April 29, 2014 Military Aviation News

ROMANIAN MILITARY UNITS MOVING TOWARDS UKRAINIAN BORDER

04/29/2014

According to information available, in Romania military units are moving towards the eastern borders – a military echelon loaded with anti-aircraft guns, trucks and ground -to- air missile systems has moved via Bucharest towards the Black Sea port of Constanta. The military units are needed for conducting joint military exercises with the participation of the US servicemen and four American F-16 fighter jets, according to the Romanian Defense Ministry officials told newsmen.

US Pacific Command Plans Responses for Unilateral Chinese Coercion

04/29/2014

The United States has a vested interest in maintaining the strategic status quo in the Asia-Pacific given that its position as a power in the region could be undermined should China succeed in changing the regional security landscape. As anxiety has grown about China’s intentions following an increase in tensions over the Senkaku/Dioayu dispute between it and Japan, and a host of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Russia Ready to Discuss Ukraine Within Framework of Security Cooperation Forum

04/29/2014

Moscow is ready to discuss military aspects of the crisis in Ukraine within the framework of the OSCE’s Forum for Security Cooperation, the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control said Monday. However, the discussions should not be linked to chapter three of the Vienna document, which defines mechanisms for consultation and cooperation regarding unusual military activities, the ministry said.

USAF receives first CONECT-upgraded B-52 bomber

04/29/2014

The US Air Force (USAF) has received into service the first of 76 B-52H Stratofortress bombers to go through the Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) digital data suite upgrade. The aircraft was accepted during a ceremony at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana, on 25 April after having gone through the nine-month upgrade at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex located at Tinker AFB.

India: Urgent Defense Reforms Needed

04/29/2014

On April 2, India’s outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, told a conference that: “As a responsible nuclear weapon state that remains committed to non-proliferation, India supports the idea of a nuclear-weapon-free world because we believe that it enhances not just India’s security, but also global security.”

Bulgaria downsizes army to free cash for air force

04/29/2014

Bulgaria's defense minister has announced job cuts in the army to free funds for the modernization of the armed forces. Angel Naydenov said Monday that the army will be downsized by 1,300 servicemen by the end of this year and called the purchase of new combat aircraft "the most urgent task" which should have government approval by mid-year.

How the Israelis got their hands on an Iraqi Mig-21 Fishbed

04/29/2014

Built in more than 11,000 examples and acquired by countless countries around the globe, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was introduced in several Arab arsenals in the early 1960s, becoming the most modern among the Soviet jets flown in the Middle East in that period.

Britain dispatching 4 fighter jets to patrol airspace over Baltic states

04/29/2014

Britain is dispatching four Typhoon fighter jets to patrol the airspace of Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, British media said Monday. They will perform their patrolling mission alongside with six fighter jets of the Polish Air Force and will serve as a replacement for six F15 jets of the US Air Force.

Is the Joint Strike Fighter the right aircraft for Australia?

04/29/2014

The Australian Government's mission to upgrade the defence force fleet of ageing aircraft with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been controversial since it began more than a decade ago. Australia formally began looking for options to replace its F/A-18 and F-111 aircraft in May 1999 with the creation of project AIR 6000 – New Air Combat Capability. Phase 2, a Project Definition Study, was to commence in the 2002/03 financial year with a final decision expected around 2005/06.

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