Russia to bid on USAF tanker

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Armand2REP

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Russian State Firm: We'll Bid for USAF Tanker
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 19 Mar 2010 18:00
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NEW YORK - Russian state-owned aerospace group United Aircraft Corporation plans to bid for a U.S. Air Force tanker contract, teaming up with a U.S. partner, a lawyer representing UAC said March 19.

Russian firm UAC said March 19 it would bid on the U.S. Air Force contract to replace its refueling tanker fleet. Above, a KC-135 Stratotanker. (U.S. AIR FORCE)
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"They're going to announce Monday [March 22] a joint venture with an American company to bid on the tanker program," attorney John Kirkland told Agence France-Presse.

Asked about the UAC announcement, DoD spokewoman Cheryl Irwin said, "We welcome all qualified bidders." Asked whether the Russian firm was qualified, she said, "I don't know."

Boeing is the only company that has announced it will bid for the $35 billion contract to supply the Air Force with 179 aerial refueling tankers.

EADS, the parent of Boeing's arch-rival Airbus, said it was considering a bid for the contract after the Pentagon signaled a flexible deadline to accommodate the European aerospace giant.

Just last week EADS was forced to withdraw from the bidding after its lead partner, U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman, refused to compete, alleging the requirements unfairly were skewed toward Boeing's smaller aircraft.

UAC was launched in 2006 under the administration of then-president Vladimir Putin.

The UAC move Friday coincided with talks in Moscow between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Putin, the Russian prime minister.

Putin lamented that bilateral trade had plummeted $20 billion in 2009 to $16 billion as a result of the economic crisis, although he said the economic potential of the U.S.-Russia partnership remained high.

"I appreciate you raising the economic relationship because we are committed to broadening and deepening ties between our two economies, our business leaders and investors," Clinton said.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4547300&c=AME&s=AIR

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WTF?!?
 

Agantrope

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WTF???

will the USAF accept even when they wins the bid??
 

Agantrope

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Another Tamasha!!!!

EADS Considers Bidding Alone For USAF Tanker

EADS North America is ready to bid for the U.S. Air Force's tanker contract as a prime contractor without an American defense giant as a partner, sources said.



EADS CEO Sees 'Room For' U.S. Acquisition in 2010
The company has concluded its past performance as a defense contractor will meet with a positive reception from the Pentagon.


EADS spokesman Guy Hicks said the company has not yet decided to bid for the tanker award.

"DoD has welcomed our participation in the tanker competition," Hicks said. "EADS North America has demonstrated its ability to be a prime contractor and we feel a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to the U.S. warfighter, to the taxpayer and the communities where we do business in the United States. We have the most capable system. We have never lost to Boeing in a tanker competition."

According to sources, EADS had been in talks with a number of major U.S. defense contractors as a partner in the upcoming competition.

The decision comes two weeks after EADS' partner on the last tanker competition, Northrop Grumman, decided against bidding for the new contract, accusing the Pentagon of crafting a request that favors the smaller aircraft that Boeing is going to offer.

Early March 19, EADS said it would consider bidding for the tanker contract after the Pentagon suggested it would give the company more time to submit a proposal. In a statement, EADS officials said they are "assessing this new situation to determine if the company can feasibly submit a responsive proposal to the Department's request for proposal."

EADS officials called the likely extension a "positive sign that the DoD seeks competition."

But EADS officials want more than additional time to put together a bid and, perhaps, find a new American partner to replace Northrop Grumman.

The Pentagon's extension "does not address EADS' underlying concerns that the RfP clearly favors a smaller, less capable aircraft, and that the additional combat capability offered by our system may not be fully valued," according to the company's statement.

"An important prerequisite for our consideration of entry into this competition will be a significant extension to the period within which to prepare and submit a proposal," the statement said. "EADS welcomes the DoD's recent statement which indicated a willingness to extend the timeframe. Though this is essential, it is only one factor in making a decision for EADS to compete. In the end, the company will only submit a proposal if there is a fair chance to win, after evaluating all relevant factors."

If EADS, the parent company of jet-maker Airbus, decides against bidding, the only competitor for the multibillion dollar tanker award would be Boeing. The Chicago-based company has already announced it will pursue the contract with a modified version of its 767.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4546449&c=EUR&s=AIR
 

nandu

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US tanker bid war heats up

WASHINGTON : The US Air Force tanker bidding contest against Boeing heated up, with Airbus parent EADS mulling a proposal and Russia's state firm UAC gearing up for one next week.

EADS opened the door to a bid against US arch-rival Boeing for the 35-billion-dollar aerial refueling tanker contract on signs of Pentagon willingness to extend the May deadline.

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company's expressed interest in the competition, and the surprise emergence of a Russian competitor late yesterday, marked new twists in the long-running saga to replace the aging Boeing fleet.

Just last week EADS, the parent of Airbus, was forced to withdraw from the bidding after its lead partner, US defense contractor Northrop Grumman, refused to compete, alleging the requirements were skewed in favor of Boeing.

Northrop's exit from the competition left the field open to the Chicago-based Boeing, the aerospace giant that built the tanker fleet in the 1950s and has promised a formal bid by May 10.

Military commanders view the planned KC-X aircraft as crucial to sustaining US air power and are anxious to replace the older Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers.

http://www.brahmand.com
 

Agantrope

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Why would Russia waste the time and money? They can't even meet the RFP.
LOL!!! EADS won and they cancelled the deal to favour the Boeing. Who knows what happens next. Not small money $35B, even a dead will open mouth for that. :D
 

Armand2REP

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LOL!!! EADS won and they cancelled the deal to favour the Boeing. Who knows what happens next. Not small money $35B, even a dead will open mouth for that. :D
LOL!!! What happens next is Russia is denied participation before they even enter it.
 

Sridhar

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Russia sends a tanker love letter to US Air Force




By Stephen Trimble on March 20, 2010 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0) |

The eight-year-long saga to build a replacement for the US Air Force KC-135 has already produced a few surprises, but nothing as crazy as this.

A Los Angeles-based attorney, who lists hot-tubbing with a glass of bordeaux as a hobby and known mostly as the editor of a best-selling book compiling love letters of great men, is fronting a new bid for the KC-X contract based on the Ilyushin Il-96, a four-engined airliner and cargo transport never previously (to my knowledge) operated as a tanker.

Can this competition possibly get any stranger?

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2010/03/russia-sends-a-tanker-love-let.html
 

Sridhar

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'Bizarre' tanker twist: Russians will bid against Boeing for Air Force contract

Russia's government-owned aerospace company United Aircraft will announce Monday it is competing against Boeing for the $40 billion refueling-tanker contract, a Los Angeles attorney for the company said Friday.
By Rami Grunbaum
Seattle Times deputy business editor




Here's the latest twist in the Air Force tanker saga: The Russians are coming.
Russia's government-owned aerospace company will announce Monday it is competing against Boeing for the $40 billion refueling-tanker contract, a Los Angeles attorney for the company said Friday.
United Aircraft of Moscow plans to unveil a U.S. partner and offer a modified version of its Ilyushin Il-96 wide-body plane, said John Kirkland, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the group.
The still-unidentified partner, "a U.S. public company and existing defense contractor," would assemble the planes in the U.S., he said. The Russian interest in the tanker bid was first reported Friday by The Wall Street Journal.
United Aircraft was formed under the authority of then-President Vladimir Putin in 2006 to combine the most famous names in Russian aviation: Sukhoi, Tupolev, Ilyushin, MiG.
Kirkland acknowledged it faces "significant hurdles ... there are obvious security issues, there are sanctions and restrictions on buying things from Russia."
He insisted, however, that "the Il-96 meets every single one of the final RFP (request for proposal) requirements, and it comes in at a lower price (than Boeing), so if it's a fair competition, we win."
One leading U.S. aerospace analyst thinks otherwise.
"What a completely bizarre idea," said Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group.
"There would be enormous political, technical and performance barriers. It will not happen."
For one thing, Aboulafia said, "The Il-96's operating economics have more in common with the KC-135's than with the Airbus and Boeing jets scheduled to replace the KC-135s."
Kirkland said that might be true of the current Ilyushin Il-96, which uses four engines. But United Aircraft will pitch a tanker using two modern, fuel-efficient Western engines, he said.


"That's a great idea, if the Air Force enjoys taking on much more risk and if they delay the program a few years," Aboulafia responded.
"Just when I thought (the tanker competition) couldn't get any dumber this comes along," he added.
On another front in the tanker contest, European manufacturer EADS said Friday it was asking the Pentagon for a 90-day extension of the bidding deadline so it can decide whether to proceed without its partner Northrop Grumman.
Northrop was scheduled to assemble EADS's Airbus A330 tankers in a new plant in Mobile, Ala. But it dropped out March 8, saying the contract requirements tilted in Boeing's favor by emphasizing price over additional capabilities.
Kirkland said that "if Airbus doesn't bid, we'll step into their shoes" and consider using the Mobile, Ala., site.
The Ilyushin Il-96 first flew in 1988 as the Soviet Union began to crumble. Only 20 were sold before the passenger version was discontinued amid economic chaos at home and little interest abroad. Russian civilian aircraft, to the extent they are known in the West, are often considered lumbering and unreliable.
But Kirkland said they are sturdy, noting they have ferried U.S. troops into Afghanistan. United Aircraft makes the refueling tanker for Russia's air forces, based on the Ilyushin Il-76 airliner, and would convert its newer airliner in similar fashion, he said.
He attributed the mechanical problems of Russian airliners to lack of access to proper maintenance and training — something that could be corrected if United Aircraft can establish a maintenance, repair and overhaul base (MRO) in the U.S., he said.
"The whole economic incentive to do this transaction is we will have an MRO facility in the U.S., to allow us to service Russian airplanes to eliminate the maintenance problems people experience with Russian airplanes."
That in turn would open the door for United Aircraft to market its Antonov AN148 regional jet, for up to about 85 passengers, in the U.S. market.
"Its Putin's favorite plane," Kirkland said, adding that because of the AN148's low price, "Everyone should want it, they're just worried about the maintenance."
He said his Russian clients told him that when President Obama met Putin, the Russian president specifically asked about United Aircraft's potential bid on the tanker.
"Obama gave him his personal assurance they would be given a fair shot at this like everyone else," he said.


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011392418_russiatanker20.html
 

Sridhar

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new bid for the KC-X contract based on the Ilyushin Il-96, a four-engined airliner and cargo transport never previously (to my knowledge) operated as a tanker.

 
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Sridhar

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Ilyushin Il-96 Long-Haul Aircraft, Russia
Key Data
Manufacturer
Voronezh Aircraft Production Association
Design Life
20 years or 20,000 landings or 60,000 flying hours
Variants
Il-96-300, Il-96M, Il-96T, Il-96-400
Wingspan
60.11m
Wing Area
350m²
Wing Sweep
30°
Fuselage Diameter
6.08m
Full specifications






The Ilyushin Il-96 is a Russian long-haul wide-body aircraft that is powered by four engines. Designed by Russian aircraft designer Sergey V Ilyushin, the aircraft is manufactured by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association.
Ilyushin Il-96 can be used as a passenger or cargo aircraft, and can accommodate between 235 and 436 passengers. The aircraft features a new type of wing layout and the fuselage of the aircraft is approximately 4m shorter than its predecessor, the Il-86 aircraft.


The maiden flight of the Il-96 aircraft was on 28 September 1988. It was certified in 1992 and the first Ilyushin Il-96 entered service in July 1993 with Aeroflot Russian International Airlines.
The lifetime of the aircraft is 20 years or 20,000 landings or 60,000 flying hours. Il-96 was formerly used by Vladimir Putin and currently being used by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
Ilyushin Il-96 orders and deliveries

"The Ilyushin
Il-96 is a Russian long-haul wide-body aircraft that is powered by four engines."
As of June 2009, a total of 21 Ilyushin Il-96 airliners were in service with 12 more in order. Airlines that are using the aircraft are Rossiya (four in service, one on order), Ilyushin Design Bureau (one in service), KrasAir (two in service), Iran Air (six on order), Atlant-Soyuz Airlines (two on order), Aeroflot (six in service), Cubana (three in service, one on order), Clean Air (two on order), Polet (two in service, one on order), Conviasa (two on order) and another Russian airline (five in service).
Il-96 variants

The major variants of the Ilyushin Il-96 airplane include Il-96-300, Il-96M/T and Il-96-400. The Il-96-300, Il-96M, Il-96-400 and Il-96-400M are passenger aircraft, while the Il-96T and Il-96-400T are cargo aircraft.
The launch of Il-96-300 was on 1985 and it entered into service in 1993. Il-96M was launched in 1993 and put into service in 2000. The Il-96-300 can accommodate 262 passengers, three crew and 12 flight attendants. On 11 August 2009, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko announced that the Russain Aviation Industry would stop manufacturing Il-96-300.
Il-96M is a passenger aircraft that does not require a flight engineer. It is designed to be operatedby a crew of two. The Il-96-400 is modelled on the Il-96M/T fuselage with a range of 10,000km and a passenger capacity of 436. A two-class configuration can accommodate 386 passengers and a three-class configuration the aircraft has space for 315 passengers.
The Il-96-400T is a high payload, cargo aircraft, stretched by 9.35m companred with the Il-96-300 with the capacity of the cargo compartment being 776m³ and a maximum cargo weight of 92t. Another variant of the Il-96 aircraft, the Il-96-400M, is a passenger airplane.
A future airplane development project Il-96MK is currently under study. Ducted engines in the 175kN to 195kN (38,000lb to 43,000lb) thrust class could power this future airplane.
Design and features
The Il-96 design is a modification of the previous Il-86 with advancement in features such as the introduction of new turbofan engines, and increased take-off weight, wingspan and fuel capacity among other developments.
The Ilyushin Il-96 wings are supercritical and equipped with winglets. The aircraft incorporates a triplex fly-by-wire control system – an advanced flight control system consisting of redundant computers. Ilyushin Il-96 features a flight management system (FMS), an inertial and satellite navigation system and collision air avoidance system (CAS) containing mode S transponders.
"The Ilyushin
Il-96 entered service in July 1993 with Aeroflot Russian International Airlines."
LCDs on the airplane depict onboard operations information, and details piloting and navigation systems. A computer-aided control supported by the electrical-hydraulic system with a back up artificial mechanical channel insures the airplane.
Passenger airliner Il-96M and freighter Il-96T are modern developments of the Il-96-300 with the fuselage streched in both aircraft. Il-96M is 15t heavier than Il-96-300, fitted with western-style avionics and range with 312 passengers in a three-class configuration or 92t payload is about 10,400km.
The Il-96-400T has a 776m³ cargo compartment and can carry up to 92t of cargo. Three cargo doors provide way for loading the cargo. Roller equipment on the floor of the cargo compartment can hold automatic loading devices for easier cargo towing. A restroom for the crew at the front of the aircraft's deck has a galley, toilet and beds.
Cabin
The Il-96-300 cabin layout accommodates 262 passengers, with 18 seats of 54in pitch and 244 seats of 32in pitch. Galleys are positioned on the upper deck, 16 LD-3 containers and crew restroom are situated in the lower deck. Another 289 seats layout specification was done by increasing the seats in the business class section from 18 to 44 with 34in pitch.
Engines
Il-96-300 aircraft uses four two-shaft PS-90A turbofan engines with a thrust rating of 16,000kgf (157kN, 35,300lbf) and developed by Perm Motors Holding, Russia. The design of the PS-90A is twin-spool, high-bypass-ratio turbofan with fan and core airflows mixing. The engine has 11 modules, noise suppression system and a thrust reverser which is present in the fan duct. The airplane also includes an auxiliary power unit VSU-10-02 which is constructed by Baranov Manufacturing Union, Russia.
The PS-90A engine was certified in 1992 and complies with ICAO stage 3 noise limits. The fuel consumption of this engine is 0.595kg/kgf an hour. The flight altitude supported is up to 13,100m.
Il-96-400T uses an advanced PS-90A1 engine which is similar in design to the two-shaft PS-90A turbofan except the fact that this modern engine has a thrust rating of up to 17,400kgf. The model of aircraft is also fitted with the same auxiliary power unit as in the Il-96-300.
Il-96M and Il-96T are propelled by Pratt & Whitney PW 2337 engines with a thrust rating of 165kN (37,000lbf). The modern turbofan engines include a fan, compressors, turbines, combustion chamber and an exhaust nozzle. All the components play a crucial role and develop thrust which in turn propels the aircraft forward.
Il-96 avionics

The avionic systems in the Ilyushin Il-96 are modern systems made in Russia and they comply with the ICAO standards. The aircraft is equipped with Collins digital avionics.
"As of June 2009, a total of 21 Ilyushin Il-96 airliners were in service with 12 more in order."
A six-screen electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) functions as the flightdeck instrument display system which incorporates an early ground proximity warning system (GPWS) and displays weather radar data as well. Communication and navigation in Il-96 is done with the help of a control panel KPRTS-95М-1, which is incorporated within the aircraft.
The airplane is managed with the help of a VSS-95-1V flight management system. The system complies with RNP-1 requirements whereas database loading is done according to ARINC-424.
The Il-96 electronic indication systems are SEI-85М and KISS-1-2МA. The aircraft is equipped with a terrain relief system SRPBZ. Il-96 houses an air collision avoidance system CAS-81A (or SPS-2000) and a satellite communication system Aero mini M or Aero I.
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/ilyushin-il-96/
 

nandu

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Russia’s United Aircraft Chief Denies U.S. Tanker Bid

Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. isn’t planning to bid for the Pentagon’s $35 billion Air Force aerial-refueling tanker program, Chief Executive Officer Alexei Fyodorov said, contradicting U.S. media reports.The Wall Street Journal reported March 19 that United Aircraft, the maker of Ilyushin transport planes, was preparing a bid to be announced as early as today. The Washington Post also wrote about the plan on March 20.“This is utter nonsense,” Fyodorov said in a subsequent telephone interview with Bloomberg News. “UAC is not planning to take part in the tanker tender or set up a joint venture.”Both media reports cited John Kirkland, an attorney at Luce Forward in Los Angeles who said a venture would be announced between United Aircraft and a small, unidentified U.S. defense contractor on March 22 and that he represented the group.

http://theasiandefence.blogspot.com
 

Sridhar

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Russia’s United Aircraft Denies U.S. Tanker Bid

BY: bloomberg
Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. isn’t planning to bid for the Pentagon’s $35 billion Air Force aerial-refueling tanker program, Chief Executive Officer Alexei Fyodorov said, contradicting U.S. media reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported March 19 that United Aircraft, the maker of Ilyushin transport planes, was preparing a bid to be announced as early as today. The Washington Post and other newspapers also produced their own stories about the plan.
The reports cited attorney John Kirkland of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP in Los Angeles, who said a venture would be announced between United Aircraft and an unidentified U.S. defense contractor today and that he was involved in the talks.
“This is utter nonsense,” Fyodorov said in a subsequent telephone interview with Bloomberg News. “UAC is not planning to take part in the tanker tender or set up a joint venture.”
Fyodorov, in the interview, said he wasn’t familiar with Kirkland. United Aircraft, Russia’s state-controlled holding company for airplane production, followed up with a statement on its Web site denying plans to bid.
Luce Forward, in an e-mailed statement today, said Kirkland had documented his contacts with Russian officials after being engaged to negotiate a joint venture that would bid on U.S. military contracts including the tanker. The documents stated that the joint venture was approved and an agreement would be executed shortly, the statement said.
“If and when an agreement is signed, an appropriate press release will be issued by the parties,” the statement said. “The firm has no further information at this time.”
‘Huge Misunderstanding’
“Either it’s all a huge misunderstanding” or a matter of the Russians not wanting to confirm the plan “until something is officially announced,” Kirkland said yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg. “If I’ve been duped, it’s a massive conspiracy, but anything is possible.”
“I’ve spoken with lots of people on the Russian side” including from United Aircraft, said Kirkland, who added that he was told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had approved the plan to bid. “That’s consistent with what I’ve been told for the last six months,” he said.
To support his claims Kirkland shared documents containing the Russian company’s letterhead, as well as copies of e-mails with his contacts. He also shared a letter he wrote yesterday to United Aircraft’s chairman, Sergei Ivanov, and other Russian officials asking for clarification or about any inaccuracies. Kirkland said today he had not yet received a response.
The RIA Novosti news service today reported that Ivanov said, “As the UAC board chairman, I can officially say that there have been no such appeals to UAC from the U.S. side.”
Putin Spokesman
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said by telephone that he was unaware of any plans by United Aircraft to bid. The same was true of a U.S. State Department spokesman.
“To my knowledge there was no discussion of a Russian company bidding for the Pentagon tanker contract” during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Moscow last week, department spokesman Philip Crowley said on March 21.
Crowley said he was present in Clinton’s meetings. During the talks, “Russian leaders expressed an interest in a joint cargo aircraft project, but it was not specific,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Defense is seeking bidders to build a fleet of aerial refueling tankers, replacing aircraft that have been in service since the mid-1950s. Boeing Co. this month was left as the only bidder after Northrop Grumman Corp. pulled out of a team that included European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., which currently is mulling whether to bid on its own.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said in a March 19 e-mail that the Department of Defense welcomed all “qualified bidders” to compete for the contract.
Spokesmen for the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post didn’t immediately respond to calls for comment.


http://idrw.org/?p=966
 

nitesh

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shall we close the thread now or keep it open for humor :D
 
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