June 13, 2023 | International, Other Defence
Estonia’s global arms buying spree seeks drastic combat gains
Tallinn officials have set their defense spending on a path toward 3% of GDP, spurred by a threat assessment of the Baltic region.
April 7, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Boeing extends plant shutdowns in Washington state
ByEd Adamczyk
April 6 (UPI) -- Boeing Co. announced an extension of a production suspension in its Washington state facilities, and signaled that layoffs and buyouts could be coming, to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The company's Puget Sound and Moses Lake sites will be closed until further notice because of the spread of the coronavirus, additional advice from state health authorities and supply chain disruptions, the company said in a Sunday statement.
The original shutdown began on March 23 and was scheduled for two weeks.
The Puget Sound facilities are mostly known for constructing commercial aircraft, but the military's KC-46 tanker and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft are built on the same lines. Boeing officials said last month the stoppage is not expected to affect their production too greatly.
Boeing employs about 70,000 people in the region. Last week it announced a two-week closure of facilities in the Philadelphia area for two weeks due to the spread of the virus.
In a letter last week to employees, CEO David Calhoun predicted that the company's recovery from the health crisis will be lengthy.
"When the world emerges from the pandemic, the size of the commercial market and the types of products and services our customers want and need will likely be different," he said. "It's important we start adjusting to our new reality now."
Within several weeks, a buyout package will be offered to some of Boeing's 161,000 U.S. employees. Nearly one-third of its 27,000 unionized machinists are over 55, and with an aging workforce a buyout could find many takers.
While the company appears to be eligible to receive funds from a $17 billion loan available to the aviation industry included in the $2 trillion federal stimulus package it is required to maintain staffing at 90 percent of current levels.
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November 27, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Ice Ice Baby: Raytheon uses diamonds to keep radars cool
"If we can relax the heat problem," a DARPA program manager said, "we can crank up the amplifier and increase the range of radar."
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July 6, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Airbus reveals H145M bid plan for Australian special forces helo competition
By: Nigel Pittaway MELBOURNE, Australia — Airbus will offer its H145M helicopter on July 11 for Australia's special operations support helicopter program, the company's Australia Pacific managing director confirmed Thursday. “We're excited to have the opportunity to present the H145M as part of [Project] Land 2097 Phase 4,” Andrew Mathewson said. “We have a fantastic opportunity to offer an aircraft which has a family heritage of over 5 million flight hours of operations.” Mathewson noted that the helicopter is currently used by the German Army's special forces. With its bid, Airbus will become the second contender in the competition, behind an industry team of Bell and Babcock Australia, which is proposing a militarized version of the Bell 429 commercial helicopter. The team announced its intention to bid on May 28. Bell is also partnering with Hawker Pacific for Land 2097 Phase 4 and has independent teams working on each bid. Other contenders are likely to include Boeing's AH-6i Little Bird; MD Helicopters' MD530G; and Leonardo Helicopters, but neither company has publicly declared its intent to participate. The Australian Defence Force is seeking an off-the-shelf helicopter in the 4-ton class to support the Army's special forces, primarily in their domestic counterterrorism role. Australia plans to buy up to 16 aircraft to provide an air assault capability for small teams within the special forces, and a fast-roping system to rapidly deliver troops while hovering. Secondary roles include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, fire support, and general utility. A weapons capability is optional. Four helicopters are required to fit in a single C-17A airlifter and be capable of rapid deployment from the Australian Army's 6th Aviation Regiment base at Holsworthy, outside Sydney. The regiment currently operates the NHIndustries-made MRH-90 Taipan in a special forces support role, and the new helicopter is to complement that capability. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2022. For its planned bid, Airbus Australia Pacific has teamed with 15 local suppliers to meet the Australian Industry Capability policy, which calls for defense suppliers to include local industry in their efforts. Those domestic companies include Safran Australia, Qinetiq Australia, HeliMods, Toll Helicopters, Helicopter Logistics, Sigma Bravo and Thales. The company has also entered a strategic partnership with Deakin University, near Melbourne, to develop innovative solutions and modifications throughout the H145Ms' proposed 25-year life span. Mathewson says Airbus Australia Pacific has also offered seven H145Ms to the commonwealth, which, together with a series of technology inserts to the Australian Army's Tiger helicopters, is an independent bid to meet the requirements of Land 4503 (for armed reconnaissance helicopters). https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2020/07/02/airbus-reveals-h145m-bid-plan-for-australian-special-forces-helo-competition