14 Oct 14. Army ‘Mike Boat’ replacement expected soon. US Army officials expect to soon solicit proposals for replacing the service’s ageing Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) 8 MOD I and MOD II, which are commonly referred to as ‘Mike Boats’. The army has about 100 watercraft in several variants that are used to help support operations in semi-permissive environments by delivering combat capability or conducting Joint Logistics-Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) missions. The LCM 8 ‘Mike Boats’ could soon be replaced with a new Manoeuvre Support Vessel – Light (MSV-L) platform, as the army hopes to soon begin a new programme for the boat and is currently formulating a request for proposals, Scott Davis, director of the programme executive office for combat support and combat systems support (CS&CSS), told reporters at an Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
15 Oct 14. India Cancels Navy LUH Tender; Issues New Request.
India has cancelled yet another light utility helicopter (LUH) global tender, this time for the Navy, which has rushed to float a new request for information to domestic companies for the troubled program, said a Defence Ministry source. The request seeks to gauge company interest in manufacturing an unspecified number of LUHs in partnership with foreign firms. The Ministry of Defence early this month cancelled the Navy’s global tender issued in 2012 for the procurement of 56 LUHs. The Navy had hoped to induct the helicopters by 2016. The competitors, Airbus Helicopters and AgustaWestland, have been informed of MoD’s decision to cancel the tender, the source added. No official from either AgustaWestland or Airbus Helicopters was available to comment on the cancellation. The Navy requires an LUH with a maximum take-off weight of 4.5 tons, and which can be used for both shore-based and offshore operations, operating from ship decks in all weather, day and night.
On Aug. 29, the MoD cancelled a global tender issued in 2009 for the purchase of 197 LUHs for the Indian Air Force, in which Kamov and Airbus Helicopters were the final competitors. A Navy official said the service is disappointed that acquisition of the helicopters has again been delayed as they urgently wish to replace the aging Cheetah and Chetak currently in use. Manufacture of the LUH domestically will add time to the process. The Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, made by Hindustan Aeronautics under license, are 40 years old and being flown beyond their age limitations, the official said. (Source: Defense News)
14 Oct 14. Indian MoD hands HAL RfP for more Hawks. India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) dispatched a request for proposal (RfP) to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 20 additional BAE Systems Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) in early October. The RfP was re-issued as the file dealing with the add-on Hawk purchase for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) aerobatics team was reported missing from the MoD some weeks ago and an inquiry ordered into the matter. HAL, which will licence-build the Hawks in Bangalore for about INR20bn (USD333m), issued a request to BAE Systems around 10 October for the AJTs, company officials confirmed. It has similarly asked Rolls-Royce for 20 Adour Mk 871 engines to power the Hawks. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
16 Oct 14. New data from aerospace trade organisation ADS Group, released on 8 October 2014, reveals the global aircraft order backlog has reached a new record following a bumper number of orders throughout August. The backlog, which now stands at 12,113 aircraft and 21,128 engines, could be worth up to £160bn to the UK, offering valuable longterm stability and a strong base for industry and the supply chain to invest in further capability and capacity. This is positive news for the UK aerospace sector which has seen a slow recovery from the economic crisis of 2008 and the following Eurozone crisis. While the defence sector suffered from the implications of reducing budgets an