April 15, 2012 Military Aviation News

Thales UK to sell simulator arm for £83m

04/15/2012

Thales UK is to sell its fixed-wing aircraft simulator production business and an aircrew training centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The company said all 400 West Sussex staff employed in civil aircraft training and simulation work would be transferred to L-3 Communications. The sale is expected to be completed during the summer. Consultation has started with the staff affected. Thales UK employs 2,500 people in Crawley, including the 400 staff in the business being sold.

'Eyes in the skies' warning jets ready for combat

04/15/2012

Singapore's latest early warning surveillance jets were declared battle-ready on Friday, in a move that strengthens the Republic's air defences. The four Gulfstream 550s (G550s) - the same business planes used by the rich and famous - were converted for military purposes and will help combatants to spot and destroy enemy targets more quickly. They replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force's ageing E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, which had been in service since 1987.

Morocco Crash Unlikely to Bring Down V-22 Program

04/15/2012

A U.S. military aircraft crash that killed two Marines Wednesday will give new ammunition to critics of the V-22 Osprey, but the incident alone should not doom the controversial program. The Marines were killed and two others hurt when a V-22 tilt rotor aircraft went down in southern Morocco, where 1,200 U.S. troops are participating in African Lion, an annual exercise with local forces. Marine Corps officials are investigating the crash, and the cause it not yet known.

It's not about new toys for boys

04/15/2012

The media feeding frenzy sparked by the auditor general's devastating report on the F-35 has focused on the politicians, from the prime minister to the ministers of National Defence and Public Works. Rightly so. Also in the crosshairs has been the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Walter Natynczyk, with many journalists calling for his head.

NATO Sees Flaws in Air Campaign Against Qaddafi

04/15/2012

Despite widespread praise in Western capitals for NATO’s leadership of the air campaign in Libya, a confidential NATO assessment paints a sobering portrait of the alliance’s ability to carry out such campaigns without significant support from the United States.

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