October, 2011 Military Aviation News
10/31/2011
One night in November 2003, beneath the moon-washed waters off Somalia’s northern coast, a small, dark shadow slipped away from the attack submarine Dallas and headed toward the shore. The smaller shape was a 21-foot-long submersible called a SEAL delivery vehicle.
(Read More...)
10/31/2011
The much-awaited bidding for the ambitious Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will open on November 4 in New Delhi, said Air Marshal Dhiraj Kukreja.
(Read More...)
10/31/2011
America's first jet transport—the Boeing 707—will soon roll down the runway. For Boeing, the nation's top producer of bombers, the huge plane marks a new bid for leadership in a field long dominated by Douglas.
(Read More...)
10/31/2011
Brigadier General Vahidi noted that Iranian Air Force is cooperating in manufacture of the new military aircraft with Defense Ministry experts. “Different jet fighters, their maintenance, upgrading them, designing and manufacture of jet fighters such as Azarakhsh, Saeqeh, as well as other new airplanes is the sign of genius, knowledge and domestic technology, and booming of country’s defense industries in the peak of sanctions unilaterally imposed by US,” he added.
(Read More...)
10/31/2011
Advocates of US air power are seizing on the outcome of the NATO campaign in Libya as further evidence that high-tech aircraft are the key to maintaining US military might. With its relatively low price tag and short duration, the Libya conflict offers a stark contrast to the protracted and costly ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have left Americans wary of counter-insurgency campaigns.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/30/2011
When the most senior U.S. military officer admits that the largest defence procurement program in history has affordability issues, then you can bet that the situation is dire. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has even put forth the likelihood that at least one variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may be cancelled, and total numbers reduced.
(Read More...)
10/30/2011
The U.S. government deployment of a special task force to Uganda is simply fulfilling a past commitment to help Uganda defeat the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). The deployment is part of the support promised in the 2010 LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. The LRA has displaced some 385,000 people in central Africa and launched over 250 attacks in 2011.
(Read More...)
10/30/2011
The report is part of the new publication “Strategic Survey for Israel 2011“ Edited by Anat Kurz and Shlomo Brom, this volume includes thirteen analytical essays written by INSS researchers. Focus is on Israel’s strategic environment in the period under review, particularly in the wake of the major changes experienced in the Middle East commonly known as the “Arab spring.” The ongoing Palestinian issue and Iran’s nuclear program remain at the fore of the challenges facing Israel.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
The US may have been ejected out of the $10.4 billion race to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to the IAF, but it is going great guns on other fronts. After the $4.1-billion contract for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic airlift aircraft, the US seems all set to bag the $1.4-billion deal for supplying 22 heavy-duty attack helicopters or gunships to the IAF.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
The first problem concerned a fatigue crack in the idler gear that occurred at cruise propeller speed. This led to an in-flight shutdown and also caused the cancellation of the A400M’s appearance in the flying display at Paris as a precautionary measure. With the fault located, EPI instigated a redesign to shift the resonance point out of the running range.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
India's Defence Ministry has invited the two rivals for a $12 billion jet fighter contract - France's Dassault and the European Eurofighter consortium -- to unveil their bids next week.
The Dassault group is hoping to secure the contract for 126 jets, one of the largest military contracts of recent years, with its Rafale fighter which has yet to find any foreign buyers.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
India is going to soon ink yet another $1.2-billion deal with the US for six more C-130J " Super Hercules" military transport aircraft, even as the IAF gears up for intensive training on the first six of these aircraft for "special operations".
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
The White House says the United States has drones in Ethiopia and that the unmanned aircraft are there to conduct reconnaissance missions, not airstrikes. Spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Friday that the operation is part of the U.S. government's partnership with Ethiopia to promote stability in the Horn of Africa and combat terrorism.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
he Obama administration may transfer combat helicopters from existing Marine inventory to Turkey, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Friday. The DSCA has formally notified Congress of a possible sale of AH-1W Super Cobra Attack helicopters to Turkey. The notification was required under the U.S. Arms Export Control Act.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
Like a strike fighter aircraft that averts danger from all directions as it heads toward its mission, the political agility of the Boeing Corp.'s F/A-18 Super Hornet program is being tested as it maneuvers through congressional budget-cutters, dodges errant flak from the Missouri legislature and hones in on foreign sales.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
Twenty-eight members of the NATO Council agreed to end the seven-month air operations in Libya from October 31 at their meeting in Brussels on Friday, media reports said. The decision came after Libya’s 42-year leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed on October 20. Confrontation between Gaddafi loyalists and the opposition lasted for nine months and left thousands dead.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
Russia’s third prototype Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter will be ready to take to the skies in the near future, a military industry source said on Thursday.
(Read More...)
10/29/2011
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has successfully flown its medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) as part of a key test programe.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
The up-again, down-again, F-22 Raptors at Langley Air Force Base are up again. The Raptors were authorized to fly as of Tuesday, said Monica Miller Rodgers, a spokeswoman for Joint Base Langley-Eustis. The commander of the 1st Fighter Wing had ordered a pause in flying last Thursday after a pilot reportedly experienced symptoms of hypoxia.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
A Georgia man was jailed for nearly four years Wednesday for his role in a "broad conspiracy" to illegally export sensitive military equipment to Iran, officials said. Michael Todd, president of The Parts Guys company, was also ordered to forfeit more than $160,000 in connection with his efforts to supply Iran with components for US fighter jets and attack helicopters.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
Bulgaria will delay the purchase of eight fighter jets to replace Soviet-era aircraft because of budget cuts next year. A procurement plan and tender for the acquisition of military aircraft will be postponed after the Cabinet decided to narrow the 2012 budget deficit to 1.35 percent of gross domestic product, from 2 percent this year, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov told reporters in Sofia today.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
While the win in Libya may reassure some of NATO’s critics and embolden its advocates, if you think it will pave a road to Damascus, think again. A unique alignment of conditions made intervention possible in Libya that is not present in Syria.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
France has begun withdrawing its combat aircraft from Libya operations, returning four Mirage F1s to France as operations come to a close following Muammar Gaddafi’s death and NATO’s withdrawal at the end of the month. On Monday four Mirage F1CRs returned to Base Aerienne 188 Mont-de-Marsan, after having been based at Souda, Crete, as part of Operation Harmattan, France’s contribution to NATO’s Operation unified Protector. On Monday two Mirage 2000Ds also returned from Souda.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
Russian flight safety authority Rosaviatsia denies it has any plans to temporarily ground the nation’s fleet of Mil Mi-8T helicopters, the watchdog said on Wednesday following media reports that a ban was being considered. The Mi-8 and its updated variant, the Mi-17, is the most widely produced helicopter in history, and hundreds remain in service throughout the world, particularly in Russia and the former Soviet Republics.
(Read More...)
10/27/2011
Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) crews started flight training on their first A330 MRTT with Airbus Military instructors at the Airbus Military Getafe facilities in Spain yesterday.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
Although it is far from certain that the Airbus Military A400M transport will meet two of its 2011 targets — receiving its type certification and flying the fifth test aircraft — program officials are generally upbeat about overall development progress and confident that the far more important objective, delivering the first customer aircraft, can be met next year.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
An Air Force fighter jet crashed in a sparsely populated part of southern Nevada on Monday, but the pilot was able to eject from the aircraft and didn’t suffer any injuries, authorities said. The F-15C Eagle from Nellis Air Force Base crashed on federal land northwest of Alamo, Nev., said Lt. Ken Lustig, an Air Force spokesman. Alamo is about 100 miles north of Las Vegas.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
Allied air power saved the Libyan revolt from being crushed at least once, if not twice, this past summer. Nearly 8,000 allied strike sorties kept Gadhafi's forces on the defensive, destroyed their command-and-control network, and eliminated much of their supply infrastructure.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
From managing hot pursuits of an intelligence target halfway around the world, to real-time intelligence gathering at the scene at a far away location, to the firing of a lethal precision missile at a top terrorist - modern armies no longer consider these unmanned combat systems just expensive toys.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta assured anxious Asian allies that the U.S. will maintain its large military presence in the Pacific as a counterweight to China, despite mounting pressure at home to cut spending. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta at a news conference during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence ministers’ meeting ion Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, on Sunday.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
America's Air Force has again grounded portions of its stealthy fleet of F-22 Raptor tactical fighter jets. This comes on the heels of a recent four-month grounding of the fleet earlier this year. While the call for accountability is certainly warranted, Air Force leaders appear to be doing everything possible to keep the pilots safe while trying to identify the problem.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
Boeing delivered the 12th C-40A aircraft to the U.S. Navy on Oct. 21. The Boeing 737-700 derivative was modified at the company's Wichita facility for troop and cargo transport missions. Boeing and Navy representatives marked the milestone with a ceremonial "passing of the key" at the Wichita facility before the aircraft departed for its home base at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego.
(Read More...)
10/26/2011
Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter has lost a tender on the delivery of 22 attack helicopters to the Indian military in strong competition with the American AH-64D Apache, an Indian Defense Ministry source said on Tuesday.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
The White House announced that once again, the United States would be reevaluating its defense partnership with the Republic of China on Taiwan. The administration decided last month that the arms package it would be selling to Taipei would be sorely reduced; the Pentagon has chosen not to sell Taiwan 66 late-model F-16 aircraft, a deal potentially valued at over $8 billion, after years of debate over whether to supply the free Chinese island with advanced strike aircraft to upgrade its aging ai
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
The first sea trials of the Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter model designed for the Marine Corps were successfully completed last week, the program office said today. The F-35B short-take off and vertical landing version finished three weeks of tests on the Marine amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, achieving “all planned flight envelope test points,” Joseph DellaVedova, a spokesman for the Joint Strike Fighter program, said in an e-mail.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
Saab AB’s joint venture with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture airborne electronic warfare systems in Bangalore will commence production in six months from now, the Swedish defence aircraft manufacturer said today. It was in February this year that the Stockholm-headquartered company announced its JV plan. Today, Saab India Technologies managing director Inderjit Sial said the two firms were currently working out the business plan, including financial details.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
Witness accounts tell of Kenyan fighter aircraft attacking targets deep inside neighbouring Somalia, of hundreds of heavily armed soldiers backed by armoured vehicles, helicopter gunships and artillery deploying across the border.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
The Defence Ministry has invited Eurofighter and Dassault Rafale - the two shortlisted vendors in the multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal - on November 4 to open their commercial bids after which a final decision on giving the contract will be taken. The two shortlisted vendors have received a letter from the Ministry and have been informed that commercial bids for procuring 126 Multi-role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) tender will be opened on November 4, industry sources told PTI here.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
One of the most-talked-about news this year was that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il could not come out of his underground bunker for nine days, fearful of the F-22 Raptors in the skies above during a joint military drill between South Korea and the United States late last year.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
A lobbying effort to keep Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and repair work flying toward Cherry Point continues in earnest, spurred on by warnings that scrapping the F-35 program could compromise the nation’s defense. A Friday column by nonprofit Lexington Institute CEO Loren B. Thompson warns that “very few politicians or pundits seem to grasp the pivotal role that F-35 plays in future military plans.”
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
When Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti was the U.S. military commander in eastern Afghanistan last year, he toured the battlefield with his counterparts from Pakistan along both sides of the porous border. U.S. and Pakistani troops conducted coordinated operations to squeeze Taliban insurgents seeking sanctuary in the rugged mountains along the border.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
The Pakistani military forced an Indian army helicopter to land for violating Pakistani airspace and detained four Indian army officers. The helicopter intruded into Pakistani territory in the Olding sector of the northern Skardu region at around 1pm (9am BST) on Sunday.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
After receiving a month ago the first initial training aircraft for the Afghan Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training, this morning the first three of six new Cessna C-208B advanced trainers have arrived at Shindand Air Base. Capable of carrying a combination of ten passengers and up to 3000 pounds of cargo, they can serve in a light transport aircraft role, and as such twenty more will be acquired by the AAF to be stationed across Afghanistan.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Canada's new multibillion-dollar stealth fighters are expected to arrive without the built-in capacity to communicate from the country's most northerly regions — a gap the air force is trying to close.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
NORAD says military aircraft intercepted two civilian aircraft in separate incidents in the Washington region.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots will officially get a taste of home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas with the 12th aircraft from the project flight-line and the seventh from the limited series production (LSP-7) block set to kiss the skies soon.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Technical glitches led to two aircraft crashes this summer within eight days of each other, according to separate accident investigations. An unmanned MQ-1B Predator was destroyed during a June 28 crash near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. A QF-4 crashed July 6 about 70 miles east of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., with the pilot safely ejecting and suffering minor injuries.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Pentagon leaders are hoping a mandate to cut at least $350 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years won’t disrupt plans for a more agile, efficient and modern force that still can reach across the globe to deliver a crushing blow when needed. That’s what they hope. The only thing for sure is that the military will be smaller when the budget-cutters get done.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Well, with the wounds closing up from last week’s flogging at the hands of Dark Souls, I decided to drop the sword and shield for a while and hopped into the cockpit to take on Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. Hilariously enough, it's published by Namco-Bandi, the same company that made Dark Souls.
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Norman Anil Kumar Browne motivated defense scientists, to realize the importance of manufacturing a military aircraft engine for the home made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
(Read More...)
10/24/2011
Bowing under economical burden the german Government plans deep cuts in defense spending, dramatically reducing planned procurement of main weapon systems and platforms. Overall the personnel level in military services will be reduced from 185,000 to 65,000, to include only professional service members. Among the hardest hit industry group will be EADS, with its Eurofighter Typhoon, NH90, Tiger helicopters and Euro Hawk drones affected, all programs are managed by EADS subsidiaries.
(Read More...)
10/22/2011
President Barack Obama said Friday he was bringing all U.S. forces home from Iraq by the new year, ending a war that stretched nearly nine years, divided the country, transformed the military and left an enduring mark on American history.
(Read More...)
10/22/2011
The 300th Eurofighter Typhoon produced by four partner companies has been delivered by Cassidian to the Spanish air force. Eurofighter GmbH, which has headquarters in Germany, called the delivery a production milestone. The Eurofighter Typhoons - developed and manufactured by Cassidian in Germany and Spain, BAE Systems in Britain and Alenia Aeronautica in Italy - are in service with six air forces, replacing 11 aircraft types.
(Read More...)
10/22/2011
For all its success, NATO’s intervention in Libya had several significant flaws that highlight why future offensives, against a stronger adversary, could be far more difficult. Even as Washington put a European mask of command on the operation — an effort described as “leading from behind” — shortages in allied intelligence-gathering aircraft, aerial refueling tankers and precision-guidance kits for bombs proved the United States remained the backbone of any NATO offensive.
(Read More...)
10/22/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said it has recovered wreckage of a MiG-29 jet that crashed in the inhospitable Himalayan terrain of Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh three days ago. But it failed to locate the entire combat aircraft. "Some locals have sighted parts of the wreckage in the hills of Thirot, and IAF experts matched these with the MiG-29," Lahaul and Spiti Deputy Commissioner Rajeev Shankar told IANS.
(Read More...)
10/22/2011
On Thursday, Col. Moamar Khadhafi's military convoy was bombed by an American predator drone and then attacked by French jets before the deposed dictator was finally apprehended and killed by rebel fighters, the Pentagon disclosed yesterday.
(Read More...)
10/22/2011
NATO is planning to end its military operation in Libya on October 31, the alliance's secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said on Friday. NATO made the preliminary decision during a meeting of its governing body earlier in the day. Speaking after the meeting, Rasmussen said the formal decision is expected to be announced next week.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Attention is being drawn to what technology foreign competitors can offer for South Korea’s next generation fighter procurement. Under the “FX-III” project, the Seoul government plans to purchase a high-end fleet of about 60 fighter jets with a budget of around 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion), seeking to deploy them from 2016.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Australia's last four Super Hornets will touch down at RAAF Amberley on Friday with all 24 aircraft now delivered ahead of the original schedule and for less than the contracted cost.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Canada has been involved in the NATO-led mission in Libya since March. During the seven-month conflict, it has committed a total of 635 personnel, seven jet fighters, two patrol aircraft, two tankers and two frigates. The air component of Operation Mobile, as Canada's mission is known, has been focused on enforcing the no-fly zone imposed on Libya by the UN Security Council on March 17 and protecting civilian-populated areas.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/21/2011
EADS, the parent company of Airbus, is bracing for months of thorny negotiations with Germany as the country seeks to cancel billions of dollars’ worth of orders for military aircraft in an effort to cut its defense budget.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Drone technology is spreading rapidly. As many as 50 countries are developing or purchasing these systems, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Even non-state actors are involved. Hezbollah reportedly has deployed an Iranian-designed drone. Iran is developing a new drone aircraft with a range of more than 600 miles.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Aircraft maker European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co NV (EADS) said it will manufacture fewer military aircraft in coming years than previously, in response to cost-cutting measures by the German defence ministry. A report in the Financial Times stated Wednesday the government's austerity measures include reducing the size of its armed forces, and buying 140 instead of 177 Eurofighters, 40 instead of 53 A400Ms, 80 instead of 122 NH-90s, and 40 instead of 80 Tigers.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Eurocopter is planning to offer two defense aircraft platforms to South Korea in response to possible requests for proposals. The company, which has headquarters in France, said the aircraft would be the Panther platform for the Light Attack Helicopter program and the Tiger for the Heavy Attack Helicopter program. The two formal Requests for Proposal are expected to be issued by Seoul next year.
(Read More...)
10/21/2011
Two aircrew were killed on Thursday when a Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft crashed at the Ukrainka military airfield in Russia's Far East, military prosecutors said. "A Su-24 aircraft crashed while landing at about 12.00 local time (02:00 GMT) in the Amur region. Both pilot and navigator were killed in the crash," a statement said
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
Brazil's fleet of C295 aircraft, made by Spain's Airbus Military, has reached 25.000 flight hours after six years of successful operation. The 12 aircraft fly mainly in Amazonia and Mato Grosso, areas where the airplanes are vital for the local population.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
Germany plans to slash the number of military aircraft it will buy from EADS, the European aerospace company, as it shrinks its armed forces by a fifth as part of an austerity drive.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
Pakistani armed forces, especially the army and air force, are closely monitoring the Indian Army’s efforts to acquire a ground attack aircraft on its own, sources in the capital city say. According to reports from across the border, the Indian Army is trying to raise two aviation brigades that would consist of two squadrons each, one for attack and the second for surveillance, air observation for artillery and casualty evacuation.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
South Korea recently revealed that North Korea had gone looking for someone to sell them new combat aircraft, and had been turned down by China and Russia. South Korean diplomats were pleased to find this out, and South Korean Air Force officers were not surprised that the North Koreans were desperate to upgrade their air force.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
As Congress works on the fiscal year 2012 budget and to reduce federal debt, Army and Air Force Reserve and National Guard leaders were on Capitol Hill here to testify and answer questions about their funding proposals Oct. 12.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
Honeywell’s T55 turboshaft production continues for its sole application, Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook. Boeing biggest customer for the CH-47 is the U.S. Army who is upgrading its Chinook fleet from the D to the F standard. The current requirement is set at 464 aircraft with a mix of new-build and remanufactured airframes. The Army is also buying MH-47Gs and will eventually have a fleet of 69 of the type.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
Turkey launched air and ground assaults on Kurdish militants in Iraq on Wednesday, vowing to take "great revenge" after 24 Turkish soldiers were killed in one of the deadliest Kurdish attacks in decades.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
A surge of C-5 Galaxies, slated to take place Oct. 17 - 21, will bring together 18 active-duty and 23 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command crews and aircraft to fly cargo in support of combatant commanders across the globe.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
"You may have to steal, beg or borrow but you have to do it," IAF chief N A K Browne has stated to drive home the urgency for developing a military aircraft engine to strengthen defence capabilities. The DRDO has been entrusted with the task of developing a fighter aircraft engine under the Kaveri programme but not much success has been achieved in this direction for the last over 25 years.
(Read More...)
10/20/2011
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) unanimously ruled in favor of Lockheed Martin by determining that “paveway” is a generic term for a type of laser guided bomb (LGB).
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
Australia is considering equipping half its fleet of Boeing-built Super Hornet warplanes with sophisticated radar and communications jamming technology, giving its military a more potent electronic warfare capability than others in the region.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
A computer virus that affected the US military's drone fleet last month was not "specifically" aimed at the unmanned aircraft's network, the head of US Strategic Command said Tuesday.
"It was a virus that we believe at this point entered from the wild, if you will, not specifically targeted at the RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) activities but entered through some other process," General Robert Kehler told reporters.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
In a July 20, 2011 letter to West Valley Partners, U.S. Sen. John McCain pledges his continued support for the F-35 and Luke AFB as a major training base for the newest fighter jet in the country’s defense arsenal.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
A military aircraft with six people on board crashed Tuesday into hills in a remote hunting reserve in mid-western Nepal, the army said. The Britten-Norman Islander airplane was returning to the capital Kathmandu from a rescue mission by the Indian border in the southwest when it lost contact with the ground, army officials told AFP.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
Afghan and NATO forces have stepped up their fight against a militant network considered the most dangerous threat facing coalition forces in Afghanistan, the nation's defense officials said Tuesday.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
Boeing is showcasing its F-15 Silent Eagle fighter jet and AH-6i attack/reconnaissance helicopter at an international exhibition in South Korea. In addition to military aircraft, Boeing will feature passenger aircraft such as the 787-9. 747-8 and 737 MAX at 2011 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition this week.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
The United States is reportedly launching major military maneuvers in the Middle East amid speculation that the Pentagon is preparing a response to Iran’s alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
A recent Pentagon report warns India about challenges posed by China's frenetic defence modernisation, after China launched its first aircraft carrier, the instrument of power projection. China's peaceful rise is best determined by distinguishing between its military capabilities and intentions.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
The V-22 Osprey tiltrotor flown by the Marines and Air Force crashes or burns much more often than the military cares to admit. But that hasn’t stopped Osprey-maker Boeing from pitching a new tiltrotor for an ambitious Army program aimed at replacing almost everything the ground combat branch flies … with a single aircraft design.
(Read More...)
10/19/2011
Northrop Grumman Corp has pulled out of the 2012 Farnborough International air show as part of a drive to cut costs in what it describes as leaner times in the global defence market but it is honouring its commitment to the Dubai Air Show.
(Read More...)
10/18/2011
The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Corp. (Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., USA) announced on Oct. 10 that the X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstration aircraft reached a major milestone Sept. 30 when it retracted its landing gear and flew in its cruise configuration for the first time. The flight, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, also helped validate precision navigation hardware and software that will allow the X-47B to land with precision on the moving deck of an aircraft carr
(Read More...)
10/18/2011
France was reported Monday to be in the final stages of wrapping up a $10 billion contract with the United Arab Emirates for 60 Rafale combat jets. That would be a crucial breakthrough for French manufacturer Dassault Aviation, which has been struggling for years to find its first foreign buyer for the multi-role fighter. "We're in the final negotiations," French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet told France's LCI television, adding that the prospect of a deal was "very strong."
(Read More...)
10/18/2011
Aiming to enhance mutual defence ties, British Vice-Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nicholas Houghton today began a three-day visit here today. During his visit, Gen Houghton met Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju and Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma and discussed issues of mutual cooperation and ways for further enhancing defence ties between the two countries.
(Read More...)
10/18/2011
Armored vehicles, trainer jets and weapons will be on display this week at South Korea’s biggest aerospace and defense exhibition, as the nation works to triple annual military exports by the end of the decade.
(Read More...)
10/18/2011
Lockheed Martin delivered and installed the first weapons load training device at the F-35 integrated pilot-and-maintenance training center (ITC) at Eglin Air Force Base’s 33rd Fighter Wing.
(Read More...)
10/17/2011
As the Marines and coalition and Afghan forces in the southwestern regional command of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force patrol the Helmand River valley, they do so knowing an overwhelming advantage is behind them. With air assets led by 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), the coalition can strike the enemy at will, move troops around the battlespace safely and quickly, and medically evacuate service members or Afghans in need.
(Read More...)
10/17/2011
Kenyan military forces moved into southern Somalia on Sunday, an official and residents said, a day after top Kenyan defense officials said the country has the right to defend itself after a rash of militant kidnappings inside Kenya. Late Sunday evening, a military helicopter crashed and caught fire inside Kenya from an apparent mechanical malfunction, a diplomat and a resident said. No civilian casualties were reported, but the status of the pilots on board wasn't immediately known.
(Read More...)
10/17/2011
They increasingly dot the planet. There’s a facility outside Las Vegas where “pilots” work in climate-controlled trailers, another at a dusty camp in Africa formerly used by the French Foreign Legion, a third at a big air base in Afghanistan where Air Force personnel sit in front of multiple computer screens, and a fourth at an air base in the United Arab Emirates that almost no one talks about.
(Read More...)
10/17/2011
A South African firm has produced the continent's first indigenous aircraft, which its makers hope will revolutionize the military aviation industry while bringing in half a billion dollars a year to the local economy. The Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC) was created by the Paramount Group, a South African defence company, together with Aerosud, an aeronautical engineering firm.
(Read More...)
10/17/2011
There is a potential target among weapons systems. It’s the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the next-generation, supersonic aircraft for the Air Force, Marines and Navy, the biggest weapon procurement program for the Pentagon at a cost of $238 billion. The aircraft hasn’t lived up to its other name — Lightning II — falling behind schedule and rising over budget, with one variant of the plane suffering cracks in the bulkhead after it flew just 1,500 hours out of a planned 16,000.
(Read More...)
10/17/2011
Missile-defense experts at the Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz., are offering their Common Infrared Counter Measures (CIRCM) system for a U.S. Army competition to protect combat helicopters and other aircraft by jamming the infrared guidance systems of heat-seeking missiles and diverting the missiles away from the aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/16/2011
THE United States is planning to send dozens of former military personnel to Libya to help track down and destroy surface-to-air missiles from Muammar Gaddafi's stockpiles, which US officials fear could be used by terrorists to take down passenger jets.
(Read More...)
10/16/2011
An historic "surge" of the nation's largest military airlifters will more than double their normal day-to-day workload, exercising the ability of United States Transportation Command and its air component, Air Forces Transportation, to rapidly provide strategic airlift in response to large-scale crises and contingencies, according to officials here.
(Read More...)
10/15/2011
The Air Force’s KC-46 tanker is a model acquisition program in several ways, yet four things may keep the aircraft from entering service on schedule, senior defense officials said.
(Read More...)
10/15/2011
While growing tensions on the high seas have been the main focus in recent territorial tensions between China and Japan, a report released by the Defense Ministry shows prickliness is escalating in the skies as well.
(Read More...)
10/15/2011
Lawmakers continue to reject the Pentagon’s attempts to deploy light-attack aircraft to Afghanistan as part of a combat experiment. The House Appropriations and Armed Services committees and Senate Armed Services Committee rejected a $17 million U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) request for the Combat Dragon II program, according to a Pentagon reprogramming document.
(Read More...)
10/15/2011
The seven-month bombing campaign in Libya is a “positive story” that showcased the commitment of the alliance’s European members, who conducted most of the combat missions for the first time in the organization’s history, NATO’s top official said Friday.
(Read More...)
10/15/2011
How far is China’s military reach? The answer depends on what it wants to do. A Chinese warship deployed to the Mediterranean this year, so, by that yardstick, global reach is at hand. But the isolated ship only supported civilian evacuations from Libya, and had no real military potential.
(Read More...)
10/15/2011
Defense leaders said Thursday that the Pentagon must be spared from deeper budget cuts than those already planned, and the nation's top military officer suggested that three separate versions of the F-35 might be unaffordable. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee that he is "concerned about the three variants and whether we can go forward in this fiscal environment with all three."
(Read More...)
10/14/2011
Egyptian warplanes are patrolling the Sinai without Israeli consent, despite a 1979 peace treaty limiting Egypt’s military presence in the peninsula, Egypt’s air force chief said on Thursday. Parts of the Sinai have been off-limits to Egyptian troops under the terms of the 1979 treaty by which Israel agreed to end its occupation but in recent months the army has deployed reinforcements with Israeli consent to tackle suspected Islamist militants.
(Read More...)
10/14/2011
The French government has told Airbus and other contractors working on the A400M multi-role military transport aircraft program that it won't take delivery of the aircraft it has ordered starting in 2013 unless Airbus improves the terms of a maintenance contract for the planes. The move is seen as an attempt by the French government, struggling to cut public spending and shrink the country's yawning budget gap, to get more attractive pricing from Airbus on the maintenance deal.
(Read More...)
10/14/2011
BULLETS and bombs are so 20th-century. The wars of the 21st will be dominated by ray guns. That, at least, is the vision of a band of military technologists who are building weapons that work by zapping the enemy’s electronics, rather than blowing him to bits. The result could be conflict that is less bloody, yet more effective, than what is now seen as conventional battle.
(Read More...)
10/14/2011
In mid-August, talk show host Stephen Colbert asked U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice why the United States had not intervened to save the lives of Syrians as it had in Libya. Ambassador Rice replied that Syrian opposition members had told U.S. diplomats, "What they want from the United States is more leadership, political pressure, and sanctions, but very clearly no military intervention."
(Read More...)
10/14/2011
The Air Force and Army secretaries have sent the House Armed Services Committee a letter requesting the MC-12 "Liberty" spy plane program be kept with the Air Force, and thus at Beale Air Force Base. But a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, said the letter might not mean the MC-12's move between service branches is dead.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/14/2011
The Marine Corps has responded to our story on the military’s apparent manipulation of the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor’s safety record. “No one is more focused on the safety of the Marine V-22, or any other aircraft the Marines fly, than the Marine Corps,” a statement issued Thursday by the Corps assures, “because we know that those aircraft are flown by our Marines and carry our Marines and other coalition personnel into combat.”
(Read More...)
10/14/2011
Over the last two years, the United States has sent over the largest helicopter force ever seen in Afghanistan. Most of the aircraft in Afghanistan are helicopters, and most of these belong to the U.S. Army. By itself, U.S. Army aviation would be one of the largest air forces in the world.The U.S. Army has 20 CABs (Combat Aviation Brigades). Twelve are active duty units, and eight are from the reserves.
(Read More...)
10/13/2011
New statistics released by European air controllers show the vast superiority of the US air force over EU countries and the density of US military traffic in European skies.
(Read More...)
10/13/2011
A team at the Electronic Systems Center, working in conjunction with the Boeing Co. and personnel from several Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Army bases, is working to get important warfighter-requested capabilities onto the AWACS platform.
(Read More...)
10/13/2011
Under the U.S. Air National Guard evaluation of a future Light Attack and Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) to be operated by the U.S. and Afghan air forces, the Air Force is seeking a low cost, light fighter capable of flying at altitudes up to 30,000 ft. above sea level, with a range up to 900 nautical miles, and mission endurance of six hours.
(Read More...)
10/13/2011
Tyndall Air Force Base received two T-38 Talon jets last week that will serve as simulated enemy aircraft for F-22 Raptor pilots. Tyndall, east of Panama City, is home of the 325th Fighter Wing which provides training for pilots of the F-22 Raptor, the country’s premier air superiority fighter.
(Read More...)
10/13/2011
EADS North America CEO Sean O’Keefe has applauded the U.S. Army’s call for a flight demonstration of potential offerings to replace the aging Kiowa Warrior armed helicopters.
(Read More...)
10/13/2011
A new batch of Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters has been delivered to a pilot training center near Moscow, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Wednesday. “The helicopters have been delivered to the Torzhok training center to improve the pilot training program there,” Drik said.
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
The 100th anniversary marking the fall of China’s last imperial dynasty upped tensions in the Taiwan Strait, with Chinese President Hu Jintao calling for “reunification through peaceful means” and his Taiwanese counterpart, Ma Ying-jeou, responding that he was just fine with the status quo. The last thing needed is outside provocation. So we applaud the Obama administration’s compromise decision last month to go ahead with a $5.85 billion deal to upgrade Taiwan’s existing fleet of F-16 fighter
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
Israel's quest for a new jet trainer for the air force has moved toward South Korea's T-50 after Korea Aerospace Industries said it was joining with Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Israel is buying, to market the supersonic aircraft. The air force is seeking a replacement for its fleet of Vietnam-era Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, with the T-50 Golden Eagle competing against the M-346 Master built by Alenia Aermacchi of Italy.
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
The U.S. Navy reached a new milestone for a futuristic new stealth drone when it successfully retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time, engineers announced Tuesday. Developed by Northrop Grumman, the X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft designed to take off from and land on moving aircraft carriers at sea. New images released today depict a futuristic, almost UFO-like vehicle.
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
Russia is desperate for the world to think of it as a superpower again. Last week, Vladimir Putin — the country’s once and presumed future president — proposed the formation of a “Eurasian Union” among former Soviet states. The move was widely seen as a challenge to the West, and a push to reestablish Moscow’s former empire.
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
The Army has given up on developing an entirely new armed scout helicopter for now, but plans to invite companies with existing helicopters that can do armed reconnaissance to demonstrate their wares.
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
Unmanned aircraft used by the Air Force for espionage and combat have been stung by malware. Should we be worried?
(Read More...)
10/12/2011
The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $19 million follow-on production contract for the VNsight low-light-level TV capability for Apache attack helicopters.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
Insitu Inc. announced today that its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) delivered real-time video to Canadian Forces during the largest military exercise to date in the Far North.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) on Sunday denied rumors that one of its experimental fighter aircraft had crashed during a test flight in Shaanxi Province after Hong Kong and Taiwanese media reported the news. The reports said that an all-weather, single engine J-10B -multirole fighter aircraft had crashed at the China Flight Test Establishment in Xianyang, Xi-an, adding that the pilot was killed in the accident as he attempted to save the aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will induct in June 2013 the first of the 10 C-17 Globemaster-III heavy airlifters it has purchased from the US, and then order six more. IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) in an interview that Boeing would deliver all the already ordered 10 aircraft between 2013 and 2014, and that once the IAF was satisfied with their performance, six more would be ordered.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
Raytheon Company's Common Infrared Counter Measures solution for U.S. Army helicopters is also ideal for protecting unmanned aircraft systems. At 15 pounds less than the Army's requirement, Raytheon's CIRCM system is lightweight enough for large UAS platforms.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
India’s defense ministry on Oct. 7 approved the offset proposals of the two short-listed vendors in its $11 billion Medium-Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program, paving the way for the opening of commercial bids. According to a defense ministry official, bids should be opened in the next few days for the Eurofighter consortium’s Typhoon and Dassault’s Rafale, though no specific time frame was given. The original tender was issued by the defense ministry in August 2007.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said U.S. troops might still be able to stay in Iraq as trainers beyond a 2011 withdrawal date, even though the country's political blocs have rejected giving immunity to any American soldiers.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
Elbit Systems of America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. will present an array of cutting edge solutions, designed to enhance the capabilities of the United States Armed Forces at the upcoming Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition (AUSA), (booth #1103) set to take place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington DC from October 10-12, 2011.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
China's faster-than-expected military buildup has alarmed the United States and its Asian allies and could help the Pentagon gird against deeper defense cuts threatened in some corners of Congress. But even though the sophistication of China's People's Liberation Army has exceeded US military forecasts, there is a recognition within the Pentagon that some of its most-cited conventional capabilities are still in their infancy.
(Read More...)
10/11/2011
Saudi Arabia is planning to reach an agreement with the United States on the purchase of artillery systems worth $186 million, Arabian website Elaf said citing a high-ranking source in the Saudi government.
(Read More...)
10/10/2011
The head of the air force said Taiwan's defense capabilities won't suffer despite the refusal of Washington to sell the island country F-16C/D fighters. Instead of allowing the sale of new fighters to Taiwan, the United States has agreed to a major $5.9 billion upgrade program of the country's 145 General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon jets.
(Read More...)
10/10/2011
There are rumblings that the Boeing F-15 deal with Saudi Arabia is delayed. There’s speculation the Saudis are upset with President Obama’s support of Arab Spring demonstrations or his opposition to Palestine becoming a state through U.N. approval.
(Read More...)
10/10/2011
An F-15 fighter jet's empty fuel tank that crashed to the ground Friday in Ishikawa Prefecture may have exploded after its internal air pressure spiked, according to officials from the Air Self-Defense Force's Komatsu base.
(Read More...)
10/10/2011
Patriot Taxiway Industries announced the delivery of 40 additional KC-135 Portable LED Cargo Lighting System kits to the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Earlier this year, the command’s Surgeon General Office ordered16 kits to be deployed with medical crews in support of worldwide Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) mission.
(Read More...)
10/10/2011
A culture of shared sacrifice is one of the greatest strengths of the U.S.’s volunteer military. It is not, however, a good basis on which to decide budget cuts. Facing at least $450 billion in reductions over the next decade - and as much as $1 trillion total if the congressional deficit supercommittee fails to reach a consensus and the automatic deficit trigger kicks in - Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta may be tempted to follow precedent and ask for trims across the services and their progr
(Read More...)
10/10/2011
The country is growing accustomed to debate about the use of drone aircraft in military surveillance and strikes. Should the U.S., as it has under President Barack Obama, be leaning more heavily on the use of the remote-controlled airplanes to hunt and kill terrorists — including American citizens?
(Read More...)
10/09/2011
The IAF inquiry into the emergency landing performed Thursday by an F-15 crew determined that the pilot and the navigator's resourcefulness prevented the jet from crashing. The inquiry found that around 11 am the F-15 took off from the Tel Nof Air Base for a routine training flight. Once airborne, the crew spotted a flock of pelicans flying in their direction and changed their course so not to collide with the birds.
(Read More...)
10/09/2011
Japanese officials announced Saturday that a 350-pound fuel tank and part of a dummy missile fell off an F-15 during a training mission, prompting Tokyo to ground the fleet for the second time in three months. The Taiwan News reports that the entire 202 plane fleet will be grounded indefinitely and available only for emergency scrambles.
(Read More...)
10/09/2011
At the Zhuhai air show in southeastern China last November, Chinese companies startled some Americans by unveiling 25 different models of remotely controlled aircraft and showing video animation of a missile-armed drone taking out an armored vehicle and attacking a United States aircraft carrier.
(Read More...)
10/09/2011
Iran's national defense system has been equipped with advanced radars capable of detecting unmanned aerial vehicles, a senior military commander said on Saturday. “No unauthorized unmanned aircraft now dares fly over the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said, according to Press TV.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
Six days after the Sept. 11 attacks, and about three weeks before America went to war, a headline on the front-page of The Washington Post foretold the difficult fight ahead.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
NATO ministers said Thursday that the bombing campaign in Libya, now in its seventh month, will continue until armed resistance to the new pro-Western regime ceases.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security delivered 28 military and combat aircraft in the third quarter to September 30, comprising 13 F/A-18E/F and EA-18Gs, six CH-47F and MH-47G Chinooks, four C-17s, three F-15s and two 737 AEW&C aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
A MiG-21 combat aircraft of the IAF today crashed near Uttarlai airport in Rajasthan’s Barmer district but the pilot ejected safely.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
The defence ministry on Friday approved the offset proposals for India’s biggest defence deal to buy 126 fighter planes at an estimate price of Rs 42,000 crore ($ 10.4 billion) paving the way for opening the commercial bids around Diwali.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
The computers used to control Predator and Raptor drones used in Afghanistan and other war zones have been reportedly infected by a virus that captures the keystrokes of the pilots operating the unmanned aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/08/2011
Boeing has received a performance based logistics (PBL) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP).
(Read More...)
10/07/2011
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Thursday that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close brotherly and strategic relations since their inception. This relationship has matured and strengthened further over the years and has long history of deep rooted cooperation, he made these remarks after witnessing ongoing Joint Military Exercise (Al-Samsaam-IV) 2011 between Pakistan Army and Saudi Land Forces near Jhelum.
(Read More...)
10/07/2011
Mum's the word on exactly when he'll arrive, but Prince Harry - or Capt. Harry Wales, as he's called on a military airfield - will use live fire for the first time when he soon begins helicopter gunship training at U.S. bases in California and Arizona, officials said Thursday.
(Read More...)
10/07/2011
Egypt is now the 13th international customer for Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP), which provides precision targeting and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) in a single lightweight system. The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) has selected Sniper to equip its F-16 aircraft purchased under the Peace Vector program.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
Boeing's first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy completed its initial flight today, taking off from Renton Field at 12:02 p.m. Pacific time and landing two hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle. During the flight, Boeing test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations and autopilot flight modes, and took the P-8I to a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet prior to landing.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
The Department of Defense awarded a contract worth up to $11.7 billion to Boeing Co. for support and maintenance of its C-17 aircraft to the U.S. military and global allies. The award comes less than a week after the Chicago-based company won a contract modification worth up to half a billion for similar services.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov was quoted as saying that “solutions have been found to a number of problem issues of India-Russia defense cooperation”. Mr. Serdyukov also expressed hope that “India is regarding military and technical cooperation as one of the key areas of partnership with Russia”. Mr. Antony in his turn noted that “Russia has always been the unique strategic partner that India relies upon”.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
A Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft performed the first short takeoff from an amphibious assault ship early Tuesday. Piloted by Marine Lt. Col. Fred Shenk, BF-2 lifted from the deck of the amphib Wasp at 8:45 a.m., Joint Strike Fighter Program Office officials confirmed.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
U.S. officials are still confused about why Libya’s stockpile of new, advanced SA-24 Grinch man-portable air defense systems (Manpads) were not fired at NATO aircraft during the battle to oust Moammar Gadhafi. The weapons are perhaps the most sophisticated, light, anti-aircraft missiles made by Russia, and they are certainly the most sought after by insurgents shopping the black market.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
Members of the NATO military alliance parted company Wednesday over how quickly to halt the six-month bombing campaign in Libya, and the dangers of doing so if fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, the country's deposed strongman, are still engaged in armed resistance.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
The army has grounded its fleet of five CH-47D Chinook helicopters, while it sorts out a problem with the aircraft's flight control system. Brigadier Neil Turton, director-general of aviation, said the temporary suspension of flight operations would ensure safety and was consistent with Army Operational Airworthiness procedures. He said the issues had been identified in the CH-47D's Advanced Flight Control System (AFCS).
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
The Marine Corps will deploy the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Kaman [NASDAQ-GS: KAMN] unmanned K-MAX® to Afghanistan next month.
The decision follows the successful completion of a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment for the U.S. Navy’s Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program. A formal report, released last week by Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force, confirmed that the unmanned K-MAX exceeded the Navy and Marines’ requirement to deliver 6,000 pounds of cargo per day.
(Read More...)
10/06/2011
The Ukrainian Air Force will take delivery of three An-70 military transport aircraft, Defense Minister Mikhaylo Yezhel said on Wednesday. The first plane will be delivered "in the very near future," he said. Asked whether Ukraine would be able to make An-70s without Russia, the minister said: "It's already making them."
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
The Air Self-Defense Force has exchanged a memorandum with the U.S. military enabling SDF tanker aircraft to refuel U.S. military airplanes midair during Japan-U.S. joint exercises, it has been learned. Previously, only U.S. tanker aircraft have been able to refuel SDF aircraft during such circumstances, sources said.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
Among the issues that the two sides will discuss include the joint development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and medium transport aircraft (MTA). Indian Air Force will get 250 FGFAs and 45 MTAs later in this decade.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
The Navy and Marine Corps Team made naval aviation history today as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp’s (LHD-1) flight deck, the first at-sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm. “It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But that’s because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done by the Wasp and JSF team.”
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
Kevin Bredenbeck, the pilot who flew the revolutionary X2 Technology demonstrator last year to an unofficial speed record for conventional helicopters, has been recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) with the Iven C. Kincheloe Award for the year's outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
Indonesian Air Force officers will soon be shopping in the Arizona desert, picking out two squadrons of mothballed F-16C/D fighter jets from America's aircraft "boneyard", to beef up their country's paper- thin air defenses. The 30 aircraft will come free of charge. But six of them will be cannibalized for their parts. The Indonesians are expected to spend US$400 million to US$600 million equipping the rest with advanced avionics and weaponry and buying 28 Pratt and Whitney engines.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
The largely homegrown Tejas fighter is still to fight its way out of the doldrums. The jet will not become fully-operational anytime before 2013, a full three decades after the LCA (light combat aircraft) project was first sanctioned in 1983. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, responding to questions on Monday, remarked the Tejas LCA's operational clearance had been delayed by almost a year, without elaborating any further.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
With the current operations in Libya directly impacting the direction of the fighter jet market, military and industry professionals are faced with the challenge of defining immediate upgrade plans and future capability developments.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
NATO defense ministers meet Wednesday and they are expected to discuss ways of ending the alliance's aerial campaign in Libya and training Afghan security forces to play a larger role in their country's war. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who took over from Robert Gates as Pentagon chief in July, will be making his first visit to Europe in that role to attend the meeting.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
Oliver VTOL LLC, today announced a “Hexplane Heavy Lift (HHL)” concept that has the potential to meet the military’s need for a new, large vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) transport aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/05/2011
The Boeing Company will serve as corporate host for the MILCOM 2011 conference and exposition, which takes place Nov. 7-10 at the Baltimore Convention Center. This will be the conference’s 30th year of gathering leaders from the military, industry and academia to promote and discuss all aspects of military communications technologies and services.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
“The process of modernisation [of the IAF] is going on at a fast rate, and I am not aware of any air force doing so in 15 years… We have to be [reaching] wherever the country's strategic interests are,” he said at apress conference, ahead of the Air Force Day that falls on October 8. Its traditional strategic sphere lay between the Gulf of Aden and the Straits of Malacca; but with India's global footprint expanding, the IAF should be ready to serve wherever India's strategic interests rested, he
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
The U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command has taken delivery of its first MC-130J Combat Shadow II aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The aircraft, the first of 20 ordered, was flown from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' facility to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., by Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, commander AFSOC.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
South Korea’s decision to build a naval base at Sadong Port on Ulleung Island is causing strains in its relationship with Japan. Ulleung is the closest South Korean territory to the disputed islets (known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japan) in the Sea of Japan which is claimed by both countries. South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will provide 217.5 billion Won for the base, while the remainder of the cost will be borne by the Ministry of National Defence.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
India is gradually building powerful military capabilities in tune with its expanding geopolitical interests, which are no longer limited to the swathe stretching from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait, even as the eastern and western fronts are being strengthened to deter the twin Pakistan-China threat.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
There must be a crazy-haired mad scientist roaming the U.S. military’s research laboratories unsupervised. That’s the most reasonable explanation for the military's latest advancement in drone technology.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
A total of 32 UAVs have been produced in the initial stage, with eight to be deployed in each of the country's four major combat sectors, the Chinese-language China Times daily said. Citing unnamed senior officials, the paper said the indigenously produced UAVs can fly as high as 6,000 feet and stay in the air for up to 12 hours.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
Iraq is likely to order a second batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 combat jets following last month's contract to buy 18 of the aircraft, Iraqi officials say. This appears to be a concerted, but belated, drive by the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to give the country's emerging postwar air force a credible defensive punch funded by windfall oil revenues and to shore up an important gap in Iraqi defenses as U.S. forces withdraw.
(Read More...)
10/04/2011
The Boeing Company has signed a teaming agreement with the Rotary Wing Training Center (RWTC) - a subsidiary of the Netherlands' World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA) -- to establish a state-of-the-art CH-47 Chinook helicopter maintenance training facility near the Dutch Gilze-Rijen Airbase. The training center will help address the needs of international Chinook operators.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to acquire six more C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft in addition to the six already ordered. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) that the aircraft had performed well in the recent earthquake relief operations in north-eastern India and that the IAF would utilize the multi-role capability of the aircraft as required.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
At first glance, it seems nothing unusual or hinting of danger - just a few wooden munitions cases piled up in the corner of a vast hangar on the outskirts of Benghazi in eastern Libya. But the cases' rectangular shape, their size - about that of a coffee table - and the yellow inscriptions in Cyrillic letters allude to their deadly contents.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
The Philippine Air Force yesterday described as "propaganda" the statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that Abu Sayyaf terrorists shot down the Huey aircraft that crashed in Patikul, Sulu, last Saturday and left the pilot and two crew members dead.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
When Lord West, former First Sea Lord and security minister in the Brown government, waved the flag for Britain last week, reminding the world that we are still a country to be reckoned with and “not like bloody Denmark or Belgium”, he presented Liam Fox with a gaping open goal. West, the Defence Secretary crowed, was guilty of crass insensitivity and should apologise. What about those plucky Danes in Afghanistan?
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
The entire Defence Force will be re-shaped by 2015 into what will be called a Joint Amphibious Task Force that will enable the Army to deploy more people for longer in combat situations. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp this morning launched the plan at Defence Headquarters, including some decisions on equipment and training as part of the Defence Capability Plan, the first in 10 years.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
The much-awaited user trials of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) would commence by the end of this year. The user trials, which will be conducted by the IAF’s Bangalore-based aircraft systems and testing establishment (ASTE), is a prerequisite before the LCA is inducted into the IAF.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force transferred its remaining seven early model (Block 10) RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs to other government agencies. These UAVs began flying eight or so years ago and each has spent, on average some 3,000 hours in the air. Some have spent over 7,000 hours in the air, while others have mostly stayed on the ground. On average, these Block 10 aircraft flew once a week. But some 90 percent of hours flown were in combat operations.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
The CIA drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, the US-born propagandist for al-Qaeda's rising franchise in Yemen, was one more demonstration of what US officials say is a cheap, safe and precise tool to eliminate enemies. It was also a sign that the decade-old US campaign against terrorism has reached a turning point.
(Read More...)
10/03/2011
As a Cobra attack helicopter pilot, Marine Capt. Jim “Hottie” Carlson was running support missions above Afghanistan last summer when it occurred to him that it was taking far too long to find where U.S. troops were under attack. “Do you have any idea how long it takes to find the right map, unfold it, and find where you’re going? It’s agonizing,” he said.
(Read More...)
10/01/2011
Despite government cuts in defense expenditure, and the postponement of a final decision regarding the need to renew the military fleet, a decision that former president Lula should have taken before the end of his tenure (2010), defense minister Celso Amorim officially declared that Brazil has an "Urgent" need for new fighter jets.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/01/2011
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has delivered an S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter to Jalisco, the first state government in Mexico to acquire the newest variant of the world's most employed military utility aircraft. Jalisco state police will deploy the aircraft for general law enforcement with initial aircraft operation anticipated during October's XVI Pan American Games. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
(Read More...)
10/01/2011
Airbus Military, a subsidiary of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., said a C-212 transport aircraft had an accident in the north Sumatran region of Indonesia. The company said it’s “premature” to speculate on the cause of the incident.
(Read More...)
10/01/2011
U.S. planemaker Boeing said local defense contractors might build F/A 18 Super Hornets under license if Japan chose to buy the next-generation fighter jet. The comment came after the U.S. aerospace giant, along with Lockheed Martin and a consortium of European countries, submitted bids to produce Japan's next mainstay combat aircraft in a deal that could be worth up to $8 billion.
(Read More...)
10/01/2011
Saudi Arabia was the leading buyer of U.S. weapons in 2003-10, receiving arms worth $29 billion, the U.S. Congressional Research Service's latest report on arms transfers stated. That's not counting the $60 billion Riyadh is expected to spend on U.S. military purchases - including combat jets, warships and missiles - over the next decade. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Raytheon will be major beneficiaries of the biggest U.S. arms deal on record.
(Read More...)
10/01/2011
The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States’ four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers on schedule. The E-4B was returned to home station Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., on Sept. 19.
(Read More...)
All Articles