28 Apr 16. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and Airbus Helicopters hosted a two-day workshop in Radom on the 28 – 29 April to identify potential areas of cooperation around the Tiger HAD project, in the frame of the Kruk attack helicopter project. The event included the global network of Tiger HAD suppliers who took part in the discussions with a number of Polish companies. Tiger suppliers, among which major electronics, armament and helicopter communications groups such as Nexter, MBDA, and Thales Avionics, met with PGZ entities during one-to-one sessions in order to exchange on possible cooperation opportunities. Airbus Helicopters plans on maintaining
strong industrial ties with Poland and has kicked off the Tiger network by hosting this workshop which allowed 14 Tiger companies and 12 PGZ companies to discuss design, production, integration, and maintenance topics.
“We are not just laying the groundwork for future Tiger production in Poland: we are also paving the way for the establishment of a Tiger industrial network in the same way we have been doing with the Caracal” said Mickael Peru, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters Polska. “The Tiger is
the most versatile and agile attack helicopter on the battlefield, and we are committed to strengthening Poland’s defence industry in terms of advanced technology and expertise by making it a Polish helicopter”, he added.
Recent cooperation projects with Poland also include the development of high-end helicopter manufacturing capabilities, with the inauguration last year of a dedicated research & development centre in Lódz. Airbus Helicopters has a worldwide industrial footprint with 31
customer centres around the globe and industrial cooperations with 39 countries including the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia.
26 Apr 16. FAB re-negotiating AMX upgrade programme, could buy fewer. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is negotiating with Embraer Defense & Security for modernisation of the service’s AMX fighter jets (locally designated A-1A/B), an air force spokesperson told IHS Jane’s.
This potentially indicates that fewer modernised aircraft will be received. Any non-modernised aircraft will remain in service, the FAB said. The local aerospace company in December 2003 was awarded a BRL843m (USD237m) contract to modernise 43 aircraft (33 A-1A single-seats and 10 A-1B twin-seats) to the A-1M configuration. Brazil originally received 55 A-1A/Bs between 1991 and 2000, the FAB said. To date, three upgraded single-seats were received, with the first inducted 3 September 2013 by Squadron Adelphi of Santa Cruz Air Base. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/IHS Jane’s)
27 Apr 16. Russia May Deliver New Fighter Jets to Myanmar By End of 2016. Russia plans to deliver three fighter jets to Myanmar by the end of 2016, media sources reported Tuesday. Earlier this year, information from the 2016 acquisition plan of the Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut had indicated that a batch of Yakovlev Yak-130 (Mitten) combat trainer aircraft and associated equipment could be delivered to Myanmar this year, along with a specialized full-mission tactical simulator to be delivered by the end of 2017. At the time, no further information about the exact delivery schedule was provided on the aircraft, which has an approximate export price of $15m. Now, a source has confirmed to the Russian daily Kommersant that the transfer will occur by the end of this year.
“The plan provides for the transfer of three aircraft to them [Myanmar] in 2016,” the source reportedly said.
The Yak-130, a Russian-made subsonic, two-seat, new-generation aircraft, was originally developed in the 1990s, with the prototype subsequently completing test flights and joint tests in the 2000s. Though it is classified as a lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT), which allows pilots to familiarize themselves with aircraft, it can also fly on genuine combat missions. And owing to several hard-points under each wing, the aircraft ca