Flight International - December 15, 2015

DEFENCE

18 | Flight International | 15 December 2015-4 January 2016 flightglobal.com

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armaments

exocet work on target for Brazil

Anthony Pecchi/Airbus Helicopters

Helibras has completed the first stage of laboratory work to integrate

MBDA’s AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile onto the Airbus Helicopters

H225M rotorcraft it is building for the Brazilian navy.

During three weeks of testing, the team completed simulated launch-

es, the Airbus Helicopters subsidiary says. The activity is designed to veri-

fy the link between the missile launchers and the naval mission system in

the rotorcraft, test modes of operation and validate flight-test instrumen-

tation. Sorties with the munitions will be performed in early 2016,

Helibras says. Activities are being co-ordinated from Helibras’s Itajuba

engineering centre with Airbus Defence & Space, Airbus Helicopters,

Embraer subsidiary Atech, and MBDA. The mission system for the 16

Brazilian navy helicopters has been developed locally by Helibras.

The service has received seven of the 11t rotorcraft, with the army and

air force each having received five helicopters from orders for 16. ■

I

srael Aerospace Industries’

(IAI) Bedek group will make an

unsolicited proposal for the sup-

ply of four upgraded Lockheed

Martin C-130Es to the French air

force. Sources in France confirm

that they expect to receive an

offer from IAI.

France’s DGA defence procure-

ment agency recently issued a re-

quest for proposals for the pur-

chase and modification of four

C-130s to Marshall Aerospace

and Defence Group, Ogma and

Sabena Technics.

According to the request, the

French air force wants to acquire

four C-130s in an operational

condition, and with centre wing-

boxes that will allow them to log

another 20-30 years of use. Two

of the Hercules must also be

transports arIe egozI TEl AvIv

surplus Hercules

offered to France

Israeli firm planning unsolicited offer after Paris issues

request for proposals to rival C-130 support specialists

equipped with an air-to-air

refuelling system.

Bedek is one of five worldwide

maintenance, repair and over-

haul centres with experience of

centre wing-box replacement,

with the activity performed as

part of a C-130H life-extension

project for the Israeli air force.

French sources suggest IAI

would perform the upgrade and

depot maintenance with a local

company, if selected.

The Israeli air force is phasing

out its C-130Es as the upgrade

programme to its H-model air-

craft continues. The availability

of surplus aircraft from its inven-

tory could involve a government-

to-government arrangement. IAI

declines to comment on the de-

tails of the unsolicited proposal.

In addition to investigating the

potential secondhand C-130 buy,

France has requested information

on the possible purchase of two

new-generation C-130Js and the

same number of KC-130Js via the

US government.

Part of its requirement stems

from the need to refuel Airbus

Helicopters H225M Caracal ro-

torcraft in-flight. Trials with the

Airbus Defence & Space A400M

• 50 of which are on order for its
  air force – showed the Atlas was
  unsuitable.
  Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer
  database records the French air
  force as currently operating 14
  H-model Hercules, which vary
  between 24 and 40 years in age. ■
  additional reporting by Craig
  Hoyle in London

Michal Weissbrod/Israeli Air Force

Bedek’s past experience in centre wing-box replacement is key

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