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The Two-Seat JAS 39B Gripen Made Its First Flight on April 29 The conversion trainer version of the Gripen is fully operational, but compared with the single seater is 65cm (2ft 2in) longer and the Mauser BK 27mm cannon deleted, both to make room for the second cockpit. Development go-ahead for the JAS 39B was given in 1992, when an order for 14 (along with 96 single seaters) was placed. Deliveries will begin in 1998. A total of 140 Gripens are currently on order for the Swedish air force. (Saab)
Newsdesk — Military Aviation
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Military
Lockheed Proposes New Transport
Lockheed Martin is looking to develop a new multi-purpose military transport and civil freighter and is seeking partners to help get the project off the ground. The company envisages a large aircraft to replace types such as the Boeing KC-135, Lockheed’s C-141 Starlifter and TriStar tanker/transport, and the McDonnell Douglas KC-10, as well as having civil freighter applications. At the moment dubbed the ‘World Airlifter’, the aircraft could also fill other roles such as battlefield surveillance and airborne early warning. Few details have been released except that the aircraft would be powered by two turbofans in the 100,000lb plus (448kN) thrust class and have greater internal capacity than the C-141. Lockheed Martin plans to have the World Airlifter available by 2007 to 2010, when the USAF begins replacing its KC-135 tankers.
RAAF Simulator Contract
Minister for Defence Ian McLachlan has announced that the CAE Electronics and Qantas team is the preferred tenderer to supply the RAAF with two new flight simulators. One simulator will replace an existing and outdated Boeing 707 unit and the other will be for the C-130J Hercules II which is on order for the RAAF. The simulators will probably be based at RAAF Richmond, home of the 707s and Hercules. CAE and Qantas also recently won a $38m contract to supply a Black Hawk helicopter simulator for the Army.
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