THIS WEEK
8 | Flight International | 15-21 August 2017 flightglobal.com
For insight and analysis of the latest
developments in the defence sector, visit:
flightglobal.com/defenceHIGHER-WEIGHT A350-1000 IN THE WORKS
DEVELOPMENT Airbus has reissued a document indicating
plans for a higher-weight A350-1000, with a maximum take-off
weight of 311t. The variant, designated WV001, has a limit that
is 3t higher than the current baseline of 308t. Airbus had previ-
ously published – and subsequently withdrawn – a similar
airport planning document, which appeared to signal a variant
with an even higher maximum, of 316t.OSPREY CRASH KILLS THREE MARINES
ACCIDENT Three US Marine Corps personnel were killed when
a Bell Boeing MV-22 crashed off the east coast of Australia
while participating in exercise Talisman Saber on 5 August.
Drawn from MCAS Futenma in Okinawa and assigned to the
amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, the tiltrotor
had 26 people aboard when it entered the water. The incident
is the first fatal MV-22 crash since two crew members died in a
training mishap at a Hawaii base in May 2015.ICBC BEHIND MYSTERY 20-UNIT NEO DEAL
ORDER Chinese lessor ICBC has been identified as the party
behind an order for 20 Airbus A320neo-family jets placed in
December 2014 and attributed to an undisclosed customer. The
aircraft were originally recorded as A320neos, but Airbus’s latest
backlog data lists them as 18 A320neos and two A321neos.ALC ADDS DREAMLINERS, FINALISES MAX BUY
LEASING Air Lease (ALC) has ordered two new Boeing 787-9s
and finalised a previously-announced commitment for 12 737
Max aircraft, comprising five Max 7s and seven Max 8s. ALC has
selected GE Aviation GEnx-1B engines to power the two new
Dreamliners, which are due to be delivered from 2019.ALITALIA SALE ENTERS NEXT STAGE
FINANCIAL Alitalia has opened a new phase in its ongoing
sale process, setting a deadline of 15 September for receiving
expressions of interest in making a binding bid. Within 10 days
of this deadline expiring, Alitalia’s special commissioners will
consider the offers and notify parties that meet “requirements”.
Those shortlisted will then have until 2 October to submit a
binding offer, but these could be improved up to 5 November.GERMANIA SUBSIDIARY GAINS BULGARIAN AOC
APPROVAL Bulgarian Eagle has been granted an air operator’s
certificate by the country’s Directorate General, Civil Aviation
Administration. The Berlin-based carrier indicates that its new
subsidiary has stationed an Airbus A319 at London Gatwick,
initially operating on its behalf. Germania intends to add an-
other A320-family jet to Bulgarian Eagle’s fleet this year.BEDEK GAINS STC FOR LATEST 767 CONVERSION
MODIFICATION Israel Aerospace Industries’ Bedek cargo
conversions unit has delivered a Boeing 767-300 with winglets
to DHL. The aircraft was handed over after Bedek completed a
passenger-to-freighter conversion and secured certification
from regulators in Europe and the USA. Although Bedek has
previously performed 35 conversions on 767s without winglets,
additional tests were required to update its supplemental type
certificate to account for the wing-tip structures.BRIEFING
I
taly wants to move its four
Lockheed Martin F-35As allo-
cated to an international training
school in the USA to Europe to
support its operational prepara-
tions with the type, a new audit
office report reveals.
“The [Italian] administration
has signalled its intention to re-
negotiate an agreement with the
US government in order to recov-
er the four aircraft destined to
training and assign them to
operational activities as soon as
possible,” says a document
published by Italy’s Court of
Audit on 7 August. “Obtaining a
critical mass of aircraft should
allow the full employment of the
system’s operational potential by
the end of 2018.”
One of the reasons for the re-
quested change is an earlier
Italian decision to slow the rate at
which it is acquiring the F-35.
This reduced from 29 to 22 the
number to be funded by 2021 –
17 conventional take-off and
landing F-35As, and five B-model
short take-off and vertical landing
(STOVL) examples.
The report indicates that Italy’s
defence ministry has now author-
ised contracts with Lockheed and
F135 engine manufacturer Pratt &
Whitney for 10 F-35As and 2
F-35Bs, through the programme’s
low-rate initial production (LRIP)
lots 6 to 10. It halved the plannednumber of aircraft in LRIP 10 to
two, after securing an agreement
to move the others to LRIP 11
without penalty.
A memorandum of under-
standing signed with the USA
covering LRIP lots 12 to 14 will
deliver a further 8 A-model air-
craft and nine STOVL jets. In
2012, Italy reduced its total
planned F-35 order from 131
aircraft to 90.
Rome had spent €3.5 billion
($4.1 billion) on the F-35 pro-
gramme by the end of last year,
covering its system development
and demonstration phase, aircraft
procurements, a final assembly
and check-out line and mainte-
nance, repair and overhaul and
upgrade facility at Cameri air
base, plus infrastructure costs.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows
the Italian air force as having
received eight aircraft so far, with
another example and the navy’s
first F-35B to follow before the
end of this year.
The report says Italian compa-
nies had secured contracts worth
€2.3 billion linked to the F-
programme by the end of 2016,
with Leonardo’s share worth €1.
billion. Industry participation has
been limited by procurement
delays, a “best value” policy ap-
plied while allocating internation-
al workshare, and US non-disclo-
sure policies, it says. ■PROGRAMME LUCA PERUZZI GENOAItaly set to take its
F-35s out of school
Rome will negotiate reassignment of Joint Strike Fighters
currently based at international training facility in the USANation needs a “critical mass” of aircraft on home soil by end-
Lockheed Martin