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UPDATE 
Week ending January 7, 2001
+++ Go ahead for Eurocopter Romania +++ STN Atlas Elektronik wins Tiger simulation order +++ Indian LCA flies at last +++ CRJ700 is certified +++ Chile chooses F-16 +++ Boeing has good year 2000 +++ News in brief +++

Go ahead for Eurocopter Romania
Eurocopter engagiert sich in Rumänien

IAR BRASOV President Neculai Banea and Eurocopter Vice-President Doctor Siegfried Sobotta have signed an agreement to create EUROCOPTER ROMANIA - a joint venture company to be incorporated under Romanian law in Brasov, Romania. The agreement sets down the guiding principles and the goals for the activities of the new company, which will be incorporated in the first six months of 2001. This signature coincides with the 30th anniversary of the cooperation linking IAR BRASOV and EUROCOPTER. The main focus of this cooperation has been on the production of helicopters - the Alouette III (1970) and the Puma (1974) - to satisfy both the Romanian government and export needs. In this capacity, IAR BRASOV has marketed more than 350 helicopters, most of which are still flying today in 20 or so countries.
Over the last few years Romania has been going through a period of economic hardship due to its efforts to make reforms and adapt to the new international economic context. Despite this, IAR BRASOV has been able to build on its unique experience. One example is the outstanding performance of the company's modernized version of the Puma helicopter - dubbed the SOCAT and recently developed for the Romanian Ministry of Defense. One role of the new subsidiary will be to satisfy the needs for the renewal and the support of the helicopter fleet operating in Romania, with the backing of EUROCOPTER's entire product range. Other goals will be to integrate and to develop the industrial activities and skills of IAR BRASOV within the framework of a global policy in harmony with the group logic of the world's leading helicopter manufacturer.

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STN Atlas Elektronik wins Tiger simulation order
Simulator-Auftrag für STN Atlas Elektronik

The flight simulators for the future Tiger combat helicopters of the German and French armed forces will be developed in a cooperation between Thomson-CSF and the Rheinmetall subsidiary STN Atlas Elektronik GmbH. The related contracts were signed by the contracting parties Thomson Training & Simulation (prime contractor) and STN ATLAS in Paris. STN Atlas Elektronik is a member of Rheinmetall DeTec AG, Ratingen, responsible for defense activities of the Rheinmetall Group. The agreement was concluded in the wake of a fundamental decision of the OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armaments Cooperation) on 28 July 2000. The development order which is worth approximately 100 million euros will be shared in equal parts by STN Atlas Elektronik and Thomson Training & Simulation. Development activities spanning a period of several years will cover the entire range of training equipment for the flight crews of all Tiger variants, from computer-aided training systems to the latest generation of full mission flight simulators. The contracting parties expect the approx. EUR 200 million production order to be placed in the year 2004.

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Indian LCA flies at last
Erstflug des LCA-Kampfflugzeugs

After 17b years of development, India's self-developed and built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has made its maiden test flight on January 4. The sortie lasted 20-minutes out of Bangalore. Two Mirage fighter jets, one of which carried Indian chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis, escorted the LCA on the flight. The LCA is a multi-role combat aircraft with short take-off and landing capabilities and it can carry seven weapon stations. Development of the LCA, which has cost some $643 million, was delayed because of economic sanctions imposed by the United States after New Delhi tested nuclear devices in 1998. According to the latest report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense, the LCA would not be fit to join the Indian air force until 2012 at the earliest.

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CRJ700 is certified
Zulassung für Regionaljet CRJ700

Bombardier Aerospace has been awarded Transport Canada's Aircraft Type Certificate for its new 70-passenger CRJ700 Series regional jet. Type Certification was granted Friday, Dec. 22, 2000. Type Recorthiness Authorities (JAA) and Type Approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are expected in the near future. "The CRJ700 meets its published performance data established at program launch in 1997," said John Holding, executive vice-president, engineering and product development at Bombardier Aerospace, "and certification came within the schedule that was set at program launch." The CRJ700 Series will enter airline service with French regional carrier Brit Air flying for Air France in the first quarter of 2001, and will be the first of the new 70-seat-class airliners in the market. Brit Air, the CRJ700 Series launch customer, ordered four aircraft in January of 1997. Brit Air has since increased its firm orders to 12. Operators will get a better-performing aircraft than they expected. Operating Weight Empty (OWE) is 120 pounds (54 kg) less than the published OWE; take-off distance is 100 feet (30.5 m) less than advertised; maximum cruise speed at 35,000 feet (10,668 m) is Mach 0.825/476 knots rather than the predicted Mach 0.815/470 knots. Lower than expected drag has resulted in a payload increase of 4,000 pounds (1,841 kg) with a flaps 20 setting at take-off and 3,000 pounds (1,678 kg) with a flaps 10 take-off on climb gradient limited conditions.
The CRJ700 Series has attracted 174 firm orders from American Eagle (25), Atlantic Southeast Airlines (12), Brit Air (12), Comair (20), Delta Connection (25), GECAS Leasing (25), Horizon Air (30), Lufthansa (20) and Maersk Air (5).

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Chile chooses F-16
F-16 gewinnt in Chile

After an intense four-year competition, the Government of Chile has announced its decision to purchase 10 to 12 new production Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. Chile will become the 21st country to operate the F-16. Chile will acquire a Block 50/52 configuration of the F-16C/D aircraft tailored to meet the specific requirements of the Chilean Air Force (FACH). The sale will include the aircraft, mission equipment and a support package provided by Lockheed Martin and many other U.S. contractors. The F-16 aircraft will replace the A-37 Dragonfly in FACH service. The final number of aircraft and the program value will be determined in the coming months. "We are pleased the FACH selected the F-16 to modernize its fighter force and look forward to working with them as the newest member of the F-16 family," said Dain M. Hancock, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. "The F-16 provides Chile the world's most affordable multirole fighter, with the added benefit of interoperability with the U.S. Air Force and many other air forces." In the competition in Chile, the F-16 was selected over the Boeing F/A-18, Dassault Mirage 2000-5 from France and the SAAB Gripen from Sweden. This selection marks the F-16's 28th win in worldwide competitions and the 5th win without a loss during the last five years.

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Boeing has good year 2000
Gute Auftragslage bei Boeing

Boeing Commercial Airplanes announced 489 commercial airplane deliveries in 2000, almost matching the 490-airplane delivery estimate made earlier in the year. Commercial Airplanes President Alan Mulally noted operating margins improved throughout the year, even while deliveries decreased -- as expected -- from 1999's record-breaking 620 airplanes. "Our focus on improving the health of our core airplane production business has paid off rapidly," Mulally said. "And that's benefiting everyone -- our customers, employees and shareholders -- even sooner than we expected." Boeing continues to estimate 2001 and 2002 commercial deliveries to be in the range of 530 jetliners each year.
On the order side, Commercial Airplanes announced definitive agreements during the year for 611 airplanes, increasing the announced unfilled order backlog to 1,612. Continued economic recovery in Asia, along with strong economic performance in the U.S. and Europe, has fueled a strong market for air travel, and airlines continue to turn to Boeing airplanes to meet that demand. "Our sales and marketing teams continue to strengthen our order book through their focus on understanding and anticipating the needs of our airline customers and their passengers," Mulally said. He noted that the demand for convenient, point-to-point service was reflected in the success of the 777 airplane family, which saw a record 117 orders for the year. "The 777's remarkable success in 2000 clearly demonstrates the trend toward more point-to-point service that enables passengers to go where they want to go, when they want to go, safely and conveniently," Mulally said.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

After the successful commissioning of the Greek Merchant Marine's four AS 332 C1 Super Pumas, this country's Air Force, who operates these helicopters, has decided to purchase four helicopters of the same type to perform its search and rescue (SAR) and Combat, Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions. This contract, signed in Athens in the presence of Mr. Dimitris Apostolakis, Greek Deputy Minister of Defence and Mr. Jean-Maurice Ripert, Ambassador of France, has a value of approximately 100 million Euros, including provision for an option for another 2 helicopters. It comprises also a 100% offset commitment to the benefit of the Greek industry. The first two helicopters will be delivered within 2 years. The AS 332 C1 is the short version of the twin-engine, medium-lift helicopter equipped with Turbomeca Makila 1A1 engines, each of which has a power rating of 1877 shp (1400 kW). To date, almost 600 helicopters of the Super Puma / Cougar family have already been ordered from Eurocopter by more than 70 customers in some 45 countries.
+++
European aerospace group EADS clinched two French government defence contracts worth 3.75 billion euros ($3.49 billion), the biggest it has won in its six-month life. The French Defence Ministry said it had awarded EADS 2.85 billion euros to develop the M51 ballistic missile, and about 900 million for its Matra BAe Dynamics joint venture to produce new MICA air-to-air missiles. "After six months of existence, this demonstrates the correctness of EADS' positioning in civil aeronautic and defence activities and their perfect complementarity," EADS Chairman Philippe Camus said, according to a spokesman. "These are the most important defence contracts in the six months of the company's existence," the spokesman added. The M51 missile is designed to equip ocean-going submarines and is expected to be operational in 2008, while the MICA air-to-air missiles will equip French air force and navy aircraft from 2004, the ministry said in a statement.
+++
Russia launched six communication satellites for the Defense Ministry and the Russian Aerospace Agency with a Tsiklon-3 rocket, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces press service announced. The rocket blasted off from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia on 27. December at 9:57 p.m. Moscow time (1857 GMT) but the separation of the satellites from the booster apparently failed as there was no cotact with the craft in orbit.
+++
On Dec. 21, the F-22 program initiated the fatigue testing necessary to accomplish the next program milestone, according to Air Force officials. The successful application of simulated cyclic loads to F-22 Raptor 4000 -- one of two non-flying airframes used by the program for ground testing -- achieves another critical year 2000 Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) criteria. Eleven DAB criteria must be satisfied prior to a decision to enter low-rate initial production of the first ten aircraft. The F-22 program has completed a total of seven DAB criteria and will complete the remainder shortly after the first of the year.
+++
A satellite communications industry team led by Boeing has been awarded a $160.3 million contract to develop the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) system. WGS is a high-capacity satellite communications system to support the warfighter with newer and far greater capabilities than provided by current systems. Total potential value of the contract is $1.3 billion. The program will be managed by Boeing Satellite Systems Inc. (BSS), in El Segundo, a part of Boeing Space and Communications Group, which has headquarters in Seal Beach, Calif. The WGS program will augment Department of Defense (DoD) communications services currently provided by the Defense Satellite Communications System, which provides Super High Frequency (SHF) wideband communications, and by the Global Broadcast Service, which uses direct broadcast satellite technology to provide critical information to U.S. and allied forces. With an initial launch in early 2004, WGS will serve as a bridge to the Advanced Wideband Satellite system, a high-capacity tactical communications system currently planned for 2008.
+++
Boeing has confirmed a previously announced intent-to-order from Continental Airlines for 15 Boeing 757-300 single-aisle airplanes. With this order, Continental joins a rapidly growing number of domestic and international airlines to operate the 757-300. The value of the new airplanes at list prices is estimated at $1.2 billion. First deliveries of the new airplanes are scheduled for late 2001 through mid-2003. "As we reduce our fleet to just three types of aircraft, this new 757 model will help us efficiently serve a set of routes that demand additional capacity," said Gordon Bethune, Continental chairman and chief executive officer.
+++
The Czech cabinet has approved the conditions of a tender to buy 24 to 36 new supersonic fighter aircraft, giving its go-ahead to potentially the largest ever purchase deal done by the Czech state. The cabinet will evaluate bids on the basis of proposed price, financing and military criteria, and on the amount of offset programmes which would bring orders for various Czech industries and help ailing regions, said cabinet spokesman Libor Roucek. But Prime Minister Milos Zeman told a news conference that the cabinet may end up not choosing any supplier due to prohibitive costs of some $2.5 billion or more.
+++
China has started its research in Fengyun 3 meteorological satellite recently, officials with Shanghai Aerospace Administration announced. The new satellite is an improved version of the Fengyun 1 that is currently operating in the orbit. The Fengyun 3 satellite will reach the world technological level of early 20th century, and will monitor the earth's meteorological conditions round-the-clock by making multi-spectral, three-dimensional and quantitative analysis. The new satellite is designed to be launched around early 2005. It will weight at 2,200 kg with the designed life span of more than two years. With a distinguishability of 250 meters, the satellite is capable of distinguishing an expressway on the earth from 890 km in the space. Now China has become the third country, following the United States and Russia, to develop and launch weather satellites with the sun- and earth-synchronous orbits.
+++
Bombardier Aerospace has delivered the first of 15 70-seat Q400 turboprop airliners to North American launch customer, Seattle-based Horizon Air. The carrier will have a fleet of 15 Q400s by year-end and holds options for an additional 15. Horizon's first Q400, expected to enter service in mid-February, arrived at the airline's operational base in Portland, Oregon following a ferry flight from Toronto where Bombardier's Q Series turboprops are manufactured. The aircraft will undertake a series of proving runs prior to entering regularly scheduled service.
+++
The U.S. Air Force's F-22 program soared over another milestone today with the first flight of an F-22 Raptor equipped with combat-capable avionics as Boeing test pilot Randy Neville flew the successful first flight of Raptor 4005 from Lockheed Martin's facility in Marietta, Ga. One of three remaining tasks required prior to a decision to start F-22 low-rate initial production, the flight incorporated Block 3.0 software components, which provide functions such as radar processing and sensor fusion, electronic warfare and countermeasures, communication, navigation and identification, and pilot/vehicle interface. "Flying Raptor 4005 with the Block 3.0 represented the program's current most technically demanding challenge," said Brig. Gen. Jay Jabour, F-22 System Program Director. "This successful flight, in addition to our other recent achievements, demonstrates that the program is ready for low-rate production."
+++
In the first step of a two-step process, NASA's Office of Space Science selected three proposals for detailed study as candidates for the next mission in the agency's Discovery Program of lower cost, highly focused, rapid-development scientific spacecraft. "The diversity of science represented in these three mission proposals is outstanding. NASA will have its hands full picking only one for flight," said Dr. Jay Bergstralh, acting Director of Solar System Exploration at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The selected Discovery and Mission of Opportunity proposals are: The Kepler mission is a space telescope specifically designed to detect Earth-sized planets around stars in the Sun's neighborhood of the galaxy; the Interior Structure and Internal Dynamical Evolution of Jupiter (INSIDE Jupiter) mission is a Jupiter orbiter designed to observe and measure processes occurring within the Jovian magnetosphere and atmosphere; the Dawn mission intends to orbit Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest asteroids in the solar system. According to current theories, the very different properties of Vesta and Ceres are the result of the asteroids being formed and evolving in different parts of the solar system. By observing both asteroids with the same set of instruments, Dawn would probe the early solar system as well as determine in detail the properties of each asteroid; a U.S. contribution to the French-led NetLander mission will add unique capabilities to each of the four landers and the orbiter which comprise the mission. In 2007, NetLander will create the first science network on Mars to study the planet's internal structure. The American contribution includes short period seismometers and wind sensors on the landers, and a high- resolution geodesy instrument on the orbiter. Dr. W. Bruce Banerdt of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lead the U.S. contribution to NetLander at a total cost to NASA of $35 million.
+++
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company has signed a contract with the U.S. Air Force for 12 C-130J transport aircraft appropriated in the U.S. Government 2001 budget. The contract, valued at $734 million, includes six HC-130Js for the U.S. Coast Guard, two C-130J-30s for the U.S. Air Force, an EC-130J for the Air National Guard, three KC-130Js for the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft for the Coast Guard represent a new fleet for the C-130J. They will be configured with mission-specific systems unique to the Coast Guard role. This contract brings to 111 the number of C-130Js ordered by operators around the world, of which 49 are for the U.S. There are already three C-130J-30s on order for the Air Force, eight KC-130Js for the Marine Corps and four EC-130Js for the Guard.
+++
The U.S. Air Force has placed an order with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for four additional F-16 aircraft that were funded in the Fiscal Year 2001 Defense Appropriations Act. The contract was finalized on Dec. 26, 2000. The aircraft will deliver at one per month between October 2002 and January 2003. Contract value for Lockheed Martin is $47.5 million.The aircraft will be Block 50 F-16C models in the same configuration as the 10 ordered earlier last year in the FY 00 buy. Distinguishing features include modular mission computer, color displays and recording equipment, on-board oxygen generating system, and the APX-113 advanced electronic interrogator/transponder. These aircraft will also be common to the initial deliveries in the USAF's Block 40/50 fleetwide retrofit program called the F-16 Common Configuration Implementation Program.
+++
On 1 January 2001, the Republic of Finland became the 30th Member State of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) following the deposit of the instrument of accession on 8 November 2000. The application was first submitted on 28 October 1998 and unanimously accepted by the Organisation's Permanent Commission on 2 February 1999. The Republic of Finland has been a Member of ECAC since 1955 and has been actively participating in all activities relating to the Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) and European Air Traffic Control Harmonisation Programme (EATCHIP), and subsequently European Air Traffic Management Programme (EATMP), since their inception. It has also been participating in the Committee of Management as an observer since October 1992.
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On 2 January 2001, Víctor M. Aguado assumed his duties as Director General of EUROCONTROL after being elected unanimously by the Organisation's Member States. Born in Palencia, Spain, on 9 June 1953, and graduating in Aeronautical Engineering from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Aeronáuticos in Madrid, with various postgraduate qualifications including a Master of Science degree in the Management of Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Víctor M. Aguado brings a wealth of aviation experience to EUROCONTROL.
+++
Swissport International aims to strengthen its position as the number one in worldwide ground handling via the continual expansion of its global network. With Swissport Executive, the SAirGroup subsidiary is entering the fast-growing market of business and private aircraft handling. Swissport Executive, recently founded in Nice, France, as a joint venture with the U.S.-based Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., will enter the lucrative market of business and private aircraft handling on February 1, 2001 in France. Universal has 40 years of experience in this area of the aviation industry for Swissport Executive to fall back on. As a Swissport International subsidiary, Swissport Executive has declared that they will strive for global representation in this branch as well.
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In opening offices in London, Brussels and Palma de Mallorca, Lufthansa Technik (LHT) is responding not only to the dynamic development of air transport in western Europe and to the resultant growing need for modern Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services but especially to the customer requirement that MRO providers be nearby and able to deliver fast service. "Our aim and top priority is to be able at all times to respond flexibly to customer wishes," says Ralf Noether, Head of Sales for Western Europe, citing that as the reason for LHT's opening more local sales offices. "Beefing up our marketing and sales force will better enable us to achieve that aim." At London's Stansted airport, the center of Europe's fast-growing "no frills" market, Bryan Cole is Lufthansa Technik's man on the spot. LHT has a service specially tailored to the needs of this group of customers, who concentrate solely on their core business and have no MRO capabilities of their own. The potential in the U.K., Europe's largest charter market, is enormous, but the competition is fierce. The most important customer there is the charter passenger carrier Britannia, for which LHT provides Total Component Support (TCSâ) for the Boeing 737NG fleet.
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In 2000, a 100% success rate for launching Ariane spacecraft from the ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has been reached. Altogether 12 launches have taken place, four with Ariane-5 launchers and eight using Ariane-4. Arianespace, the company responsible for launching commercial satellites from the Kourou spaceport, will start its 2001 launch schedule with Flight 137 in January. This will be the 102nd lift off of the Ariane-4 launcher developed by ESA.
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Previous updates are still available:
Die News der letzten Wochen sind weiter abrufbar:

*December 24, 2000 *December 17, 2000 *December 10, 2000 *December 3, 2000

*November 26, 2000 *November 19, 2000 *November 12, 2000 *November 5, 2000

*October 29, 2000 *October 15, 2000 *October 8, 2000 *October 1, 2000

*September 24, 2000 *September 17, 2000 *September 10, 2000 *September 3, 2000

*January to August 2000 *January to December 1999 *January to December 1998 *January to December 1997 *September to December 1996

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