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UPDATE 
Week ending May 10, 1998
+++ Iris-T development contract signed +++ BAe buys into Saab +++ Bavaria becomes latest customer for new Boeing 717 +++ NATO TLP celebrates 20 years +++ Continental announces additional Embraer order +++ Kaiser-Threde communicates with Mir station +++ Boeing 777-300 certified +++ German contribution to peacekeeping on the Balkans ++ News in Brief +++

Iris-T development contract signed
BGT erhält Entwicklungsauftrag für Iris-T

Bodenseewerk Gerätetechnik has concluded the long-awaited development contract for the Iris-T. Five European nations (Germeny, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden) and Canada are working together on this new short-range, infrared-guided air-to-air missile programme, which has a price tag of around 500 million DM in the current development phase. The German BWB (procurement agency) is handling the Iris-T on behalf of the Governments, while BGT is leading a team of ten companies, including AlliedSignal Canada, Hellenic Aerospace, Intracom and Pyrcal from Greece, Aleni-OTO, FiatAvio and Littion Italia as well aus Raufoss in Norway and Saab Dynamics in Sweden.
Iris-T will be the successor to the long-serving Sidewinder family, which was licence-built by BGT and its European partners. It features an imaging infrared seeker as well as thrust-vector control for maximum agility. Among the aircraft to get Iris-T are the Eurofighter, JAS 39 Gripen, F-16, CF-18, AMX and Tornado. Service entry is planned to start in 2002.

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BAe buys into Saab
British Aerospace kauft sich bei Saab ein

In a further move to consolidate Europes aerospace companies, BAe has agreed to acquire 35 per cent of the capital of Saab AB from Investor AB for a total price of 3,5 billion Swedish crowns. Closure of the transaction is subject to relevant authorities approval and the completed listing of Saab AB on the Stockholm stock exchange. Investor will remain with 36 per cent of the votes and 20 per cent of the capital.
Saab CEO Bengt Halse sees British Aerospace as a natural new owner, considering the many years of close and positive cooperation. "I expect our cooperation to gradually deepen in more areas than just the export of the Gripen. For a number of years, Saab has been involved in several interantional aerospace and defense programmes. With British Aerospace as one of our owners, we ill be able to further strengthen our position in this context", he said.

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Bavaria becomes latest customer for new Boeing 717
Der jüngste Kunde für die neue Boeing 717 kommt aus Deutschland

Bavaria International Aircraft Leasing Company became the newest customer for the Boeing 717-200 passenger airliner, with an order for five airplanes. Bavaria, based in Munich, Germany, will lease the airplanes to operating airlines around the world, with deliveries scheduled in late 1999 and into the year 2000. The order was disclosed jointly by Robert Salzl, Bavaria's managing director and member of the executive board of the Schorghuber Group, and Ron Woodard, president of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group. Value of the order was not disclosed.
The order makes Bavaria the first 717-200 customer in Europe, the first leasing company to acquire the airplanes and the second announced buyer for the new model after launch customer AirTran Airlines of Orlando, Florida. "With the Boeing 717-200 model, we aim to serve the market niche below the Boeing 737 category as well as above the notably smaller regional-aircraft operation," Salzl said. "We foresee a considerable demand for this type of aircraft, the so-called 100-seater, especially since at present there is no alternative model on the market. The regional airline business, which is presently booming, will be in a position to offer its increasingly demanding customers a very comfortable and economic aircraft. We expect it to meet with much greater market acceptance than the turboprop aircraft still on the market now."
The first four 717 airplanes are in final assembly at the Boeing Douglas Products Division in Long Beach, including three instrumented test models and the first production model. Formal rollout of the first airplane is planned for June 10. Customer deliveries will begin in 1999 after completion of the flight-test program and concurrent type certification by airworthiness authorities of the United States and Europe. Two BR715 turbofans, rated at 18,500 pounds takeoff thrust, power the 717. BMW/Rolls-Royce is developing the engines at its Dahlewitz, Germany, facility. An international team of 14 major supplier-partners provides major subassemblies and systems for the airplane.

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NATO TLP celebrates 20 years
20 Jahre NATO Tactical Leadership Programme

NATOs Tactical Leadership Programme celebrated its 20th year of existence recently with a two-day meet of aircraft of the participating nations at Florennes airbase in Belgium. Tornados, Mirage 2000s, F-4F Phantoms, Starfighters, AMXs, F-16s, F-15s and Jaguars met for a common attack mission into France and a ceremonial overflight of the base facilities in front of assembled dignitaries.
The principle of TLP was, and still is, to increase the overall effectiveness of the Central Region tactical air forces, through the development of leadership skills, tactical flying, mission planning and tasking capabilites, and conceptual doctrinal initiatives. But with the new NATO concept that calls for the air forces from different regions augmenting each other and flying missions together, the requirement for aircrew from all the NATO nations coming together and learning from each other can be achieved by TLP.

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Continental announces additional Embraer order
Neue Bestellung für Embraer von Continental

Continental Airlines announced from Sao Paulo, Brazil, an order by its regional subsidiary, Continental Express, for 25 Embraer ERJ-135, 37-seat regional jets. The order strengthens Continental Express' move towards an all-jet fleet over the next five years. At a list price of $12.6 million per aircraft, the transaction is valued at $315 million. In addition to 25 firm ERJ-135 jets, the order includes an option for 50 additional aircraft. The firm order with options, added to the 150 options still remaining on the ERJ-145 (50-seat regional jet) arrangement, brings the total commitment to the Embraer jet family to 75 firm and 200 option aircraft over the next 10 years. Continental Express will be the first North American operator of the 37-seat ERJ-135 with deliveries beginning in July 1999. Continental Express became the North American launch customer for the 50-seat ERJ-145 in April 1996 when it introduced service from its hubs in Cleveland and Newark. Today there are 22 Continental regional jets in service in the U.S. Customer surveys indicate passengers strongly prefer jets to propeller planes.

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Kaiser-Threde communicates with Mir station
Kommunikationsverbindung zur Mir-Station

German engineers and researchers from the Kaiser-Threde company managed to establish a special "telecommunications bridge" with the Mir orbital complex, linking with a special computer server, installed on the Mir station, through a satellite of the German aerospace research centre in Oberpfaffenhofen. The project is being implemented with active assistance from the German aviation and cosmonautics centre as well as from the Russian Energia space corporation. During a mixed Russian-German space mission in 1997, a computer, capable of transmitting video and computer data to Earth, was installed aboard the station.
According to plans of German engineers, Russian cosmonauts can link up, through the computer system, directly from the orbital complex to various major electron data banks, including the global network Internet.

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Boeing 777-300 certified
Zulassung für die Boeing 777-300

On May 5, the longest commercial jetliner in aviation history, the Boeing 777-300, earned type certification and received approval for 180-minute extended-range, twin-engine operations (ETOPS). This marks the first time any airplane manufacturer has received both approvals on the same day. The type certification and validation came from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). The JAA is the European counterpart of the FAA, and comprises the aviation regulatory authorities of 18 countries. The FAA gave its approval for ETOPS, a flight pattern that provides the traveling public with the most direct routing between transoceanic cities. The JAA is expected to approve 180-minute ETOPS later this month.
The 777-300 program was launched in June 1995, after the announcement at the 1995 Paris Air Show that four airlines - All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Korean Air and Thai Airways International - intended to order 31 of the long-range twinjets. The 777-300 can serve routes up to 5,600 nautical miles (10,370 kilometers). A typical route is Tokyo to Singapore, Honolulu to Seoul or San Francisco to Tokyo. Maximum takeoff weight is 660,000 pounds (299,370 kilograms). Maximum fuel capacity is 45,220 gallons (171,170 liters). Launch customer Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong will take delivery of the first 777-300 later this month.

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German contribution to peacekeeping on the Balkans
Bundeswehreinsatz in Ex-Jugoslawien

While seeking approval for further operations to secure the peace process on the Balkans, the German ministry of defenence has published some statistics concerning the its contirbution to the peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia.
During the SFOR part of the mission (20. December 1996 to latest figures up to 22. April 1998), there were among others:
  • 97 flights of CL 289 recce drones
  • 2235 flight hours performed by army helicopters
  • over 1400 recce flights by Tornados
  • about 160 air defence suppression missions by Tornado ECRs
  • about 5200 flight hours by transport aircraft, carrying 4000 tons of cargo and 60000 passengers
  • 87 SIGINT missions by the Atlantic of the Marineflieger
  • 53 maritime patrol missions by the Atlantic of the Marineflieger
In the previous IFOR phase, which lasted from 20. December 1995 to 19. December 1996, the figures are as follows:
  • 5010 flight hours by army helicopters, including 1056 transport missions
  • 1006 Tornado ECR missions for the supression of enemy air defences
  • 1085 recce missions by Tornados
  • 750 air transport missions
  • 76 SIGINT missions by Atlantics
  • 29 maritime patrol missions by Atlantics
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

On May 7, dignitaries were starting the building of a new runway at the Leipzig-Halle airport in eastern Germany. It will be completed by spring 2000 at an estimated cost of 1,1 billion DM. With a length of 3600 m, it will allow intercontinental flights. Also planned is a new central building at a cost of 1,3 billion DM, which will span train and road connections.
+++
At the transport and logistics show at Leipzig, CargoLifter AG has for the first time shown its proof-of-concept airship "Joey", an 8:1 scale model of the CL 160 which will fly in 2000 to revolutionise heavy lift transports with loads of up to 160 tons. Joey is 32 m long, while the CL 160 will measure up at 242 m.
+++
The German staff of Alitalia, Air India, KLM, SAS and TAP as well as Sita will get a two per cent pay rise from this month.
+++
According to the German statistics office, London (2,9 million passengers) and Palma de Mallorca are the leading destinations for German air travellers, followed by Paris and Ankara.
+++
Delays at the UKs six biggest airports increased last year to the highest level since 1991. The average was 16 minutes, compared to 14 minutes a year before.
+++
Crossair has decided to buy another three Saab 2000s for delivery in mid-99, thus birnging the fleet of this regional-turboprop to 34. The machines will be used on routes from Basle-Mulhouse to Cologne, Warsaw and Valencia.
+++
After the Daimler-Benz/Chrysler deal, Jürgen Schremmp has hastened to assure that "we consider our aerospace activities very important, and we are not planning to sell them". Instead, Dasa will continue to play a leading role in the transformation of the European aerospace industry.
+++
Thomson Training and Simulation has recently won two contracts form Belgian carrier Sabena to supply it with ist first A320 full flight simulator and an A330/A340 full flight simulator. The level D devices will be installed at Sabena's training centr at Brussels international airport and are to enter service in 1999. Also, UK charter airline Airtours has bought its first ever simulator, an A320 level D device from TTS, due to enter service at Manchester in April 1999. These and other contracts confirm the TTS dominance of the A320 simulator market.
+++
Although a sucessor to the BR 1150 Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft in the German and Italian navy's will not come on line until 2007 at the earliest, Dornier and Alenia Difesa have signed a co-operation agreement concerning the mission equipment of such an aircraft. Key element will be the Tactical Command System, which will use modern computer technology to improve the man-machine interface and push automation. Also, a new ground system, as well as a transportable variant thereof, will be developed. First tasks will be to harmonise the current concepts of the two companies.
+++
AlliedSignal Inc. and GKN plc have announced an agreement under which AlliedSignal will acquire control of Normalair-Garrett Limited (NGL), a subsidiary of UK-based GKN plc that manufactures environmental control systems for the aerospace industry. The agreement is subject to regulatory review and GKN plc shareholder approval. Under terms of the agreement, AlliedSignal will boost its current 48% interest in NGL to 52% and has the option to acquire the remaining 48% interest on or after December 31, 1999. AlliedSignal has held its 48% stake in NGL since 1967. AlliedSignal will also acquire from GKN 100% of Hermetic Aircraft International Corp., a Holtsville, New York, USA-based repair and overhaul
facility.
+++
Siemens Nixdorf Business Services is to set up a product data management system for the military aircraft division of Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG. When the system is commissioned, more than 600 employees involved in the product development process will be able to access all data and information of relevance to production via a client-server system. Siemens Nixdorf and Debis Systemhaus will jointly operate the system for at least six years.
+++
Brit Air of Morlaix, France has announced an order for six 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet Series 100s and two 70-seat CRJ Series 700s from Bombardier Aerospace. The airline also intends to secure additional options on the CRJ Series 700 aircraft. Excluding options, Bit Air will operate a fleet of 24 Canadair Regional Jets by the year 2001 comprised of 20 Series 100s and four Series 700s. A total of 160 Canadair Regional Jet and 44 de Havilland Dash 8 aircraft orders were recorded during the year from 23 customers in 14 countries.
+++
A Russian heavy Proton booster rocket was successfully launched from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome at 3.45 a.m., Moscow time, on May 8. The booster is to put onto a geostationary orbit the U.S. communications satellite Echostar. This is the third Proton launch this year: two previous rockets already put into orbit seven commercial satellites of the Iridium system and one Russian military spacecraft Kosmos-2350.
+++
Mobile Communications Holdings Inc., the holding company for the multi-billion satellite mobile phone project called Ellipso, says Boeing Co. has been selected to be the prime contractor for the project. Mobile Communications says Boeing will be the system integrator for design, development, construction and deployment of the Ellipso global mobile satellite communications system. The estimated contract value for the space and ground segments, including launch services and system operations, is more than $1.4 billion. As many as 300 Boeing employees will work on the project.
+++
The Bechtel/Commerzbank/Airport Kopenhagen consortium has withdrawn from the bidding to build the new Berlin airport, leaving just Flughafen Vienna/Dorsch Consult/Dresdner Bank and Hochtief/Siemens/ABB/Flughafen Frankfurt in the running for the 8 billion DM project. Bids are to be in by 2. June, with a decision following sometime later this year.
+++

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Previous updates are still available:
Die News der letzten Wochen ist nach wie vor abrufbar:

*May 3, 1998

*April 26, 1998 *April 19, 1998 *April 5, 1998

*March 29, 1998 *March 22, 1998 *March 15, 1998 *March 8, 1998

*February 22, 1998 *February 15, 1998 *February 8, 1998 *February 1, 1998

*January 25, 1998 *January 18, 1998 *January 11, 1998

*January to December 1997 *September to December 1996

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