Sagem’s Hammer laser-guided weapon completes test firing

Sagem's Hammer air-to-ground guided weapon with laser terminal guidance, the SBU-64 Hammer, has been successfully tested by the French defence procurement agency DGA at the Cazaux air base, France.

The first qualification firing test was carried out from a production Rafale fighter, during which AASM Hammer's guidance was intentionally initialised by offsetting the target's GPS coordinates.

During the last few seconds of the weapon's flight, an airborne illuminator was activated to illuminate the target.

The AASM made use of its navigation, laser spot detection and terminal guidance algorithms to position itself to a glide slope of 20° and made its way to hit the target, a bridge pier located more than 50km from the release point.

A laser terminal guidance version of the AASM Hammer modular air-to-ground weapon, the missile has been developed and manufactured by Sagem, with DGA serving as the contracting authority.

The AASM Hammer family of weapons consist of guidance and range augmentation kits attached to standard bombs.

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MBDA unveils future vision for armed UAVs

A new class of lightweight missiles and an innovative weapons launcher could enable unmanned air vehicles and even airships to perform precision strikes from standoff range, according to MBDA.
Releasing the results of its annual Concept Visions programme at the Farnborough air show on 9 July, the European guided weapons specialist unveiled two futuristic missile designs named Caelus and Gladius, as part of a wider Vigilus system.
Under its operating concept, the roughly 100kg (220lb) Caelus would provide surveillance and targeting cover, carrying an up-to-1kg warhead or deployable sensor load for a flight lasting up to 2h. With a launch weight of only 7kg, including a 1kg blast/fragmentation warhead, the complementary Gladius weapon would have a range of up to 16nm (30km).

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A400M Named Atlas But Props Not Yet Ready To Bear The World

Europe’s A400M heavy-lift transport is here with an appropriate new name, but technical teething difficulties prevent it from flying in this week’s air displays. Photo: Mark Wagner

Europe’s A400M airlifter was named Atlas, after the Greek god who carried the world on his shoulders, last Friday in a rain-soaked ceremony at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), RAF Fairford.
 
The aircraft, which is the first production representative aircraft (MSN6), repositioned from Fairford to the Farnborough static park yesterday. However, Airbus Military has canceled plans to fly in the daily display, admitting that “engine maturity challenges” had not yet been solved.

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There’s No Escaping MBDA’s Meteor Missile

MBDA has successfully completed firing trials of Meteor, the missile that will be carried by the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen, and the company is now preparing to start production. The collaborative effort by six European nations has been nine years in development but has produced a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is “vastly superior to anything else in the market,” according to chief engineer Andy Bradford.

When it received the development contract at the end of 2002, MBDA was set the task of producing a missile with a “no escape zone” that was larger than any other AAM, specifically the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM. This has been achieved by combining a clever boost-ramjet propulsion system with an active radar seeker derived from MBDA’s Aster and Mica missiles.


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A400M Won’t Fly at Farnborough: Airbus

PARIS — The Airbus A400M military transport plane will not be making a flight display at the Farnborough air show in Britain next week following engine problems, a company spokesman said July 5.
“The decision to show the aircraft only on static display is due to problems with the engine which surfaced last week and which need more investigation,” an Airbus Military spokesman said.
The plane was pulled out of flight display at the Paris Air Show last year because of a similar problem.

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Eurocopter intends to deliver training helicopters to Russian air forces

Eurocopter, one of the leading companies of the global helicopter market, intends to deliver up to 200 Ecureuil Family training helicopters to Russian air forces, RIA Novosti reports. It was declared by the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT) with reference to the Eurocopter’s vice-president on sales, Europe and Central Asia, Olivier Michalon.

"According to the source, the company offers light AS-350 and AS-355 helicopters. The decision regarding acquisition of these vehicles will be taken by the end of this year after a thorough analysis", - said in the CAWAT’s statement.

Eurocopter delivered five helicopters (including three single-engined AS-350B3 and two twin-engine AS-355NP helicopters) to an unknown Russian operator in the last few weeks.

The company is also carrying out assembly of two AS-532 "Super Puma" in VIP configuration for the government of Georgia. The vehicles should be delivered to the customer in 2012 or early 2013.

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Ariane 5 ECA orbits EchoStar XVII and MSG-3

Carried on an Ariane 5, the latest weather satellite in Europe's highly successful Meteosat Second Generation series, MSG-3, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 5 July 2012. The launch of MSG-3 ensures the continuity of meteorological observations to improve weather forecasts from geostationary orbit 36 000 km above Earth. ESA has developed the series of weather satellites in close cooperation with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Eumetsat. Credits: ESA. For a larger version of this image please go here.

 On Thursday, July 5, Arianespace successfully launched two satellites: the dedicated Internet satellite EchoStar XVII for the American operator Hughes Network Systems, and the MSG-3 weather satellite for Eumetsat, the European Meteorological Satellite organization. The successful Ariane 5 launch once again proves the launcher's operational capabilities. Ariane 5 handles a complete range of missions, from commercial launches into geostationary orbit to launches into special orbits.
This was the 63rd launch of an Ariane 5, and the 49th successful launch in a row.
Arianespace's latest successful mission, the third Ariane 5 launch in 2012, clearly shows that its launch Service and Solutions continue to set the global standard and guarantee independent access to space for all customers, including national and international space agencies, private operators and governments

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Eurocopter X3 Arrives in Texas for U.S. Tour

The Eurocopter X3 arrived in the U.S. today for a month-long tour to demonstrate the high-speed hybrid helicopter’s “unique operational capabilities” for both civil and military operators. It was transported from Eurocopter’s Istres, France flight test center to American Eurocopter in Grand Prairie, Texas, aboard a chartered cargo jet. The X3’s five-city U.S. tour will start on June 20 in Grand Prairie. In addition to aerial demonstrations performed with Eurocopter’s test team, the X3 will be available for flight evaluations by selected U.S. armed services personnel and civilian operators.

Source : http://www.ainonline.com

Eurocopter X3 Arrives in Texas for U.S. Tour

The Eurocopter X3 arrived in the U.S. today for a month-long tour to demonstrate the high-speed hybrid helicopter’s “unique operational capabilities” for both civil and military operators. It was transported from Eurocopter’s Istres, France flight test center to American Eurocopter in Grand Prairie, Texas, aboard a chartered cargo jet. The X3’s five-city U.S. tour will start on June 20 in Grand Prairie. In addition to aerial demonstrations performed with Eurocopter’s test team, the X3 will be available for flight evaluations by selected U.S. armed services personnel and civilian operators.

Source : http://www.ainonline.com