Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 16, 2008 - (Page 14)

FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 Rockwell Collins Reports Net Income Up 19% Team CW: Big Demands on All Fronts, But Still No Raytheon Rear Adm. Amjad Hussain, director general weapons, at UK Ministry of Defence DE&S (defence equipment & services) says that funding allocated to the pioneering Team Complex Weapons (Team CW) initiative is part of a well-thought-out process to determine new ways of procuring and developing weapons. “We were not willing to throw £500 million at it to let everyone go away, then come back in three years and tell us how it went. So £74 million [first assessment year Rear Adm. Hussain. funding] takes us to April 2009, and there are a number of things to prove. Think of it as an incentive not to dawdle. It may not be a comfortable place to be, but being comfortable does not deliver innovation,” the rear admiral explained. He also commented on the continuing—for more than two years—discussions with Raytheon about joining Team CW. “Our door is always open, but Raytheon Systems Ltd. is still not in. They will have to meet our requirements, and that may not meet theirs. Our discussions are still active, but I know there have been some severe internal discussions to see if they can make the business case for Team CW. They want to make sure that they don’t jeopardize their international business by joining. It’s a business decision for them— but if they don’t join, it’s not the end of the world either.” —Robert Hewson In a sign of the times, the negative backdrop of soaring fuel costs in the airline industry helped cool off the price of Rockwell Collins stock even as the company reported a remarkable 19% increase in net income for the April-June quarter on July 11. This is the third quarter of the company’s fiscal year. Net income reached $174 million, up $28 million from the same period a year earlier. Sales rose 7% and earnings per share went up 24%. Meanwhile, the company’s stock closed down on Friday, July 11 by 8.36%, or $4.30 per share. This brought the stock down to $47.16—near the bottom of the 52-week range between $46.73 and $76. Commercial Systems, the business unit that serves aircraft manufacturers, achieved sales of $587 million in the quarter, up 8% compared to a year earlier. Rockwell Collins is at Chalet B13-14 here, and at Stand F10, Hall 4. India’s Tejas Making Slow Progress Development of India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has inched along another step with the first flight of the second of eight Limited Series Production aircraft. LSP-2 is the first to be powered by the 18,000 pounds-thrust General Electric F404-IN20 engine planned for initial production LCAs. The aircraft reached 1.1 Mach on its 43-minute first flight from Bangalore on June 17, says India’s Defence Research & Development Organization. LSP-3 will be the first Tejas fitted with a radar. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is producing eight LSPs. An initial order of 20 production aircraft has been placed for the Indian Air Force, with service entry slated for 2010. Sagem Debuts New Airborne Optronics Unit Sagem Défense Sécurité (Groupe SAFRAN) returning to Farnborough this year after a several year hiatus, is debuting its new EUROFLIR highperformance airborne optronics unit. EUROFLIR is a multifunction airborne surveillance system that makes use of the company’s best current know-how in sensors, gyrostabilization, platform integration, image processing, chain-ofcommand insertion and operational maintenance. On its gyrostabilized platform the system can contain up to four sensors: IR cameras, television optical channel, laser telemeter and eye-safe laser designator, according to operational needs. It provides enhanced performances in terms of identification and range, thanks to an infrared optic zoom with continuous enlargement. Sagem is at Hall 4, Stand B12 here. ATK and Elbit to Develop Laser-Guided Rockets Elbit Systems Ltd. and Alliant Techsystems (ATK) are teaming to develop a precision guided version of ATK’s unguided 70mm rocket. The new weapon, Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket—Laser (GATR-L), will provide an affordable precision strike capability for a wide range of fixed-wing, rotary-wing and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) platforms cleared to use standard 2.75-in (70mm) rockets. GATR-L employs a Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guidance package developed by Elbit Systems to achieve high accuracy against both stationary and moving targets. The seeker can be locked on target before launch, to ensure only the target of interest is engaged or seek a target designated by laser. GATR-L is compatible with existing 70mm launcher hardware and utilizes enhanced insensitive munitions technologies. Elbit Systems is at Hall 1, Stand C17. Some AW139 Helos to Be Built in Russia Oboronprom Corp. and AgustaWestland (Pavilion OE1-2) signed a joint venture agreement at Farnborough on July 15, covering the assembly of some AW139 civil helicopters in Russia. The signing finalizes an agreement announced in May at HeliRussia 2008 in Moscow. Giuseppe Orsi, AgustaWestland CEO, says the deal will allow the company to better satisfy growing demand for the AW139, while also expanding the company’s presence in the Russian and CIS civil markets. 14 July 16, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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Bombardier, Shenyang $5 Billion for Composites 787 and Seven V-22s for Export Sale? Saving Fuel at SFO Raytheon Roars Into UAVs Bell Eyes ARH-70A Costs All According to Plan We Fly the PC-12NG Russia’s T-50 PAK-FA Optimistic in Israel ICAO Sim Classifications Pratt to Power New Drone Russian Conglomerate

Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 16, 2008

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