The president of Brazil says his government will exercise its veto power to block the transfer of control of Embraer to Boeing. Michel Temer said Friday the company is not for sale but he would welcome investment from Boeing. "All partnerships are welcome. What is not an option is the transference of control," said Temer. The Brazilian government has special shareholder status in the company and can veto any decision by the company management and directors. Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said Embraer is a key technology developer in Brazil and handing over control to a foreign company is out of the question. "This is about national sovereignty and national interests, and we cannot negotiate that. The Temer administration understands that sovereignty is non-negotiable," said Jungmann.
Boeing confirmed on Thursday that it was in talks with Embraer about a “combination” of the two companies but did not elaborate. The announcement came after The Wall Street Journal published a story on Thursday about the meetings. Subsequent reports in various publications used words like “takeover” and “merger” to describe the discussions. The meetings were held as the U.S. Commerce Department confirmed almost 300 percent import duties on Bombardier’s C Series airliners, ruling they were unfairly subsidized by the Canadian government. Boeing and Embraer had both filed protests about the sale of 75 C Series to Delta Air Lines and what they claimed were below-market prices.
Austrian-based Diamond Aircraft Group has been acquired by the Chinese company that purchased Diamond’s North American operations last year. Almost a year to the day that Wanfeng Aviation Industry Co. Ltd. bought Diamond’s London, Ontario, plant, the Chinese firm bought the Austrian holdings of sole shareholder Christian Dries, who founded Diamond 25 years ago. Wanfeng said in a joint announcement it intends to increase production and sales, expand distribution and support networks and keep designing new aircraft.
"We were attracted to Diamond’s leadership position in the market,” Wanfeng Chairman Bin Chen said in a statement. “Based on this excellent foundation, we intend to take Diamond to a long-term leadership position in worldwide general aviation.” Wanfeng is one of China’s biggest companies, particularly in the auto sector, and has the horsepower to invest in Diamond’s growth, something Dries said was a major factor in his decision to sell. “Diamond is my life’s work. In the interest of a successful long-term future, we needed to find the right partner to continue our good work,” Dries said. “Wanfeng and specifically Mr. Bin Chen share my vision of the future of general aviation and are investing for the right reasons, with a long-term strategy and the resources to see their vision through.” Last year’s acquisition of the North American division resulted in a separation of the Diamond product lines and the role of the Canadian operations was not discussed in the release.
SEOUL Dec. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military has begun to consider operating F-35B stealth aircraft from its newest amphibious landing ship slated to be deployed in 2020, as part of efforts to strengthen its naval power, sources said Monday.
The authorities have recently discussed whether the second 14,000-ton Dokdo-class vessel can carry the F-35B fighter, a short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the U.S.-made fifth-generation warplane.
"I understand that the military top brass have recently discussed whether they can introduce a small number of F-35B fighters and operate them aboard the new ship that has already been deployed and one to be additionally built," a military source told Yonhap News Agency, declining to be named.
"As far as I know, the idea is being weighed in light of maximizing the strategic value of the vessel's capabilities," he added.
The existing Dokdo ship is seen capable of operating only transport helicopters because its deck is not made of materials that can withstand high temperatures or friction caused by fighter jet operations.
"Considerations will continue about whether we can run F-35Bs by redesigning the decks of the Dokdo and the new ship that is being constructed," another source said.
In 2014, Seoul decided to purchase 40 F-35A fighters for deployment from 2018 through 2021 at a cost of 7.3 trillion won (US$6.75 billion). The F-35A is the fighter's air force variant, while the F-35B and F-35C are for marines and aircraft carrier-based operations, respectively.
There is speculation that Seoul may consider introducing several F-35Bs as it may have to purchase additional warplanes due to a shortage of warplanes that could occur in the coming years with the decommissioning of F-4s and F-5s.
Regarding the idea of purchasing F-35Bs, some argue that it would incur considerable costs for the South Korean military to train pilots and maintain them, given that they are different from the existing fleet and new fighters to be introduced in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Japanese media reported that Tokyo's Maritime Self-Defense Force is considering purchasing F-35Bs for its large escort ships. They said that the military is weighing the options of altering its plan to purchase 42 F-35As to buy some F-35Bs, or additionally purchasing F-35Bs.
Such consideration has triggered concerns that Tokyo's military buildup would undermine its defense-oriented principle that has undergirded its post-war security policy.
Second prototype of China's C919 jet conducts test flight: state TV
DECEMBER 17, 2017 / 12:36 PM
Reuters Staff
BEIJING (Reuters) - A second prototype of China’s home-built C919 passenger jet took off for a test flight in Shanghai on Sunday, state television reported, another step forward in the country’s ambitions to muscle in to the global jet market.
A total of six prototypes will eventually conduct test flights, China Central Television reported, with engine tests to be a particular focus.
The aim was to conduct another long-distance test flight in late January, chief engineer Wang Wei was quoted as saying. More than 1,000 tests would be carried out.
The narrow-body aircraft, which will compete with Boeing’s 737 and the Airbus A320, is a symbol of China’s ambitions to penetrate the global passenger jet market, estimated to be worth $2 trillion over the next 20 years.
The C919 made its maiden flight on May 5 after numerous delays. Analysts have questioned the long periods between previous test flights.
It completed its first long-distance flight on Nov. 10, flying for 2 hours and 23 minutes from Shanghai to the central Chinese city of Xi‘an, covering more than 1,300 km (800 miles) and reaching an altitude of 7,800 meters (25,590 feet).
Its manufacturer, the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC) [CMAFC.UL], called the maiden flight a milestone that marked the plane’s move into an airworthiness certification phase.
COMAC is aiming to obtain certification for the plane from Chinese regulators as well as Europe’s aviation safety regulator, which agreed in April to start the certification process.
The plane has dozens of customers who have placed orders and commitments for 785 jets, COMAC has said.
The contract also covers the ground equipment and spare engines
MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russia has sent the second batch of 10 Su-35 fighter jets (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) to China under a contract signed back in 2015, a source familiar with Russia’s military and technical cooperation with foreign states told TASS on Friday.
"Another batch of 10 aircraft has been sent to the customer. China will receive the remaining 10 aircraft in 2018," the source said.
The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has declined to comment on the report.
Earlier, a source close to military and technical cooperation told TASS that the first four fighter jets had been delivered in late 2016. In November 2016, Vladimir Drozhzhov, deputy director of the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation, told TASS Russia had started fulfilling the first phase of its contract with China.
Russia and China clinched a deal for 24 Su-35 fighter jets to the tune of at least $2 bln in November 2015. The contract also covers the ground equipment and spare engines.
The Su-35 is a Russian-made multipurpose generation 4++ super-maneuverable fighter jet equipped with a phased array radar and steerable thrusters. It can develop a speed of up to 2,500 kilometers per hour and has a flying range of 3,400 kilometers and a combat radius close to 1,600 kilometers. The fighter jet is armed with a 30mm gun and has 12 hardpoints for carrying bombs and missiles.
The Corps’ rotary-wing fleet will get the first four CH-53K Super Stallion helicopters delivered in 2018.
The CH-53K is meant to replace the fleet of aging CH-53E Super Stallions, which have the worst readiness problems of all Marine Corps aircraft. Those older aircraft were left in Iraq for years at a time during the peak of the Iraq war, when dust and relentless daily missions severely degraded their condition and capabilities.
The CH-53K helicopters will go through further testing next year and in 2019 before being delivered to the operational fleet. As of now, the Marine Corps expects to have its first four CH-53K helicopters with combat-ready crews logistically prepared to deploy in 2019.
The Corps is also in the process of repairing and refurbishing all 146 of its CH-53Es. As of December, the Marines had overhauled 13 CH-53Es, which will continue this coming year.
“By 2019, the CH-53E community will have the right amount of up-aircraft to achieve and maintain the optimal readiness through the end of their service life and Full Operational Capability of the CH-53K in 2029,” said Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns.
The first Husky-class submarine is planned to be completed by 2030. The fifth-generation sub will join Russia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, many of which are currently being modernized, including with advanced cruise missiles.
As Russia continues to build its new Yasen-class nuclear submarines and keeps modernizing the Soviet-era Shchuka-class submarines, the Russia Navy has set its sights on a fifth-generation multipurpose sub, which is already in development.
The project is known under the name "Husky" and is planned to replace the Shchuka- and Yasen-class submarines.
On Wednesday, the commander of the Russian Navy, Adm. Vladimir Korolev, reviewed the preliminary designed of a fifth-generation submarine, which was developed by St. Petersburg Marine Design Bureau "Malachite."
The research and development stage of the project is scheduled to be completed next year. The first Husky-class submarine will be laid down in 2023-2024 and will be completed by 2030, Deputy Navy Commander Vice Adm. Viktor Bursuk told Sputnik in July.
The construction will be funded under the 2018-2025 State Armaments Program, adopted in 2015 and defining massive military hardware upgrades, with the plan of 70 percent rearmament by 2020.
Open sources provide very few details on the project, but what is known already suggests that it will be a breakthrough in scientific and technological terms.
Hypersonic Arsenal
According to information from open sources, the main feature of the new Russian submarine will be armed with the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile, which is already undergoing tests.
The specifications of the missile are also kept secret. It is known that the Zircon will be able to reach speeds of Mach 5-10 (5-10 times faster than the speed of sound) and hit a target at a distance of 300-500 kilometers. Currently, the Russian Navy has in service anti-ship missiles with a maximum speed of Mach 2-2.5.
"The treats are getting more obvious and more dangerous now. They need to be responded," Adm. Vladimir Komoedov, former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, told RIA Novosti. "I advocate for a multipurpose submarine with maximum versatility. It should have reliable target detections and weapons systems. In addition, it should be able to receive target information from aviation and from space."
According to Western and Russian experts, the deployment of Zircon missiles will weaken the positions of the United States’ naval force, which is based on aircraft- carrier striking groups. The National Interest’s observer Sebastien Roblin suggested that the new missile would be more dangerous for the US Navy than the Soviet-made Granit missiles (NATO reporting name Shipwreck).
According to Komoedov, the Russian Navy needs new multipurpose submarines that would be armed with a hypersonic anti-ship missile, instead of the Kalibr subsonic cruise missile.
Stealth, Equipped With Robots
The key difference between the Husky-class and the submarines of previous generations is its extremely low level of noise. According to Bursuk, the new submarine will be at least twice as silent as the Yasen- and Shchuka-class.
The construction of the Husky-class will involve light and durable composite materials. The submarine will be equipped with advanced electronic systems and will have automatic control and weapons systems. As a result, the submarine will be relatively compact and will be capable of simultaneously tracking a large number of targets.
Oleg Vlasov, head of the robotics sector of the Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau, said that the Husky-class submarine would would be equipped with robotic systems to be used for carrying out tasks for military and civilian purposes.
"I can say that there will be robotics on the Husky, which will work in two environments. The development is already underway, now that the forms are laid out, they will be specified," Vlasov told Sputnik.
Russia's Fleet of Nuclear Submarines
The construction of fifth-generation nuclear-powered submarines will begin after the commission of seven Yasen-class (project 885) submarines, which are planned to join the Russian Navy by 2023. The flagship, the Severodvinks, is already in service.
The second submarine, the Kazan, has been floated out and is undergoing sea trials, after which it will join the military in 2018. It will be armed with 533-mm torpedoes, Kalibr-PL cruise missiles and P-800 Oniks missiles.
"A global war today is unlikely, but the risk of regional conflicts is high. Taking this into account, submarines armed with cruise missiles will be tremendously important because they can attack both surface and ground targets," Adm. Vyacheslav Popov, former commander of the Northern Fleet, told RIA Novosti.
The Russian Naval Doctrine envisages that such submarines will be the core of the multipurpose submarine force until the Husky-class submarines enter service.
According to Popov, today the most important capability of a naval force is versatility.
According to the Military Balance report by The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Russian multipurpose submarine force currently includes one Yasen-class submarine, 11 Shchuka-class submarines, five Antey-class subs, two Kondor submarines (project 945A) and three project 671RTM (Shchuka-class, second generation) submarines.
Currently, several project 971 submarines are undergoing modernization, including being equipped with Kalibr-PL missiles. By 2025, four Antey submarines will be upgraded with Kalibr and Oniks missiles.
