November, 2018 Military Aviation News
11/30/2018
Capt. Jonathan “Holster” Morgan was on a routine training mission slicing through clear blue sky over Washington. He had lifted off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 9:13 a.m. on a spring day in 2017, heading to a Pennsylvania shooting range with three other F-16s to practice bombing runs. Less than a minute into the air, his jet accelerated faster than he had ever felt. Warning lights flashed in the cockpit. “Lead,” Morgan radioed to his commander, “my engine’s giving out.”
(Read More...)
11/30/2018
China has indeed long depicted the J-20 as a competitor to America’s fifth-generation jets, the F-22 and F-35. But a new report casts doubt on those claims. Specifically, the Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that “China rushed its first advanced stealth fighter jet into service ahead of schedule last year, using stopgap engines, in the face of rising security challenges in the region.” According to SCMP, that “means its capabilities will be severely limited.
(Read More...)
11/30/2018
The US Air Force awarded Sierra Nevada a $329 million foreign military sales contract to build 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force, which are intended for use against Boko Haram and ISIS.
(Read More...)
11/29/2018
Russia and Ukraine have embarked on one of their most tense encounters since Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula amid political unrest in 2014, prompting politicians and experts to speculate on the prospect of open warfare between the two rivals.
(Read More...)
11/29/2018
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s Cabinet has approved an 81 million leva project to overhaul eight MiG-29 fighter jets and a 99 million leva project to overhaul Su-25 fighter-bombers, a government statement on November 28 said. The move, involving proposed spending of more than 183 million leva (about 93.5 million euro) on overhauling the Bulgarian Air Force’s ageing Soviet-made combat aircraft comes as a process to choose a modern Nato-standard fighter jet is pending.
(Read More...)
11/29/2018
Tokyo is reportedly considering the acquisition of an additional 100 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters, adding to the 42 F-35As already planned. According to an unsourced report in Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, Tokyo would spread the acquisition between the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A variant and the short take off vertical landing F-35B.
(Read More...)
11/29/2018
Helicopter manufacturers are circling an upcoming Japanese requirement for over 50 attack helicopters. A request for information in May elicited responses from Bell, Boeing, Leonardo Helicopters, Airbus Helicopters, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. While the requirement was previously designated AH-X, this appears to have changed to NAH for ‘New Attack Helicopter.’ The deal is aimed at replacing the AH-1S, and possibly other types in service with the Japan Ground Self Defence Force.
(Read More...)
11/28/2018
Japan is considering upgrading its helicopter carriers to enable them to transport and launch fighter jets and include the decision in its new defense guidelines, a government source said Tuesday, indicating a departure from the country's strictly defense-oriented policy. The government is looking to upgrade the Izumo, a flat-top destroyer that currently accommodates helicopters, as it sees having an aircraft carrier as indispensable in the face of China's maritime assertiveness.
(Read More...)
11/28/2018
The United States’ often-fraught relations with NATO ally Turkey, which have enjoyed a relative upswing in the wake of American cleric Andrew Brunson’s release from a Turkish prison last month, face another possible nose-dive in the near future. U.S. lawmakers have threatened to demand the Trump administration delay or cancel delivery of F-35 stealth fighter aircraft the Turks help build and have already paid for, if Turkey does not void its purchase of a sophisticated Russian missile system.
(Read More...)
11/28/2018
An interesting “close encounter” in the Black Sea was captured on video. During the filming of a documentary, UK’s Channel 5 captured interesting footage of a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer “buzzed” by Russian fighter jets off the coast of Crimea, in May 2018. The video, embedded below via the Daily Mail, indeed shows several Russian Navy (and probably Air Force) jets, including Su-30SM Flanker derivative and Su-24 Fencer jets flying in the vicinity of HMS Duncan.
(Read More...)
11/28/2018
Boeing could soon secure a fresh order for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter after the US State Department approved a possible 10-unit sale to Egypt. To be acquired via the Foreign Military Sales process, the deal is worth an estimated $1 billion.
(Read More...)
11/27/2018
According to news24.jp, Japan is officially has decided to buy vertical takeoff F-35B Lightning II aircraft to operate from its Izumo-class helicopter destroyers. The newspaper said that the government has decided to procure the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft which could be operated from a modified Izumo class ship and Island bases.
(Read More...)
11/27/2018
Commonly known as Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, or BACN, the E-11A is a U.S. Air Force aircraft that provides unparalleled communications capabilities to coalition forces on the ground and aircraft in the air.
(Read More...)
11/27/2018
Earlier this month, the Air Force buying command responsible for developing a next-generation ejection seat to be installed on combat aircraft issued a curious request for information. It solicited industry inputs concerning whether the safety standards the service has established are too hard to meet.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/27/2018
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have demonstrated specially-programmed UAVs collaborating and executing a mission autonomously after electronic warfare disrupted their communications link with a human controller.
(Read More...)
11/27/2018
Lockheed Martin has received a $108 million contract for phase two of its Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II Infrared Search and Track (IRST) upgrade program. The contract pays for the development, platform integration, flight test, and qualification of IRST21 Block II sensor system on the US Navy’s jet and was awarded by the aircraft’s manufacturer Boeing. The Block II upgrade enhances the IRST system’s ability to detect and track enemy aircraft at greater ranges.
(Read More...)
11/27/2018
Saab's Gripen E flight-test programme made a significant advance on 26 November, when a second aircraft joined the activity. Flown from the Swedish manufacturer's Linkoping site, test aircraft 39-9 completed a 33min debut sortie, more than 17 months after its first example had taken to the air, in June 2017.
(Read More...)
11/26/2018
There is no evidence that China has ever contemplated using its nuclear weapons to coerce another state. Instead, China has maintained a “no first use policy” on nuclear weapons. Surprising as it may sound to many, China wants to build an image of itself as a responsible power.
(Read More...)
11/26/2018
As a stealth bomber engineered during the height of the Cold War, the B-2 was designed to elude Soviet air defenses and strike enemy targets – without an enemy ever knowing the aircraft was even there. In a special interview designed to offer a rare look into the technologies and elements of the B-2, Mickelson - who flew B-2 bombing missions over Libya in 2011 - explained that the platform has held up and remained very effective – given that it was designed and built during the 80s.
(Read More...)
11/26/2018
As fighter jets roared off the flight deck and darted above the South China Sea, visitors onboard the carrier USS Ronald Reagan raised their phones for the inevitable selfies. Among those clicking souvenir images was a lieutenant general from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, who was part of a VIP guest list as the carrier moved through contested waters.
(Read More...)
11/26/2018
The sudden intrusion by the Ukrainian ships prompted Russia to deploy it’s naval assets, along with military aircraft and combat helicopters, in order to contain the situation which Russian Federal Security Service described as “provocation.”
(Read More...)
11/25/2018
"In short, big planes still confer big advantages for air forces interested in strike capabilities. But fighters, whether of the legacy or the stealth variety, will continue to pose a major obstacle for any bomber trying to reach its target."
(Read More...)
11/25/2018
A half-dozen F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets arrived here Tuesday as aircraft and personnel from units of the 325th Fighter Wing at hurricane-damaged Tyndall Air Force Base began their operational transition. In all, 31 Raptors are headed to Eglin Air Force Base as Tyndall some 70 miles to the east continues to rebuild in the wake of last month’s Category 4 Hurricane Michael, which made a direct hit on Tyndall on Oct. 10, according to Eglin spokesman Andy Bourland.
(Read More...)
11/25/2018
The Russian military has been showcasing its latest fifth-generation jet fighter, but the U.S. will continue to maintain its advantage in the aerial battlespace. Lately, the Russian military deployed the Su-57 to Syria in an attempt to test its capabilities and performance in combat conditions. During the flights, the Russian pilots tested the aircraft’s on-board systems, data management and coordination software, and the overall performance (for example, arming a weapon in extreme temperatures)
(Read More...)
11/24/2018
Announcing that France and Germany were pressing ahead with development studies for a joint future fighter, French defence minister Florence Parly signed off her Tweet with a flourish. "Ca avance!" she wrote; "It's moving!"
(Read More...)
11/24/2018
A new Rand Corporation report has highlighted China’s development of modern airpower capabilities in the context of its perceived rivalry with the USA. The report notes that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the industrial base supporting it has taken great strides in the last two decades.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/23/2018
The air forces of 13 nations including the United States are taking part this week in air combat exercises and non-conventional warfare training at a base in northern Brazil, the Brazilian Air Force said on Wednesday. Some 100 planes are involved in the so-called Southern Cross or CruzEx exercises, including six F-16 from the Texas Air National Guard alongside aircraft from Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Peru and Uruguay.
(Read More...)
11/22/2018
Embraer successfully completed a test of troop unloading and evacuation via the front and rear doors of its KC-390 at Brasília Air Force Base, in Brazil on 21 November. The tests are required for the aircraft to achieve Final Operational Capability, which is part of the final military certification of the aircraft, expected to occur in the last quarter of 2019, Embraer says. The KC-390 is a medium-sized military transport aircraft powered by two International Aero Engines V2500 turbofans.
(Read More...)
11/22/2018
France and Germany are progressing their plans to develop a next-generation combat aircraft and will launch demonstrator programmes for the aircraft and engine in mid-2019. Announcing the move on Twitter, French defence minister Florence Parly said the partners have taken a "decisive step" to build on June's decision to pursue the joint effort.
(Read More...)
11/21/2018
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of CF-18 fighter aircraft is unable to meet its commitments to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) due to a lack of pilots and technicians, according to a report by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/20/2018
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II dropped a GBU-49 precision bomb for the first time in combat training at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The test on 7 November was conducted by the US Air Force 388th Fighter Wing’s 34th Fighter Squadron, which is stationed at Hill AFB, Utah. The GBU-49 is made by Raytheon. It is a converted “dumb” bomb that uses a laser and GPS to be guided to its target. The precision weapon can be used in a variety of weather conditions, against moving or stationary tar
(Read More...)
11/20/2018
The US Air Force selected two maintenance bases for the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma and Edwards AFB, California. The bases will coordinate maintenance and sustainment of the long-range stealth bomber, leading testing and evaluation of the aircraft, which is expected to be delivered in the mid-2020s, says the USAF.
(Read More...)
11/20/2018
Finland has held initial negotiations with five potential bidders for its H-X contest aimed at replacing the country's fleet of 62 Boeing F/A-18C/Ds. Project manager Lauri Puranen, writing in a blog post on the Finnish defence ministry website, says all five airframers involved were invited to participate in "pre-bid dialogue".
(Read More...)
11/20/2018
Tokyo continues to weigh options for procuring a successor to the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter, but technology and cost are concerns. The programme is certain to be in focus at Japan Aerospace in late November, as aerospace manufacturers pitch options and know-how. For its part, Tokyo's Acquisition, Technology, & Logistics Agency, the defence ministry, the Japan Air Self Defense Force and Japanese industry are still weighing options.
(Read More...)
11/19/2018
Russia’s Zvezda TV channel “accidentally” exposed model of a secret hypersonic 6th-generation fighter jet. In a live broadcast of the Zvezda TV Channel was revealed a model of modern Russian-made hypersonic 6th-generation fighter jet that is likely in unmanned version.
(Read More...)
11/18/2018
China’s effort to build more types of weapons, in all categories imaginable, than the entire world combined, begs more than just a cost-benefit analysis. It might be better to think in terms of an environmental impact study with only one question: just how many people does Beijing plan to kill? There are various theories about the rampant growth of redundant programs and seemingly wasteful spending by China’s military-industrial complex.
(Read More...)
11/17/2018
China's most advanced stealth fighter is ready for aerial refueling operations, giving it the ability to pursue targets at greater distances, according to Chinese state media. The "fifth-generation" Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter entered military service last year and was incorporated into Chinese combat units this past February.
(Read More...)
11/17/2018
The United States faces a dangerous imbalance with security threats on the rise and military preparedness ravaged by years’ worth of the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA)-driven defense budget cuts. That is why Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ recent directive for the Navy and Air Force to increase the readiness of their fighter aircraft is so important.
(Read More...)
11/16/2018
Australia will buy at least a dozen armed Reaper drones in a major step towards a future in which air strikes are increasingly carried out remotely. The aircraft, made by US company General Atomics, will be used mainly to provide cover to Australian soldiers on operations, flying overhead while looking for threats and striking them with bombs or missiles.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/16/2018
Boeing delivered a QF-16 to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. on Oct. 24. The QF-16 enables live fire weapons testing during Combat Archer. Combat Archer evaluations are conducted to prepare and evaluate operational fighter squadrons' readiness for combat operations. The program evaluates all phases of combat operations from weapons loading to aircraft performance, aircrew performance and weapons performance.
(Read More...)
11/16/2018
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky received a $382 million contract for eight MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the US Navy. Work on the helicopters is expected to be complete by September 2020, says the US Department of Defense in an online notice on 14 November. Some $147 million will be obligated initially from fiscal 2018 USN aircraft procurement funds, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
(Read More...)
11/16/2018
The UK Ministry of Defence has ordered its next 17 Lockheed Martin F-35Bs, as part of a 255-unit, multinational framework agreement announced by the US Department of Defense. Confirming the development on 15 November, the MoD said: "The 17 new F-35B aircraft will be delivered between 2020 and 2022." This corresponds with the programme's 12th through 14th lots of low-rate initial production.
(Read More...)
11/16/2018
Bahrain has confirmed its order for 12 Bell AH-1Z Vipers, six months after the US Department of State approved the deal, worth an estimated $912 million, under the Foreign Military Sales process. The attack helicopters will be delivered from the second half of 2022, the Royal Bahraini Air Force said at the Bahrain air show. Bell chief executive Mitch Snyder said the "most advanced helicopter in production" would "help protect the country for decades to come".
(Read More...)
11/16/2018
Lockheed Martin sees a market for 400 new F-16s – mainly in the Middle East – after securing Bahrain as launch customer for the Block 70 variant. The Royal Bahraini Air Force committed in June to 16 examples of the single-engine fighter, to be built at a new final assembly line in Greenville, South Carolina. The deal, agreed months after President Trump overturned his predecessor’s ban on a sale to Bahrain over human rights concerns.
(Read More...)
11/16/2018
Lockheed Martin has won a $22.7 billion contract to supply 255 F-35 Lightning II fighters for the three branches of the US armed services and international operators. The contract covers 106 F-35s for the USA, comprising 64 F-35As for the air force, 26 F-35Bs for the marines, and 16 F-35Cs for the navy, a US Department of Defense contract announcement states.
(Read More...)
11/15/2018
The USAF is devoting fresh energy to plugging cybersecurity holes in the F-35's external support systems, as they are deemed the easiest entry points for hackers into the fifth-generation combat jet, according to a key service official. “It’s a software-based aircraft, and any software-based platform is going to be susceptible to hacking,” Brig. Gen. Stephen Jost, director of the Air Force F-35 Integration Office.
(Read More...)
11/15/2018
One pilot was killed and another was hospitalized when their T-38C Talon crashed late Tuesday at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, service officials said. It was the fifth crash of the training jet in the last 12 months. The aircraft, which is used for training student pilots to fly fighter or bomber jets, crashed about 7:40 p.m. local time on the south Texas base just outside Del Rio, according to a statement posted on Laughlin’s Facebook page.
(Read More...)
11/15/2018
Bahrain has taken delivery of its first of two ex-UK Royal Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports. Acquired via the UK Ministry of Defence following its retirement from service, the aircraft underwent depth maintenance at Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group's Cambridge airport site before being approved for a return to operational use. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that the aircraft – which now carries the Royal Bahraini Air Force registration 702 – is 19 years old.
(Read More...)
11/13/2018
A two-seat U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet has crashed at sea while operating from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). The crash occurred at an unspecified location northeast of the Philippines on Monday, November 12, 2018. Reports indicate both crew members ejected and were rescued from the sea by helicopter.
(Read More...)
11/13/2018
French manufacturer Dassault Aviation has withdrawn its Rafale fighter from Canada’s fighter replacement program. The withdrawal reportedly comes after Dassault raised concerns over its ability to meet Canada’s interoperability and intelligence sharing requirements. “On November 8, the French government officially notified Canada of its withdrawal from the competitive process to replace Canada’s fighter jet fleet,” a Public Services and Procurement Canada spokesperson told DefenseNews.
(Read More...)
11/13/2018
The US Air Force awarded Rockwell Collins a contract to upgrade US Air National Guard and US Air Force Reserve F-16 aircraft with anti-jam GPS receivers. The digital GPS anti-jam receivers are intended to provide reliable navigation for Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft operating in contested electromagnetic environments. This will be the first combat fighter aircraft to be installed with the latest version of the receiver, Rockwell Collins says.
(Read More...)
11/13/2018
Dassault has achieved French military qualification for the F3-R-standard variant of the Rafale combat aircraft. Launched at the end of 2013, and based on operational feedback, the upgrade sees the fighter gain a number of enhancements, including the integration of MBDA's Meteor air-to-air missile, the laser-guided version of the Safran AASM air-to-ground munition and Thales's Talios laser designator pod.
(Read More...)
11/13/2018
The first of four Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT) has arrived in South Korea, where it will undergo acceptance tests. Piloted by an Airbus and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) South Korean air force crew, the aircraft conducted its ferry flight to Gimhae air base from Getafe, Spain with a stop in Vancouver, Canada. Gimhae Airbase is located next to Busan’s Gimhae International Airport.
(Read More...)
11/11/2018
China bluntly told the United States to stop sending ships and military aircraft close to islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, during talks Friday that set the stage for a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping later this month. The U.S. pushed back, insisting it will continue to “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.” In late September, U.S. and Chinese vessels nearly collided near a disputed reef.
(Read More...)
11/11/2018
Fort Worth-based Bell has big hopes for the V-280 Valor. The company is developing the tiltrotor for a major U.S. Army deal scheduled to be awarded next decade. If the Army picks Bell for its future vertical lift program, that could lead to other branches or foreign militaries also selecting the V-280 for their fleets.
(Read More...)
11/11/2018
Russia’s prospects for arms sales to China remain undiminished by US sanctions after the countries signed new weapons contracts at China’s major air show. Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms seller, said it signed three more weapons contracts with China during the Zhuhai Airshow, which is being held in south China’s Guangdong province until Sunday.
(Read More...)
11/11/2018
The haze surrounding the Rafale deal finally appears to be clearing up a bit. The price for 36 aircraft purchased by the NDA government in 2016 was 40% higher per aircraft than what Dassault initially offered for 126 Rafales back in 2012, according to a report published in Business Standard. While Dassault offered each aircraft for Euro 155 million in 2012, during the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender.
(Read More...)
11/11/2018
India’s state-owned aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will set up a new production facility at Nashik in Maharashtra by 2020 to increase its annual output of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), the head of HAL told The Economic Times on November 2.
(Read More...)
11/10/2018
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is asking companies to submit ideas for counter-hypersonic weapons as part of its Glide Breaker programme. The Glide Breaker programme aims to rapidly develop a low-cost enabling technology critical for an advanced interceptor capable of defeating manoeuvring hypersonic vehicles in the upper atmosphere, according to a 6 November online broad agency announcement by DARPA.
(Read More...)
11/10/2018
Chinese Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars are in evidence at this year’s Airshow China, both for fighters and a potential carrier capable airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft. At its stand, China Electronics Technology Group (CETC) displayed a model of its KLJ-7A AESA radar, which was developed by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET).
(Read More...)
11/08/2018
Both the J-5 and the J-6 are hopelessly obsolete, and if anything, during regular combat operations would simply be missile sponges for American and South Korean fighters and surface-to-air missile batteries. North Korea’s Korean People's Army Air Force (KPAAF)—referred to as the Air and Anti-Air Force Command in South Korean documents —is not in the top ranks of the world’s air forces.
(Read More...)
11/08/2018
For 40 years, the Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jet saw action in combat zones in Africa and the Middle East as a staple of the French military. Now, more than 60 of the jets will find a home near Fort Worth where they’ll be taking on a new kind of mission as part of a multibillion-dollar opportunity for Alliance Airport’s newest tenant.
(Read More...)
11/08/2018
The mockup of China’s CH-7 combat drone unveiled at Zhuhai Airshow this week looks a lot like one the U.S. Navy was developing — until it dropped the project, allowing China to position itself to beat the U.S. and other allies in fielding a long-range, high-altitude combat drone. That’s despite the fact that—in the words of one expert—the United States had a “ten-year head start.”
(Read More...)
11/08/2018
The future Franco-German combat aircraft program is set to begin in earnest early next year, but a key project phase is already in full swing: the bickering. On the surface, the two main companies involved — Dassault and Airbus — have “a clear common vision on the project,” as an Airbus spokesman put it. But there is also the politicking, the jockeying for position and the mistrust that tends to show itself when there is big money on the table.
(Read More...)
11/07/2018
The US Air Force is considering equipping some of its Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II fleet with 3-D audio warning devices which are meant to improve a pilot’s situational awareness. It is not clear how many of the A-10 “Warthogs” will receive the audio devices, though the USAF is examining making a sole source acquisition of between 150 to 200 units from the hardware’s manufacturer, Terma North America, according to a 5 November request for proposal posted online.
(Read More...)
11/07/2018
A surprise participant in the flying display of this year’s Airshow China is a Chengdu J-10B testbed equipped with a thrust vectoring control (TVC) engine. The aircraft is likely powered by an advanced version of the indigenous Shenyang WS-10 engine equipped with a hinged nozzle.
(Read More...)
11/07/2018
The Chengdu J-20 appeared in this year’s flying display at Airshow China, performing a conservative flying routine. The show started with a three aircraft flyby, after which two aircraft performed a series of sweeping turns in tight formation. A solo aircraft also performed a series of rolls and a sharp climb before climbing out of the show and departing.
(Read More...)
11/06/2018
The Iraqi Air Force has now received sufficient Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50IQ Golden Eagle advanced trainer/light combat aircraft to start operations with the type. A third batch of six aircraft arrived at the Martyr Mohammed Alaa Air Base at Baghdad International Airport on June 6, joining four aircraft delivered in two batches by March 2018. Iraq is due to acquire a total of 24 T-50IQs to equip two squadrons.
(Read More...)
11/06/2018
A RUSSIAN fighter jet veered dangerously close to a US aircraft in a dramatic midair manoeuvre as tensions between Moscow and Washington escalate. The Su-27 fighter passed ahead of the US Navy EP-3 Aries, which was taking part in a NATO military exercise above the Black Sea on Monday. US Navy officials said the stunt put the aircraft crew at risk. The navy released a video showing the Su-27 turn sharply in front of the surveillance plane with its engines firing.
(Read More...)
11/06/2018
The Peoples’ Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has a large presence in this year’s static park at Airshow China in Zhuhai, including the public debut of a new operational type. The most notable PLAAF aircraft on display is an AVIC Wing Loong II UAV, which for the first time is appearing in the show in PLAAF markings. Moreover, it is in the PLAAF paddock, and was seen being attended to by air force technicians.
(Read More...)
11/02/2018
At least four J-20 stealth fighters from the Chinese Air Force buzzed the southern coastal city of Zhuhai on Tuesday and Wednesday in a flyover to promote China’s largest biennial air show.
Warplanes and civil aircraft from home and abroad are set to descend on the city starting from November 6.
(Read More...)
11/02/2018
The Royal Air Force (RAF) has reportedly deployed Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat jets to intercept suspected Russian jets, the UK Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The Eurofighters investigated the flight of the Russian fighter aircraft, which were spotted travelling in the vicinity of the UK’s airspace.
(Read More...)
11/02/2018
In a notice posted online 26 October, Ottawa listed five suppliers eligible to replace its fighter fleet with 88 advanced jets: Dassault Aviation, maker of the Rafale; Saab, maker of the JAS 39 Gripen; Airbus Defense, a major partner in the Eurofighter joint venture, which makes the Typhoon; Lockheed Martin, maker of the F-16 and F-35; and Boeing, maker of the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15E Strike Eagle. Only these five will be allowed to submit proposals.
(Read More...)
11/01/2018
An initial batch of four Nikolai Kuznetsov NK-32-02 turbofans is set for delivery to the Russian defense ministry by the year-end, according to Alexander Artyukhov, general director at the United Engine Corporation (local acronym ODK). Earlier this month he inspected the ODK’s Kuznetsov Plant in Samara where production lines have been re-opened to build turbofan and turboprop engines powering Tupolev strategic bombers. The plant has recently secured an order for 22 more NK-32-02s, he added.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/01/2018
A single nuclear carrier does not make a navy, but it does convey a certain cachet. “They still aspire to be a major player,” Shurkin says. “Having a nuclear carrier really supports that ambition.”
(Read More...)
11/01/2018
Airbus believes it is "inconceivable" that it will not finalise contract revisions with its A400M launch customers in 2019, and is optimistic that it could still hammer out an agreement by year-end.
(Read More...)
All Articles