21 Jul 04. Northrop statement on Watchkeeper decision. “During our five-year association with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in pursuit of this program, we hope that our efforts have helped to shape the Watchkeeper program and we wish them much success. Northrop Grumman remains committed to the UK defence market and it looks forward to working with the MOD on upcoming programs like JUEP and others. Through its expertise in technologies and capabilities in battle management, defence electronics, information technology and systems of systems integration, Northrop Grumman has become a world leader in network-enabled capability and it believes that there are many more projects that it can contribute to in the UK defence market,” said Thomas E. Vice, sector vice president, business development, Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems.
22 Jul 04. Northrop Grumman and EADS announced a memorandum of understanding to begin collaborating on ballistic-missile defense solutions. Specifically, the memorandum establishes an industrial framework to enable and structure formal discussions between the two companies in order to identify and pursue business opportunities in the emerging global ballistic-missile defense market An executive steering committee will commence immediately, comprised of individuals from both companies who will lay out the path for collaboration on ballistic-missile defense.
23 Jul 04. Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the closure of RAF Coltishall will release an important site earmarked for the possible construction of a facility to handle high risk illegal immigrants.
19 Jul 04. BAE Systems Avionics Group unveiled its Mil Design Bureau Mi-24 helicopter in BAE Systems corporate livery at Farnborough International. The helicopter’s appearance at Farnborough is the first time that the aircraft has appeared at an airshow having been moved for the first time from its company base at Rochester. The helicopter is being used by BAE Systems in support of its efforts to win avionics upgrades orders for both fixed wing and rotary legacy platforms.
20 Jul 04. Cobham’s aerospace systems division won a $100m order recently from the US military for an aerial refuelling system, and analysts hope positive news on the Eurofighter and the UK’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme will also help the shares.Cobham has been very acquisitive, buying 13 companies for a total of £167m last year. After identifying 20 possible takeover targets, the company said it could finance the same level of acquisitions for the next three years. The increase in US defence spending, particularly for homeland security, is a positive development as sales to the US have risen from 31 per cent to 36 per cent of total sales. (Source: FT)
22 Jul 04. EPI Europrop International GmbH (EPI), the joint company formed by the four leading European aero engine companies to offer the TP400-D6 turboprop for the A400M transport aircraft, has achieved a significant milestone in the development of the TP400-D6 engine. The preliminary design review of the TP400-D6 engine, which validates the main conceptual design of the engine and the preferred technologies and architecture, was successfully concluded last month. EPI will begin now all the detail design and the certification tests. The TP400-D6 is the western world’s largest-ever turboprop engine and it is designed to power the Airbus Military Company A400M aircraft. Initially more than 750 engines will be required for the 180 four-engined A400M aircraft committed by the participating Nations. The certification of the engine is scheduled in November 2007. The A400M will have its first flight in November 2007, with first deliveries to customers in August 2009.
21 Jul 04. SARBE, a division of Signature Industries Ltd, has signed a significant new agreement with Transaero Inc, the New York specialist distributor of military and civilian aerospace related products. The agreement with Transaero is