October, 2012 Military Aviation News
10/31/2012
ATK announced Oct. 29 that Airbus Military has selected ATK for a contract in excess of $100 million to produce composite wing cover stringers for use on the A400M Military Transport Aircraft. The A400M is a new generation, four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed by Airbus Military, with its first aircraft delivery planned for the second trimester in 2013. This aircraft is already in full production and Airbus has selected ATK, a demonstrated expert in composite manufacturing.
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
The Egyptian military has released a statement on Tuesday vehemently denying reports that Israeli military planes on Monday had trespassed on Egyptian airspace as "lies and disinformation." "There are instigators who spread disinformation and lies that six Israeli F-35 planes entered Egyptian airspace," said military spokesman Colonel Mohamed Ahmed Ali.
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
Four Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 9:45 a.m. local time (0645 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military. The warplanes flew over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before leaving Lebanese airspace at 10:40 a.m. local time (0740 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
Canada's newly appointed top military officer says it's important to get it right when it comes to replacing the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets -- equipment he said the military will rely on for decades. Lt.-Gen. Tom Lawson was promoted to general on Monday and officially installed as chief of the defence staff, succeeding Gen. Walt Natynczyk, who is retiring after four years in the role. Natynczyk has described his replacement as "a great officer and a gentleman."
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber crashed on Tuesday during a training flight in the Chelyabinsk region when its nose cone came off, the Defense Ministry said. “After an unsuccessful attempt to make an emergency landing, the pilots decided to steer the falling aircraft away from populated areas and ejected safely,” the ministry said in a statement.
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
Flight instructors from Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) recently traded their training posts at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre for Gold Coast beach patrols as part of a unique arrangement between BDA and Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ).
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
The Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s planned acquisition of lead-in fighter jets from South Korea or any friendly state may take longer than expected after it was decided that the multi-billion peso defense procurement will be bid out instead of the government entering into a government-to-government deal.
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
Now that we know horses and bayonets are (mostly) outmoded, a U.K.-based company says its new mobile military app can help American forces take another step toward the future by going more paperless in combat. IFS, a global “enterprise applications company” that already works with the U.S. Army, released Monday its “Flight Log” app specifically for military smartphones. It is designed, according to IFS, to help personnel aboard planes, boats and vehicles record real-time,mission data.
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
China has designed nuclear missiles and blasted astronauts into space, but one vital technology remains out of reach. Despite decades of research and development, China has so far failed to build a reliable, high performance jet engine. This may be about to change. China's aviation sector is striving for a breakthrough that would end its dependence on Russian and Western power plants for military and commercial aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
Wargaming, the creator of the award-winning games World of Tanks, World of Warplanes and the upcoming World of Warships, announced today that they are fully underwriting aircraft enthusiast David Cundall's efforts to recover the British Spitfires reportedly buried in Burma at the end of World War II.
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
Iraq recently signed the purchase order for a second batch of 18 American F-16 fighters. At the same time, Iraq has announced the purchase of $4.2 billion in Russian weapons. Most of the details were not released, and there were rumors that Iraq is looking at MiG-29s (which Saddam obtained 24 of in 1987 and were popular because they were a modern fighter and looked impressive). The MiG-29 is a lot cheaper than new F-16s.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/30/2012
The Russian Navy will receive the first batch of Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters for Mistral class amphibious assault ships in 2013, Kamov General Designer Sergei Mikheyev said. “The first serial Ka-52K will be assembled in 2013,” Mikheyev said on Monday. “By the time the first Mistral enters service in 2014, we are ready to make as many helicopters as the Defense Ministry will order.”
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $26 million foreign military sales contract to modernize the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s national air command, control and communications infrastructure. Lockheed Martin will provide the Kingdom of Jordan with an integrated, real-time air picture across multiple command centers and many remote sites to better protect the country’s airspace.
(Read More...)
10/30/2012
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded a $74 million contract to the Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between Boeing and Bell Helicopter - Textron, for seven Osprey ground-based trainers, which will reduce fuel usage and aircraft wear-and-tear, maximizing lifecycle cost savings.
(Read More...)
10/29/2012
The Taiwanese army earlier this year took delivery of the first of 30 Apache combat helicopters from the US and next month pilots and crew will begin training on the platform, which recently received a new designation from the US Army. As a result of the significant upgrades made to the AH-64D Block III Apache during its development, the US Army recently decided to re-designate it the E model.
(Read More...)
10/29/2012
Boeing Co., which has boosted its 2012 profit forecast three times as commercial and military aircraft sales rose, said it expects challenges next year that include a tougher defense market and higher pension expense. The projected $3.5 billion in pension expense next year will be about $1 billion more than this year’s, the planemaker said.
(Read More...)
10/29/2012
The fight over who will design the U.S. Air Force’s new combat search-and-rescue helicopter (CSAR) is underway. The Air Force last week issued a request for proposals (RfP) for the project, setting cost and performance parameters that will guide one of the service’s most expensive aircraft acquisitions over in the coming years.
(Read More...)
10/29/2012
Inspectors from the United States and Sweden will conduct inspection flights over Russia and Belarus under the Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. “In the period from October 29 to November 2 a joint group of US and Swedish inspectors will conduct surveillance flights on board a SAAB-340B Swedish surveillance aircraft over the territory of the treaty participants, namely the Russian Federation and Belarus,” a ministry spokesman said.
(Read More...)
10/29/2012
A group of Russian military observers begin on Sunday a four-day inspection mission in the skies of France under the Open Skies Treaty, the Defense Ministry’s press office reported.
“Aboard the An-30B aircraft, a group of Russian inspectors will make a surveillance flight over the territory of France on October 28-31 as part of the Open Skies International Treaty,” the press office said.
(Read More...)
10/28/2012
The Navy isn't taking any chances with a weather system nicknamed Frankenstorm. Nearly 25 ships homeported in Hampton Roads, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, are heading to sea in advance of Hurricane Sandy, the Navy announced Friday. The hurricane, which is moving up the East Coast, could combine with a cold front from the west to create an even larger monster storm, forecasters have said.
(Read More...)
10/27/2012
President Juan Manuel Santos, whose administration is having peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist group, is spending heavily to bolster his country’s military. Santos’ spending aims to acquire better technology, vehicles and equipment but also increase military and police troops, as fighting terrorism, crime and narco-trafficking remains his biggest priority.
(Read More...)
10/27/2012
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and Embraer have reduced contract costs of developing the KC-390 aircraft by about USD 42 million, after a reassessment of the contract held on October 19. This reduction was only possible thanks to the joint efforts of the Coordinating Committee for Combat Aircraft (COPAC) of FAB and Embraer, which, through the Program Executive of the KC-X Project, conducted analyzes and used modern management tools to good effect.
(Read More...)
10/27/2012
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has successfully conducted its largest and most complex missile defense flight test ever, involving the simultaneous engagement of five ballistic missile and cruise missile targets. The test in the western Pacific this week “stressed the performance of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), THAAD, and PATRIOT weapon systems,” the agency said on Thursday.
(Read More...)
10/27/2012
Boeing today marks 50 years since the company delivered its last B-52 Stratofortress to the U.S. Air Force. H-model bomber 61-040 was assigned to Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where it remains in active service.
(Read More...)
10/26/2012
Ukraine and Russia have started state resource tests of the D-27 turbofan engine for the An-70 military transport aircraft, a source in the defense sector has told Interfax-Ukraine. The source said that the tests of D-27 engine are carried out with the participation of representatives of the defense bodies of the two countries, the state research and test center of Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russia's Baranov Central Institute of Aviation Motor Development.
(Read More...)
10/26/2012
Boeing Super Hornet partner GE Aviation recently signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Brazilian companies to become potential suppliers for the program's global supply chain, strengthening the in-country component of Boeing's F/A-18 offering for the Brazilian F-X2 fighter jet competition. It was stated in the press release issued here today.
(Read More...)
10/26/2012
In 2009 Sikorsky Aircraft built the world’s fastest helicopter, the X2, which clocked in at nearly 287 miles per hour and earned a PM Breakthrough Award to boot. Since then, the company has been incorporating the technology into designs for a new helo—the Raider S-97—which it plans to offer it to the U.S. Army in 2015.
(Read More...)
10/26/2012
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike force's visit to Manila is the latest show of American military might partly aimed at countering China's grip in Asia. But it also provides hundreds of Filipino American sailors a chance to briefly soak in the warm embrace of a second home.
(Read More...)
10/26/2012
Colombia is in the process of building its own unmanned aircraft and advanced military radar to combat insurgents and drug trafficking organizations, reported local media Thursday. Colombia is set to increase its investment in drone technology over the coming years, Vice Minister for Defense Yaneth Giha revealed Thursday.
(Read More...)
10/26/2012
Russia’s aircraft making corporation MiG is a loss-making enterprise, parliamentary defense committee head Vladimir Komoyedov said on Thursday. “MiG Corporation has been a loss-making enterprise in recent years. The less than optimal distribution of manufacturing infrastructure causes some concern,” he said.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/25/2012
The US Army has finished building the first Bell OH-58F Kiowa Warrior helicopter at its prototype integration facility. The aircraft will now start to be instrumented for its first test flight, which is expected in April. "It truly is a great day for army aviation," says Lt Col Mat Hannah, the service's product manager for the OH-58F.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
Northrop Grumman produced and delivered the system four months ahead of schedule as part of an ongoing BACN development, operations and maintenance contract to support U.S. Central Command missions.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
Mauritanian Air Force has received its first Brazilian-made Super Tucano jet fighter under a military deal passed last march with the aircraft manufacturer Embraer, without saying how many planes will be delivered to the African nation. However, some foreign diplomatic and intelligence sources say that Mauritania will be supplied at least three EMB-314 Super Tucano light military planes.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
Sales at Lockheed Martin, the military aircraft maker, will decline next year even if swingeing government spending cuts are avoided, the company said as it announced a 3.9 per cent rise in third-quarter net earnings. Lockheed said sequestration, which could total about 10 per cent of planned military spending, would have a “material effect” on the company’s earnings next year.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
China is determined to develop its own high tech military gear. While China is eager to develop advanced military technology locally, it recognizes that this takes time and more effort than nations new to this expect. Thus China is trying to avoid the mistakes Russia made in this area, and having competing designs and developing necessary supporting industries is part of that. All this takes a lot of time and involves lots of little (and some major) failures.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
“The General Staff has information that the militants, who are fighting against Syrian government troops, are armed with the portable air defence systems of various countries, including the Stinger of U.S. production,” he underlined.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
Internal documents obtained by CBC News call into question the Harper government's claim that Canadian military equipment is clear of counterfeit Chinese parts discovered in American aircraft, missiles and other weapons. Canada buys a majority of its military equipment from the U.S., but the documents indicate the federal government has no way of knowing if unreliable bogus parts have been bought by the Canadian Forces.
(Read More...)
10/25/2012
The last of four unmanned experimental U.S. military aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound is expected to be tested next year, the program manager said on Wednesday, months after its predecessor broke up during a trial. The third test flight of the craft, known as the Waverider or X-51A, broke apart over the Pacific Ocean seconds into a test flight in August. U.S. Air Force officials said at the time they did not know if or when their fourth aircraft would fly.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
On the night of August 7, 2008, what military experts and historians say is the world’s first two-sided drone war began. Georgia, convinced Russia was about to annex its separatist region of South Ossetia, made the first move by bombarding and then invading the separatist capital, Tskhinvali. What followed was a destructive five-day war that was to a great extent provoked and fought by drones, waking Russia up to the strategic importance of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
Britain is doubling the number of armed RAF drones flying missions in Afghanistan. And for the first time, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be controlled by airmen at computer screens in the UK. Two ‘pilots’ will operate the robots via satellite from a hi-tech hub at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
A statement from National Defence says the head of the air force misspoke when saying the Harper government had yet to direct the air force to look at aircraft other than the contentious F-35 stealth fighter. The newly appointed commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force said in an interview last week with The Canadian Press that he's assigned a staff officer to work with a public works agency overseeing the CF-18 replacement program.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
The Eurofighter combat aircraft has entered service with the Italian air force's 18 Sqn at Trapani-Birgi air base in Sicily, with the unit having been reformed following the phasing-out of its last Lockheed Martin F-16s in May. Part of the air force's 37th Wing, 18 Sqn will be responsible for defending Italy's national airspace, alongside the service's 4th Wing at Grosseto and 36th Wing at Gioia del Colle.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
Commercial space ventures are getting most of the buzz, but the U.S. government is still operating strategic spacecraft. The Air Force’s secret X-37B unmanned space plane is scheduled for liftoff next month on a classified mission to Earth’s orbit after its launch this week was scrubbed due to a mechanical failure.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
Lockheed Martin Corp has won a contract worth $889.5 million to build 13 more C-130J transport planes for the U.S. military, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. The U.S. Defense Department said the agreement modified an existing contract and includes seven MC-130J planes for Air Force Special Operations Command, four HC-130J planes for Air Combat Command, one KC-130J for the Marine Corps and one C-130J for Air Mobility Command.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
The Israeli and United States armed forces started their largest-ever joint air defense and anti-missile exercise on Sunday, involving thousands of service personnel and the two nation's principal air defense missile systems, the Israeli Army told RIA Novosti.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
Ever increasing threats and the need for force protection by systems that provide constant situational awareness of one’s surroundings prompted Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] to add a persistent surveillance option to its Dragon series of ISR systems.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
After multiple ground demonstrations in operational environments, a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] penetrating radar capability that can peer through trees to detect slowly moving troops and ground vehicles is ready for the next step in testing.
(Read More...)
10/24/2012
Lockheed Martin successfully tested its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) dual-mode seeker in high-speed captive flight tests, demonstrating its ability to track ground targets while flying at tactical speeds. The company-funded tests were conducted on a Sabreliner jet at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. The data collected from the tests validated the maximum ranges of the seeker’s millimeter wave and semi-active laser sensor modes against representative targets.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
More than six months after the auditor general delivered his scathing critique of the F-35 program, the Harper government has yet to direct the air force to look at aircraft other than the contentious stealth fighter. And the Public Works secretariat overseeing the troubled replacement for the existing CF-18 jet fighter fleet is still attempting to define what the government means when it promised to look at "other options."
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
Honeywell announced today that its Spectra Shield® ballistic material will be used to improve armor protection on U.S. Army helicopters. The Protective Group, Inc. (TPG), a leading developer and integrator of lightweight composite armor for military aircraft, is incorporating Spectra Shield material into armor upgrades for U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
The UK is to double the number of armed RAF "drones" flying combat and surveillance operations in Afghanistan and, for the first time, the aircraft will be controlled from terminals and screens in Britain. In the new squadron of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), five Reaper drones will be sent to Afghanistan, the Guardian can reveal. It is expected they will begin operations within six weeks.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
The Pentagon is inviting the aerospace industry to help brainstorm the next era in U.S. air- combat superiority after the F-35 and F-22 fighters are retired, decades from now. Reflecting the rise of drone warfare, an 18-month evaluation will consider both piloted and unmanned aircraft working in tandem with a network of weapons, sensors, electronic warfare and command-and-control capabilities, according to a memo by Frank Kendall.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
Just one month after China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was commissioned, photographs are appearing on the Internet of the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark fighter jet operating over the ship. The photographs have appeared on Chinese-language military blogs and government-run newspapers. The images show the J-15 flying just above the carrier deck, along with a photograph of a Changhe Z-8 search-and-rescue helicopter taking off from the deck.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
An F-35A test aircraft, flown by U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Phillips, completed the first aerial weapons release of an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) from a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, Oct. 19. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned the instrumented AIM-120 over the China Lake test range from an internal weapons bay.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
The tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) has successfully completed certification testing for its advanced Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system at Pratica di Mare Air Force Base in Italy.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
he first C-5M Super Galaxy production joint acceptance flight with Lockheed Martin and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) occurred Oct. 17, here at the Lockheed Martin facilities. The joint aircrew included: (from left: Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Huff, Flight Engineer, Lt. Col. Robert Griffith, Aircraft Commander, Master Sgt. Garrad Mitchell, Flight Engineer, Lockheed Martin pilot, Butch Johnson, LM Flight Engineer Larry Frias and LM Flight Engineer John Linville.
(Read More...)
10/23/2012
A recent weapons flight test in the Utah desert may change future warfare after the missile successfully defeated electronic targets with little to no collateral damage. Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., successfully tested the Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) during a flight over the Utah Test and Training Range that was monitored from Hill Air Force Base.
(Read More...)
10/22/2012
The US Navy has begun acquiring the sophisticated lightweight air-launched Mk-54 torpedoes from the US weapon maker Raytheon for the Indian Navy. A company spokesperson told India Strategic magazine ( www.indiastrategic.in ) from Tewksbury in the US that the US Navy has placed an order for the torpedoes and associated equipment worth $45.3 million for the Indian and Australian navies. The breakup of numbers and respective costs was not given.
(Read More...)
10/22/2012
A multibillion-dollar project to buy new search-and-rescue aircraft for the Canadian military — once seen as a likely win for Alenia Aermacchi’s C-27J Spartan — has turned into a full-fledged competition, attracting aircraft manufacturers from around the world. The Canadian Forces has reversed its previous decision to operate only one type of aircraft for the new search-and-rescue fleet.
(Read More...)
10/22/2012
A U.S. aircraft carrier group cruised through the disputed South China Sea on Saturday in a show of American power in waters that are fast becoming a focal point of Washington's strategic rivalry with Beijing.
(Read More...)
10/20/2012
Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Saturday will press Syrian officials for a truce, just hours after Lebanese politicians blamed Damascus for the killing of a top security official. But even as Brahimi arrived in the war-torn country Friday, government jets hammered the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan in the northwest, and fighters there accused the regime of using cluster bombs in the attack, echoing claims by one rights group.
(Read More...)
10/20/2012
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighters against Chinese military aircraft approaching Japanese air space 54 times from July to September, more than three times as often as from April to June, the Defense Ministry said. While Chinese military planes have been increasingly active each year, the recent spike in incidents is apparently due to friction over the Senkaku Islands, located in the East China Sea. The islands, which are administered by Japan, are also claimed by China and Taiwan.
(Read More...)
10/20/2012
France's defense minister announced here Friday that his country will purchase 14 MRTT aerial refueling tanker aircraft from Spain. Jean-Yves Le Drian shared the news with reporters after touring the Airbus Military Conversion Center in the Madrid industrial suburb of Getafe and meeting with Spanish counterpart Pedro Morenes.
(Read More...)
10/20/2012
Chinese pilots are learning how to take-off and land on the country's first aircraft carrier, a media report said on Friday. China's first aircraft carrier was delivered and commissioned to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in September. The carrier, formerly known as the Soviet ship Varyag, was renamed Liaoning and underwent years of refitting to install engines and weapons, as well as a year-long sea trials.
(Read More...)
10/20/2012
The Indian government approved a $1.5-billion deal to buy 200 air-launched variants of the Russian-Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and 10,000 Russian-made Invar anti-tank missiles. The Deccan Herald Indian daily reported the approval for the deal was made on Thursday.
(Read More...)
10/20/2012
The second United Kingdom Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base today for delivery to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Eglin’s eleventh U.S. Marine Corps F-35B ferried to the Emerald Coast with the U.K. jet. The aircraft, known as ZM136 and BF-16, departed at approximately 8:06 a.m. CDT with U.K. Royal Air Force Sqn. Ldr. Jim Schofield and Marine Corps Maj. Adam Levine at the controls, respectively, for the 90-minute ferry flight to Eglin.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
“As the U.S. begins to implement [the rebalance], Subic will play an important role because it is one of the important facilities that can service its presence in the Pacific.” One would think that this quote is from a US military or government official, but this actually came from the executive director of the Philippine Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
As many as 140 World War II Spitfire fighter planes - three to four times the number of airworthy models known to exist - are believed to be buried in near-pristine condition in Myanmar. A British-Myanmar partnership says it will begin digging them up by the end of the month.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
Iraq has signed a contract to buy its second set of 18 F-16 fighters from the United States, part of a deal to purchase 36 of the jets to rebuild its air force, Iraq's acting defence minister said on Thursday. Baghdad signed an initial deal for the first set of 18 jets in September last year valued at roughly $3 billion and those aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by September 2014.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) officials are considering a sale of 28 advanced AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in The Hague, Netherlands to upgrade the organization's fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon jet fighter aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
The engines roared overhead as an F-35B fell into formation. Although this is a basic maneuver for the test pilots, the possibilities for combat environments created by these elite aircraft working together are anything but mundane. The F-35, which features three variants to be used by the Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy, is a single-seat aircraft capable of stealthy operations, equipped with an enhanced computer technology system.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
Over the past decade, China’s military-aviation industry has been gradually transforming its defence, science, technology, and innovation capabilities, and narrowing the once-wide technological gaps with advanced aviation powers. In the fighter aircraft arena alone, it has been developing, testing, and producing a diverse portfolio of new designs – updating and modernising its ‘legacy fighters, developing indigenous modern ‘fourth-generation’ fighters.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
India is finally giving its Jaguar "strike" fighters some much-needed new teeth with advanced missiles, engines and avionics. Apart from having a maritime strike role as well, the Jaguars have long been identified by IAF as the jets capable of delivering nuclear weapons if required. The IAF on Monday issued a RFP (request for proposal) to M/s Honeywell Aerospace, the US-based manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, to "completely re-engine" 125 Jaguars.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
About three and a half years ago I wrote that "One might note that with regard to future battlefields the use of contractors is like the use of robots. They promise both greater cost-effectiveness and less loss of life of government soldiers." With the advantage of hindsight it turns out that the use of robots is heavily dependent on the use of contractors. It seems that today's Terminators, such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) - drones -- are heavily dependent on mere mortals.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
The commander of Russia’s famed Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatics team, Lt. Col. Valery Morozov, has been fired from the air force for taking bribes, a source at the Kubinka Air Show Center said on Thursday. “Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov signed an order discharging Morozov on October 12” for “failure to comply with his contract,” the source said. Morozov confirmed his discharge and said he will appeal it.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
Russia has begun installing a new state-of-the-art anti-aircraft weapon system in its southern military region with an eye toward targeting Turkey in response to a NATO missile defense shield outpost that was recently established in East Anatolia, daily Hürriyet reported.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
Military cooperation between the giants is once again on the rise with China accounting for 15 percent of Russian military exports. India remains Russia’s largest market. The slowdown in military and technical cooperation between Russian and China observed in the mid-2000s was followed by an active growth phase. Russian officials have recently said that defence exports to China are now close to $2 billion, which is comparable to the level achieved in the 1990s.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
SPITFIRE aircraft buried in Burma at the end of the Second World War are to be returned to the UK, after a 15-year search by an aviation enthusiast.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
The engines roared overhead as an F-35A fell into formation. Although this is a basic maneuver for the test pilots, the possibilities for combat environments created by these elite aircraft working together are anything but mundane. The F-35, which features three variants to be used by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, is a single-seat aircraft capable of stealthy operations, equipped with an enhanced computer technology system.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
iEntertainment Network Inc., the developer of the WarBirds 2012, Combat Simulation Game Series, announces the launch of a KickStarter funding project on www.KickStarter.com, to raise funds for development of a brand new modern aircraft combat simulation game about the US Military's new jet fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
A F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft completed the first in-flight weapons release of a 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from a 5th Generation fighter, Oct. 16. The flight was conducted by U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric "Doc" Schultz. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned an instrumented GBU-31 over the China Lake test range from the left internal weapons bay.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a $34.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for follow-on production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-10, GBU-12 and GBU-16 guidance kits. With this contract, Lockheed Martin received the majority share of a $56 million paveway II Plus LGB procurement. Production is expected to begin in early 2014. The contract is part of an overall $475 million five-year.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
Lockheed Martin marked the completion of the first F-35 Lightning II Full Mission Simulators (FMS) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Ariz. The air station will be home to the first operational Marine Corps F-35 squadrons worldwide. Two of six planned Joint Strike Fighter FMS systems have been installed on site. The FMS installation and software completion will allow pilot familiarization and transition scenarios to begin later this year.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
The Air Force has not had a permanent senior acquisition executive in more than three years. The job of assistant secretary for acquisition remains vacant, and likely will stay that way until a new administration takes charge next year.But that hasn't stopped the Air Force's massive weapons industrial complex from accomplishing a sweeping reorganization over the past year. Twelve major bureaucracies that oversaw weapons programs have been consolidated into five.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
Northrop Grumman Corporation hosted a special event to honor the 40th anniversary of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) radar, one of the company's longest-running programs and a vital part of the premier air battle command and control aircraft in the world.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
Turkish tanks are deployed on hilltops overlooking Syria and additional combat aircraft have been moved to bases close to that war-torn country in an escalation that began Oct. 3, when a Syrian artillery round landed in the border town of Akcakale, killing five Turkish civilians.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
Airbus Military has successfully performed simulated air-to-air refuelling (AAR) of the new generation A400M airlifter from a C-160 Transall tanker of the French Air Force. The two aircraft conducted 20 "dry contacts", in which no fuel is passed, including one lasting 12 minutes - representative of a normal refuelling operation. It is expected that "wet contacts" will take place in the first quarter of next year.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
Facing Nato member Bulgaria’s continuing shortcoming in fighter jets, Defence Minister Anyu Angelov has revived moves for the country to spend about $400 million on multi-role fighters to take the place of outmoded Soviet-era combat aircraft. The saga of Bulgaria’s attempts to acquire fighter jets dates back more than a decade and has seen several twists and turns in what has been largely a competition between US F16s and Sweden’s Gripen multi-role fighters.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
A senior Iranian military official claimed Tuesday that Iranian-made surveillance drones have made dozens of apparently undetected flights into Israeli airspace from Lebanon in recent years to probe air defenses and collect reconnaissance data. An Israeli official rejected the account.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
Israel has known for six years that Hamas is holding anti-aircraft missiles in the Gaza Strip. Last week, the reports were proven true, when a “Strela” shoulder-fired missile was launched at an [Israeli] aircraft during an Air Force operation in the southern Gaza Strip.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
India is cutting its order for a fifth-generation stealth fighter being developed jointly with Russia by a third, India's Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told India Strategic. India's Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL) is to build the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), a derivative of the Sukhoi T-50, in India. The two nations signed a 50/50 joint venture to build the aircraft in December 2011.
(Read More...)
10/17/2012
Boeing this week begins assembling the first refueling boom for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft in the KC-46 Boom Assembly Center that opened today at Boeing Field in Seattle.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
Throughout this year, as fighting intensified in Syria and antigovernment fighters grew in numbers and in strength, it had seemed inevitable that they would acquire heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles and turn them against the Syrian military aircraft. This blog had documented the part-by-part appearance in rebel hands of one old heat-seeking system, known as the SA-7. Since midsummer there have been occasional sightings of full systems but none, as far as we know.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
A Yemeni jet fighter crashed immediately after takeoff during a training mission on Monday, killing its pilot, Yemen's Defense Ministry said. The ministry's online newspaper said the Russian-made MiG-21 aircraft crashed inside al-Annad air base in the southern province of Lahj due to technical failure.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
In the past, there was a tradition in the U.S. military to paint pin-ups on aircraft. Today, that tradition lives on in Japan. But there's an important difference: they're not cheesecake pin-ups. They're anime girls. The annual festival at the Japanese Self Defense Force's Kisarazu base allowed visitors to check out the aircraft and vehicles.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
Air Force CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor — a hybrid warplane that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like an airplane — crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing four people on board. When Brig. Gen. Don Harvel, the lead accident investigator, concluded that engine failure might have been to blame for the Osprey’s loss, he was overruled by a superior officer who Harvel says was eager to protect the military’s $36 billion investment in the controversial V-22.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
Iran has flexed its military might by showing off what it claims is a new "indigenous" reconnaissance drone capable of reaching Israel and launching a series of anti-warship missiles in the Persian Gulf. In what appears to be a reaction to the recent naval exercise in the region by the US and its allies, Iran's elite revolutionary guards have unveiled an unmanned aerial vehicle, called Shahed-129.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
As the West debates military intervention in Syria, a former Syrian general says a single U.S. aircraft carrier and U.S. combat jets based in neighboring Turkey would be enough to control a 75-mile-deep northern no-fly zone for anti-regime rebels. Retired Brig. Gen. Akil Hashem, a supporter of the Free Syrian Army and a staunch advocate of Western intervention, calls the embattled regime of President Bashar al-Assad "a paper tiger."
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
Turkey has banned all Syrian aircraft from its air space as it takes an increasingly firm stance against President Bashar al-Assad, while Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had made more gains in a key province near the Turkish border.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
China has begun flight training on its first aircraft carrier, with photographs posted on websites Monday showing navy pilots practicing touch-and-go landing exercises. Military enthusiast websites posted pictures of a J-15 fighter-bomber executing the maneuver, in which the plane makes brief contact with the flight deck before flying on. It wasn’t clear when the pictures were taken, and they did not appear on the Defense Ministry’s website or in official media.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
The Russian Navy's Northern Fleet is carrying out flight tests and warfare trials of its modified Kamov Ka-27M anti-submarine helicopter from large destroyers, the fleet's spokesman, Captain Vadim Serga, said on Monday. "The modernized Ka-27M (NATO codename Helix) is completing deck landings on a ship as well as trials of its main systems," he said.
(Read More...)
10/16/2012
CAE has won a contract to design and manufacture a KC-130J full-mission simulator for the Kuwait Air Force. The contract was awarded to CAE USA under the United States foreign military sale (FMS) programme. Under terms of the contract, CAE USA will design and manufacture a KC-130J full-mission simulator that will be delivered in 2015 to Al Mubarak Air Base near Kuwait International Airport.
(Read More...)
10/15/2012
New evidence has emerged that the Syrian air force has used cluster munitions in recent days, Human Rights Watch said today. Many of the strikes were near the main highway that runs through Ma'arat al-Nu'man, the site of a major confrontation between government and rebel forces this week.
(Read More...)
10/15/2012
The Israel Air Force (IAF) on Sunday grounded all fighter jet squadrons after a midair near-collision last week capped a series of serious accidents over the last year. IAF chief Maj Gen Amir Eshel imposed the order after two aircraft almost collided on Thursday, Xinhua reported citing Israel Radio. Investigators said the two planes exceeded the mandatory "safety envelope" during manoeuvres.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/15/2012
srael’s shooting down of an unmanned pilotless aircraft on Shabbos October 6, 2012 was covered by the international media, albeit lacking some of the details surrounding the event.
At about 10:00 on shabbos morning, the Patriot missile battery detection system in the Haifa area detected the unidentified aircraft over the Mediterranean in the Gaza area, heading into Israel.
(Read More...)
10/15/2012
Turkey’s foreign minister announced on Sunday a ban on all Syrian aircraft entering his country’s airspace, days after the authorities discovered what they said were Russian military munitions on board a passenger plane bound for Damascus. The announcement followed Syria’s ban on Turkish aircraft a day earlier and became the latest volley in an increasingly aggressive dispute between the two neighbors over Syria’s devastating civil war.
(Read More...)
10/15/2012
The Indian Air Force expects to complete 75% of its modernization in another decade and raise four more squadrons of Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighters in the near future. AF chief, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne told journalists that the acquisition process of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) was on track and would be finalized by the March 31, 2013.
(Read More...)
10/15/2012
French observers will conduct inspection flights over Russia and Belarus under the Open Skies Treaty, while Russian inspectors will do the same over the territory of Norway, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. “In the period from October 15 to 20, a French mission will conduct a surveillance flight on board of a C-130H surveillance aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies.
(Read More...)
10/14/2012
The U.S. Air Force is delaying the planned transfer of F-22 fighters from a New Mexico base because of a defense spending freeze. Aircraft and personnel assigned to the 7th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base were scheduled to move to Tyndall Air Force Base next spring, bringing hundreds of jobs to Bay County. But without a final defense appropriation and authorization bill, operations have come to a stalemate.
(Read More...)
10/14/2012
Turkey has scrambled fighter jets to its border with Syria for the first time since warning its neighbour that escalating tensions could lead to war. The Turkish jets fired no shots, but their response to a Syrian aircraft flying close to the frontier on Friday is being interpreted as a sign that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be prepared to enforce a de facto no-fly zone inside Syrian airspace.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
On Oct. 12, the F-15 Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force celebrates its 10-year anniversary. The members of the unit, many of whom were there at the inception, recalled the major accomplishments and changes they’ve seen after 10 years.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
Turkey will send more military aircraft and tanks to its border with Syria, local media report, as the rift between the two countries keeps growing after Turkish jet fighters forced a Syrian passenger plane to land in Ankara. The Turkish Air Force will transfer 15 fighter jets to Diyarbakir, near the Syrian border in the south-east of the country, the Hurriyet daily reported on Friday, citing government sources.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
In the future, the military can expect to have unmanned aerial vehicles that are faster, stealthier and lighter, with longer endurance and can hold heavier payloads. “[There will be] more focus on making systems that are stealthier, so they can’t be detected as easily by the enemies, [and] more autonomous so they can operate more on their own. So, if they lose [a] communication link with the headquarters, they can continue to do their mission.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
India and Russia gave the green light on Friday to a joint project to develop a Military Transport Aircraft, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (OAK) said after the signing ceremony in New Delhi. “A contract was signed by the client, the joint Indian-Russian MTAL venture, and the contractors, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation Transport Planes (OAK-TS),” OAK said.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
Iraq has agreed to buy 28 Czech-made military airplanes in a deal worth $1 billion (€775 million), part of a broader effort by Baghdad to rebuild military capabilities destroyed during the U.S.-led invasion of the country, officials said Friday.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
A Russian amphibious antisubmarine warfare aircraft in service with the Black Sea Fleet crashed on Friday in Ukraine killing three and injuring one crewmember, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Beriyev Be-12 Mail plane crashed during landing at the Kacha airfield, 50 kilometers from the Russian naval base in Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula.
(Read More...)
10/13/2012
Russia's foreign minister said on Friday that a Moscow-Damascus passenger airliner forced to land in Turkey over suspicions it had weapons on board was legally carrying Russian radar parts. Turkish F-16 fighter jets forced down the Syrian Air Airbus A320 some three hours after it had taken off from Moscow's Vnukovo international airport late on Wednesday.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
A plane intercepted by Turkish fighter jets on its way from Moscow to Damascus was carrying equipment and ammunition destined for the Syrian Defense Ministry, Turkey’s prime minister said Thursday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments follow a fierce denial by Syria that anything illegal had been aboard the Airbus A320 that was forced by Turkey to land in Ankara late Wednesday. Syria, whose relations with neighboring Turkey have plummeted over the Syrian war, branded it an act of piracy.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
South Korea has awarded three contracts to Lockheed Martin to support its supply chain needs for aircraft operated by its navy and air force. The contracts have an annual ceiling value of $2 million and are funded incrementally by the government, Lockheed Martin said. No details were disclosed on the length of the supply chain support awards.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
The Royal Thai Air Force now has two new, rather strange-looking, aircraft. At first glance they look like ordinary small passenger planes with turboprop engines. If you take a closer look, however, you will see that each is equipped with a long box-like container on the top of the fuselage. The aircraft, the Saab AEW from Sweden, is an early warning aircraft and the box-like container holds its radar system.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
In the sky above the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the future of Marine aviation punched through the warm Florida air Oct. 2. F-35B Joint Strike Fighters with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 from Eglin conducted the first air-to-air refuel of an operational aircraft in the program’s history. Previous aerial refueling operations with the F-35 had been conducted with test aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
The leader of Lebanese Shia militant movement Hezbollah has said that his group was behind the launch of a drone shot down over Israel last week. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told the movement's al-Manar television network that the drone was made in Iran and had flown over "sensitive sites" in Israel.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
Sweden has offered eight Saab Gripen fighters to Croatia to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-made MiG-21 combat aircraft, Croatia's defense ministry said Thursday. The offer for a 10-year lease includes a support and training package for Croatian pilots and technicians, plus an unspecified deal with Croatian companies. No financial or other details were released.
(Read More...)
10/12/2012
The Iraqi government intends to buy Czech-made Aero Vodochody L-159 advanced trainer/light-attack jets, Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Thursday in Prague after talks with his Czech counterpart Petr Necas, local TV reported. "Further talks about purchasing the L-159 will take place on Friday between the Iraqi and Czech defense ministries," he said. Talks about an L-159 purchase between Baghdad and Prague have been underway for at least three years.
(Read More...)
10/11/2012
My fascination with weapons technology has grown over the years. Sometimes I can’t believe, my own fascination with planes and the military technology. Where it began? Probably when I was a kid, living in Upland, California, near Mt. Baldy just South of the airport. It was a fun time to be growing up. Occasionally, we would bike on up to the airport to see the planes take off and land.
(Read More...)
10/11/2012
The Russian AN-70 military transport STOL aircraft will undergo three test flights after the completion of works on deep upgrading of its airborne equipment. Within the process of the trials, the new and upgraded systems of the aircraft including engine, propfans, aircraft and wing high-lift devices control systems as well as crew environmental control system were checked.
(Read More...)
10/11/2012
India will begin production of an export variant of Russian plane-maker Sukhoi's T-50 stealth fighter from 2020, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday during a visit to Delhi. "The technical characteristics have been confirmed to our (Russia and India) defense ministries. We propose serial production of the plane should start by 2020," he said, following the meeting of an Indian-Russian intergovernmental commission.
(Read More...)
10/11/2012
Turkey has issued a permission for a Syrian-bound passenger aircraft, which it earlier forced to land in Ankara, to resume its course, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told local television. On Wednesday, Turkish F-16 fighter jets forced down the Airbus A320, which was flying from Moscow to Damascus, over suspicions it has prohibited cargo on board.
(Read More...)
10/11/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has been awarded three new contracts to support the supply chain needs of the Republic of Korea Air Force and Navy. Under the terms of the basic ordering agreements, Lockheed Martin will provide spare material and repair of military hardware for the Republic of Korea’s fleet of F-16s and P-3 military aircraft. The company has also provided these same services for the C-130 for nearly 13 years.
(Read More...)
10/11/2012
Boeing will continue assuring the worldwide availability of C-17 aircraft, which provide vital military and humanitarian airlift capability, through a $2 billion follow-on contract it recently received from the U.S. Department of Defense.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
Defence ties have clearly been the engine of India-Russia bilateral relationship for over half a century now. The same engine is set to be roaring once again when Russian President Vladimir Putin undertakes a visit to India this month-end. The two countries are going to sign numerous agreements – at least half a dozen, according to knowledgeable sources – and one of these is going to be a $3.77 billion deal for the supply of 40 SU-30MKI Russian fighter aircraft to India.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) received and refueled an MV-22 Osprey, a potential replacement for the C-2 Greyhound, for the first time Oct. 6. The Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165, was the first from (VMM) 165 to make a carrier-based landing and was part of an on-going initiative from the Joint Program Manager Air (PMA) 275 office to increase the number of available platforms.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo on Tuesday and urged him to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from the densely-populated Ginowan city in the prefecture as early as possible.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
The European Defence Agency's (EDA's) helicopter training programme has concluded its second multinational exercise this year, with its "Green Blade" manoeuvres having run between 18 September and 5 October in Belgium.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
Russia will deliver attack helicopters and mobile air-defense systems to Iraq in arms deals worth $4.2 billion signed earlier this year, it was disclosed today during a visit to Moscow by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in which he met his counterpart Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
The Office of Naval Research has awarded a $13.5 million contract to an industry team led by Lockheed Martin to explore highly advanced autonomous technologies aboard an unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
Boeing and Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD) will broaden their cooperative relationship to include rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and military aircraft maintenance and support through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on Oct. 4.
(Read More...)
10/10/2012
Boeing has named Chris Smith vice president and managing director for its defense business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to further strengthen customer relationships and establish new in-country partnerships. Smith will be based in Riyadh and focus on ensuring that the best of Boeing and industry are brought to support the Kingdom's defense and security needs. He will report to Chris Raymond, vice president of Business Development and Strategy for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS).
(Read More...)
10/09/2012
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne told India Strategic in an interview on IAF’s 80th Anniversary that all these aircraft would be single seaters, the same which the Russian Air Force will have but some components like onboard computers and systems would be different as in the case of SU 30 MKIs.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/09/2012
Strategist Edward Luttwak likens warships to “black boxes” during peacetime strategic competition. Without peering inside, outsiders have a hard time judging how well designed, maintained, and operated a ship is. Combat clarifies a ship’s fitness by the most stringent standard possible, but battles are infrequent. The U.S. Navy’s last major fleet engagement, for example, took place at Leyte Gulf in October 1944.
(Read More...)
10/09/2012
Aircraft noise on the flight line aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., is not the only thing heard across the air station. Construction on a new MV-22B "Osprey" hangar, an addition to an existing CH-53E "Super Stallion" hangar and work on taxi ways and aircraft parking areas, known as aprons, are all underway.
(Read More...)
10/09/2012
A Sudanese military transport plane crashed near the country's capital on Sunday morning, killing fifteen people and injuring the seven survivors, a military spokesman said on Monday. It follows a deadly plane crash in the southern region of Sudan in August. The Antonov An-12, which was carrying sixteen service members and six crew members, crashed on Sunday morning while attempting to carry out an emergency landing about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) west of Omdurman.
(Read More...)
10/09/2012
The incursion by an unmanned aircraft into Israeli airspace at the weekend exposed the weakness of Israeli air defenses, an Iranian military official was quoted as saying on Monday.
The Israeli air force shot down a drone on Saturday after it crossed into southern Israel, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from.
(Read More...)
10/08/2012
I am more sanguine than most about how the Japanese Self-Defense Forces stack up against China’s People’s Liberation Army. The SDF would acquit itself well in combat if commanders artfully combined all warfighting implements at their disposal, from ships to aircraft to shore-fired missiles. Tokyo has options; it even has advantages.
(Read More...)
10/08/2012
This is with reference to the press conference by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in which he put forward conditions for signing a strategic pact with Pakistan. Afghanistan has already signed two strategic pacts: one was with India, signed in October 2011, which allows it to provide military training to the Afghan army; and the other was with the US, signed in May 2012, and it binds the US to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan till 2024.
(Read More...)
10/08/2012
Another male bastion, this time in the air, has gone to women. For the first time ever, the Indian Air Force is preparing two of its women pilots for combat roles. Flight Lieutenants Alka Shukla and M P Shumathi were trained at the Yelahanka station in flying twin-engine Mi-8, a utility and medium-size assault helicopter. Both pilots are at their operational units where they will continue with their armament and special heli-operations training.
(Read More...)
10/08/2012
This is the Rudra - one of the modern fighter aircraft produced at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Hal), India's oldest and largest aircraft manufacturer. The helicopter has been fitted with technology including laser rangefinder and thermal vision to enable the detection of targets in all weather conditions.
(Read More...)
10/08/2012
The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile launched from a warship off the western Goa coast, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) reported on Sunday. The BrahMos missile, a joint development of Russian and Indian specialists, was launched from the guided missile frigate INS Teg built by Russia on order from the Indian Navy. “The missile hit the designated target at a distance of 290 km,” the DRDO said.
(Read More...)
10/08/2012
Inspectors from Britain will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. “In the period from October 8 to 12, a British mission will conduct a surveillance flight on board Swedish SAAB OS-100 surveillance aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies,” the spokesman told journalists.
(Read More...)
10/07/2012
For nearly four decades, the F-16 has ruled the skies in the international market for fighter jet sales, a money-making flying machine for Lockheed Martin and its predecessor, General Dynamics. Now a number of nations are planning to spend billions to upgrade their fleets of older F-16s with modern "avionics," digital electronic controls, communications and combat systems.
(Read More...)
10/07/2012
Be careful how you use a laser pointer. Operating the device in a malicious manner could land you in some serious trouble. According to the FBI, laser attacks have reached "epidemic levels." Since 2005, incidents involving laser pointers has risen 1,100 percent and they're predicting that 3,700 incidents would occur by the end of the year.
(Read More...)
10/07/2012
Denmark’s center-left minority coalition has come under renewed fire from rankled industry chiefs, who claim the government has not done enough to help local companies win more systems and component contracts from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development program.
(Read More...)
10/07/2012
The US Marine Corps completed the deployment of 12 Osprey transport aircraft in Okinawa on Saturday amid strong public opposition, NHK TV reported. Three tilt rotor Ospreys arrived at the US Futenma Air Station hours after leaving a US air base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. As nine Ospreys flew to Futenma on Monday and Tuesday, the US Marines now have all of their planned 12 aircraft deployed in Okinawa.
(Read More...)
10/07/2012
The Israeli air force has shot down a small unmanned aircraft after it entered the south of the country, the military has said. Troops are searching for remains of the aircraft in the north of the Negev desert. It is not clear where it came from. Local media quoted officials as saying the aircraft flew in from the west, but not from the Gaza Strip. It was intercepted at around 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
U.S. military flight tests have shown how drones could handle midair refueling by themselves, without human pilots. That raises the possibility of automated "flying gas stations" topping off robotic aircraft over future battlefields.
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
The Department of Defense issued the following ministerial media release:
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today welcomed three United States Navy (USN) EA-18G Growler aircraft to RAAF Base Amberley.
In August, the Government announced that it had decided to acquire the Growler electronic warfare capability for the Super Hornet at a cost of around $1.5 billion.
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
The IAF is all set to raise four more squadrons of Su-30 MKI fighter in the near future as it prepares to induct the tenth unit of the aircraft in Punjab along the Pakistan border. Codenamed 'Flying Lancers', the process to set up the new Number-15 squadron will be initiated in December and will be fully operational by middle of the next year, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said.
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
Dassault and Thales announced delivery of the first production Rafale to carry the Thales RBE2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The companies noted that the aircraft, production number C137 for the French Air Force, is the first AESA-equipped European combat aircraft to enter service. The development was completed on time and budget, they added.
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
JSC Irkut Corporation has handed over the first batch of six Yak-130 combat trainers to the Russian Air Force. Pilots of Borisoglebsk training center completed transported the three aircraft from Irkutsk aviation plant to the base aerodrome in Borisoglebsk city. According to the terms of the contract signed in 2011, the Russian AIr Force will recieve 55 Yak-130 combat trainers delivery by 2015.
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
Russian and Central Asian military pilots are carrying out joint exercises to repel missile strikes over Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Russian Defense Ministry Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Deryabin said on Friday. The Clear Sky 2012 military exercises get underway on Friday and run through October 16, with planned scenarios including intercepting cruise missile attack.
(Read More...)
10/06/2012
The U.S. Army has awarded Boeing a five-year Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract for CH-47 Chinook support, an arrangement that reduces customer costs while allowing Boeing to invest in improving products and processes. The $185 million contract covers management of the production, overhaul and distribution of the Army's supply of Chinook helicopter rotor blades.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Russia snubbed India as it postponed Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's visit to New Delhi as the dates are clashing with Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani's visit to Moscow starting from October 5.Apparently, Moscow has conveyed to New Delhi that the meeting of annual India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), which was to be held on Thursday.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Saab's Gripen F test aircraft touched down in Emmen, Switzerland, on 3 October, as part of a campaign to sell 22 of the new-generation combat aircraft to the nation's air force. Accompanied on its 2h journey from Linköping in Sweden by a twin-seat Gripen D, the next-generation development aircraft will remain in Switzerland for 10 days. During this time it will be shown to personnel from the nation's defence committees and also appear at the Axalp air show on 10-11 October.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Pilots, maintainers and analysts from the Republic of Korea Army, Test and Evaluation Group, and the Boeing Company received guided tours and operational briefings from the 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, Sept. 24-25. The South Korean government is currently looking at several attack helicopter platforms for purchase that would improve their ability to meet current and future threats in the Pacific region.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation is upping the ante in Malaysia with the hopes of supplying its combat aircraft Rafale to the Government, which considering to retire the ageing fleet of Russian made MIG-29N under the Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Six of the RAAF's now retired F-111 strike bombers, affectionately referred to as "pigs", are set to go on display at aircraft museums and historical organisations across Australia. Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said these aircraft, which retired in 2010, would be loaned out to help preserve an important part of Australia's military heritage.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Russia’s Irkut aircraft-manufacturing plant delivered the first six Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainers to the Russian Air Force on Thursday, a spokesman for the Western Military District said. “On October 4, the first batch of Yak-130 combat trainers fly from the Irkut plant to the Borisoglebsk airfield [Voronezh region] after an extensive flight testing program,” Col. Andrei Bobrun said.
(Read More...)
10/05/2012
Russia's Defense Ministry on Thursday signed a contract worth about 140 billion rubles ($4 billion) to buy 39 IL-476 transport planes, President Vladimir Putin announced. "This is the first, essentially new plane, that Russia's aviation industry has produced in the past 21 years" President Putin said "I am confident that this plane will enjoy great demand here, and among our possible partners abroad."
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
The Taliban have claimed credit for the downing of a NATO helicopter but international forces denied the allegation. The NATO Boeing CH-47D Chinook twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift military transport helicopter crashed Monday Zabul province in southern Afghanistan. The Taliban stated that, in addition to downing the helicopter, all aboard were killed.
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
Years before F-22 pilots began getting dizzy in the cockpit, before one struggled to breathe as he tried to pull out of a fatal crash, before two more went on television to say the plane was so unsafe they refused to fly it, a small circle of Air Force experts knew something was wrong with the prized stealth fighter jet.
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
The Syrian government's army has been driven out of many areas in this province, a stronghold of the opposition forces arrayed against Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Even so, it would be a mistake to call this a liberated zone. Unable to make much headway on the ground, the Syrian air force is hitting back with increasing ferocity, dropping bombs from planes and helicopters and chasing the civilians who are trying to get out of the war.
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
On Tuesday, two Saudi F-15 fighter planes intercepted “an unidentified aircraft coming from the Horn of Africa [and] flying at a low level,” according to Saudi Arabian Arabic website, Jazan News. The Saudi website didn’t mention its sources and did not provide additional details but said the authorities will treat the matter as “the situation requires.”
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
A Taiwanese pilot died yesterday morning after his Mirage 2000-5F crashed in France. The pilot, identified as Wang Tung-yi was on a training exchange program at the BA 116 airforce base in Luxeuil-les-Bains, Haute-Saone, and his aircraft crashed north of Luxeuil, near the Froideconche community soon after takeoff at 10:05am, French military officials told media.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/04/2012
The Army is refining an initial capabilities document for a new fixed-wing utility aircraft that is designed to replace more than 112 airframes with a common platform. The new platform should be able to perform a range of key mission sets and services, officials said.
(Read More...)
10/03/2012
Dassault and its industry partners on the Rafale combat aircraft have achieved a significant programme milestone with the delivery of the first production example to feature an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Handed over to France's DGA defence procurement agency at Dassault's Merignac assembly site on 2 October, single-seat aircraft C137 will enter French air force service with the Thales RBE2 radar.
(Read More...)
10/03/2012
Concerned over recurring problems in MiG-27 combat aircraft engines, Indian Air Force is planning to phase out these Russian-origin planes by 2017. IAF operates about 80 (four squadrons) of these aircraft in its fleet and due to the recurring problems in their engines, it had to ground all of them after a crash about two years ago.
(Read More...)
10/03/2012
Israel and China have been renewing military ties in recent months after a lengthy chill caused by hefty Israeli arms deals that the United States shot down. The upswing in relations between the defense establishments has raised eyebrows in Washington, which views China's expansion in the Pacific with growing concern. Israel once seemed set to be a major arms supplier to China.
(Read More...)
10/03/2012
In a joint venture between Russia and Ukraine, the An-70 military transport aircraft has been flight tested after two years in development. The An-70 is certain to add to the competition between heavy airlift aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules and A400M aircraft. The An-70 can carry 47 tons for 1350 kilometers while C130J can take up 20 tons and the A400M with 37 tons.
(Read More...)
10/03/2012
Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc., an aerospace/defense services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aircraft maintenance, and other aerospace/defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries, is pleased to announce that it has closed the acquisition of Northrop TF5-1 Corp. ("Northrop"), a military aircraft holding company, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TADF.
(Read More...)
10/03/2012
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has announced that a previously planned order for 26 new military helicopters will be expanded to a roughly 70-aircraft deal. Defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak should launch the new process early this month, clearing the way for technical consultations to start with bidding manufacturers. Contenders are AgustaWestland, Eurocopter with the EC725, PZL Swidnik with the AgustaWestland AW149, and Sikorsky, which is offering the S-70i.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
10/03/2012
The Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) has been working with Défense Conseil International (DCI) and Symbiotics Ltd, to implement a new aircrew pre-selection solution that helps stream potential pilots (fixed and rotary wing) into the QEAF elite flying training programme, whilst improving efficiency of assessment and recruitment programmes.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
Deputy Royal Malaysian Air Force chief Lt-Gen Datuk Roslan Saad recently tested the nation's next-generation transport aircraft in France. Following the test flight, which took place in Toulouse, the country's second highest ranking military pilot gave the thumbs up to the Airbus Military A400M airlifter, which was recently given the codename Atlas. "It is an enormous pleasure to fly the aircraft that is going to be at the heart of the RMAF's transport capabilities in the future.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
Minister of National Defence Corneliu Dobritoiu told Agerpres that the 12 multirole combat aircraft Romania is to purchase 'second-hand' from Portugal cost about 120 million euros out of the total of 670 million euros which is the total value of the contract. The difference between the figures goes to logistic support, which 'would have been the same if we had purchased new aircraft,' says the minister.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
The Eurofighter consortium has moved a step closer to delivering a package of major enhancements for the Typhoon combat aircraft, with test flights having been performed over recent weeks in all four partner nations. Final elements of the P1E(b) upgrade were taken to the air using four instrumented production aircraft, including IPA 7, which was flown by EADS company Cassidian with the modifications in late August.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
An audit of the Department of Defence’s procurement of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft (JSF) from the United States, has found the project to be progressing slower than expected and costing more, but there were signs it could be improving. In his audit report, Management of Australia’s Air Combat Capability—F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Acquisition, Auditor-General.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
The United States military sent the first batch of a sophisticated but accident-plagued new aircraft to an air base on Okinawa on Monday, going forward with its planned deployment despite unexpectedly fierce opposition by islanders and warnings that any crash could threaten the huge American military presence on the island.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
The Russian military will appeal a court ruling that deemed combat jet flights over the city of Chelyabinsk illegal, a spokesman for the Central Military District said on Monday. A regional court earlier on Monday ordered a temporary suspension of flights by Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft from a nearby base, in response to complaints about jet noise when they overfly the city.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
A regional court in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Monday ordered a temporary suspension of flights by Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft from a nearby base, in response to complaints about jet noise when they overfly the city. “The court has ordered the Defense Ministry and the respective Air Force unit to suspend flights by combat aircraft on the flight path over five residential areas of the city, as these flights are deemed illegal,” the court said in a statement.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
Inspectors from Turkey and Norway will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. “In the period from October 1 to 5, 2012, a joint group of Turkish and Norwegian inspectors will conduct a surveillance flight on board a CN-235 surveillance aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies,” a ministry spokesman said.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
Lockheed Martin received a $218 million contract for three additional HC-130Js for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will increase the U.S. Coast Guard fleet of HC-130Js from six to nine. The contract also includes funding for two mission suites, which are critical in supporting U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operations. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in early 2015.
(Read More...)
10/02/2012
Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract valued up to $1.85 billion by the U.S. Government to initiate the upgrade of 145 Block 20 F-16A/B aircraft for the Republic of China (RoC). This retrofit program will include the addition of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, embedded global positioning, as well as upgrades to the electronic warfare and other avionics systems of Taiwan’s F-16s.
(Read More...)
10/01/2012
For decades, tiny Sweden has developed some of the world’s most innovative and capable fighter aircraft thanks to government investment in native aircraft builder Saab. But as Saab prepares to design the next generation of Gripen fighters, the government appears to be balking at its development cost, estimated to be less than $2 billion.
(Read More...)
10/01/2012
The Department of Defense has honored the partnership between Boeing and Robins Air Force Base that supports the C-17 Globemaster cargo plane. The partnership won the 2012 Secretary of Defense Gerald R. Beck Performance Based Logistics Award in the system level category for global sustainnment of the aircraft, according to a story in Friday’s Robins Rev Up. The C-17 Globemaster III Combined Program Office employs 196 civilians, contractors and military personnel.
(Read More...)
10/01/2012
he indigenous airborne early warning aircraft and the Russian-origin Mi-17 V5 helicopter would be displayed for the first time by IAF at the parade here to mark its 80th anniversary.
"The Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWAC) system aircraft and the Mi-17 V5 would be showcased for the first time at the IAF day parade this year on October 8," IAF officials said here.
(Read More...)
10/01/2012
Cutting edge. That’s how Capt. Michael Whiteford describes the MV-22B Osprey, the plane he pilots in the Marine Corps and the newest aircraft to be added to Marine Corps Aviation.
“It’s something that has never existed before in the history of aviation,” Whiteford said.
Whiteford, the son of a pilot, says he always knew he wanted to fly, but didn’t decide to fly the Osprey until he was in flight school as a Marine.
(Read More...)
10/01/2012
Will the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) being developed in India be equipped with an advanced radar system developed in Israel? The chances for that have increased in the recent days. Sources in India have informed that the Indian Air Force which is acquiring the LCA is interested in having it equipped with an AESA radar. Such a radar has been developed and is being produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries.
(Read More...)
All Articles