Raytheon, Italian Firm Join in Bid for Jet Design
22 Februar 2016 - 8:10PM
Dow Jones News
Raytheon Co. said Monday it would team up with Italy's
Finmeccanica SpA in a coming contest to build hundreds of new
training jets for the U.S. Air Force that is dominated by planes
designed with overseas partners.
The Air Force is expected to award a deal next year to build an
initial 350 planes to replace aging T-38 training jets, and
analysts expect international sales could expand the potential
value of the T-X program to around $15 billion.
At least four U.S. defense companies are expected to submit
bids, with only Northrop Grumman Corp. pushing a homegrown model.
Raytheon, Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. would each present
foreign-designed aircraft.
Potential bidders have juggled partners and designs over the
past year, and the reliance by some on repurposing existing jets
made by overseas partners reflects an effort by the Pentagon to
reduce costs by harnessing existing technology from the global
commercial-aerospace industry.
"Particularly in the jet trainer market, there are simply too
many good options on the shelf around the world," said James Hasik
at the Atlantic Council, a think tank. "I'd like to see more of
this reliance on globally available designs for stuff, so that the
government's [research] monies can be reserved for the most
challenging problems," he said.
Raytheon will offer the T-100, an updated version of the
existing M-346 plane that Finmeccanica originally had proposed in
partnership with General Dynamics Corp. before the U.S. company
last year opted to drop out of the contest, believing it couldn't
win and make a profit.
"The M-346, the basis for the T-100, is already operational and
preparing pilots around the world for the challenges of today's
complex fighter platforms," Filippo Bagnato, managing director of
Finmeccanica's Aircraft Division, said in a prepared statement.
Lockheed Martin last week confirmed it would offer the T-50A jet
developed with Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. after concluding an
all-new plane was too costly.
Conversely, Northrop will pursue a clean-sheet design, dropping
plans last year to proceed with a version of the Hawk trainer
designed by BAE Systems PLC that is widely used by air forces
including Saudi Arabia's.
Boeing has partnered with Saab AB on an all-new plane to offer
in the competition, and has identified winning the contest as a
priority for sustaining its defense business, notably after losing
to Northrop in the competition to build a new long-range
bomber.
Saab Chief Executive Hå kan Buskhe last week expressed
confidence that the five-year partnership to secretly develop a T-X
bid with Boeing was going to be successful.
The latest Pentagon budget request includes only $12 million for
the T-X program in fiscal 2017, but this would rise sharply after
the Air Force completes requirements for the plane later this year.
Industry officials have indicated it has moved toward a more
sophisticated design capable of supersonic flight that would
dovetail with the introduction of advanced jets such as the
Lockheed-built F-35.
Textron Inc., which had planned to offer a version of its
self-financed Scorpion military jet, has said it would wait for the
final requirements before deciding whether to make a bid,
potentially with another all-new design.
Write to Doug Cameron at doug.cameron@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 22, 2016 13:55 ET (18:55 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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