Israeli companies unveil 2 rotor/helicopter UAVs

04 Jun 2009 FlightGlobal: Israel's Aeronautics Defense Systems has test flown a half-scale model of its Picador unmanned rotorcraft and expects to receive approval from the nation's civil aviation authority to fly a full-scale technology demonstrator by year-end. The Picador is based on the Dynali H2S kit helicopter, with Aeronautics having acquired a major stake in the Belgian firm. Full news

Israeli firm Steadicopter has unveiled its Black Eagle 50 mini rotary unmanned air vehicle. The design is 2.3m (7.5ft) long and has a rotor diameter of 2m, with a maximum take-off weight of 35kg (77lb), including a 3kg payload. Steadicopter research and development manager Rami Hadar says the fully autonomous Black Eagle 50 has an endurance of 3h and can reach an altitude of 9,000ft. Current datalink range is 10km (5.4nm), but the manufacturer says this can be increased to 150km. Full news

Aerospace

IAF transport plane missing in AP, 12 people feared dead

10 Jun 2009 8ak note: Hours after AFP reported an IAF Antonov An-32 plane went missing near Tawang, IndiaToday has reported that 12 people are dead. IndiaToday: The AN-32 series aircraft was transporting cadres of the Assam Rifles and airmen from the Chabua air force base to the Tawang sector in the state. Among those flying were three air force officers and personnel of 16 other ranks. This is the ninth crash of an air force AN-32 aircraft so far.

Pakistan to get two F-22P frigates from China this year

June 04, 2009 21:24 IST

Pakistan will receive the first of four F-22P frigates, equipped with modern weapons and anti- submarine helicopters, from China in August this year while the second warship is slated for delivery in December. "Construction of the first two ships has already been completed and they will be delivered to Pakistan Navy in August and December this year after successful completion of ongoing trials," a statement issued by the Pakistan navy said on Thursday.

"Weapons systems to be installed on the first ship have been successfully demonstrated at the optimum performances and ranges," it said.

Construction of the third F-22P frigate is progressing according to schedule at Hudong in Shanghai. This ship was successfully launched in Shanghai on May 28 during a ceremony attended by Pakistani and Chinese officials.

The construction of the fourth ship started in March at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and it will be delivered to the navy in April 2013.

The frigates are equipped with modern weapons and sensors and will carry Z9EC anti-submarine helicopters. The first batch of two helicopters has arrived in Pakistan. The navy said the induction of the frigates will enhance its war-fighting potential and strengthen the indigenous ship-building capability of the country.

China revives JH-7 fighter production hurt by 1989 export ban

8ak note: Defence news has a report on JH-7 fighter production and combined with a few other reports makes for an exciting story about China's failed tech-piracy and Rolls Royce exporting engines in contradiciton of a weapons embargo.

StrategyPage: The JH-7 entered service a decade ago, although only about a hundred were built. Additional production was delayed because the aircraft was designed to use a British engine (the Spey 202), which was not supposed to be going to China after the 1989 embargo. But Rolls Royce, the manufacturer quietly continued exporting some engines, and technical assistance. China thought it could reverse-engineer this engine, but was unable to do so. China made peace with Rolls Royce over this abortive bit of tech piracy.

News (Pak): Jean-Paul Bechat, president of Snecma, was quoted as saying that his company was having regular discussions with the Chinese authorities about the possibility of fitting the M53 engine to a variant of the JH-7 aircraft. The M53 powers the French Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft. Another Snecma official familiar with the Asian market was quoted as saying that discussions with China had so far centred on the technical feasibility of replacing the JH-7’s existing engine with the “slightly more powerful” M53.

JLE

10 Jun 2009: Defence Industry Daily carried a good article on the proliferation of cruise missile technology has elevated the probability of a ballistic missiles attack on U.S. cities. Any capability to detect incoming missiles over the horizon would require the detection mechanism to be on an airbourne platform, but putting this on jets flying around the clock would be too expensive, so a system called JLENS is gaining popularity.

FAS: The Joint Land-Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) consists of an aerostat with radars to provide over-the-horizon surveillance for defense against cruise missiles. JLENS is primarily intended to tackle the growing threat of cruise missiles to US forces deployed abroad. The system enhances cruise missile detection and engagement ranges with current air defense weapons such as PATRIOT, Navy SM-2 missile, the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, and ultimately the Medium Extended Air Defense System and the Corps Surface-to-Air Missile System. JLENS will operate at altitudes between 10,000 and 15,000 feet; be capable of detecting long range, terrain masked targets; and provide an effective fire control solution for joint theater air and missile defense weapon systems. Additionally, it can operate from sites on both land or sea, and is tactically relocatable.