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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: energyplay who wrote (61771)	3/7/2010 11:00:48 PM
From: SG	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 218108

In addition, as last time, the U.S. can supply real time high tech satellite data to the Brits. The U.S. is not going to let the Brits lose a war with Argentina. I hope cooler heads in Argentina prevent this. SG

To: energyplay who wrote (61771)	3/9/2010 1:54:12 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 218108

Shape of things to come: "Airbus CEO says tanker bid makes no economic sense" Tue Mar 9, 2010 12:50am ESTStocks PARIS, March 9 (Reuters) - The head of European planemaker Airbus appeared on Tuesday to rule out a solo bid for a multi-billion-dollar U.S. aerial tanker contract after its partner left the race, saying it made no economic sense. Now compare with this: Brazil unveils airlifter programme partner strategy, timetable By: Keith Campbell 19th February 2010 Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has revealed more details about its plans concerning international partners for its KC-390 military tanker and transport aircraft programme. South Africa's Denel Saab Aerostructures (DSA) is known to be interested in becoming one of the industrial partners in the KC-390. The Brazilian company has revealed that it seeks to have four or five international industrial partners in the programme and that it plans to decide who these will be by the middle of next year. Embraer executive vice-president: defence market Orlando Neto has indicated that the selected partners could produce parts of the airframe (aerostructures) such as the tail, or systems such as the undercarriage. The intent is that these industrial partner companies will be selected from the countries which order the KC-390. In return for the orders, these companies will receive a share of the work on the aircraft. This means that the Brazilian company is adopting the same approach as Airbus Military did with its A400M programme. However, the KC-390 programme will benefit from the fact that it has one lead country and one lead customer, the Brazilian Air Force, unlike the multinational A400M programme. Moreover, Embraer intends to acquire existing avionics and engines for the KC-390, and has already issued Requests for Information and Requests for Proposals for these systems. (The KC-390 will employ a fly-by-wire flight control system and will be powered by two turbofan engines). Thus, whereas the A400M programme has involved the development of a new airframe, new engines and a new flight control system, the KC-390 will involve the development of a new airframe only, greatly reducing the risk and cost of the project. It is already clear that Embraer would like Portugal to be one of the partner countries for the KC-390. The Brazilian company owns 65% of Portugal's main aerospace company, Ogma, and is currently building new facilities for its Portuguese subsidiary at Evora, in a $207-million project that was launched last July and will be completed in 2012. This new facility could be used to produce carbon fibre parts for the new aircraft. Another 18 Portuguese companies which could serve as suppliers to the programme have reportedly been identified by Embraer. Government-to-government talks between Brazil and Portugal on the KC-390 also started in July. The Portuguese Air Force operates six Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, which will need replacing. Interestingly, Portugal, like South Africa, was once a member of the A400M programme, but pulled out back in 2002 due to rising costs. South Africa withdrew from the A400M programme late last year, for exactly the same reason. Regarding DSA, this company is a manufacturer of aerostructures - parts of the fuselages, wings and tail surfaces of aircraft, both fixed-wing and helicopters. It currently produces major components for the Saab Gripen fighter and for the A400M, tail planes for the Gulfstream G150 business jet. It has also produced aerostructures for the AgustaWestland A109 helicopter and the BAE Systems Hawk fighter-trainer. It is now clear that, if DSA wants to participate in the KC-390 programme, it must have the explicit and full support of the South African government, and that this support must include an order for the KC-390. The time in which to make a decision is limited. The South African Air Force still needs to replace its elderly (although much upgraded) C-130B Hercules airlifters. The KC-390 will be a smaller aircraft than the A400M, with a maximum payload of 19 t as against the A400M's 37 t capacity; the KC-390 will have an internal fuselage width of 3,2 m while that of the A400M is 4 m. The KC-390's main rival, the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules II, has a maximum payload of 21 t. Embraer wants the first prototype KC-390 to fly in 2013 with the first deliveries to the Brazilian Air Force in 2015. The Brazilian Air Force will order at least 20 KC-390s, in addition to three prototypes. But this number could increase to more than 30.