Emirates sees fleet rise to almost 250 planes

PRAGUE – Dubai government-owned flagship carrier Emirates airline will look to increase the size of its fleet by at least 100 planes over the next eight years, company president Tim Clark said on Thursday.

The airline, the largest customer for the Airbus A380 aircraft, is set to reveal new plane orders at the July Farnborough Airshow.

Clark declined to comment on the expected order.

“I am not saying that will be the end of it either, even in Farnborough. As we grow business, we will continue to look at network expansion,” Clark told Reuters while on a visit to the Prague airport for a company media event.

He said the airline would have to replace 68 ageing planes in the next few years.

“Today we have 147 aircraft, and that will grow by a minimum of a hundred over the next eight years,” he said.

Emirates in June placed a record $11 billion order for 32 superjumbos with Airbus, bringing its Airbus orders to 90 aircraft.

The Arab world’s largest airline by fleet size, posted in May a fivefold increase in 2009-10 profit to 3.5 billion dirhams ($953 million).

It also said it was aiming for a full-year net profit of around 4.25 billion dirhams for the group this year.
Clark said the company was doing better than a year ago.

“We are optimistic that we will finish the year ahead of our own budget,” he said.

Source: business.maktoob.com

The Czech Police Aviation Department marks its 75th anniversary and logs the 10,000th flight hour with its Eurocopter EC135 fleet

The Czech Police Aviation Department (CPAD) is celebrating two key milestones this month: its 75th year of service, and the 10,000th flight hour logged by the department’s Eurocopter EC135 helicopter fleet.

With the CPAD’s broad operational responsibilities – which range from aerial surveillance and emergency medical airlift to firefighting and search & rescue – its eight EC135s have demonstrated their flexibility in performing police and parapublic missions since entering service with the department in 2004.

“The Czech Police Aviation Department was the first law enforcement organization in Eastern Europe to select Eurocopter helicopters for this type of mission. We are particularly proud to recognize the agency – with whom we have established a true partnership – as it celebrates these two important milestones,” said Olivier Michalon, Eurocopter Vice President Eastern-Mediterranean Europe & Central Asia.

Eurocopter has established a close industrial relationship in the Czech Republic since 2003, which includes contracting the in-country production of components that include hardware for Ecureuil helicopters and doors for Airbus jetliners. This work is assigned to both large and small Czech companies, supporting the country’s industrial growth and contributing to the development of its economy.

In addition to the CPAD’s eight EC135s, the agency also operates two Eurocopter BO-105 helicopters as part of its rotary-wing aircraft fleet.

Source: Eurocopter

Boeing Elects to Conduct Inspections on 787s Before Flying

EVERETT, Wash., June 24, 2010 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] recently identified a workmanship issue with the 787’s horizontal stabilizers. Some airplanes have issues with improperly installed shims and the torque of associated fasteners. This finding requires inspection of all airplanes and rework if discrepancies are found.

An inspection and rework plan already is implemented for airplanes in production. For those airplanes requiring rework, we expect it will take up to eight days for each airplane. It is not unusual for these issues to arise in the course of production programs – they are identified, dispositioned and dealt with through our normal processes.

Reports that the fleet is “grounded” are incorrect. Boeing has made the decision to inspect the horizontal stabilizers on all flight test airplanes before their next flights to ensure any rework is completed as quickly as possible. Inspections are expected to take one to two days.

We expect that this issue will be addressed within the existing program schedule. The 787 remains on track for first delivery to ANA by the end of this year.

Source and photo: Boeing

South African Airways boosts Airbus short haul fleet

South African Airways has ordered five additional Airbus A320 aircraft, increasing an earlier commitment for the type from 15 to 20. The aircraft, to be delivered from 2013, will be powered by IAE engines.

This order, combined with the airlines recent lease agreement for six new A330s from Air Castle, will deliver a modern, comfortable, reliable and cost-efficient fleet for South African Airways’ domestic, regional and long-haul services. South African Airways already operates a fleet of 11 A319s, six A340-200s, six A340-300s and nine A340-600s.

“We are delighted that this transaction has the approval of our key stakeholders, the SAA Shareholder and Board. Because they offers a seamless fit with the other Airbus aircraft types which we operate, the A320s will assist in our efficiency drive and reduce maintenance costs,” said Siza Mzimela, CEO of South African Airways.

John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, said, “The A320 is the most modern and efficient single aisle aircraft available and with continuous improvements we are strengthening the aircraft’s leadership position. It will be a key enabler in South African Airways drive for greater efficiency. ”

Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings.

The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. With more than 6,500 aircraft sold, and some 4,200 aircraft delivered to more than 310 customers and operators worldwide, the A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.

Rolls-Royce signs £690 million contract to support UK Tornado fleet

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed an innovative service contract worth £690 million with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Tornado aircraft. 

Under the terms of the new RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET2) contract, which runs until 2025, Rolls-Royce will provide the RAF with a guaranteed level of availability for its RB199 engines, spares and ground support equipment. The new agreement includes additional support elements, such as the development of engine health monitoring techniques designed to improve operational capability. 

Rolls-Royce has been contracted to support the RAF’s RB199 engine fleet since December 2005 and has consistently met 100 per cent of the performance requirements from the outset. 

Chris Awde, Rolls-Royce Sales and Commercial Director, Defence Aerospace, said:
“Over the four-year period of the ROCET contract we have developed a partnership approach with the UK Ministry of Defence and met every engine availability target that has been set.

“The frontline Royal Air Force Tornado squadrons now enjoy a guaranteed level of engine availability and significant savings in their engine support costs. ROCET 2 will enable us to deliver an even higher level of support for the next 15 years.”

Rolls-Royce undertakes all aspects of RB199 engine support, including the provision of replacement engines to meet customer demands, and technical support both on-base and from the Rolls-Royce Operations Centre in Bristol.

Source: Rolls-Royce
Picture: Rob Vogelaar, ZAP16 Group

Understanding aircraft production impact on fleet management

 Aircraft production issues are straining airline attempts to assemble next-generation fleets. Route development is suffering and cost structures are shifting. Doug McArthur reports on what lies ahead for a sector under pressureManaging a fleet of aircraft is not easy at the best of times. But with the global economy so unpredictable, and manufacturing delays to new aircraft, it has become more of an art than a science.

Aircraft utilization has dropped, yet parked aircraft are being rolled out again. At the same time, next-generation planes have been delayed and airlines are finding it difficult to find financing to purchase new aircraft. And all this must be considered against a background of record orders in previous years.

The delays are arguably causing the biggest headaches. Rob Fyfe, CEO of Air New Zealand, has called the Boeing 787 delays the industry’s “biggest challenge.” The airline is having to review lease agreements and route development plans as well as adjust its cost structure due to higher maintenance, repair and overhaul costs and the need to retain older aircraft.

Although the 787 flew successfully late in 2009, Continental Airlines is typical of carriers that have had to adjust projections because of the new production realities. “We expect the first of our 25 Boeing 787 aircraft to be delivered in 2011 instead of the first half of 2009 as originally scheduled,” the carrier states in its 2008 annual report. “As a result, our anticipated mainline capacity in 2010 and thereafter may be reduced, particularly if we are unable to make alternative arrangements to acquire long-range aircraft on commercially acceptable terms.” To provide flexibility for its widebody aircraft needs, the carrier ordered eight new Boeing 777s, the report states.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has also had to make alternate plans because of delays with its order of 55 787s. To meet its capacity needs and continue its expansion plans, ANA ordered four
767-300ERs, says the airline’s public relations manager Yoshifumi Miyake. ANA has also been notified of a production delay with Mitsubishi’s 92-seat MRJ90, for which it is the launch customer. Since delivery is four years off, ANA says it does not expect any significant effect on its business.

Capacity curse

However, as the delays have hit during a crisis, carriers may have been afforded some relief. After all, airlines have been delaying and cancelling orders anyway because of the dire economic situation.
Now, planes should start arriving as the economy recovers, ready for the good times ahead. Usually, this is when airlines order, perversely receiving their purchases as the business cycle dips.

But aviation analyst Chris Tarry believes this will not help the situation a great deal. Instead he insists the real secret lies in managing capacity. History is doomed to repeat itself, he suggests, citing the fact that an additional 1,300 aircraft are due for delivery in 2010, which will contribute to 2.8% global capacity growth.

“Aircraft have been under-utilized during the economic crisis—down 6% according to IATA figures—which means it is very easy to ‘turn the tap on’ again without recourse to new aircraft,” he comments. “And if you increase capacity then you increase price pressure, and it will be very hard for airlines to improve yields.”

Tarry highlights the short-haul sector as the biggest concern, given that delivery rates here have been, and will be, largely unaffected by production problems. Even low-cost carriers have voiced doubts about the potential for growth in such a depressed market.

“All in all, I don’t see the delays as helping the airlines,” he says. “This is a very weak market and capacity is still being added because any growth will have to come from taking market share from somebody else.”

Financing

Tarry notes that manufacturers also have cash flow challenges, giving them a strong incentive to push new aircraft and further adding to the capacity problem. “The new aircraft may be cheaper to run because they’re more efficient, but there’s never been any correlation between high fuel prices and aircraft orders. This isn’t why airlines buy aircraft. They buy to add capacity.”

He says manufacturers have become involved with the financing of aircraft, acting as agents or guarantors in order to keep selling.

For their part, manufacturers are not admitting to price cuts. Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier all say prices are being held firm, although Bombardier adds that list prices can be adjusted to keep up with the market cost of materials. Boeing vice-president of marketing Randy Tinseth says prices are dictated by “the competition and the needs of our customers.” Boeing has had only 10% of its backlog deferred or cancelled, compared to 40% during the last crisis in 2002-2003.

However, airlines may see long-term gains, as all four manufacturers say they have adopted new production techniques to cut costs and avoid delays. Airbus introduced Power 8, a cost-cutting system, in 2007. In addition, it says it has already built and tested the carbon fibre fuselage barrel test demonstrators for its A350 XWB.

Boeing, meanwhile, adopted the lean automotive methods used in Japan to switch from a static to a moving assembly for the 737 and 777. Building a 737 once took 22 days; with the new system it is down to 10.

As for Bombardier, it recently broke ground on a Complete Integrated Aircraft Systems Test Area designed to proof systems and software for CSeries aircraft a year before the first test flight, says Poutissou.

Embraer is experiencing good results with its P3E (Embraer Air Entrepreneurship Excellence) program, says Kern. P3E combines lean manufacturing techniques with continuous improvement throughout the company. Embraer also continues to invest in automation.

Lead times

Ultimately this may lead to improved delivery times, which may allow airlines to better gauge market needs and the capacity situation. Of course, whether carriers will ever be able to place an order and expect delivery within one or two years remains to be seen.

The OEMs say their build-time per aircraft gets constantly shorter thanks to new lean production methods, increased automation and earlier testing of component parts, but make no promises.
All manufacturers will still require a long lead time to negotiate a ramp-up with suppliers. Boeing’s Tinseth states it plainly: “It takes longer to increase production rates than it does to decrease them.”

Adjusting production Airbus No layoffs in 2009 but the company opened discussions with employee associations about possible work-hour adjustments. There have been no changes to A380-800 orders but overall Airbus had 22 cancellations in 2009.  Airbus reduced A320 production to 34 a month from 36. Parts producation for the A350 XWB has started and the A330-200 has started flight testing. Production targets for 2010 will be down from those originally planned. A320 production will drop by 15%, the A330 and A340 by 20% and the A380 by 28%. Boeing The Commercial Airplanes unit announced 4,500 layoffs in January 2009. The 787 successfully made its first test flight on 15 December and the first delivery is now set for the fourth quarter of 2010.  Overall, since the start of the downturn, Boeing has had about 300 deferrals and more than 100 cancellations. 777 production in 2010 has been cut to five a month from seven, while plans to increase 767 and 747 production have been shelved. 737 production will hold steady at 31 a month. Bombardier aerospace Approximately 5,000 lay-offs. All of its planes were on schedule in late 2009. Bombardier is reviewing a software upgrade on the CRJ1000 that could affect the date of certification. Eight deferrals, but no cancellations for the Q400.  Bombardier has reduced its CRJ production rates. But increases in Q400 production mean the manufacturer’s output will rise by 10% in 2010. Embraer Laid off 4,000 workers in February 2009. There was one cancellation of 25 ERJ 145s at Embraer’s plant in China. Production of commercial airplanes in 2009 was down 25-30% from the year before.

Source: IATA

Papillon Helicopters Adds Another EC130 to Its “Flightseeing” Fleet

Houston,
American Eurocopter announced today that Papillon Helicopters, Inc. has ordered another EC130 B4 to its aerial tour operations in the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area. This is the fourteenth EC130 B4 in the company’s fleet.

“Papillon is a valued customer and their continued selection of the EC130 affirms the aircraft as a proven platform for aerial tour operations in the United States and worldwide,” said Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter.

“Our focus is on customer satisfaction, comfort and safety,” said Lon Halvorson, EVP of Papillon Helicopters, Inc. “The B4 is renowned for its spacious cabin, excellent visibility, reliability and performance, and it is the right choice for our fleet.”

The EC130B4 is equipped with a Turbomeca ARRIEL 2B1 turbine engine. It comes with a dual channel digital engine control system (FADEC) and has a fast cruise speed of 130 knots, and a range of 329 nm with no reserves. Its Fenestron® tail rotor and automatic control of rotor RPM results in a significantly reduced operating noise level, which makes it the platform of choice for the aerial tour industry.

Since 1965 Papillon Helicopters has been the world’s oldest and largest sightseeing company flying an estimated 600,000 passengers a year on its daily tours to the Grand Canyon. Papillon is certified to fly both the South and West Rims of this great American landmark, and has three landing sites on the Grand Canyon’s floor.

Source: Eurocopter
Photo: Papillon Helicopter

GOL Airlines selects Rockwell Collins to provide data link system and multi-mode receiver for its Boeing 737 fleet

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (February 08, 2010) - Brazil’s GOL Airlines has selected Rockwell Collins to provide CMU-900 Communications Management Unit (CMU) for its fleet of Boeing 737NG airplanes. In addition, the airplanes will also be equipped with the company’s advanced GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR). Deliveries will begin in early 2010.

“GOL’s standards of safety, comfort and affordability for their passengers, as well as the need to equip their fleet for an evolving future airspace were, key factors in selecting Rockwell Collins for data link and MMR capabilities,” said Jeff Standerski, vice president and general manager of Air Transport Systems for Rockwell Collins. “These are smart investments that will provide operators the advanced functionality and proven technology that will help GOL’s fleet perform at its best now and for years to come.”

The CMU-900 enables state-of-the-art digital communications between aircraft systems, pilots, airlines IT infrastructure, and various operations control functions. This enhances an airline’s ability to more effectively communicate and manage airline operations.

The CMU-900 also will be certified in January 2011 for the European Link 2000+ Protected Mode ATN CPDLC mandate which begins in January 2011. The CMU-900 was the first communications management unit to participate in the European Link 2000+ Controller to Pilot Data link Communications (CPDLC) trials, which validated the use of advanced digital communications for Air Traffic Control communications. 

The advanced GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver is the first MMR certified for precision landing using either Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) or Instrument Landing Systems (ILS). The GLU-925 is the primary navigation sensor for all phases of flight, including the stringent Required Navigation Performance (RNP) requirement of 0.1 n.m.

Source: Rockwell Collins

Boeing Awarded Contract for Major Upgrade to French AWACS Fleet

SEATTLE, Feb. 3, 2010 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has been awarded a $324 million Foreign Military Sales contract from the Electronics Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., to upgrade France’s fleet of four E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, as well as the fleet’s ground system.

“This upgrade — the largest ever for French AWACS — will provide the fleet with more actionable information and better situational awareness,” said Steve Swanz, French AWACS program manager for Boeing. “New mission computers also will reduce the mission operator’s workload, allowing more time to be spent managing the battlespace.”

The French AWACS Mid-Life Upgrade is based on the U.S. AWACS Block 40/45 system, which dramatically enhances the potential for network-enabled operations; increases mission execution capability, reliability and effectiveness; and reduces life-cycle costs.

The upgrade will include:

• A primary AWACS display, which increases situational awareness through its intuitive interface and detailed map database
• Upgraded Identification Friend or Foe Interrogation, including Mode S and Mode 5 capability
• An increase in the number of mission consoles aboard each aircraft, from 10 to 14
• Modern mission computing processing, which enables improved AWACS mission performance through the use of advanced battle management tools such as Automatic Air Tasking Orders and Airspace Coordination Order updates, resource and sensor management, and automated decision aids
• Improved combat identification capabilities from integrated sensor and off-board datalinks
• The Multi-Source Integration process, which automatically integrates data from on- and off-board sources such as radar, Electronic Support Measures and Link 16, to provide significantly improved tracking capabilities
• Digital radio control and management through the new mission computing subsystem
• An open system architecture that enables rapid software upgrades and requires less hardware.

Air France Industries will begin installing the enhancements at its Le Bourget Airport facility near Paris in 2012. The entire fleet is scheduled to complete this upgrade in the third quarter of 2015.

Fokker Services signs a 130 Million Euro fleet lifetime agreement with Austrian Airlines

Amsterdam, January 20, 2010 –[ASDWire]– Today, at the 7th Fokker Operators Conference in Amsterdam, Fokker Services signed a FLYFokker Take Care agreement with Austrian Airlines. The agreement, with an estimated value of 130 Million Euro, is valid up to year 2020 and applicable for a fleet of nine Fokker 70 and fifteen Fokker 100 aircraft. It marks the introduction of the Take Care solution for mature operators as part of the complete FLYFokker program.

Since the introduction of the Fokker 70’s in 1995 and Fokker 100’s in 2004 with Austrian Airlines, Fokker Services has been providing logistical services and technical services. The new FLYFokker Take Care agreement marks the next phase in the relationship. It starts a continuous process with challenging cost reduction, technical performance improvement and the introduction of products to further increase passenger comfort.

FLYFokker
This fleet lifetime agreement fits within the innovative Life Cycle Support program for the Fokker fleet of aircraft, entitled FLYFokker, as launched at Dubai Airshow in November 2009. The agreement signed today is the third significant step in the development of the complete program, following the Take Off strategic alliance with Denim Air and a recently announced Take Over partnership with KLM Cityhopper.

The Take Care solution perfectly fits operators who have a Fokker fleet in full operation. It enables them to work with Fokker Services in a long-term partnership with key performance indicators as reduction of Direct Operating/Maintenance Cost, increased Technical Dispatch Reliability and passenger appeal.

As Martin Schmidt, Director Operations Procurement of Austrian Airlines explains: “This Take Care partnership with Fokker Services has mutually been developed over the past year and is crucial for the sustainable reliability and cost effectiveness of our Fokker operations. Part of the agreement is the implementation of new LED cabin lighting to even further increase the comfort of our valued customers, as our complete fleet has been equipped with the newest Fokker interior already. We expect to fly our Fokker fleet for many years to come, as the Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 are very cost effective, competitive and reliable aircraft in operation.”

Roland van Dijk, President of Fokker Services: ‘’After the recent FLYFokker program launch, this Take Care fleet lifetime agreement with Austrian Airlines as a mature operator of Fokker aircraft, is a major milestone in the program. Both parties worked hard on the development of the agreement, as a new way of working is required to achieve the challenging targets. We are proud to have Austrian Airlines as the first customer in the FLYFokker Take Care program and expect many more customers to join.’’

About Fokker Services
At present there are 700 operational Fokker aircraft across the world. The Fokker aircraft has earned a reputation for advanced technologies, comfort, operational reliability, low noise level and durability. Flying Fokker makes economic sense. Many consider the Fokker among the best mid size aircraft ever built. Besides the Fokker aircraft, Fokker Services is serving operators with the Bombardier Dash-8 and other Out of Production Aircraft, with it’s logistic flight hour program ABACUS.

FLYFokker, the full-service Life Cycle support program for Fokker aircraft, comprises four solutions (Take Off, Take Care, Take Over and Take Next) for the continued competitive operation of Fokker aircraft.

Source: Fokker Services

Rolls-Royce extends support for UK Typhoon fleet

Friday, 15 January 2010

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed an innovative service contract worth £865 million with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft which are powered by EJ200 engines, assembled by Rolls-Royce in Bristol.

Under the terms of the contract, which runs until 2019, Rolls-Royce will provide the RAF with a guaranteed level of availability for its EJ200 engines.

Rolls-Royce has been contracted to support the RAF’s EJ200 engine fleet since November 2001 and has consistently met 100 per cent of the performance requirements from the outset.

Martin Fausset, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace, said: “This contract meets the challenge set by the MOD to industry of delivering affordable and innovative support solutions for the Typhoon programme. We apply a high level of technology and innovation into developing support solutions, as we do to developing our engines, which gives the Armed Forces the twin benefits of increased operational capability and better value for money.”

Typhoon Team Leader Air Vice Marshal Chris Bushell said: “Today’s announcement of a 10-year engine availability service with Rolls-Royce is good news for us all; the service will maximise aircraft availability by using the most cost-effective solution. Typhoon has now been operational in the air defence role for well over two years and a multi-role capability was integrated and declared combat ready by the RAF in July 2008. The signature of the Partnered Support Operational Phase 3 contract builds on this success and will underpin Typhoon’s growing capability and utilisation.”

Rolls-Royce undertakes all aspects of EJ200 engine support, including the provision of replacement engines to meet customer demands, and technical support both on-base and from the Rolls-Royce Operations Centre in Bristol.

Rolls-Royce support operations are centred at the Typhoon Propulsion Support Facility at RAF Coningsby, where the RAF’s Typhoon squadrons are based. From there, a team comprising both Rolls-Royce and RAF personnel manages the engine support for aircraft operations in the field and also carries out some engine repairs. This will be augmented in 2010 by a second Main Operating Base at RAF Leuchars where Rolls-Royce will also have a support team.

The majority of engine repairs are undertaken at the Rolls-Royce facilities at Ansty, near Coventry, and Bristol.

Rolls-Royce is a shareholder in Eurojet, the European consortium responsible for the EJ200 engine that powers the Eurofighter Typhoon twin-engine combat aircraft, and has a 37% production share of the programme.

USAF Europe And Africa Command Add Another Proven C-130J Super Hercules To Their Airlift Fleet

Maj. Gen. Michael Snodgrass, chief of staff, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, today accepted the seventh of 14 Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130Js to be based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The USAF Europe C-130Js based at Ramstein also support the airlift needs of Africa Command.

“It is an honor for me to be in Marietta to pick up the seventh C-130J going to Ramstein. It represents the cumulative efforts of teams of people here in Marietta, the United States Air Force, the Pentagon and the folks at Ramstein who are supporting our missions around the globe,” Snodgrass said. “There is no other airplane that has done more throughout its history, consistently over its lifespan to help other people when they need help than the C-130. The C‑130 has been and will continue to be the workhorse of our fleet.”

“With our ramp-up in build and delivery rates, the C-130J Super Hercules is increasingly delivering proven airlift solutions to air forces worldwide,” said Julie Whitehead, Lockheed Martin director, USAF C-130J programs. “With every mission flown, more countries can attest to the fact that the C-130J sets the standard for flexible, versatile and affordable airlift.”

The delivery of this most recent Ramstein C-130J marks the half-way point for the base’s total C-130J deliveries. Ten C-130Js will be delivered to Ramstein this year, with four more scheduled for delivery in 2010. These 14 new Js will support the Ramstein-based 37th Airlift Squadron that has been flying C-130Es. The new aircraft are the longer C-130J-30 configuration, which is now the standard for recapitalizing the USAF and many other air forces around the world.

C-130Js are engaged in high-tempo operations in multiple combat theaters and are routinely deployed in support of both peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. The C-130J is a proven airlifter that has been selected by 11 nations, with 181 aircraft delivered through the third quarter of this year. The C-130J is a flexible, multimission aircraft that has been delivered in multiple and varied configurations to meet a wide range of operational needs.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Source: Lockheed Martin

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