May, 2011 Military Aviation News
05/31/2011
In the race for bagging the multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal, German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizere will meet his Indian counterpart A K Antony here tomorrow.The German Defence Minister is part of the delegation led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel who will be discussing a range of issues with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
(Read More...)
05/31/2011
The RAF is using its E-3D spy plane to help protect Libya's civilians as the war rages between Mumamaar Gaddafi's forces and rebel fighters. Sean Rayment delivers dispatch from on board this secret military jet.
(Read More...)
05/31/2011
Russia has cancelled both its 'Indra' series of military exercises with India. Last month, a flotilla of five warships from the Indian navy's eastern fleet that went for joint naval exercises to Vladivostok in the Russian far-east, was turned back without any manoeuvres. The warships-which included the missile destroyers INS Delhi, INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay-were warmly received by the Russian navy, but when asked about the exercises, they were told the Russians had no ships to spare. On a requ
(Read More...)
05/31/2011
The UAE's main English language newspaper The National reported today that the country is seeking maintenance and spare parts valued at more than $100 million to support the UAE fefence force's F16 fleet.
(Read More...)
05/31/2011
Russia's MiG aircraft maker delivered a new batch of five MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighters to the Indian navy in May, the company said. "A flight training simulator and other technical equipment has also been delivered," MiG said in a statement on Monday.
The two countries signed a contract stipulating the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs to India in January 2004. The contract is part of a $1.5-billion deal to deliver the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, curre
(Read More...)
05/29/2011
Air Force maintainers are getting hands-on experience with the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter here.
(Read More...)
05/29/2011
The statement of French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet, made in New Dehli, that France will not sell Pakistan heavy defence equipment, shows two things. First, that France is not a reliable partner in providing military equipment, and second, how much influence India has over French policy that Mr Longuet found he had to make this statement during his visit to New Delhi.
(Read More...)
05/29/2011
With reports and experts clearly outlining the direct threat Taiwan faces as a result of its decaying military aircraft and China's unprecedented military buildup, US Senator Robert Menendez is leading efforts in the Senate to expedite the sale of 66 F-16 C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
(Read More...)
05/29/2011
The Army's Comanche helicopter was envisioned as "the quarterback of the digital battlefield," a technologically superior aircraft that could hide from enemies, operate at night and in bad weather, and travel farther than any other helicopter. In 2000, it ranked as the most important planned buy for the Army. Four years later, the program -- which had consumed close to 20 years of work and nearly $6 billion - was abruptly shuttered.
(Read More...)
05/29/2011
Britain has said it's sending Apache helicopters to Libya, and France is deploying combat aircraft as well. NATO says it's turning the screws on Moammar Gadhafi, but for some, the move shows they're clutching at straws.
(Read More...)
05/28/2011
India is today the world's largest importer of arms. These include fighter jet planes, missiles and radar systems for strategic partnerships and geo-political power. India is also investing in security and surveillance to combat foreign threats and resistance from its own people in places like the Kashmir valley, and the North East and tribal regions of Central India. This provides tremendous opportunity for multi-national corporations to sell and invest in India, a country marching ahead as an
(Read More...)
05/28/2011
A new generation of laser weapons may be on the horizon that is small enough and with sufficient power to fit on jet fighters, unmanned vehicles, armored combat vehicles, and small military boats to carry out tasks like defending against cruise missiles and swarms of small boats, providing air defenses for combat and cargo aircraft, ground attack, and defending against incoming artillery shells, rockets, and mortars.
(Read More...)
05/28/2011
France will stop sales of heavy military equipment to Pakistan hoping to assuage Indian concerns and prolong the recent success it has had in winning contracts from the Indian armed forces. Gerard Longuet , the French defence minister, began his two-day visit to India by assuring the country that France does not want to be seen feeding Pakistan's military ambitions.
(Read More...)
05/28/2011
The U.S. Army Forces Command and Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport have sealed a contract for the supply of 21 Mi-17V5 multipurpose helicopters to Afghanistan, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation said on Friday. The United States and Russia have been in talks for more than a year on the deal to provide the much needed vehicles for the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
(Read More...)
05/28/2011
The Polish defense minister confirmed on Friday that Warsaw and Washington would sign a deal on the permanent deployment of a U.S. air detachment in Poland after U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the European state. Polish media reports have speculated that Obama could announce the transfer of an F-16 squadron from the Aviano base in Italy to the Lask air field in central Poland during his May 27-28 visit to Warsaw.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
The C/KC-135 Stratotanker is in and out of Southwest Asia, but these days it supports more than just air refueling operations. As the KC-135 performs more aeromedical evacuation missions, officials said they realized the fleet wasn't properly equipped to care for patients due to inadequate lighting.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
Ministers from the four Eurofighter programme nations - Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - have given their renewed support to the integration of an active electronically scanned array radar, according to partner company BAE Systems.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
India and France have decided to further enhance their "strategic partnership" and deepen bilateral defence cooperation. This came after visiting French defence minister Gerard Longuet met his Indian counterpart A K Antony at South Block on Thursday.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
Director of the Air League Andrew Brookes looks at the effectiveness of the no-fly zone over Libya and asks if it is as much a diplomatic as a military tool.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
Spanish police say they have intercepted the sale of nine military transport helicopters to Iran. Five Spaniards and three Iranians were arrested after raids on industrial warehouses near Madrid and Barcelona.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
South Carolina's "Swamp Fox" Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets have joined the nation's air alert system, standing ready to respond to any threats over the southeastern United States.
(Read More...)
05/27/2011
With a roar the Mikado yellow Eurofighter Typhoon jet zipped overhead as Mark Bowman, Chief Test Pilot for combat aircraft at BAE Systems, deftly took the plane into a somersault above the company's aerodrome at Preston in the north-east of England and disappeared into the clouds. The ground-trembling sound subsided as quickly as it made itself felt and peace returned to the Warton Aerodrome.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
The recent headlines have been dominated by the progressively deteriorating relationship between the United States and Pakistan. The killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Pakistani territory in May by US forces exacerbated the widening rift and further overshadowed the recent staging of a sensitive military exercise involving Pakistani and Chinese forces.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
05/26/2011
While NATO and allied Arab forces continue to apply strong military pressure to Kadhafi’s forces along the Western coast of Libya, France and the UK prepare to deploy additional assets to the operation that are expected to bring a shift in allied tactics. According to French officials, both countries are deploying attack helicopters to provide more flexibility, firepower and precision to airborne operations in Libya.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
n renewing a two-year-old authorisation to export the aircraft, the cabinet reviewed the situation in North Africa and the Gulf region and concluded the UAE was one of the most politically and economically stable countries in the region. The government first approved the country’s order for 25 PC-21 planes in May 2009, to replace the PC-7 engines exported by Switzerland in the 1990s.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
One of the first Marine Corps Harrier squadrons to see action in Afghanistan has returned after nearly a decade. Marine Attack Squadron 513, which first deployed to Afghanistan in 2002, will also be the first Marine Corps Harrier squadron to fully operate in Afghanistan since the departure of VMA-231 in 2010.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
This year's exercises involve hundreds of troops as well as representatives from government sectors and civil authorities from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the US. The exercises will be directed by Centcom, according to WAM, the state news agency. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, France and South Korea are participating as observers.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
Ministers are to announce the deployment of Apache attack helicopters to Libya, a move seen as a significant escalation of Britain's role in the conflict despite government denials, according to well-placed Whitehall sources.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
At a time when the credibility of the Manmohan Singh regime lies in tatters, thanks to the scandal-a-day allegations of corruption that it faces, the recent announcement of the Government, narrowing the list of qualified bidders, on the acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft has, happily, not invited any accusations of corruption, cronyism or nepotism. This is unquestionably because of the impeccable reputation for honesty and probity that Defence Minister AK Antony enjoys in India
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
Lockheed Martin will demonstrate its advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and battlefield communication technologies in a nine-day exercise at Empire Challenge 11 (EC 11), May 23 to June 3, at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
(Read More...)
05/26/2011
Lockheed Martin recently began early delivery of Target Sight System (TSS) follow-on production units for the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter. The TSS units feature upgraded software to provide additional targeting capabilities.
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
Leaders of the Romanian Air Force in Bucharest, Romania, needed advanced avionics and other aircraft electronics for the Romanian fleet of Lockheed-Martin C-130 four-engine turboprop transport aircraft. They found their solution from Elbit Systems Ltd. in Haifa, Israel.
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
The Philippine military, one of Asia's weakest, is too weak to stop foreign intrusions in areas such as disputed territories in the South China Sea, and the only recourse is diplomatic protests, the defence secretary said Tuesday.
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
The deadly 15-hour siege on Pakistan's Mehran naval airbase in Karachi on Monday was carried out by attackers with military-level training, raising suspicions they had inside help. Questions are being asked about the security of Pakistan's vital military installations after a well-organised group of gunmen held off Pakistan's equivalent of the US Navy Seals - the Special Services Group - Navy (SSG-N) - for 15 hours.
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
The advancement of technology has so reshaped our lives that we expect actions to have instant effects, inquiries to receive immediate answers, decisions to achieve rapid results. We don’t like or understand delay – so, as the Nato campaign in Libya has dragged on, it has been viewed increasingly as a failure. When David Cameron and Barack Obama issue joint statements of resolve, as they did yesterday, they are seen as empty words. The idea that the situation has become a stalemate – or worse, a
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
The ultimate guarantee against success of aggressors, dictators and terrorists in the 21st century is the size, strength and global reach of the United States military, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said May 22.
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he is determined that the department not fall victim to the mistakes of the past, "where the budget targets were met mostly by taking a percentage off the top of everything, the simplest and most politically expedient approach both inside the Pentagon and outside of it.
(Read More...)
05/25/2011
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani (2nd R) and China's Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 18, 2011. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to China from Tuesday allows Islamabad to show it has another major power to turn to just as relations with the United States have faced intense strain after the killing of Osama bin Laden.
(Read More...)
05/24/2011
The recent talks between General Chen Bingde, the chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, have hit the headlines. The PLA top military leader’s one-week visit to the United States, the first of its kind in seven years, signals that Chinese-U.S. relations are back on track.
(Read More...)
05/24/2011
The Rosoboronexport Corporation takes part in the MILEX 2011 International Exhibition of Arms and Materiel in Minsk, Belarus, on 24-27 May, 2011.
(Read More...)
05/24/2011
Iraq is ready to buy light attack aircraft, offered for sale by the Czech republic earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said after talks with his Czech counterpart in Baghdad. The visit to Baghdad by Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas, which began on Monday, focused on bilateral economic and political cooperation.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
05/24/2011
The final F-35 Lightning II flight test aircraft, a carrier variant designated CF-3, launches from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on May 21 on the way to completing its first test flight. CF-3 continues its flight testing in Fort Worth, preparing to fly to NAS Patuxent River, Md., later this year.
(Read More...)
05/24/2011
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) and Lockheed Martin unveiled the first of 30 new Turkish-built F-16s in ceremonies today at TAI’s facility near Ankara.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
Two years ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates traveled throughout Afghanistan, promising deployed troops he would make sure they had everything they needed to accomplish their mission -- including more forward-deployed medical capabilities in the event they were wounded.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
An aircraft carrier variant of the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flies over Andrews Air Force Base, Md., during the Joint Service Open House. This is the first public appearance of a joint strike fighter aircraft at an air show. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus piloted the aircraft. The F-35C is a fifth generation strike fighter with stealth capability and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for the demanding carrier environment. The aircraft is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval A
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
At least nine people including three troops and six militants were killed in a terrorist attack on a Pakistan air force base in the country's southern port city of Karachi late Sunday night, local Urdu TV channel ARY reported. Besides, several military airplanes including imported U.S. made P.3.C Orion aircraft were reportedly destroyed in the attack.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
Rejecting the carping by those ejected out of the hotly-contested $10.4 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) race, most notably the US, India is going full throttle to ink the "mother of all defence deals'' by December.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
After a decade of steady expansion, the Chinese military has made significant strides toward limiting the United States’ ability to deploy its own armed forces in the western Pacific. A combination of new submarines, long-range anti-ship missiles and heavily-armed jet fighters underpins what the Pentagon calls Beijing's ‘anti-access, area-denial’ strategy, aimed at keeping the warships of the US Seventh Fleet, based in Japan, out of the South China Sea.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
The war by major North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states against Libya is in its third month and has been conducted under the official auspices of NATO for the past fifty days. According to the military bloc's daily online tally, Alliance military aircraft have flown over 7,200 missions and more than 2,800 combat flights since NATO inaugurated so-called Operation Unified Protector on March 31.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
akistani airmen sabotaged their fighter jets to prevent them from participating in operations against militants along the border with Afghanistan, according to a leaked U.S. Embassy cable.
(Read More...)
05/23/2011
U.S. air power is at a crucial turning point. In a stringent budgetary environment and with a demand to shape a post-Afghan military, the crucial requirement is to invest in the future not the past. President Obama is calling for a Sputnik moment in the investment in future technologies. There is little reason to exclude the Department of Defense from such an effort.
(Read More...)
05/22/2011
Japan may drop the F-35 stealth fighter from a shortlist for the country's next generation fighter due to a sharp delay in the plane's development plan, Kyodo agency reported on Friday citing diplomatic and defense sources.
(Read More...)
05/22/2011
NATO warplanes bombed command centers near Tripoli and in Libya’s southwest as part of a continuing effort to cut communications links between Moammar Gadhafi and his units on the battlefields, the military alliance said Saturday.
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
Airbus Military officials have again sought to assure South Africa about the security of its A400M work packages. Programme head Cedric Gautier says there are “no plans to remove any packages on our own initiative” at present.
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has certainly tested the patience of the Indian air force and the Indian defense establishment, but the coming weeks may finally yield important breakthroughs to fielding the indigenously developed aircraft. Next month, Tejas is due to undergo a second phase of night trials and, if the systems perform as advertised, it will be cleared for night attack, a crucial requirement to achieve full operational clearance (FOC) as a day/night, all-weather platform by Decembe
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
Eurofighter Typhoon is the front-runner for the USD 11 billion contract Indian Air Force Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal, a senior official of the BAE Systems has said indicating that if the contract goes through a part of fighter manufacturing would be off loaded to India.
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
The competition for the Israeli air force's next jet trainer is heating up, with the Defense Ministry narrowing the focus to Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle and Italy's Aermacchi M-346 Master.
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
Last month, the U.S. announced that the war effort in Libya had cost about $600 million for the first 17 days. That was about $35 million a day. A month later, the total U.S. cost has gone to about $750 million, or $16 million a day so far. This was what was expected, for daily costs to eventually settle down to $10-20 million a day. The U.S. has withdrawn most of its combat aircraft, but is still providing electronic warfare (and monitoring) aircraft, aerial tankers and two Predator UAVs.
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
British Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has said yesterday that the long-term vision for Britain's defence depends upon a sound economic base that enables sustainable military power to be built.
(Read More...)
05/20/2011
South Korea's arms procurement agency said Wednesday that it will open a bid next month to purchase radar-evading cruise missiles for its F-15K fighter aircraft, Yonhap news agency reported. According to the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), S Korea had originally planned to buy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) from Lockheed Martin, but the plan got delayed due technical reasons.
(Read More...)
05/20/2011
Navy officials at the Naval Air Systems Command announced that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) carrier variant test aircraft has met its goals to date for 2011. The aircraft - CF-1 - completed 36 test flights up to May 11, almost half the program's goal for the year of 85.
(Read More...)
05/20/2011
The defence ministry has withdrawn its tender for re-engining the Indian Air Force's Jaguar combat jets after one of the two contenders opted out, a leading defence journal says.
(Read More...)
05/20/2011
Officials at the Kandahar Air Wing reached a milestone May 15 when they opened an Afghan Mi-17 weapons arming point here. The officials said it's a key step towards delivering airpower dominance to both the 205th and 215th Afghan National Army Corps.
(Read More...)
05/20/2011
Turkey is to receive its first GrandNew light-twin helicopter from Agusta Westland by the end of June, the FInnmeccanica company said today.
(Read More...)
05/20/2011
Industrial prototypes of Russian and foreign helicopters will be presented to the public at the HeliRussia 2011 international exposition in Moscow on May 19-21, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation said. A total of 125 Russian companies and 40 organizations from 15 other countries are to take part in the exhibition. Military products will be presented by 11 Russian companies and one Ukrainian.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
Three crew members aboard a Boeing 707 tanker loaded with jet fuel escaped with only minor injuries when the aircraft skidded off the runway and exploded into flames at a Southern California Navy base, officials said. The plane crashed as it was taking off from Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu at about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday. It slid to a halt within a few hundred feet of the Pacific and burst into flames, with thick black smoke pouring out the shattered wreck.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
The turboprop-powered T-6 Texan II began life as a trainer and then morphed into the AT-6 light attack aircraft for the Greek air force. Now, as the AT-6B/C, it is promising to become an inexpensive path to network-centric operations, precision strike and advanced surveillance for other air forces.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
Pakistan and China are expected to sign an agreement today (Thursday) for the provision of 50 JF-17 thunder aircraft to Pakistan on emergency basis, it has been learnt by Daily Times. According to official sources, these aircraft will be equipped with sophisticated avionics. Not only will the aircraft be handed over within weeks, China will also foot the bill initially. Although Pakistan and China have been jointly developed this multirole combat aircraft in the past, in the aftermath of the US
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
Adored by the Pakistani masses, the armed forces faced widespread public outcry and humiliation over (1) Osama bin Laden’s presence for nearly six years near a supposedly secure area in Pakistan, and (2) their failure to interdict the heliborne US raiding party. The military hierarchy did the correct thing by presenting themselves in a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate for hostile questioning by the “elected” representatives riding the crest of aroused public opinion.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D–MI), ranking member John McCain (R–AZ), and Senator Jim Webb (D–VA) have called on the United States to overhaul two complex military realignment agreements with South Korea and Japan. Their proposals would undermine years of carefully crafted diplomacy that achieved U.S. strategic objectives and resolved contentious issues with allies.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
Pentagon and Lockheed Martin officials will before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday to give an update on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Whether there any real news comes out of the proceedings remains to be seen.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
efence ministry sources on Wednesday said the long-awaited deal with France for the upgrade of 52 Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters in IAF's combat fleet is "finally ready" at a cost of almost Rs 11,000 crore ($2.4 billion).
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has received the first 12 of 24 T-6C trainers from Hawker Beechcraft. The RMAF is replacing its existing fleet of T-34 and T-37 jet trainers.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
Azerbaijan is planning the joint production of Ukrainian anti-tank guided missiles and Czech light combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
European aerospace company Airbus Military is offering South Africa dual role aircraft for the country´s Project Saucepan maritime surveillance aircraft programme. Saucepan is being accelerated because of the spread of Somali piracy to Southern African waters. The company can offer the CN235 or C295 aircraft for maritime surveillance.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
The US' use of drones like these has been well documented in the hills on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. But a new report reveals that the US military may use a version of unmanned craft for use over the Pacific ocean.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
China is actively developing all kinds of military aviation. The other day the country has successfully tested a new type of bomber-missile PLA Navy, which carried out the successful launch of the new model of missiles H-6K (profoundly modernized version of the Soviet Tu-16). In the future we should expect the development of the strategic aviation of China.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
The United States has no intention of putting boots on the ground in Libya and should not become militarily involved in unrest shaking Syria, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in portions of an interview that aired May 16 on "The CBS Evening News."
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
A deal was signed at EBACE today between Mark Brown, managing director of Times Aerospace, publishers of Arabian Aerospace magazine and Captain Al Gaoud, Bahrain's undersecretary for civil aviation. The Arabian Aerospace daily called 'Show Business ' was launched in association with Aerocomm Ltd at last year's MRO show in Dubai and was the market leader among a number of international show dailies at the MEBA event in December.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
The first two Boeing KC-767 advanced aerial refueling tankers for the Italian Air Force (ItAF) formally entered into service today during a public ceremony near Rome.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
The second F-35C Lightning II carrier variant arrives at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md., yesterday.
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
A Marine Corps pilot escaped injury Tuesday when the F/A-18 fighter jet he was flying slid off a runway during a landing at USMC Air Station Miramar, a base spokeswoman said.
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
Pakistan is to return to the United States on Tuesday the remains of a stealth helicopter used in a special forces raid to kill al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Pakistani television said, quoting army sources. Pakistan agreed to return the tail of the helicopter following a late night meeting on Monday between U.S. Senator John Kerry and Pakistani officials in Islamabad. "Tomorrow the tail of the helicopter will be returned to America," Kerry told journalists. The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter cras
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
Of the many planned stops on a U.S. tour this week by a top-level Chinese military delegation, one — the iconic Grand Canyon — is an especially apt metaphor for the wide divide between Washington and Beijing over explosive issues like U.S. support for Taiwan.
Pentagon officials hope the visit, which begins Monday in Washington, will mark a fresh beginning for a prickly, start-and-stop relationship between the two military behemoths. The Chinese delegation is led by Gen. Chen Bingde, the counter
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
Pakistan is seeking a U.S. Foreign Military Sales order to provide funds for the purchase of spare parts for its U.S.-made military aircraft. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, in its notification to Congress Friday, said the estimated cost of the spare parts for F-16s, C-130s, T-37s, T-33s and other aircraft or systems/subsystems of U.S. origin used by the Pakistani air force is $62 million.
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
The U.S. is developing aircraft carrier-based drones that could provide a crucial edge as it tries to counter China's military rise. American officials have been tightlipped about where the unmanned armed planes might be used, but a top Navy officer has told The Associated Press that some would likely be deployed in Asia. "They will play an integral role in our future operations in this region," predicted Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, which covers most of the Paci
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
India is clearly a key player in shaping the future of Chinese power, globally and in the Pacific. At the same time, the significant 2nd and 3rd world fighter market will be dominated by exports from China, Russia, India or Brazil. Neither the U.S. nor Europe is planning a lower cost export fighter. Indian leadership when they saw the Chinese role out of the J-20 understood its impact on global markets. This is an advanced aircraft, which will have implications for upgrades for customers of C
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
EADS North America delivered the first of six UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to the South Dakota Army National Guard yesterday during a delivery ceremony at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills.
(Read More...)
05/17/2011
The second Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II production aircraft flies above the compass rose of Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., May 13. The aircraft, designated AF-6, ferried to Edwards AFB from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base following the Air Force formally accepting the fighter into its inventory May 12. The first production jet, AF-7, was delivered to Edwards AFB May 6.
(Read More...)
05/16/2011
The UN special envoy was on Sunday headed for Libya to urge a ceasefire between Muammar Gaddafi's troops and rebels seeking to topple the strongman, as an anti-regime revolt entered a fourth month.
(Read More...)
05/16/2011
The fierce combat in Libya has unleashed a once-hidden arsenal of portable anti-aircraft missiles that the government fears could easily be siphoned off to terror groups, giving rise to a potential threat to commercial aviation that the U.S. is only beginning to confront, government officials and arms experts said.
(Read More...)
05/16/2011
The much-awaited order for the American C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force will be cleared this month. The IAF's order for 10 aircraft is expected to cost some Rs. 18,000 crore (roughly $4 billion). The Ministry of Defence has given the go-ahead for the purchase of these aircraft from the U.S. through the Foreign Military Sales (government-to-government) route.
(Read More...)
05/16/2011
Australia and the other members of the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) last week completed a major military exercise to plan and conduct a joint military operation for the defence of Malaysia and Singapore. The FPDA countries - Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the UK - conducted Exercise Bersama Shield 2011 from 2-13 May. Participants were challenged to jointly plan and execute tactical missions for 46 combat aircraft and nine warships.
(Read More...)
05/16/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the Swiss Army knife of combat weapons versatility and lethality. At $65 million to $112.5 million per aircraft at its drive-the-car-off-the-lot cost and $382 billion in total program costs, the F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program (see "Figuring F-35 costs" on E2). But at more than twice the price of the newest commercial airliner, the fifth generation fighter may be worth it: more impervious to radar, performing more roles a
(Read More...)
05/15/2011
The South African Air Force has grounded its fleet of 24 BAE Systems Hawk Mk120 lead-in fighter trainers after one experienced an engine surge during a fly-by to celebrate Freedom Day last year. Air Force chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano says the move was precautionary. He added the aircraft, assigned to 85 Combat Flying School at AFB Makhado landed safely.
(Read More...)
05/15/2011
US troops will be deployed in Pakistan if the nation’s nuclear installations come under threat from terrorists out to avenge the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the Sunday Express can reveal.
The plan, which would be activated without President Asif Ali Zardari’s consent, provoked an angry reaction from Pakistan officials last night.
(Read More...)
05/15/2011
At $65 million to $112.5 million per aircraft at its drive-the-car-off-the-lot cost and $382 billion in total program costs, the F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program. But at more than twice the price of the newest commercial airliner, the fifth generation fighter may be worth it: more impervious to radar, performing more roles and replacing more aircraft in the nation's arsenal than any aircraft in history, industry and military officials said. The single-seat, single-engine F-
(Read More...)
05/15/2011
The imposing Art Deco building that dominates the hills above the Bay of Naples has been turned into a war room for Nato's military campaign against another notorious dictator, Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
(Read More...)
05/14/2011
The Swedish Armed Forces have released photographs, which it claims indicates that Muammar Qaddafi still retains several fighter aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/14/2011
Britain’s military says that it is bringing its drone controllers back from the western United States and setting them at an air base in northern England. Air Chief Marshal Stephen Dalton said Friday that the transfer of the controllers from the U.S. to the U.K. would allow “more efficient and effective use of our resources.”
(Read More...)
05/14/2011
India's military has the capability to detect any suspected intrusion by low-flying aerial vehicles, similar to what happened during the recent operation by the U.S. Navy Seals in Abbotabad, Pakistan, according S. Sundaresh, Distinguished Scientist of Defence Research and Development Organisation said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 20th convocation of Sathyabama University here, Mr. Sundaresh, who is also the Chief Controller, Research and Development, Armaments and
(Read More...)
05/14/2011
British Army personnel are taking to the skies over Libya in RAF Sentinel aircraft, helping gather essential intelligence in support of NATO-led operations to protect civilians on the ground below.
(Read More...)
05/14/2011
he Air Force is planning to buy a "light attack and armed reconnaissance" aircraft for use by U.S. and foreign pilots in counter-insurgency warfare. At about $10 million per plane, it's probably the cheapest combat aircraft the service will buy in this century -- which is one reason why few politicians or pundits are paying attention. But the competition to select a winning aircraft raises broader questions about the way the military buys weapons, and in particular whether Pentagon policymakers
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
If the official statements by the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi about the battle for this city were true, then much that was visible around the airport on Thursday did not actually happen or exist. There were no clusters of rebels and machine-gun trucks at the traffic circle by the outdoor bazaar and huge mosque. The empty fighting holes, left in haste on Wednesday by fleeing Qaddafi soldiers, were not empty. The loyalist soldiers there were just especially well-camouflaged.
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
Air Force Fighter Plane Crashes in Gboko - A Nigerian Air Force Fighter Jet F-7Ni at the early hours of Wednesday, crashed at Mbaniongu Mbazaam, near Yandev in Gboko local government area of Benue State. The ill fated jet crash landed near the Yandev Community Secondary School, at kilometer 4, Buruku road, but no casualties were recorded in the accident. In a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer of the Tactical Air Command of the force in Makurdi, Wing Commander Adebayo Makun, the t
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
In the U.S. Army, aviation remains a growth industry, especially the unmanned kind. The service continues to purchase hundreds of drones, ranging from large Predator-like aircraft to backpack size Ravens. Now the Army is seeking yet another big-ticket item: a long-endurance unmanned helicopter that can fly at high altitudes and survive in extreme weather conditions. While the Army owns and operates hundreds of fixed-wing unmanned air vehicles, rotary-wing UAVs have been a tough sell. After many
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
A Canadian Forces detachment of five CF-18 Hornet jet fighters last week completed its deployment to Keflavik, Iceland, in support of the NATO-Iceland Air Policing Program.
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
Fort Wayne’s fighter-jet base is an example of the Air National Guard’s accomplishments and challenges during a budget crunch, the Guard’s top officer said Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Lt. General Harry Wyatt was responding to questions from Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Coats noted that the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne made “a successful conversion” from F-16 jets to A-10 planes last year.
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
India may have ejected American fighters out of the $10.4 billion race to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) but US really has no reason to crib. Decks have now been cleared for the biggest-ever Indo-US defence deal: the $4.1 billion contract for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic airlift aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
Boeing received a $23.7 million contract on May 9 to perform Initial Production Fielding Support modifications on 49 CH-47F Chinook helicopters at the Boeing Millville Modification Center. The contract period extends the current work of modifying Chinook aircraft at the Boeing Millville facility for another year, from May 2011 through April 2012.
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
Leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee called on the Pentagon today to re-examine U.S. military basing plans in East Asia, saying billions of dollars may be saved in South Korea, Japan and Guam.
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
The US Navy deployed an unprecedented three aircraft carriers to support Operation Geronimo, and gave very strong air cover to the SEALs who hunted down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan’s Abbotabad city. An analysis of the operation, the deployment pattern, and the possibilities of a clash with Pakistani forces clearly indicate that at least two squadrons of the US Navy’s sophisticated F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets, one or two EA-18 G Electronic Attack Growlers, two aerial refuellers and one E-8C Joint Su
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
The Air Force is planning to buy a "light attack and armed reconnaissance" aircraft for use by U.S. and foreign pilots in counter-insurgency warfare. At about $10 million per plane, it's probably the cheapest combat aircraft the service will buy in this century -- which is one reason why few politicians or pundits are paying attention. But the competition to select a winning aircraft raises broader questions about the way the military buys weapons, and in particular whether Pentagon policymakers
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
Russian Helicopters, which designs and manufactures civil and military rotorcraft, has indefinitely suspended an initial public offering (IPO) in which it expected to raise $500 million in London and Moscow, the company said on Wednesday.
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
Lockheed Martin F-35 Program Flight Test Update, May 11th, 2011 -- Since the last F-35 flight test program update issued March 31, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft have conducted 125 test flights, bringing the total number of flights for the year to 331.
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
"This is turning into the best shop window for competing aircraft for years. More even than in Iraq in 2003," a prominent defense analyst told Reuters. "You are seeing for the first time on an operation the Typhoon and the Rafale up against each other, and both countries want to place an emphasis on exports. France is particularly desperate to sell the Rafale."
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
Bangalore: The maiden flight of the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will take to the skies in July, exactly a year after it rolled out from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL's) Aircraft Research and Design Centre hangar in Bangalore. "We would be conducting the first flight of the LCA Naval Prototype-1 (NP1) – a trainer aircraft -- in July. The aircraft is currently undergoing a series of ground tests, and preparations are on for the flight certification which is mandator
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
The F16 is a 40-year-old single-engine aircraft which has been the mainstay of the Pakistani Air Force while the F18 did not fulfil the IAF's parameters.
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
The Indian Defence Ministry’s announcement that the Russian Mig-35 failed to make the short list for the Indian tender to purchase 126 warplanes under the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) programme was bad news for the Russian Aircraft Building Corporation MIG. But it was not exactly a “bolt from the blue”. The result was expected. Why?
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
A Honeywell Inc. system for providing oxygen to F-22 pilots is being investigated as a possible source for malfunctions that prompted the Air Force to ground its premier fighter jet after reports of five incidents since late April, according to officials. “The inquiry is not solely focused” on Honeywell’s on- board oxygen generating system, Air Combat Command spokeswoman Captain Jennifer Ferrau said in an e-mail. “However, that is one area investigators will look at.”
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
Lockheed Martin has installed its 1000th GKN Aerospace-manufactured nacelle for its C-130J military airlifter on the second of four aircraft destined for the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
The first F-35A production aircraft that will be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this year takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on Friday, May 6, with Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti at the controls.
(Read More...)
05/11/2011
Boeing today delivered the first of six C-17 Globemaster III airlifters to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence during a ceremony at the company’s final assembly facility in Long Beach.
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
The maiden test flight in January 2011 of China's J-20 stealth fighter prototype is an important strategic milestone in several different respects, and is part of an ongoing effort by China to develop advanced military technology. The J-20 is the first combat aircraft developed by China that qualifies as "state of the art" by Western measures. It also shows that China has mastered "stealth shaping" technology—the essential prerequisite for developing stealth aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
Northrop Grumman will today unveil a small new spy plane that it secretly developed in San Diego and the Mojave Desert to compete in the fast growing market for aircraft that can do everything from stalk terrorists to patrol borders to provide live video of natural disasters.
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
Mr Obama visits Poland at the end of the month and is expected to confirm the stationing of F16 combat aircraft on Polish soil during meetings with Bronislaw Komorowski, his Polish counterpart, and other central and eastern European leaders. Citing diplomatic sources, the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza claimed that 16 US jets will move from their current home at the Aviano air force base in Italy to Lask in central Poland, and will be stationed on a rotational basis from 2013.
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
Details on the Chinese J-20 fighter are scant as the project has been developed under extreme secrecy, but an analysis conducted by the conservative Washington D.C.-based defense policy think tank The Jamestown Foundation based on the little publicly available information concluded that the fighter "will be a high performance stealth aircraft, arguably capable of competing in most cardinal performance parameters... with the United States F-22A Raptor, and superior in most if not all cardinal per
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
US company Alliant Techsystems (ATK) has formally announced that it had been contracted by Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) to convert two CASA/Airbus Military CN-235 twin-engine transport aircraft into light gunships for the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
The U.S. Air Force has accepted into its fleet the first of a planned 1,763 production-model Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.
(Read More...)
05/10/2011
Boeing today announced it has completed delivery of six F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircrew and maintenance trainers to the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.
(Read More...)
05/09/2011
It was a band of 25 brothers, Navy SEALs, who took down Osama bin Laden last week — not a Marine battalion or an Army division. As the United States gradually moves away from its major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, what will its future military force look like — more like that SEAL squad working in secret and in tandem with the Central Intelligence Agency?
(Read More...)
05/09/2011
A congressional panel approved a plan Thursday that would cut six backup B-1 bombers but save 200 positions and as much as $40 million in funding at Dyess Air Force Base.
Abilene Rep. Randy Neugebauer said he's still pushing for no cuts to B-1s, considering the planes' heavy use in the Middle East, but retiring aircraft that are on reserve status is a better scenario than earlier plans to take away planes in use for combat and training.
(Read More...)
05/08/2011
The second and final bidding stage—commercial negotiations—of the $10.4 billion, 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender floated by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the Indian Air Force in 2007 has selected two European products (Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale). This entails the exit of two American (F-16 and FA-18), one European (JAS-39 Gripen) and one Russian (MiG-35) system from the race.
(Read More...)
05/08/2011
Radar-evading technology for the mysterious helicopters that carried out the U.S. special operations raid of Osama bin Laden's walled compound in Pakistan was spawned in the early 1990s at the classified Area 51 installation in Southern Nevada, according to sources close to the black projects facility.
(Read More...)
05/08/2011
“Boeing conducted what appeared to be a successful 17-minute first flight and recovery,” said an observer at Edwards. “First turn was shortly after takeoff—just over lakebed. The first two turns were surprisingly tight as commented by those observing near inner runway. Rest of flight other than final approach was too far away to see. Gear down for entire flight. The landing was observed to be Air Force style, flared.”
(Read More...)
05/08/2011
The speed with which US military forces were able to begin combat operations in Libya last month, following the president’s order to intervene in the unfolding civil war, is a tribute to the professionalism and combat readiness of the US armed forces. But it also should give the Americans great pause. Unless the United States has been attacked, military intervention should be a very difficult, sobering decision requiring painstaking reflection.
(Read More...)
05/07/2011
The Obama administration had the best information it was going to have on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. The longtime public enemy No. 1 was holed up in a ritzy area of Pakistan, two hours from the capital, Islamabad, and his neighbors were retired military officials. President Barack Obama had two choices for Operation Geronimo : Send in a Navy SEAL team or send in a bomber and flatten the fortified compound. He chose the former. In light of the result, it was the right decision.
(Read More...)
05/07/2011
.S. Air Force officials have grounded the F-22 Raptor fighter jet over a possible problems with its oxygen system.
The order grounding the jet came in January, but was just becoming public this week, according to a CNN report.
(Read More...)
05/07/2011
Airmen from the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group and Pratt & Whitney mechanics recently completed repairs on the first F117 engine of the newly-obtained workload.
(Read More...)
05/07/2011
EPI Europrop International GmbH (EPI) has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the TP400-D6 engine that powers the A400M military transport aircraft. It is the first large turboprop engine to have been certified by EASA and the first military engine to have been certified by EASA to civil standards from the outset.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
Russia may remain India's biggest defence supplier for the next two decades but its tardy supply of spares and after-sales service is forcing New Delhi to increasingly tap other countries to maintain Russian-origin aircraft, helicopters and other weapon systems.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
South Korea is an attractive defense market due to its large economy and justifiable need for military equipment to defend against a North Korean threat. The United States is the main supplier of imported weapons to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces (ROKAF). The ROK bought almost one billion dollars worth of U.S. arms in FY2010.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
The display of dozens of unmanned-aircraft models at last November’s Zhuhai air show made it clear that China, industrially and militarily, is moving rapidly to catch up—and perhaps ultimately overtake—the West in this burgeoning sector of aerospace.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
A Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel stealth unmanned aerial system spied on bin Laden the night before the special operations unit raid that successfully killed bin Laden at his mansion compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, according to a report by AUVSI, the professional association that covers the UAS industry.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
Last year's surge of U.S. and coalition forces into Afghanistan, with the simultaneous growth of Afghan forces, is leading to tangible progress for peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, according to a biannual Defense Department report recently released.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
What started out as a routine mission for Airmen from the Air Force Reserve Command's 916th Air Refueling Wing turned into an historic 'first in flight' moment recently.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
Lockheed Martin, Finmeccanica – through its UK company SELEX Systems Integration - and Cobham have signed an agreement to form Fusion Air Traffic Management, which will address Project MARSHALL - formerly known as the Joint Military Air Traffic Services (JMATS) programme.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
One of the helicopters that carried Seal Team Six to Abbottabad crash landed inside the Bin Laden compound. Though the troops blew up the stricken craft to preserve the secrecy of the technology on board, part of the tail landed outside the walls and survived to show this was no ordinary Blackhawk.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
BAE Systems said yesterday that it expects to cut more jobs this year as sales of military equipment dip, but the company’s workforce on the Clyde appears to be safe – at least for now.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
A week after U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 sanctioned air strikes against the regime of Colonel Muammar el-Gaddafi in Libya, U.S. President Barack Obama made clear that it would not be U.S. planes maintaining the No-Fly Zone (NFZ). Rather, the effort to safeguard Libyan civilians would be led primarily by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
Over the past four years much has been written, debated and proposed about the need for a light attack turboprop aircraft that’s ideally suited for irregular warfare in Afghanistan. Yet here we are four years later without a deployable solution.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
India Monday said it has individually conveyed to all six vendors in the $10.4 billion tender for 126 combat planes if their aircraft were compliant with the air force's requirements and that there were no complaints so far from any of the four unsuccessful firms, including two from the US.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
The first day of the UAE's inaugural Unmanned Systems Rodeo (USR), organized by the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), took place at the CERT Technology Park in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin are ready to launch the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) spacecraft on Friday, May 6 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch window is 2:14 p.m. EDT to 2:54 p.m. EDT. A live launch broadcast will begin at 1:54 p.m. EDT and will be accessible via the ULA webcast.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
Russia aims to earn $9.5 billion from arms sales in 2011, a significant part in Latin America, new data after last month's premier arms show in Rio de Janeiro indicated. Russian government leaders and state-run defense manufacturers redoubled efforts to take a larger slice of arms buying by governments on the continent as demand for weapons and equipment soared with commodity exporters earning more and military procurers clamoring for replacement for obsolete inventories.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
The Middle East market for military aircraft and air-defense systems, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is expected to generate revenues of nearly $63 billion by 2020, a new study says.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
After the US expressed "disappointment" over the ouster of its two companies from the multi-billion-dollar combat aircraft deal, the IAF on Monday said there was "nothing wrong" in its selection process. "Whether anyone is happy or unhappy, we have done whatever we were asked to do by the Government...If you select one aircraft, it always happens that other side would be dissatisfied. There is nothing wrong with our process. It is a human feeling," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
India’s recent decision not to purchase American warplanes for its $10 billion-plus fighter aircraft program – the largest single military tender in the country’s history – has stirred debate in defense circles worldwide. India’s defense ministry deemed the two American contenders, Boeing’s F/A-18 Superhornet and Lockheed’s F-16 Superviper, not to fulfill the requirements that it sought in a medium-size multi-role combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer has started test flights of its first series-produced Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighter, the company said on Tuesday. The aircraft took off from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur airfield in Russia's Far East, spending one and a half hours in the air testing propulsion and control systems.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
A group of Canadian observers will begin a series of inspection flights over Russian territory under the Open Skies Treaty on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. "The flights will be along the route coordinated earlier with Russian specialists, who will be on board of the aircraft monitoring implementation of agreements on the use of technical equipment for the observation," the spokesman said.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
An intelligence-driven U.S. operation in Pakistan killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden yesterday, President Barack Obama announced in a nationally televised address from the White House late last night. "Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Prsident Obama said. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
A later Time piece puts the total number of helicopters on the mission at four, with two making the assault and two waiting in reserve nearby. It states that "about two dozen" SEALs and CIA "enablers" participated in the raid and speculates that a winged-gunship like an AC-130 might have provided air cover. The helicopters were "most likely … specially-outfitted CH-47 and UH-60 choppers." The U.S. team destroyed its malfunctioning CH-47 at the site of the raid, Time adds.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
Ambitious efforts to modernize Russia’s defense and industrial base undertaken during the Putin administration have been paying off—at least, in some cases. The Russian leadership uses arms sales for economic gain, but also as a tool of influence in the recipient countries. The Russian military-industrial complex, one of the few national industries that maintain some competitive advantage in comparison with the West, is a source of the Kremlin’s cash and prestige. Leftover stockpiles from the So
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation is a key component supplier for the Bell-Boeing-built V-22 Osprey, which recently surpassed 100,000 flying hours during a U.S. Marine Corps combat mission in Afghanistan. Manufactured under a 50-50 strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter and Boeing, the V-22 Osprey is a multirole combat aircraft using tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The Peruvian Air Force will receive next week three Russian combat helicopters intended for military operations against drugs trafficking and terrorism in the South American country, Peru's defense minister said. Last July, the Peruvian Defense Ministry and Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed a contract for the sale of six Mi-171Sh Hip transport and two Mi-35P Hind E attack helicopters to the South American country. The deal is estimated at $107.9 million.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The second F-35C Lightning II carrier variant takes off on its first flight from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Friday, April 29. Lockheed Martin F-35 Test Pilot Bill Gigliotti piloted the jet on its first flight.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The first of four C-130J Super Hercules for the Qatar Emiri Air Force has completed production at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. The picture shows the aircraft leaving the paint hangar. The new Hercules are the longer fuselage or "stretched" variant of the C-130J and deliveries to Qatar will begin later this year.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The Boeing Company today announced that it has received contracts totaling $100 million for two types of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on March 17 awarded the company an $8 million contract that represents the first major production order for Laser JDAM kits. The contract is for low-rate initial production of 700 laser sensor kits for the Navy’s direct-attack moving target capability weapons requirement.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
After the advent of nuclear weapons the security environment has changed. There is no global war like WWI and WWII. No direct confrontation between the two super powers in cold war. Deterrence has become the corner stone of strategy. Nuclear deterrence is the core of strategic stability in South Asia. One of the Requirements of deterrence is communication. Communication or signaling implies of demonstration of political will and resolve to use nuclear weapons to the adversary. Therefore nuclear
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
Australian Air Force multi-role F/A-18F Super Hornets will soar through the sky over Malaysia while Navy guided-missile frigates and a Collins class submarine will patrol the South China Sea in a major military exercise commencing today.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
The al-Qaeda leader was killed in a ground operation based on US intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August. Mr Obama said after "a firefight" US forces took possession of his body. Bin Laden was accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
For network-centric operations to succeed on today’s digital battlefield, efficient, reliable, and real-time communications are crucial to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time. Military antennas are among the most important, if not often overlooked, component of aerospace and defense systems. “The most underappreciated component of a wireless sensor network node is often its antenna,” admits William Y. Chang in Network-Centric Service Oriented Enterprise. The anten
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
A decision by India to eliminate Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin from the highly sought-after $11 billion fighter jet deal competition has cost GE Aviation a much-needed slate of orders for its jet engines. GE Aviation, which has 300 employees at a facility in Vandalia, was expecting a big payday if either U.S. competitors would have been awarded the contract to supply 126 multipurpose fighter planes, according to this article in the Financial Times.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
Following a raft of technical tests by the IAF, the Manmohan Singh government has shortlisted the Eurofighter consortium's Typhoon and the French-made Dassault Rafale for a multi-billion dollar fourth generation fighter deal. New Delhi will almost certainly come under intense pressure to review its decision.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
Dutch Special Services have detained an F-16 fighter pilot from the country's Air Force on suspicion of spying for Belarus, Radio Netherlands Worldwide website reported on Friday. The 37-year-old Dutch pilot is accused of passing state secrets to a foreign country.
(Read More...)
All Articles