4-Nov-2010Source: Flightglobal
Boeing is now pitching the AH-6S helicopter as a less costly alternative for the US Army than upgrading 330 Bell Helicopter OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scouts.... Read more
4-Nov-2010Source: Dubai Helishow
The fourth edition of the Dubai Helishow, inaugurated by Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Art, continued to attract the region’s leading stakeholders in civil, medical, military, and search and rescue sector with day one seeing the confirmation of a deal between the UAE Airforce and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.... Read more
3-Nov-2010Source: Vancouver Sun
The Defence Department is looking at whether it should buy U.S. President Barack Obama’s helicopter cast-offs as spare parts for the Canadian air force’s Cormorant SAR fleet... Read more
3-Nov-2010Source: Bell
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT) announced that the U.S. Army initiated a contract for the OH-58 “A2D” cabin conversion upgrade program for the highly successful OH-58 platform. “We are pleased and proud that the United States Army has awarded us the first phase of the “A2D” agreement,” said John L. Garrison, president... Read more
3-Nov-2010Source: HeliHub.com
Bloomberg are today reporting that the Italian Air Force has ordered 10 SAR AW139s and 12 Combat AW101s, quoting unnamed people close to the company. THe order is valued at about 1.2 billion euros ($1.7 billion). The finances were approved on 13th October by the Italian Senate’s Defence Committee, accoridng to the Italian Government’s website.... Read more
2-Nov-2010Source: US Army
orpus Christ Army Depot sent its first OH-58D Kiowa Warrior back to the fight during a roll-out ceremony held in the depot’s Hangar 44, Oct. 14, 2010. The unprecedented OH-58D crash battle damage repair is the first step to increasing the number of Kiowa Warriors at a time when cost-effective measures are critical to support... Read more
2-Nov-2010Source: Eurocopter
Marignane, France, 2 November 2010 Eurocopter will mark its 30-plus year presence in the Middle East and Arabian Gulf region with a major participation at this week’s Dubai Helishow 2010, underscoring its helicopter product line’s capabilities for evolving applications that include anti-piracy, counter-insurgency and border patrol missions; corporate and VVIP transportation; emergency medical airlift; search... Read more
2-Nov-2010Source: Dubai Helishow
The much-awaited fourth edition of the Dubai Helishow, the Middle East’s largest trade show for the helicopter industry, opened its doors today at the Dubai Airport Expo Centre. The three-day event was inaugurated by Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Art Authority. Held under the patronage of His Highness... Read more
2-Nov-2010Source: Rubb Building Systems
Rubb Building Systems and Cocoon, Inc. recently collaborated in the installation of a fixedbase maintenance hangar for Army Fleet Support. Based at the Fort Rucker Army Base in Alabama, the helicopter hangar shall be used for training and maintenance of several types of Helicopters. The structure has a clear span width of 150′ wide, utilizes... Read more
1-Nov-2010Source: Hindustan Times
Helicopters of either MI-17 series or of equivalent capability, which can fly both at day and night, may be deployed before the end of the year.... Read more
1-Nov-2010Source: US DoD
Kaman Aerospace Corp., Bloomfield, Conn., is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed value of $18,125,727 for engineering technical services in support of the Egyptian Air Force’s H-2 program under the Foreign Military Sales program. Services to be provided include in-country support for operational mission requirements. Work will be performed in Bloomfield, Conn.... Read more
1-Nov-2010Source: 24 Heures
Last Friday in the morning, two military helicopters were hit by a laser beam above Vevey. Based on indications of crews, Vaud cantonal police could identify and question the author. He has been charged.... Read more
1-Nov-2010Source: CT Post
The planned 12,000 square-foot building is one-story with a mezzanine for storage The structure would not expand the footprint of Sikorsky’s Stratford campus.... Read more
1-Nov-2010Source: Times of India
The first helicopter cabin manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems in the aerospace SEZ in Ranga Reddy district will be delivered next week.... Read more
1-Nov-2010Source: Army Times
The U.S. Air Force is close to finalizing a sole-source deal to buy up to 93 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the U.S. Army, according to defense industry sources.... Read more
30-Oct-2010Source: World Tribune
The administration of President Barack Obama, despite an aid freeze by Congress and concerns about Iran’s presence in the country via the dominant Hizbullah organization, has pledged to build Lebanon’s Air Force.... Read more
29-Oct-2010Source: AVN
Bolivian Government has confirmed that they are evaluating a proposal from Iran to supply helicopters. No reference is made to whether they, or any other manufacturer, was asked to submit tenders.... Read more
29-Oct-2010Source: Dept of National Defence
On October 26, 2010, the Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, tabled her Fall Report in the House of Commons. Chapter 6 of the Auditor General’s Report, “Acquisition of Military Helicopters,†examines the acquisition of the CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter to replace the CH-124 Sea King and the acquisition of the CH-147 Chinook for a... Read more
29-Oct-2010
Paraguay has a total of four AS350s built by the Helibras factory in Brazil. One of these has been lost in an accident.... Read more
29-Oct-2010Source: El Heraldo
The five Bell 412 helicopters were officially handed over to President Porfirio Lobo... Read more
29-Oct-2010Source: Vuelo Libre
New facility expected to generate 10,000 direct and indirect jobs and stimulate the market for suppliers of parts of the aviation sector,... Read more
29-Oct-2010Source: NATO Training Mission
The Afghan Air Force Kandahar Air Wing (KAW) recently completed its first 100-hour maintenance phase inspection on a Mi-17 transport helicopter. A nine-person Afghan Tiger Team from Kabul, plus NATO advisors taught KAW’s maintainers how to conduct the 100-hour phase inspection: what to do, what to look for and how to document their findings and... Read more
29-Oct-2010Source: The World
Federal investigators contend the company sold knock-off parts to the Defense Department, including nonconforming helicopter parts for the Kentucky Army National Guard.... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Safran
The forecasts are spectacular: as from 2025, Russia, China and India should account between them for 50% of the world’s helicopter market, civil and military combined. Of these three countries, China is certainly the one that offers the greatest opportunities. Yet even though aerospace ranks among the priorities of the 11th five-year plan in China,... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Northrop Grumman
The Northrop Grumman Corporation-built (NYSE:NOC) MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical unmanned aerial system (VUAS) has passed the 1,000 flight test hours milestone, attesting to its steady maturation as a key intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset for military forces. Northrop Grumman is the Navy’s Fire Scout prime contractor. To reach this milestone, the VUAS completed a number... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Eurocopter
Eurocopter – whose partnership with Greek authorities continues to strengthen in the military, public and parapublic sectors – will showcase a wide range of solutions that meet the country’s helicopter requirements at the Defensys 2010 exhibition, being held in Thessaloniki on 28-31 October. The company’s stand (Hall 13, Stand 49) will feature models from different... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Dubai Helishow
With less than a week to go, the Middle East helicopter industry is gearing up for the eagerly anticipated Dubai Helishow Show 2010. The fourth edition of the Dubai Helishow – the International Civil and Military Helicopter Technology and Operations Exhibition will cater to the region’s rising civil, medical, military, and search and rescue sector... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Lockheed Martin
Military users from the Army, Air Force and Navy will be one step closer to realizing secure Internet Protocol based networking as the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) team begins integration activities of its Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) with the AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter. This marks the first time an... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Royal Danish Air Force
[Electronic translation of Danish language press release] Helicopter platform at the top of the Empire became a reality after a donation from the AP Møller and Chastine McKinney Møller Foundation for General Purposes and has numerous advantages over the previous solution; In the old days landed rescue helicopter Fælledparken and the patient should therefore first... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Flightglobal
Eurocopter chief executive Lutz Bertling believes he has a winning formula to see his company safely through the recession: drastically increase spending on research and development... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: The Sun
Married Chris Hearn, 48, is accused of “propositioning” a female cleaner at the Army Air Corps base in Middle Wallop, Hants.... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Russian Helicopters
Russian Helicopters, the Russian helicopter engineering holding company, a part of United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom, and the Russian Center for Scientific and Technical Services Dinamika (CSTS Dinamika) have signed a cooperation agreement in the marketing, development, production, and delivery of technical training means for flight and engineering personnel operating Russian-made rotorcraft. Under this agreement the... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Sikorsky
The U.S. Navy has already taken delivery of the 76th MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter. But it is the benchmark 75th delivery, celebrated on October 13, that marked more than just a new Seahawk for the fleet. It represented a renewed focus on streamlined production and affordability. “Over the last year, MS2 has devoted its resources... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: DoD Buzz
Boeing says that they expect to sign a contract with Jordan for 18 to 24 of its new AH-6s by the end of the year while another 36 of the birds are set to go to Saudi Arabia as apart of the $60 billion arms deal recently penned with the US... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Italian Navy
[Electronic translation of Italian language press release] It ‘began Oct. 4 and will run until 13, the transfer with a C-17 aircraft of the U.S. Air Force three- EH-101 helicopters that the Navy should operate in Afghanistan to support the operations of the NATO-led force, known as ISAF – International Security and Assistance Force. The... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Cavok
The first EC725 of the Brazilian Navy’s order for 16 was officially handed over in a ceremony at Eurocopter’s factory at Marignane, France. The EC725 will be known in Brazil as the UH-15 and operated by the “HU-2 Pegasus” unit... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Eurocopter
Two strategic agreements signed today establish the framework for Eurocopter’s creation of a 50/50 joint venture in Kazakhstan to assemble EC145 helicopters, along with the sale of 45 of these locally-assembled aircraft for government missions in the country. The first accord is a framework agreement between Eurocopter and Kazakhstan Engineering to create a 50/50 joint... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: EADS North America
As its role in American military operations expands, the EADS North America-supplied UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter continues to receive high marks from the U.S. Army for its performance and mission diversity. These key qualities were underscored today during a joint program update for journalists in Washington, D.C., where officials from the Army and EADS... Read more
28-Oct-2010Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky Aerospace Services today announced an order for two upgraded S-61â„¢ utility helicopters for use in Afghanistan to support drug interdiction efforts. Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) is the aftermarket division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). Earlier this year, the State Department entered into a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity... Read more
27-Oct-2010Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com maintains what we believe to be the most comprehensive record of helicopter accidents and incidents on the internet. Here is our report for September 2010 Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil and military * 2009 Annual Review of Fatal Accidents * Safety News September 2010 was... Read more
27-Oct-2010Source: Luftwaffe
[Electronic translation from German original] On 1 October 2010 was placed under a solemn appeal to the air base Holzdorf the only helicopter squadron of the Air Force. On 21 October 2010 was this helicopter squadron (HSG) 64 the first helicopter of the type NH-90. The new transport helicopter was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Reiner... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Honeywell
The Advanced Turbine Engine Company LLC (ATEC), the new joint venture between Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and United Technologies Corporation’s (NYSE: UTX) Pratt & Whitney, has selected its senior leadership team, including its new president, Craig Madden. ATEC was created to develop a more efficient, more powerful engine for UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache helicopters.... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Bell
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, is pleased to announce 14 employee winners of the 2010 Lawrence D. Bell Pioneer Award. With this recognition, four Bell teams are advancing to the final stage of the Chairman’s Award for Innovation, a corporate Textron competition honoring innovators whose exemplary innovations have led to significant improvements and... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin UK – Integrated Systems and strategic partner, AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, announced today that MCSP01, the first upgraded Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 helicopter has performed a successful maiden flight at the AgustaWestland facility in Yeovil. The 35 minute first flight went as planned and the initial flight test phase will focus on testing... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Daily Record
The MoD have accepted liability, but the exact settlement has yet to be decided. The men are suing for “injury, loss and damage”. The accident happened in August 2007 during low-level flight near the Army’s Catterick base.... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Defense News
Turkey and AgustaWestland will sign a contract this week for the urgent production of nine T129 attack helicopters, the company’s top official announced today... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: CBC
“After lengthy delays and significant cost increases, National Defence still has not completely estimated what it will cost to operate these helicopters,” Auditor General Sheila Fraser said.... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Bell
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT) announced that the U.S. Army Aviation awarded a new designation for the highly successful OH 58 platform. “We are pleased and proud that the United States Army has awarded the OH 58 “F†designation to our helicopter,†said John L. Garrison, president and chief executive officer of... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: EADS North America
Arlington, Virginia, October 26, 2010 – The UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter, which is supplied by EADS North America, has surpassed the 40,000-flight hour milestone in operational service with the U.S. Army and Army National Guard. Built at the company’s American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss., a total of 138 Lakotas have been delivered to... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Latitude Technologies
Victoria, British Columbia, October 25, 2010 — Latitude Technologies Corp. of Victoria, BC, has been awarded the contract to supply up to 95 of its SkyNode® S200 satellite communication systems for the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) CH-146 Griffon helicopter fleet. The contract is the result of Latitude’s diligent work over the years to... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Elbit Systems
Haifa, Israel, October 26, 2010 – Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT) announced today that its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, LLC, was awarded a $45.5 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana for the supply of the Night Targeting System Upgrade (NTSU)... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Boeing
Boeing recently returned the first production A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft, A020, to the assembly line after applying the aircraft’s final, light-gray coat of paint. The A160T is shown entering the paint hangar in this photo. Last week, Boeing submitted a bid that offers the world record-holding A160T in response to the Naval Air Systems Command’s... Read more
26-Oct-2010
Vedomosti said citing Russian defense sources that invitations to participate in a closed tender had been sent out to “all interested parties” and the winner of the tender could be announced as early as by the end of this year.... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Goodrich
Goodrich Corporation (NYSE: GR) has received a follow-on contract worth over £7M (approx US$10M) from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for Performance Based Logistics (PBL). The contract continues a decade of support for a number of legacy instruments used on a range of UK jets and helicopters in operational service. The contract was awarded... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a contract potentially worth $457 million to provide the U.S. Army’s Communications and Electronics Command (CECOM) with advanced AN/APR-39 radar warning receivers required by the nation’s warfighters to effectively navigate today’s modern battlefield. Under the terms of the sole-source, five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract, the company will... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: Raytheon
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) will pursue a prime contractor role in response to the U.S. Army’s Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) request for proposal. CIRCM will protect combat helicopters and other aircraft by jamming the infrared guidance systems of heat-seeking missiles and diverting the missiles away from the aircraft. Raytheon’s CIRCM solution, known as Scorpion, will... Read more
26-Oct-2010Source: US Navy
The Navy successfully conducted the first flight test of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) Block I system at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Oct. 13, testing the system’s performance on the Fire Scout vertical take-off unmanned aerial vehicle. The AN/DVS-1 COBRA system allows the MQ-8B Fire Scout to conduct unmanned aerial reconnaissance in littoral... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Australian Dept of Defence
After 737 flying hours and having moved in excess of 691,000 kilograms of supplies and equipment over the last eight months, Australia’s Rotary Wing Group rotation is returning home for a well-earned break and mandatory maintenance on their aircraft. The task group and their two CH-47 Chinooks will return to Afghanistan early in the new... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Boeing
Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that the Boeing and government team supporting the AH-64D Apache helicopter Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) program has received the 2010 Secretary of Defense PBL Award, Sub-system Level. The awards are presented to government/industry PBL program teams that have demonstrated exceptional operational readiness. U.S. Army Apache materiel availability and readiness was 92... Read more
25-Oct-2010
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW 32.54, +0.03, +0.09%) today announced that it has received a contract from American Eurocopter Corporation, an operating unit of EADS North America, to provide its Video Management System (VMS) for the U.S. Army’s UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) Security & Support (S&S) Battalion Mission equipment Package. The estimated value of the... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: BAE Systems
On Thursday, Oct. 21 BAE Systems unveiled new technology that protects military helicopters from infrared-guided missiles and announced its U.S. light tactical vehicle strategy to include an update on its Valanx JLTV offering for the U.S. Army as well as a new HMMWV Recap offering. During the briefing, BAE Systems officials also highlighted the array... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: EADS North America
EADS North America announced today at the Association of the U.S. Army annual convention that its Armed Aerial Scout 72X (AAS-72X) industry team is preparing for the first flight of one of three company-funded Technical Demonstration Aircraft (TDA). The EADS North America-led industry team, comprised of Lockheed Martin (LMT 71.70, +0.29, +0.41%) , Eurocopter and... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Sikorsky
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – The first S-70iTM BLACK HAWK helicopter has successfully completed production flight testing and will begin development and flight testing of options that will be made available to international customers. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). The aircraft has flown more than 50 hours in its production... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Boeing
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] will showcase a wide array of solutions for the U.S. Army at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition, Oct. 25-27 in Washington. Army modernization initiatives, unmanned systems, airlift and attack/reconnaissance platforms, network-centric technologies, cybersecurity solutions, logistics support, and logistics command and control will be highlighted... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Boeing
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced it has received a $247 million contract to begin Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache Block III helicopter, the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter in the world. The contract, signed by the U.S. government on Oct. 22, covers production of eight Apache Block... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Eurocopter
Eurocopter’s comprehensive portfolio of naval and maritime helicopters will be highlighted at the 2010 Euronaval exhibition and conference, including the participation of a fully-equipped NHIndustries NH90 NATO frigate helicopter – which is entering service with a growing international operator base. The Eurocopter participation in this biennial event, to be held October 25-29 at Le Bourget... Read more
25-Oct-2010Source: Cyberpress
Turbomeca is to lay off more than half of its employees, with 35 departing in January 2011 and another 35 in May.... Read more
25-Oct-2010
Flew into an electric cable during a training flight; The Black Hawk was slightly damaged and no one on board was injured... Read more
24-Oct-2010
Somali pirates opened fire at an anti-piracy helicopter... Read more
23-Oct-2010
Tailban claim it was shot down, ISAF deny and say mechanical failure... Read more
22-Oct-2010Source: Royal Navy
A detachment from 847 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) has returned to Sierra Leone after a five year absence. Amongst the detachment personnel were veterans of Operations Palliser and Silkman in 2000, and members who had last visited for Exercise Vela in 2005. For many Sierra Leone nationals the British Armed Forces, and more specifically those... Read more
22-Oct-2010Source: Projects Unlimited
Projects Unlimited, Inc., announced today that it has been awarded a contract to build Flight Control Computers, Ice Protection Control Units and Wiring Integration Remote Terminal Assemblies in support of the H-1 and V-22 helicopters for Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The contracts, which have an aggregate... Read more
22-Oct-2010Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky Aircraft is set to begin testing of the key systems to be installed on the CH-53K helicopter, the new heavy lift aircraft being built for the U.S. Marine Corps, as a new Systems Integration Lab (SIL) was formally turned on recently to begin operations. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:... Read more
22-Oct-2010Source: Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation (Nasdaq: KAMN), have formally offered the K-MAX® unmanned helicopter in response to a U.S. Naval Air Systems Command request for a cargo unmanned aircraft system. Earlier this year, the unmanned K-MAX system successfully demonstrated its ability to resupply troops in a simulated... Read more
22-Oct-2010Source: Defense Technology
Defense Technology Inc. (DTI) announced today that they had donated the historical maintenance bulletins for the Mi-17 aircraft to the Afghan Air Force. The Mi-17 manufacturers (OEMs) regularly issue safety and maintenance bulletins for the aircraft models they have produced. These bulletins contain important flight safety information, new maintenance procedures, required part replacements and other... Read more
