February, 2012 Military Aviation News
02/29/2012
The U.S. Air Force is making progress on a new long-range bomber, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said at a trade conference in Florida last week. “There’s a competition,” Donley said, according to DoDBuzz.
“The program is underway, the requirements, the cost parameters have been set by the Secretary of Defense and we’re executing in that direction…we’ve identified the target delivery for the mid ‘20s.”
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
America’s newest stealth fighters have a major problem: their pilots can’t breathe, due to some sort of malfunction in the planes’ oxygen-generation systems. For months, the Air Force has been studying the problem, which temporarily grounded the entire fleet of F-22 Raptors and may have contributed to a pilot’s death. Today, the Air Force admitted they still don’t know exactly what’s causing the issue.
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
When Lt.-Gen. Juancho Sabban received an urgent phone call from an oil company saying two Chinese vessels were threatening to ram its survey ship, the Philippine commander’s message was clear: don’t move, we will come to the rescue. Within hours, a Philippine surveillance plane, patrol ships and light attack aircraft arrived in the disputed area of Reed Bank in the South China Sea. By then the Chinese boats had left after chasing away the survey ship, Veritas Voyager, hired by U.K.-based Forum
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
The world’s top suppliers of military hardware and combat support services scored sales of $411.1 billion in 2010, and 60 percent of that business went to U.S. companies, according to a study published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
Because of Reaper’s nature, unit-cost estimates can be tricky. Various media reports cite a per-unit cost from $4 million to $5 million. They are quite incorrect.
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
The US Air Force has canceled a $355 million contract for a light attack aircraft made by Brazil's Embraer, saying it would open an investigation after protests from a rival US aerospace firm, officials said Tuesday. The contract for 20 Embraer AT-29 Super Tucano aircraft was awarded in December as part of plans to arm the Afghan military amid a NATO troop drawdown.
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
The crew of a Su-30 fighter that crashed earlier on Tuesday in Russia’s Far East reported an engine fire before the crash, a spokesman for the Main Military Investigative Directorate said.
The Su-30MK2 fighter jet crashed 130 km northeast of Komsomolsk-na-Amure during a post-construction test flight. Both pilots ejected safely, although one of them was hurt on landing.
(Read More...)
02/29/2012
Russia has partially resumed flights of Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers after one of them crashed in Russia’s Urals, Defense Ministry spokesman Col Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday.
“After tests, unit commanders… will receive permission to resume flights of this type of aircraft,” he said. All Su-24s were grounded after one of them crashed in the woods of the Kurgan region during a routine flight on February 13. Both pilots ejected safely.
(Read More...)
02/28/2012
Nations around the world are still buying anti-aircraft missiles and fighter plans, no matter the social turmoil or declining economic output their country’s are facing. The total arms sales including sales of military services of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s annual top 100 international defense contractors maintained their upward trend in 2010, although at just a 1% gain in real terms.
(Read More...)
02/28/2012
The Boeing B-1 bomber aircraft has completed its 10,000th combat mission. The heavy bomber entered service with the U.S. Air Force on June 29, 1985, and has been in nearly continuous combat for the past 10 years. The milestone mission took off from a base in Southwest Asia and was flown in support of operations over Afghanistan before returning to base.
(Read More...)
02/28/2012
Two crew members ejected safely after their Su-30 fighter jet crashed 130 km northeast of Komsomolsk-na-Amure during a test flight on Tuesday, according to sources in the regional administration. "Both crew members ejected safely but one was hurt on landing," a regional administration source said. The aircraft belonged to the Komsomolsk-na-Amure factory where Su-30s are manufactured.
(Read More...)
02/28/2012
Russia has modernized two radars in Syria and Lebanon that could threaten U.S. or Israel’s ability to launch a surprise attack against Syria and Iran, Israeli DEBKAfile portal said on Monday. The range of the Jabal Al Harrah electronic and surveillance station south of Damascus has been increased to cover all parts of Israel and Jordan, the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Saudi Arabia.
(Read More...)
02/27/2012
Azerbaijan has agreed to buy $1.6 billion in weapons from Israel, a massive deal that is likely Azerbaijan's largest single arms purchase ever. The deal will include drones, anti-aircraft and missile defense systems, Israeli officials have told news agencies. The deal would be almost equal to Azerbaijan's stated 2012 defense budget of $1.7 billion (though will certainly be spread out over many years).
(Read More...)
02/27/2012
The best fighter pilots from the Air Force, Marines and Navy arrived in the Florida Panhandle last year to learn to fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive, most advanced weapons program in U.S. history. They are still waiting.
(Read More...)
02/27/2012
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Florida (Reuters) - The U.S. government is eyeing Israel, Canada and the United Arab Emirates as possible initial foreign buyers of the V-22 Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a top U.S. Marine Corps official told Reuters.
(Read More...)
02/27/2012
Facing the likelihood of tight budgets for years, the Army and the Defense Department may not have much money anytime soon to develop helicopter technology. That's not stopping Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. from forging ahead and spending tens of millions of dollars to try to reinvent the helicopter for the military.
(Read More...)
02/27/2012
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has called for a Russian air base in the country to be closed, saying neither Russia or Kyrgyzstan need it. The Kant air base does nothing except "flatter the vanity of Russian generals," Atambayev said in an interview to Kommersant newspaper, adding Russia has not paid for the lease for four years.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
02/27/2012
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent international institute researching into conflicts, arms control and disarmament, named U.S. Lockheed Martin the biggest arms vendor in 2010, with sales totalling $35.7 billion.
(Read More...)
02/27/2012
The Kremlin confirmed on Saturday that Russia would fully pay off its $15-million debt to Kyrgyzstan for leasing military facilities there. Earlier in the day, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, currently on a visit to Moscow, said in a radio interview that Russia was ready to pay off its debts for the lease of the Kant air base and several smaller military facilities “within ten days.”
(Read More...)
02/26/2012
Boeing and US goverment to demand EU be punished with sanctions over Airbus subsidies
(Read More...)
02/26/2012
Britain’s Armed Forces may be unable to afford all the new fighter jets they want as American defence cuts and European austerity measures push up the aircraft’s price.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
While Air Force investigators couldn't say conclusively what caused an F-15C Eagle fighter jet to crash in rural Southern Nevada, they noted six factors in a report released Friday that might have played a role in the Oct. 24 accident.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress Feb. 16 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Japan to provide regeneration, overhaul, modifications and support for 6 KC-130R aircraft and associated engines for an estimated cost of $170 million.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
Turkey is planning to purchase 100 multi-purpose F-35 fighter jets worth $16 billion, Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said, reported the daily Milliyet. The first two of the military aircraft will be delivered by 2015, he said. The decision to order two F-35s was made last month.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
Boeing is highlighting its production and delivery of combat aircraft to the U.S. Navy under a multiyear procurement contract. From 2007 through 2011, the company delivered to the Navy a total of 257 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growler electronic attack planes - all ahead of schedule and within budget.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
As defence aviation experts (and losing competitors) debate India’s selection of the Dassault Rafale, our decision makers should utilize the final phase of medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) negotiations to bolster India’s aerospace manufacturing and services infrastructure. This will entail fresh thinking and policy reform.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
Russia's United Aircraft Corporation expects to sustain the annual production of between 70 and 90 fixed-wing combat aircraft for the next few years, in line with its performance in 2011. Military sales accounted for 80% of the 102 aircraft produced last year, said company president Mikhail Pogosyan.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
The gloves are coming off. International fighter competitions are rarely gentlemanly affairs, but with U.S. and European defense spending in decline, the pressure to succeed overseas has aircraft makers and equipment suppliers becoming more aggressive in the push to secure crucial foreign orders.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
A royal Air Force (RAF) squadron leader became the United Kingdom's first military test pilot to fly the F-35C, the carrier variant of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, Feb. 21. As an international program, the F-35 has eight cooperative partners working with the United States; the United Kingdom was the first country to join the program in January 2001. The UK is planning to purchase the carrier variant to enter service as the joint combat aircraft (JCA).
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
The Boeing Company has received a Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract from the Republic of Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to ensure the long-term, affordable sustainment of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) fleet of F-15K fighter jets. The five-year contract, valued at approximately US$300 million, also brings new opportunities to local industry. Hyundai Glovis will provide in-country logistics handling and supply chain distribution activities.
(Read More...)
02/24/2012
Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program continues to build on its 2011 flight test success. For 2012, the baseline F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) flight test plan calls for the accumulation of 1,001 test flights and 7,873 test points. However, growth in test point requirements throughout the year is anticipated, and the plan will be adjusted as needed.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
Recent indications and military movements from the Gulf region point to worsening hostilities between Iran and Israel, which by default involve Israel's ally, the United States. A senior U.S. official, who wished to remain anonymous, had recently said that Israel is considering a military strike against Iran seriously, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers haven't decided whether to attack or not.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
Canadian military investigators are trying to determine whether an RCAF Hercules aircraft damaged extensively by fire and forced to land in Florida Tuesday will ever fly again, the Toronto Star has learned. The multi-million dollar plane, which was on a training exercise, was ablaze when it landed at the U.S. Naval Air Station Key West, forcing the crew to scramble to safety while an emergency crew at the airbase doused the blaze. Damage was reported as extensive.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
In 2011, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms exporting agency, fetched $13.2 billion from its arms and military equipment sales, which exceeded the initial goal by $1.6 billion. Russia is the world’s second biggest arms exporter. By 2012, experts predict its turnover to surge even higher, surpassing the $14 billion mark.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
The governments of Britain and France are moving forward with plans to acquire a range of unmanned aerial vehicles. Of special short-term interest are medium-altitude, long-endurance vehicles and later unmanned combat aircraft systems.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
Boeing today announced that it has completed delivery of 257 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the U.S. Navy. Each aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule and within the contract budget.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
After successfully completing operational demonstrations, Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] penetrating radar capable of detecting objects that are buried, camouflaged or concealed under dense foliage was deployed to support U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Lockheed Martin’s Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar, TRACER, will support SOUTHCOM missions in counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry will modernize two airfields in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Commander of the Baltic Fleet Vice Adm. Viktor Chirkov said on Wednesday.
“We are planning to increase the length of the runway to 3,500 meters at the airfield in Chkalovsk so that it would be able to receive any kind of aircraft, including Boeings and Airbuses,” Chirkov said. The reconstruction will take about two years.
(Read More...)
02/23/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to buy at least 45 light multipurpose helicopters from a foreign manufacturer, Vedomosti daily said on Wednesday. The paper cited a defense industry source as saying that a contract worth over 6 billion rubles ($201 mln) for the purchase of fifteen AS350 and thirty AS355 Ecureil helicopters made by Eurocopter is in the works.
(Read More...)
02/22/2012
On Feb. 16, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz announced that Kadena's 67th Fighter Squadron earned the Raytheon Trophy for 2011. The annual award, originally started by the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1953, is now sponsored by Raytheon Systems Corporation and is given to the top air superiority or air defense squadron in the Air Force.On Feb. 16, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz announced that Kadena's 67th Fighter Squadron earned the Raytheon Trophy for 2011.
(Read More...)
02/22/2012
India is planning to develop sophisticated state-of-the-art next generation electronic warfare (EW) systems which would be mounted on to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft and satellites to see deep into the enemy territories.
(Read More...)
02/22/2012
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) recently achieved a first shot success from a fixed-wing aircraft, BAE Systems announced today. The semi-active laser guided version of the U.S. military's Hydra rocket successfully hit within inches of the center of its laser spot target after it was fired off a Hawker Beechcraft AT-6C from a range of three miles.
(Read More...)
02/22/2012
The Indo-Russian fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) is superior than the similar Chinese and American rival fighter jets which include the J 20 Black Eagle and the F-22 Raptor, a top Russian military commander has claimed.
(Read More...)
02/22/2012
U.S. drone makers like Boeing Co. have dominated the rapidly growing market for unmanned aerial vehicles, and they're expected to hold sway in coming years. But Europe may provide competitors in the next decade. Last week, Britain and France reached a military cooperation deal that included a joint combat drone program.
(Read More...)
02/22/2012
Pakistan said the P3C aircraft, modified with the latest avionics, are designed to improve surveillance in the North Arabian Sea, one of the world’s most important shipping routes deeply troubled by Somali piracy. “The two aircraft have been delivered to the Pakistan navy. These aircraft have been provided under the foreign military funding programme,” a spokesman for the US embassy in Islamabad, told AFP.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
Aurora Flight Sciences has been selected to work on a U.S. military project for an unmanned version of the A-10 close support aircraft. Its selection as a team member in the Persistent Close Air Support program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency was made by Raytheon, which is leading the effort. Aurora, with extensive experience in robotic aerial vehicles, will be responsible for developing the demonstrator aircraft.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
Boeing Co., Sikorsky, Eurocopter and Bell, the top four helicopter makers, are focused on Asia as 1,000 orders from states spanning India to Korea are set to make it the fastest growing military-chopper market by 2015. Tenders in half a dozen nations should produce sales worth $10 US billion over the next three years, Norbert Ducrot, executive vice president for the Asia-Pacific region at Eurocopter, the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of rotorcraft, said in an interview.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
Russia needs to launch a major military buildup to prepare for life in a dangerous world where international law is breaking down, the West feels free to intervene in sovereign countries, and rivals could invade Russia to seize its rich trove of natural resources, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
On Feb. 16, the first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., further expanding the program’s flight test envelope. The weapons load for this mission involved carrying two air-to-air AIM-9X missiles on the outboard wing stations.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
The deliveries of new close air support aircraft to the Russian Air Force will start by 2020, Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. “The Air Force units will start receiving this aircraft by 2020,” Drik said on Monday. “It will gradually replace highly-reliable Su-25SM Frogfoot attack planes.”
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
Iran launched on Monday four-day air defense drills to train protection of important national facilities, primarily nuclear facilities, Iran’s Fars news agency reported. The exercise in the south of Iran involves various missile systems, radars and aircraft. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) ground forces also launched military exercise, code-named Valfajr, on Sunday in the desert area of central Iran and in the central province of Yazd.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to procure 71 more Mi-17 V5 helicopters, including 12 for the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Business Standard daily reported on Monday. These would be in addition to the 80 already ordered from Russia. Of the 71 helicopters to be ordered, 59 would be provided to the IAF for replacing its old Mi-8 and Mi-17IV choppers and six would go to the Border Security Force.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
The Kyrgyz president reiterated on Monday that the United States must withdraw all its troops from the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan when the current lease agreement expires in the summer of 2014.
(Read More...)
02/21/2012
The UAE's aerobatics display team, Al Fursan, is to take its place among the world's top military performers when it makes a debut appearance at the UK's Royal International Air Tattoo in July.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
The Greek and Turkish air forces are two of NATO’s strongest and most experienced. The chronic antagonism between the two neighboring states has meant that their pilots have received significant training as they have for decades often engaged in dogfights over the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
During a routine flight, a U.S. military aircraft crashed approximately six miles from the Djibouti International Airport, Djibouti, February 18, 2012. All four U.S. military personnel on board died. The accident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. local. U.S. military personnel were dispatched to the scene to provide immediate response assistance and secure the crash site.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
Until recently, unmanned aircraft like Predator drones have been developed for the battlefield, acting as the eyes, ears and muscle of the U.S. military in hostile territory. Drones have also been deployed inside the United States, but in a more limited way.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
U.S. Navy aircraft specialists needed several sizes of advanced multi-purpose displays for the avionics systems of the Navy Lot 35 F/A-18F jet fighter-bomber and EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft. They found their solution from the Honeywell Inc. Defense & Space Electronic Systems segment in Albuquerque, N.M.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
Will Canada get the full fleet of 65 new F-35A “stealth” fighter jets that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government promised when it agreed to spend $9 billion to refit the air force with the latest in radar-defying planes? That’s the minimum number of high-end aircraft the air force says it needs.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
With the arms build-up by India and China, and America’s pivot policy, Malaysia is taking precautionary steps.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
The Canadian military has dropped a plan to fly supersonic aircraft over Labrador because it has been unable to attract allied forces that want to carry out air combat training, a source tells CBC News. The military hasn’t spoken publicly about why an application it had filed with the province's department of the environment has been withdrawn.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
Boeing Co. (BA), Sikorsky, Eurocopter and Bell (TEXTRON), the top four helicopter makers, are focused on Asia as 1,000 orders from states spanning India to Korea are set to make it the fastest growing military-chopper market by 2015.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
The current standoff between arms makers and the Defense Ministry over the pricing and quality of weaponry for the Russian military may continue to disrupt state defense orders in 2012, missile designer Yury Solomonov said on Thursday. “The efforts of the defense industry have not yet been synchronized with the efforts of the Defense Ministry and the government,” Solomonov said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.
(Read More...)
02/19/2012
The Pentagon’s plan to eliminate a squadron of fighter jets at a Detroit-area base makes no economic sense and would cost more than 550 jobs, according to the director of the Michigan National Guard. The U.S. Air Force is planning mission changes at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, north of Detroit, and a base in Battle Creek to rein in military spending.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
US has deployed a large number of drones over Syria to monitor Syrian military attack on the opposition forces and civilians, NBC News reported. Quoting Pentagon officials, the TV channel said that the operation of unmanned aircraft over the Syrian skies was not a harbinger of a US military intervention in the country but to gather evidence that can be used to "make the case for a widespread international response."
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, the adjutant general of Michigan’s Army and Air National Guard, is seeking to maintain the current levels of personnel, aircraft and mission assignments in Michigan – possibly seeking to grow those numbers – even in the face of overall declines in the nation’s military spending. A strong militia makes for a strong America, Michigan’s top soldier said today. And Vadnais aims to keep it that way.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
BAE Systems has won a contract from Northrop Grumman - Aerospace Systems to provide Electronic Support Measure (ESM) systems for use on all 20 B-2 Spirit bombers. This ESM upgrade will be a complete replacement of the current aging AN/APR-50 system. With this award, BAE Systems will now be providing Electronic Warfare systems on all three of the U.S. Air Force's Low Observable platforms; the F-22, F-35 and B-2 aircraft.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
Michigan's top military man shared his battle plan with the troops Friday morning. Despite past mission changes, Guard members thought their future was secure. Even though they knew they would lose their current mission, the C-21 aircraft on the tarmac at the W.K. Kellogg Airport, they had another one lined up -- the C-27 cargo plane.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
Israel has decided to purchase 30 Italian-made trainer aircraft in its $1 billion procurement project, snubbing South Korea’s efforts to sell its homegrown planes overseas. Israeli defense officials told the media on Thursday that their government had reached a preliminary deal to buy the M-346 military training planes built by the Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
India today virtually ruled out a rethink on its decision in the multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal saying it has already started negotiating the contract with French firm Dassault Aviation in this regard. On January 31, India had announced that the French Rafale fighter jet has emerged as the lowest bidder in the deal for procuring 126 combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) edging out its European rival EADS consortium's Eurofighter Typhoon.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
Air travel in the world’s fourth most populous nation is poised for expansion, and airlines have a healthy appetite for new aircraft. On the military side, Indonesia’s defense forces have a long list of equipment they plan to purchase in the coming years, and—unlike their colleagues in some other Asian countries—they appear to be relatively successful at getting budgets approved.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
Britain and France upped military cooperation Friday to include a joint combat drone program, aircraft carrier, and combined monitoring of nuclear weapons arsenals — all of which could cut defense costs on both sides of the Channel. British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy set aside their disputes over the eurozone’s debt crisis to agree to a raft of deals at talks in Paris.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
The Indian Air Force has put into service the first batch of 80 Mi-17V-5 tactical transport helicopters under a $1.3 billion deal, Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Friday. Under the 2008 deal, India has already taken delivery of about 20 Russian helicopters, built by the Kazan Helicopter Plant. The remaining helicopters are to be delivered and adopted for service in 2014. The Mi-17V-5, a utility helicopter, can carry up to 36 passengers or four tons or cargo.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
Airbus Military has signed today a firm contract with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) to supply nine C295 military transport aircraft for delivery to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. The contract between PT DI and the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia was signed simultaneously, witnessed by Minister of Defense, Prof. Dr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and the Chief of Armed Forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, at a ceremony at the Singapore Airshow. The Indonesian designation of the aircraft will be CN295.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
Red Flag Exercises are set to start again at Nellis Air Force Base. The combat training exercises will be from February 27 through March 16. People in southern Nevada will see more military aircraft in the skies because of the exercises. It is organized by Nellis but is hosted in the Nevada Test and Training Range which is north of the city.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
As the Indonesian air force works on its plan to field around 150-160 combat aircraft in 12 squadrons, it is starting to consider how to replace its fleet of F-5s. Current plans represent merely a “minimum essential force,” with the actual air force needs being much greater to provide the full range of military capability for a country the size of Indonesia, ACM Imam Sufaat, the service’s chief of staff, tells Aviation Week during the Singapore air show.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
U.S. Air Force and Navy combat aircraft pilots needed helmet-mounted military night vision cueing and display systems for fighter pilots operating high-performance aircraft at night. They found their solution from Vision Systems International LLC in San Jose, Calif.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
The Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that it has selected Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master as the next advanced combat trainer for the Israel Air Force. The decision is expected to lead to a crisis with South Korea, which had pushed hard to win the $1 billion deal. Seoul has claimed that Israel favored Italy throughout the competition and that the tender was not conducted according to “international standards.”
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on Feb. 15 celebrated the rollout of the first re-winged A-10 Thunderbolt II in a ceremony at Hill Air Force Base. Boeing is under contract with the Air Force to deliver 233 wing sets through 2018.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
The 250th C-130J Super Hercules built at the Lockheed Martin facility here was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, today. This is the 15th C-130J delivered to the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess since 2010 and the second of 11 aircraft to be delivered to the base in 2012. Dyess will have the distinction of being home to the largest C-130J fleet in the world when it receives its 28th Super Hercules aircraft in 2013.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution strongly urging Russia to immediately stop selling arms and military equipment to Damascus. The resolution called on Russia to join the international consensus and enable the UN Security Council to help resolve the country’s months-long conflict. The Parliament stressed that as a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia needs to take its responsibility for international peace and security seriously.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the future fighter must possess all technical characteristics of a fifth-generation fighter, including elements of stealth technology, supersonic cruising speed, highly-integrated avionics, electronics and fire-control systems.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
Russian aircraft manufacturers must develop at least two competitive prototypes of a fifth-generation fighter jet, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday. “Two variants of the future fighter jet must be developed to encourage competition,” Rogozin said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Lockheed Martin unveiled a new version of the F-16 today at the Singapore Airshow. The F-16V will feature enhancements including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an upgraded mission computer and architecture, and improvements to the cockpit – all capabilities identified by the U.S. Air Force and several international customers for future improvements.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Russian Helicopters is here at the Singapore Airshow (Booth No. U87) promoting its Mi-34C1 light helicopter, along with other models in its stable. Flight testing is under way and production is scheduled to start this year. The company expects to see strong interest in the type for missions such as pilot training, police and power line surveillance work.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino on Wednesday dismissed as "speculation" reports the government is planning to purchase armed drones as the F-35 program continues to encounter delays and cost overruns. But with U.S. and industry officials admitting this week the stealth fighters will cost more than expected and the Conservative government indicating its plan to buy the jets is coming off the rails, a debate is bubbling over whether Canada should hold out for drones.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) today announced that it is exploring ways to mitigate delays in meeting the April 2013 delivery schedule for the first aircraft called for under United States Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) contract. SNC was awarded that contract in late December, but due to a lawsuit filed by the disqualified competitor for the contract, has been prevented from initiating work.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
French ministers and arms industry executives are still struggling to contain their delight over Dassault’s surprise victory in the $15bn-$20bn Indian fighter jet contest. A final contract for 126 new combat aircraft is not yet signed, explaining the reluctance to crow too loudly. But the choice of Dassault’s Rafale, over the rival Eurofighter, as the preferred bid by India’s air force has done wonders for France’s flagging industrial morale.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Four of eight Sokol combat utility helicopters from Swidnik of Poland have arrived, an official said Wednesday. “The brand-new choppers arrived last night in Clark Air Base in Pampanga,” said Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans Maj. Gen. Roy Deveraturda. “A group of technicians and pilots from the Air Force are conducting inspection and assessment and, if satisfied, they will immediately assemble them.”
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
The U.S. Army precisely engaged targets using the Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) Griffin B missile as part of a test to protect forward operating bases (FOBs) and small combat outposts.
"Griffin enables ground forces to protect their locations by precisely engaging targets in a 360-degree radius," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems product line. "Griffin gives warfighters a combat-proven capability that is ready today, fully developed and in production."
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
All three services of the Malaysian armed forces have received significant cuts to their procurement budget requests for 2012. The political context for this is the build up to a general election, which must be held by 2013. With defense spending being a contentious issue in Malaysia and the need to reduce state spending, the current government has opted for sizable cutbacks.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
The military says the nearly 7,500 robotic aircraft it has accrued for use overseas need to come home at some point. But the FAA doesn't allow drones in U.S. airspace without a special certificate.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Italy will cut investment in Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 stealth fighter plane as part of an overall reduction in military spending, Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola said on Tuesday.
"The F-35 was revised like all the other weapons programmes," Di Paola said after a Cabinet meeting that approved the military spending plan.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Switzerland’s defense minister and military commanders have defended the government’s decision to buy Swedish fighter jets, even though a secret air force report had recommended two rival offers. Defense Minister Ueli Maurer told reporters in Bern, the Swiss capital, and in a statement that the Swedish-made Gripen is the best long-term financial choice, despite the Swiss Air Force’s recommendation to buy other planes.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Brazil hopes the current economic downturn will give it an edge over competing suppliers and help secure a cheaper deal for its purchase of up to 36 fighter jets. Brazil is looking to replace obsolete fighter aircraft, including French Mirage jets, at the high end of its air force inventory as part of the so-called FX-2 fighter competition.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Cubic Defense Applications, Inc., a defense systems business of Cubic Corporation CUB -0.12% , has received a new contract valued at more than $11 million. Cubic and its principal subcontractor, DRS Training and Control Systems LLC, a unit of DRS Defense Solutions LLC, will provide the P5 Tactical Combat Training System (P5TCTS) to the Royal Australian Air Force for use in training F/A-18F Super Hornet crews.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Unmanned aircraft have been billed as the ultimate in efficiency, a model for the Pentagon’s vision of substituting technology for labor. But don’t be fooled, Pentagon officials warn. Unmanned aerial vehicles are great for spying over enemy territory, but they are a huge drain on human resources. In fact, a combat air patrol that relies on UAVs demands more operators and support staff than if it were conducted by conventional aircraft with a pilot in the cockpit.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
MPs from a parliamentary committee that oversees defence matters are to visit the Falklands next month in a move that is likely to heighten tensions between Britain and Argentina over the islands. Members of the defence select committee are expected to visit military installations on the islands, where a garrison of more than 1,000 troops is stationed at Mount Pleasant Complex, 35 miles (56km) from the capital, Stanley.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Russia has postponed indefinitely all flights of Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers after one of them crashed in Russia’s Urals, a source in the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The Su-24 combat aircraft crashed in the woods of the Kurgan region during a routine flight on Monday. Both pilots ejected safely. “The Air Force commander has cancelled all flights of this type of aircraft until the cause of the crash is established,” the source said but did not specify how long it could take.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Pratt & Whitney used the Singapore Airshow today to announce a $19.2 million material management programme (MMP) contract with three, one-year options from the United States Air Force in support of F100-PW-220E engines powering the Royal Jordanian Air Force fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.
(Read More...)
02/15/2012
Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) today announced its AT-6 Light Attack aircraft has successfully employed laser-guided rockets during recent test sorties at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
The number of Russia's Sukhoi T-50 5th generation fighters involved in test flights will be increased to 14 from three by 2015, Russian Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told RIA Novosti on Monday. “There are three fighters already in tests, another three are expected to be tested in the nearest future. The entire number of aircraft planned for test flights is 14,” Zelin said.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
After more than two decades, Raytheon Company RTN -0.64% has formally restarted production of the laser-guided Maverick missile, with the first weapon expected to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force in late 2012. Production began following a rigorous U.S. Air Force and Navy Developmental Testing/Operational Testing program that culminated in a production contract in late 2011.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
India’s big-ticket military acquisitions are expected to aggressively push schedules for the transfer of production to the country’s ambitious aerospace and defense industry. But the technology that India expects to be transferred through co-development work generated by offset agreements is raising concerns among vendors about possible violations of intellectual property rights.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
Defense department officials and the chiefs of the military services have been reassuring anyone who will listen that the Pentagon has its act together when it comes to implementing the new defense strategy and creating a “leaner and more flexible” force structure. There will be cuts that are painful, they all say, but they are being implemented in a manner designed to ensure no loss of capability even as the overall size of the military shrinks.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
David Cameron and the French president Nicolas Sarkozy are to meet in Paris on Friday to discuss a possible increase in help to Syrian rebels, including giving them military advice.
The meeting, held in the context of the annual Anglo-French summit, will occur the day after Sarkozy is expected formally to declare his intention to run for a second term as French president.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
After over a decade of waiting, India has decided in the "mother" of defense deals, with France's Dassault Rafale fighter jets winning the multi-billion contract for 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft). The value of the contract could be anywhere between US$12 billion and $16 billion, though some estimates have pegged it at much larger $20 billion. It is clear that this is one of the world's largest military aviation deals.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
Boeing Co., maker of the F-18 and F-15 fighter jets, said it’s “very confident” of winning a $7 billion South Korean order for combat planes as it boosts focus on Asia amid shrinking military spending at home. “If you look at the budget situation in Europe and the U.S., we have to make some grounds somewhere,” Joe Song, director, Asia Pacific International Business Development of Boeing defense, said in an interview in Singapore yesterday. “The focus is Asia and the Middle East right now.”
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
The Pentagon’s proposed $525 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 would seek the most savings on weapons by reducing purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the military’s costliest program. The Defense Department would cut $1.6 billion from the F-35 program by eliminating 13 planned aircraft, part of $18 billion in weapons cuts proposed in the budget that President Barack Obama sent to Congress today for the year beginning Oct. 1.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
It took a medevac unit 59 minutes to get U.S. Army Spec. Chazray Clark to a hospital in southern Afghanistan after receiving a call that a roadside bombing severed three of his limbs. Clark did not survive. "I need something, please. It hurts," Clark, a 24-year-old combat engineer from Detroit, can be heard saying on a videotape as he waited in the dark for the helicopter.
(Read More...)
02/14/2012
The first Lockheed Martin built Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) satellite is now delivering critical infrared data to users. The spacecraft is currently undergoing its rigorous operational certification process.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
The budget President Obama delivers to Congress this week will spend about 8 billion dollars less on the Defense Department. That's going to directly affect two Michigan Air National Guard Bases. Battle Creek and Selfridge Air National Guard Base officials learned earlier this month that the president’s proposed defense cuts would effect them. Selfridge would lose specialized fighter aircraft and Battle Creek will not become the home of some cargo planes.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
The Pentagon’s increasing demand for unmanned aircraft bodes well for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as President Barack Obama prepares to make public his funding plans for the smaller, more agile military he envisions for the future. These are white-knuckle days for any military installation, as Obama prepares to authorize a new round of evaluating which U.S. bases can be closed and which missions might be moved for consolidation into other bases.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
The MOU marks another step in our commitment to support BLACK HAWK aircraft operated by the Mexican military and Federal Police," said Steve Estill, Sikorsky Vice President for Mexico. "This agreement will establish a working relationship with ASESA in preparation for expected growth in Mexico, which could include helicopter assembly, maintenance, repair and overhaul work.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
In a country where defence policy has traditionally not been a key aspect of overall foreign policy, seeing a former powerful Foreign Minister assume the Ministry of Defence is certain to raise some eyebrows. And so it happened when, in August 2011, President Dilma Rousseff chose Celso Amorim, the architect of Brazil's foreign policy under the Lula administration, to replace Nelson Jobim after the latter had openly questioned the capacity of several of his fellow cabinet members.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
Turkey is planning to launch its unmanned planes by the summer in the hopes of using them against the outlawed Kurdsitan Workers Party (PKK). The plane’s A version is ready, but a B version is still pending.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a manufacturer of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, announced the successful flight of a second multi-mission jet-powered Predator C Avenger aircraft.
(Read More...)
02/13/2012
The naval build-up by Beijing and a Pentagon shift in seaborne firepower towards Asia are creating an arena for rivalries.
(Read More...)
02/12/2012
The only thing left before India signs the estimated $800 million deal with GE Aviation for 99 GE-F414 engines now, is the clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
(Read More...)
02/12/2012
A total of five Russian military aircraft flew near Japanese territory on Wednesday, prompting the Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets, Japanese Defense Ministry officials said Thursday.
(Read More...)
02/12/2012
The last three of 18 new and upgraded F-16 fighter jets from the United States arrived in Pakistan, a report by the Indo-Asian News Service said. One F-16 D Block 52 and two F-16 Block 15 Mid-Life Upgrade aircraft arrived from the United States at Pakistan's air force base Shahbaz, the air force said in a statement. The D Block aircraft is new but the Block 15 aircraft had been sent back to the United States for improvements, the Indo-Asian report said.
(Read More...)
02/12/2012
The Pentagon's fiscal 2013 budget plan calls for spending of $178.8 billion to develop and buy new warships, fighter jets and other major weapons, a 7.5 percent drop from the level initially projected for the coming year, according to a detailed budget document obtained by Reuters.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
Italy seems certain to scale back its major investment in Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, heightening uncertainty over the troubled stealth jet's future. Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola has said repeatedly since January that the country's originally planned order of the 131 supersonic warplanes by 2018 was being "reviewed" because military spending cuts were necessary as part of Prime Minister Mario Monti's austerity plan to shore up public accounts.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
Airbus Military could be one of the main beneficiaries of the Singapore air force’s next round of procurements. Singapore has at the top of its procurement list aerial refueling tankers, strategic airlifters and anti-submarine warfare fixed-wing aircraft, purchases that will see that the island continues to be, for the next few years at least, the biggest spender on new defense equipment in Southeast Asia.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
The U.S. strategic tilt toward the Asia Pacific region plays to Raytheon Co.’s strength in active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a key technology being used and sought by countries in the region to enhance the capabilities of their legacy fourth-generation fighters.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
South Korea’s military joined the annual Thai-US joint military exercise for the first time this week as the maneuvers kicked off in Thailand's eastern seaboard province of Chonburi. The 10-day joint drill, code named Cobra Gold 2012, is scheduled to end on Feb 17.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
UAC takes part in the Singapore Air Show 2012 international exhibition. UAC civil aviation is presented by SSJ100 and MC-21 aircraft. UAC military aviation is represented by Su-35 and Yak-130 aircraft. Be-200 amphibious aircraft and MC-21 cabin and cockpit mockup will be available on static display.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
The Air Force training underway for hundreds of personnel in southern New Mexico is helping keep U.S. forces safe across the world. Holloman Air Force base is the primary training base for some of the newest aircraft in the military. The MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper at Holloman represent advances in technology and one of the newest career fields in the air force.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
The selection process for IAF’s medium, multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) which ended last week with the selection of the Dassault Rafale, was an exceptional procurement process — free of scams and characterised by professionalism
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
Russia’s arms exports may reach a record $14 billion in 2012, a Russian think-tank said on Friday. Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport sold $10.7 billion worth of weaponry in 2011 under contracts with 57 countries, but this number could be readjusted to $12 bln with the addition of direct sales of spare parts by Russian arms producers.
(Read More...)
02/11/2012
The Turkish air force has halted flights with its Cessna T-37 jet trainers to perform technical checks on the type, Flightglobal.com has reported.The decision follows two fatal accidents in the last six months.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
China’s surging defense budget, the world’s second-biggest, is helping spur military spending across Asia, offering U.S. and European suppliers a chance to offset slowing demand at home. Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. fighters will be on display at next week’s Singapore Airshow as the two biggest U.S. defense contractors prepare to compete with Eurofighter and Saab AB for a $7 billion South Korean order. The contest follows similar competitions in Japan and India.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
The cost of Britain’s biggest military programmes has soared by £500million in a year because ‘wasteful’ defence chiefs failed to ‘live within their means’. A withering Commons report today finds that 15 crucial procurement projects are £6.1billion - or 11.4 per cent - over budget.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
McCain, Graham, and Lieberman issued a we-are-all-Syrians statement tonight insisting that no options should be off the table and that we should think carefully about arming the rebels.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
Russia and China, two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council described as key arms suppliers to the embattled regime in Syria, are now accused of supplying weapons and fuelling an ongoing conflict in another military hotspot: Sudan.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
At a conference about the development of drones for use in combat, Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) was interrupted Wednesday by an anti-drone protester as he was giving a speech. Standing onstage in front of a crowd of more than 500 people, McKeon was talking at the Assn. for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's annual program review conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
It was the "substantially higher cost" of acquiring and operating the Eurofighter Typhoon that led to its ejection from the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to supply 126 fighters to IAF.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wants to “rebalance our global and presence to emphasize where we think the potential problems will be in the world” with the goal of producing a leaner, more rapidly deployable military. Translation: Shrink land forces and rely more on the Navy.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
The United States is seeking more access to Philippines ports and airfields to re-fuel and service its warships and planes, diplomatic and military sources said on Thursday, expanding its presence at a time of tension with China in the South China Sea.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
India’s Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna was in Beijing this week, inaugurating his nation’s new $10 million embassy and meeting with his Chinese counterpart as well as a range of high-ranking Communist party officials. The biggest headline to emerge from the visit was invariably about the two countries’ commitment to reach $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2015.
(Read More...)
02/10/2012
Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force had to scramble fighter jets in response to flights by Russian military aircraft near Japanese airspace on Wednesday, Kyodo news agency said on Thursday citing the Defense Ministry. According to the ministry, a total of five Russian planes, including two Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers, two Su-24 Fencer reconnaissance planes and an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft skirted Japanese territory on Wednesday.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
A passenger plane landing at an island airport got caught-up in RAF war games involving 14 military aircraft. A report into the 'needless incident' today heavily criticised military planners and said the exercise should have been aborted once it was clear a passenger plane was about to land.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
The Indiana Air National Guard's top official hasn't accepted Air Force plans to move A-10 fighter jets away from Fort Wayne's Air Guard base and replace them with light reconnaissance aircraft.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain will buy a new Boeing C-17 military aircraft to help move troops around. Cameron's announcement followed a critical report by U.K. lawmakers warning that Britain would struggle to mount a Libya-style mission in the future as sweeping defense cuts come into force. The prime minister says evacuating civilians from Libya brought home the importance of transport aircraft for the Ministry of Defense and Royal Air Force.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
As the Air Force looks to trim more than $8 billion, Congressman Tim Murphy (R- PA 18) is battling a third attempt to close the Pittsburgh 911 Airlift Wing. He’s sponsoring a House Bill that stipulates that the Air Force has to keep C-130 aircraft at the Pittsburgh base, and cannot move them elsewhere.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
How often do you get a do-over in Washington? Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell is taking his; having watched the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty fail its partners in 1995, he is now helping to lead its revival.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
A parliamentary defense committee has questioned if Britain will still have the ability to conduct future operations on the scale of the Libya campaign after the strategic defense and security review has been fully implemented.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
India has decided to buy 126 fighter jets from France, taken delivery of a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia and prepared for its first aircraft carrier in recent weeks as it modernizes its military to match China's. India and China have had tensions since a 1962 border war, and New Delhi has watched with dismay in recent years as Beijing has increased its influence in the Indian Ocean.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
Prince Harry could return to combat duties in Afghanistan within the year following an announcement on Thursday that he has successfully completed an intensive training course to fly the army's Apache attack helicopter. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the prince – Captain Wales to his colleagues in the military – has qualified to fly the aircraft, which is one of the most sophisticated in the armed forces.
(Read More...)
02/09/2012
Russia used its satellites to help the Syrian government fight growing insurgency in the country, pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Russian officials provided the regime of President Bashar al-Assad with satellite photos showing the location of the bases and main forces of the Free Syrian Army, the most prominent militant rebel group, the London-based newspaper said on Wednesday.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
While the news coming out of the Middle East over the past year has focused upon the percolations of restless societies, two aspects remain consistent amidst the region’s sea of political unrest: strong levels of investment in security forces and the appetite for defense-related acquisitions. The market for arms sales in the Middle East continues to be robust, notwithstanding the relative shift in security focus from external to internal concerns.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
The annual Munich Security Conference is regularly the scene for the complaints of American official and semiofficial participants deploring Europe’s failure “to pull its weight” in defense, “free-riding” on American efforts, and failing to spend more money on trans-Atlantic arms purchases. Instead they spend money on their own-make arms and military aircraft, such as the French Rafale and EADS’ Eurofighter, which they sell to such overseas markets as India that might otherwise buy American.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
Boeing was awarded a US$1 781 413 Foreign Military Sales contract on February 2, concluding a three year negotiation process. However, the contract’s value represents only a fraction of the amount that India is expected to pay for its ten C-17s. In April 2010 the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale to India, and quoted the value of potential sale as amounting to US$5.8 billion.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
In an unusual bilateral tie-up, India has agreed to share with Brazil some of its experiences of carrying out an open tender evaluation to select a fighter for the over $10 billion MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) contract. Brazil is presently in the process of selecting a fighter for its air force.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced that the U. S. Army's OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter fleet have accumulated 2 million flight hours. Over 750,000 of these flight hours have been flown in combat.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
Electronic sensors that will be used on F-35 aircraft have been deployed in a major U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps amphibious exercise. Northrop Grumman said the AN/AAQ-37 active electronically scanned array radar and AN/AAQ-37 infrared distributed aperture system were fitted on its BAC1-11 test aircraft for Bold Alligator 2012 to provide F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter sensor capability in air-to-air and air-to-ground reconnaissance missions for participating forces.
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
The Russian Air Force will receive more than 10 modernized Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers by 2020, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. According to official data, Russia has at least 16 Tu-160 aircraft in service. There are plans to increase their number to 30. “The Tu-160 in service with the Air Force are already undergoing modernization,” Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. “We are planning to receive more than 10 aircraft of this type.”
(Read More...)
02/08/2012
Investigators have solved the murder of Idris Faizullin, a businessman and retired plane designer who worked on the Su-27 fighter jet. The Investigative Committee did not identify the five suspects it reported detaining, saying only that they were unemployed. But Lifenews.ru tabloid claimed the group was headed by Andrei Leletko, an officer with the Federal Security Service (FSB).
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
India plans to spend about $100 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its largely Soviet-era military equipment, as Asia's third largest economy looks to match its military power with its economic clout.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
In a fresh sign of thaw in Pakistan-United States strained relations, the US on Monday delivered three F-16 aircraft to Pakistan, which included a new fighter plane and two that were returned after being refurbished. “One F-16 D Block 52 and two F-16 Block 15 MLU (Mid Life Upgrade) aircraft arrived from USA at PAF Shahbaz Base. The arrival of last F-16 D Block 52 aircraft marked the completion of delivery of 18 aircraft of this category,” said a PAF spokesman in a statement.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
Global Aviation Holdings Inc., the biggest charter-flight company for U.S. military troops, plans to reorganize by getting rid of more than half of its aircraft, citing the end of flying missions to Iraq and Afghanistan. Of 30 aircraft leases, the company would like to reject 16 “excess aircraft” to save about $40 million a year. The leases are for aircraft made by General Electric Co., Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, according to papers filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in B
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
The leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee suggested on Monday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta rushed a decision to develop the Marine Corps version of the next-generation strike fighter jet despite new technical problems with the troubled program.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
Since the release of the new defense strategy, much has been made of the shift to the Asia-Pacific region, its abandonment of the so-called two Major Theater Wars (MTWs) construct and the force structure reductions. The Administration will need to flesh out these ideas, explaining how it will implement the shift and why prospective adversaries will be deterred given the change from two to one MTWs and the associated force structure reductions.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
Filipino law maker Luz Ilagan on Monday called for a probe into what she dubbed as the extensive and intensive intrusion of the US military in AFP operations. AFP refers to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The solon she will be filing a resolution within the week as she expressed her concern following various reports on the use of US spy planes, predator drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in recent military operations in the Philippines.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
The two week event is the US Air Force’s largest and most important air combat training exercise. Held up to four times per year, more than 145,000 aircrew members and 440,000 military personnel have participated in Red Flag during its 37 year history.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
Make no mistake: we’re entering a new world of military planning. Admittedly, the latest proposed Pentagon budget manages to preserve just about every costly toy-cum-boondoggle from the good old days when MiGs still roamed the skies, including an uncut nuclear arsenal.
(Read More...)
02/07/2012
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a five-year competitive contract to provide technical support of the Distributed Mission Operations Center (DMOC) located at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a $94 million ceiling value.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
02/07/2012
Northrop Grumman's Litening G4 advanced targeting pod has embarked on its first combat deployment with the Air National Guard on A-10 and F-16 Block 30 aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
02/06/2012
Last year, a group of Indian journalists were taken on a tour of BAE System's Warton Aerodrome on Britain's northwest coast, where Eurofighter Typhoons for British and Saudi contracts were being assembled.
(Read More...)
02/06/2012
Woe is the diplomat who uses the wrong word, no matter its veracity. Over the past year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Undersecretary of the Army Joseph Westphal separately have used the word "insurgency" to describe the Mexican government's fight against indigenous criminal cartels.
(Read More...)
02/06/2012
Today’s active-duty force, a legacy of the Cold War, is simply too large for the nation’s needs, a tremendous waste of dollars. In restructuring, however, we simply cannot afford to apply the same business model used over the past 60 years and expect different results. Getting it right will require a new approach.
(Read More...)
02/06/2012
When Pratibha Patil travelled to Europe last October, she and others in her entourage had a pleasant surprise in the sky. At one point along the air space that the President’s flight was using, half a squadron of Eurofighters appeared on both sides of her Air India plane.
In the graceful style of these sleek war machines, they escorted the presidential aircraft to its safe landing at Patil’s next destination. Even so, those manning the Eurofighters could not resist showing off.
(Read More...)
02/05/2012
How much of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s spiraling cost in recent years can be traced to China’s cybertheft of technology and the subsequent need to reduce the fifth-generation aircraft’s vulnerability to detection and electronic attack? That is a central question that budget planners are asking, and their queries appear to have validity. Moreover, senior Pentagon and industry officials say other classified weapon programs are suffering from the same problem.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
02/05/2012
The U.S. Air Force on Friday announced that Duluth’s 148th Fighter Wing will become one of only six active associate units in the country - meaning active-duty personnel will train and work with guardsmen at the base. The announcement all but erases concerns that the base will be targeted for cuts after the Defense Department said it will seek to trim total defense spending by $33 billion next year and $487 billion over 10 years.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
02/05/2012
Fort Wayne’s Air National Guard base would lose its nearly 20-plane fighter squadron but gain half as many manned surveillance aircraft under plans announced Friday. The commander of the 122nd Fighter Wing said the Air Force is recommending that the A-10 jets the base has flown in recent years be retired and replaced with MC-12 turboprop planes.
(Read More...)
02/05/2012
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reassured European allies on Saturday that Washington remains committed to their security despite an austerity drive, as NATO pushed for new ways for alliance members to maintain capabilities at lower cost. The declarations came amid declining defence budgets and growing U.S. discontent over Europe's low spending and diminishing capabilities, which add to the United States' defence burden.
(Read More...)
02/05/2012
The Indian military finds itself in the midst of a renaissance driven by induction of top-of-the-line weapon systems it had been lusting after for years. At a time when the western world is feeling the sharp edge of cuts in military spending, New Delhi is pumping billions of dollars into fighting machines such as stealth jets, aircraft carriers, nuke-powered submarines, submarine hunters and special operations aircraft.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
Aircraft manufacturers at the Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) Defense, Space & Security segment in Long Beach, Calif., will build 10 C-17 Globemaster III military cargo jets for the Indian Air Force in New Delhi, India, under terms of a $1.8 billion contract modification announced Thursday from the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft sale is part of the Foreign Military Sales program.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
For all its high-tech stealth and record price tag, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter embodies the droll military motto, "Hurry up and wait." Conceived in the heady post-Cold War 1990s, the futuristic fifth-generation jet fighter was to be a technological marvel built in a rush and paid for with "peace dividend" dollars. But now with the economic crash, the fighter is billions over budget and years behind schedule.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
Bangalore, (IANS) Discounting US intelligence reports of a limited armed conflict between India and China, a senior Indian Air Force officer Friday ruled out any war in the near future but said Indian forces were fully prepared to protect the country’s strategic interests. “I don’t see any war in the near future.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ALCSG) assets responded to a distressed Iranian fishing dhow in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 31. At 12:37 p.m. local time, an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, assigned to the Golden Falcons of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 and embarked on aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), spotted the disabled Iranian fishing dhow M/V Sohaila with nine crew members aboard.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
Misinformation and Legal Wrangling Delaying Mission-Critical A-29 Super Tucano for American Warfighters in Afghanistan Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the winner of the U.S. Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) competition, today issued a point-by-point rebuttal of misinformation being spread by the disqualified contender for the contract.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
Big decisions on warplane purchases by Japan and India have intensified competition in the multi-billion-dollar global market, with Western defense firms scrambling for orders in Asia and the Middle East as their home-country budgets shrivel.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
India plans to spend about $100 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its largely Soviet-era military equipment, as Asia's third largest economy looks to match its military power with its economic clout.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
Estonia will be part of NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) project, the country’s Defense Ministry said. The North Atlantic Council decided on February 2 to collectively cover the costs for operating the AGS network as a NATO-owned and operated capability.
(Read More...)
02/03/2012
Two Boeing Chinook CH-47D helicopters formerly used by the U.S. Army have been delivered to Australia and will enter operation this year. With the aircraft's acquisition by the Australian military, the total number of the country's Chinook fleet will be seven. One of the helicopters received is replacing and aircraft lost last year during operations by Australian forces in Afghanistan.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
02/03/2012
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Greek Cyprus this month in what will be the first ever visit by an Israeli leader to the neighboring Mediterranean island. And, according to UPI, Nicosia is currently studying an Israeli request to station military aircraft in its territory.
(Read More...)
02/03/2012
The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it plans a $2.8 billion upgrade of about 350 of its aging F-16 multi-role fighter planes to help offset slower purchases of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
(Read More...)
02/03/2012
Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp., San Francisco, Calif., is being awarded a $359,700,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2103) for nuclear propulsion work at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
(Read More...)
02/03/2012
Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim, arrives next Saturday (04/02) in New Delhi, the capital of India, for a series of meetings with officials and visits to military installations in the Asian country. The trip aims to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.
(Read More...)
02/03/2012
The United States plans to end its combat mission in Afghanistan as early as mid-2013 and shift to a training role, more than a year before most American troops are due to withdraw, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday.
(Read More...)
02/03/2012
Military Space Review talks about Serial Three Su-35S Flanker-E multipurpose jet fighter, which has been successfully tested for the first time at the end of January. India is a potential export customer of the aircraft.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
The Pentagon will eliminate 24 V-22 Osprey aircraft built by Boeing Co. (BA) and Textron Inc. from its five-year budget plan, saving $1.75 billion through 2017, according to two U.S. officials. The planned reduction to 98 planes from 122 will be reflected in a final, multi-year contract that’s under negotiation between the Navy and companies, according to one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn’t been announced.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
Greece is bankrupt but their military is shopping for arms. In 2010 Greece spent a greater share of its income on arms than any other Nato country except the US. In the meantime, Greece is seeking a deal with private lenders and the EU "by the end of the week" its prime minister said today, as Athens races to avoid a financial meltdown ahead of debt repayments due in March.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
The Global Hawk, a reconnaissance aircraft that does not carry missiles, broke records for unmanned aerial vehicles a decade ago. Now military belt tightening may cut the number of planes the Air Force will purchase.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
Vice President Joe Biden is in Fort Worth today for two private fundraising events for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Given that Tarrant County ranks second only to Orange County, Calif., for its deep-red Republican hue, there probably wasn't a need to book the convention center.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
Prague - The Czech Republic will keep supersonic aircraft even after 2015 when the lease of the Swedish Jas-39 Gripen fighters expires, the government decided today, Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) confirmed after the cabinet's meeting.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
This month's Singapore air show falls on the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore to Japan in the Second World War. While Asia is an unimaginably different place now, Singapore's leaders have never forgotten the speed with which Singapore fell - or the three years of brutal occupation that followed.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
Government officials at all levels received a shock this week when it was reported that the fighter squadron that flies A-10 aircraft out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township may be eliminated under the new, downsized Pentagon budget. If the reduction receives congressional approval, it would apparently end the Air National Guard’s 107th Fighter Squadron, which consists of 630 military personnel, 250 of whom are full-time airmen. Most are pilots and maintenance mechanics.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
U.S. and other international forces in Afghanistan aim to end their combat role next year and switch to training and advising Afghan forces through 2014, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday.
(Read More...)
02/02/2012
Boeing today announced that it has started production of the new Distributed Targeting System (DTS) for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter. DTS provides enhanced targeting capability for the Super Hornet. It is part of the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Network Centric Warfare Upgrades program and the F/A-18E/F Flight Plan, which will ensure that the Super Hornet remains ahead of emerging threats in coming decades.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
After an exhaustive technical and commercial evaluation spread over five long years, India on Tuesday selected French jet Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon for the gigantic almost $20 billion MMRCA ( medium multi-role combat aircraft) programme to supply 126 fighters to IAF - the largest such "open-tender" military aviation deal in the world.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
The Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM) has negotiated an extension of the JAS 39 Gripen agreement with Hungary. The new agreement is extended until 2026. The agreement was signed today in Stockholm by FXM Director-General Ulf Hammarström and Director-General Gyula Keszthelyi of Hungary’s Armament and Quartermaster Office.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
Members of the Alaska delegation and others in Congress are vowing to resist a recommendation from the Pentagon to close military bases around the country. Alaska Democratic Sen. Mark Begich said it doesn't make sense to start a round of domestic base closures at this point. He said he has been calling for the Department of Defense to close bases overseas, some of which "are designed from a World War II model."
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
In November, when lawmakers were discussing the U.S. defense budget, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a dire warning: In a letter to Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, he wrote that a threatened deep reduction – about $1 trillion over the next decade – would create “an unacceptable risk in future combat operations.” It would, he said, leave America with the smallest Army since the eve of World War II, the smallest number of ships since World War I, and the smallest Air Force in its hi
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was awarded a $23.6 million contract by Lockheed Martin Corp. for production of more than two dozen GAU-22/A gun systems for the F-35 Lightning II.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
Defence chiefs praised thousands of employees at BAE Systems for the success of the Typhoon Eurofighter during its first operation. Peter Luff, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, thanked BAE Systems’ military aircraft and marine engineers for their ‘tremendous support’ during Operation Ellamy in Libya.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
European Union nations must increasingly pool their military resources, especially as individual members keep trimming their budgets and the U.S reshapes its military strategy to focus on regions beyond Europe, the bloc’s top defense officials said Tuesday.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
India had selected Dassault Aviation of France as its preferred bidder in a $10 billion contest to supply its air force with a new fleet of advanced combat aircraft, the French government said Tuesday. Dassault edged out a European consortium for the coveted contract with one of the world’s biggest arms importers.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
Russia will complete development of advanced tactical air-launched missile systems for the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter within the next two years, the head of the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV), Boris Obnosov, told RIA Novosti. “The development of Kh-35UE (AS-20 Kayak), Kh-38ME, Kh-58UShKE (AS-11 Kilter), and RVV-MD (AA-11 Archer) class missiles will be completed in 2012-2013,” Obnosov said, adding the missiles were currently being tested.
(Read More...)
02/01/2012
About 30 Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from Russia's Long Range Aviation fleet will be modernized by 2020, Russian Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday.
"We plan to upgrade about 30 strategic bombers to the M3M standard,” Drik said. Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic bomber that Russia uses mainly to patrol the skies over its southern borders, Central Asia and the Black Sea region.
(Read More...)
All Articles