December 20, 2013 Military Aviation News
12/20/2013
Pakistan rolled out its 50th JF-17 Thunder Block I multi-role combat aircraft Wednesday and will now begin construction of the next batch of 50 which will be of the Block II standard.
The 50th example of the Sino-Pakistani fighter was rolled out during a ceremony at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in the town of Kamra not far from the capital Islamabad. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, and Chinese dignitaries were in attendance.
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12/20/2013
BAE Systems suffered a bruising setback after Britain’s negotiations to supply 60 Typhoon fighter jets to the UAE collapsed and pricing talks on a separate deal with Saudi Arabia stalled. It is a double blow for Britain and Europe’s biggest defence company which had hoped a win in the UAE would solidify its position as one of the biggest suppliers of combat aircraft to the Gulf region. BAE already has contracts for Typhoons with Saudi Arabia and Oman, and is in talks with Bahrain.
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12/20/2013
World's lightest and India developed supersonic fighter Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is battle-ready for testing by its air force pilots three decades after it was conceived, designed and developed with cost overruns and inordinate delays. "The home-grown aircraft is ready for flight tests by Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots to assess its air prowess and strike power," state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) director PS Subramanian told ahead of its IOC on Friday at New Delhi.
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12/20/2013
After a decade of discussion, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff announced Wednesday the acquisition of 36 Gripen NG fighter jets, from Sweden’s Saab (STO:SAAB-B), for the FX-2 program of the Brazilian Air Force. Defense Minister Celso Amorim and Gen. Juniti Saito, the air force's chief of staff, said at a press conference after the official announcement that the planes will be delivered in 4 years. The total cost of the deal will be $4.5 billion.
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12/20/2013
Alright folks, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mk-I is all set to achieve Initial Operational Clearance-2 on December 20. Forget the critics, this combat jet is now all set to be flown by serving pilots of the Indian Air force (IAF) who are going to miss the Mig-21 FL a lot less once they get their hands on this baby.
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12/20/2013
In cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-2 aft and leading edge flaps as part of a restoration plan to replenish Japan’s F-2 fleet. Eighteen Japanese F-2B fighter aircraft based at Matsushima Air Base were destroyed during a tsunami that hit the nation in March 2011.
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12/20/2013
Boeing delivered the 500th Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) to the U.S. Air Force this month, completing the contract for the low-collateral-damage weapon 100 percent on time and on cost. “This Direct Attack FLM team not only delivered to our customer with remarkable efficiency, but also provided an important tool to protect the lives of U.S. and coalition forces around the world,” said Gary Rodenberg, Small Diameter Bomb program manager for Boeing.
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12/20/2013
It could take Russia about three years to complete the development of a fifth-generation attack helicopter and start testing its prototype, a defense industry official said Wednesday.
The Mi-28NM, a modernized version of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that is being upgraded to standards of a fifth-generation aircraft, has been in development since 2008.
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12/20/2013
The Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC), led by the UAE Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre, aims to make sure the UAE and its allies can operate together effectively to support security in the Gulf. Following the exercise the commander of the RAF’s 83 Expeditionary Air Group praised the UAE’s ‘first-class’ training.
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