August 31, 2012 Military Aviation News
08/31/2012
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) claimed on Thursday that it had shot down a government MiG-23 fighter jet in the northwestern Idlib Province, Al Arabiya TV reported. A video, “exclusively obtained” by the TV channel, shows the aircraft falling from the sky and billowing smoke. Two pilots, who safely ejected, are also seen descending by parachutes.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
Nine Indian air force personnel were killed on Thursday when two Russian-designed military helicopters apparently collided in mid-air, the military and police said. Air force spokesman Wing Commander Gerard Galway said the two Mi-17 helicopters were "flying in close formation" over a firing range in the western state of Gujarat when they crashed. "It is likely it was a mid-air collision," Galway told AFP, confirming that all nine on board the two aircraft had died.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
A hypersonic vehicle meant to deploy satellites into orbit is based in part of the Su-27 series of Russian military aircraft, documents reveal. Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports that it obtained documents from the space design bureau of research agency NPO Molniya that reveal plans for a hypersonic booster called Hammer.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
Airbus Military has delivered to Vietnam the first of three C212-400 maritime patrol aircraft ordered by the Vietnam Marine Police. The aircraft, manufactured in Seville, Spain was handed over at Gia Lam (Hanoi) at the end of a 10-day ferry flight from Skavsta, Sweden following installation of its mission system. It was formally delivered last year prior to the conversion work in Sweden.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
08/31/2012
Plans to deliver the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets to Nellis Air Force Base early next year hinge on uncertain defense budget cuts and potential layoffs at the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. Three dozen of the stealthy warplanes are supposed to be based in Southern Nevada.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
Northrop Grumman Corp, maker of the B-2 spy plane and the Global Hawk unmanned drone, will demonstrate a smaller, cheaper surveillance plane this week it hopes will be attractive to budget conscious U.S. law agencies and foreign countries. The new Air Claw system marks Northrop's latest effort to expand its overseas revenues and move into new non-military markets at home given the expected decline in U.S. military spending after a decade of sharp growth.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
Uzbekistan has said it will not host any foreign military bases or other military objects on its soil, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said on Thursday before the Senate. "There will be no foreign military bases or [military] objects in Uzbekistan," Kamilov said, adding that there would be no "operative groups" allowed either in the Central Asian country.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
Boeing has begun a five-year fatigue test on the wing of a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber to validate the predicted life of the bomber fleet, currently forecasted to be 2050. The test also will reveal potential areas of concern for which Boeing and the Air Force can develop maintenance and repair plans.
(Read More...)
08/31/2012
A winged version of the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) that will triple the weapon's glide range to more than 40 miles is a step closer to production after completing wind tunnel tests at a U.S. facility in June. Developed in partnership with the Commonwealth of Australia, the 500-pound JDAM Extended Range (JDAM-ER) features a modular add-on wing kit that will unfold in flight. The kit can also be coupled with other modular enhancements, such as laser sensors.
(Read More...)
All Articles