June, 2017 Military Aviation News
06/30/2017
The Air Force recently grounded some of its newest aircraft, F-35A strike fighters, due to incidents in which pilots became physiologically impaired with symptoms of oxygen deficiency while flying. Although the root cause of the F-35 incidents has not yet been established, the grounding has renewed attention on hypoxia, a physical condition caused by oxygen deficiency that may result in temporary cognitive and physiological impairment and possible loss of consciousness.
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06/30/2017
Germany and Norway have officially signed up to an effort led by European NATO members to jointly acquire and operate a pool of up to 11 Airbus Defence & Space A330 multi-role tanker transports (MRTT).
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06/30/2017
Airbus Group chief executive Tom Enders says the company is making progress in negotiations with users of the A400M, while propulsion system supplier Europrop International (EPI) has released further details of its essential "Pack 2" update.
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06/30/2017
Oman's first pair of Eurofighter Typhoons has arrived in the country, with the nation's air force staging a welcoming ceremony at its Adam air base on 21 June. The aircraft arrived following a ferry flight from BAE Systems' Warton final assembly site, having left the UK on 19 June.
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06/30/2017
The US Department of Defense said that US defense supplier Lockheed Martin won more than $18 million in foreign military sales to provide the United Arab Emirates with ground components for its THAAD system.
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06/28/2017
A missile defence role is emerging after 2023 for an unmanned air system (UAS) with the payload and range capability of today’s manned Lockheed Martin U-2S. The US Missile Defense Agency has released specifications for its next top priority: a high-altitude, long-endurance UAS that uses a high-energy laser weapon to shoot down ballistic missiles within seconds of launching.
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06/28/2017
With the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen – plus Lockheed Martin's incoming F-35 – dominating the fleets of many European nations, it would be easy to overlook the multiple other sales opportunities the continent holds for combat aircraft manufacturers.
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06/28/2017
Textron is demonstrating a 20mm cannon on its Scorpion twin-jet ahead of the US Air Force’s light attack OA-X experiment later this summer. In May, Textron Aviation confirmed the US Air Force invited its Beechcraft AT-6 turboprop and Scorpion jet to participate in the close air support demonstration this August at Holloman Air Force Base, Nevada. Sierra Nevada and Embraer will also fly the A-29 Super Tucano in the OA-X experiment, which will assess off-the-shelf options to fill a low-end fighter
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06/28/2017
China is sending its only aircraft carrier on a training mission to mark the 20th anniversary of Beijing’s takeover of Hong Kong. The Liaoning, China's sole aircraft carrier, has departed from its homeport of Qingdao for a training deployment that is projected to include a stop in Hong Kong, to observe the 20th anniversary of the handover of the former British territory to Beijing, according to a report from The Diplomat.
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06/28/2017
A lucrative aviation deal between US-India firms to manufacture F-16 fighter jets in the south Asian nation has attracted criticism that old technology is being "dumped." US defense contractor Lockheed Martin has taken further steps to secure a deal which would relocate the manufacture of F-16 fighter jets to India. News of the multi-billion dollar agreement with Indian industry giant Tata Group came as Indian Prime Minister Modi met with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.
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06/23/2017
Textron is demonstrating a 20mm cannon on its Scorpion twin-jet ahead of the US Air Force’s light attack OA-X experiment later this summer. In May, Textron Aviation confirmed the US Air Force invited its Beechcraft AT-6 turboprop and Scorpion jet to participate in the close air support demonstration this August at Holloman Air Force Base, Nevada. Sierra Nevada and Embraer will also fly the A-29 Super Tucano in the OA-X experiment, which will assess off-the-shelf options to fill a low-end fighter
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06/23/2017
Commenting on Russia winning the bid to supply its ship-based helicopters to Egypt, Russian military expert Viktor Litovkin said that the supply of the Ka-52Ks is part of Russia's large-scale return to the Egyptian market for military orders.
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06/23/2017
Indian authorities are planning to enhance the capabilities of the country's Air Force's Su-30 fighter jets with new weapons, including advanced missiles able to hit targets at longer range, local media reported Thursday.
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06/22/2017
While the Lockheed Martin F-35B will inevitably be the main attraction of the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, the service is expecting the rotary fleet to really come into its own through the deployment of the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin, plus other possible rotorcraft in the future.
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06/22/2017
Lockheed Martin recently tested a prototype from Rockwell Collins that could solve the F-35’s helmet-mounted display “green glow” issue, F-35 programme Jeff Babione told reporters at the Paris air show this week.
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06/22/2017
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is mulling a shorter test schedule for its Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion helicopter programme in an effort to save money, Sikorsky’s president said this week.
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06/22/2017
Embraer says flight testing is going well with its KC-390 tactical transport, as it gears up to deliver the first production aircraft to the Brazilian air force in 2018. The first two KC-390s, prototypes 001 and 002, have clocked over 1,000 flight hours, says Paulo Gastão Silva, vice-president of the KC-390 programme.
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06/22/2017
Boeing could put forward its Block 3 F/A-18 Super Hornet for the Finnish air force competition, assuming the recapitalisation lines up with Boeing’s Block 3 production for the US Navy. Earlier this month, the US Navy signed an agreement to upgrade the service’s Super Hornet fleet to the Block 3 configuration. The potential configuration could include conformal fuel tanks, infrared search and track (IRST21), a centreline pod with an infrared telescope, and advanced cockpit, Boeing says.
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06/22/2017
An unusual uptick in activity at North Korea’s underground nuclear testing facilities picked up by US foreign signals intelligence may mean another nuclear test is imminent. According to Jerusalem Online, Washington is growing concerned that the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will launch yet another test of its nuclear weapons when senior Chinese leaders arrive in Washington for meetings with US leadership on Wednesday.
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06/21/2017
The Eurofighter programme hit a new high at the Paris air show, with the Typhoon having its busiest ever operational year and further sales prospects coming into view. Raffael Klaschka, Eurofighter's head of marketing, announced at the show that Eurofighter operators have exceeded a combined 400,000 flight hours with the multirole aircraft.
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06/21/2017
MiG is pressing ahead with testing of its MiG-35 fighter, and expects the programme to be completed by the end of 2017. "Flight tests are going well, and the Russian government is satisfied with progress," says Anastasia Kravchenko, publications director of RAC MiG.
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06/21/2017
The US Air Force is continuing its investigation into oxygen issues on its F-35As at Luke AFB, Arizona, including examining why the problem appears to be confined to one air base. Luke AFB’s F-35As have been grounded since 9 June, after five pilots experienced “hypoxia-like symptoms” over the previous month.
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06/21/2017
Previous low availability of South African Air Force (SAAF) Saab Gripen C/Ds has been overcome by bringing stored aircraft back into service, says Lt Col Josias Mashaba, commanding officer of the service's 2 Sqn.
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06/21/2017
A Russian Su-27 fighter jet flew within five feet of a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft on Monday over the Baltic Sea, according to a US official, an encounter that was assessed to be "unsafe." The Russian plane was armed and flew "erratically," the official added, noting that the maneuvers were deemed unsafe due in part to the proximity of the aircraft.
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06/21/2017
The U.S. military shot down an armed Syrian government–operated drone Tuesday after it was seen “advancing on coalition forces” and displaying “hostile intent,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The drone, downed near a combat outpost in the town of At-Tanf, was the second one shot down by U.S. forces in 12 days; the downing comes as Pentagon officials are working to defuse heightened tensions in southeastern Syria.
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06/20/2017
Lockheed Martin has committed to manufacturing the F-16 in India should it win the air force’s single-engined fighter competition, and has signed a deal with Tata Advanced Systems to carry out this work in-country.
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06/20/2017
A US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet shot down a Syrian air force Sukhoi Su-22 in an engagement over Syria on 18 June. The US aircraft had been supporting Syrian opposition forces near Ja'Din, south of Tabqah, when the Su-22 released bombs against them.
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06/20/2017
Israeli defence firm Rafael is reaching the end of the development process for its Spice 250 air-to-ground weapons system. The first units will be delivered to customers early next year, says Yuval Miller, general manager of the company's Air & C4ISR Systems division. The weapon carries a warhead in the 250kg (550lb) class and, using winglets, can glide to targets up to 54nm (100km) away from the launch platform.
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06/20/2017
Bell Helicopter will this year deliver its military rotorcraft to international customers for the first time in 20 years, a move the US airframer believes will mark its return to the global stage. "I hate to use the phrase 'we are back', but we are back," says Bell vice-president of military sales Rich Harris.
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06/20/2017
The Wing Loong II is an updated version of the Wing Loong I. According to AVIC, the Wing Loong II has a maximum take-off weight of 4,200kg (9,260lb), nearly four times greater than its predecessor. It also has six hard points, compared with just two for its sibling.
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06/20/2017
Reports that Moscow demanded an additional $7 billion from Deli for the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) joint project are not true, the head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said Monday.
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06/19/2017
Russia on Monday condemned the American military’s downing of a Syrian warplane, suspending the use of a military hotline that Washington and Moscow have used to avoid collisions in Syrian airspace and threatening to target aircraft flown by the United States and its allies over Syria. The moves were the most recent example of an intensifying clash of words and interests between the two powers, which support different sides in the yearslong war in Syria.
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06/19/2017
China has ended production on the J-7, meaning that we have seen the last MiG-21 variant roll the assembly line. Croatia and Romania will dispose of their Fishbeds in the next five years. After a spate of accidents, India is finally retiring its MiG-21s (assuming it can ever actually acquire or produce a replacement). Chinese J-7s have been relegated to local defense and training duties.
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06/19/2017
Russian jet fighters, missiles racing through the sky and great plumes of smoke. Thankfully, this is not the beginning of World War Three but, rather, an aerial tournament, known as Aviadarts. The self-styled 'military Olympics' competition is designed to test flight skills and precision shooting and is being held this year at the Pogonovo range in the Voronezh region, south of Moscow.
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06/19/2017
Italian defence group Leonardo SpA on Sunday unveiled the new fighter attack version of its M-346 advanced trainer, saying many air forces had already expressed interest in the planes, especially in Asia and South America. Leonardo, which presented the new fighter variant at the Paris Air Show, said the M-346 fighter would be equipped with the Grifo multi-mode fire control radar, also built by Leonardo.
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06/19/2017
German Tornado fighter jets will resume their flights over Syria in October after the relocation of the Bundeswehr military detachment from Incirlik base in Turkey to Jordan, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview with German newspaper BILD am SONNTAG.
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06/19/2017
A few days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, the Indian defense ministry has scrapped a naval multi-role helicopter deal with US firm Sikorsky after failing to reach an agreement on price since 2014.
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06/19/2017
The US-led international anti-terrorist coalition confirmed bringing down the Syrian government forces aircraft earlier, adding that the plane had been bombing US-backed opposition forces' troops. The coalition claims that it prevented the Syrian forces from advancing to the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) south of Tabqah by shooting down the aircraft.
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06/17/2017
Although its combined defence spending is dwarfed by the USA’s fiscal might, Europe currently has an embarrassment of riches in the fighter sector, with three models toughing it out for export deals.
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06/17/2017
Qatar has signed a deal for 36 Boeing F-15QA fighter aircraft. The deal is reportedly worth $12 billion, according to media reports quoting official Qatari sources. The deal was finalised in Washington DC by Qatari defence minister Khalid Al Attiyah and US defence secretary Jim Mattis.
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06/17/2017
The US Navy and industry will pursue a next-generation on board oxygen generator system (OBOGS) while the service implements fixes to mitigate persistent oxygen and pressurization issues on its Boeing/BAE Systems T-45 trainers and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
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06/17/2017
The alleged death of Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a Russian Aerospace Forces strike could help facilitate the liberation of its stronghold of Raqqa in northern Syria, a senior Russian senator told Sputnik.
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06/15/2017
US Navy pilots flying T-45 Goshawk trainers and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets continue to struggle with oxygen problems, yet the service has found no root cause to date. The navy grounded its T-45s indefinitely after pilots reported oxygen deprivation. T-45 instructors, but not students, were allowed returned to flying in April but under restrictions.
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06/15/2017
After testing a beach landing capability with a Royal Air Force A400M earlier this month, Airbus Defence & Space says it is on track to qualify a redesigned helicopter refuelling system, roll-out a final solution to a power gearbox problem and resolve a dispute over penalties caused by delivery delays.
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06/15/2017
Israel's air force has temporarily grounded its Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, after a crack was found in one of their tail rotors during a routine check. The decision was made by air force commander Maj Gen Amir Eshel, pending an investigation. The cracked tail rotor has been sent to the service's central maintenance unit to undergo a series of tests.
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06/15/2017
The Department of Defense announced that Raytheon has been awarded a more than $82-million contract to produce AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and supporting equipment. Raytheon has been awarded a more than $82-million contract to produce AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and supporting equipment for the US Navy as well as for Poland, Romania, Belgium and Indonesia, the Department of Defense announced in a press release.
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06/15/2017
According to Russian Defense Ministry, tactical and naval aviation exercises kicked off in the Western Military District. "The joint flight and tactical exercise of the operational-tactical aviation of the Baltic Fleet's Air Force and Air Defense and naval aviation units kicked off in the Western Military District. Pilots of the operational-tactical aviation from [Russia's western] Voronezh Region started practicing joint actions with fighters of the Baltic Sea Fleet's naval aviation over the Ba
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06/14/2017
The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) inked an order for five Mil Mi-171Sh helicopters from Russian Helicopters on Monday, June 12. In a statement released by Bangladesh’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the agreement was signed at the BAF Air Headquarters with the BAF leadership and Russian Embassy officials in attendance. In December, Bangladesh’s Minister of Law Anisul Huq disclosed that several big-ticket acquisitions will be finalized in the fiscal year of 2016-2017.
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06/14/2017
After more than two months, the Navy still has no idea what is causing serious problems with the oxygen systems in its training aircraft and fighters. “We’re not doing well on the diagnosis,” Vice Adm. Paul A. Grosklags, commander of Naval Air Systems, told lawmakers on Tuesday. “To date, we have been unable to find any smoking gun.”
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06/14/2017
About a quarter of the F-35 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin Corp., or 55 planes, have stopped flying until further notice because of irregularities in pilots’ oxygen supplies, US Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said Monday.
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06/14/2017
Boeing is eliminating 50 executive positions from its defence, space and security security as part of an effort to limit a layer of bureaucratic management. Boeing executive vice-president Leanne Caret announced the move 13 June but the reorganization will take effect 1 July. Boeing military aircraft and network and space systems will be broken up into four smaller entities reporting directly to Caret.
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06/14/2017
The first F-35 fighter jet assembled in Japan completed its maiden flight, local media reported Tuesday. The aircraft's test flight from an airport in Japan's central Aichi prefecture took about two hours, Japan's NHK broadcaster reported. The Japanese Defense Ministry officials who checked the plane's functions, noted the aircraft's ability to maneuver and said everything was functioning normally, the reports added.
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06/13/2017
Russia will modernize its Su-35S fighter jets with due account for their performance in the ongoing operation in Syria, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said. Aviation expert Viktor Pryadka told Sputnik what remains to be done to make the Su-35S “perfect for export.”
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06/12/2017
The United Arab Emirates has violated a United Nations arms embargo by providing attack helicopters, attack aircraft and armoured vehicles to forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, Middle East Eye can reveal.
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06/12/2017
Unspecified American military aircraft struck a terrorist nerve center in Somalia on Sunday, an operation believed to have killed eight al-Qaida loyalists who've staged repeated attacks on U.S. allies in the region.
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06/12/2017
The Indian Air Force will hold limited trials of the American F-16 and Swedish Saab Gripen fighter aircraft for selecting the foreign partner to build 120 combat planes under the Make in India project. The total worth of the deal is estimated to be around $20 billion (Rs 1.3 lakh crore).
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06/10/2017
The first export variant of China's new FTC-2000 pilot trainer/fighter aircraft has rolled off an assembly line and will be shipped to Sudan after testing. The FTC-2000 Shanying was developed by the Guizhou Aviation Industry Corporation under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It is the main advanced trainer used by the PLA Air Force and the PLA Navy.
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06/10/2017
After five oxygen deprivation incidents, the US Air Force has temporarily canceled Lockheed Martin F-35A flying operations at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Since 2 May, five F-35A pilots at Luke have reported “hypoxia-like symptoms,” said the USAF on 9 June.
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06/10/2017
The Portuguese government has started formal negotiations with Embraer to buy five KC-390 twinjet tanker-transports with an option for a sixth aircraft. The talks are expected to last for the next three months, defining the detailed configuration for the Portuguese air force, delivery dates and payment schedules. Also included in the negotiations is a full flight simulator, spares and other support services.
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06/10/2017
A week before the Paris air show, the head of Airbus Defence & Space's military aircraft division has called on France to participate in the development of a new airborne weapon system proposed by Germany and Spain to succeed the Eurofighter Typhoon.
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06/10/2017
Today's air show in Helsinki will become one of the most exciting and ambitious events of Finland's centenary, as fighter jets will fly over the Finnish capital. However, the air show will also serve as a demonstration, as the Finnish air force is currently in the process of choosing a new fighter jet.
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06/09/2017
The incidents are part of a steady escalation of the U.S. military’s role in Syria — one that runs the risk of putting American forces on a collision course with Iran, a close Syrian ally. The Pentagon is not sure Iranian military piloted the aircraft. “It was clearly meant as an attack,” U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the Baghdad-based spokesman for the campaign against Islamic State, told reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference. “We do not see it as a warning shot.”
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06/09/2017
The US Air Force expects Boeing to deliver the first of its KC-46A tankers in the "late spring" of 2018, several months after a previously planned date during September 2017. Following an annual KC-46A schedule risk assessment earlier this week, the USAF determined that slower-than-expected progress in the flight test programme and Boeing’s ability to achieve US Federal Aviation Administration certifications would delay the first delivery by several months.
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06/09/2017
BAE Systems has performed the first flight of its Advanced Hawk trainer, testing a series of enhancements which could equip new-build examples or be added as upgrades to in-service aircraft. The debut was performed from the company's Warton, Lancashire site on 7 June.
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06/09/2017
A Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft operated by the Myanmar air force has crashed, with around 100 persons likely to have perished. Media reports indicate that about 120 were aboard when the four-engined aircraft crashed in the Andaman Sea about 70km off the coast. The aircraft had departed Myeik at 13:06 local time, and lost contact about half an hour later.
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06/09/2017
The German Defense Ministry plans to move its 260 military personnel, Tornado jet fighters and a flying tank from the Incirlik airbase in Turkey to the Al Arzak airbase in Jordan. The current deployment of a German military contingent at the Konya air force base in Turkey will not be affected by the planned pullout from Incirlik though.
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06/09/2017
A new report from the Pentagon suggests China’s ongoing military expansion into friendly nations may reach Pakistan. The report also notes that instead of acquiring new land for man-made islands in the South China Sea, Beijing is opting to build up reefs with military facilities and extend existing runways.
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06/06/2017
The U.S. military's Central Command says it has "no plans to change our posture in Qatar" amid a Gulf diplomatic crisis. Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway told The Associated Press in a statement Monday that U.S. military aircraft continue to fly missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria despite the rift. "We encourage all our partners in the region to reduce tensions and work towards common solutions that enable regional security," the major said.
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06/06/2017
Lockheed Martin’s overseas production facility has dropped the curtain on its first $100-million F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The fifth-generation fighter jet was displayed on Monday in Toyoyama, Japan, a city about 6,483 miles from the US F-35 manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plant assembled the aircraft, according to Jiji Press.
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06/06/2017
Three members of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – have severed diplomatic relations with Doha in response to allegations revelations Qatar finances terrorist groups. Egypt, the Maldives and Yemen have followed suit. However, a regional expert has told Sputnik the move is be a smokescreen.
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06/06/2017
Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company will produce two modifications of the T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft in 2017, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said.
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06/05/2017
The U.S. Air Force is slated to get a more than 150 percent boost of $600 million in the Pentagon's proposed 2018 budget for operations in Europe, the sharpest increase among the services as the military seeks to intensify efforts aimed at countering Russia.
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06/05/2017
Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies,. has announced the successful completion of performance testing of its Fuel Burn Reduction Demonstrator Engine, which could ultimately improve the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35.
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06/05/2017
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to buy only brand-new military equipment to fight terrorism, rather than accepting second-hand weapons from the United States.
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06/04/2017
Russia is resuming the production of the famous Tu-160 strategic bomber in a modernized version - the Tu-160M2, with the first engines and other structural elements already being built, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during a teleconference in Moscow.
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06/04/2017
Russia’s Defense Ministry will get 14 Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopters by the end of this year. The choppers have been tested during the operation in Syria. Russia’s Defense Ministry will get 14 Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopters by the end of this year, with a total of 50 choppers entering service by 2020, the deputy defense minister said Saturday.
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06/03/2017
Ask Garry Venman and he’ll tell you that it’s an exciting time to be an air combat training provider. Venman, who is the executive vice-president of business development and government relations at Discovery Air Defence (DA Defence), spoke to Skies during the 2017 CANSEC tradeshow in Ottawa, hosted by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).
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06/03/2017
The Navy has asked lawmakers for additional aircraft, warfighting capability improvements and facilities upgrades if more money were to become available to the service, with the release of its Fiscal Year 2018 Unfunded Priorities List.
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06/03/2017
The US Air Force’s unfunded priorities list includes $1.7 billion for 14 additional Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft, as well as additional funds for increased Boeing KC-46 tanker procurement.
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06/03/2017
Pratt & Whitney has verified that an unfunded upgrade for the 40,000lb-thrust-class F135 engine could increase the thrust of the Lockheed Martin F-35 by 6-10% and reduce fuel consumption by 5-6%, the company announces on 31 May.
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06/03/2017
The 2017 iteration of the NATO Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) will include a US E-3 Sentry aircraft, better known as the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), which has not participated in the exercise in 20 years, the Air Force said in a press release.
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