December 16, 2012 Military Aviation News

Britain's drone air force decimated by pilot error: Twelve crashes in combat zone reduce capacity to just 14 - at a cost of £30million

12/16/2012

Nearly half of Britain’s top-secret military drones deployed in Afghanistan have crashed – many because of pilot error. The alarming loss rate has raised concerns about British forces’ capability to wage a successful war against the Taliban. The Mail on Sunday has discovered that since drones were fully deployed in Afghanistan in 2007, 12 have been lost, costing the British taxpayer more than £30?million.

Norway Not Worried About Any Canadian Decision Not To Purchase F-35 – That Would Only Have A Marginal Effect on F-35 Costs

12/16/2012

Norway is solidly behind the purchase of the F-35 and doesn’t seem too worried if Canada doesn’t follow through with any acquisition of the plane. The Norwegians issued a statement a few days ago noting that the recent Canadian F-35 audit figures of more than $45 billion were the presentation of total acquisition costs over the lifetime of the aircraft.

Canada to consider buying other combat aircraft than American-made F-35 fighter

12/16/2012

Canada is considering buying fighter jets other than U.S.-made F-35's because of escalating costs associated with Lockheed Martin's (LMT) troubled Joint Strike Fighter program, the country's defense minister said Wednesday. Defense Minister Peter MacKay said the government needs to ensure a balance between military and taxpayer interests.

Crashes raise concern about Pakistani air force

12/16/2012

Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds. A significant number of the air force's combat aircraft are nearly half a century old and have been called on in recent years to help the army fight a domestic Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people.

Peru May Purchase 24 Combat Helicopters from Russia

12/16/2012

Peru intends to buy a consignment of 24 combat helicopters and eyes Russia as one of its potential suppliers along with France and the United States, Peruvian Defense Minister Pedro Cateriano said. “The purchase of 24 helicopters is currently under the consideration and we have three proposals…, we are considering proposals from France, the United States and Russia,” Cateriano said.

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