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The article discusses efforts by Alenia Aeronautica officials to create plans for derivatives for the C-27J aircraft. The centerpiece of the mission expansion is a stretched version of the aircraft that will allow it to carry more military troops or equipment, according to Alessandro Franzoni, chief technical officer and head of Alenia's C-27J business unit. The goal would be to broaden the company's customer base.

This article reports that Airbus Military is deciding whether to further develop its C-212, CN-235, and C-295 military transport planes. Because of strong competition for such light military transport planes, Airbus is working with its Indonesian partner to reduce its manufacturing costs so that it can remain competitive. Indonesian manufacturing has the benefit of low overhead costs.

The article reports on the state of the market for military aircraft as of 2009. Saudi Arabia and Oman are reorganizing their combat aircraft inventories as France and Russia are trying to persuade nations to buy their aircraft. Qatar took delivery of C-17, which is considered one of the biggest deals for 2009. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is closely involved in top-level lobbying for Rafale aircraft.

The article deals with the design changes introduced by AgustaWestland for its 8-metric-ton-class AW149 troop transport helicopter The aggressive pace of activity has been prompted by the need for the company to secure a possible $2-billion launch order for the rotorcraft in Turkey. According to AgustaWestland Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Giuseppe Orsi, the compony is offering the AW149 configuration for the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program (TUHP) as a codevelopment with Turkish industry.

The article reports that Italian defense expenditure could fall by as much as 4% in 2009 as the result of a Finance Department program to rein in government spending over a three-year period. It is said that the cuts will affect defense programs across the board. Support has been withdrawn for the combat search-and-rescue helicopter program, as well as a tri-service signals intelligence aircraft, the Joint Airborne Multi-sensor Multi-mission System (Jamms).

The article reports on the overseas commitments to F-35 fighter acquisitions, and the strengthening of the test program. There is concern in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter community that higher upfront aircraft costs will prompt governments to delay their purchases, driving up costs for all nine program participants. But those issues, according to the author, are not stopping several key international buyers from making important, near-term commitments to the strike fighter program.

The article focuses on the aim of the Italian government to boost defense spending by 3.6% in 2008 and launch key surveillance and intelligence projects. Key procurement activities include signals intelligence and maritime patrol aircraft as well as additional Predator unmanned aircraft. Total budget request stands at €20.9 billion, short of the €21.6 billion being targeted by the defense ministry. Italy is expected to opt for used aircraft to replace the Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft due to limited budget.

The article reports that Germany and Italy will bolster reconnaissance capabilities for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces in Afghanistan, with the deployment of manned and unmanned aircraft. Before the end of April 2007, the German air force hopes to have six reconnaissance Tornados operational. They deployed last week to the Mazar-e-Sharif air base in northern Afghanistan. NATO first requested the reconnaissance improvement in December 2006.

This article focuses on the upgradation of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft in Europe. The Eurofighter Typhoon program is nearing some long-delayed development milestones that would clear the way to upgrade the aircraft's basic combat capability. Teething problems also continue to affect the aircraft. Customers have stopped taking delivery of Typhoon while industry fixes flaws that have crept in as part of the latest software update. Meanwhile, developers later this year hope to fly an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on Typhoon for the first time. The system, developed by the Euroradar consortium of EADS, Selex, Galileo Avionics and Indra, this year underwent flight testing on a BAC1-11 and completed seven flights in Great Britain. In addition to the Euroradar system, Selex has been working on a Great Britain-focused AESA, so the industrial competition would have to be resolved. The near-term focus for Typhoon's manager is on upgrades to the Tranche I and Tranche II aircraft. The Future Capabilities Program will introduce upgrades gradually. The first round, to be fielded around 2010, would add laser-designator pod capability in a more integrated fashion than the austere effort.

The article reports that the Turkish defense ministry and Alenia Aeronautica SpA are aiming to sign a contract before year-end for the acquisition of 10 military variants of the ATR 72. The ministry announced that it had selected the ATR 72 to meet its maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) requirement. Turkey would be the launch customer for the aircraft in the ASW configuration, which will be fitted with a Thales mission system suite. Alenia faced competition from EADS offering a variant of the CASA C-295, and Bombardier's maritime version of the Dash 8. The aircraft will be fitted with the Thales Amascos mission system suite that Turkey has already ordered.

The Italian air force is nixing the idea of leasing a further batch of fighter plane F-16s in favor of a life-extension program and capability improvements for its AMX and Tornado strike aircraft. The service has already signed up for 34 Lockheed Martin F-16s, with 23 of the type already delivered. Military officials say the air force had been considering early retirement of its AMX light strike aircraft, and initially replacing them with additional F-16s until the Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is available.

The article discusses purchasing of aircraft trainer airplanes in the Middle East associated with multiple plans for modernizing fighter jets. Driving factors reportedly include the desire of Middle East military leaders to reduce their reliance on foreign pilots and the political influence wielded by people in the region who want to be fighter pilots.

The article discusses the defense industries' export and import trade related to China. It is noted that despite large appropriations for China's armed forces, it is neither one of the leading importers or exporters of military equipment. Efforts by China to increase exports of equipment such as military airplanes, artificial satellites and guided missile technology are considered.

The article focuses on the decision of the Italian military force Guardia di Finanza (GdF) to consider using a maritime surveillance type of the Augusta Westland/Bell BA609 tiltrotor to replace its Piaggio P-166/DP1 airplane as part of its fleet modernization program. It was noted that the number of tiltrotor that the military can purchase depends on the condition of its ATR42 turboprop fleet. Also stated is the change in the high-end fleet which involves the introduction of the AW139 aircraft into the service to replace AB412HP.

The article reports that the Scan-Eagle Compressed Carriage (SECC) unmanned aircraft built by Boeing is scheduled to fly by December 2009. Previous plans for a summer flight has been canceled due to technical problems. The initial test campaign of five flights will take place at the Boardman Range, Oregon. The SECC is designed for launch from a range of aircraft, from a Predator-class unmanned aircraft to tactical transports or fighters.

The article reports on the important role to be played by Alenia Aeronautica in helping the United Arab Emirates grow its unmanned aircraft ambitions. A joint venture has been established by Alenia Aeronautica and the United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments after two years of secretive talks. The initial focus of the joint venture will be on a medium-altitude, long-endurance system based on the Molynx project of Alenia.

The article focuses on the approval given by the Italian Parliament to the construction of a Lockheed Martin F-35 final assembly and checkout/maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade to be built at Cameri AFB. The project is estimated to cost €605 million, including infrastructure and tooling costs, as well as a Lockheed Martin support fee for helping with the setup. The Joint Airborne Multisensor Multimission System (Jamms) has also been approved by the Parliament.

The article reports on speculations that the next orders of the four Eurofighter nations for the Typhoon combat aircraft will be halved. Germany, Italy, Spain and the Great Britain are in the final stages of Tranche 3 negotiations, which was originally meant to total 236 aircraft for the four nations. In addition, the partner nations have tasked Eurojet to consider engine enhancements to reduce the overall lifetime cost on the aircraft.

The article reports that the Italian parliament has approved the purchase of new maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). It states that the country will buy an Alenia Aeronautica ATR 72-based system to replace its Atlantics. It notes that the air force will own the four ATR 72s, but they will be under the navy's operational control and feature joint crew. Officials representing the joint staff note that the ATR 72 is capable enough to handle the limited diesel electric submarine threat in the Mediterranean.

The article reports that Alenia North America has signed a contract worth up to $287 million to refurbish 18 Italian G222s into a common configuration for use by the Afghan National Army Air Corps. The first refurbished military aircraft will be delivered by September 2009, with the remainder to follow by mid-2011. Five separate G222 configurations, all from the Italian air force, will be modernized into one common configuration for the Afghan deal.

This article reveals that the potential impact of renewed political upheaval in South Africa has dominated the 2008 African Aerospace and Defense show. The timing and schedule of military acquisition programs may fall foul of the strife. There remains the risk that funded programs or new-start projects could be delayed. South Africa's force modernization package, launched in 1998, is nearing completion. The show was marked by the official delivery of the first four Saab Gripen fighter aircraft.

The article reports on the emergence of Selex Sistemi Integrati as leader for the joint European active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar development programs. Along with efforts on the Tornado, Typhoon and Future Lynx aircraft, the group is also looking at airborne early warning, naval and ground-based applications that are part of a collaborative program between Italy and Sweden. The aim of the joint program is to develop a family of AESA radars suitable for air, land and marine uses.

The article reports on the funding of the Production Sustainment and Follow-on Development (PSFD) phase of the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which involves appropriations from the governments of Italy, Great Britain and Turkey. Italian defense sources suggest their country will invest around $1 billion over the 40-year PSFD period. Great Britain and Turkey are expected to allocate sizable budget for the U.S. project.

The article presents information on the mix-and-match air force of Iran. The Iranian air force inventory is a mix of Western, Russian, and Chinese combat aircraft, and most of them are obsolescent. The operation by Iran of a network of air-defense radars is reported, and the use by its air force of surface-to-missile systems is mentioned.

The article states that Boeing Co. expects to fly the first Japanese KC-767 refueler in July 2006. The company is currently flight testing a slightly redesigned version of the aircraft for Italy to tackle a buffet problem that set back delivery. Japan's KC-767s will be only refueling boom-equipped, while the Italian tankers have a refueling boom and hose-and-probe system.

The article reports that Italian politicians face fundamental choices over the extent of Rome's participation in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), with the process getting underway in earnest next month. The new government will have to review the country's ambitions for the Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF, whatever its political makeup. What's at stake is the level of Italian participation, the number of aircraft to be bought, and which versions of the JSF eventually enter the Italian inventory. Issues of industrial participation and technology access may limit Italy's taking part in the program, but unlike Great Britain, it does not appear to threaten its fundamental involvement.

The article presents information on the upgrade program of the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. With the development projects and fielding of aircraft moving ahead apace, industrial partners are now focused on charting detailed plans for the program's evolution. The British effort has been contentious because other partners didn't want to move those features forward. In the end, officials decided to let Great Britain go ahead on its own. It will introduce the added capabilities in late 2007 or early 2008 on a small number of Tranche 1 Eurofighters, which will be in the Block 5 post-full operational capability standard.

The article informs that Singapore is planning to revamp its jet training fleets. The Republic of Singapore Air Force will select a supplier for basic needs, while looking for an advanced jet trainer further out. The competition positions three turboprops against one jet; the Embraer Super Tucano, Pilatus PC-21 and Raytheon T-6B are taking on the Aermacchi M-311. Singapore intends to acquire 20 aircraft to replace its S-211s, on which the M-311 is based. It is considering both a traditional procurement and a private finance initiative.

This article informs that Italy and France will be able to perform military flights over each other's territory in the future, but they are still not prepared to nail down a formula for a joint multimission frigate program. Currently, fighter detachments are forward-deployed in northern bases as needed; but this is costly and stretches the country's limited air defense fighter fleet comprising 33 leased F-16s. The agreement underscores the growing willingness of European countries to allow neighboring air forces to track potentially hostile targets within their borders, although it's clear that actually engaging such a target will remain beyond the scope of any pact, at least for now.

This article reports that AgustaWestland Inc. officials are hoping that the pending Swiss parliamentary debate over the country's military helicopter procurement plan will put them back in the running for the program to purchase 20 rotorcraft. Since late last year, AgustaWestland and Eurocopter have been vying for the 310-million-Swiss-franc ($240-million) program to provide a transport and training helicopter fleet. The deal would include logistics provisions and a simulator. In May, the Swiss military opted for the Eurocopter offer, and announced a decision to buy two EC135s for VIP transport, and 18 EC635s for the troop transport and training roles. But AgustaWestland representatives state that they were duped and are challenging the decision.

The article reports that the U.S. Navy is beginning to introduce a slew of upgrades to the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to ensure that the aircraft will be part of the Pentagon's emerging network-centric warfighting environment. Upgrade packages are designed to improve the aircraft's precision strike capability. But they also aim at reducing life-cycle costs and at minimizing component obsolescence. The network-centric portion of the Super Hornet's enhancement road map alone could cost several hundred million dollars.

The article reports that Nigeria plans to have its grounded G.222 airplanes back in operation within the next 24 months, following a fleetwide revamp by Alenia Aeronautica SpA. The $74.5-million contract will see Alenia overhaul the Nigerian air force's G.222s, with the airframes subject to a stripdown. The air force intends to use the G.222s alongside its five C-130H Hercules as the core of its revitalized transport capability. As part of the program, the Nigerian air force will also take delivery of an ex-Italian air force G.222.

Italy is revamping procurement plans for bolstering its airborne eavesdropping capability with the emphasis now on a business jet long-endurance signals intelligence aircraft. The air force is interested in whether it could use the platform as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in some circumstances. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has already looked at a UAV derivative of this aircraft, the RQ-37, to meet the U.S. Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance requirement. Under the requirement being studied, the OPV could have a crew onboard during ferry flights as well as during low-risk missions.

Eurofighter partner nations are struggling to trade off weapon and system integration, cost and schedules as they try to agree on the most important phase of the program so far. With Elements of Tranche 2 negotiations, covering 236 aircraft, certain to drag on into the second half of 2004, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain are not now expected to ink a contract until the end of the year. The initially determined EOC 1, planned for introduction in 2008, includes integration of the Raytheon Enhanced Paveway II GPS/laser-guided bomb, along with a designation pod.

The British Defense Ministry is scrutinizing future combat aircraft numbers, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Joint Strike Fighter in preparing a key policy document to be released toward the end of 2003. Negotiations among the partners, Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain, covering the Tranche 2 production run, should also see a contract sealed before the turn of the year. Britain is the largest participant in the Typhoon program, with 232 of the total of 620 aircrafts. The emphasis on Typhoon is now on its development as a genuine multirole platform, rather than as an air-superiority fighter with a secondary air-to-surface competence.

Reports that the defense ministry of Italy is planning to upgrade intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities by transforming Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules 2 airlifters into signal intelligence platforms. Features of C-130J airlifters; Installation of antennas in C-130J; Other plans of the Italian air force.

Reports on the failure of the merger talks between the military aircraft and aerostructures businesses of EADS and Finmeccanica. Objectives of the proposed merger; Overview of the problems regarding the valuation of the civil aerostructures and modification side of the business; Background of the two companies.