Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 16, 2008 - (Page 76)

FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 Chemezov and Rostekhnologia Prevail vate shareholders in AiRUnion that On Monday Russian President will allow Russian Technologies to Dmitri Medvedev approved the receive a 51% stake in the company, transfer of the government’s holdand they will have 49%.” According ings in 426 enterprises to Russian to Medvedev’s decree, ROT will conTechnologies (Rostekhnologia, or trol 51% of Kranoyarsk Airlines, ROT). This decision is the end 50% of Domodedovo Airlines and game in an on-going struggle 46.5% of Samara Airlines. between the various Russian minWhen the plan for the acquisition istries and agencies responsible for of all of these enterprises by ROT industrial management and ecowas first announced, there was signomic development. nificant opposition from the Russian ROT was created as an umbrella Finance Ministry and the Federal company by the state arms monopAnti-Monopoly Service on the oly, Rosoboronexport (ROE), and grounds that ROT was supposed to is headed up by a long-time friend be a defense-oriented concern, but and former KGB colleague of Russ118 of the companies on Chemezov’s ian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. list had no connection to the defense Prior to ROT’s formation, ROE industry. Critics of the move in Rustook control of AvtoVAZ, Russia’s VSMPO-Avisma, now part of ROT, is a key supplier of titanium to Boeing. One of the companies that Chemezov’s new sia have decried it as “another chapter in the story largest automaker, and titanium manufacturer VSMPO-Avisma. VSMPO is one of the world’s mammoth consortium will control is the of ‘KGB Capitalism’ that has seen most of the largest suppliers of aircraft-grade titanium and AiRUnion airline alliance that is made up of five state’s valuable assets pass into the hands of forhas a multi-billion dollar joint venture with Boe- Russian air carriers. Chemezov told the Russian mer employees of the St. Petersburg mayor’s ing to supply fabricated components for the 787 financial newspaper, Vedomosti, on Monday that office and the Federal Security Service.” “We have already signed an agreement with priand other programs. —Reuben F. Johnson BAE Systems Embraces the UAS Challenge BAE Systems is responding to the growing demand for military unmanned air vehicles with the establishment of a Global UAS Strategy Team. Headed by Mark Kane, who leads the company’s UK UAS activities, it is pursuing several new opportunities for unmanned systems in both military and civil applications. “Conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are proving that many dull, dirty and dangerous operations can be done by unmanned systems, and that using them means that people are kept out of harm’s way,” says Kane. Kane argues that forecasts in recent years have consistently underestimated growth in the market, but the current belief is that within five or six years, BAE Systems’ current customers will be spending $10 billion a year on military unmanned air systems. He emphasizes BAE Systems’ leadership position in advanced UAS technology, particularly with regard to autonomous operations. “We have skipped a generation and, whereas most current UAVs are remotely piloted or have some automatic functions, ours are fully autonomous. They can take off, undertake a mission, identify targets and come back entirely on their own,” says Kane. Another aspect of BAE Systems’ UAS is its small “footprint”; the UAS is operated, maintained and supported by fewer people and support systems. In fact, the HERTI UAV just completed deployment in five countries, operating with a number of air forces, where is was fully integrated in operational air bases and supported by mobile, self-contained ground facilities, control and communications systems including unique “reachback” to the UK, where imagery and flight data can be processed in near-real time. Another strength of BAE Systems UAS operation is rapid prototyping. “We are being able to bring a technology demonstrator such as MANTIS from a blank page to a flying aircraft within 15 months. Such short cycles were unheard of with manned aircraft,” Kane told Show News. Mark Kane believes that, even with the recent growth in the UAV market, the greatest opportunities will come from 2010, when existing equipment begins to reach the end of its life, and a new round of procurement decisions will be necessary. The challenge for BAE Systems, he concedes, is to understand now how the company can best leverage its global capabilities and position itself to take advantage of the business opportunities that become available. —Tamir Eshel http://www.hitco.com http://www.hitco.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 16, 2008

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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