THE TANAN™ 300 – CASSIDIAN'S NEW-GENERATION HELICOPTER UAS FOR NAVAL AND LAND MISSIONS, POWERED BY A HEAVY FUEL ENGINE

Cassidian presents its TANAN™ 300 new-generation compact VTOL Tactical UAS (Vertical Take-Off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial System) for maritime and land missions. Designed in close collaboration with potential customers in order to match their specific requirements, TANAN™ 300 is a real ‘eye in the sky' thanks to a full HD imagery chain and to its main payload which allows an easy switch between EO/IR (Electro-Optical and Infra-Red) high-definition cameras.

A very versatile system, TANAN™ 300 is designed to be flexible and also includes very high-capability payloads, such as an AIS (Automatic Identification System), an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system, a maritime radar, an electronic surveillance system and a direction finder, to suit all needs.

It is intended to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions for armies and navies, as well as civilian assignments. It can endure missions lasting over eight hours while providing full HD colour video in real time at maximum range.

Developed to reliably and consistently fulfil operational requirements, the TANAN™ 300 is a high-performance tactical UAS, integrating a powerful, safe and highly reliable genuine diesel engine. Boasting open, modular architecture and the latest generation of proven equipment, the TANAN™ 300 is capable of completing missions with ranges of up to 100 nm/180 km and a 50 kg payload.

Packed inside a shelter or a vessel, the TANAN™ 300 overall system is manageable by one operator and can be deployed in unprepared areas and/or at sea. The TANAN™ 300 is specifically equipped for operating at temperatures of between -20°C and +50°C and in challenging weather conditions.

The ground control system is set up to reduce the operator workload to a minimum thanks to a user-friendly human-machine interface that displays all necessary information on one straightforward double screen. Moreover, information can be exported via video transmission to a remote command and control station.

The demonstrator's first flight took place in 2010 and development is currently continuing according to schedule.

French Prime Minister inaugurates A350 XWB Final Assembly Line

• Facility named after Airbus pioneer and founding father, Roger Béteille

Blagnac, 23 October 2012


French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault and Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer, Fabrice Brégier this morning officially inaugurated the 74,000 square-metre A350 XWB Final Assembly Line (FAL), in Toulouse, France. At full production, the FAL will employ some 1,500 people who will build up to ten aircraft a month as from 2018.

The ceremony, held inside the FAL, was attended by French political representatives, regional officials representatives from other Airbus home governments, as well as Airbus customers, suppliers, top executives and over 1,000 employees.

“Innovation is deeply rooted in our DNA and this is fully demonstrated on the A350 XWB, the world’s newest, most advanced airliner. Today we honour Roger Béteille, an exceptional aviation pioneer and we name the A350 XWB Final Assembly Line after him, one of our industry’s greatest innovators,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President & CEO.

“It is a great honour for me to have my name associated with this magnificent, state of the art A350 Final Assembly Line, “said Roger Béteille. “Airbus’ success is a concrete example of how European partners working hand in hand can achieve incredible things together and this has been an essential ingredient to becoming the world’s largest and premier aircraft manufacturer.”

Guests at the ceremony were able to see the A350 XWB coming to life, with the first two aircraft (the static aircraft and the first flyable aircraft, MSN1) at different stages of final assembly.

The static aircraft, which will be used solely for ground tests, has nearly completed assembly, with a full fuselage, two wings and the vertical tail plane joined. The aircraft will be transferred to the static test hangar at the Toulouse Jean-Luc Lagardère site to be prepared for static tests to start in spring 2013. The first flyable A350 XWB (MSN1) is also progressing well, with the fuselage already joined. The wing, vertical and horizontal tail plane for MSN1 are inside the FAL and will be joined to the fuselage in early November.

Béteille was one of Airbus’ four founding fathers. He was instrumental in the development of fly by wire flight controls, one of Airbus’ key innovations which has since become the industry standard. Béteille’s was also responsible for the introduction of the world’s first two engine wide-body aircraft, the A300 which performed its first flight 40 years ago. With the inauguration of this new FAL, Airbus celebrates the world’s newest generation two engine wide-body aircraft, the A350 XWB.

Astrium presents results of its study into automatic landing near the Moon’s south pole

• Mission concept established for automatic lunar lander vehicle to land near the Moon’s south pole in 2019
• Soft and precise landing is precursor to significant participation in future human lunar exploration
• ESA ministerial conference to decide next development steps in November 2012

Astrium, Europe’s leading space technology company, has presented at the ESA Preliminary System Requirement Review the major results of its Lunar Lander Phase B1 study. Carried out on behalf of the European Space Agency ESA, the study has consolidated the mission concept for automatic landing near the Moon’s south pole in 2019 as well as the provisional design of the lunar lander vehicle.

As part of the study, Astrium also confirmed the schedule for the mission and calculated total mission costs at some 500 million euros, including validation of technologies, 300 to 350 million euros for the development, manufacturing and testing of the Moonlander, as well as launcher services and operations. The upcoming ESA ministerial conference in November 2012 will decide how to proceed with the development of a lunar lander. Following this Phase B1 study, which was commissioned in September 2010, the next step would be Phase B2, which completes the spacecraft design phase and culminate with the Preliminary Design Review.

This present study works out and tests the key technologies for an automatic, soft and precise landing. Including very advanced features allowing to detect and avoid possible surface hazards (boulders, craters, steep slopes) an automatic lunar landing as envisaged in the study involves a series of technological challenges. To land softly and precisely on the Moon calls for key technologies such as an autonomous navigation system, based on visual navigation, and a complex propulsion system. Most of these technologies have been tested during the study: for instance, propulsion system components were put through their paces on Astrium’s test benches in Lampoldshausen. Meanwhile, the TRON (Testbed for Robotical Optical Navigation) and LAMA (Landing and Mobility Test Facility) facilities at the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen were employed to test the navigation system hardware and landing legs in a realistic simulated lunar landscape.

“As a demonstration of technology, the ATV mission proves the skills and experience which Astrium has in automated rendezvous and docking procedures. This study’s concept is based on ATV technology, and our unique expertise will enable us to develop the key technologies essential to landing an automated vehicle on the Moon,” said Dr. Michael Menking, Senior Vice President Orbital Systems and Exploration at Astrium. ATV is the biggest supply vehicle servicing the international space station, built by Astrium.

Relying exclusively on solar energy for operation on the Moon surface, the lander will place a small Moon rover and various stationary experiments on the lunar surface to conduct scientific research over a period of about six months (basic mission), with the results determined in situ being transmitted to Earth. These results will provide an initial understanding of the Moon’s polar region, as well as supplying basic information for future human exploration missions.

Singapore Airlines to order 5x A380s and 20x A350 XWBs

Maximum comfort and efficiency for medium and long haul routes
Blagnac, 24 October 2012


Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced that it will order 25 more widebody aircraft from Airbus, comprising five double deck A380s and 20 A350-900s. The aircraft will be operated on the carrier’s long range and regional services, offering maximum comfort and efficiency for high density and medium capacity routes.

The latest A380 order will be the third to be placed by the airline, bringing the total number of A380s ordered by SIA to 24. The airline, which was the launch operator for the A380, now has 19 aircraft in service, flying to 10 destinations in Europe, the US and the Asia-Pacific region from its Singapore base. In the mid-size category, the new A350 XWB order will see the airline double its backlog for the all-new aircraft to 40. The A350-900s will be used by the airline on both medium and long haul routes.

“This major order will provide us with additional growth opportunities and is consistent with our longstanding policy of maintaining a young and modern fleet. It demonstrates our commitment to the Singapore hub, and our confidence in the strength of the market for premium full-service travel,” said Goh Choon Phong, CEO, Singapore Airlines. “The aircraft will enable us to further enhance our network, providing more travel options to our customers. They will also feature the next generation of in-flight cabin products to keep us at the forefront of airline product innovation.”

“This announcement from one of the world’s most prestigious carriers underscores the unrivalled comfort and efficiency offered by Airbus widebody aircraft,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, Airbus. “As Singapore Airlines has shown, the A380 has proven itself to be a game changer at the top end of the market. We are now set to bring new levels of efficiency to the mid-size segment with the arrival of the A350 XWB. We are extremely proud to count Singapore Airlines as a leading airline partner on both of these innovative aircraft programmes.”

Since first entering service with Singapore Airlines in 2007, the A380 has joined the fleets of nine world class carriers. Typically seating 525 passengers in three classes, the aircraft is capable of flying 8,500 nautical miles or 15,700 kilometres non-stop, carrying more people at lower cost and with less impact on the environment. The spacious, quiet cabin and smooth ride have made the A380 a firm favourite with passengers, resulting in higher load factors wherever it flies. To date, Airbus has recorded 257 firm orders for the A380 from 20 customers.

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is an all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. The new Family will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. Scheduled for entry-into-service in 2014, the A350 XWB has already won 558 firm orders from 34 customers worldwide.

New AW119Kx Single Engine Helicopter Unveiled At AMTC

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the launch of the AW119Kx, the latest evolution of the proven and successful AW119 single engine helicopter, which features the Garmin G1000H glass integrated flight deck system and the very latest avionics, including synthetic vision, moving map, highway in the sky and obstacle/terrain avoidance systems, to improve situational awareness and increase safety. Certification of the AW119Kx is scheduled in the first quarter of 2013. The new aircraft was officially unveiled today at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Seattle, USA, which is being held from 22nd to 24th October. The AW119Kx is provided with state-of-the-art integrated avionics bringing this model to a new digital era while keeping the outstanding performance, cabin space and payload characteristics of the rugged AW119Ke. The first customer for the AW119Kx is Life Flight Network, which is set to receive all of the 15 units ordered for its air medical helicopter transportation requirement during 2013. These helicopters, provided with an customised EMS interior with two stretchers, will be based in the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Bruno Spagnolini, CEO, AgustaWestland said “The launch of the new AW119Kx highlights AgustaWestland’s commitment to the continued enhancement of its product range, both through the development of brand new models and installing the very latest technology into its existing products. He added “With the AW119Kx we are introducing greater capability into the single-engine market, thanks to an unequalled combination of advanced avionics and best-in-class performance and capacity. We are delighted that Life Flight Network, one of the world’s leading air medical transport providers, will be using the AW119Kx’s unique capabilities to help it save lives every day.” Michael Griffiths, Life Flight Network’s CEO adds, “Life Flight Network has become the largest not-for-profit air medical transport service in the Western United States. We were looking for a helicopter designed to provide exceptional speed and performance, proven safety, and a fully-equipped medical cabin supporting up to two patients. Our new AW119Kx helicopters, with the Garmin G1000H avionics package, including synthetic vision, met our high standards and will greatly support Life Flight Network’s lifesaving mission with the most modern, well-equipped fleet in the nation.”


The AW119Kx’s new avionics features the Garmin G1000H glass integrated flight deck system with two large 10.4’’ LCD units to provide both primary flight display and multi function display information. With synthetic vision, moving map, highway in the sky and obstacle/terrain avoidance system technology embedded, the pilot is provided with new levels of situational awareness and flight information, thereby reducing workload and increasing safety. The new avionics are also optimized for diagnostics and data analysis for maintenance purposes. The AW119Kx EMS helicopter configuration will include Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) lighting and operation of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs). The AW119Kx is the top-of-the-range helicopter in the single engine market. The helicopter, with a maximum gross weight of 2,850 kg (6,9283 lb), is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6B-37A engine that is rated at 1002 shp (747 kW) for take-off, delivering exceptional performance in hot and high conditions as well as a class leading maximum speed of 152 knots (282 km/h). The AW119Kx has the most spacious cabin in its category and with its separate cabin and cockpit areas provides true cabin class comfort. Critical systems redundancies similar to twin-engine helicopters provide high levels of safety. Over 200 AW119 helicopters have been ordered to date in more than 30 countries by almost 100 customers. The new AW119Kx, like the AW119Ke, is perfectly suited to perform many roles including EMS, utility, fire-fighting, VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, law enforcement and government duties.

http://www.agustawestland.com/news/agustawestland-unveils-new-aw119kx-single-engine-helicopter-amtc

La visita de Dilma Rousseff a Rusia, que quiere resucitar su oferta a Brasil de SU-35, podría incluir en agenda cazas y sistemas antiaéreos

La visita de Dilma Rousseff a Rusia, que quiere resucitar su oferta a Brasil de SU-35, podría incluir en agenda cazas y sistemas antiaéreos:

Aunque, en principio, el viaje presidencial estará básicamente orientado a las cuestiones relativas a la restricción rusa hacia las carnes brasileñas, ciertos medios de este país aluden a la posibilidad de que la adquisición de equipamiento militar se haya incluido en agenda