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Daily News
By Gail Helmer

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Tuesday February 26, 2002

PC News
Conflict: Desert Storm Movie
There is a new movie trailer of Conflict: Desert Storm, the squad-based tactical shooter based on the 1991 Gulf War that's being developed at Pivotal Games. The movie features some two minutes of footage, introducing the squad members and offering plenty of in-game action. Download

BCT Commander Ships
Shrapnel Games has announced that the latest game from ProSim, BCT Commander, has shipped. BCT Commander and its predecessor Brigade Combat Team are the creation of Captain Patrick Proctor, Field Artillery, U. S. Army. Based on the battalion/brigade level tactical simulator, JANUS, and designed for and used by the army to train its senior commanders, this windows-based simulation retains all of the realism of its mainframe-based predecessor, while improving on the user interface by using windows-style point and click commands.Contains 12 new scenarios, new versions of both BCT and the Construction Set, including color maps at every zoom level. Also included is Expansion Pack #1 and Expansion Pack #2.

Military News
Preliminary Flight Tests of New Warfare Simulator
At Asian Aerospace 2002, BVR Systems, today announced that it has completed preliminary flight tests for the Company's newly developed In Flight Electronic Warfare Simulator (IFEWS(TM)) with the Israeli Air Force. The purpose of these flight tests was to evaluate the system's effectiveness in enhancing flight training of pilots in a virtual electronic warfare environment.

The BVRS IFEWS(TM) is a unique airborne simulator for the training and debriefing of electronic warfare scenarios. It is a complete, autonomous, on-board threat-environment training and safety suite stimulating the real electronic warfare systems. IFEWS(TM) provides a virtual range and includes BVRS' state-of-the-art post-flight debriefing capabilities.

During flight and in training mode, virtual and real threats are presented to the pilot through actual electronic warfare system displays and tones. Threats behave according to a doctrine planned by the electronic warfare-training officer during the mission-planning phase. The embedded electronic warfare system presents the pilot with virtual threats during the training mission, emulating conditions of the modern battlefield.

2,951 Fighters Will Be Built Between 2002-2011; F-35 Will Transform Market
A total of 2,951 combat aircraft valued at $139.6 billion (in 2002 U.S. dollars) will be built worldwide in the 2002-2011 period, predicts Teal Group in their latest world fighter/attack aircraft production forecast released here today at Asian Aerospace 2002. The new Teal forecast covers all combat aircraft over 20,000 lbs maximum take-off weight (all supersonic planes plus the AV-8B Harrier).

The numbers indicate that the market is recovering from its lowest point since the jet age began. A mere 175 fighters worth $7.2 billion were delivered in 2001. This will rise to 193 planes worth $8.1 billion this year, the first sign of growth in over four years. And the next ten years look considerably better than the last ten -- a total of 3,200 fighters worth $105.8 billion (also in 2002 dollars) were built between 1992 and 2001. Until recently, the biggest question hanging over the fighter market was the future of the US programs, particularly the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), now Lockheed's F-35. While F-35 is still not completely secure, it now looks relatively safe. "Thanks to the post-September 11 defense spending rise, and an increased recognition of the importance of air power, we don't see any major problems in funding F-22, F/A-18E/F, and the F-35, with a few delays," notes Aboulafia.



The export standing of US fighter manufacturers will be further boosted by the ongoing US military actions. Weapons offered by a "hyperpower" look more attractive than those offered by passive countries. US weapons will benefit from upgrades, new doctrine, and other conflict-related improvements. Aboulafia notes that "the availability of US forces, roaming the globe to provide backup, will be a further enhancement to US weapons sales."

Beyond the forecast period, the future belongs to the F-35. "Assuming this program goes ahead as planned, F-35 will allow US industry and its international allies to dominate the fighter market after 2015," said Aboulafia. "To avoid this fate, Europe's fighter makers must join forces, either with each other or with US partners. But if the F-35 is delayed or killed, the US will be at a severe disadvantage after 2011."

Teal Group Corporation is a defense and aerospace consulting firm based in Fairfax, Virginia. It provides competitive market intelligence to industry and government.

Lockheed Martin Establishes 'Combat Vision Centre'
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has established a Combat Vision Centre to encompass its broad array of advanced targeting and navigation systems.

The Combat Vision Centre currently provides targeting, navigation and situational awareness systems for F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22 fighter aircraft, A-10 attack aircraft, and the AC-130H Gunship. The Combat Vision Centre's Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), now in development, has recently been chosen for the next generation Joint Strike Fighter.

Lockheed Martin also provides advanced targeting and piloting systems for the US military's three major attack helicopters. Combat vision systems on the US Army's AH-64 Apache and RAH-66 Comanche, and the US Marine Corps' AH-1Z Cobra, allow day and night operations, long range targeting, situational awareness and increased combat lethality.

Over the last two years the US Department of Defense has selected Lockheed Martin's Combat Vision Centre for several major new systems. First the US Army awarded a $78 million contract to upgrade its Apache helicopter fleet with the Arrowhead Extended Range (XR) electro-optical system. The US Air Force has awarded a $843 million contract to supply the world's longest range, most reliable targeting system, Sniper XR, for its Advanced Targeting Pod program.

"Our customers have repeatedly placed their trust in us to provide pinpoint targeting, night attack and situational awareness products," said Mike Donovan, Combat Vision Centre vice president. "Because we take this responsibility very seriously, we renamed our existing product areas and established a Combat Vision Centre to demonstrate to our customers in a tangible way that we understand the commitment they have in us as a key resource."


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