News.

Rockwell Collins was selected to supply its Flight2 Avionics Architecture for the US Army Special Operations Command MH-60, MH-47 and AH/MH-6 helicopter fleets. The award includes service life extension and avionics upgrade programmes for approximately 150 aircraft. Collins' Flight2 provides operators unrestricted access to civil airspace, improved situational awareness and advanced special operations mission capabilities.

IAPO (Irkutsk Aviation Production Organization) has assumed responsibility for licensed production of the SU-30MK1 multipurpose aircraft, providing for 140 aircraft to be assembled in India over the next seventeen years. The contract, worth an estimated $ 3.3 billion, was signed by Rosoboronexport and the Indian Defence Ministry Secretary.

Northrop Grumman has received a contract through its Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector (ES3) from the US Air Force Warner Robbins Air Logistics Center to provide 24 AN/APN-241 navigation and weather radars for installation in C-130H aerial delivery aircraft. The $ 7.7 million award calls for the engineering and manufacturing work associated with the radar programme to take place at ES3's Baltimore area facilities, with deliveries to be completed by June 2002.

Alenia Marconi has been contracted by Turkey to supply its new mine-hunters, being built by Abeking & Rasmussen and Lurssen, with the Nautis 3 Combat Management System. The contract, for an undisclosed amount, provides for the Nautis 3 to be fitted to all six of the new-build craft.

KnAAPO saw the first ten of its SU-30MK multipurpose aircraft leave from Komsomolsk-on-Amur enroute to their new homes in China. The original contract, signed in 1999 and worth $1.8 billion, covered the production and delivery of 40 to 45 SU-30MKs -- Russia's first serial-produced, fourth-generation aircraft.

DRS Technologies was awarded a contract from the Armada of the Boliviarian Republic of Venezuela to produce and integrate digital communications systems for the country's Mariscal Sucre F-21 class frigates. This $ 8.3 million contract covers the supply and installation of Shipboard Integrated Communications 2100 systems onboard the F-23, F-24, F-25 and F-26 Venezuelan frigates.

Rockwell Collins has been awarded a contract, for an undisclosed amount, from the US Air Force to integrate its HF Messenger high-frequency e-mail system with the Air Force's existing Scope Command HF Network. Based on the interoperable standards of Nato's Stanag 5066 and the US Department of Defense's MIL-STD-188-110B, Collins' HF Messenger provides classified and unclassified message transfer at rates of up to 9600 bits-per-second.

BAE Systems, in partnership with Motorola and Raytheon, has been selected by the British Ministry of Defence to undertake a concept study into Project Falcon, the British Armed Forces' future tactical wide area communications system. Project Falcon is slated to replace the ageing Ptarmigan and Euromux systems used by the British Army and the RTFS system currently with the Royal Navy.

KVH has received a $ 3.2 million contract order to supply its Tacnav tactical navigation system to General Motors Defense for use aboard the Australian Army's Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) fleet. The Tacnav system is to be retrofitted into existing vehicles as well as included in new-build models. Tacnav is already in use with the US Marine Corps and the ground forces of Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Thales Communications has won the first two phases of a programme to equip the Royal Air Force's Tactical Communications Wing and the Royal Navy's surface fleet with an advanced ECCM Saturn communications capability. The first phase is for the RAF and is valued at 5.7 million [pounds sterling], the second, the RN portion, ads an estimated 11 million [pounds sterling] to the total contract value. The Defence Procurement Agency has brought together the two programmes to combine the goals of the Military Airborne Communications and the Strategic & Tactical Radio Systems teams.

Hall & Watts Defence Optics has been contracted by the Australian Army to supply 500 Vector IV Rangefinder Binocular sets, made by Switzerland's Leica Geosystems. The Vector IV was selected to meet the Army's requirement for a hand-held, eyesafe rangefinder for observation, target acquisition, surveillance and sniper team roles.

Bell Helicopter Textron recently witnessed its AH-1Z Super Cobra's successful maiden flight from its Fort Worth, Texas facility. The Super Cobra was designed as the US Marine Corps' newest attack helicopter. The next noteworthy flight for the `Z1' will be to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland in March 2001 as the follow-on phase in a 30-month, 1300 hour flight test programme to validate both the AH-1Z's and UH-1Y's flying qualities and performances.

Diehl has planned to partner with Saab Bofors Dynamics in the future development and production of anti-ship missiles. Presently, for the integration/verification phase of the RBS15 Mk 3 project, Saab will be system leader with Diehl responsible for the final assembly of the missiles. The German Navy has voiced a requirement for a large number of RBS15 Mk 3, based on a need for new equipment for the K130 corvettes. Finland, Poland, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Thailand are also keeping an eye on the RBS15 Mk 3 project.

Ensign-Bickford has announced the formation of a new company, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBA&D), to focus on product solutions for the aerospace and defence market. Formerly operating as a division of the parent company, EBA&D has integrated an international sales division to focus on its prospects in that market.

Giat was recently awarded a contract from the French DGA, worth around FF six billion, for two batches of Leclerc tanks. Of the 96 Leclercs included, 44 comprise the first tranche and 52 the second, bringing the Leclerc total up to the 406 originally targeted in the French armed forces procurement programme.

Hagglunds Vehicle has signed a contract with the Swiss Ministry of Defence for the delivery of 185 CV9030 CH combat vehicles. The 300 million [pounds sterling] contract calls for 32 command variants of the CV9030 CH, with the balance of the 185 to comprise infantry fighting vehicles, and includes a comprehensive logistic support package of training, spares and technical publications. Deliveries will run from Autumn 2002 to Mid-2005.

Saab-BAE Systems has submitted a response to the Austrian government's Request for Information (RFI) for new fighter aircraft to fulfil its national defence requirements. A tranche of 30 new Gripen fighters are the foundation for the Saab-BAE response, which is supported by a finance package and offset programme.

Matra BAe Dynamics was awarded a 150 million [pounds sterling] contract from the French DGA for the mass production of Mica air-to-air missiles, for both the French Air Force and Navy. This contract represents the first batch of a potential 530 million [pounds sterling] global order. The Mica will be the sole armament of the Rafale and the Mirage 2000-5 and cover all of the short- and medium-range air-to-air mission requirements for these two aircraft. Deliveries of the first batch of Micas is to begin in 2004.

Eads Launch Vehicles, G2P (Snecma and Snpe) and the French defence procurement agency DGA have finalised a calendar/budget that will govern the development of France's new M51 ballistic missile. The budget, to the tune of E 2.85 million, will see a first firm tranche covering two years of work, followed by two conditional tranches of three years. First test launch of the 55-tonne M51, due to replace the M45 in French Navy's strategic submarines as of 2008, is scheduled for 2005. The first recipient of the missile will be the Royale's fourth new-generation submarine, the Terrible (which means "Awesome" in English).

Lockheed Marlin is currently in full-scale production with the T-50 jet trainer programme, with the first test aircraft scheduled for roll-out late this year and first flight slated for June 2002. Lockheed Martin is subcontracted to KIA for the T-50s development and production. The Royal Korean Air Force plans to use the T50/A-50 to replace its T-38, F-5 and A-37 fleets, with an initial production order of approximately 100 aircraft expected.