Show News - Day 2
Low European investment could scupper co-operation with US, Lockheed Martin CEO warns
Europe’s relative lack of investment in the defence industry will increasingly threaten to curtail transatlantic co-operation, the head of US defence giant Lockheed Martin has warned.
Speaking on 13 July on the eve of the Farnborough International Airshow 2008, Lockheed Martin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Stevens said the “most worrying” current trend he can see is “the continued gap in defence investment between the United States and our NATO allies”.
QinetiQ to create fourth 'home' market for investment
UK-based QinetiQ has declared it is seeking to establish a fourth 'home' market following its push into Australia, with the expectation that it will look towards a country in Asia or the Middle East.
Neville Salkeld, managing director of QinetiQ Consulting, told Jane's on 14 July that the yet to be determined country will join Australia, the UK and the United States as one of the company's targets earmarked for incremental investment.
Caption: First flights of the Watchkeeper's Hermes 450 UAV have been carried out in Israel
(Thales)
Thales reports success in Watchkeeper UAV trials
Avionics trials of the UK's Watchkeeper tactical unmanned aerial system are progressing "successfully" in Israel, according to Thales UK's business director of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, Nick Miller.
The Watchkeeper system is currently undergoing the first phase of tests following the first flight of its Hermes 450 UAV on 16 April
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Honeywell eyes acquisitions in outsourced services to the DoD
United States conglomerate Honeywell is looking towards acquisitions in the field of outsourced services to the Department of Defense (DoD) with a view to offsetting flatter defence expenditure in the domestic market.
Ed Wheeler, president of defence and space within the group's Aerospace business, told Jane's at the Farnborough Airshow that he has an eye on the provision of services such as health and logistics management.
Alenia, Boeing raise fresh hopes of US assembly plant for C-27J
Alenia North America and Boeing officials say they have revived negotiations over a plan to jointly build the C-27J Spartan in the United States.
In early June, Alenia spokesman Ben Stone said negotiations had ended because the two companies could not agree on a business case to open a second final assembly plant for the C-27J in Jacksonville, Florida.
Full article for Jane's Defence Weekly subscribers
BAE Systems shows ATC simulator
BAE Systems has demonstrated its next-generation Durable Aviation Trainer Solutions (DATS) air traffic control (ATC) simulator system at the Farnborough International Airshow 2008.
Mats Hamrin, director of ATC for BAE Systems' Swedish subsidiary C-ITS AB, told Jane's that the DATS, which is used to train military and civilian ATC controllers, is being upgraded with voice-recognition technology.
Full article for Jane's Defence Weekly subscribers
Lockheed Martin looks to partnerships to enhance global reach
Lockheed Martin is “transitioning to [become] a more globally oriented provider of security solutions and services to governments around the world”, according to Robert H Trice, senior vice-president – business development, speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow on 14 July.
At the core of this transition, Trice continued, is partnership with other companies from outside the United States.
BAE Systems unveils new export strategy as Singapore drops Hawk
BAE Systems is offering existing customers of its Hawk training aircraft a menu of upgrade options to give enhanced capabilities without having to buy new airframes.
The announcement of the new strategy on 14 July at the Farnborough International Airshow came days after news emerged that BAE Systems had been knocked out the contest to supply the Republic of Singapore Air Force with up to 12 advanced jet trainers.
Fighter manufacturers look to sixth generation
Aircraft manufacturers say they are already looking beyond the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II to a new generation of fighter jets that are more stealthy, faster and capable of multirole missions.
Today Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter are the ‘fifth-generation’ fighters leading the way in terms of fighter development.
UK nears Complex Weapons first-phase launch
The UK's Complex Weapons initiative is preparing to take its first concrete steps forward after two years of intensive negotiations.
The Rt Hon Baroness Taylor of Bolton, parliamentary under-secretary of state for defence equipment and support, joined industry leaders at Farnborough Airshow on 15 July in announcing new study contracts for the first phase of the Complex Weapons programme.