Il giornalista Robert Wall fa il punto, su "Aviation Week & Space Technology", sull'attuale situazione del mercato dei caccia ....

 

 

Fighter Contenders See Multiple Export Opportunities

 

By Robert Wall - July 09, 2012

 

Source ....

 

With India, Japan and Switzerland having made their fighter decisions, the market is starting to turn to smaller campaigns as aircraft makers look to build backlogs to sustain production lines that may otherwise be nearing their end.

 

Competitions in South Korea and Brazil still attract industry players, but after those, the list of buyers thins out to countries with more limited budgets seeking to buy smaller numbers. That means manufacturers are starting to pay attention even to small countries like Botswana, and its eventual F-5 replacement needs.

 

That is not to say the incentive to promote high-end offerings is diminishing. Being able to deliver the most advanced systems possible remains an issue of more than bragging rights. That has Eurofighter officials eager to show that they are finally making progress in the increasingly important realm of active, electronically scanned array technology, where the European consortium has been trailing rivals.

 

The first Captor-E is due to be delivered in the second quarter of 2012, says Bob Mason, vice president for radar marketing and sales at Selex Galileo, one of the partners in the Euroradar consortium. The first Typhoon with the radar will fly next year. Most of the work so far has been financed by industry. A government-funded development contract is now expected in 2013. Industry still hopes to be able to field the system in 2015, although delays in the government's financing of the development program means the in-service date could slip into 2016.

 

The repositioner, designed to maintain IFF (identification friend or foe) polarity and increase the pilot's field of regard using the sensor, and upgraded back end with increased processing are now coming together, Mason says. The development is “low- risk,” he asserts. The basic radar will have air-to-air, air-to-ground and synthetic aperture radar modes.

 

The radar is intended for Tranche 3A fighters, but could be retrofit on Tranche 2 aircraft as well.

 

Pressure is mounting on Typhoon for sales in export markets, having already failed in Japan, India and Switzerland. South Korea, where the Typhoon is squaring off against the Lockheed Martin F-35 and Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle, is seen as a long shot, given the strong U.S. military presence on the peninsula. Malaysia is seen as a potential buyer, and the consortium also still hopes to make inroads in the United Arab Emirates, which has been in on-again, off-again talks with France to buy the Rafale.

 

For the Saab Gripen, last year's win in Switzerland and the subsequent commitment by Sweden to buy 60-80 of the new model E/F-standard aircraft has provided a shot in the arm, but export successes globally have been few.

 

Brazil could provide an important test case, opening the door not just to a new market but potentially to an entire region. Brazil's decision has been delayed numerous times, but Eddy de la Motte, vice president for marketing of the Swedish fighter, notes that “we get the feeling it is the end game.”

 

Saab could deliver the first Gripen E/F (also called the NG) fighter four years after a contract award, but it is still unclear if that is the schedule Brasilia will insist on, or whether it will join the combined Swiss/Swedish Gripen E/F development schedule, which would see the first fighter handed over in 2018.

 

The first Gripen E/F prototype is due to fly late next year if the Swiss and Swedish governments can agree on the development path forward. The effort would likely require some funding from Saab, too.

 

Meanwhile, the Selex Galileo Raven ES-05 active, electronically scanned array radar is to fly on the Gripen NG demonstrator soon, at which time the cockpit displays and sensor will be put through their paces.

 

The Swedish government has an offer on the table for potential export buyers, to accelerate its purchase if another country wants the Gripen E/F early but does not want to be the lead buyer. That offer remains open, de La Motte says.

 

A win in Brazil could open the door to other fighter deals in South America, adds Frederik Gustafson, regional director for Gripen exports in the Americas. “There is a huge need for new fighters in the region and the economies are growing,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Aerospace Forum Sweden 2012. There are more than a handful of countries that are looking to buy in the next five years, he added.

 

But that is not the only region where Saab is working to meet its target of selling 300 fighters over the next decade. In Thailand, were it has already sold 12 Gripens (six are delivered with six to follow next year), it is hoping for additional deals. Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and, “in a couple of years” Vietnam may also offer opportunities, de La Motte says.

 

Efforts also continue to extend the fighter lease deal with the Czech Republic and secure orders in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Slovakia. Gripen also still hopes to convince Denmark and the Netherlands to defect from the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter program.

 

This year, the Czech Republic is due to make a decision on whether it will extend the fighter lease beyond 2015. The Czech air force currently operates 12 single-seat and two dual-seat Gripens under a lease deal that expires in 2015. The goal is to complete negotiations this year on how to preserve fighter capability.

 

The leading candidate, preferred by the air force, is an extension of the lease deal with the Swedish government, with 5-, 10- and 20-year options being discussed (the 10-year option is seen as the most likely). A decision should be taken this year to allow time for a fall-back plan in case the lease deal does not materialize, says air force chief Brig. Gen. Jiri Verner.

 

Securing additional orders is critical not only for European manufacturers, seeing a potential end of their production lines in this decade in the absence of additional orders. Boeing is looking to both additional F/A-18 purchases by the U.S. and fighter export campaigns to sustain its two fighter production lines—the F-15 and F/A-18—beyond their currently expected lives.

 

The current multi-year program with the U.S. Navy runs until about 2015, but Dennis Muilenburg, CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (DSS), sees scope for sales of additional EA-18Gs to the Pentagon to extend production. “We see an opportunity domestically for the joint electronic attack requirement,” he tells reporters. But whether there is enough demand for a fourth multi-year contract is unclear he notes.

 

While Muilenburg acknowledges that the existing backlog sees pressure on the F-15 and F/A-18E/F production lines in the 5-10-year time frame, he argues that both products have shown resilience and been able to extend their lives.

 

Several important decisions affecting exports loom in the coming months. Before year-end, Brazil is to announce its F-X2 fighter decision where the F/A-18E/F is competing against the Gripen NG and the Dassault Rafale. South Korea is also expected to make its choice between the F-15, Lockheed Martin's F-35 and the Typhoon.

 

Boeing also foresees more clarity to emerge on Australia's plans in the third quarter. That is when a decision is likely on the mix between the F-35s and F/A-18Fs and whether additional Super Hornet purchases will be made, says Mark Kronenberg, vice president- international business development at Boeing DSS. “I don't think they are going to walk away completely from the F-35, but the mix is a factor,” he argues.

 

Boeing sees Denmark as an opportunity for the F/A-18, as well as some nervousness among F-35 buyers that could generate opportunities, Kronenberg says.

 

The Middle East is viewed as another potential hot spot for deals, with Qatar and Kuwait seen as potential F/A-18E/F buyers. Kronenberg notes that “in Kuwait you are starting to see movement I had not seen two years ago.”

 

The United Arab Emirates might be an opportunity for Boeing, but Kronenberg sees that as an F-15 market.

 

Extending the production lines is vital for Boeing to maintain skills until future programs—FA-XX for the U.S. Navy and F-X for the U.S. Air Force—advance beyond the concept study phase. However, Muilenburg notes that skills will also be sustained through other efforts, including work in unmanned aircraft and the USAF's next-generation bomber effort.

 

Nostalgia, negli USA, per 'l'epoca d'oro' ...

Quote

The Air Force’s acquisition head wants to go back to a golden era of fighter jet production by taking advantage of future engineering technology and the brains of both major manufacturers and small startups.
During the Vietnam War era, companies churned out what is known as the Century Series of aircraft — F-100 to F-111 — to meet the growing need for combat aircraft and to bring on developing technology. 
However, the demand signal changed during the Cold War and “technology didn’t change very fast,” Will Roper, the assistant secretary for acquisition, said.
As a result, with recent aircraft programs, such as the F-15, F-16, or F-22, the service had to wait on technology to become available so it moved forward with massive buys of aircraft with the intention of keeping those aircraft in the fleet for decades.

... airforcemag.com ... Roper: USAF Needs to Get Back to Golden Era of Fighter Production ...

E la Cina ... protesterà ... 

Quote

The Trump administration’s plan to sell more than 60 new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan is now moving forward after longer-than-anticipated negotiations, paving the way for a deal that is sure to prompt fresh protests from China only days after Washington and Beijing agreed to restart trade talks.
Taiwan formally submitted a request for 66 “Block 70” F-16 jets, the newest version of Lockheed Martin’s legacy fighter, earlier this year, but the deal took longer than expected to hammer out due to negotiations over price and configuration of the aircraft ...

... foreignpolicy.com ... Trump’s Fighter Jet Sale to Taiwan Advances Despite China’s Protests ...

Futuri caccia canadesi ... Boeing c'è ...

Quote

After a news report that said it might pull out of Canada’s fighter competition, Boeing says it’s still participating in the process and hasn’t made any final decisions.
Boeing and Airbus, which are respectively offering Ottawa the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon, have complained in letters to Canada’s Department of National Defence that its procurement competition is unfairly favouring Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, according to a report by Reuters (*). 
Boeing declines to comment specifically on the reported complaints.

... flightglobal.com ... Boeing reassures it’s still in the Canadian fighter competition ...

(*) ... reuters.com ... Exclusive: Airbus, Boeing indicate they may pull out of Canada fighter jet race - sources ...

Bulgaria ... luce verde per gli F-16V ...

Quote

Bulgaria's government has given the green light for the $1.25 billion acquisition of eight Lockheed Martin F-16Vs.
Approval from the council of ministers was obtained on 10 July, with the agreement likely to be put before the country's parliament next week.

... flightglobal.com ... Bulgaria approves F-16 purchase ...

Caccia leggeri KAI FA-50 sud-coreani per l' Argentina ?

... ciudadanodiario.com.ar ... https://www.ciudadanodiario.com.ar/nota/2019-7-3-9-38-17-argentina-comprara-aviones-kai-fa-50-a-corea-del-sur-para-la-fuerza-aerea ...

... defensa.com/argentina ... https://www.defensa.com/argentina/opcion-coreana-kai-fa-50-golden-eagle-mira-fuerza-aerea ...

Sono ormai anni che il paese Latino-Americano sta tentando di aggiornare la propria Forza Aerea lottando con la continua scarsità di risorse disponibili ... 
Sarà questa la volta buona ?

Il 4/7/2019 in 09:23 , TT-1 Pinto ha scritto:

E la Cina ... protesterà ... 

... foreignpolicy.com ... Trump’s Fighter Jet Sale to Taiwan Advances Despite China’s Protests ...

Infatti ...

K-FX/I-FX ... l'Indonesia a caccia di agevolazioni ...

Quote

Jakarta continues to press for concessions on the price of involvement in the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) K-FX/I-FX fighter programme.
A recent report by Indonesia's official Antara news portal quotes government minister Wiranto as suggesting that the next payments be not in cash, but potentially a contra deal involving Indonesia-produced defence equipment.

... flightglobal.com ... Jakarta still seeking concessions on K-FX/I-FX costs ...

Argentina = confusione ... ?

Quote

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has yet to receive word that its FA-50 has been selected in an Argentinian requirement for light fighters.
A person familiar with the requirement says that no confirmation has been received, and that the deal, if concluded, would cover eight aircraft.
Recent media reports suggest that the FA-50 has been selected, but the number given for the requirement is 10 aircraft.
It is understood that the Leonardo M-346FA is also in contention for the deal to replace the air force's legacy fleet of McDonnell Douglas A-4AR Fightinghawks (*).

... flightglobal.com ... KAI yet to receive confirmation of Argentine FA-50 win ...

(*) ... blogbeforeflight.net ... New fighter plane for Argentina: the Fuerza Aerea prefers the Leonardo M-346FA ...

Il 10/7/2019 in 18:40 , TT-1 Pinto ha scritto:

Bulgaria ... luce verde per gli F-16V ...

... flightglobal.com ... Bulgaria approves F-16 purchase ...

Contrordine compagni ! ...

Quote

Bulgaria's president has vetoed the country's planned $1.26 billion acquisition of eight Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters, citing a lack of agreement and clarity over the deal.
Issuing the veto on 23 July, President Rumen Radev said that for a purchase of this size it was necessary not only for it to be affordable, but also "to have a broad consensus and support".

... flightglobal.com ... Bulgarian president vetoes F-16V purchase ...

Anche qui ... defensenews.com ... Bulgaria’s president walks away from $1.26 billion deal for F-16 jets ...

?

Il Canada si muove ...

Quote

Ottawa has released a request for proposals (RFP) for its future fighter competition that could see it obtain 88 new fighter jets (*).
Released on 23 July by Public Services and Procurement Canada, it names four potential contenders: Saab, Airbus Defense & Space, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.

... flightglobal.com ... Ottawa releases RFP for 88 new fighters ...

(*) ... canada.ca ... Canada announces next step in future fighter competition ...

??

Bulgaria & F-16 ... il Parlamento alla riscossa ... e torna la luce verde ...

Quote

Bulgaria's on-off acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-16V appears to be proceeding again after the country's parliament overturned a presidential veto of the $1.26 billion deal.
On 23 July, President Rumen Radev stopped the procurement – the country's largest since the fall of Communism – arguing that there was no "consensus" over the eight-aircraft purchase and that the process had been rushed through parliament.
But barely 24h later, a parliamentary defence committee had vetoed Radev's veto and resubmitted the procurement law to the national assembly. 
That was passed on 26 July, with the bill signed into law by Radev and then published in Bulgaria's state gazette three days later.

... flightglobal.com ... Bulgarian parliament clears F-16V buy for second time ...

Notizia non recentissima ... e passata inosservata ...
Il volo inaugurale, in Francia, del primo Rafale indiano ...

Quote

A partir de 2019, et selon les termes contractuels, Dassault Aviation forme techniciens et pilotes indiens. 
Plus précisément, entre octobre 2019 et janvier 2021, pour 800 vols à raison de 3 vols par jour du lundi après-midi au vendredi matin. 
Une nuisance a priori surmontable, même si les M88, les deux turboréacteurs du Rafale, aiment les décibels. 
Et avec un peu d'avance, voici, le premier Rafale indien pour une sortie ce 17 juillet sur l'aéroport de Bordeaux/Mérignac. 
"RB 001" est un biplace, et le premier appareil d'une série de 36. 
Il porte la même livrée, entièrement grise, que les chasseurs français (le Qatar lui, a droit à une livrée 2 tons).

 ... paxaquitania.fr ... Sortie pour un Rafale indien à Mérignac ...

?? ??

Il DoD assegna a LM un contratto per la produzione di 14 caccia F-16V Block 70 destinati alla Slovacchia ...

Quote

The US Department of Defene (DoD) has awarded Lockheed Martin an $800 million contract linked to the production and future support of 14 F-16V Block 70 fighters for Slovakia.
Work under the contract will be completed by January 2024, the DoD said on 31 July (*), with the deal made via the US Foreign Military Sales mechanism.

... flightglobal.com ... Lockheed gets production contract for Slovak F-16s ...

(*) ... dod.defense.gov ... alla voce Air Force ... Contracts for July 31, 2019 ...

Taiwan ... ed ora, da Washington, arriva la luce verde ...

Quote

The Trump administration has informally green lit a potential major arms sale to Taiwan involving dozens of new Lockheed Martin F-16V fighter jets, according to administration and Capitol Hill sources.
The move is part of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s larger drive to combine arms bought from the U.S with domestically developed training jets, submarines and other weapons technology. 
It’s also sure to infuriate China amid its tense trade dispute with the U.S. and controversial crackdown on Hong Kong protesters.
The fighter jet sale had been in limbo as the White House directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to hold off, Capitol Hill sources said. 
That fueled speculation Trump planned to use it as a bargaining chip in ongoing trade negotiations with China.

... defensenews.com ... Trump OK’s F-16 sale to Taiwan amid China tensions ...

 

Che però non sono f35.. 

3 ore fa, maxiss ha scritto:

Che però non sono f35 .. 

Nell'articolo citato è scritto quanto segue ...

Quote

Taiwan was also hoping to be cleared to buy F-35s, particularly the STOVL F-35B variant, but approval for that jet does not appear forthcoming.

Quando sarà il momento ... avranno anche quelli ...

?? ?? ... ?? 

Ah, e questo è un interessante aspetto del cambiamento dei tempi

Con Obama non avrebbero neanche autorizzato l f16 v.. 

20 minuti fa, maxiss ha scritto:

Ah, e questo è un interessante aspetto del cambiamento dei tempi

Con Obama non avrebbero neanche autorizzato l f16 v .. 

Anche quello era scritto nello stesso articolo ...

Quote

Previous requests, including one for 66 new F-16s, were rejected by the Obama administration. 
The White House at the time instead offered to upgrade Taiwan’s existing fleet of about 140 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft, the first of which have been delivered to Taiwan’s Air Force. 
As of March, however, this process was behind schedule.

 

Passando ad altro ...

India/Russia ... nuovi affari in vista ...

Quote

New Delhi is expected to commit to a series of new major arms deals with Moscow at the next session of the Indo-Russian intergovernmental commission on military industrial cooperation, to be held in October. 
These would include a contract on 18 additional kits for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI heavyweight multirole fighter for assembly at HAL’s Nasik plant. 
This would bring the grand total of such aircraft procured since 1999 to 240. 
Additionally, the Indian Air Force would receive “over 20” used MiG-29 lightweight interceptors from the Russian Air and Space Force (VKS) for their subsequent conversion into MiG-29UPG multirole aircraft.

... ainonline.com ... India Expected To Sign for More MiG-29s and Su-30MKIs in October ...

?? ? ?? 

Sud Corea & Giappone ... arrivi e conferme ...

... flightglobal.com ... https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/seoul-to-receive-four-more-f-35as-as-tokyo-confirm-460364/ ...

?? ?? ??

In merito alla futura fornitura a Taiwan di caccia F-16 di ultima generazione ... ecco l'analisi di FlightGlobal ...

Quote

Washington's formal approval to sell 66 new Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D Block 70s to Taiwan provides a much-needed boost for the island state, but has already drawn the (inevitable) ire of Beijing.
A Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statement (*) on the pivotal sale has been expected for some months, with confirmation finally coming late last week from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Couched in the DSCA's standard format, the approval lists the full scope of the deal ...

... ANALYSIS: Taiwan's F-16 deal and the price of deterrence ...

(*) ... dsca.mil ... Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) – F-16C/D Block 70 Aircraft and Related Equipment and Support ...

?? ??

MAKS 2019 ...
Le sanzioni USA alla Russia si fanno sentire ...  

Quote

The USA’s Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) is making air forces wary of buying Russian aircraft and other weapons.
That’s according to officials from Russian defence holding company Rostec and the country’s export agency Rosoboronexport, who spoke during the MAKS air show near Moscow on 28 August.
CAATSA was enacted in retaliation for Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine’s eastern regions and Crimean Peninsula.

... flightglobal.com ... MAKS: US sanctions make air forces wary of Russian jets ...

Canada ...  

UK MoD e Airbus Defence and Space battono in ritirata ...

... https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2019/08/uk-mod-and-airbus-defence-and-space-withdraw-from-canadas-future-fighter-capability-project.html#media-list-document-document-all_ml_0 ...

?? ... ?? ??

10 ore fa, TT-1 Pinto ha scritto:

Canada ...  

UK MoD e Airbus Defence and Space battono in ritirata ...

... https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2019/08/uk-mod-and-airbus-defence-and-space-withdraw-from-canadas-future-fighter-capability-project.html#media-list-document-document-all_ml_0 ...

?? ... ?? ??

Un commento di AINonline ...

Quote

The withdrawal of the Typhoon leaves three fighters in the running: the F-35, Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, and Saab Gripen. 
Both Boeing and Saab have also voiced their concerns about the changes to ITB requirements.

... Typhoon Pulled from Canada Competition ...

??

Polonia ... prime consegne degli F-35A nel 2024 ... e IOC nel 2026 ...

Quote

Poland could receive its first four F-35As in 2024 as part of Lockheed Martin's 16th production lot, according to Greg Ulmer, the company's vice-president and general manager for the programme.
Speaking at the MSPO show in Kielce, Ulmer said the initial batch of Block 4-standard aircraft would be used for training Polish pilots and maintainers in the USA, probably at Luke AFB in Arizona.
Warsaw would have a full squadron of 16 F-35As, support equipment and spare parts available in 2026, when Lockheed expects its air force to achieve initial operational capability with the stealthy type. 
A full mission simulator facility will also be established in the country.

... flightglobal.com ... Lockheed outlines F-35 production plan for Poland ...

?? ??