February 22, 2013 Military Aviation News

Pentagon fears drastic cuts with lack of spending bill

02/22/2013

Congress' failure to pass a spending bill for the Pentagon is causing almost as much concern as the automatic spending cuts that loom March 1, according to an internal document obtained by USA TODAY. The Pentagon operates under a stopgap spending plan that hews to the 2012 budget. That plan allocates more money to buying weapons than it does to more urgent priorities like maintenance and training.

New drone technology enhances accuracy

02/22/2013

The majority of the recent debate over unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs), more commonly called drones by the media, has focused on the political, ethical and legal questions regarding their use in war. Technology, though, plays a huge role in the utilization of drones for military applications.

Lockheed says JSF better and cheaper

02/22/2013

Lockheed Martin says the Joint Strike Fighter will be far better and cheaper than the current generation combat aircraft. Defence company Lockheed Martin has defended its controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), declaring it will be better than current combat aircraft, and cheaper.

Air Force Chief Says 70% of ALL Combat Aircraft 'Non Combat Capable By July'

02/22/2013

Imagine if someone told you 70 percent of all American combat aircraft would not be ready to fly in time of war by July. That's just what Air Force Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told some 600 people attending the Air Force Associations's annual winter conference this morning will happen should the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration occur.

The Rise of the Drones: From secretive surveillance weapon to controversial killers ...the unmanned planes which could soon be deployed in YOUR town

02/22/2013

Little more than ten years ago, they were barely known and barely used. The only people who really knew of their existence were military experts who used them for secretive surveillance missions. But following a decade of conflict fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, drones have become an essential and controversial tool for the U.S. military.

New military course for America

02/22/2013

Despite a decade of costly and indecisive warfare and mounting fiscal pressures, the long-standing consensus among American policymakers about United States grand strategy has remained remarkably intact. As the presidential campaign made clear, Republicans and Democrats may quibble over foreign policy at the margins, but they agree on the big picture: that the US should dominate the world militarily, economically, and politically.

BAE plots £1bn buyback but warns 3,500 US jobs at risk

02/22/2013

British defence giant BAE Systems plans to buy back £1bn of shares over the next three years, but has warned that 3,500 US jobs are threatened by spending cuts. FTSE 100 listed BAE said that had started a three-year buyback programme of up to £1bn, the full implementation of which is subject to a "satisfactory resolution" of its negotiations over its contract to supply Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Saudia Arabia.

Yemeni Air Force upset with government, US after two military plane crashes

02/22/2013

For the second time in less than three months, residents of the Yemeni capital were startled to hear that a military plane had fallen from the sky. The pilot of the transport plane that crashed in November was able to steer it towards an empty area before it was brought down by a technical problem, killing all 10 aboard. But yesterday’s crash proved more tragic, as a Yemeni fighter jet crashed directly into a residential neighborhood, killing 12, including two children.

UAE likely to buy 60 Eurofighter Typhoon jets

02/22/2013

The UAE is likely to purchase 60 Eurofighter Typhoon jets as a UAE military team had started negotiations with British company since December 2012 on “certain specifications to meet the requirements of the UAE Armed Forces”, a senior official said. “The UAE Armed Forces are in talks with us for a purchase of 60 Typhoon fighters,” Joe Parker, Eurofighter Director of Export, told the Gulf News in an interview.

Flawed F-35 Fighter Too Big to Kill as Lockheed Hooks 45 States

02/22/2013

The Pentagon envisioned the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as an affordable, state-of-the-art stealth jet serving three military branches and U.S. allies. Instead, the Lockheed Martin Corp. aircraft has been plagued by a costly redesign, bulkhead cracks, too much weight, and delays to essential software that have helped put it seven years behind schedule and 70 percent over its initial cost estimate. At almost $400 billion, it’s the most expensive weapons system in U.S. history.

All Articles