NEWS 2022 March, 6

French Navy 'Charles de Gaulle' aircraft carrier reinforces NATO's activities in Eastern Europe

According to a Marine Nationale (French Navy) statement 'Charles de Gaulle  CSG set sail again yesterday after a few days of port call in Cyprus. Clemenceau22 continues, but the mission evolves to adapt to the current geopolitical situation. (...). The detection capabilities of the E2-C Hawkeye will notably enable the carrier strike group to assess the surface situation at the Europe maritime borders, especially in the Black Sea. Deployed yesterday in CJTFOIR to fight against Daech, engaged today for the benefit of the reassurance of our NATO partners on the eastern flank of Europe, the carrier strike group continues to operate for the protection of France and the European continent.'

The 'Charles de Gaulle' will contribute 3 Combat Air Patrols (CAP) of two Rafale M each, per day. This translates into a nearly permanent (24 hours) presence. In addition, a daily E-2C Hawkeye flight is planned from the carrier, as well as occasion patrols by the two ATL2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) currently based in Cyprus. The Rafale M will be refueled by NATO tankers present in the area. The patrol zones are the skies above Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea, sailing in the Mediterranean sea.
navalnews

Dassault plans to increase Rafale production to meet export sales success

Production of Rafale fighters will increase to three per month by the middle of the decade on the back of export sales success from a planned two-per-month rate.

In 2021, Dassault booked orders for 49 examples of the Rafale: 31 for Egypt, 12 for France and six for Greece. .However, those figures do not include blockbuster orders from the United Arab Emirates (80) and Indonesia (42), which were respectively signed in December 2021 and February this year. Greece is also likely to commit to another six aircraft, and France is expected to commit to at least another 42 in 2023, under its fifth order tranche for delivery from 2027.

However, the sharp ramp-up will not take place in 2022, when Dassault will ship just 13 Rafales, down from 25 in 2021, all of which will again go to export customers, Egypt and India.

Deliveries of the Rafale to France have been paused for several years due to some budgetary choices and are only likely to resume from 2023 or beyond.

Last year Croatia also joined the Rafale operator community, signing for 12 secondhand examples from France.

flightglobal

Air Force One replacement facing additional delays

While the Air Force and Boeing have yet to finalize a new schedule for the presidential aircraft replacement program, it now appears that the first new Air Force One plane will be delivered to the service even later than previously expected.

Boeing now expects that it will deliver the first VC-25B a total of 17 months later than originally scheduled.

That timeline has not been accepted by the Air Force and could change as the service negotiates with Boeing on a new schedule baseline. But Boeing’s new projection, which has been conveyed to stakeholders outside of the company, represents a growth from the 12-month delay presented by the company last year.

Boeing has pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the bankruptcy of its now-defunct subcontractor GDC Technics as the major causes of the delay. GDC Technics was under contract to build the interiors of the VC-25B, but Boeing cancelled the contract and sued GDC,.

Any cost increases associated with the delay would be borne by Boeing, due to the fixed-price nature of its $3.9 billion contract with the Air Force. That contract covers the engineering, manufacturing and development work associated with turning baseline Boeing 747s into a presidential aircraft furnished with highly-classified defensive systems, hardened electronics and secure communications gear.

breakingdefense 

Air Force One’ is set to finish critical design review

The US Air Force (USAF) Boeing VC-25B executive transport has completed almost all of its critical design review with just a few outstanding issues to be resolved.
The USAF aircraft, which is known by the call sign “Air Force One” when the US president flies aboard, received most of its critical design review virtually, as coronavirus restrictions prevented the entire development team from meeting in person.
Completion of critical design review would clear the way for production to start on the VC-25B. The USAF has ordered two examples of the type, which is based on the 747-8 commercial airliner.
To save money, the service is modifying two 747-8s originally built for Russian carrier Transaero, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015 before it could take delivery of the aircraft. Initial modifications and retrofits, including the addition of two airstair doors, began in March.
flightglobal

Boeing starts ‘Air Force One’ modifications of 747-8

Boeing has begun modifications to the first of two commercial 747-8 airliners which are to be turned into US Air Force (USAF) VC-25B aircraft.
Known by its “Air Force One” call sign when the US president flies aboard, two VC-25B are to operate as the USA’s top executive transports for the next 30 years. Modifications are being done at Boeing’s San Antonio, Texas facility, says the USAF.
“The first phase of aircraft modification involves cutting out large skin and structure areas in both the forward and aft lower lobes of the aircraft and then installing two newly manufactured superpanels,” says the service. “The superpanels contain structural upgrades and cutouts for the VC-25B lower lobe doors, including internal airstairs for mission requirements.”
The USAF is working to replace its current fleet of presidential aircraft, two 747-200-based VC-25A aircraft delivered in 1991, with two 747-8s originally built for Russian carrier Transaero, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015 before it could take delivery. The commercial airliners need extensive retrofits to be transformed into the VC-25B configuration.
flightglobal

USAF awards contract for two 747-8s to be modified as future Air Force One aircraft

The Air Force awarded a Boeing contract modification Aug. 4, 2017, to purchase two commercial 747-8 aircraft for future modification to replace the two aging VC-25A Boeing 747-200 presidential support aircraft.
This contract modification follows a set of awards in 2016 for risk reduction activities. The Air Force has already requested Boeing to provide proposals to design, modify, test and field two Presidential mission-ready aircraft. These efforts will be awarded via future contract modifications. The program expects to begin aircraft modifications in 2019 and reach initial operational capability in 2024.
These aircraft will start providing worldwide presidential airlift support in 2024, after a series of modifications and tests. Boeing will modify their Federal Aviation Administration-certified commercial 747-8 aircraft to meet presidential operational requirements to help ensure an affordable program.
af.mil

Boeing wins contract to build new Air Force One

Boeing has won a contract to start preliminary work on a new fleet of Air Force One presidential aircraft based on its 747-8 jumbo jet, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing an initial contract worth $25.8 million to reduce risk and lower the cost of the program by looking at the tradeoffs between the requirements and design of the new plane, according to the Pentagon's daily digest of arms deals.
Details about the total value of the new contract have not been released, but the Air Force has previously said that it had earmarked $1.65 billion for two replacement jets.
The Air Force first announced in January 2015 that Boeing's 747-8 would be used to replace the two current Air Force planes used to transport the U.S. president. Air Force One is one of the most visible symbols of the United States.
The Air Force now operates two VC-25s, specially configured Boeing 747-200Bs, which are nearing the end of their planned 30-year life.
The 747-8 is the only four-engine commercial jet Boeing makes, providing an extra margin of flight safety over the more standard twin-engine planes.
Boeing last week said it would cut production of the 747-8 in half in September and take a $569 million charge in the fourth quarter as it faces dwindling sales.
reuters

USAF Identifies Boeing 747-8 For Next Air Force One

Secretary of the Air Force, has determined the Boeing 747-8 will serve as the next presidential aircraft, commonly known as Air Force One.
“The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that), when fully missionized, meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission, while reflecting the office of the president of the United States of America consistent with the national public interest.”
Analyses of the capability requirements conclude a four-engine, wide-body aircraft is required to meet the needs of the Air Force One mission. Market research determined there are two four-engine platforms that could meet the requirements; the 747-8 manufactured by Boeing in the state of Washington, and the A380 manufactured by Airbus in Toulouse, France.
The decision, made official through a Determinations and Findings document, authorizes the commercial aircraft purchase by other than full and open competition. This decision, in conjunction with the notification of the Air Force’s intent to award a sole source contract to Boeing for the modification of the 747-8, allows discussions with Boeing that will likely lead to a contract for the aircraft platform as well as the modifications necessary to missionize the aircraft.
This decision is not a contract award to procure 747-8 aircraft. It's still needed to finalize the overall acquisition strategy and conduct risk-reduction activities with Boeing to inform the engineering and manufacturing development contract negotiations that will define the capabilities and cost.
The Air Force wants to own enough of the technical baseline to permit competition for sustainment throughout the aircraft’s planned 30-year life cycle..
The current fleet of VC-25 presidential aircraft has performed exceptionally well, but it is required an upgrade. Parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources and increased down times for maintenance are existing challenges that will increase until a new aircraft is fielded.
af.mil

USAF worried over Boeing’s maintenance of Air Force One

The U.S. Air Force is concern over Boeing’s ability to maintain Air Force One as the company shifts the work to Texas from Kansas.

The Air Force wrote to Boeing in a Jul. 30 letter stating its concern that Boeing won’t have enough experienced workers in Texas.

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