February, 2011 Military Aviation News
02/28/2011
European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co.’s rejection for a $35 billion U.S. tanker contract threatens its goal to cut reliance on commercial aircraft and may force it to seek acquisitions at home to build up defense operations.
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02/28/2011
Three RAF Hercules aircraft have rescued a further 150 people - including 20 Britons - from the Libyan desert, the defence secretary has said. One plane suffered minor damage after coming under small-arms fire, the Ministry of Defence has since revealed.
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02/28/2011
Sweden is to base a military aircraft - a Hercules C-130 - in Malta to assist in the evacuation of its nationals from Libya, informed sources said.
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02/27/2011
Iran launched a project to produce the latest national fighter, Iran's air force deputy commander, Mohammad Reza Karshaki, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying.
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02/27/2011
Two British military C-130 aircraft swooped into strife-torn Libya on Saturday and evacuated more than 150 foreign nationals from remote camps in the desert, the defence minister said.
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02/27/2011
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Saturday Russia has not dropped its plans to supply Syria with Yakhont missiles.
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02/26/2011
F/A 18 Super Hornet and F-16IN Viper, are among the contenders in the competition to provide Indian Air Force 126 frontline Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft, or MMRCA.
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02/25/2011
The Indian Air Force's Soviet-origin MiG series fighter aircraft inventory is slated for replacement by 2017, it was stated in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, on Wednesday. This would include the upgraded MiG-21 Bis (Bison) fighters, which are still providing yeoman service with the IAF's fighter squadrons.
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02/25/2011
While countries including Australia, Canada, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have all placed orders amounting to hundreds of F-35s, the president and his team of executive salesmen have been pitching hard elsewhere.
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02/25/2011
In a deal that could be worth billions of dollars and determine one of the primary fighter jets in Asia for decades to come, European aircraft makers are trying to get Japan to do something it has never done before — snub America.
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02/25/2011
The Boeing Company has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to build the next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft that will replace 179 of the service’s 400 KC-135 tankers.
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02/25/2011
Lockheed Martin Corporation is expanding its base of potential suppliers for the MH-60R helicopter in Australia, issuing a request for information from potential suppliers of critical pieces of aircraft hardware.
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02/25/2011
Alan “Al” Norman, a veteran Lockheed Martin experimental test pilot, was recently named Chief Test Pilot for the F-35 Lightning II program.
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02/25/2011
Russia's Defense Ministry announced plans on Thursday to buy 100 ships, over 600 aircraft and 1,000 helicopters under a 2011-2020 arms procurement program.
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02/24/2011
The high costs of reconnaissance aircraft threaten to block Japan's plans to strengthen aerial surveillance of Chinese and North Korean military activities.
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02/24/2011
A Libyan military aircraft crashed Wednesday southwest of Benghazi after the crew refused to follow orders to bomb the city, Libya's Quryna newspaper reported.
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02/24/2011
At a ceremony in Thailand February 22, FMV handed over six Gripen fighter aircrafts from the latest C- and D-version to the Royal Thai Air Force.
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02/24/2011
Deliveries of S-300 missile defense systems to Venezuela have been delayed, but will go ahead, an official at Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms export monopoly, said on Tuesday.
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02/24/2011
Lockheed Martin has successfully delivered the 300th Common Cockpit, the nerve center for every multi-mission helicopter in the U.S. Navy fleet, aboard an MH-60S.
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02/24/2011
Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation, and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) recently made aviation history with the Unmanned K-MAX helicopter by successfully completing multiple guided airdrops via sling load at 10,000 ft above sea level.
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02/23/2011
The two Libyan Arab Air Force Dassault Mirage F1 fighters that landed at Malta international airport on 21 February were armed with unguided rocket pods and had not sought permission to arrive in the Mediterranean nation.
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02/23/2011
The company, part of the Textron group, did not have military aircraft to sell before. But now it is back with one main product to offer: the $67-million-per-copy Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
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02/23/2011
Reports are emerging this evening of military aircraft attacking crowds of anti-government protesters in the Libyan capital.
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02/23/2011
Boeing expects new orders for its military aircraft from the Gulf region this year, mainly for its C17 planes, H6-I and Chinook helicopters, a company executive said.
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02/23/2011
Boeing today announced that the U.S. Air Force has exercised a $21.7 million option for the company to continue supporting the B-52 Stratofortress bomber under an Engineering Sustainment Program (ESP) contract that Boeing received in June 2009.
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02/22/2011
Brazil is postponing its decision to buy 36 combat jets because of massive budget cuts, a newspaper reports.
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02/22/2011
Two Libyan Airforce Mirage F1 single seater planes also landed in Malta. They requested to land in Malta due to fuel shortage and landed at 16.32.
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02/22/2011
The US’s strong pitch to sell its fighter aircraft to India for an estimated $12 billion has run into a hurdle with the Indian Air Force telling the government that it does not favour the signing of agreements that risk compromising its operational secrecy.
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02/22/2011
The Obama Administration has acquired an unfortunate reputation for neglecting U.S. allies and not standing up to troublemakers. This year the administration will have a number of chances to improve its image and at the same time enhance U.S. relations with friends and allies. How, you ask? The answer is by actively supporting the sale of U.S. fighter aircraft to India, Japan and Taiwan.
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02/22/2011
The UAE Air Force will receive the first of three new Airbus military transporter planes by the end of the year.
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02/22/2011
Lockheed Martin and Knowledge Point announced a strategic training partnership today to address military, security services and civil training needs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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02/21/2011
Sweden is to base a military aircraft - a Hercules C-130 - in Malta to assist in the evacuation of its nationals from Libya, informed sources said.
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02/21/2011
The Eurofighter Typhoon is continuing to have its credentials placed in the forefront of the region's defence procurement staff through its extensive participation at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) which opened at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) this morning.
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02/21/2011
The UAS will form a key part of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) reconnaissance Squadron, as KADDB is an independent Governmental military-civilian agency existing within the JAF tasked with operating to best commercial practices with predetermined performance targets.
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02/21/2011
The Pentagon's research arm has backed the development of the Nano Hummingbird, an experimental miniature drone that could one day do reconnaissance by landing on a window ledge.
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02/21/2011
ATK announced it has received a contract from the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) of the Kingdom of Jordan to modify two of the country's CASA-235 transport aircraft into highly-capable and cost-effective special mission aircraft, according to the combined modification designs of both KADDB and ATK. Subject to U.S. government export licensing approval, the modified aircraft are expected to be delivered by the late spring of 2013. Terms of the contract were not announced.
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02/20/2011
More than 80 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day with early launches around 11 a.m. and late launches around 7 p.m. The exercise will involve military aircraft from around the United States as well as the U.K. Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force.
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02/19/2011
The Center for Strategic and International Studies asserted that Egypt has failed to maintain its huge F-16 multi-role fighter fleet supplied by the United States. In a report by former Pentagon official Anthony Cordesman, the center said the Air Force has been hampered by crashes of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
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02/19/2011
The acting Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Edwin Batshu, has denied knowledge about reports in the Zimbabwean media that the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is in the process of purchasing sixteen F16 Fighter jets from the United States over the next 12 months.
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02/19/2011
Russia and Kyrgyzstan on Friday set up a joint venture to supply jet fuel to a U.S. military airbase outside the capital, Bishkek.
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02/18/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp. has received a $726.6 million contract modification from the U.S. Air Force for sustainment of the F-22 Raptor fleet.
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02/18/2011
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $34.5 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-12 kits. The majority share contract includes deliveries to both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and is scheduled to begin the second quarter of 2011.
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02/18/2011
Boeing today announced that EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft have been deployed for the first time by the U.S. Navy.
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02/17/2011
The Indian tender for 126 MMRCAs (medium multi-role combat aircraft) to replace its ageing MiG-21s was announced long ago, but only now is the real intrigue unfolding. Competition between two main rivals - the United States' F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Russia's MiG-35 has been stiff.
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02/17/2011
President Barack Obama won a showdown vote Wednesday in the GOP-controlled House to kill a costly alternative engine for the Pentagon's next-generation fighter jet.
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02/16/2011
A major reason France punches above its weight in the defence sector is Dassault Aviation, which will be a major exhibitor at next week's International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, the region's largest defence expo.
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02/16/2011
The Defence Ministry has earmarked a Bt6.9-billion secret budget for the upgrade of six F-16 AB fighter aircraft, including the installation of an air navigation system and maintenance costs.
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02/16/2011
Europe needs to co-operate on building unmanned military aircraft or risk falling behind in the race to develop the next generation of jet fighters that may not even be flown by pilots, industry experts have warned.
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02/16/2011
The commander of the Mil Mi-28 Night Hunter attack helicopter, which crashed in the southern Russian region of Stavropol on Tuesday, died at a military hospital, a Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman said.
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02/16/2011
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $270 million contract for C-130 Aircrew Training Systems (ATS), to provide an affordable and effective academic and simulation training program for C-130 aircrews around the world.
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02/16/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], at this week's U.S. Air Force Association (AFA) Air Warfare Symposium, will highlight a range of proven, low-risk, affordable products and services that will enable the Air Force to continue to dominate in the air, space and cyberspace. The symposium takes place Feb. 17-18 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando, Fla.
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02/15/2011
It's of today the news, released by the British press, about the cuts the would are being implemented, according to plans announced already in October 2010, in defense of the United Kingdom, to reduce the deficit of the Country.
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02/15/2011
The Tata group has boosted its chances of becoming the preferred local partner of US firms bidding to sell medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to India in the world’s largest fighter jet deal.
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02/15/2011
European consortium Eurofighter GmbH, which is offering its Eurofighter Typhoon for India’s multi-million dollar medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal, is planning to develop a naval variant of the fighter aircraft.
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02/15/2011
Lt. Cmdr. Eric “Magic” Buus on Friday became the first United States Navy pilot to fly the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II. The F-35C will operate from the U.S. Navy’s large aircraft carriers by way of catapult launch and arrested landing. The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force also will employ the F-35C.
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02/15/2011
The first Combat Shadow II for the United States Air Force Special Operations Command has completed manufacture at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Following installation of additional special mission equipment, such as the chin-mounted sensor turret, the aircraft will begin flight test.
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02/14/2011
Raytheon Company completed a series of free-flight demonstrations of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) AGM-154-C from an F-16IN fighter aircraft. The tests were part of the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition.
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02/14/2011
Israel’s Derby missile is the weapon of choice for India’s Tejas fighter. A contract will be signed by March with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd to supply the air-to-air missile system to be fitted on some 200 jets, said P.S. Subramanya, director of India’s Aeronautical Development Agency, which is developing the light combat aircraft.
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02/14/2011
Preparing itself for a two-front war scenario, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent a proposal to the Defence Ministry to increase its sanctioned fighter aircraft strength from 39.5 to 45 squadrons.
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02/13/2011
China's first aircraft carrier, a diesel-powered vessel, is expected to be deployed this year or next. A prototype of a new J-20 stealth jet fighter—it appears designed to rival the U.S. F-22—made its first test flight on Jan. 11, just hours before U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates met in Beijing with President Hu to mend frayed relations.
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02/13/2011
Looking ahead to the next 100 years, or even the next decade, Navy aviation may be a tailless airplane, flown by a nonpilot with enlisted stripes on his sleeve.
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02/13/2011
Swedish defence and security company, Saab is displaying and flying three of its multirole fighter aircraft ''Gripen'' during eighth edition of the Aero India International Air Show 2011. Brahmand.com had an exclusive conversation with the Swedish Air Force pilot Martin Björn during the Aero India 2011. Martin has flown many fighter aircraft and is currently attending the airshow to promote Gripen fighter in India.
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02/12/2011
Dassault Aviation SA, maker of Rafale fighter planes and Falcon corporate jets, is discussing the sale of the combat aircraft with eight potential buyers, Chief Executive Officer Charles Edelstenne told French lawmakers.
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02/12/2011
The latest variant of the laser-guided Maverick missile has completed a series of flight tests by U.S. defense company Raytheon.
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02/12/2011
India and Russia have finalised the Russian PAKFA aircraft - a Sukhoi-T50 fighter aircraft - as the base design model for their $6 billion Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme.
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02/12/2011
Boeing today announced that it has successfully completed - ahead of schedule -- its industrial participation (IP) programs for the first five C-17 Globemaster III aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). To date, Boeing has delivered benefits of more than $1 billion to United Kingdom industry for this aircraft program.
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02/12/2011
The Russian-Indian joint development of a fifth generation fighter jet will cost some $6 billion, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) Financial director D. Shivamurti said.
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02/11/2011
The Eurofighter consortium is prepared to offer India a manufacturing role, as the international race intensifies to supply 126 jet fighters worth $11bn to New Delhi.
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02/11/2011
JSC “IRKUT Corporation” demonstrates advanced military and civilian products at the “Aero India – 2011” air show which opens in Bengaluru, India on 9 February.
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02/11/2011
India said Thursday it would begin crucial contract negotiations in the next fortnight for an estimated $12 billion order for 126 fighter jets.
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02/11/2011
The Boeing Company today submitted its final proposal for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-X tanker competition. The proposal offers a fleet of Boeing NewGen Tankers -- 767-based, multi-mission aircraft that deliver superior capabilities to U.S. warfighters and burn 24 percent less fuel than the competing European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) Company’s tanker.
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02/10/2011
There was drama in the skies as Tornado crews were scrambled from RAF Leuchars in a bid to track down two "unidentified" aircraft detected over the North Sea.
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02/10/2011
Bell Helicopter officially dedicated their newest flight hangar at the Military Aircraft Assembly and Delivery Center in Amarillo, TX for work specifically supporting the US Army’s OH-58 Kiowa Warrior program.
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02/10/2011
India is expected to place an estimated $10 billion order for 126 fighter jets during the next fiscal year starting April 1, the biggest such deal globally in the past 15 years.
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02/10/2011
Russia could deliver the first modernized MiG-29 fighter jet to India as early as in 2011, the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said on Wednesday.
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02/10/2011
"We are trying to find a few unique opportunities during each year for some of the more than 73,000 fans we have on our Facebook page to engage with Boeing," said Director of Brand Management & Advertising Jim Newcomb.
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02/09/2011
Russia has offered to equip the Indian Su-30MKI aircraft with the electronically scanned array radar to bring them on par with the most modern fighter aircraft in the world. Currently the technical configuration of the upgraded aircraft with onboard AESA radar is being discussed by Russian and Indian experts.
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02/09/2011
Navy officials and military developers are beaming with smiles of success for they are the proud papas of the newest military marvel: a robotic jet fighter. The X-47B, built by Northrop Grumman, completed its first successful test flight on February 4th at Edwards Air Force Base in California without the assistance of an onboard or remote human pilot.
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02/09/2011
Aero India 2011, Asia's biggest air show, which gets underway at the Yelahanka Air Force base near Bangalore from February 9, will be the largest ever with 29 countries bringing their aerospace products, including fighter jets and transport aircraft.
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02/08/2011
A small Alabama-based firm is gearing up to protest the Army's plan to hand an exclusive helicopter contract to a Russian government agency, saying it can do the job quicker and cheaper if it is allowed to compete.
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02/08/2011
US Defence major Boeing will unveil an advanced version of its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft here at the biennial Aero India show starting Thursday.
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02/08/2011
"The Indian government is slowly expanding its scope to different avenues to acquire different products," says its Chief Executive, Roger Rose.
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02/08/2011
A senior Iranian Air Force commander announced on Monday that the country has succeeded in overhauling its strategic Mig-29 fighter jets inside the country.
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02/08/2011
The Northrop Grumman/U.S. Navy Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program’s X-47B achieved successful first flight at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 4. Lockheed Martin congratulates the U.S. Navy and the Northrop Grumman-led industry team on accomplishing this significant program milestone.
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02/08/2011
The first of 15 MC-130Js currently on order for U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command has completed final assembly at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Following painting and production flight test the aircraft will be delivered this summer.
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02/08/2011
Russia will exhibit over 80 types of weaponry at the upcoming Aero India 2011 air show, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said in a statement.
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02/06/2011
The maker of China's new stealth fighter jet has teamed up with a tiny, unprofitable California company to try to launch bids for U.S. defense contracts, possibly including one to supply Chinese helicopters to replace the aging Marine One fleet used by the president, according to people involved in the partnership.
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02/05/2011
India will hold its largest air show starting February 9 in Bangalore where 30 countries would bring their latest aerospace products including fighter jets and transport and civilian aircraft. The eighth edition of the biennial Aero India being held from February 9 to 13 is expected to surpass all previous editions of the premiere air show in terms of participation and volume, Secretary Defence Production Raj Kumar Singh said here.
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02/05/2011
The Croatian Ministry of Defence has invited representatives from Russian fighter aircraft manufacturers to evaluate whether any of Croatia's fighter planes could be modernized.
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02/05/2011
A two-seater Harrier jet that that helped Britain triumph in the Falklands War, is now being offered for 69,999 pounds on eBay, complete with both cannon and missile storage pods.
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02/05/2011
The Ministry’s press service told APA that according to the statement, SU-25 military aircraft owned by the Air Defense Forces crashed during the exercise at 17.25 on February 3. The front landing gear failed to descend. The crew took all measures for landing, but the landing gear did not descend.
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02/05/2011
The first induction of a military aircraft from the US in around five decades will take place on Saturday with the formal commissioning of the first C-130J 'Super Hercules' military transport plane customised for "special operations".
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02/05/2011
Russia's MiG corporation on Friday carried out the first test fight of a MiG-29 fighter modernized under a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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02/04/2011
Red Flag 11-2 is a large force exercise requiring many units to work together like a well-oiled machine, and if one piece were taken out, the whole operation would grind to a halt.
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02/04/2011
Bulgaria has approached Western powers over the potential acquisition of fighter jets.
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02/04/2011
Australia is seeking a 10-year Through-Life-Support arrangement from the United States for 24 MH-60R helicopters.
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02/04/2011
Lockheed Martin will present a program briefing and engagement opportunities for members of the media at the Air Force Association’s 27th Annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 17-18.
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02/02/2011
Boeing said Tuesday it would submit a new, "final" bid for a $35 billion contract to supply the US military with 179 aerial refueling tankers, as it tries to beat European rival Airbus.
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02/02/2011
All six participants of a tender to supply 126 light fighter jets to the Indian air force will showcase full flight displays at Aero India 2011 air show, the organizers said.
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02/01/2011
U.S. military commanders are expressing confidence that they can hold their own in the face of faster-than-expected advances by China's military, but looming cost cuts are adding to doubts about the future of American power in the Pacific.
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02/01/2011
Besides the Eurofighter Typhoons and the F16s, two home-grown metal birds— the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy— will be seen at the upcoming Aero India 2011, which will be held at the Air Force Station Yelahanka between February 9 and 13.
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02/01/2011
Israel seems determined to acquire a fleet of Lockheed Martin's costly F-35 stealth fighters despite the plethora of problems plaguing the development of the fifth-generation jet.
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02/01/2011
Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic reached an agreement to carry out joint projects for the modernization of military aircrafts.
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02/01/2011
The Boeing Company delivered the 11th C-40A transport aircraft to the U.S. Navy on Jan. 28 from the company’s Wichita facility. In this photo, the aircraft taxis at the site just prior to delivery.
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