F_I_2015_02_17_23_

DEFENCE

flightglobal.com 17-23 February 2015 | Flight International | 21

Embraer outlines

KC-390 test plan

DEFENCE P23

TENDER DAN PARSONS
WASHINGTON DC

US Army Hellfire

successor gets

back on target

T

he US Army has launched the
bidding phase of a programme
to replace the Lockheed Martin
AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface
missile with a weapon featuring at
least a dual-mode guidance system.
A request for proposals re-
leased on 2 February for the joint
air-to-ground missile (JAGM)
contract gives potential competi-
tors Lockheed and Raytheon up
to 60 days to submit bids. The US
Navy plans to also integrate the
selected weapon onto the US Ma-
rine Corps’ Bell AH-1Z attack
helicopters.
The programme seeks an up-
grade to the guidance section of
the Hellfire’s backend, which com-
prises the motor, warhead and
electronics. Lockheed says it will
offer a dual-mode seeker, while
Raytheon has not confirmed its in-
tention to compete.
The JAGM effort began in 2003
as the joint common missile (JCM),
involving a contract to produce
77,000 weapons to replace the
Hellfire and Raytheon’s AGM-65
Maverick. The four-year develop-
ment began with a 2004 contract
award to Lockheed, but the army
cancelled the process in 2007.
Lockheed was in 2012 given a
continued technology develop-
ment contract to complete design,
test and demonstration of its
JAGM guidance section, which in-
cludes an improved semi-active
laser sensor for precision-strike
and a fire-and-forget, millimetre-
wave radar. The company says it
plans to propose this in response
to the recent request.
If it bids, Raytheon says it will
offer a tri-mode seeker drawn from
the Small Diameter Bomb II. ■

DESIGN ARIE EGOZI TEL AVIV

IAI reveals its Global vision

for maritime patrol market

Company picks long-range Bombardier type for adaptation into multi-mission ELI-3360

Israel Aerospace Industries

The heavily modified business jet will be adapted to carry torpedoes and anti-ship missiles

I

srael Aerospace Industries has

revealed its design for a mari-

time patrol development of the

Bombardier Global 5000 business

jet, dubbed the ELI-3360.

Avishai Izhakian, deputy gen-

eral manager of IAI's Elta Systems

airborne systems and radars divi-

sion, says there are negotiations

with “some” potential customers

for the system, which incorpo-

rates the company’s ELM-2022

maritime search radar.

Other mission equipment in-

cludes an electro-optical/infrared

sensor, an ELL-8385 electronic

support measures/electronic in-

telligence suite, electronic war-

fare and self-protection equip-

ment and a comprehensive

communications fit comprising

radios, datalinks and satellite

communications, IAI says.

A multi-mission command

and control suite will include

operator workstations and a

weapon and stores management

system for torpedoes and anti-

ship missiles, with IAI to inte-

grate such weapons.

Izhakian says that the ELI-

3360’s capabilities are intended

to replace those offered by aged

aircraft types such as the Lock-

heed Martin P-3.

“The potential clients under-

stand that the speed of the plat-

form is crucial in the current cir-

cumstances,” he adds, referring

especially to the anti-submarine

warfare mission. “The new plat-

form enables an operator to reach

the suspected area very fast and

then use sonobuoys or a magnetic

anomaly detection system car-

ried on the aircraft.”

Stephane Villeneuve, Bom-

bardier’s vice-president for spe-

cialised aircraft, says: “We are

delighted that IAI Elta continues

to put their confidence in the

Global 5000, relying on the plat-

form to host its integrated mis-

sion solutions.”

Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets

database records the Indian air

force as operating an IAI-adapt-

ed Global 5000 in the signals

intelligence role, with a second

Indian-owned aircraft currently

also registered with the compa-

ny. The only other examples of

the business jet in active mili-

tary duty are four VIP transports

flown by the German air force,

says Ascend. ■

“The potential clients

understand that the

speed of the platform

is crucial in current

circumstances”

AVISHAI IZHAKIAN

Deputy general manager, Elta Systems

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