April 18, 2013 Military Aviation News
04/18/2013
The increasing costs of the new U.S. F-35 fighter are scaring off foreign buyers. The latest country to express doubts about the cost and effectiveness of the F-35 versus their current jet fighters (often F-16s) is the Netherlands. Although the Dutch are buying two F-35s for evaluation, it’s already been noted that the F-35 costs 60 percent more (than the F-16, per flight hour) to operate.
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04/18/2013
Not only Syrian air defenses worried Israel when its warplanes bombed a suspected Hezbollah-bound arms convoy near Damascus on Jan. 30. Also probing the skies were the radars of an unfriendly NATO member close by: Turkey. That helped persuade Israel to end its almost three-year rift with Ankara in a U.S.-brokered reconciliation on March 22.
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04/18/2013
A senior executive at U.S. defense company Raytheon has ruled out the possibility of a U.S. governmental or congressional blockade against the delivery of a critical air defense and anti-missile system, dubbed as T-LORAMIDS, if Turkey chose the Patriot solution in multi-billion dollar international bidding.
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04/18/2013
The CH-47 Chinook’s reputation as the Army’s workhorse is built on solid ground as the government-contractor team behind the heavylift cargo helicopter continues to improve its capabilities. During a media roundtable Thursday that was conducted with members of the media primarily on teleconference to the Army Aviation Association of America annual professional forum and exposition at the Fort Worth, Texas, Convention Center.
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04/18/2013
An influential Senate Democrat on Wednesday said Congress should pass a plan that would void pending cuts to the Pentagon’s 2014 budget if Washington fails this year to craft a “grand bargain” fiscal deal. The 2011 Budget Control Act mandated that Congress and President Barack Obama would need to agree on a $1.2 trillion package of deficit-cutting measures or twin $500 billion defense and domestic cuts would be triggered.
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04/18/2013
F-15 test pilots at Robins are learning to use futuristic helmet technology. The pilots are being trained in the use of electronic helmets that essentially put the heads-up display inside the helmet, which they say offers many advantages in combat. Information such as speed, heading, altitude and the location of friendly and enemy aircraft is projected onto the helmet visor.
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04/18/2013
South Korea on Wednesday selected Boeing's AH-64E Apache Guardian to replace its aging Army helicopters, the Defense Acquisition Procurement Administration (DAPA) said. Under the 1.8 trillion won (US$1.6 billion) contract, U.S. firm Boeing will supply 36 Apache Guardians for Army battalions by 2018, along with training and logistical support, DAPA said.
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04/18/2013
Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), and Representative Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, encouraging the agency to consider the use of the Air Force's soon-to-be retired C-27J aircraft to fight wildland fires in the Rocky Mountain Region, including the Black Hills National Forest. The Air Force plans to divest the C-27J aircraft as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act Implementation Plan.
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04/18/2013
The budget at Keesler Air Force Base has been cut 20 percent by sequestration, grounding planes and reducing training, Brig. Gen. Brad Spacy said Tuesday. The commander of the 81st Training Wing spoke about the effects of sequestration at the Biloxi Chamber's Morning Call at Edgewater Mall. He said one of the biggest challenges is the across-the-board cuts came so late in the budget year.
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