AEROMARINE INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT COMPANY

A new HK-5000G UAV with folding wings and the potential to be deployed on China’s third aircraft carrier, made its debut at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai. It was on display at the booth of the Aeromarine Intelligent Equipment Company, a subsidiary of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

AIRBUS

The first Airbus A330-800 development aircraft to fly, MSN1888, landed at Toulouse-Blagnac, France after successfully completing its first flight which lasted for four hours and four minutes. The aircraft, the second member of the A330neo Family, is powered by the latest technology Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans.

AUSTRALIA

Australia’s Minister for Defence, Christopher Pyne and Minister for Defence Industry, Steven Ciobo, have announced the selection of the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper variant as the system which best meets the capability requirements for Australia’s first armed remotely piloted aircraft system.

BAHRAIN AND BELL HELICOPTER

At the Bahrain International Airshow, Bahrain and Bell Helicopter finalised a contract to acquire a dozen AH-1Z attack helicopters. Manama was first approved for the sale of the helicopters in April 2018, when the US State Department announced it had approved the potential sale of a dozen AH-1Zs to Bahrain at an estimated cost of $911.4 million.

CAAA

The Chinese Academy of Aerospace and Aerodynamics (CAAA) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) has unfurled the CH-10 tilt-rotor UAV. The CH-10 is a new unmanned aerial vehicle integrating helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft technology, according to a statement sent exclusively to the Global Times on October 31.

EUROFIGHTER

A Royal Air Force Typhoon has received special markings to mark the global fleet of Eurofighter aircraft passing the 500,000 flying hours mark underscoring the fact that today, the Eurofighter Typhoon is the backbone of NATO’s European air defence.

GE AVIATION

General Electric Aviation, Ohio, has been awarded a $273,509,940 firm-fixed-price requirements type contract for Service Life Extension Programme conversion kits to upgrade Egyptian Air Force F-16, F110-GE-100 engines. Work is expected to be completed by October 30, 2023.

IRAN

Iran’s state television has said that Iran has begun the mass production of a locally designed fighter jet. Iran unveiled its Kowsar fighter jet in August 2018. Iran already has both US-made jet fighters and Russian-made Sukhoi aircraft in service. Defence Minister Amir Hatami said the production line highlights the capabilities of Iranian experts despite “sanctions by enemies.”

ISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) now offer a next-generation version of its Drone Guard counter-UAV system. Drone guard is able to detect, track and disrupt hostile UAVs. Developed by IAI subsidiary Elta, the Drone Guard consists of 3-Dimensional (3D) radars and Electro-Optical (EO) sensors for detection and identification as well as dedicated Electronic Attack (EA) jamming systems for disrupting drone flights.

KOREA AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES

Six new T-50IQs advanced trainers were handed over to Iraq on October 28, 2018. This is the third batch of aircraft that are being procured under a $1.1 billion deal signed in 2013 for 24 T-50 Golden Eagle fighter jets from South Korean aerospace firm KAI. Since then, 18 aircraft have been added to Iraq’s fleet, with the first batch delivered in March 2017 and the second delivery earlier this year.

Indonesia has signed a contract with South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries worth $89.4 million on November 8, 2018 at the Indonesia Defence 2018 Expo. The contract involves the sale of three KT-1B Woongbi aircraft used in the basic trainer role by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), as well as upgrade work on the existing TNI-AU stock of T-50i Golden Eagle trainers.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

The US Air Force has ordered 50 long range anti-ship missiles (LRASMs) from Lockheed Martin. The Lot 2 production effort is priced at $172 million. The LRSAM programme was launched in 2009 with the goal to develop a new generation of anti-ship weapons, offering longer ranges and better odds against improving air defence systems.

MBDA

MBDA is currently developing a new version of its proven Marte platform. The Marte ER (extended range) is the third generation of the missile system that arms NFH90 and AW101 helicopters flown by the Italian Army. During a recently conducted exercise, the missile flew for about 96 km on a pre-planned trajectory that included the passing of several waypoints and a seaskimming flight.

PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA

Pratt & Whitney Canada, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, has announced that it has recently started delivering PW127G engines to Airbus Defence and Space in support of Canada’s Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement Project. The engines will be installed on specially configured Airbus C295 aircraft, which will be designated the CC-295 in Canada.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE

The Republic of Korea Air Force is currently inducting its first of four Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. The aircraft is stationed at Gimhae Air Base in Busan where it is undergoing acceptance trials. The A330-200 MRTT is a derivative of the Airbus A330.

SAAB

Saab confirms that its Gripen E fighter jet successfully fired a Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) for the first time. MBDA’s Meteor missile was conceived as a longer-range competitor to popular weapons like the Russian R77/AA-12 and American AIM-120 AMRAAM. Its ramjet propulsion offers the missile a head-on closing range of 120 km and full powered performance at Mach 4+ throughout its flight.

SIERRA NEVADA

Sierra Nevada Corporation, Maryland, has been awarded a $23,813,528 definitization modification to earlier contract for the Saudi King Air 350 programme. This contract provides for the modification of two King Air 350 extended range aircraft with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/synthetic aperture radar capability and work is expected to be completed by May 2020.

UAC

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd started full-scale development of the CR-929 wide-body jet programme last year for which General Electric and RollsRoyce are the two finalists to supply engines in the interim period till they switch over Sino-Russian engine.

US

Over the last fiscal year, US’ authorised arms exports rose by a total of 13 per cent to $192.3 billion, adding thousands of jobs to the US economy and sustaining many thousands more. These increases have coincided with the process of comprehensive reform and modernisation of the arms transfer process.

VIETJET

Vietnamese carrier Vietjet has placed a firm order with Airbus for an additional 50 A-321neo single-aisle aircraft, finalising an MOU signed at the Farnborough International Airshow during last July. The purchase agreement was signed in Hanoi on November 2, 2018 by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Vietjet President and CEO and Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.