DTN News: Boeing Signs AU$44M Contract Expansion For Australian Army Rotary Wing Support

DTN News: Boeing Signs AU$44M Contract Expansion For Australian Army Rotary Wing Support *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) OAKEY, Queensland - February 26, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] has signed an AU$44 million change proposal with the Commonwealth of Australia to increase the scope of the Army Aviation Training and Training Support (AATTS) contract. Awarded the contract in 2007, Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia has been supporting the Australian Army's Black Hawk and Kiowa helicopters with pilot, aircrew and technician training, operational fleet maintenance, and support services at the Army Aviation Training Centre in Oakey. Following detailed operational reviews, the Commonwealth and Boeing Defence Australia changed the scope of the AATTS contract to reflect the Army's current and future aircrew training requirements. Under the updated contract, Boeing Defence Australia is additionally responsible for delivering: *The Initial Army Pilot Helicopter Qualification Course, using the B-206 Kiowa *85 percent of S-70A-9 Black Hawk pilot training *CH-47 Chinook helicopter instructor and technician training. The $44 million agreement also includes the Commonwealth's first one-year extension of AATTS, continuing the contract until September 2013. The original AATTS contract includes five one-year extension options. "The Commonwealth's decision to both increase the scope of AATTS and extend the contract until 2013 reinforces Boeing Defence Australia's position as the preeminent ab-initio ['from the beginning'] training provider to the Australian Defence Force," said Mark Brownsey, Boeing Defence Australia senior manager for Global Services & Support -- Training Operations. "To date, Boeing Defence Australia has exceeded all Australian Army training and maintenance requirements, including standing up the entire program on time, completing 100 percent of training courses on schedule, supporting close to 7,000 training sorties annually, and providing maintenance support to the Australian Defence Force Kiowa fleet, which recently achieved more than 50,000 flight hours," said Matthew Sibree, Boeing Defence Australia AATTS project manager. "To ensure AATTS continues on time and on budget, 20 additional employees will be hired on to the 160-strong team to ensure we meet our customer's expectations." The updated AATTS contract will further strengthen Boeing Defence Australia's training capability while ensuring the Australian Army maintains a constant supply of qualified helicopter pilots, aircrew and technicians to conduct complex helicopter missions in support of domestic and global operations. Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and a business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is a leading Australian aerospace enterprise. With a world-class team of nearly 2,000 employees at 13 locations throughout Australia and two international sites, Boeing Defence Australia supports some of the largest and most complex defense projects in Australia. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Boeing Defence Australia Completes 50,000 Flight-Support Hours For Bell 206B-1 Kiowa

DTN News: Boeing Defence Australia Completes 50,000 Flight-Support Hours For Bell 206B-1 Kiowa *Source: DTN News / Boeing Defence Australia (NSI News Source Info) OAKEY, Queensland - July 24, 2009: Boeing Defence Australia (BDA), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], today announced it has completed 50,000 flight support hours for the Australian Defence Force's fleet of 19 Bell 206B-1 Kiowa helicopters. The Bell 206B-1 Kiowa has been in service with the Army since 1972; its main roles being observation and rotary flying training. It is also utilised for the command and control of tactical aircraft, such as the F/A-18 and F-111. They often work closely with artillery and armoured cavalry units. The majority of the Kiowa fleet is located in Darwin, used by 1 Aviation Regiment. BDA provides the Australian Army with pilot and aircrew training, fleet maintenance and support services for the Bell 206B-1 Kiowa and S-70A-9 Black Hawk helicopters as part of the Army Aviation Training and Training Support (AATTS) program based at Oakey. "This is a significant milestone for the team and I congratulate everyone, past and present, who has participated in achieving this result," said Matthew Sibree, project manager for the BDA AATTS program. "Throughout our team's 16 years of supporting this platform, we have continuously worked to improve maintenance processes, enabling the Kiowa to fly up to 6,000 hours per year. Most civilian platforms average anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 flight hours per year. "This program is unique because it involves both operational maintenance and deeper level maintenance," Sibree added. The customer can program the aircraft to complete up to 50 missions per day, and the BDA maintenance team is responsible for servicing each aircraft before and after every mission. "Boeing has provided excellent support within those 50,000 hours and contributed greatly to the training outputs required of Army Aviation aircrew training," said Lt. Col. Scott Benbow, Commanding Officer at the School of Army Aviation, Army Aviation Training Centre at Oakey. "The Australian Army's relationship with Boeing is a fine example of how industry and defense, when well combined, can achieve very good results." BDA will continue to work on the Kiowa platform for at least the next three years, until Air 9000 Phase 7 -- the replacement helicopter training system for both the Australian Navy and Army -- enters service. BDA, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and a business unit of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, is a leading Australian aerospace enterprise. With a world-class team of nearly 2,000 employees at 13 locations throughout Australia and two international sites, BDA supports some of the largest and most complex defense projects in Australia. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

Rolls-Royce Wins Two U.S. Helicopter Contracts

Rolls-Royce Wins Two U.S. Helicopter Contracts

(NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK - February 23, 2009: Rolls-Royce Group Plc announced two new contracts on Sunday -- a $35 million deal with the U.S. Army and a deal worth up to $400 million with Bell Helicopter -- and said it expects more than 15,000 turbine helicopter deliveries over the next ten years. The deal with the U.S. Army is a contract modification for Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) services covering Model 250-powered (Photo/Image: Bell 407 Helicopter) military helicopter fleet, the British engine maker said. The deal with Bell Helicopter is for the supply of Model 250 engines for Bell 206 and 407 helicopters through 2017. Separately, Rolls-Royce expects "near-term softness followed by a resumption of growth" in the market between 2009 and 2018. It also said the rotorcraft market "will exhibit strong demand by 2013." Rolls-Royce expects overall helicopter deliveries to be valued at about $130 billion for airframes and about $12 billion for engines. The company also expects about 9,000 civil helicopter deliveries, and about 6,000 new military helicopter deliveries, during the ten-year period. Rolls-Royce said its 10-year projections are up slightly from its 2008 projections.