DTN News - INDONESIA DEFENSE NEWS: Airbus Military Signs Contract With Indonesia For Nine C295 Aircraft

DTN News - INDONESIA DEFENSE NEWS: Airbus Military Signs Contract With Indonesia For Nine C295 Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 17, 2012: Airbus Military has signed Wednesday, February 15, 2012 a firm contract with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) to supply nine C295 military transport aircraft for delivery to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. The contract between PT DI and the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia was signed simultaneously, witnessed by Minister of Defense, Prof. Dr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and the Chief of Armed Forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, at a ceremony at the Singapore Airshow. The Indonesian designation of the aircraft will be CN295.

The aircraft will be operated by the Indonesian Air Force throughout the vast territory of Indonesia, which includes around 17.000 islands. The aircraft will perform a variety of roles including military, logistical, humanitarian and medical evacuation missions. The first delivery is foreseen in 2012 and by summer 2014 all aircraft will have been delivered. 

Additionally, the industrial plan covers a substantial collaboration between PT DI and Airbus Military for the C295 programme, including the manufacturing of the tail empennage, rear fuselage and fuselage panels, as well as workpackages for the development of Computer Based Training systems and the creation of a service and delivery centre and a final assembly line (FAL) in Indonesia. 

“This is a proud moment for our country as well as for the Indonesian aerospace industry. The C295 provides the ideal capacity to respond to Indonesia´s current and future military and humanitarian transport needs and does so very cost-efficiently, with full participation of the Indonesian aerospace industry, creating high skilled jobs and technology transfer,” said His Excellency Prof. Dr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia.  

“This contract builds on the long and excellent partnership that exists between Airbus Military and the Indonesian aerospace industry. It will provide our country with the right capability for the years to come and allows PT DI to grow its aerospace business as a tier 1 supplier. This will position PTDI on the global aerospace scene and allow us to enhance our skills and workforce,” said Dr. Budi Santoso, President and CEO of PT DI. 

“Airbus Military is honored that the Indonesian Ministry of Defense has chosen the C295 for its fleet and we look forward to continue our successful partnership with PT DI. We will ensure that we live up to this mark of confidence, which demonstrates the value that the C295 provides to the armed forces around the world”, said Domingo Urena-Raso, President and CEO of Airbus Military.

Over 85 C295s are in service today with 14 different operators. 

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/02/dtn-news-indonesia-defense-news-airbus.html 

DTN News - SINGAPORE DEFENSE NEWS: Singapore Seeks Tankers, Tranports, ASW

DTN News - SINGAPORE DEFENSE NEWS: Singapore Seeks Tankers, Tranports, ASW

 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 11, 2012: Airbus Military could be one of the main beneficiaries of the Singapore air force’s next round of procurements. Singapore has at the top of its procurement list aerial refueling tankers, strategic airlifters and anti-submarine warfare fixed-wing aircraft, purchases that will see that the island continues to be, for the next few years at least, the biggest spender on new defense equipment in Southeast Asia.

The 2011 defense budget was SG$12.1 billion ($9.6 billion), accounting for 26% of the government budget and about 5% of gross domestic product (GDP). Some analysts estimate that Singapore, with a population of about five million, spends more on defense per capita than any country but Israel.

Defense has always been a top priority, ever since Singapore gained independence in 1965. The nation’s founder, Lee Kwan Yew, recently said in the book Hard Truths, that “without a strong defense, there will be no Singapore. It will become a satellite, cowed and intimidated by its neighbors.”

Singapore has close defense ties with Israel, a point that is downplayed—because it is politically sensitive—but one that is important to remember because it explains why Israeli companies are short-listed by the Singaporeans for upcoming defense purchases. The Israelis are in the running to supply aerial refueling tankers and anti-submarine warfare fixed-wing aircraft.

Aerial refueling tankers are at the top of the list because the air force needs to replace its four Boeing KC-135Rs. An important requirement is that the new tankers be able to assist the air force’s Boeing F-15SGs flying between Singapore and its overseas detachment at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

The Boeing KC-46A would ordinarily be the front-runner but Boeing may have to struggle to win the Singapore contract. The manufacturer is already committed to deliver 18 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force by 2017, leaving no early delivery slots for foreign customers. A Boeing official told Aviation Week in July 2011 that it can deliver KC-46As to foreign customers as early as 2018. But that may be too late for Singapore. Industry executives say Singapore’s air force has been complaining about the difficulty and cost of maintaining the aging KC-135Rs. But the need to secure aerial refueling tankers sooner rather than later creates an opportunity for Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which converts 767s to tankers.

However, industry executives familiar with the situation say the front-runner in this competition is the Airbus Military A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). Australian air force officials told DTI at the LIMA air show in Malaysia in December that the Singapore air force was interested in the A330MRTT and that the organizers of the Singapore air show were pushing to have a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) tanker on display there. The RAAF, however, has declined the request. They say the only reason the A330MRTT was brought to LIMA was because it had to be in Malaysia for a joint military exercise.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/02/dtn-news-singapore-defense-news_11.html

DTN News - AIRLINES NEWS: Norwegian Carrier Aims High With 222 Aircraft Orders

DTN News - AIRLINES NEWS: Norwegian Carrier Aims High With 222 Aircraft Orders


 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - January 26, 2012: Norwegian Air Shuttle plans to buy 222 new aircraft worth $21.1bn from Boeing and Airbus in a move that heralds its ambition to become one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines. Boeing secured its largest ever European deal through a firm order by the Oslo-based airline for 122 737 narrow-body aircraft, worth $11.4bn at list prices.


Norwegian also departed from its previous policy of only operating Boeing aircraft by making a commitment to purchase 100 A320 narrow-body aircraft from Airbus, worth $9.7bn at list prices.


Analysts said Norwegian’s orders looked like a bet on the demise of SAS, the struggling Scandinavian carrier.


Norwegian’s shares closed up almost 13 per cent at NKr74.5. Shares in SAS dropped 1 per cent to SKr9.


Bjorn Kjos, Norwegian’s chief executive and one of its founders, told the Financial Times that the airline would focus its expansion on Nordic countries, although he highlighted plans to open a new operating base this March in Malaga, Spain.


“If we have the newest equipment and one of the best cost bases in the world, we can more or less set up operations wherever we want,” said Mr Kjos, a former fighter pilot in the Norwegian air force, who is also a lawyer and author of a spy thriller.


Mr Kjos also highlighted Norwegian’s plans to begin long-haul operations next year, with flights linking Scandinavia with Asia and the US.


Norwegian started its low-cost carrier operations in 2002. It has operating bases in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, although Norwegian’s routes reach beyond Europe into north Africa and the Middle East.


Its fifth-largest shareholder is Finnair, Finland’s flag carrier.


Aircraft financing has become more difficult to obtain since the financial crisis, but Mr Kjos expressed confidence that Norwegian’s orders with Boeing and Airbus would secure loan guarantees from European and US export credit agencies.


Norwegian’s orders should increase its fleet from the current 64 to between 150 and 200 by 2020, because some of the new aircraft will replace existing ones.


Ryanair, Europe’s leading low-cost airline by passenger number, has 277 aircraft, while EasyJet, the second largest, has 204.


Andrew Lobbenberg, analyst at RBS, said Norwegian’s orders looked like “a gamble on SAS failing”.


The deals with Boeing and Airbus underline how airlines are keen to buy fuel-efficient aircraft because of high oil prices.


Norwegian is buying planned new aircraft that should burn between 10 and 15 per cent less fuel than existing ones.


Airbus will start delivering its A320neo aircraft to Norwegian in 2016, and Boeing will begin supplying its 737 Max jets in 2017.


Boeing on Wednesday announced strong fourth-quarter results, although it said profitability would be dented in 2012 by higher pension costs.


http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.com/2012/01/dtn-news-airlines-news-norwegian.html