04.03.2015 Vered Talala / Eden Sharon - IAF

New system will warn ISR planes pilots from impact. The system was already installed in dozens of "Beechcraft King-Air" planes and is used to track adjacent aircraft

The ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance) squadrons in Sde-Dov Airbase were recently equipped with new alert system, which has already helped to upgrade flight safety level.

Throughout the years, the number of active aircraft in the IAF has increased dramatically, directly increasing aerial traffic and the risk of aerial accidents. Four years of hard work on the side of IAF technician came to an end and pilots could go out on operational activities with no fear of unexpected aerial "surprises".

"Now you are not afraid when other airplanes fly next to you", said Lieutenant Colonel Yoav, Commander of the "First" squadron. "There are other implications besides safety. It allows more planes to fly together closely".

"We fly much safer today"

The system that installed in the "Beechcraft King-Air B200" and the "Beechcraft King-Air C-12" is tracking close-by aircraft and presenting them to the air crew members on the plane.

When a plane enters the safety range, the system detects an impact hazard and relying on speed, altitude and flight direction data and provide the pilots with relevant verbal alert.

"It is impossible to fly without that system in Israel", said Colonel Yahel, Commander of Sde-Dov Airbase. "It is a highly important system which prevents crashes and therefore saves lives. We fly much safer today".

05.10.2014 par Philippe Chapleau - Lignes de Défense
 

Théoriquement, l'armée française dispose dans la BSS "d'une dizaine d'avions de transport" (selon l'EMA) de types Transall, ATR, Hercules... Mais la disponibilité n'étant pas toujours au rendez-vous et les besoins étant eux réguliers, il a été décidé de faire appel au privé pour le transport (fret et pax).

Exemple avec le général Palasset joue à saute-moutons dans la BSS avec un des 9 Beechcraft 1900 de Sahel Aviation Services (SAS) basée à Bamako (photo ci-dessus). Pas de TBM700 pour lui! Il est donc obligé de louer un appareil à la société malienne, dont une grande partie du personnel est sud-africaine. SAS vole aussi au profit de l'Onu.

Toujours dans la BSS, on aura noté dans un récent article publié sur le site de l'EMA (photo ci-dessus) que les relèves à Gao sont désormais assurées par un ATR des Lineas Aereas de Canarias. Cet appareil est affrêté par ICS.

Enfin, ce même affrêteur français va mettre en place un AN-26 pour assurer le transport du fret entre Gao et les villes de Kidal, Tessalit et Tombouctou pour le compte de l'armée française, décidément bien mal équipée en avions de transport dans la zone de la BSS.

19 mars Aerobuzz.fr

L’achat de Beech Holdings, maison-mère de Beechcraft Corporation, par Textron Inc. est bouclé. Les marques Cessna et Beechcraft sont désormais réunies sous la même entité baptisée Textron Aviation qui pèse 4,6 Md$ (chiffre d’affaires cumulé 2013). Si une synergie sera mise en place au niveau notamment des supports clients, les marques Cessna, Beechcraft et Hawker resteront distinctes. Le catalogue de Textron Aviation est impressionnant. Il réunit en effet les deux familles de biréacteurs d’affaires Citation et Hawker, la gamme des biturbopropulseurs King Air et les monoburbopropulseurs Caravan, ainsi que les avions à pistons Cessna et Beechcraft (mono et bimoteurs). Sans oublier les avions d’entrainement militaire Beechcraft T-6 et AT-6.

Jan. 27, 2014 FG

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is to buy 11 Beechcraft T-6Cs to meet its requirement for an advanced pilot training capability. The NZ$154 million ($127 million) deal will also include simulators and classroom- and computer-based training packages.

New Zealand requires an intermediate trainer with a glass cockpit that will be able to take students from the Pacific Aerospace CT-4E Airtrainer to the Lockheed Martin P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, Boeing 757 and upgraded Lockheed C-130H transports, plus the AgustaWestland AW109, NH Industries NH90 and future Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters.

The Pilot Training Capability project was announced in the Defence White Paper 2010. A request for information (RFI) was issued to industry in October 2011, and Beechcraft’s T-6C demonstrator made a tour to New Zealand in 2012, and was used to fly a number of Royal New Zealand Air Force officers. The extent to which other competing aircraft were evaluated is unknown.

At the time of the RFI, the government said that it was open to a purchase or lease, or to contracting a complete pilot training package from a commercial provider.

Under the deal, CAE simulators will be installed at the air force's Ohakea base and supported by CAE Australia. Also included in a 30-year contract is maintenance support by New Zealand company Safe Air, which will create around 21 new jobs at Ohakea.

The T-6Cs will be operated by 14 Sqn, which previously flew the Aermacchi MB-339CB in the advanced training and light attack roles, until the disbandment of the New Zealand’s air combat force in 2001.

A first aircraft will be delivered from Wichita, Kansas in mid-2015, but will be owned by Beechcraft and used to train maintenance personnel. Training facilities and simulators should also be in place by the same time, enabling the first qualified flying instructor course to begin.

The deal was signed by defence secretary Helene Quilter and Beechcraft Defense president Russ Bartlett on 24 January, and formally announced by defence minister Jonathan Coleman on 27 January.

“The new system is expected to be operational for the first trainee intake in early 2016," Coleman says. "It is estimated it will produce up to 15 graduate pilots and 12 qualifying flying instructors per year over the next 30 years.”

Basic pilot training is currently carried out on the CT-4E, but structural problems with the leased fleet have reportedly caused backlogs in the output of qualified pilots. The type is scheduled to reach the end of its service life in 2018. Advanced and twin-engined training is conducted with the Beechcraft King Air 200, which are leased under a contract that will expire in 2018.

Nov. 19, 2013 - By ANDREW CHUTER – Defense News

DUBAI — Beechcraft is looking to add anti-submarine warfare (ASW) to the lengthy list of capabilities offered by its King Air 350 ER in the special missions market, according to Justin Ladner the company sales vice president.

Ladner said Beechcraft has been approached by several systems integrators for an ASW-lite concept capable of combating the increasing numbers of mini-submarines used by drug smugglers and the military.

The executive, who heads Beechcraft’s special mission aircraft sales worldwide, said ASW is an emerging market and he expected to receive several tenders in the next 12 months that an ASW-capable version of the twin-engined King Air 350ER could address.

Some of those requests would be for customers in the Arabian Gulf region he said.

Mini-submarine numbers are on the rise. United Arab Emirates Navy chief Rear Adm. Ibrahim al Musharrakh recently told the Gulf Naval Commanders Conference that Iranian midget submarines are an imminent threat they were looking to counter.

The growing potential of mini-subs was illustrated at the Defence Security Exhibition International show in London in September when British company James Fisher Defence created considerable interest with a range of small submersibles capable of transporting special forces on covert operations.

Company officials at the show reported heavy interest in the craft on the back of the recapitalization of naval special forces.

Drug smugglers are also known to use mini-subs to transport narcotics in places like Latin America.

The addition of ASW capabilities would add to already strong levels of interest for the King Air in the maritime role. Ladner said Beechcraft was increasing its list of maritime patrol aircraft operators by handing over aircraft to Argentina this week.

The growing interest in maritime surveillance opportunities in the gulf and elsewhere is not limited to Beechcraft. Boeing and Saab both emphasized their interest in the sector at the Dubai show.

Boeing chose to use the show to take the wraps off a tie-up with Bombardier and Field Aviation to offer a Challenger 605 business jet-based maritime surveillance aircraft and Saab turned up with actual hardware in the shape of the smaller, and considerably cheaper, converted 340 turboprop airliner. Neither offer ASW capabilities.

A move into the bottom end of the ASW sector could provide Beechcraft with further opportunities to build a special missions aircraft operation that already accounts for more than a third of the company’s annual business.

It’s a sector that already spans intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, such as the King Air Shadow machines widely used by the British in the Afghanistan conflict, through to the less technically demanding training and air ambulance roles.

Special mission business was constrained last year by Beechcraft undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but having emerged from that Ladner said business in the sector was already 2.5 times higher than 2012 with the prospect of further deals to come before the year ends, including at least one in the gulf region.

“The gulf region is one of the fastest growing market sectors for special mission aircraft as customers had the needs and the budgets to acquire aircraft,” said Ladner speaking at the Dubai air show this week.

The Beechcraft executive reported high levels of interest in special mission aircraft at Dubai.

“It’s been one of the busiest shows of the year for us,” he said.

23 September 2013 airforce-technology.com

The US Air Force Air National Guard, with Georgia Tech Research Institute, has completed the assessment and demonstration of the single channel ground and airborne radio system situational awareness (SINCGARS SA) waveform capability on Beechcraft's AT-6 light attack aircraft.

As part of the demonstration, the dual ARC-210 Warrior Radios of the AT-6 were configured, allowing the aircraft to securely and directly communicate with three different joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) at a time, who were positioned to perform several, realistic combat situations.

The technology is a software-controlled high-frequency radio and is expected to play a key role in military armed reconnaissance by providing digital communication and global positioning services (GPS) in both fixed and mobile configurations.

Encouraged by the successful demonstration of the SINCGARS SA Waveform, US military is now expected to further develop tactics in its close air support (CAS), combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) and combat search-and-rescue task force (CSARTF) missions going forward.

AT-6 became the first aircraft to use the new technology capability; it has reportedly transmitted and received tactical audio and dynamic position locations with fielded combat ground radios successfully during assessment.

Beechcraft Defense Company president Russ Bartlett said: "Beechcraft's AT-6 was selected as the first fixed-wing aircraft to perform this demonstration due to its advanced communications and data transfer capabilities, which enables it to perform complex close air support and combat search-and-rescue missions."

At the time of demonstration, the ground forces were carrying PRC-148, PRC-152 and PRC-117 radios, said Beechcraft.

Designed for light attack missions in the most demanding scenarios, AT-6 is equipped with Pratt and Whitney PT6A-68D engine, CMC Esterline's mission modified Cockpit 4000, Lockheed Martin's A-10C-based mission system and L-3 WESCAM's MX-15Di sensor suite, the company said.

Sept. 11, 2013 by Ellis Taylor – FG

Singapore - BAE Systems has announced that it will team with CAE and Beechcraft to bid for Australia's military pilot training system project.

BAE will lead the consortium, with CAE will providing training, simulation and support services. Beechcraft will provide the T-6C Texan II as the primary trainer aircraft on a non-exclusive basis.

John Quaife, general manager aviation solutions for BAE Systems Australia says that Beechcraft and BAE already work together to deliver pilot training to the US Navy. CAE was also selected by BAE to provide three simulators for the Royal Australian Air Force's Hawk Lead-In Fighter programme.

Since 1992, BAE has operated the Australian Defence Force's Basic Flight Training School (BFTS) at Tamworth, which provides ab intio training and pilot screening for all ADF pilots using a fleet of Pacific Aerospace CT-4B piston trainer aircraft.

"These experiences and our combined track record in military flight training, complex project management and mission systems sustainment mean we can offer the Commonwealth a low risk, value for money solution to train the world's best military aviators at a location of its choosing," says Quaife.

The consortium is the first to announce its teaming arrangements in response to the Australian Department of Defence's Air 5428 project, which seeks to provide a complete pilot training system for all undergraduate pilots across the RAAF, Royal Australian Navy and Army.

Currently, pilots who graduate from BFTS are then posted to the RAAF's No 2 Flight Training School at RAAF Pearce in Western Australia for advanced training on the Pilatus PC-9/A, after which they are then posted to an operational squadron.

Under Air 5428, the respective training aircraft would be replaced by a new integrated training system run by the successful contractor. Australia would also likely acquire the same aircraft for use with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit and Forward Air Control Development Unit of the RAAF.

Lockheed Martin is expected to announce its teaming for the project soon, with industry sources indicating that it is likely to choose the Pilatus PC-21 as its main flying platform and will team with Hawker Pacific for sustainment. The three companies already provide a similar training package for pilots from the Republic of Singapore Air Force at RAAF Pearce under the Basic Wings programme.

Boeing, Thales and Raytheon are also expected to announce partners for their respective bids soon.

The tender will close in February 2014, with selection expected by the end of June 2015. Initial operating capability has been targeted for 2015-17.

Jun 14, 2013 ASDNews Source : Beechcraft Corp.

Beechcraft Corporation today issued the following statement regarding the ruling by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Beechcraft's petition for further review of the U.S. Air Force's award of the Light Air Support contract to Brazil-based Embraer.

"It is deeply distressing that the Air Force selected a more expensive, less capable, foreign-manufactured airplane with weapons and systems unfamiliar to, and outside the control of, the United States military. We have known that the requirements for this procurement were written to favor the competition's aircraft. During this protest, we learned that the GAO's review looks only at whether the Air Force followed its process, but not whether the process itself was actually correct or appropriate. We question whether the Embraer aircraft with its foreign-made weapons can be certified to U.S. military standards in time to provide the mission-capable aircraft per the contract.

"It is now time for Congress to step in and put an end to this flawed acquisition process and limit the purchase of the Brazilian aircraft to only that of the Afghanistan requirement covered by the first delivery order of the LAS contract.

"Beechcraft remains confident that the AT-6, which was rated "Exceptional" by the Air Force, was the better choice for LAS and is the best aircraft for U.S. partner nations in need of light attack aircraft. The company is certain that future procurements, including those run by other governments, will validate this rating and result in the selection of the AT-6 for counterinsurgency and irregular warfare missions."