News Clips

Aerospatiale Matra and Lockheed Martin are combining to enter the UK competition to replace the RAF's ageing tanker fleet and to provide refuelling services and support for the next 20 years. The cooperative project is based on the use of an Airbus aircraft. Aerospatiale Matra and Lockheed Martin have not yet identified a specific aircraft, but will work quickly to single out the optimal platform. The two companies intend to team with one of the already identified 7 primes on the UK Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) programme in order to support the requirements of the UK mission. This agreement is a first step toward the introduction of a new generation of tanker/transport aircraft for the world market, which is estimated to be in excess of 300 aircraft.

Thomson-CSF Communications will supply Identification Friend or Foe - (IFF) interrogators to equip the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) version of the European NH9O - military transport helicopter. The IFF interrogator chosen by Agusta is derived from the TSX25OO family, which has already been ordered to equip the Rafale combat aircraft and the Erieye AEW&C system. For the NH9O version, the interrogator will operate with the European Navy Radar (ENR), a mechanically scanned radar developed by a European consortium comprising Thomson-CSF, Dasa and Fiat. This contract follows the award from Eurocopter Deutschland for the supply of TSC2OOO Mode S IFF transponders for the TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) and NFH versions of the NH9O.

Dowty Group, a member of TI Group, today announced that it has signed long term agreements, worth over US $ 250 million, with Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group. Dowty Aerospace Los Angeles (DALA) has secured an extension to its contract on the Boeing 737, 747, 757 and 767 aircraft, through the year 2006. DALA supplies Boeing with a broad range of hydromechanical equipment. This includes thrust reverser actuation systems, flight spoiler control units, utility steering and landing gear door actuators. This contract extension is worth well over US $ 100 million to the Dowty business on currently projected aircraft sales.

Thomson-CSF Communications, a subsidiary of Thomson-CSF, and Romania's Aerostar have announced the creation of a new joint venture to operate under the name "Aerothom Electronics S.A.". Aerostar and Thomson-CSF will own respectively 60% and 30% in the new company. Aerothom Electronics will develop, manufacture and distribute professional electronic equipment for communications, radio navigation, identification and detection applications in both military and civil markets. The creation of Aerothom Electronics results from a contract signed by Thomson-CSF Communications with the Romanian Ministry of Defence in November 1996 for the supply of IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) equipment. Under that contract, Aerothom Electronics will manufacture, assemble and provide life-cycle support for state-of-the-art IFF equipment deployed by the Romanian Army Navy and Air Force

Hamble Structures, now a member of the Dowty Group family, has been awarded a follow-on order extension covering the supply of fixed leading edge structures for the Boeing Next Generation 737 aircraft. Hamble has enjoyed a long standing relationship with Boeing and supplies aerostructure equipment on most of the large civil aircraft plus an important contract on the C-17 Globemaster. It will now be producing aerostructures for all versions of the Boeing Next Generation 737 aircraft through to 2003, on currently predicted aircraft sales, an order worth in excess of US $ 150 million.