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25 Nov 09. Two of the 46 aircraft Eurocopter-Australian Aerospace MRH-90 helicopters ordered by Australia will be manufactured in Germany to cut delivery delays. The company proposed using the German facilities after delays at the Australian Aerospace Brisbane facility resulted in four aircraft being delayed to the end of 2011, a six-month delay over the originally scheduled date. According to Australia’s latest defence annual report, two aircraft will be assembled in Germany and delivered to Australia to recover scheduled delays in the Australian assembly line. The remaining 40 MRH-90 will be assembled at the Australian Aerospace Brisbane facility. (Source: army-technology.com)
17 Nov 09. ATLAS ELEKTRONIK has established a new subsidiary in Finland. With this local branch, Germany’s systems supplier for naval electronics will be able to start an intensive support to the Finnish Navy and also work more closely with Finnish partners. ATLAS ELEKTRONIK Finland Oy is based in Helsinki. Its managing director is Sami Sohlberg, a former officer of the Finnish Navy.
17 Nov 09. In a move to deepen its penetration of the US defense market, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) subsidiary Stark Aerospace yesterday inaugurated is new facility at the Golden Triangle Airport in Columbus, Mississippi. (Source: Google)
19 Nov 09. MIRA announced the opening of a dedicated office to support the growth in EU research and development projects. The Brussels office
ensures MIRA is better able to react to the evolving political landscape and deliver appropriate technology advice to policy makers.
16 Nov 09. Cobham will open a new composite parts manufacturing facility in Suffolk, Virginia, during early 2010. The facility will manufacture advanced composite products for the aerospace and defense industry. Cobham anticipates that nearly 200 new jobs will be created during the first five years of the new facility’s operation. The Suffolk facility will operate as part of Cobham’s Defense Systems division and will complement existing similar facilities in San Diego, California. Similar products will be produced at both the San Diego and Suffolk facilities, with a strong emphasis on high-volume production programs in the Suffolk facility. The focus will be on advanced aircraft engine components, aircraft and rotorcraft structural products, unmanned aerial vehicle components, as well as missile and munitions products for the US defense industry.
17 Nov 09. 230 Squadron RAF: Move to Benson. The nine Puma helicopters from 230 Squadron RAF left the Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station (formerly RAF Aldergrove) near Belfast for their new base at RAF Benson on 17 Nov 09. 230 Squadron has now joined the rest of the Puma Force with 33 Squadron. As well as the nine helicopters, around 250 Service personnel and their families were involved in the move from Northern Ireland.
Comment: On 24 Apr 08 the then Armed Forces’ Minister announced some restructuring for the Northern Ireland Garrison. The move of 230 Squadron is designed to “establish a coherent Puma Force on a single site”. Aldergrove is to remain a military flying station for the Army Air Corps “for the foreseeable future”. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/44, 23 Nov 09)
18 Nov 09. The Hon. Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia, officially opened the new Lockheed Martin Australia Electronic Systems facility at Mawson Lakes today. Following Lockheed Martin Australia’s successful acquisition of RLM Group in 2008, its workforce grew to more than 400, making a larger facility necessary. With 200 employees still based in Adelaide, Lockheed Martin Australia Electronic Systems (LMAES) also will retain its original facility at Edinburgh. After successfully delivering the JORN Over the Horizon Radar to the Australian Government, Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the Over The Horizon Systems Program Office and BAE Systems, has continued to