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.

 

Lotta di lobbies e rivalità politiche.

Se colui che ha consigliato gli F-15X viene dalla scuderia Boeing , due dei tizi sopra citati ( Cruz e Rubio ) furono avversari di Trump , da lui poi bastonati, nel periodo delle nomination per i repubblicani.

 

Non so voi , ma la considero una notiziona : 

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2019/02/us-government-approves-release-boeing-growler-finland.html

WOW ! Vorrei vedere la faccia del Putìn se i finnici prendessero una macchina del genere.

Questa , invece .....

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2019/02/first-interim-hornet-fighter-jets-arrive-cold-lake-canada.html

... vabbuò !

Modificato 19 febbraio 20197 anni da engine

La notizia è riportata anche da FlightGlobal ... https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/finland-approved-to-be-offered-ea-18g-growler-455884/

Questa autorizzazione non implica, necessariamente, che la Finlandia acquisterà il velivolo ... però pone Boeing (che offre il Super Hornet) in una posizione di vantaggio nella competizione HX destinata a fornire a tale paese un successore agli attuali F/A-18C/D ... https://ilmavoimat.fi/en/article/-/asset_publisher/hx-hankkeen-tarjouspyynto-lahetettiin

 

 

 

 

Nuovi caccia per l' India ... LM confonde le carte ... e il giornalista Steve Trimble twitta ...

 

... lockheedmartin.com ... "F-21 For India, From India" ...

Steve Trimble ... https://aviationweek.com/author/steve-trimble ...

Decisamente va di moda mettere AMRAAM ad cazzium sugli aerei.

Attacchi tripli, 10 missili aria aria, serbatoi sganciabili e conformal, pod, carenatura tra abitacolo e deriva, bozzi ovunque.

Whitcomb si rivolterebbe nella tomba...

" 21 " intenderà 21° secolo , suppongo.

Resta da vedere come un aereo con una traccia presumibilmente radar molto intensa , data la forma , potrà evitare il lancio di un Meteor , di un AMRAAM di ultima generazione , o di un similare russo. Era meglio proporre l'aereo come bombardiere , sul genere del Sufa israeliano.

Il 19/2/2019 in 09:13 , engine ha scritto:

Non so voi , ma la considero una notiziona : 

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2019/02/us-government-approves-release-boeing-growler-finland.html

WOW ! Vorrei vedere la faccia del Putìn se i finnici prendessero una macchina del genere.

Il mio WOW era dovuto al fatto che si propone alla Finlandia  un sofisticato e dedicato sistema di guerra elettronica , oltre alla probabile offerta del Super Hornet. 

Guardando la cosa dal punto di vista della stealthness, l'F-21 resta un caccia multiruolo e quindi anche in configurazione aria-suolo sarebbe comunque penalizzato dalla traccia radar nelle missioni di penetrazione, il che non è proprio il massimo.

Pensando a quanto gli Indiani abbiano criticato aspramente il Su-57 perché non abbastanza stealth, fa un po' sorridere che prendano in considerazione un F-16 cosi taroccato.

Vabbuó, qui vogliono far numero...e porre una toppa ai ripetuti fallimenti nei programmi di riequipaggiamento, ma a me pare dimostrino solo un tale livello di confusione di idee che trova difficile paragone altrove nel mondo.

Certo che come caccia in tale beast mode (più  che altro una bestialità...) avrebbe anche prestazioni dinamiche di dubbia qualità (e anche qui penso alle critiche indiane alle prestazioni del Su-57...).

Così agghindato è più credibile l'F-15X, che almeno ha prestazioni e radar per potersi permettere di fare lo "sborone"coi missili.

Ma in fondo è solo un video promozionale...

 

Vedere per credere ...

 

Lockheed F-21 per l' India ... altri dettagli da 'The Aviationist' ...

... Lockheed Martin Offers India Enhanced F-16 Block 70 Multirole Combat Aircraft Dubbed “F-21” ...

India ... ora tocca a Boeing presentare la sua proposta ...

Quote

Boeing has promoted its industrial capabilities in India, as it eyes potential deals to sell the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to the nation's air force and navy.
Speaking at the Aero India show near Bengaluru on 21 February, company officials said it would build a “factory of the future” in India to produce the Super Hornet. 
New Delhi has two separate requirements for combat aircraft: 110 for the air force and 57 for the navy.
Boeing also announced that it has held discussions with partners Hindustan Aeronautics and Mahindra Defence Systems at the show.
“The partners are developing comprehensive plans to set up a new 'factory of the future' to manufacture Super Hornet locally,” says Boeing. 
“The programme is expected to work with several Indian suppliers to grow a thriving defence aerospace base, which could accelerate other programmes. The facility will create a world-class, highly-trained aerospace workforce.”

L'articolo prosegue qui: flightglobal.com ... AERO INDIA: Boeing offers India futuristic Super Hornet factory ...

Il mondo troppo spesso dimentica che un missile arriva anche ad avere una RCS di mezzo metro. Quando ne metti “millemila” (cit) ti ritrovi che hai un b-52 per le mani, senza contare che se metti anche fuel tanks aumenta la rcs e si perde in capacità di manovra .... vabbè c’è il comodo comando che ti consente di buttarli. 

Quale nuovo caccia per la Malaysia ... con gli scarsi fondi di cui dispone ?

Quote

Pakistan hopes to sell its JF-17 Thunder aircraft to Malaysia, now that the cash-strapped country is officially looking for such a fighter.
Malaysia was eyeing larger fighters like the Rafale and Typhoon, but that plan was shelved due to budgetary woes, and the country instead turned to fulfill a light combat aircraft requirement. 
An LCA fleet would support Malaysia’s F/A-18 and Su-30 fighters.
The JF-17 is under consideration alongside the Tejas, produced by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and the FA-50 Golden Eagle, made by South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries. 
Pakistan’s offering is the most affordable of the three.

L' articolo prosegue qui: defensenews.com ... How does Pakistan’s Thunder fare against contenders in Malaysia’s aircraft competition? ...

LM F-21 per l'India ... FlightGlobal esprime la sua opinione ...

...OPINION: Lockheed's F-21 reveal: marketing or masterstroke? ...

E non manca AINonline ... 

... Lockheed Martin Offers F-21 to India ...

F-15X ... quando si dice ... essere evasivi ... 

 

Su-35S ... prossimo cliente l'Egitto ?

... RID ... Su-35S per l’Egitto? ...

... Kommersant ... https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3915483?from=four_strana ...

I futuri caccia di Taiwan ... fra politica e minacce ...

Quote

The leadership of Taiwan has recently stepped up efforts to obtain a new American fighter aircraft to urgently recapitalise its aging air force.
Media reports indicate that president Tsai Ing-wen has publically confirmed that a request for new fighter aircraft has been made to Washington.
This follows a television interview in which the deputy defence minister said that a request had been sent to the USA, asking it to provide Taipei information on the number and type of fighters it could obtain.
A 7 March press release from the US-Taiwan Business Council, an agency that fosters trade and business relations between the USA and Taiwan, suggests that Taiwan may have a preference for the Lockheed Martin F-16V.
“The US-Taiwan Business Council has long supported the sale of additional F-16s to Taiwan,” it says.

L'articolo ... flightglobal.com ... Taipei stepping up efforts to buy new fighters ...

Il Dipartimento di Stato USA approva la vendita di 25 nuovi F-16 al Marocco nonché l'aggiornamento di altri 23 velivoli di vecchio modello ...

Quote

The US State Department approved the possible sale of 25 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 72 fighters to the Royal Moroccan Air Force, as well as a possible agreement to upgrade 23 of the air force’s Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to the F-16V variant.
The F-16C/D fighters and related equipment are estimated to cost $3.79 billion, while the upgrade and related equipment is estimated to cost $985 million.

Prosegue qui ... flightglobal.com ... US State Department approves sale of 25 F-16s to Morocco ...

... dsca.mil ... Morocco – F-16 Block 72 New Purchase ...

... dsca.mil ... Morocco – F-16 Block 52+ Upgrade to F-16V Configuration ...

Modificato 26 marzo 20197 anni da TT-1 Pinto
***

Il punto sulla situazione in Europa : 

https://www.aviation-report.com/caccia-militari-in-europa-programmi-contratti-ordini-valutazioni/

Arieccoli gli svizzeri : sono aperte le scommesse 

Futuri caccia canadesi ... Saab presenta la sua proposta ...

Quote

Saab is ready to sell the Canadian government 88 Canada-built Gripen fighters should Ottawa require home-built aircraft.
The Swedish combat aircraft manufacturer cautions nothing is finalised and its offer will ultimately reflect Canada’s formal request for proposal (RFP). 
The company expects the final RFP to be issued around midyear by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
“As we have demonstrated in Brazil, and depending on the requirements of a customer, we can build fighter jets in countries other than Sweden,” says the company. 
“Gripen is the world’s most-modern multi-role aircraft and a perfect match to Canada’s operational requirements for NORAD defense and expeditionary missions. It is proven to operate in any climate, from arctic to desert.”

... flightglobal.com ... Saab ready to offer Canadian-built Gripen fighters to Ottawa"...

Recente immagine di un Gripen armato di missile AA Meteor ...

Indubbiamente un buon caccia ... appartenente, però, alla vecchia generazione ...
Sarà adeguato a coprire le enormi estensioni territoriali del Canada ?

Bulgaria ... gli USA formalizzano la loro proposta ...

Quote

The US government has detailed its proposed $1.67 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters to Bulgaria.
The package includes the eight fighters in addition to a broad range of sensors, weapons, training devices, software, training, support, and spares according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) filing (*).

... flightglobal.com ... The US government has detailed its proposed $1.67 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters to Bulgaria ...

(*) ... dsca.mil ... https://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/bulgaria-f-16cd-block-7072-aircraft-support ...

Buona fortuna a farlo non di legno...

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/paris-turkish-fighter-emerges-as-us-spat-intensifi-459044/

Allora, ricapitolando…

A novembre si diceva che il motore del TF-X sarebbe stato fatto con GE (partendo dal grosso F-110) che aveva battuto Rolls Royce...

https://www.portaledifesa.it/index~phppag,3_id,2643.html

...A Marzo Rolls Royce scaricava i turchi.

Quote

Rolls-Royce has scaled back efforts to join a Turkish programme to build a new fighter jet, striking a blow to UK ambitions to put the British aerospace industry at the heart of the project.

https://www.ft.com/content/164c5ee0-3d1d-11e9-8c2f-30761f19a974

A giugno questi scrivono che il motore lo ricavano dall’EJ-200 (che praticamente è la metà di un F-110, ma vabbè…).

Quote

Turkey's Kale group launched a joint venture with UK's Rolls-Royce to develop and manufacture engines for fighter jet TF-X that is being developed locally. The engine is supposed to be modification of the EJ-200 engine which powers the Eurofighter 2000.

Però, visto che la palla rimbalza dal campo Rolls Royce a quello GE e da qui di nuovo a quello Rolls Royce, non sia mai che si faccia un fori campo e si vada dai russi.

Quote

However, if Turkey’s relations with the US worsen over the S-400 issue, then it will have a bearing on its cooperation with Western European suppliers such as Rolls Royce.

In that case it may look at Russia as a possible engine source.

Russia’s Rostec has expressed interest to supply an engine for the TF-X which in all probability could be the Izdelie 30, the ‘second stage’ engine for its own Su-57. The engine, whose first flight test happened in end-2018, can fly in super-cruise mode.

Dev’essere di un divertente fare l’ingegnare aeronautico in certi paesi…

Secondo me il capo progetto del TF-X è Tafazi…

Modificato 17 giugno 20197 anni da Flaggy

Intanto ... gli USA invocano ... RECIPROCITA' ... altrimenti ... ?

... flightglobal.com ... https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/paris-pentagon-threatens-to-cut-out-european-suppli-459040/ ...

Però, ripensandoci bene, mica hanno dimostrato tanta 'reciprocità' quando, per salvaguardare i loro interessi, ci hanno buttati fuori dai programmi VH-71 e C-27J ... 

?

Modificato 18 giugno 20197 anni da TT-1 Pinto
***

Da Parigi ... sarà lo F-35 il dominatore del mercato nella prossima decade ...

Quote

The worldwide fighter market could grow by 17.2% over the next decade, representing a total output of 3,401 aircraft.
--- --- ---
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II will be the largest fighter programme over the next decade, due primarily to its selection as the tactical fighter of choice for the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. 
Lockheed Martin is expected to deliver 1,548 examples of F-35 – some 46% percent of the market.

... flightglobal.com ... PARIS: F-35 to take about half of fighter market over next decade ...

Da Parigi ...
LM in ascesa nel mercato europeo ...

Quote

Lockheed Martin is enjoying a busy show, thanks to an upturn in defence spending among European nations and increased interest in products including the F-16 and F-35 fighters, C-130J tactical transport and PAC-3 air-defence missiles.
“Four years ago, we had very little work in Europe in our [long-range] plan,” says Lockheed Martin International executive vice-president Rick Edwards. 
“Now, Europe’s our fastest growing market, and countries that we didn’t think we’d be doing much work in – Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria – are all key markets where there’s a lot going on.

... flightglobal.com ... PARIS: Lockheed Martin buoyed by European spending boost ...