7 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial

South Korea and Spain seek deal to swap trainer jets for airlifters

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SEOUL — South Korean and Spanish defense officials are to discuss a possible trade of trainer and transport aircraft, according to arms procurement officials and industry sources in the Asian nation.

The deal may involve about 50 basic and advanced trainer jets built by Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, and four to six Airbus A400M airlifters, they said.

“South Korea and Spain plan to hold a joint defense industry committee in Madrid this month to discuss bilateral issues,” said an official with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The swap deal is not an official agenda item on the table, but the sides are open to discussing it.”

The proposal was made by Spain during the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K. last July, as the Spanish Air Force seeks to replace its older trainer fleet of Chilean ENAER T-35C Pillan jets, according to an industry source privy to the potential swap deal.

“Spain ordered 27 A400M transport aircraft from Airbus but has decided not to use 13 of them, so the Spanish defense authorities have got approval from Airbus to sell the surplus products to other countries,” the source said. “Spain wants to sell four to six A400Ms to South Korea, and it buys 34 KT-1 basic trainer aircraft and 20 more T-50 supersonic trainer jets for advanced pilot training if possible.”

If the deal is reached, Spain is willing to sell the A400M plane at 15 percent of the per-unit price of some $27 million, he said, adding the total value of the swap deal could be approximately $890 million.

The envisaged deal could be a breakthrough for KAI to sell more of its trainer aircraft after its recent defeat in a U.S. Air Force trainer competition.

“Any swap deal is delegated to the DAPA and its Spanish counterpart, and we're waiting on the results,” a KAI spokesman said.

Airbus would not discuss the prospect of such a deal.

Industry sources believe the proposed deal could meet the South Korean Air Force's need of acquiring larger airlifters for longer-range missions.

During an Oct. 19 parliamentary inspection of the Air Force, the service revealed a plan to procure four more large transport aircraft in addition to its existing fleet of CN-235 and C-130 planes.

“We have a plan to deploy larger transport aircraft to increase our capacity of rapid force deployment, emergency relief, peacekeeping and other operations over long distances,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Wang-keun said in a report to lawmakers.

Preliminary research on the requirements of the larger airlifter acquisition will be conducted between 2019 and 2020 before a request for proposal is issued for full operational capability by 2022, according to Air Force officials.

The A400M Atlas is regarded as a strong candidate for the airlift procurement program, as the C-17 Globemaster III production line run by Boeing is shut down. The A400M can carry 116 fully equipped troops and up to 66 stretchers accompanied by 25 medical personnel.

Email: jeff@defensenews.com

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/11/05/south-korea-and-spain-seek-deal-to-swap-trainer-jets-for-airlifters

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 15, 2018

    16 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 15, 2018

    NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $348,915,105 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to provide the infrastructure to support developmental laboratory facilities and flight test activities in support of F-35 development, production and sustainment. Work will be performed at Edwards Air Force Base, California (35 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (35 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy); and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participant funds in the amount of $177,042,349 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($70,932,017; 40 percent); Marine Corps ($35,466,009; 20 percent); Navy ($35,466,008; 20 percent) and non-DOD participants ($35,178,315; 20 percent). This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0004). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a not-to-exceed value $83,100,000 undefinitized contract action. This contract provides for the development, integration, certification, and testing of dual capable aircraft capability to include hardware and software into the Air Force F-35A. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (70 percent); Edwards Air Force Base, California (29 percent); and St. Charles, Missouri (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funding in the amount of $24,630,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0010). CSRA LLC, a General Dynamics Information Technology Co., Falls Church, Virginia, is awarded a $64,664,646 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides project management and engineering support for Navy and Marine Corps land, sea, and air platforms with a responsive, efficient, and reliable means to collect, detect, assess, identify, exploit, neutralize, and disseminate products to the U.S. and its interests. The procurement supports the execution of systems engineering activities to meet current and future electronic warfare mission information engineering capabilities and security protection needs for Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division integrated product teams. Work will be performed in Point Mugu, California (80 percent); Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (15 percent); and other locations in the U.S. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2023. Fiscal 2018 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $50,000 will be obligated at the time of award. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-19-D-0016). Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $40,890,720 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00019-17-C-0081 for the procurement of 20 production MT7 marine turbine engines for Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100 class craft 109 through 113. This procurement is in support of the Ship-to-Shore Connector program. Each LCAC 100 craft incorporates four MT7 engines. Work to be performed includes production of the MT7 engines and delivery to Textron Marine Systems for the assembly of the LCAC 100 class craft. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed by January, 2020. Fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $16,356,288; and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $24,534,432 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity, working in conjunction with the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, St. Petersburg, Florida, is awarded a $33,848,885 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-13-C-5230 for Common Array Block antenna pre-production unit requirements in support of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) program. The Common Array Block antenna is an integral component of the CEC system. CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force anti-air warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information such that the superset of this data is available to all participating CEC units. CEC improves battle force effectiveness by improving overall situational awareness and by enabling longer range, cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies. Work will be performed in Largo, Florida (70 percent); and Andover, Massachusetts (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $14,930,655 will be obligated at time of award, and funds in the amount of $2,494,788 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $172,145,533 fixed-price incentive-fee contract for long range anti-ship missiles (LRASMs) Lot 2 production. The contract allows for the production of 50 LRASMs. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2021. The award is the result of sole- source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8682-19-C-0010). Avix-BGI JV LLC, Yorktown, Virginia, is awarded a $45,262,100 firm-fixed-price contract for the EC-130H/A-10C Contract Aircrew Training and Courseware Development program. The contractor shall furnish all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision and all other items and services that are required to perform the contract. Work will be performed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Moody AFB, Georgia; and other places as required. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. The Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-19-C-0004). Parker-Hannifin Corp, Irvine, California, is awarded a $39,026,578 modification to contract FA8109-18-D-0004 for 12 additional spare national stock numbers items and the remanufacture of 11additional national stock numbers to support the A-10, B-1, B-52, C-135, C-5, C-130, C-17, E-3, F-15, F-16, and HH-60 aircraft. These items also support the TF33, F100, F101, F110, and F118 engines. Work will be performed in Irvine, California; Glendale, Arizona; Mentor, Ohio; and Kalamazoo, Michigan, and is expected to be completed by April 5, 2027. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This is a requirements contract, so no funding is being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Bismark Construction Corp., Newark, New Jersey, is awarded a $17,108,065 modification (P00007) to contract FA4484‐16‐D‐0003 for maintenance and repair services. The maintenance and repair contract is a large tri-service indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity that supports physical infrastructure. Work will be performed at Joint Base McGuire‐Dix‐Lakehurst, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2019. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 87th Contracting Squadron, JB McGuire‐Dix‐Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc.,* doing business as Unicor, Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $49,920,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various types of trousers. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are District of Columbia, Texas and Alabama, with a May 15, 2023, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-F016). Southeast Power Systems of Orlando Inc.,** Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $9,342,729 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fuel pumps for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a Nov. 14, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0013). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Peraton Government Communications Inc., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $9,289,610 contract modification (P00021) exercising Option Period Three on task order GS-35F-5497H / HC1013-16-F-0005. Performance directly supports American national security interests on the continent of Africa. This action is funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The total cumulative face value of the task order is $50,089,527. Proposals were solicited via the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule, Information Technology Schedule 70, and two proposals were received from 27 proposals solicited. The period of performance for Option Period Three is Nov. 15, 2018 – Nov. 14, 2019, and there is one remaining unexercised option period for this task order. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 14, 2018) *Mandatory Source **Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1691653/source/GovDelivery/

  • Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer and Atech sign a contract to build Brazilian

    6 mars 2020 | International, Naval

    Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer and Atech sign a contract to build Brazilian

    March 5, 2020 - On March 5th, in Rio de Janeiro, Emgepron, an independent state company, linked to the Ministry of Defense through the Brazilian Navy Command, and Águas Azuis, a company created by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, signed the contract for building four state-of-the-art Tamandaré Class Ships, with deliveries scheduled between 2025 and 2028. The construction will take place 100% in Brazil, in Itajaí, Santa Catarina State, and is expected to have local content rates above 30% for the first vessel and 40% for the others. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will supply the naval technology of its proven MEKO® Class shipbuilding platform of defence vessels that is already in operation in 15 countries. Embraer will integrate sensors and weaponry into the combat system, bringing also to the program its 50 years' experience in systems technology solutions and in-service support. Atech, an Embraer Group company, will be the supplier of the CMS (Combat Management System) and IPMS (Integrated Platform Management System, from L3 MAPPS), and the recipient of technology transfer in cooperation with ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a thyssenkrupp Marine Systems subsidiary that produces the CMS and sonar systems. "We are grateful to participate again in such important milestone in the history of Brazil's naval defence with the most advanced ships in their class. Looking back the great achievements we had since the construction of Tupi Class submarines in 1980s, it is a recognition of the technological excellence, reliability and longevity solutions we have offered for almost two centuries. The Tamandaré Class Programme will strengthen our ties by transferring technology and generating highly qualified jobs for the country", said Dr. Rolf Wirtz, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. "The partnership validates our efforts to expand our defence and security portfolio beyond the aeronautical segment. Over the past few years, we have acquired expertise in developing and integrating complex systems, among others, in order to qualify Embraer to meet the needs of the Brazilian Navy, further strengthening our position as a strategic partner of the Brazilian State", said Embraer Defense & Security President and CEO Jackson Schneider. In addition to construction, the contract includes a sustained transfer of technology in naval engineering for building military ships and combat and platform management systems, as well as integrated logistical support and lifecycle management. The Tamandaré Class Programme has the potential to generate direct and indirect job opportunities of high level of qualification. It provides for a solid national partnership model with proven ability to transfer technology and qualify local labour, which guarantees the development of future strategic defence projects in Brazil. The naval alliance between thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Embraer Defense & Security can also enable creating a base for exporting naval defence products from Brazil. MEKO®: the authentic ship for blue waters The new multi-mission vessels will be based on the proven MEKO® Class shipbuilding solutions from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems that are already deployed in 82 vessels operating in the Navies of 15 countries, including Portugal, Greece, Australia, Argentina and Algeria. The MEKO® modular design concept facilitates local integration and technology transfer, helping to reduce maintenance and modernisation costs. Combining cutting-edge technology, innovation and robust combat capabilities, the MEKO® Class is an authentic escort vessel for operating in blue waters, featuring exceptional autonomy and robustness qualities. About Águas Azuis Águas Azuis is a special purpose legal entity established between thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, a subsidiary from Embraer, to build four new Tamandaré Class ships in order to amplify and modernize the Brazilian Navy fleet. It will have a strong presence in the country and count on parent companies solid experience on diverse areas. The member companies have a solid and long-standing relationship, in addition to a strong presence in several countries. thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, a thyssenkrupp Group company, is the leader of the Águas Azuis naval partnership and one of the world's leading suppliers of systems for submarines and naval surface vessels, as well as maritime safety technologies, with a centuries-old history of shipbuilding. Embraer Defense & Security, Embraer's business unit, is present in more than 60 countries and is a leader in the aerospace and defence industry in Latin America. Atech, an Embraer subsidiary, develops innovative solutions for the air traffic control, command and control systems, cyber security, instrumentation and control systems, embedded systems, simulators and logistics areas. Atech also operates in other strategical projects of Brazilian Navy as the LABGENE (Nuclear Power Generation Laboratory), for which develops Control and Protection systems, and the tactical mission combat system for the H225M/H-XBR SUPER COUGAR for the Brazilian Navy, as well. Press contact: thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Stefan Ettwig Head of Communications T: +49 172 2490090 stefan.ettwig@thyssenkrupp.com Embraer S.A. Valtécio Alencar Head of Corporate Communications M: +55 11 98106 7295 valtecio.alencar@embraer.com.br View source version on thyssenkrupp Marine Systems: https://www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com/en/press-releases/d/uid-2539b617-e129-4190-fd25-bd62b3e655e7.html

  • Economics Of Rocket Reuse Still Up In The Air

    16 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial

    Economics Of Rocket Reuse Still Up In The Air

    Irene Klotz The first Falcon 9 rocket to land successfully after dispatching a payload into orbit stands on permanent display outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, a testament to the perseverance of founder, CEO and chief engineer Elon Musk, who wants a fleet of fully reusable spaceships to reduce the cost of colonizing Mars. The vision is shared by fellow tech entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, whose Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin space company is developing a series of reusable vehicles, beginning with the New Shepard suborbital passenger transport system. The New Shepard made 12 uncrewed flight tests over the last five years, with more to come before commercial flights begin. Bezos also has pumped $2.5 billion into developing the New Glenn, a reusable system powered by seven BE-4 methane-fueled engines designed to carry nearly 50 tons to low Earth orbit. “That is the smallest orbital vehicle we are planning to build and launch,” says Clay Mowry, Blue Origin vice president of sales, marketing and customer experience. But the first BE-4s to power a rocket to orbit may not be aboard the New Glenn. United Launch Alliance (ULA) is buying the engines to power the first stage of its Vulcan rocket, an expendable booster—at least for now—which, like the New Glenn, is slated to debut next year. At some point, ULA may decide to recover and reuse just the BE-4 engines, a pair of which will fly on each Vulcan. The idea is for the engine compartment to disengage after launch and fall back through the atmosphere protected by an inflatable hypersonic shield. A helicopter would be positioned to snag the engine section midair as it makes a parachute descent. ULA calls the approach its Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology, or SMART. “It does not impact, in any significant way, the overall performance of the launch vehicle because you don't have to save fuel to fly home with,” ULA CEO Tory Bruno tells Aviation Week. “You still get to burn up all your fuel, separate your engine, which is the most expensive piece, and recover it.” “We have not really changed our assessment over the last couple of years because we have yet to see the other forms of reusability—flyback or propulsive return to Earth—demonstrate economic sustainability on a recurring basis,” Bruno says. “It's pretty darn hard to make that actually save money. . . . We've seen nothing yet that changes our analysis on that.” SpaceX currently is the only launch company reflying orbital rockets. SpaceX launched its final version of the workhorse Falcon 9 booster, called the Block 5, in May 2018. Within two months, the company was flying Block 5s exclusively. The upgrade includes higher-thrust Merlin engines, stronger landing legs and dozens of upgrades to streamline recovery and reuse. Block 5s were designed to fly 10 times with minimal maintenance between flights, and up to 100 times with refurbishment. SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell says the company no longer expects to need to fly a Falcon 9 more than 10 times. “We don't have to ramp up our production, at least for boost phases, like we thought we were going to,” Shotwell said on March 10 at the Satellite 2020 conference in Washington. “From a reliability perspective, we want to know the limits of Falcon 9, so we'll push them, but . . . some government customers want new vehicles—I think over time, they will come to flight-proven vehicles as well,” she added. “But if I have to build a couple of new ones every year, or 10 new ones a year, that adds to the fleet, and I don't know that I'll have to push a rocket more than 10 [flights.]” With regard to how much the company has been able to cut costs by reflying rockets, Shotwell would only say, “We save a lot of money.” As a privately held company, those operating expenses are not publicly available, but the Block 5 flight record is. So far, SpaceX has flown 14 Block 5 core boosters over 31 missions, including two Falcon Heavy flights, which use three cores apiece. Of those 14 boosters with flight history, five remain part of the operational fleet. The rest were expended—several after multiple missions—due to payload performance requirements or unsuccessful landings. One booster was intentionally destroyed as part of a Crew Dragon capsule launch abort flight test. SpaceX's fleet leader flew five times before failing to land on a drone ship stationed off the Florida coast on March 18. SpaceX has not said if the botched landing was related to a premature engine shutdown during the final phases of ascent. The rocket's remaining eight Merlin engines compensated for the shutdown, and the payload—a batch of 60 SpaceX Starlink broadband satellites—reached its intended orbit. While it continues to fly the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy for NASA, national security and commercial missions, SpaceX is developing a fully reusable, human-class deep-space transportation system called Starship at its own expense. Another company testing the waters of reusability is Rocket Lab, which builds and flies the Electron small-satellite launcher. “For a long time, I said we weren't going to do reusability,” Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said in August 2019, when he announced the new initiative. “This is one of those occasions where I have to eat my hat.” Electrons do not have the performance for a propulsive return like SpaceX's Falcons do, so Rocket Lab is pursuing a midair, helicopter recovery system to snare the booster's first stage. The intent is not to reduce costs per se but to increase flight rates without having to boost production. The company currently is producing one Electron rocket about every 30 days. “We need to get that down to one a week,” Beck says. “We view [rocket reuse] as sort of a journey,” ULA's Bruno adds. “We're going to start with the engines because we're pretty sure we can save money with that and pass those savings on right away. As we learn more by doing, we'll continue to assess other valuable parts of the rocket, and we may discover that we can do that there as well.” “There is one funny thing about reusability,” he adds. “As you make your rocket less expensive, and you make parts of your rocket less expensive, it's harder to close a business case on reuse because the thing you're recovering isn't as valuable. There's a balance there.” https://aviationweek.com/shows-events/space-symposium/economics-rocket-reuse-still-air

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