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.

 

Ormai lo vogliono tutti !

https://formiche.net/2020/01/f-35-gasdotti-pompeo-grecia/   ??

Se non ci sbrighiamo a completare l'ordine da 90 pezzi , non ne resta nessuno per noi . 

Il 10/1/2020 in 00:18 , TT-1 Pinto ha scritto:

Finlandia ... si comincia col Typhoon ...

... flightglobal.com ... Finland launches HX fighter evaluation work ...

??

Quel che dice Lockheed Martin ...

... f35.com ... https://www.f35.com/global/participation/finland/ ... 

Indipendentemente da eventuali pressioni esercitate dalle aziende partecipanti (e, in alcuni casi, dai governi che le spalleggiano) ... mi sembra probabile che, data la particolare posizione geografica del paese, la scelta dovrebbe cadere sul Lightning II ... proprio per le caratteristiche avanzate che lo contraddistinguono dagli altri velivoli in competizione ...

Una una soluzione meno costosa sarebbe il Gripen E ... anche per motivi di interoperabilità con i vicini Svedesi ...

 

Un altro commento sulla competizione finlandese ... questa volta da AINonline ...

... https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-01-11/finlands-hx-challenge-gets-under-way ...

TF-X ... la Turchia è in cerca di partners ...

Quote

A state-owned Turkish company has invited Malaysia to join the country’s indigenous fighter program, the TF-X, following Ankara’s suspension from the U.S.-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
Temel Kotil, CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries, said he is now awaiting Malaysia’s reply. 
Last year, TAI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Asian nation for the co-production of TF-X composites.
TAI is also considering Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan as potential partners or buyers of the future fighter jet.
“[TF-X] will be the first big fighter jet of the Muslims,” Kotil said.

... defensenews.com ... Turkey invites Malaysia to join its TF-X future fighter jet program ...

Il programma è, però, in forte ritardo ...

... ahvalnews.com ... Turkey’s TF-X fighter unlikely to get off the ground in the 2020s ...

In italiano ... RID ... Turchia a caccia di partner per il caccia TF-X ...

?? ??

E la Croazia   ??   è in cerca di aerei ...  ?️

https://lavoce.hr/attualita/gli-eurofighter-italiani-voleranno-nei-cieli-croati    ❓

Modificato 19 gennaio 20206 anni da engine

1 ora fa, engine ha scritto:

E la Croazia   ??   è in cerca di aerei ...  ?️

https://lavoce.hr/attualita/gli-eurofighter-italiani-voleranno-nei-cieli-croati    ❓

Quote

... bensì della possibilità che l’Italia ceda alla Croazia alcuni dei caccia supersonici multiruolo (MRCA) in procinto di essere radiati dalla flotta della sua Aeronautica militare (ITAF). Il nome dell’Italia è comparso in questi giorni nell’elenco dei Paesi che potrebbero fornire a Zagabria lo stormo di MRCA destinati a subentrare ai vetusti Mig 21 bis di produzione sovietica attualmente in dotazione all’Aeronautica militare e alla Difesa contraerea (HRZ-PZO) delle Forze armate croate (OSRH).

MRCA ???

?

Lapsus del giornalista , nel titolo e in altre parti si parla di Typhoon , probabilmente i block 1 ) .

E poi , cosa vuoi , oggi gli aerei sono tutti multiruolo ....( pardon , " omniruolo " , quindi ORCA    =  Omni - Role - Combat - Aircaft    ) 

Modificato 20 gennaio 20206 anni da engine

E' ufficiale ... la Polonia acquisterà 32 F-35 ... lo afferma l'ambasciatrice USA ...

https://twitter.com/USAmbPoland/status/1222088934827732992

Anche qui ... air-cosmos.com ... https://air-cosmos.com/article/pologne-le-choix-du-f-35-22478 ...

?? ??

 

L' Ambasciata degli Stati Uniti in Polonia comunica ...

Quote

On January 31, 2020, Poland signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to purchase 32 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin, and 33 Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines. 
The supersonic, multi-role F-35 represents a quantum leap in air dominance capability with enhanced lethality and survivability in hostile, anti-access airspace environments.

... pl.usembassy.gov ... Poland’s Purchase of Fifth-Generation Multi-Role F-35 Fighters ...

?? ??

Oltre agli F-35 per la Polonia ... altri F-16 per la Romania ...

Quote

Meanwhile, on January 27 the defense ministers of Portugal (João Gomes Cravinho) and Romania (Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă) signed a contract at Monte Real air base, where Portugal fields its two F-16 squadrons, for the Romanian air force to acquire an additional five F-16s from Portugal in a €130 million ($143.6 million) deal that was approved by the Romanian parliament in December.
Four F-16AM single-seaters and one two-seat F-16BM - which have already gone through the MLU program - will undergo further modernization and modification to Romanian specifications by OGMA in Portugal prior to handover. 
The first four are due to be delivered in 2020, with the last aircraft following early next year.

... ainonline.com ... F-35As for Poland; More F-16s for Romania ...

?? ??

L' Indonesia sarebbe interessata all'acquisto di 48 Rafale ...

Quote

Indonesia has advanced talks with France for the acquisition of Rafale aircraft, Scorpene submarines and Gowind corvettes which would figure in a potential defence cooperation deal between the two countries to be signed later this year.
Jakarta is interested in acquiring 48 Rafale jets, up to 4 Scorpene submarines armed with Exocet SM39 missile and by two 2,500-ton Gowind corvettes, French publication LaTribune (*) said quoting informed sources. 
The potential purchases are worth an estimated $25-$28 billion.

... defenseworld.net ... Indonesia Seeks Rafale Jets, Submarines, Warships In Defence Cooperation Deal With France ...

(*) ... Et si l'Indonésie s'offrait des Rafale et des sous-marins Scorpène ? ...

Però ... perché c'è sempre un "però" ... ?

Quote

However, when asked for confirmation about the news, Prabowo only laughed and said, “That's probably their [the French government's] wish.”
The minister, however, conceded that there was an urgency for Indonesia to modernize its weaponry systems and advance its defense industry, particularly following the recent tension with China in the North Natuna Sea.
“In order to enhance our defense, we definitely need to modernize our weaponry defense systems and repair what we already have, so that we have the power to assert our sovereignty,” he said.

... thejakartapost.com ... Prabowo plays down report suggesting Jakarta wants to buy Rafale jets from France ...

?? ??

Modificato 2 febbraio 20206 anni da TT-1 Pinto
***

Yak-130 per il Vietnam ...

Quote

Vietnam has ordered Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers, the Moscow-based Vedomosti newspaper has reported (*). 
Although this is yet to be confirmed by official sources, none of the Russian governmental establishments involved in the arms trade have refuted the news, which may be taken for a tacit consent. 
The contract is believed to be for about a dozen aircraft to equip a single squadron. 
Since the type is offered to foreign customers at $15 million apiece, the deal is valued at about $200 million, but Russian media gives it at $350 million price tag, taking account of air-launched weapons, training, and aftersales support packages.
In Vietnamese service, the Yak-130 will replace aged Aero L-39 jet trainers procured some 40 years ago. 
The new aircraft are expected to join the 915th Training Aviation Regiment founded in 2018. 
Apart from the L-39s, it also operates Mi-8 helicopters belonging to the Higher Flight School of the Vietnamese People’s Army.

... ainonline.com ... Vietnam Places Order for Yak-130 Trainers ...

(*) ... https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/articles/2020/01/29/821674-vetnam-zaklyuchil ...

?? ??

Finlandia ... La valutazione dei contendenti nell'ambito della competizione HX procede speditamente ... nonostante il rigido clima del paese scandinavo ... ❄️
Dopo Eurofighter e Rafale ... ora tocca al Gripen E ... e, successivamente, sarà la volta di F-35A e F/A-18E/F ...

... flightglobal.com ... Finland’s HX contest heats up, as evaluations advance ...

??

Competizione HX in Finlandia ... 
Avviso ai partecipanti ... "Mantenete la calma !" 

Quote

Why fighter contenders must keep cool in Finnish HX battle ...

Buying a new fleet of fighters is a huge decision for any nation: not only due to the high capital cost of making such an acquisition, but also because of the heavy responsibility of selecting the right type to defend its citizens for 30 years or more.
Visiting the Finnish air force’s Pirkkala base in Tampere in late January, it was not only the near-zero temperature and falling snow that were refreshing. 
With a media open day staged for each of the five visiting contenders – in this case the Saab Gripen E – Helsinki has adopted an impressively transparent approach during its HX Challenge. 
Its programme manager also writes regular blog posts about the process, which is heading towards a vendor decision during 2021 and initial capability being declared six years later.
Of course, some things are best not widely publicised when it comes to air combat capability requirements, so the bidders are instructed not to provide specific details about the ongoing HX Challenge evaluations. 
Meanwhile, engaging in “trash talk” about the perceived weaknesses of their rivals is also actively discouraged.
Finland has some unique requirements which already make the battle between the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 and Gripen hugely intriguing. 
Add to the mix an – albeit comparatively modest – 30% offset requirement, and the potentially 60-unit deal is even more engaging.
With updated proposals just tabled and best and final offers to follow before year-end, programme director Colonel Juha-Pekka Keranen cautions: “Put in true numbers, because these will be tested.”
Worth a maximum of €10 billion ($11 billion), this is a dogfight not to be missed.

Fonte:  Flight International - 7 February 2020

?? ... ❄️❄️❄️

Caccia F-21 per l'India ... LM firma un Memorandum d'Intesa con un'industria locale ... 

... news.lockheedmartin.com ... https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2020-Feb-7-Lockheed-Martin-and-BEL-to-explore-opportunities-in-F-21-fighter-programme ...

?? + ??

Le solite liti ... c'è chi vince ... e chi si appella al GAO ... ?

https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1226427518627893251

??

 

So che la cosa potrebbe interessarci , ma .....secondo loro   " l'Eurofighter non è una soluzione " ?  

https://kurier.at/politik/inland/gruene-wollen-luftraum-ohne-eurofighter-ueberwachen/400751376

https://www.suedtirolnews.it/politik/gruene-fuer-luftraumueberwachung-ohne-eurofighter

( usare il traduttore ) 

Anche da loro ci sono quelli che " non è una soluzione " 

Meglio invece sarebbe se chiedessero a noi di fare la manutenzione ai loro Typhoon  ........

Competizione HX in Finlandia ... ora tocca a Boeing ...

... psk.blog.24heures.ch ... Finlande : essais du Super Hornet ! ...

?? ??

Nell' offerta è compresa anche una portaerei ? 

Ora Saab punta al Canada ...

https://twitter.com/Saab/status/1234464737372655618

Anche qui ... flightglobal.com ... https://www.flightglobal.com/saab-announces-team-for-canada-gripen-e-campaign/137050.article ...

?? > ??

Approvate migliorie per gli F-16 del Corea del Sud ...

... flightglobal.com ... https://www.flightglobal.com/usa-approves-new-iff-datalink-for-korean-f-16s/137630.article ...

... dsca.mil ... https://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/korea-f-16-identification-friend-or-foe-iff-link-16-upgrades ...

?? ??

Contratto a LM per la produzione di otto F-16 destinati alla Bulgaria ...

Quote

The US government has awarded Lockheed Martin $512 million to produce eight F-16 Block 70 fighters for Bulgaria.
The project is expected to be completed by 31 January 2027, says the US Department of Defense in a contract announcement (*).

... flightglobal.com ... US awards Lockheed $512 million for Bulgarian F-16 production ...

(*) ... https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2135175/ ...

?? ??

E intanto ... la Cina esporta ...

Quote

The AVIC Guizhou FTC-2000G has bagged its first export deal to an unnamed Southeast Asian country.
The order was revealed in a report by the state-run Global Times (*) newspaper that was also posted on the website of the Chinese defence ministry.
The report suggests the first delivery will take place in 2021, with all examples to be delivered within a two-year period.
No details were given about the deal’s value or the number of aircraft involved. 
The story provided no details about the aircraft’s planned weapons fit.

... flightglobal.com ... AVIC FTC-2000G snags first export order ...

(*) ... China’s FTC-2000G multirole combat aircraft bags first export contract ...

??

11 ore fa, TT-1 Pinto ha scritto:

E intanto ... la Cina esporta ...

... flightglobal.com ... AVIC FTC-2000G snags first export order ...

(*) ... China’s FTC-2000G multirole combat aircraft bags first export contract ...

??

Tale velivolo deriverebbe dal J-7, ovvero la copia cinese del MiG-21, il cui primo volo avvenne nel 1956. 64 anni fa.

2 ore fa, FrancescoBaracca ha scritto:

Tale velivolo deriverebbe dal J-7, ovvero la copia cinese del MiG-21, il cui primo volo avvenne nel 1956. 64 anni fa.

Esatto ... come pure il Cino-Pakistano JF-17 Thunder è l'estrema evoluzione del Fishbed sovietico ...