14 Jun 10. Last week at the ILA show in Berlin, Eurocopter revealed the medical evacuation version of the NH90, which has been developed to meet the requirements of the German air force. A similar mission package is also available as a retrofit to turn standard transport versions into CSAR platforms. Germany has a requirement for 12 helicopters outfitted for the evacuation of wounded personnel from forward areas. They need to be capable of operation under all weather and terrain conditions, and to be sufficiently protected for operation in high-threat areas. Eurocopter aims to complete the project in 20 months. To meet the deadline, some elements of the configuration, such as the MG-3 parts kit and anti-ballistic protection, have been brought forward in the developmental test schedule. Existing NH90 systems, such as the ECM, helmet-mounted display for low-altitude night flying and secure voice comms, are being adapted to the new mission requirements. The interior and medical equipment have been designed with assistance from the German army’s medical service, and include two intensive care bays.
At the same time, Eurocopter is offering a similar mission package to retrofit the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for the combat search and rescue mission. Among the CSAR options are a rappel system, double rescue hoist, emergency flotation, sand filters, obstacle warning system and ECM. Suppressive fire can be provided by up to three guns, two mounted in the side doors and one on the tail ramp. (Source: Jane’s)

11 Jun 10. Schiebel announced the launch of its new composite business at Eurosatory. Eurosatroy. into another high-tech area. Schiebel’s carbon fibre department was set up in 2004. In the first five years, the department has grown to a 40-man division with production sites in Wiener Neustadt, Austria and Abu Dhabi, UAE.
“With this experience, Schiebel Composites now offers its full services to the general public. We are reacting to the increasing demand. It was time to pass our expertise gained from the precise demands of the aviation industry on to other customers by supplying them with high-quality carbon fiber technology,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group.
State-of-the-art production equipment, from fully climate controlled clean rooms to automated cutters, autoclaves and annealing furnaces offer a nearly unlimited range of production technologies. Our core competencies include everything that composite materials such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber and various core materials like honeycombs, Rohacell, and other materials have to offer. From design to component layout and construction, tool crafting, prototyping, function test up to serial components, the customer is offered a wide range of services. Depending on the requirements, Schiebel Composites selects the material best suited with its associated technology.

10 Jun 10. The newest member of Eurocopter’s military helicopter family was shown for the first time at Eurosatory. The EC645 is the militarized version of Eurocopter’s EC145 helicopter, which is in widespread use worldwide for homeland security, para-military, law enforcement, search & rescue and medical evacuation missions, along with other applications. The U.S. Army currently is acquiring 345 EC145s in the UH-72A configuration as its new Light Utility Helicopter, while a U.S.-specific armed version called the AAS-72X is to be proposed for the U.S. military’s Armed Aerial Scout requirement. The EC645 responds to demands for a 3.5-metric ton weight category that can be rapidly reconfigured for a full range of mission requirements to meet complex combat scenarios such as asymmetric warfare. Equipped with the Stand Alone Weapon System (SAWS) developed by Eurocopter and ATE, the EC645 incorporates a mission computer, an electro-optical system with TV and infrared cameras and laser telemeter (with laser designator as needed), a targeting system with a helmet mounte