
Turner alluded to UAVand UCAV of transparency, equality and objec- support a serious hole in theUS- The CAF already flies EMB-312
technologies that the company had tive selection”. backed government offensive. Tucanos and, therefore, is familiar
been developing ‘in the black’. US manufacturer Raytheon also The Colombian air force cur- with the Super Tucano’s capabili-
“Suites of activities under way in pulled out of the bidding, sending a rently operates only the ties and logistical support.
the north-west”, Turner said in a letter to the Colombian Defence Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco twin Although Washington provides
cautious reference to Warton, could Ministry stating that: “The require- turboprop and A-37 Dragonfly light the Colombian government with
directly feed into a UK UAV/UCAV ments clearly favour just one attack aircraft, which are frequently more than $600 million a year in
development and production pro- competitor.” grounded for lack of spare parts and security assistance, there is no US
gramme. The industrial imperative Asource involved with the tender age problems. money for the aircraft acquisition.
for the UK to establish itself said that only Embraer had put in a “The acquisition of these tactical
openly in the UAV/UCAVfield is serious offer from the outset. combat aircraft is not an option but RELATEDARTICLES:
contrasted, however, by a desire on “When one considers the needs of rather a necessity for the armed Colombia weighs up aircraft buy
the part of sections within the RAF Colombia, with respect to the range forces,” said Colombian Vice (jdw.janes.com, 23/04/04)
to forge ever closer ties with the
US, where the Joint Unmanned Thales looking for ‘boomerang’ effect
Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS)
programme will begin test flights
of the Boeing X-45C and Northrop Thales President Denis Ranque is hoping that the defence team together – of course supported by the experience of Thales as
Grumman X-47B in 2007. electronics giant’s selection as preferred bidder for the UK’s a prime contractor and a systems integrator – but honestly, we had
The UK MoD and the US Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme will never done a carrier before and . . . we virtually won that competi-
Defense Advanced Research Pro- bring additional benefits in conjunction with the company’s tion in getting a large share of the final arrangement.
jects Agency (DARPA) in March “multi-domestic” stance. “We said to the French: ‘We have a capability in the UK that could
announced a co-operative Ranque said Watchkeeper was “a superb illustration of the posi- [have a positive effect] in France and we became a candidate for
programme to determine the mili- tive impact of our multi-domestic strategy – Thales creating the aircraft carrier in France – in a position we would never have
tary benefit of UCAVs for future facilities in every country where we are to be present in the long been if we had stayed in France,” said Ranque, “and so it’s like a
coalition operations. One outcome run. And clearly the UK has become for us like a second home positive boomerang effect.” Ranque said he hoped that the Watch-
of a deeper dialogue with the US country given the importance of our presence there. When we keeper programme was the beginning of a similar story: “We were
on UAVand UCAVtechnologies started the multi-domestic strategy,” he explained, “it had to do not an expert in UAVs. We won, not because we are an aircraft
is that the UK could end up buying with getting closer to customers and therefore extending our cus- manufacturer but because we are a good and reliable systems inte-
Boeing or Northrop airframes. tomer base of products and systems that we knew. In the course of grator with competencies all along the chain, from detection [to]
The UK could then ‘anglicise’the implementing that strategy we had a good surprise in that ‘multi- integration, image processing and the field of making common
airframes with technology devel- domestic’ brings more. In fact it also helped . . . Thales to venture systems, but now, having acquired this reference in the UK, we
oped indigenously via the into fields we would never have addressed if we had stayed in have the ambition of course to sell it in other countries. This
BAE/MoD classified demonstra- France.” Ranque cited the UK’s future aircraft carrier programme demonstrates again that our multi-domestic ambitions are much
tion effort and other UK systems as a perfect example of the additional benefits that a multi-domes- more than addressing new customers but also discovering news
and equipment. ■ tic strategy can bring: “The UK wanted a competition against BAE fields of expertise.
Systems . . . and we were strongly invited to compete to create an ” A decision on the extent of the Watchkeeper contract is
RELATEDARTICLES: alternative. So we started working there on that programme in a expected in July.
Special report: Future of offensive air field that was not initially our field of expertise, but we gathered a Peter FelsteadJDW Editor, Paris Air Show
systems (jdw.janes.com, 15/06/05)
6•22 June 2005 • JDW• jdw.janes.com
HEADLINES: PARIS AIR SHOW
UK to launch
and February 2005. Dubbed ‘Fal-
Czechs reveal con Prowl’, the trial used a Predator
B fitted with a Goodrich DB-110
more about Gripen sensor ‘borrowed’ from a RAF
new UAV effort
Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for
More details have been released Tornado (RAPTOR).
about the Czech Republic’s plans to According to RAF officers, the
arm its force of Gripen fighters. DB-110 sensor produced better
JAS 39C/D Gripen fighters will be imagery during the US trial than
operational with AIM-120C-5 Advanced when carried on a Tornado GR.4,
Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles TIMRIPLEYJDWSpecial Correspondent with targets being imaged at up to 90
(AMRAAM) from late 2006, according Paris Air Show n miles range. The trial conducted
to a Czech Republic official at the Paris T wide area surveillance and also fed
Air Show. he UK Ministry of imagery in real-time back from the
The Czech government signed a letter Defence (MoD) is to ● Weaponisation and electronic US, via satellite links, to the Storm
of acceptance with the US in 2004 for a launch a new unmanned warfare systems will receive Shadow cruise missile Mission
“limited number” of AIM-120s. Integra- aerial vehicle (UAV) particular attention Planning Cell in the UK’s Perma-
tion of the missile with the aircraft will operational demonstra- ● The initiative is an outgrowth of nent Joint Headquarters, at
be handled by Saab in Sweden for com- tion initiative to examine future the continuing Joint UAV Northwood outside London, illus-
pletion by November 2006. technology and persistence sur- Experimental Team which comes trating an early possible use of this
Concurrently, integration of the AIM- veillance requirements. to an end in March 2006 type of capability and technology.
9M Sidewinder with the Gripen is Weaponisation and electronic The DB-110 was the largest sensor
continuing for completion by November warfare systems will receive partic- lance and precision-attack capabili- payload ever carried on a Predator
2005. ular attention during the effort. Still ties available to the RAF. B. High-level contacts between the
The Czech Republic has the AIM-9M at a formative stage, it is aimed at Any new system will take several RAF andUS Air Force (at the four-
in stock, for deployment on its L159 theatre/strategic level UAVrequire- years to develop because of funding star general level) were needed to
light fighters, under a Foreign Military ments. Details of the new project shortfalls and is unlikely to go into make Falcon Prowl happen, said
Sales agreement with the US. emerged at the Shephard serial production until the end of the UK officers involved in the effort.
The Czech Republic’s force of JAS Unmanned Vehicles conference decade. JUETformally comes to an end
39s is armed with 27 mm Mauser immediately before the Paris Air It is not yet clear if the UK will in March 2006. Its future is uncer-
cannon. Show. “The project is still being buy UAVhardware for use in the tain, with moves under way to
Practice ammunition was delivered costed and manning arrangements new demonstration or will lease and retain it for possible experimental
from April this year, with live ammuni- are still being worked out,” a senior borrow aerial vehicles, ground work on maritime and battlefield
tion following from German stocks UK officer close to the effort told equipment and communications UAVapplications and technology,
shortly, providing an air policing capa- JDW. systems, as was the case with the as well as giving front-line person-
bility for the aircraft. This initiative is an outgrowth of JUETeffort. Potential commercial nel experience of futuristic UAV
Equipped with missiles, the Gripen the continuing Joint UAVExperi- off-the-shelf UAVs for study systems.
will soon supplant what Czech officials mental Team (JUET) and is include the General Atomics Preda- The results of the new persistence
described as an “extremely limited expected to focus on meeting tor and Predator B, as well as surveillance effort will eventually
capability” offered by the air force’s emerging UK Royal Air Force versions of the Israel Aircraft Indus- feed into the RAF’s Project Dabi-
existing MiG-21 fighters. (RAF) requirements for medium tries Heron/EADS Eagle family, nett, which is soon to enter a concept
There was a possibility that Czech and high-altitude/long-endurance both of which have been utilised phase to determine future UK
Gripens may take part in NATO exer- UAV-based surveillance systems. during JUETactivities. requirements for theatre battlespace
cises from next year, an official said. These could replace the English Momentum for the new persis- surveillance. Work in this arena is
Mark Daly Electric Canberra PR.9 photo- tence surveillance operational accelerating, with the RAF allocat-
Editor, International Defence Review graphic reconnaissance aircraft - demonstrator project grew after ing 25 officers currently assigned to
Paris Air Show which are to be retired next year - JUETsuccessfully concluded a trial work on Project Dabinett, according
and make new intelligence, surveil- in the US between November 2004 to sources in the service. ■
Northrop Grumman eyes external sensor pods for Global Hawk
Northrop Grumman has unveiled external sensor the USAF, the first operator of the aircraft. Accord-
Production versions of the RQ-4 Global Hawkcould
pods for the newest version of its RQ-4 Global ingly, the company has not actively marketed them,
Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. carry external sensor pods Northrop Grumman; 0024911 he noted.
The company’s in-production RQ-4B Global Hawk However, Walby added that interest in external sen-
air vehicle, a larger variant of the A-model aircraft sor pods is emerging in some circles. He cited the US
already in service with the US Air Force (USAF), could National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s
carry a pod holding up to 1,000 lb (455 kg) on a sta- desire to use the Global Hawk to deploy pods with
tion on each wing, Ed Walby, director of business temperature-sensing devices above the Earth to mea-
development for Northrop Grumman’s High Altitude, sure patterns of global warming and cooling. Such
Long-Endurance Systems Enterprises, said on 13 June added. Northrop Grumman has a design for a deployable measurements would help to predict hurricanes and
during a presentation at the Paris Air Show. pod and has done some preliminary wind-tunnel testing typhoons more accurately, he said.
The pods, including deployable variants, could carry of a pod on a scale-model Global Hawk, he noted. Michael Sirak
sensors to complement the high-flying Global Hawk’s While the Global Hawk design has always included JDWStaff Reporter, Paris Air Show
internal electro-optical and infra-red cameras, synthetic- hardpoints on the wings to accommodate pods, Walby
Go to jdw.janes.comfor more of this article
aperture radar and signals intelligence devices, Walby said there has been no requirement for pods so far from
jdw.janes.com •JDW•22 June 2005 •7
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
details morphing UAV progress
ing Aircraft Structures programme,
NICK COOK JDWAerospace Consultant lies in the development of shape-
Paris Air Show changing actuation systems built
into the wing-skin material of the
The Lockheed Martin Skunk ● Morphing technology to UAV. The material itself has ‘shape
Works Advanced Development revolutionalise the way UAVs and memory’which permits the wing to
Programs (ADP) ‘Morphing’ UCAVs integrate combat missions ‘relax and contract’when the skin
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is with ISR duties is energised with electrical current.
three weeks away from achieving The transition period from the
its first flight, according to Frank type was due to have made its extended-wing, loitering configu- The FLIR Systems BRITE Star II
Cappuccio, vice-president and maiden flight in 2004 but was ration to the high dash-speed sensor turret mounted on Bell’s
general manager of Skunk delayed after the landing gear suf- planform takes place over 25 sec- 407/ARH demonstrator
Works ADP. fered damage when the vehicle ran onds and results in a 71 per cent
Jane’s/Patrick Allen;1122800
Morphing technology promises to into a sand berm on an area of unim- decrease in wing size. In the mean-
revolutionise the way UAVs proved runway at Edwards Air Force time, onboard flight control and
BRITE Star II
and their combat equivalents, Base, California. The vehicle, a management systems deal with the
unmanned combat aerial vehicles model of which is being displayed complex real-time dynamics, as
featured on Bell
(UCAVs), integrate combat by Lockheed Martin at the Paris Air shifts become apparent in the vehi-
missions with long-loitering Show, will now make its first flight cle’s aerodynamic flow patterns ARH helicopter
intelligence, surveillance and recon- in July. and centre of gravity. ■
naissance (ISR) duties. The key to morphing, which is
It is also central to ADP’s work on being driven by DARPA’s Morph- Go to jdw.janes.comfor more of this article The Bell Helicopter Armed
the US Navy’s (USN’s) proposed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH),
Multi-Purpose UAV(MPUAV) pro- based on the company’s Model 407
gramme. ADPsigned a contract for helicopter, on display at Le Bourget,
MPUAVwith the Defense Advanced features the latest BRITE Star II sensor
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) turret from FLIR Systems.
in March 2005. The BRITE Star II is a spiral develop-
Morphing technology expands ment of the basic BRITE Star used on
the envelope and capabilities of an US Marine Corps UH-1N ‘Huey’ heli-
aerial vehicle by altering the physi- copters since 2001. This in turn is
cal characteristics of the UAV in derived from the AN/AAQ-21/22
flight. The result is a single vehicle SAFIRE/Star SAFIRE family of sensor
that can perform both long-loiter turrets. The turret itself retains its four-
surveillance and high-speed, short- axis stabilised gimbal within its 22.86
dash attack missions. Skunk Works ‘Morphing’ unmanned aerial vehicleis three weeks away from cm diameter and weighs 51.2 kg, retain-
Asubscale morphing UAVproto- achieving its first flight Patrick Allen/Jane’s; 1122794 ing its full 360°azimuth rotation with
elevation from -100º to +32º.
EDO plans further development of Sabre The range performance of the existing
sensors – advanced third-generation
thermal imager (with a 320 x 240 pixel,
EDO MBM Technology unveiled the new “Typically, after 60 firings of an [explo- the Viper Strike air-to-ground missile 3-5 μm, InSb focal plane array), TV
ultra-light Sabre weapons and payload sive] pyrotechnic weapons carriage, (which has been used from Predator camera (800 TV-line colour camera) and
carriage for unmanned aerial vehicles there is a need to strip down a carriage UAVs) to ground sensors and miniature ND:YAG laser designator/range-finder
(UAVs) at the Paris Air Show and plans because the gases are corrosive,” Guard UAVs. (designator 1.06 μm Class 4; range-
to develop a helicopter-borne variant said. “This creates a logistics burden and Guard said development was in finder 1.57 μm, Class 1 eye-safe) – is
within the next 12 months. there is also a need to transport explo- progress to fit the carriage with a new extended, with 100 per cent laser duty
The company is negotiating for flight sives. With this launch system there is launch mechanism, which would deploy cycle. Two extra sensors – a laser
trials under a UAV before the end of the only one tool required and there is no test at 12 ft/sec.“We are looking at a stored- pointer and a laser spot tracker – are
year. JDWbelieves the trials will be held equipment.” energy electrical firing system but it is too added. Additional capabilities that can
in the US. The launch system uses a solenoid to early to release details,” Guard added. be accommodated include: an auto-
Company business development man- activate a spring and the entire carriage Sabre can be fitted with onboard tracker; an integral boresight module
ager Nick Guard said the requires less maintenance. MIL-STD 1760 Class Two electronics and an invertible turret; plus
non-pyrotechnical Sabre cost “in the low The twin station weighs 13.5 kg and the with miniature munitions compliancy, MIL-STD-1553B, RS-232/422 and
hundreds of thousands of pounds” to triple station 18.7 kg. Both are capable of providing individual targeting and release ARINC interfaces.
develop. carrying 1,300 lbs of stores. of weapons. Michael J Gething
Land drop tests were completed in the Payload potential ranges from the Damian KempJDW Aviation Editor, Editor Jane’s Electro-Optic Systems,
first quarter of 2005 after specification Paveway IV guided bomb (under devel- Paris Air Show Paris Air Show
definition work in 2004. opment for the UK Royal Air Force) and Go to jdw.janes.com for more of this article Go to jdw.janes.com for more of this article
8•22 June 2005 • JDW• jdw.janes.com
HEADLINES
Italy aims high on JSF
TIMRIPLEYJDWSpecial Correspondent sure to gain a final assembly and
Paris Air Show checkout facility for its aircraft and
I possibly those for other air forces.
taly could emerge as the Discussions over the Italian bid took nology used in the JSF. “The part-
largest European buyerof the ● Italian Air Force is considering place informally on the margins of a ners would like to have guaranteed
Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint replacing its Tornados with recent JSF programme meeting, access today and are asking why
Strike Fighter(JSF), as early the JSF said Burbage. Alenia Aeronautica is should they make a commitment
details emerged at the Paris ● Alenia Aeronautica pushes to pushing hard to increase its involve- before this is worked out?” he said.
AirShow of gathering momen- increase JSF involvement ment in the JSF project and the “While the US is asking for a com-
tum to put the next-generation company is talking to Lockheed mitment in good faith before
combat aircraft into full-scale nations are stepping up negotia- Martin to become a second source granting technology release.”
production. tions over the JSF Production, for wings. He likened this situation to a
Tom Burbage, Lockheed Mar- Sustainment and Follow-on “The industrial participation plan chicken-and-egg conundrum but
tin’s vice-president for the F-35 Development Memorandum of is at an early stage,” said Lockheed said that these issues will probably
programme, told JDWthat the Ital- Understanding (MoU), ahead of the Martin’s Burbage, commenting on be resolved in the coming 10 years.
ian Air Force was now considering formal launching of the process in the Italian proposal. “It is no sure Burbage said that the MoU would
replacing its Panavia Tornado inter- the third quarter of this year. Lock- thing.” According to Burbage, any remove many of the obstacles to
dictor strike (IDS) fleet with JSF. heed Martin executives regard this partner nation that wants an assem- technology transfer because it
This would push the total potential as a crucial phase of the JSF project bly facility or other unique would allow the partners to begin
Italian buy above 200 aircraft. that will determine how many air- requirements will have to fund the negotiating through the problem.
To date the Italians have commit- craft are required and where they extra cost themselves, so that the “The MoU makes sure the partners
ted to some 131 JSFs to replace the will be built. price does not increase for the US are committed,” he said. “It is not a
air force’s McDonnell Douglas This government-to-government and other customers. Best-value contract but a commitment in good
AV-8B naval fighters and process involves the US and Aus- concepts rather than workshare will faith and will allow the partners to
Alenia/Embraer AMX light combat tralia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the continue to underpin the JSF pro- negotiate.”
jets, putting them just behind the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and ject, added Burbage. “We will not Lockheed Martin expects the
UK’s stated requirement for 150 air- the UK, with Lockheed Martin lead- allow anything that affects the base- MoU to be concluded by December
craft to replace the Royal Air Force ing parallel discussions with line programme.” 2006 and will include eight annexes
and Royal Navy’s Harrier GR.9s. industrial partners over commercial Burbage added that industrial covering the requirements and
The Italian interest in the F-35 aspects of the international project. participation was dependent on US industrial participation of each part-
comes as the US and the JSF partner Italy has also increased the pres- national disclosure policy over tech- ner nation. ■
Turkey agrees to Seahawks,
The Turkish Navy Forces
Command is to get
stalls on attack helicopters another 12 Seahawks
Selcuk Emre; 0533251
Turkey’s Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM) In Turkey’s other major helicopter
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US procurement, a troubled multi-billion
company Sikorsky for the acquisition of an additional dollar effort to buy 50 attack heli-
12 Seahawk SH-60B shipborne anti-submarine copters (with an option for a further
helicopters for the Turkish Navy Forces Command 41), French-German Eurocopter plans to offer Tiger heli- too long to approve the technology transfer.
(TNFC). copters. Bayar said he did not want to see the helicopter deal “go
The agreement was signed shortly before Minister of However, a commercial dispute continues between the the way of the UAV tender”.
National Defence Vecdi Gönül visited the US on 10 June SSM and competitors on both sides of the Atlantic over Major General Peter Sutton, chief of the US office of the
where he announced the deal. Turkey has become the the terms and conditions of the tender. defence co-operation in Ankara, described Turkey’s
largest operator of Sikorsky helicopters after the US Army Bidders told JDWthat a revised tender document fell requests as unrealistic: “Not even all our closest friends
and already operates 125 Sikorsky Black Hawk multi-pur- short of satisfying their needs and did not go beyond what and allies receive all technologies.
pose helicopters. they described as cosmetic changes. “On the other hand, in fairness to our friends and allies,
The $389 million Seahawk deal came after long-running Turkey, however, extended the deadline from 10 June to I also believe it’s necessary for US policymakers to contin-
negotiations stalled over the price and some technical dis- 13 September for responses to the Request for Proposals ually review our technology transfer policies to ensure
putes. About $324 million of the project will be financed released on 10 February. they are right for the times and that we are only withhold-
by the US Eximbank and the remainder from SSM funds. In a related development, the Turkish-US dispute over ing those specific technologies that absolutely must have
Sikorsky plans to deliver the helicopters in three to four technology transfer surfaced during an American-Turkish protection,” Maj Gen Sutton added.
years time and made a $200 million offset pledge. business meeting held on 6-7 June in Washington. Lale SariibrahimogluJDW Correspondent, Ankara
The seven SH-60Bs already operated by Turkey will be At the meeting SSM Undersecretary Murat Bayar RELATEDARTICLES:
upgraded, including glass cockpits, to bring them to the recalled a recent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) competi- ‘Price wars stall Seahawk procurement’
same standard as the new helicopters. tion that was won by an Israeli company after the US took (jdw.janes.com, 12/11/04)
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