Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
LONDON – Helicopter operator Bristow Group confirmed it purchased two AgustaWestland AW139s as part of a contingency plan against delays in certification of the search-and-rescue capable AW189. The two aircraft were built by AgustaWestland in Italy as concerns grow about the availability of the new, intermediate heavy AW189 to service Bristow’s so-called Long SAR contract with the U.K. Department of Transport.
NATO might be calling on its members to raise their defense spending, but if the alliance’s airborne early warning program is anything to go by, that message maybe falling on deaf ears.
LONDON – A project that could result in a European multination buy of aerial-refueling aircraft has taken a step forward with the signing of cooperation agreements. The program started as a pooling and sharing initiative by the European Defense Agency (EDA) and is now being led by the Netherlands. It could result in joint procurement between several European states in what officials describe as a multinational, multirole tanker transport aircraft fleet (MMF) that could enter service by the end of the decade.
