Malaysian military to purchase A400M

[wzhtg]

A400M

December 2 2005, 5:58 AM
Malaysian military to purchase Airbus planes






KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia will buy four A400M military planes from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to further boost its existing fleet for the transport of cargo and troops, a report said.

Negotiations between aircraft manufacturer Airbus Military SL, and the government were recently concluded, said the New Straits Times, adding that the deal will be signed during a Malaysian air show next week.

The purchase will make Malaysia the third country outside Europe to buy the A400M transporter.

The daily, quoting unnamed sources, said the A400M deal would be signed on December 8 during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition on Malaysia's resort island of Langkawi.

It did not give the value for the deal but sources told the daily that "You can be sure the deal is worth billions of ringgit."

The new planes will boost the Malaysian air force's existing fleet of C-130 Hercules planes.

The multi-billion euro Airbus Military A400M project was launched in May 2003 when 180 A400M airlifters were ordered by seven European NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) nations: 60 for Germany; 50 for France; 27 for Spain; 25 for the UK; 10 for Turkey; 7 for Belgium and 1 for Luxemburg.

Deliveries for the A400M are slated to begin from 2008 at the earliest.

South Africa this year became the first country outside Europe to join the Airbus Military A400M program, and paid around 800 million euros for eight A400M planes in April.

Chile has also announced plans to buy up to three A400Ms.

Airbus is jointly held by EADS (80 percent) and BAE Systems (20 percent), Europe's two largest military suppliers and manufacturers.

Malaysia, which has announced a major arms build-up in stages over the past few years, said last year that it had set aside an extra 1.609 billion ringgit (US$423 million) for weapons purchases, including submarines, tanks and helicopters.

Malaysia has already announced agreements to buy Russian fighter jets for US$900 million, French submarines for US$972 million, British and Russian missile systems for US$364 million and Polish attack tanks worth US$368 million.

Malaysia has denied that its weapons build-up could spark an arms race in the region, saying the purchases were simply designed to upgrade its defences and that it had no aggressive intentions. - AFP/de







wzhtg please put the LINK/URL of the SOURCE site from where you have copied this news from & make sure to do so with your next NEWS postings. Please remember this, its a Rule every member must follow.

and please put news in quote format e.g:

xyzNews

 

[wzhtg]

Continued

I'm guessing that CTRM would be envolved in this deal. And why do they always say we are having a major arms build up and sparking regional arms race? They sure don't make so much fuss when indonesia brought corvettes, thai brought frigates and armoured vehicles and SG brought submarines and F-15 fighters and Vietnam buying S-300.

By the way, just some info about A400M for you guys from Airforce Technology :

A400M (FUTURE LARGE AIRCRAFT) TACTICAL TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, EUROPE
The A400M (formerly known as the Future Large Aircraft) is a military transporter designed to meet the requirements of the air forces of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. A European Staff Target was drawn up in 1993, together with a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the governments of the seven nations. Italy subsequently withdrew from the programme. Airbus Military SL of Madrid, a subsidiary of Airbus Industrie, is responsible for management of the A400M programme. Other companies with a share in the programme are: BAE Systems (UK), EADS (Germany, France and Spain), Flabel (Belgium) and Tusas Aerospace Industries (Turkey). Final assembly will take place in Seville, Spain.

In May 2003, a development and production contact was signed between Airbus and OCCAR, the European procurements agency for 180 aircraft: Belgium seven, France 50, Germany 60, Luxembourg one, Spain 27, Turkey ten and the UK 25 aircraft. First metal cut for the airframe of A400M was in January 2005. The first aircraft is scheduled to fly in early 2008 with deliveries between 2009 and 2025. First deliveries will be to France and Turkey.

In April 2005, South Africa signed a contract with Airbus Military to be a full participant in the A400M programme. South Africa will order between eight and 14 aircraft, for delivery between 2010 and 2014.

In July 2005, Chile signed a letter of intent with Airbus Military for up to three A400M.

DESIGN

The A400M has a much larger payload than the C-160 Transall and C-130 and the design makes extensive use of composite materials. The capability for short soft field landing and take off is part of the requirement and the aircraft has six-wheel high flotation main landing gear. The need for airdrops and tactical flight requires good low airspeed flight and the aircraft also has long range and high cruise speed for rapid and flexible deployment. It is capable of air-to-air refuelling as a receiver and can be converted to a two-point tanker within two hours.

GKN Aerospace of the UK is to supply the complex carbon composite wing spars.

COCKPIT

The cockpit is fully night vision compatible and provides accommodation for two pilots and an additional crew member for special mission equipment operation. It will be fitted with a fly-by-wire flight control system developed for the Airbus range of civil airliners. Two sidestick controllers are installed to allow the pilot an unrestricted view of the electronic flight displays. The throttle controls are placed centrally between the two pilot stations.

Thales and Diehl Avionik Systeme are developing the A400M's FMS400 flight management system, based on Integrated Modular Avionics modules, an adaptation of systems being fitted on the Airbus A380 airliner. The avionics will include cockpit control and display systems with nine 6in x 6in displays and a digital head-up display which features liquid crystal display (LCD) technology and Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS), for enhanced situational awareness.

A400M for Germany will be fitted with a Terrain Masking Low Level Flight (TMLLF) system, from EADS Military Aircraft, for low-level flight control.

There is a Military Mission Management System (MMMS), from EADS Defence Electronics, which includes two mission computers. The MMMS controls cargo handling and delivery, calculating the load plan and the computed air release point before an air drop, as well as fuel management and fuel operational ranges. The MMMS also manages the tactical ground collision avoidance system (T-CGAS) and military / civil communications.

Rockwell Collins has been selected to supply the HF-9500 High Frequency Communications System and the Avionics Full Duplex Ethernet (ADFX).

COUNTERMEASURES

The defensive aids suite could include a radar warner, missile launch and approach warner, and chaff and flare decoy dispensers. In June 2005, Indra of Spain was selected to provide the radar warning system. The aircraft can also accommodate armour plating crew protection, bullet-proof windscreens, engine exhaust treatment for infrared emission reduction and inert gas explosion retardation and fire retardation in the fuel systems. The wings have hardpoints for the installation of electronic warfare pods and refuelling pods.

CARGO SYSTEMS

Rheinmetall Defence Electronics is supplying the Loadmaster Control System for electronic cargo control. Loadmaster consists of a workstation and control panel, eight sidewall lock panels and a crew door panel. It provides efficient ground loading and airborne cargo drops.

The payload requirements include a range of military helicopters and vehicles, heavy engineering equipment, pallets and cargo containers.

The cargo bay can transport up to nine standard military pallets (2.23m x 2.74m), including two on the ramp, along with 58 troops seated along the sides or up to 120 fully equipped troops seated in four rows. For Medevac, it can carry up to 66 stretchers and ten medical personnel.

The A400M can air-drop paratroops and equipment either by parachute or gravity extraction. It can air-drop: single load up to 16t; or multiple loads up to 25t total; or 120 paratroops plus a wedge load of 6t; or up to 20 1t containers/pallets. It can also perform simultaneous drops of paratroops and cargo (RAS/Wedge or Door Loads) and Very Low Level Extraction (VLLE) of a single load up to 6.35t, or multiple loads up to 19t total weight. Gravity extraction can be performed for a single load up to 4t, or multiple loads up to 20t total weight.

The cargo compartment can be configured for cargo, vehicle or troop transport or air drop, a combination of these and for aero-medical evacuation. A single loadmaster is able to reconfigure the cargo compartment for different roles either in flight or on the ground. A powered crane installed in the ceiling area of the rear section of the fuselage has a five-ton capacity for loading from the ground and for cross-loading. The rear opening door has full compartment cross-section to allow axial load movement, roll-on and roll-off loading and for the air drop of large loads.

NAVIGATION

The aircraft's independent navigation system comprises an Inertial Reference System (IRS) integrated with a Global Positioning System (GPS). The weather and navigation radar is to be the Northrop Grumman AN/APN-241E, which incorporates windshear measurement and ground mapping capability. The radio navigation suite includes a pair of instrument landing systems, VHF omni-directional radio ranging (VOR), radio distance measuring equipment (DME), air traffic control (ATC) transponders, automatic direction finders (ADF) and a tactical air navigation unit (TACAN).

ENGINES

In May 2003 Airbus Military selected the three shaft TP400-D6 turboprop engine, to be manufactured by EuroProp International (EPI). EPI is a consortium formed by Rolls-Royce (UK, Germany), ITP (Spain), MTU (Germany) and Snecma (France). Rolls-Royce will be responsible for overall integration. The four engines will each have a maximum output over 11,000shp. EPI states that they will be the largest turboprops ever made in the West. The engines will be fitted with FADEC (full authority digital engine control).

Ratier-Figeac SA of France (a business unit of Hamilton Standard of USA) will supply the eight-bladed composite variable pitch FH386 propellers. The propellers will be 5.33m (17.5ft) in diameter and are fully reversing with the capability to back the fully loaded aircraft up a 2% slope. FiatAvio will supply the propeller gearbox.

Messier-Dowty has been chosen as the supplier of both main and nose landing gear. Each main landing gear consists of three independent twin-wheel assemblies, providing six wheels on each side. This allows the plane to land on unprepared runways. The landing gear system will enable the A400M to "kneel" which lowers the rear ramp to facilitate the loading of large vehicles. The main landing gear shock absorbers maintain a minimum distance from the ground whatever the load. Messier-Bugatti will supply wheels and brakes. The aircraft will have two nose wheels and 12 braked wheels.

 

[Dr Phobus]

This is good news, A-400M orders now stand at 195. It is good to see Airbus truely break into the transport market dominated all to long by the US and Russia. The A-400M is a find plane, and fits nicely between the C-130J series and the rather expensive (but rather capable) C-17 family. Moreover is designed formt he out-set as a 2 pouint tanker (smart move that).

I heard some mix news on the C-17:

1- 180 C-17 is all the USAF require (politcial/capability review) Note: C-5 up-grade is starting to gather pace.

2- 222 C-17 are what that USAF desire

3- That congress are on the verge of voting for a minmum 6 C-17's to be purchaed each fisical year to keep the prodcution lines open. Since, boeing have stated they will close the production line down after the 180 are built.

4- the RAf will buy out right the 4 C-17's they have and purchase at least 1 one, with a desire to have in the long term a fleet numbering 7-11


The A-400M is competeting with the C-17 in terms of number 195 v 185-227 C-17's. This is what eurpoean defence co-operation is about (minus the italains, swedes and the danies, to bad).

Any thoughts

 

[wzhtg]

re

More news from LIMA 2005

Malaysia-made radar on show at Lima 2005
BY SIRA HABIBU

LANGKAWI: The first Malaysian-made radar and information display system will be promoted during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) 2005 next week.
The Z-Kris radar, its sub-system Zetro Remote Radar Display System (ZeRRDiS) and the information display system Zetro Base Information System (ZeBaIS) will be among the attractions at the Radar Village.
Zetro Services Sdn Bhd general manager Lt-Col (rtd) Kamaruddin Kamarul Zaman said Z-Kris offered an optimum solution for maritime surveillance.
“This system can be used in coastal surveillance to assist relevant enforcement authorities and agencies in monitoring activities,†he said.
“It can also be used for border control; to monitor illegal migration, illegal fishing, smuggling andpiracy; and for environmental protection.â€
ZeRRDis is capable of receiving radar plots from single and multiple sensors to process, generate and display an LAP (local air picture) of the environment surrounding a single sensor.

• “It can also generate a composite RAP (recognised air picture) from data received from more than one sensor,†Kamaruddin said, adding that the visual can be displayed on multiple monitors or on a large screen.
• ZeBaIS is a personal-computer-based management tool for airbase operation centres to manage daily operations including crisis alert.
• Kamaruddin said several types of outdoor radars would be displayed at the Radar Village next to the Mahsuri International Exhibition and Convention Centre.
• “This is the first time Lima is highlighting a radar village to create awareness on the various types of radar available,†he said.
• The Defence Ministry and Zetro Services Sdn Bhd have joined forces to set up the Radar Village on an area covering 1,480 sq metres.
• The displays include the Malaysian Royal Air Force Ground Control Approach radar and a mobile air traffic control radar.

Link : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/3/nation/12749016&sec=nation

 

[Izzy1]

Agree that it is good to see the Airbus A-400M winning further orders. I hear also that Canada may be the next customer.

My only fear with regards the A-400M and European Air Forces in particular, is that although the A-400M will provide seriously enhanced performance over similar tactical transports - it will do little to enhance Europe's currently woeful strategic airlift capability. Apart from the RAF's 4 (and seriously overworked) C-17s, what other assets are available for Europe to move heavy forces rapidly into other parts of the World? Recent disaster relief efforts have further underlined this totally inadequate state of affairs.

Granted, C-17s and other strategic airlifters are expensive and only a very few European air forces could consider purchasing them. But should not a EU or NATO Transport Fleet be considered, similar in concept to the NATO E-3 AWACS unit? Would this surely not make more economic sense and at the same time truly enhance the one area of European defence which is almost stagnant?