AIN Singapore Airshow News 2-16-12

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2•16•2012

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Vol. 44 No. 8

Freighter Conversion

Rolls-Royce Trent

Gulfstream in China

F-15 Silent Eagle

Airbus, ST Aerospace and EADS Elbe Flugzeugwerke Dresden sign MOU launching A330-300P2F passenger-to-freighter conversion. Page 12

With its Trent 1000 engine finally in commercial service on the Boeing 787, Rolls-Royce is pressing ahead with further applications of the powerplant. Page 19

Gulfstream is set to embed its customer support operation in mainland China with a new joint venture for a service center in Beijing. Page 22

Boeing will offer the full F-15 Silent Eagle package of stealth modifications to Korea.

AINonline.com Videos Visit ainonline.com for full coverage of the Singapore Airshow, including AINtv videos, blogs and podcasts

Page 18

AESA radar to reboot F-16 Viper

by David Donald and Chris Pocock

Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are vying to supply the AESA radars that will breathe new life into the F-16 fighter, along with a new mission computer and cockpit display.

DAVID McINTOSH

Lockheed Martin yesterday unveiled a new version of the evergreen F-16 Fighting Falcon designated the F-16V. The new moniker is derived from the fighter’s longstanding unofficial nickname: Viper. It will apply to existing aircraft that are upgraded with AESA radars, and new builds. The F-16V will also include a new mission computer and cockpit display.

At the Singapore Airshow, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are busy promoting their competing AESAs for the F-16V, in a scrap

Continued on page 21 u

Garuda deal revives CRJ1000 line

Jaw-dropping awe

DAVID McINTOSH

Who says aviation struggles to command the attention of young people?

Nothing could distract this trio from the Singapore Airshow’s daily flying display yesterday–not even the rays of the equatorial sunshine. This year’s show continues through February 19 and come the weekend large crowds of locals are expected to flood through the gates to take in all the action.

by Neelam Mathews Garuda Indonesia has become the Asian launch customer for 18 Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft valued at a list price of $1.32 billion. The deal is a major boost for the Canadian airframer, which had been struggling to keep production of the 100-seater viable.

The carrier will receive five aircraft this year, a mix of direct buys

Need air transport news? Sign up for AIN Air Transport Perspective.

Continued on page 21 u

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Airbus, its logo and the product names are registered trademarks.

“Amazing aircraft! The quietest

A380. Love at first flight.

plane I have ever flown. Love it!�

Matthias, Germany

MARK WAGNER

Lockheed Martin promotes ‘C130JX’ low-cost transport

by Chris Pocock Lockheed Martin is offering to reduce the price of the C-130J Hercules by stripping out some of the more expensive systems. The U.S.-built airlifter is facing new competition later this decade, when Embraer’s yet-to-fly KC-390 becomes available.

The company has designated the new version C-130XJ. The “X” is short for X-pandable, meaning that the features that are removed from the aircraft could be subsequently reinstated. In a briefing at the Singapore Airshow, the company provided few details of the proposed C-130XJ. George Standridge, Lockheed Martin vice president of business development, suggested that the electronic warfare and cargo handling systems could be downgraded, for those customers who did not need to make deliveries or airdrops under combat conditions. Standridge

was not willing to quote a price for the C-130XJ, other than to note that the unit recurring flyaway cost should be “10 to 15 percent lower” than a standard shortfuselage C-130J. Standridge also declined to provide much detail about another new designation, the SC-130J. This is a maritime patrol aircraft that benefits from the addition of mission systems that the company previously developed for the P-3 Orion.

Lockheed Martin has been offering rollon, roll-off mission kits for the C-130 for some years, including for maritime surveillance, as well as for medical evacuation and signals intelligence.

The company has delivered 250 of the 319 C-130Js on firm order, in eight configurations. The latest customers are the air forces of India, Iraq, Qatar, Oman and Tunisia. o

4 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Three Customers

Expected to gain certification in 2014, the MRJ90 has drawn commitments from just three customers, including a firm order from Japan’s ANA for 15 airplanes and another firm order from Trans States Airlines of the U.S. for 50. ANI Group Holdings of Hong Kong has signed an MOU covering five. That deal, however, could prove more strategically significant than its small size suggests. ANI, in fact, has promised to order twenty 100seat MRJ100Xs if Mitsubishi chooses to launch the project.

The manufacturer continues to study the market for the 100-seat MRJ100X, a decision on which would come after first flight of the MRJ90, said Fukuhara.

Iwasa said the company has entered into various stages of “several good [sales] campaigns,” two of which involve a U.S. and an Asian prospect.

Fukuhara called the planned oneand-a-half-year flight test period for the MRJ90 “a little conservative” and hinted that the company might, in fact, find some margin within that schedule to help mitigate the delay.

Mitsubishi plans to use three MRJ90 flight test airplanes, a ground test airplane and a static test example, followed by two flight test articles for the 78-seat MRJ70, scheduled for certification roughly a year after its larger sibling.

Last week BAE Systems Regional Aircraft announced at a press conference in London that it had been selected to manufacture, test and supply flight test equipment–building on a previous contract to help Mitsubishi prepare for the flight-test phase. o All prices given in articles in this issue are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified.

FOUNDED IN 1972 James HolaHan, Founding editor Wilson s. leacH, managing director editor-in-cHieF – R. Randall Padfield international editor – Charles Alcock Pressroom managing editor – Ian Sheppard Production director – Mary E. Mahoney tHe editorial team Bill Carey Peter La Franchi Gregory Polek David Donald Dzirham Mahadzir Peter Shaw-Smith Thierry Dubois Neelam Mathews Chad Trautvetter Curt Epstein Nigel Moll Benet J. Wilson Ian Goold Liz Moscrop Vladimir Karnozov Chris Pocock tHe Production team Mona L. Brown R A T E B I N L Jane Campbell Alena Korenkov John Manfredo Lysbeth McAleer Colleen Redmond Annmarie Yannaco O R R T Y Y E A PHotograPHers David McIntosh Mark Wagner Press room administrator – Barbara Torgoff S

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The Roulettes are flying the flag for Australia at this year’s Singapore Air Show. Six Pilatus PC-9/A turboprop trainers are looping and swooping above Changi, flown by instructor pilots from the Central Flying School of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at East Sale in Victoria. They are led by Sqn. Ldr. Steve Baker, in his sixth season with the team and a veteran with almost 5,000 flying hours.

The 10-minute show features various formations, and synchronized maneuvers by Roulette 5 and 6. Flying as close as 10 feet apart, the aircraft achieve a top speed of 320 knots, pulling up to 6g.

The Roulettes do about 70 airshows per year. When not performing, the pilots “train the trainers.” That is, they teach the instructor course at the CFS. They are some of the most experienced pilots in the RAAF. The tandem-seat PC-9 has been the RAAF’s advanced trainer for more than 20 years. Most of the fleet is based at Pearce in Western Australia, where students take a 120-hour course to gain their wings. The RAAF plans to replace the PC-9 toward the end of this decade, as part of Project 5428. This project aims to provide a turnkey training system from screening through to lead-in fighter training.

–C.P.

Mitsubishi Aircraft will decide within “a few months” the extent to which a “rescheduling” of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet could affect the timing of first flight of the 92-seat MRJ90, officially still scheduled to occur this year. Speaking at the Singapore Airshow yesterday, the Japanese firm’s director of marketing Yugo Fukuhara confirmed the delay, but would not offer any details about the reasons.

Apparently, a coming together of events has raised concerns among Mitsubishi Aircraft executives about the program’s progress, but vice president of sales and marketing Hank Iwasa would say only that the airplane’s Pratt & Whitney PW1217G engines do not account for one of the pacing items. “This is a game changing regional jet,” said Iwasa. “We are always facing challenges… but I cannot mention specifics.”

MICA (P) 014/12/2011

F

MARK WAGNER

by Gregory Polek

TM

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MRJ reset planned by Mitsubishi

Airshow News

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Roulettes display team puts pC-9s thRough theiR paCes

Singapore

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news clips Data Link Solutions (DLS), a joint venture between Rockwell Collins and BAE Systems, has been awarded a $5.5 million contract to provide multifunctional information distribution system–low-volume terminals (MIDS-LVTs) to the Republic of Korea Air Force. The terminals will be installed on F-16 fighters in Wayne, New Jersey, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The work will continue through 2014.

MIDS-LVTs provides real-time data communications, situational awareness and navigation, digital voice and Tacan navigation channels in a jam-resistant, crypto-secured package. DLS is a leading supplier of Link 16 terminals and software, as well as logistics and support services for air, land and sea-based platforms.

The thinking behind the interior of the Dassault Falcon 2000S is to optimize the cabin space for efficiency and productivity.

z Aviall Signs Russian Support Pact

z Singapore Is a Springboard for UK Aerospace ADS, the trade group representing the UK’s aerospace, defense, security and space sectors, is promoting the Singapore Airshow as a springboard for its members to get active in the Asia Pacific region. Supporting UK companies assembled at the show’s UK Trade Pavilion, ADS sees a particular opportunity for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their wares to potential Asia Pacific customers.

“While the traditional defense markets of Europe and the U.S. are currently in decline, UK industry has witnessed considerable growth in the commercial aerospace, space and security sectors, generally, and, in particular, exports to the Asia Pacific region,” said ADS chief executive, Rees Ward. He said there were “clear opportunities” for UK SMEs to collaborate with national primes from countries such as China and Japan.

“We see both China and Japan separately constructing some of the newest aircraft coming to market,” said Ward. “In security, ADS members exported more to Asia than any other part of the world and for defense, export growth in the region increases year-on-year.

z Budget Citilink Awaits Operator’s Ticket Budget Citilink, the low-cost subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, is expected to get its air operator’s certificate (AOC) by April, thus allowing it to operate as a separate entity, said Con Korfiatis, technical advisor to Citilink’s board of directors.

Citilink currently operates nine aircraft–Boeing 737-300s and Airbus A320s–serving eight domestic destinations.

Deliveries of 25 A320s (10 of them being the new A320neo) start from 2014, running to 2017. By the end of 2012, Citilink Indonesia’s fleet of 20 aircraft will start flying to new destinations, including Yogyakarta, Padang and Pekanbaru.

Business prospects are huge, said Korfiatis, with Indonesia’s 60 million-strong domestic population expected to grow to 100 million by 2015. Of the 220 airports, 40 can accommodate the carrier’s narrowbody aircraft. Covering an area with a span greater than that from New York to Los Angeles, Korfiatis said there is potential in the future for operations using smaller aircraft for low-density markets, and he indicated that the airline will soon make a decision on acquiring 100-seat aircraft. “We are investing in aggressive growth,” he added.

Dassault Falcon shows BMW-designed interior

by Liz Moscrop Dassault Falcon Jet (Chalet CD41) is showing off its awardwinning BMW Group Designworks cabin for the Falcon 2000S here at the Singapore Airshow for the first time. The interior is installed in the Falcon 2000LX on the show’s static display.

The French airframer’s latest variant of the Falcon 2000 program, the 2000S recently received the prestigious 2011 Good Design Award for its cabin design. The award comes from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, and the European

Center for Architecture, Art and Urban Studies. The Falcon 2000S was selected from among thousands of product designs from more than 38 countries.

The thinking behind the new interior aims to optimize the cabin space for efficiency and productivity, using visual design elements to stretch the cabin and create better flow. Upwash and downwash ambient lights, as well as strong contrasts between materials, emphasize the space on board.

The interior is available in three variations: “Sedona” features earthy beige colors;

“Havana” features a palette of browns; while “Alpine” offers contrasts between the colors of an alpine peak and the darker colors of earth and rock.

The 3,350-nm, twin-engine Falcon 2000S features inboard slats, the new-generation EASy II flight deck as well as a pair of high-Mach blended winglets.

A new-generation 308C engine from Pratt & Whitney provides 7,000 pounds of thrust, and produces 20 percent fewer NOx emissions than previous generations.

Dassault is also displaying one of its flagship Falcon 7X jets at the show. The company announced this week that the fleet had reached the 100,000 flight-hour milestone. The first 7X was delivered in June 2007, and since that time 133 have entered service in 31 countries. o

IMI’s MPR-500 bomb packs a powerful punch

by David Donald It may look just like the regular Mk 82 500-pounder that is used the world over, but IMI’s MPR-500 is an altogether smarter beast.

Israel Military Industries (Booth Q66) has developed a bomb that is identical to the Mk 82 in terms of form and fit, but that has an advanced warhead that offers the penetration capability of much larger weapons such as the 2,000-pound Mk 84, yet with greatly reduced collateral damage effect (CDE).

Although it can be used as an unguided bomb, the MPR500 is most effective when used with various precision guidance options, such as laser, infrared or GPS/inertial. This week IMI announced that the warhead had been pronounced by Boeing

8 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

as “compatible” with the U.S. company’s widely used JDAM GPS/inertial guidance package.

IMI’s warhead is capable of penetrating through more than a meter of reinforced concrete, and can punch through up to four eight-inch walls or floor slabs in succession. The weapon drives a straight path through the obstacles, virtually eliminating “J” effects that cause the warhead to deflect and explode incorrectly.

The concentrated blast effect of the 26,000 controlled fragments reduces the CDE radius to around 100 meters.

The company also is showing its ATALD advanced tactical air-launched decoy, and is highlighting the new Whip Shot precision-strike weapon. This is a 15-kg (approximately 33

DAVID McINTOSH

Component specialist Aviall Services and Helicopter Service Co. (HSC), a subsidiary of Russian manufacturer Russian Helicopters, have signed an agreement to support rotorcraft powered by Rolls-Royce M250 engines. HSC, which operates the only M250 authorized support center in Russia, will buy parts for M250 engines and other helicopter parts directly from Aviall. Currently there are more than 100 M250-powered helicopters in Russia, mostly Kamov Ka-226 light twins.

HSC supplies parts and technical materials in approximately 25 countries, including the U.S. Aviall, which is a subsidiary of Boeing, is headquartered in Dallas and has 40 global customer service centers worldwide.

DAVID McINTOSH

z Data Link Solutions To Supply Korean Air Force

The MPR-500 is compatible with the JDAM GPS/inertial guidance kit.

pounds) weapon with a sixkilogram (approximately 14 pounds) warhead and is envisioned for use by light attack/ armed reconnaissance (LAAR) class aircraft. It offers a rapidtargeting capability against a variety of targets over a ground range of around five kilometers (three miles). o

Spyder-SR bolsters Singapore’s air defenses On show in the static area is Singapore’s latest air defense system, the Spyder-SR provided by Rafael. Spyder (the name derives from the Python and Derby missiles that form its armament) is a family of air defense systems based on common weapons and common software. It was devised for export, and it has been successful in several countries, including India.

Each Spyder system comprises a weapons launcher for

the Derby active radar and Python 5 imaging infrared missiles, a common command and control unit, and a search/track radar unit. In the rapid-reaction Spyder-SR version the missiles are essentially unchanged from their air-to-air versions, firing from a swiveling launcher system that can be raised to various firing elevations. The radar for the SR version is the IAI Elta ELM-2106 ATAR, and the system can also mount a Toplite

electro-optical/infrared sensor turret. This last element of the new system is due for delivery to Singapore next month.

Spyder-SR is designed to protect airspace out to a range of around 20 kilometers. For wider engagement envelopes, Rafael offers two family members to cover the 35-kilometer and 50-kilometer range requirements.

The 35-kilometer Spyder-MR system retains ELM-2106 radar but changes to a vertical launcher firing rocket-boosted versions of the Python 5 and Derby. The 50-kilometer Spyder-MR has the boosted missiles, but moves to the ELM-2084 AD radar to provide additional range coverage. –D.D.

news clips z Korean Air’s Advantage Is P&W’s, Too Korean Air has selected the Pratt & Whitney PW4170 Advantage 70 engine to power five new Airbus A330-200s.

Valued at some $200 million, the firm deal covers 10 engines.

Pratt & Whitney offers the Advantage 70 as both a new engine and as an upgrade kit for existing PW4168 engines. The upgrade includes a suite of technology enhancements Pratt & Whitney can incorporate during engine overhauls, and promises a 2-percent thrust increase, more than 1-percent reduction in fuel burn, increased durability and lower maintenance costs.

Separately, 2012 marks 30 years since the establishment of Turbine Overhaul Services (TOS), a Singapore-based joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and Singapore Technologies Aerospace. TOS overhauls JT8D, JT9D, PW2000, PW4000, V2500 and CFM56 turbine airfoils, as well as high-pressure compressor blades.

z Scoot Evaluating B787s and A350XWBs Singapore Airlines’ latest low-cost venture–Scoot–is evaluating Boeing 787s and Airbus A350XWBs as it plans to more than triple its fleet to 14 aircraft by 2015. The medium- to long-haul carrier will launch services in June with four Boeing 777-200s acquired from its parent, SIA. “The B777-200s are excellent, with great capacity for cargo and passengers. If we had ordered new aircraft, we would have had a long wait,” Scoot commercial head Steven Greenway told AIN at last week’s Low Cost Airlines World Conference. “Many low-cost carriers start with old planes to get moving.”

Services to Sydney will be launched in June, with the Gold Coast tourism region as its second Australian destination.

Scoot has already confirmed that both China and India will be potential future destinations.

DAVID McINTOSH

z Honeywell Wins Orders in South Korea

Each Spyder system comprises a weapons launcher, command and control unit and search radar unit.

Vietnam offshore operator orders fourth EC215 helo

by Thierry Dubois The Southern Vietnam Helicopter Corp. (VNH South) has ordered its fourth EC225 aircraft from Eurocopter Southeast Asia. The large-cabin helicopter will be used to expand the operator’s activities in support of the oil-and-gas industry.

VNH South (formerly known as Southern Service Flight Co.) acquired four of the 10- to 11-metric-ton-class EC225 in four years. “We signed for an EC225 in August last year, and there was never any doubt that the option for another would be exercised,” said Capt. Vi Cong Dung, director of the company.

“We have been using Super Puma helicopters for a long time and have full confidence in its capability and performance to carry out the demanding offshore missions

required of them.”

With the arrival of the fourth EC225, VNH South will have a total of 10 aircraft from Eurocopter. In addition to the three other EC225s, it flies four AS332-L2 Super Pumas and a pair of EC155 Dauphins.

Eurocopter (Booth J23) is seeing rapidly growing helicopter sales here in Asia. Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter’s senior vice president for sales and customer relations in Asia Pacific, told AIN that the market has been experiencing roughly 20-percent growth rates for six or seven years. It is now more than $1.3 billion.

This trend is going to continue until around 2025, according to Eurocopter predictions. Before that, in 2017, it anticipates that Asia Pacific will be the largest

market in the world. The EADS subsidiary is claiming a 50-percent market share in the region.

Ducrot noted some countries where his firm’s market share is particularly strong: Malaysia (82 percent), Japan (55 percent) and China (40 percent.) These numbers were calculated on the 20052010 period, in units.

Factors driving increased sales include a dynamic offshore oil-and-gas market, military demand and more of the region’s airspace opening to general aviation. In China hopes are relying on long-awaited relaxed rules in the low-altitude airspace, and a new regulation to this effect is now in a test phase in five areas of the country. Today, there are only 150 civil helicopters flying in China, Ducrot pointed out.

Eurocopter has no fewer than 10 Asian subsidiaries, five of which have opened over the last five years. By the end of next year, five Eurocopter flight simulators will be available for training in the region–in China, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. o

Honeywell is to supply avionics suites for South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air’s new fleet of Boeing 737-800s. The contract covers six aircraft that are due for delivery between 2013 and 2017. The cockpit equipment includes Quantum Line communications/navigation sensors, airborne collision avoidance systems (ACAS II), flight data acquisition and management.

Also included are IntuVue 3-D weather radars, which have demonstrated “a 50-percent reduction in turbulence-related incidents,” claimed Honeywell. Overall, Jeju’s new Honeywell equipment will “maximize aircraft performance, decrease operating costs and increase crew efficiency,” said Honeywell.

Again in South Korea, Honeywell has inked a deal to provide Eastar Jet with 131-9 auxiliary power units (APUs) and accompanying three-year maintenance plans. The contract covers a growing fleet: six 737-800s now, with another eight due to join the airline’s fleet by 2015.

z Air Pacific Orders Trent 700s for A330s Fiji’s national carrier Air Pacific has placed a $210 million order for Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines to power three Airbus A330-200s due to enter service in 2013. Air Pacific currently operates a fleet of six Boeings, and this is the first time it has selected a Rolls-Royce powerplant. The contract includes Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare service support.

z Ontic to Open Singapore Center of Excellence Electronics specialist Ontic (Booth D63) is to open a center of excellence here in Singapore this year. It will be the fifth location of the BBA Aviation subsidiary, as Ontic support facilities can already be found in Texas and the UK, in addition to its Chatsworth, California headquarters.

In Chatsworth, Ontic has expanded its electronic manufacturing and repair area by 5,000 sq ft. Capabilities there now include the production and repair of electronic assemblies, microcircuits and electromechanical assemblies.

Ontic supports “mature” electronics and avionics. It also license-produces some equipment designed by Honeywell and Hamilton Sundstrand, among others.

www.ainonline.com • February 16, 2012 • Singapore Airshow News 9

news clips z Bombardier Opens Singapore Sales Office

z Rockwell Collins Equips Royal Thai C-130s Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) and Rockwell Collins have just completed a major avionics upgrade for the Royal Thai Air Force’s C-130 Hercules fleet. The upgrade began five years ago and was accomplished in two phases, each covering six aircraft. The program allows the C-130 fleet to meet CNS/ATM (communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management) mandates until at least 2020, in turn allowing unrestricted access to global airspace.

Rockwell Collins has been involved in CNS/ATM upgrades to more than 150 Hercules around the world. It was contracted by TAI to design the aircraft installation and to provide the avionics equipment, which is based on the company’s Flight2 system. Elements included in the RTAF upgrade comprise new primary flight displays, flight management system, autopilot and communication radios, plus new navigation/surveillance sensors and systems such as weather radar, traffic collision avoidance system, terrain awareness and warning system, and a digital map.

TAI performed the modification at its main facilities at Takhli air force base, Thailand. The company was created in 2003 to provide the country’s first aviation maintenance center. Its work is primarily focused on the requirements of the RTAF, and it has expanded its expertise to encompass many RTAF types, from F-16 fighters to CT-4 basic trainers.

z P&W and Asiana Ink Maintenance Deal Asiana Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney’s fleet management program for three of its P&W-powered Boeing 777s, the engine manufacturer announced here at the Singapore Airshow. Eagle Services Asia, Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners’ engine overhaul facility in Singapore, will be responsible for the six-year agreement, which provides for the maintenance of six PW4090 turbofans that power the aircraft.

Also here in Singapore, P&W is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Turbine Overhaul Services, a joint venture with ST Aerospace that provides overhaul services for turbine and compressor blades for P&W JT8D, JT9D, PW2000, PW4000 powerplants, the IAE V2500 and CFM International CFM56 engines.

z Honeywell Equips China Eastern Airliners China Eastern has selected Honeywell to provide a variety of its products and services for its fleet of Boeing 737 NG and Airbus A320 airliners. It will supply wheels and brakes for the 737 NGs to improve performance and reduce operating costs, for both new-build aircraft and as upgrades to the existing fleet.

It also will provide 131-9 auxiliary power units for the 50 A320s that China Eastern has on order. Honeywell also will provide the traffic collision avoidance system, enhanced ground proximity warning system, flight data and cockpit voice recorders, and airline operational communication software.

MARK WAGNER

Bombardier Aerospace’s commercial aircraft division has established a regional sales and marketing office in Singapore to serve the Asia Pacific region. The Canadian airframer forecasts that operators in the region will take delivery of 4,000 aircraft in the 20- to 149-seat category over the next 20 years.

“This new sales and marketing office will further extend our global presence and provide closer proximity to current and prospective customers in the Asia Pacific region,” said Torbjorn Karlsson, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft vice president of sales for Asia Pacific. “We will be able to provide an almost instant response to any request for information on our Q Series, CRJ and CSeries aircraft families.”

“The economic growth of this region is expected to outpace the rest of world over the next 20 years, and there remains a tremendous potential to develop and expand intraregional and domestic services throughout the Asia Pacific region,” added Philippe Poutissou, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft vice president of marketing. “With its proximity to the Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s countries, Oceania and India, Singapore is the perfect hub for our commercial aircraft sales, marketing and customer support teams.”

HERON UAV JOINS SINGAPORE’S ARSENAL Fresh out of the box is the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s latest acquisition, the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron 1 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV. Delivered just a few weeks ago, the aircraft is making its public debut here.

The RSAF has acquired the Heron as part of the aggressive modernization process that is moving the armed forces into its “third generation” of capability.

The Heron is to serve with 119 Squadron, which is currently training on the type prior to starting flying operations in around six months.

Herons are replacing the IAI Searcher UAVs operated by 128 Squadron, which sent a deployment to Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan province as part of a wider Singaporean contribution of peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan.

–D.D.

CMC’s Cockpit 4000 delivered for trainers Esterline CMC Electronics (Booth T87) has finished delivering its integrated Cockpit 4000 avionics suite to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for the Turkish Air Force’s 40-aircraft KT-1T trainer program.

The core avionics supplied by CMC for the KT-1T comprise two open-architecture mission computers, a wide field-of-view SparrowHawk head-up display (HUD), an up-front control panel (UFCP) and a standalone rear UFCP, along with four multifunction displays.

CMC also supplied the HUD camera, air data computer and data-transfer unit.

The KT-1T traces its design lineage to the KT-1 turboprop trainer, 100 of which have been delivered to the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Meanwhile, in the field of helicopters, Esterline CMC’s TacView portable mission display will appear in U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphins under a new contract with L-3 Communications. The TacView system will interface with the aircraft tactical radios and GPS receiver to support L-3 Communications’

10 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Joint Range Extension (JRE) data-link gateway and digital map application, displaying realtime situational awareness and digital command and control of the aircrew.

The TacView system flies on the U.S. National Guard C130H, as part of the realtime information in the cockpit (RTIC) program. A number of platforms, including the C130H and C-130T, the international C-130J and USAF C-17 all use TacView systems.

TacView has proven itself in a variety of rotorcraft applications, from search-and-rescue, close-air-support, firefighting and police operations to medical and offshore oil-andgas transport.

The system facilitates airborne mission effectiveness and increases crew efficiency by reducing pilot workload, according to CMC. It provides access to moving maps, live weather, approach plates, checklists, flight and maintenance manuals, frequency and call-sign lists, passenger and cargo manifests as well as customer created Windows-based applications,

software and documents.

Finally, Esterline CMC announced here in Singapore that it has achieved a production milestone with the recent shipment of its 500th SureSight enhanced vision system (EVS) sensor. The SureSight family– comprised of the CMA-2600 and CMA-2700–meet demanding video performance, reliability and quality standards and stand as the leading choice for airframe manufacturers and prime contractors. They offer enhanced situational awareness in adverse visual conditions and enable operators to take advantage of regulations expanding the operational capabilities of aircraft equipped with EVS. Under such regulations, when the runway environment cannot be acquired visually at the decision altitude or minimum decision-altitude using natural vision, the pilot of an aircraft equipped with a HUD presenting the EVS imagery can continue the descent down to 100 feet above touchdown zone elevation, provided the requirements for a visual approach are met using the EVS. From that point onward in the descent, the pilot must be able to see the visual references without the use of the EVS system to land the aircraft.

–G.P.

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A330 freighter conversion launched with ST Aerospace

DAVID McINTOSH

by Gregory Polek

Standing Sentry in Singapore The rotodome of the Boeing E-3B Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, which houses Northrop Grumman’s AN/APY-1/2 radar, as seen

from above. This is one of the three U.S. Air Force aircraft on static display at Changi Exhibition Center this week, along with a C-17 and KC-135 tanker.

The Airbus A330 P2F (passenger-to-freighter conversion) will finally become a reality after Airbus, Singapore’s ST Aerospace and EADS Elbe Flugzeugwerke Dresden (EFW) signed a memorandum of understanding at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday.

Airbus CEO Tom Enders, ST Aerospace president Chang Cheow Teck and EADS EFW chief executive Andreas Sperl, in the presence of Stanislaw Tillich, prime minister of the German state of Saxony, signed the deal. The MOU calls for the first A330-300P2F to enter service in 2016, followed by a version based on the A330-200 a year later.

Working with Airbus and EADS EFW, ST Aerospace will lead the A330P2F engineering development in Singapore.

EADS EFW will subsequently serve as program lead during the industrial phase and undertake most of the conversions at its facilities in Dresden.

European Center

by David Donald

DAVID McINTOSH

IAI Elta Systems has devised a new maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) solution based on the Bombardier Q400 twin-engine commercial turboprop, in recognition of growing demand for cost-effective maritime patrol aircraft (MPA).

IAI (Booth N41) reports considerable interest in new MPA, which it has designated EL/I-3360, with projects active in “more than one country.”

The EL/I-3360 is a modular system that could be tailored to a variety of aircraft types, but the platform of choice is the Q400.

The design encompasses a powerful sensor suite that includes anti-submarine capability, combined with an integrated mission system and comprehensive communications for “netcentric” operations. It would include IAI Elta’s EL/M2022A maritime search radar,

The IAI Elta Systems concept for a low-cost maritime patrol aircraft is based on the Bombardier Q400.

12 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

As part of the agreement, EADS EFW would also become the European center for ST Aerospace’s global maintenance, repair and overhaul operations. The project remains subject to the compleFrom left to right (seated), Andreas Sperl, Chang Cheow Teck and Tom Enders sign MOU launching the A330 freighter.

DAVID McINTOSH

IAI reinvents the Q400 as maritime patroller

as used in a sizeable number of MPAs, turret-mounted electro-optical/infrared sensors, and an acoustic system that employs sonobuoys dispensed from a rotary launcher in the cabin. A typical mission crew would include two to four operators plus two observers.

IAI Elta would provide the systems and integration, but a Q400 specialist such as Field Aviation would perform the modifications. The aircraft would feature long-range tanks that are scabbed on to the fuselage sides, the engineering work for this modification having already been performed.

One potential customer is Singapore itself, which would use them to replace Fokker 50MPAs. Occasionally to be seen flying past the show site from their base at ChangiWest, 121 Squadron’s Fokker 50MPAs have given great service to the Republic of Singapore Air Force, but the type has been around for nearly 20 years and the initiation of a replacement program is thought to be imminent. The IAI-modified Q400 has been cited as a possible candidate for the Singapore requirement, along with the Boeing P-8 and EADS/ Alenia ATR 42MP. o

Sperl said the partners have decided on the specifications for the -300 and will start development work later this year.

Answering concerns that the cargo conversion project might draw away sales of the newbuild A330-200F, Airbus COO for customers John Leahy said he didn’t consider the potential for “cannibalization” an issue.

“On the contrary, we see this as a complementary program,” said Leahy, who surmised that the existence of the conversion program could somehow spur sales of the new-build airplane.

For well over a year, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al Baker has publicly expressed impatience with Airbus over its failure to launch such a program, accusing Airbus of “dragging its heels” due to concerns over possibly drawing away sales from the A330-200F. Enders also explained that a scarcity of engineering capacity at Airbus and EFW led to the decision to enlist “a strong strategic partner,” such as ST Aerospace. The Airbus CEO pegged the market outlook for cargo aircraft over the next 20 years at 2,700 to 2,800, virtually “all” of which, he said, will involve midsize airplanes like the A330.

ST’s Chang noted that the companies began talks some

tion of definitive agreements “in the coming weeks” and regulatory clearances.

Of the two models, the larger A330-300P2F will prove particularly suitable for integrators and express carriers due to its high volumetric payload capacity with lower-density cargo, in the estimation of Airbus. Meanwhile, the -200P2F would show its value more in its “optimization” for higher-density freight and longer-range performance.

two years ago, characterizing the subsequent negotiations as “an engaging journey.”

“Aircraft conversion is one of the most complex modifications, which demands precision and engineering finesse,” added Chang.

Apart from complementing the A330-200F, the P2F conversion will enhance and sustain A330 residual values by extending the lives of their airframes, according to Airbus. o

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Cessna gives Asian customers more Latitude with range hike

by Liz Moscrop for the aircraft, which is scheduled to enter service in 2015.

Speaking at the Singapore Airshow, Trevor Esling, Cessna’s vice president sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa

DAVID McINTOSH

Cessna is exhibiting a cabin cross-section mockup of its new midsize, $14.9 million Citation Latitude jet in Asia for the first time. The U.S. airframer recently announced a 15-percent range extension

A mockup of the Cessna Citation Latitude cabin is on display here in Singapore. Announced last October, the Citation Latitude will offer Cessna’s widest-yet passenger cabin with stand-up access throughout its length.

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14 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

and Asia, said specifications of the Citation Latitude had been revised to increase maximum range from 2,000 to 2,300 nmi.

“The extended range of the Citation Latitude adds nonstop flights between Singapore and cities such as Shanghai, Perth and Mumbai,” said Esling.

Announced in October 2011, the Citation Latitude will offer Cessna’s widestyet passenger cabin with stand-up access throughout its length of more than 16 feet.

Scheduled for its first flight in mid-2014 and designed for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, the aircraft will have a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet and a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots.

Financing has been a problem for many would-be bizjet owners worldwide. However, Esling explained that since Cessna offers its own financing through Cessna Finance Corp., this had not been such an issue for the company. “We see Asia as a really strong market for us. The fact we now have a salesforce of nine people here speaks volumes about our belief in this region,” he said.

The Asia Pacific region accounts for

10 percent of Cessna’s business jet sales.

“We anticipate demand increasing further in the medium- to long term,” added Esling. “The region’s economic resilience during the global financial crisis, rising national prosperity and Chinese airspace liberalization make it likely that the business aviation market will mature at quite a rapid pace. We therefore expect demand for light and midsize aircraft to rise accordingly.”

Later this year the company’s Textron parent group is set to open a service center at Singapore’s Seletar Airport covering both Cessna and Bell Helicopter products. It is also in talks with a prospective partner in China, where it would like to establish product support infrastructure.

In addition to China, Esling’s sales team also sees steady growth in demand for business aircraft in Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. India could have strong potential too, but, he maintained, it remains constrained by factors such as a discouraging tax regime. o

Rafale has it: India confirms bid India’s Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne confirmed to AIN here at the Singapore Airshow that the country’s resolve to select the lowest bidder for the contract for 126 medium multirole combat aircraft remains in place.

The contract negotiation committee (CNC) opened Dassault Aviation’s bid proposing its Rafale on February 13 and identified the French OEM as the lowest bidder. The decision to involve another manufacturer is “procedurally untenable,” said Browne. “We have a procedure as per the defense procurement policy that stipulates the contract goes to the lowest bidder.”

The CNC, which gets into action once the lowest bidder has been identified, is scheduled to start price negotiations with Dassault from March 5. Discussions will be held on electronics, radar, transfer of technology and offsets.

Asked if he was satisfied with the Rafale selection, Browne said it was, “Brilliant! We got it at the best cost possible.

The decision was based on performance and Rafale passed all qualifications.”

However, Browne said the requirement for the fighters was “as of yesterday,” meaning that, in reality, he expects the process to be completed by the end of the year. The air force plans to start pilot training soon, he added.

Browne also said Brazil has asked India to share its acquisition process, including evaluation and lifecycle costs.

Coincidentally, India’s state minister, Pallam Raju, is visiting Brazil at the end of March to view the flight of the second, fully modified aircraft for the indigenously developed Indian airborne warning and control system aircraft, the EMB-145, at Embraer’s facilities at São José dos Campos in Brazil.

–N.M.

India stifles aviation, says IATA chief

by Neelam Mathews airport. The connectivity that aviation provides to Singapore has enabled it to develop as a successful regional hub for sectors as widely different as finance and healthcare,” he said.

“Aviation’s development (in India) is being held back by government policies,” Tyler continued. “High taxes mean that fuel accounts for an average of 45 percent of an Indian airline’s

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FlightSafety International (FSI) has opened its new Hong Kong Learning Center, which initially will be based around a Gulfstream G450/G550 flight simulator. The U.S.-based training group held an opening ceremony there on Tuesday.

The center, which is housed in Cathay Pacific Airlines’ complex on Lantau Island, reflects strong sales of Gulfstream business jets in the Asia Pacific region. Training for Gulfstream aircraft is already offered at FSI centers in Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia/Wilmington and Long Beach in the U.S, as well as at Farnborough in the UK. At last year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) show in Las Vegas, FSI announced a variety of new offerings that will come on to the market this year and next. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned firm is currently designing and manufacturing 14 level-D simulators for installation in its learning centers worldwide.

The company will add a G450 simulator to its Dallas facility this year, and will increase its number of G650 simulators around the world from one to three by 2013.

The company will also provide a maintenance-training center for Cessna in Wichita, and increase the number of locations where Pratt & Whitney Canada engine training is available.

in Delhi–costs are an issue.

“There is a need to reassess policies in order for aviation to reach its potential as a primary contributor to India’s economic growth,” Tyler said.

Interestingly, Garuda, which had planned to start operations to Mumbai, found yields low and pulled back, CEO Emirsyah Satar told AIN. o

SH

In an industry that is “all turnover with no leftover,” in the words of IATA director general and CEO Tony Tyler, there is an increasing frustration being felt by carriers wanting to fly to India, but with the Indian government failing to indicate an interest in opening up routes.

To tap the huge potential market, the question remains how to work with the regulator on liberalization of rights to fly on certain sectors. “If we could go for open skies, that’s the best,” Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines CEO, told AIN. Tyler stressed a need to review the industry’s relationship with governments. “When it works, the results are brilliant. Look at our Singapore hosts. We have a worldclass airline and a world-class

operating costs, against an industry average of 32 percent.

A lack of capacity in the country’s economic heart–Mumbai– restricts connectivity, while development of the new Navi Mumbai International Airport seems to incur a fresh roadblock at every stage of its development. And where world-class infrastructure has been built–as

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www.ainonline.com • February 16, 2012 • Singapore Airshow News 15

SIA A380 route fest to improve profitability

by Ian Goold Airshow attendees from New York wanting to come all the way here by Airbus A380 have been able to use Singapore Airlines (SIA), which in January introduced the very-large airliner on daily “east-about” service via Frankfurt, Germany.

The behemoths replace Boeing 747-400s on the route to provide a 25-percent capacity increase and offer an alternative to shorter, nonstop westerly flights by smaller Airbus A340-500s.

The U.S. city is SIA’s tenth A380 destination (and second in North America after Los Angeles), while Frankfurt has become the operator’s fourth in Europe (following London, Paris and Zurich). SIA claims the 15 A380s delivered by January have been “exceptionally popular,” with strong loads on all routes; a further four examples are on order.

SIA’s all-widebody main-line operation flies more than 100 Airbus A380-800s, A340-500s, A330-300s, Boeing 747-400s and 777s to over 100 destinations in almost 40 countries. Additionally, freight subsidiary SIA Cargo flies about a dozen 747-400Fs, while regional full-service operator SilkAir uses almost 20 singleaisle A319-100s and A320-200s.

Introduction of New York A380 flights comes as SIA prepares its March-October service schedule for the coming Northern Hemisphere summer season. Additional services are planned to South Korean capital Seoul, Male in the Maldives and Mumbai. South of the Equator, SIA will provide more flights to Adelaide, Brisbane and

Perth. This growth will be offset by reduced frequency on Singapore-Moscow-Houston, Singapore-Munich-Manchester and Singapore-Taipei.

Sagging Demand

Such changes may help the carrier to recover from a “challenging environment” in the early part of the financial year that was driven by expensive fuel and declining yields. “The prevailing economic uncertainty and weak consumer confidence are impacting demand,” said the recent report by parent Singapore Airlines Group (SAG) on performance for the six months to September 30. Looking forward to the current business period, it noted: “Advance passenger bookings are showing signs of weakness, particularly in Europe and the U.S. [There is also] weaker demand for air freight, [so] both passenger and cargo yields are expected to remain under pressure.”

The weak outlook was expected to result from continuing high costs for fuel, compounded by the strong U.S. dollar: “Forward prices for jet fuel remain high and volatile.” Despite having “a strong balance sheet,” the group said that in the “difficult operating environment” it would continue to “exercise tight cost control” and respond “appropriately” to changing business trends.

“Given the stubbornly high fuel prices and also the weak economic outlook, [October to March] will be very challenging,” SAG finance senior vice president Chan Hon Chew told analysts in

New York last month became the tenth destination served by Singapore Airlines’ growing A380 fleet.

November. He described a firsthalf operating profit of S$53 million ($41.3 million)–equivalent to a margin of less than 1 percent–as having been achieved “by a hair’s breadth.”

Compared with 12 months earlier, passenger traffic during the July-September second-quarter had grown by 4.1 percent, but was well below the 5.4-percent increase in capacity. “Consequently, the passenger-load factor (PLF) was down [from 2010] by one percentage point to 79.3 percent,” Chan said.

Across the SIA network “all regions registered flat (or lower) PLFs, with the exception of Southeast Asia, which still managed to improve its load factor by 2.5 percentage points,” said Chan. But higher costs had driven SIA’s breakeven load factor up by “four percentage points to 78.6 percent, which leaves us with a razor-thin margin of just 0.7 percentage points.”

More positively, SIA has

Four Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200s have been earmarked for new low-cost subsidiary Scoot, which has a requirement for 14 such aircraft. Scoot will operate independently.

16 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

announced plans for Scoot, a widebody low-cost carrier (LCC) subsidiary offering medium- and long-haul services. The group already has a 32.8-percent share in Singapore-based narrowbody LCC Tiger Airways.

Scoot is to be launched with a fleet of four (the first of a planned 14) ex-SIA Boeing 777-200s, initially with Sydney services planned from mid-year (possibly as early as June) and also flying to China and elsewhere in the first year. The new subsidiary will be operated independently from the main-line carrier under chief executive Campbell Wilson, a 16-year SIA veteran who has led the group’s operations in Hong Kong and Japan.

The budget airline will operate from Changi Airport

Terminal 2. The 777s will be reconfigured in a two-cabin layout that accommodates about 25 percent more passengers than typical full-service cabins, while aircraft utilization is likely to be some 20 percent higher, according to Wilson.

On the question of possible market “cannibalization”– the loss of passengers from the mainline operation to the budget carrier–SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong believes this is unlikely because Scoot is “such a different value proposition, even if [we] were to operate the same route. Between [SIA] and Scoot, there is a whole range of other carriers operating so I leave it to [analysts] to deduce how the cannibalization would work.” o

Cebu Pacific starts work on hangar

single-aisle aircraft with capabilities including scheduled heavy maintenance checks, airframe structural inspections, repairs, modifications, paint-stripping, painting of aircraft exteriors and nondestructive testing checks.

“Engineering and maintenance are the second largest costs after fuel, and need to be managed,” said Kingshott. SIA Engineering (Philippines) plans to build three hangars that will span 290,000 sq ft when completed.

With space at Singapore’s Changi International Airport at a premium, the facility–which is located within 15 minutes’ flight time of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and within four flight hours of major north Asian markets such as China, Korea, Japan and Hong Kong– is expected to offer a lower-cost maintenance alternative for airlines. Current clients include Mandala Airlines, Tiger Air and AirPhil.

–N.M.

Philippines carrier Cebu Pacific is starting construction of a new heavy maintenance hangar at Clark International Airport (also known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport). The facility, which is a joint venture with SIA Engineering (SIAEC), is due to open later this year, according to Garry Kingshott, advisor to the airline’s chief executive, who spoke with AIN at the Low Cost Airlines Asia conference here in Singapore last week.

The joint venture, known as SIA Engineering (Philippines), is 65 percent owned by SIAEC, with Cebu Pacific controlling the rest. The present narrowbody hangar accommodates

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Silent Eagle has voice in KFX-3 competition

The forward-facing antennas on the Singapore F-15SG (left) are unique to this version and betray the presence of an alternative electronic warfare system provided by Elisra.

F-15 Production

Korea also preferred the Strike Eagle to the Rafale and has already bought 61 F-15Ks in two batches. The two Asian countries have sustained F-15 production long after the U.S. Air Force stopped buying F-15Es. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15SGs differ from the Korean F-15Ks in having an AESA radar–the Raytheon APG-63(V)3.

Moreover, the navigation and targeting suite provided by Lockheed Martin is state-ofthe-art, comprising a Lantirn navigation pod with terrain-following radar and forward-looking infrared, a Sniper XR EO/ laser targeting pod and the AAS-43 Tiger Eyes infrared search-and-track system. The U.S. package also included the joint helmet-mounted cueing system (JHMCS) and a full suite of weapons, including Raytheon AGM-154 joint standoff weapons (JSOWs) and AIM-9X air-toair missiles.

The F-15SGs also have some Israeli content: an advanced integrated electronic warfare system provided by Elisra and–it is believed by AIN–an Elbit Systems

mission computer. This allows Singapore to overcome U.S. restrictions on the reprogramming of these sensitive pieces of equipment.

The 84 new and 70 upgraded Saudi Strike Eagles confirmed last December in a record sale worth $29.5 billion will be designated F-15SA. They will have the same Raytheon AESA radar, General Electric F110 engines and some of the same weapons as the Singapore aircraft.

F-15SA Features

The change to fly-by-wire flight control system (FBW FCS) will not be difficult to integrate, and brings the benefits of increased agility and reduced weight, Boeing vice president Asia Pacific Joe Song told AIN. The F-15SA will have a new digital electronic warfare system (DEWS) provided

by BAE Systems. This consolidates the six black boxes of the old analog system on the F-15E/K into one, thus saving more weight. It also provides much greater capability, reliability and affordability. The FBW FCS and the DEWS will enter flight test at the end of this year, Song said. Other new features of the F-15SA will be two additional wing hardpoints for weapons, and dual-seat integration of the JMHCS. Turning to what may be the ultimate F-15–the Silent Eagle–Boeing first unveiled the set of modifications that can reduce the aircraft’s radar cross section (RCS) in March 2009. But unless the F-15SE has already been quietly marketed to Singapore, the first serious offer will be to Korea.

The mods comprise a conformal weapons bay (CWB) created by modifying the aircraft’s existing conformal fuel tanks; RCS-reducing airframe coatings; and vertical tails that are canted 15 deg outward.

Full Package

Song told AIN that the entire F-15SE package will be offered to Korea for KFX-3. The CWBs have already been test-flown, and the V-tail configuration will be in the wind tunnel soon. The U.S. government has yet to sanction the offer of RCS coatings, but since the U.S. will also be offering the Lockheed Martin

DAVID McINTOSH

The pair of Singaporean F-15SG fighters on static display here are the most advanced Strike Eagles ever built–but not for much longer because the huge order from Saudi Arabia that was confirmed recently allows Boeing to fit a fly-bywire system. Boeing confirmed to AIN here in Singapore this week that the company would be offering its full Silent Eagle package of stealth modifications to Korea for that country’s 60-plane KFX-3 requirement.

It’s been quite a journey for the F-15 since December 2005, when Singapore chose the veteran design over the “fourth-generation” Dassault Rafale. At the time, that decision seemed to be motivated by political as much as technical considerations. But as Singapore defense minister Teo Chee Hean noted when the first F-15SGs arrived in Singapore in April 2010, “The F-15 is a combat-proven aircraft renowned for its weapon load, speed, range and agility…with state-of-the-art sensors, avionics and weapons.” The last of 24 F-15SGs will be delivered this year.

MARK WAGNER

by Chris Pocock

F-35 to Korea, Boeing is expecting approval. The F-15SE offer will also include large, 11- by 19-inch displays in each cockpit.

Will Korea follow Japan and go for the F-35? Song believes that Boeing is in a strong position. “We’re the incumbents. The Koreans love their F-15Ks, and the Silent Eagle offers 85-percent commonality,” he claimed.

The F-35 may not be available in time, he added, and the price is uncertain amid the current slowing of the production ramp-up.

Boeing is currently negotiating a performance-based logistics contract with Korea for the F-15Ks. The company also gained kudos by building in-country a software upgrade facility that the Koreans also use for their F-16s. Responses to the RFP for the KFX-3 are due in June, with a decision scheduled for October. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a third contender. o

18 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

Legacy interiors improved

by Liz Moscrop Embraer announced at the Singapore Airshow that it has made substantial interior improvements to the Legacy 600/650 family, which will be available for aircraft produced this year. “Key to this is our effort to reduce cabin sound levels, which set a new benchmark for the Legacy 600 and 650 class of aircraft,” said Embraer Executive Jets president Ernie Edwards.

The new cabin features Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin management system (CMS), with full high-definition video, iPod and iPhone docking systems, plus a blu-ray player and 3-D moving map. There is also an 8.9-inch touchscreen CMS passenger control monitor in the galleys for master control of

video, audio, lighting and temperature, and individual touchscreen controls throughout the cabin.

The Brazilian manufacturer has improved the storage and added a new wireless handset Iridium phone system.

Pilots will also notice improvements; the cockpit now offers improved avionics with Honeywell’s Primus Elite system.

Embraer said the Legacy 600/650 should be able to cope with next-generation air traffic control systems, since it now comes equipped with Vnav (vertical navigation) and RNP (required navigation performance) 0.3 for optimizing airspace use.

The new Legacy 600/650 cockpit also features optional WAAS/LPV (wide area augmentation system/localizer performance with vertical guidance) along with CPDLC FANS 1/A (controller pilot data link communications for future air navigation systems), which enables satcom-based air traffic management communications for transoceanic flights. o

Which Way is out?

DAVID McINTOSH

Crewmembers attending a Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16 on static display offer advice on exiting the aircraft to a trade show visitor.

Rolls-Royce presses ahead on Trent 1000 development

by Charles Alcock With its Trent 1000 engines finally in commercial service on the delayed Boeing 787 platform, Rolls-Royce is stepping up efforts to advance further applications of the powerplant. It has started development of the Trent 1000C1 engine, also known as Pac C, that will be able to manage higher loads necessitated by the 787-9 aircraft’s changed wing and thrust profiles. “It delivers 74,000 pounds of thrust at economic performance levels,” reported Trent 1000 project manager Simon Carlisle in a pre-show briefing.

Pac C should deliver a 2-percent improvement in Trent 1000 performance over the current Pac B engine, which, according to a Boeing audit, is 2.3 percent ahead of the original Pac A powerplant. The C1 engine will start flight tests on the 787-8 aircraft from early 2013 and the improved technology will be made available to existing Dreamliner operators once Rolls-Royce and Boeing have agreed to a plan for incorporating the upgrades. Pac C-powered 787-9 is due for service entry at the end of next year.

XWB Input

Beyond Pac C, Rolls-Royce sees further possible improvements for the Trent 1000, some of which could be derived from work that its Trent XWB team is doing to develop the engines that will power Airbus’s new A350XWB. “We are feeding performance targets [from the Trent XWB] back into the 1000 and there certainly a lot of benefits at the component level,” explained Carlisle.

“Looking to the future, we are still talking to Boeing about its plans for the [787]-10X in terms of its size and timing,

and we feel we are well placed for this because the engine has more capability if required,” he said. “We can certainly deliver more than 74,000 pounds of thrust, but we need to do this with the right attributes in terms of noise, lifecycle costs and sfc [specific fuel consumption].”

As of the middle of January, the Trent 1000s had made more than 400 flights on the 787 service with launch customer ANA of Japan. The carrier has just taken delivery of the first aircraft equipped with the Pac B-configured engines.

According to Phil Harris, Rolls-Royce’s senior vice president for civil aerospace in the Eastern Hemisphere, the manufacturer holds a dominant position as the powerplant choice for widebody airliner customers in the Asia Pacific region. “We still see long-term positive growth in Asia Pacific,” he told AIN. “We will increasingly see widebodies used to overcome airport congestion and we are also seeing some new low-cost carriers go straight into the long-haul [that is, widebody] market.”

At the same time, Rolls-Royce has no regrets about last year’s decision to withdraw from the International Aero Engines joint venture that makes the V2500 engine. Harris insisted that RollsRoyce take the long-term view of future narrowbody powerplant requirements.

“We have positioned ourselves now with Pratt & Whitney so that when new-generation narrowbodies are coming through we will develop the appropriate engines for them, and this reassures airlines that there will be a strong joint venture to respond to this need and an alternative to CFM,” he concluded. o www.ainonline.com • February 16, 2012 • Singapore Airshow News 19

The Farnborough International Airshow (July 9-15, 2012) is shaping up to be not just bigger than the 2010 event but also better, according to exhibitions and events director Amanda Stainer, “with exciting new features that will captivate [attendees’] imaginations.” Exhibit areas are already 95 percent sold out, she said. Contributing to the excitement surrounding this year’s airshow are preparations

for the 2012 London Olympic Games (July 27 to August 12).

Yesterday at the Singapore Airshow, Yang Xiangang, vice general manager of the Zhuhai Airshow, signed an agreement to exhibit at the Farnborough Airshow with Shaun Ormrod, chief executive of Farnborough International.

A big change this year for Farnborough exhibitors is that they will be able to pack

Lufthansa Technik adds new Asian MRO business

by Neelam Mathews Weak airline profits are increasing pricing pressure on the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market. That’s a big challenge–but by no means the only one–facing MRO providers in 2012, the Year of the Dragon, according to Lufthansa Technik chairman August Henningsen. “We’re happy we’re in a growth market, not a shrinking one,” he told a press conference in Singapore yesterday.

LHT has a not insignificant 60-customer presence in the Asian market, and this week the German group has been confirming more new business.

Yesterday, SriLankan Airlines signed a five-year component supply contract through which LHT will support its Airbus A320 fleet. Spare parts will be supplied to the airline’s home base at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, which will also house the main stocks of components needed for responding to aircraft-onthe-ground (AOG) situations.

Repair and pooling of components will be done at LHT’s headquarters in Hamburg. But customer support staff are based

in Bangalore, India, which is in the same time zone as Sri Lanka.

Also announced this week is an extension of LHT’s Total Component Support agreement with South Korea’s Asiana Airlines. This covers the carrier’s fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.

A new customer, Bangkokbased Nok Air, also signed up for major maintenance packages (excluding line maintenance), for its Boeing 737NG fleet. In addition, reported Henningsen, Air Macau has extended its component service contracts, while Japan Air Lines has signed a TCS contract covering soonto-be-delivered Boeing 787s.

LHT recently opened its third widebody hangar in Manila, which can host an A380 for C-checks and modifications.

The company recently opened a pool-storage facility in Singapore for components to be operated by Lufthansa Technik Logistik Services (LTLS) to handle storage of routine, AOG and dangerous goods shipments.

LTLS has been chosen by Chinese carrier Shenzhen Airlines as its transportation-management

partner for services such as routine, AOG and dangerous goods transport for the airline’s growing fleet. Its present fleet comprises more than 105 medium-haul aircraft, and this number will increase to 180 by the end of 2012.

Indonesia holds major potential given its recent large orders.

“We are talking to them to bring in our expertise [but] this is a moving target,” said Henningsen.

Challenges over how to gain productivity from new technology are prompting LHT to look at new tools for inspection and carbon fiber structures. Closer to home, there is a concern with OEMs competing for third-party providers’ business. “They [OEMs] should concentrate on their business…the MRO industry is more over-served than underserved,” said Henningsen. o

‘Laser Maverick’ ideal for difficult targets

by David Donald Over two decades have passed since the laser-guided version of Raytheon’s AGM-65 missile left production but, due to emerging requirements, the “laser Maverick” is back.

Recent operational experience has shown a need to hit targets that not only are fast, but also are maneuvering. That class of target is not found just on land, it is increasingly at sea as both pirates and small boat swarms threaten vessels. The ability to hit these fast, maneuvering targets in a high-traffic environment with great accuracy is becoming crucial. The longerterm answer for the U.S. lies in the JAGM missile program, but in the interim the U.S. military is turning again to the AGM-65E laser Maverick, which was originally procured for the Marine Corps in the mid-1980s.

Revisiting this weapon began by bringing it up to date through the replacement of a few obsolete parts, and by fixing some previous issues. For instance, the original AGM-65E would fly long if the laser lock was lost, but the current weapon will now fly broadly toward the target area. A rigorous developmental/operational testing phase ensued, during which 15 of the new-generation missiles were fired at a variety of targets from the A-10, F-16, F/A-18 and AV-8. Some of the targets were traveling at more than 70 mph.

Conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force’s Seek Eagle office, successful development and operational trials led to a production contract being awarded to Raytheon late last year for an initial batch of 256 missiles, mostly for the Air Force but with a few for the Navy. The Air Force version is

designated AGM-65L, while the Navy missile is the AGM-65E2, the latter differing only in having a safe-arm switch to satisfy strict munition requirements for shipboard carriage. The first delivery is due in the fourth quarter of this year.

With the laser Maverick back in production Raytheon sees a good opportunity to export

Raytheon tests gRiffin weapon Raytheon has just conducted a successful trial of its Griffin B forward-launch small precision weapon. The test demonstrated the weapon’s capability to defend a forward operating base (FOB).

The Griffin was fired from a fixed Wedge launcher against target coordinates more than 2.5 miles away provided by sensors mounted on a tethered aerostat, of the type that are typically raised to protect Army FOBs. The Griffin A aft-launch version is in service with the U.S. Marine Corps C-130 Harvest Hawk aircraft and the Air Force’s MC-130W Dragon Spear.

–D.D.

the weapon, which is available through both direct commercial and foreign military sales channels. Versions of the missile are widely used around the world, and users of earlier versions could upgrade their weapons through the integration of the new guidance section to existing motor/warhead sections.

This would provide current laser capability at greatly reduced cost compared with procuring a new weapon type. o

Cae plans tRaining CenteR in bRunei Principals behind a new CAE multipurpose training center in Rimba, Brunei Darussalam, gather to sign a MOU Wednesday at the Singapore Airshow. The center will provide flight training solutions for the oil and gas, emergency and defense markets.

20 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

DAVID McINTOSH

Farnborough organizers vow bigger, better show

DAVID McINTOSH

Farnborough chief Shaun Ormrod, left, and Yang Xiangang of the Zhuhai show, reach agreement.

up their exhibits and depart on the last trade day, Friday July 13. This will save exhibitors time and money and also potential wear-and-tear from non-trade visitors on the public days. “We decided to trial it this time,” said Stainer, who confirmed to AIN that the public would be excluded from the exhibition halls over the weekend days (July 14-15).

The move will allow exhibitors to focus on their trade visitors and business-to-business opportunities. The 13th is also “Futures Day,” where about 10,000 youth are invited to learn about aerospace and career opportunities.

For the trade visitor, a full conference program is available on July 10 and 11, and there are also two days of meet-your-buyer events for suppliers and customers to get together. The conference program has four tracks: defense, security, aerospace and civil aeronautics. Each sector has its own events planned, for example the air power zone will feature UK Ministry of Defence personnel explaining how to do business with the agency. –M.T.

Boeing rebrands service offering as the ‘Edge’

by Gregory Polek Boeing Commercial Aviation Services announced here at the show yesterday that it has rebranded its entire service and support offering as Boeing “Edge.” This will cover material services, fleet service, flight services and information services, said the company.

At the same time, the U.S. airframer announced that Singapore Airlines Cargo had signed for Boeing’s GoldCare package, now part of Edge, for its thirteen 747-400 Freighters.

The deal means that Boeing will be extending its GoldCare offering to yet another model, having originally launched the program to cater to 787 Dreamliner operators before

extending it to its 737 type.

“The leadership of Singapore Airlines Group is very forward thinking and they adopted many of Boeing’s IT and spares-support products during the time that GoldCare was being developed for the 787 Dreamliner,” said Commercial Aviation Services senior vice president Lou Mancini.

“Together with maintenance engineering and planning, this brings together the major elements of GoldCare in a way that tailors the service needs of Singapore Airlines Cargo.”

Projecting the global market for commercial aviation services to reach $2.3 trillion over the next 20 years, the company

Global Hawk Block 30 is cut, but BAMS lives

by Chris Pocock Still stunned by the Pentagon’s scrapping of the U.S. Air Force Global Hawk Block 30 program, Northrop Grumman said here at the show yesterday that it’s too early to determine whether the decision will impact the cost of other Pentagon UAV programs based on the bigwinged jet. The Block 20 Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN), the Block 40 Multi-Platform Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) and the U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programs were all unaffected by the decision.

Walt Kreitler, director of business development for BAMS, told AIN that the U.S. Air Force and Navy had agreed to explore synergies, including common engine upgrades and a next-generation communications architecture. Work on that initiative continues, but if the USAF really does intend to withdraw the Block 30s that are already in service, and their supporting communications, training and logistics infrastructure, the surviving programs will surely be affected. The Navy had already agreed to co-locate some of the BAMS jets with USAF Global Hawks at overseas bases.

Pentagon officials briefing

the Fiscal 2013 budget in Washington Monday seemed to confirm that the Block 30s were all heading for storage. Eleven of them are already in service, with some deployed to Sigonella air base, Italy; Al Dhafra air base, UAE; and Andersen air base, Guam. When the decision to retain the manned U-2 aircraft in preference to the Global Hawk was announced in late January, Northrop Grumman said it planned “to work with the Pentagon to assess alternatives to program termination.”

BAMS Demonstrator

Kreitler noted that a demonstrator version of the BAMS was already co-located with USAF Global Hawks at a base in the Middle East (meaning Al Dhafra). It was providing the Navy’s Fifth Fleet with more than 50 percent of its maritime surveillance. This aircraft is one of five redundant USAF Block 10s that are being transferred to the Navy. Their Raytheon EO/ IR and radar sensor system has been modified to add a maritime radar mode, ESM and the naval automatic identification system (AIS).

But the BAMS proper will have a new multi-function active sensor (MFAS), a

JAL Orders More Dreamliners The Japan Airlines Group yesterday announced an order for 20 Boeing 787-9s, which it intends to deploy on medium- to long-haul international routes after its 2015 fiscal year as part of its mid-term management plans for fiscal years 2012 to 2016.

The contract includes a new order for 10 of the stretched version of the 787-8 Dreamliner and a conversion of an order for 10 of the 35 Boeing 787-8s JAL had already ordered. The airline has now placed firm orders for twenty-five 787-8s and twenty 787-9s, along with options on another 20.

–G.P.

hopes the extension of the Boeing brand will help sharpen the company’s focus on exploiting that demand. o

state-of-the-art radar being developed by Northrop Grumman. The MFAS is a “spinning” AESA that provides 360-degree coverage and a variety of advanced, automatic modes. Kreitler revealed that the prototype MFAS had been flying since December on NG’s Gulfstream II test bed from Lancaster airport, California. The BAMS will also carry Raytheon’s MTS-B EO/IR sensor, and the Sierra Nevada Corp.

AN/ZLQ-1 ESM system.

The BAMS could be considered the “ultimate” Global Hawk. It features modifications that critics have identified as lacking on the USAF jets, such as an anti-icing system; additional gust alleviation for the wings to permit ascent and descent through bad weather; a more powerful 30 KVa generator; an engine software change to trade thrust for endurance; a nose-mounted, lightweight AESA air-to-air radar to “sense and avoid” conflicting traffic; and a wideband Ka- and X-band military satcom system.

But after the acquisition cost overruns that plagued the USAF program, Northrop Grumman’s challenge will be to deliver BAMS on time and budget. “We’re marching steadily towards IOC in 2015,” Kreitler said.

Three aircraft are now in final assembly, with the first rollout scheduled for June 14 at Palmdale. The Navy program of record is 68 aircraft. o

AESA enlivens legacy F-16s uContinued from page 1

that increasingly looks like “winner takes all.” Six days ago the U.S. Air Force issued a second request for information covering an AESA upgrade for its F-16s, having initially asked industry last August. This upgrade could cover about 350 aircraft in a program driven by delays in fielding the F-35.

Korea has just issued an RFP for an AESA radar upgrade to its F-16s, and the U.S. government has offered the same to Taiwan as a less politically sensitive response to its request for 66 new F-16s. In January, Northrop Grumman joined Raytheon in receiving government authorization to export their wares to the two Asian countries. Although the U.S. Air Force and export programs are separate, it appears highly probable that the export customers will await the outcome of the U.S. decision before making their own choices.

Both radar houses possess good credentials. Raytheon is offering the RACR (Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar), which builds on the experience gained with delivering hundreds of AESA radars into the Boeing Super Hornet program. Northrop Grumman is the incumbent radar supplier in the F-16, having produced more than 6,000 radars for the aircraft in over 30 years.

That number, swelled by midlife upgrades, includes 80 earlier APG-80 AESA units for the United Arab Emirates’ Block 60 F-16E/Fs. It also built the F-22’s AESA radar, and is supplying the APG-81 for the F-35.

Commonality of modes

Garuda order revives CRJ1000 uContinued from page 1

and leased, with all 18 to be delivered by 2015, CEO Emirsyah Satar said. The aircraft will be in a two-class configuration.

Following the deal, Bombardier has designated GMF Aero Asia as its authorized service center for CRJ 1000s in Asia.

The first five CRJ1000s will be based at Makassar, Garuda’s third hub to the East, in tandem with the Indonesian government’s “Six National Economic Development Corridor Concept,” which aims to promote the region as a production and manufacturing center.

with the F-35 and resultant cross-program synergy is seen as one of the key attributes of Northrop Grumman’s SABR (scalable agile beam radar) proposal. Indeed, no new modes were created for the SABR, all being ported in from the APG81. The company highlights the cost efficiencies that could be gained from sharing costs for future mode development across a SABR-equipped F-16 fleet as well as the F-35.

New Baseline

Lockheed Martin vice president business development George Standridge said that the F-16V would be the new baseline, building on the current production Block 50/52 version and two previous upgrades: the F-16A/B Mid-Life Update (MLU) and the F-16C/D Common Configuration Improvement Program (CCIP). The company said it has developed an innovative solution to affordably retrofit the key AESA technology. This is a reference to the new mission computer, and a new high-speed data bus, bringing enhanced information to the pilot via a high-resolution color upgrade to the two existing F-16 displays, and addition of a large display on the cockpit pedestal. The F-16V also features a new data link that provides interoperability with the F-22 and the F-35.

Continued production of new F-16s is currently assured through 2015, thanks to recent orders from Morocco (delivering now), Egypt (2013), Oman (2014) and Iraq (2015). More than 4,400 Vipers have been built, with the landmark 4,500th due for rollout this year. There have been no fewer than 53 follow-on buys by 14 customers. o Bombardier recently opened an Asia Pacific office in Singapore “because Asia Pacific represents key markets and growing hubs for countries like Indonesia,” said Guy Hachey, President and COO Bombardier Aerospace.

Designed specifically to meet the needs of airlines in high-frequency regional markets, the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft is now proving that it is a sound investment for its operators. The CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft is achieving the lowest cash operating cost per mile and per seat for operators in its market segment, while delivering extra range, exceptional reliability and a greener footprint, said a company statement. o

www.ainonline.com • February 16, 2012 • Singapore Airshow News 21

Gulfstream to open Beijing jet center

by Liz Moscrop Gulfstream Aerospace yesterday announced plans to establish a landmark business jet service center in China.

Gulfstream Beijing will be a joint venture with Beijing Capital Airlines (Deer Jet) and Grand China Aviation Technik (GCAT) at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Hainan Airlines Group subsidiary Deer Jet is China’s largest business jet charter provider. Its fleet includes 26 Gulfstream aircraft. GCAT, another Hainan subsidiary,

offers aircraft repair, maintenance, and overhaul services.

The new facility is in the process of applying for a Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Part 145 repair certificate, a requirement for beginning service operations.

“We anticipate that we will receive our operating license in the third quarter [of 2012],” said Gulfstream president Larry Flynn.

Gulfstream Beijing will consist of an 82,000-sq-ft hangar and 22,000 sq ft of offices

and back shops. Gulfstream product support executive Kay Ardalan, the site’s general manager, will oversee it.

Both Gulfstream and Deer Jet employees will staff the facility.

In support of Deer Jet’s fleet of aircraft, the Savannah-based OEM has had a maintenance team based in Beijing since May 2010. The new venture makes the airframer the first business jet manufacturer to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services for its customers in China. Other facilities available

to Gulfstream operators in Asia are authorized warranty repair centers Metrojet in Hong Kong and Gulfstream sister company Jet Aviation in Singapore, along with warranty line-service center Jamco Corp. in Sendai, Japan. Metrojet and Jet Aviation have parts and materials for Gulfstream aircraft on site.

The reason is clear. Nearly 50 percent of Gulfstream orders in the third quarter of 2011 were from the Asia Pacific region. There are more than 40 Gulfstream jets in mainland China today, more than 30 of which are in Hong Kong.

Gulfstream announced a firm order for a further 20 jets from Minsheng Leasing in October 2011.

Gulfstream president Larry Flynn

Flynn added, “27 percent of our backlog comes from the Asia Pacific region, and our large cabin segment outpaces the midcabins in this market.” He continued, “We are also working with the Civil Aviation Administration of China to streamline the import process.” o

Airbus sees its business shift toward Asia Pacific region

by Gregory Polek

carriers accounted for 38 percent of the nearly 4,500 Airbus CEO and EADS airplanes still to be delivboss-in-waiting Tom Enders ered, Enders said. “Ladies said at the show yesterday and gentlemen, our busithat the Asia Pacific region ness in not moving East, it accounted for half of Air- has moved East already,” he bus’s order intake in 2011. declared.

As a result, financing has Enders was delivering an exceptionally optimistic out- become increasingly vital look for the region during in the region. “Indeed, we the company’s opening Sin- have seen increased appetite in recent years gapore Airshow from financial instipress conference. tutions in China, Of Airbus’s Japan and a numgross order-count ber of other Asian of 1,608 aircraft countries, includlast year, 802 ing Singapore,” said came from Asia Enders. “In fact, Pacific customlast year banks ers. Of course, the from the region A320neo accountparticipated in ed for much of the Tom Enders almost 20 percent success, as Airbus signed “landmark” deals of all financing of Airbus with AirAsia, Indigo and aircraft deliveries.” That, Jetstar. All-told, Airbus has he said, meant that banks collected firm orders for 546 in the region could suppleNeos, as well as 184 stan- ment financing by Eurodard A320s. Enders pointed pean institutions.

Enders also singled out out that Airbus had collected 98 percent of all narrow- Singapore-based BOC Avibody orders in the region ation as an example of the and had taken a 58 percent region’s growing influence in share of the widebody mar- the leasing business. “What is important is that all these ket as well.

Meanwhile, 32 percent institutions in Asia are not of Airbus’s total deliveries just working with airlines last year–some 170 aircraft– from this region, but on a went to Asia Pacific carriers. global scale, complementing Including aircraft heading and competing with players to airlines via lessors, the from Europe and the U.S. figure rises to 220 airplanes, This is good news for us and or 41 percent of the Euro- good news for the airlines, pean airframer’s deliveries ensuring a more diverse and for the year. In terms of its steady source of funding total backlog, Asia Pacific throughout the cycle.”

Enders then turned his attention to Airbus’s product line, starting with the A380. Having delivered 26 of the superjumbos last year, the company has started to find its stride in planning for rate increases.

This year it expects to deliver 30 of the doubledecker airplanes, despite what Enders acknowledged as a serious issue in the development of hairline cracks in the wings.

“We made a mistake here and we’re repairing it as quickly as possible,” he assured journalists at the show. “It’s a problem we created ourselves, so we’ll fix it ourselves.”

Enders also said the company “is looking at increasing production again,” of the A330, this time from 10 to 11 in 2014. Now building nine of the airplanes each month, next Airbus plans to go to 10 a month in the second quarter of 2013.

The Airbus CEO also addressed delays to the A350XWB. “We have made no secret of the fact that the program is running a little slower than planned,” he said. “The good news is that the first sections arrived in Toulouse at the end of December. Assembly of the static airframe will begin next month, followed by the start of the final assembly of the first aircraft that will fly in June.” o

00 Singapore Airshow News • February 16, 2012 • www.ainonline.com 22

IndonesIa fIrms up order for nIne Cn295 transports Yesterday at the show Airbus Military, PT Dirgantara Indonesia and the Indonesian defense ministry concluded contracts covering the supply of nine CN295 military transport aircraft. The first of the CN295s is expected to begin replacement of the Indonesian air force’s Fokker F27s at Jakarta/Halim before the end of this year, with deliveries due to be completed by 2014. Pictured here are Domingo Urena-Raso, head of Airbus Military (left), Adm. Agus Suhartono, chief of the Indonesian armed forces (second from left) and His Excellency Prof. Dr Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Indonesian defense minister (right).

–D.D.

news clips z Alafco selects CFM’s Leap for 35 A320neos Kuwait-based lessor Alafco has announced the selection of the CFM Leap-1A engine for the 35 Airbus A320neos that it ordered here at the show on Tuesday. Aircraft delivery is scheduled between 2019 and 2021. For CFM, the deal is valued at $840 million at list prices. Alafco said it planned to grow its portfolio to 100 airplanes “over the next few years.”

z Liebherr To Supply C919 Gear and Air for Comac C919 Liebherr-Aerospace is to provide the landing gear and air management system for China’s Comac C919 airliner, the Franco-German equipment manufacturer announced on Wednesday. Under the contract signed at the Singapore Airshow with the Shanghai-based airframer, Liebherr’s Lindenberg, Germany, site will develop, supply and service the landing gear. For development and production, it has formed a joint venture with Avic subsidiary Landing-Gear Advanced Manufacturing Co., based in Changsha, province of Hunan.

Meanwhile, Liebherr’s Toulouse, France, factory will develop, supply and service the air management system. It includes bleed air, air conditioning, air distribution, cabin pressure control, wing anti-ice and avionics ventilation systems. Thanks to a focus on integration, there will be only two controllers to manage all air-related functions. For development and manufacturing of some air management components, Liebherr-Aerospace will cooperate with the Nanjing Engineering Institute of Aircraft Systems in China.

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