2019 Military Aviation News
12/31/2019
A rescue mission is underway for at least one pilot who was in a recently overhauled Iranian fighter jet when it crashed during a test flight near the country’s northern border Wednesday, according to Iran’s state television. The Russian-made MiG-29 went down in the mountainous Sabalan region near the Azerbaijan border after taking off from the Tabriz air base in northwestern Iran, a report said. State media said the crash occurred near a dormant volcano, according to the Jerusalem Post.
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12/31/2019
On December 24, 2019, the first production Su-57 took off from the test runway of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft plant in Dzyomgi Airport, where the fighter jet was assembled by the United Aircraft Corporation. The purpose of the flight was to test the engines. But for an unknown reason, the brand new fighter jet crashed 111 km away from the airport. The pilot successfully ejected and was recovered unharmed. No other injuries were reported, as the plane fell in an unpopulated area.
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12/31/2019
Maintainers from Hill AFB, Utah, recently traveled to Japan for an F-35 maintenance symposium designed to increase interoperability at every level. Eight airmen from the 388th Maintenance Group worked with a Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35 maintenance squadron, first discussing lessons learned and then working hands-on in the Japanese facilities on specific maintenance tasks.
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12/31/2019
Raytheon has secured a $768 million contract from the US Air Force to produce Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) for the US military as well as foreign partners. The deal covers production lot 33 and will be completed in 28 February 2023, according to the US Defense Department’s contract award site.
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12/31/2019
The Mil Mi-26T2V heavy-lift helicopter will be subjected to a series of tests by the Russian government during 2020. Assessment work with the updated version of the venerable Cold War type will take place at four locations, with crews from the Russian military testing the rotorcraft’s performance and new systems, says Russian Helicopters.
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12/30/2019
Global arms sales totaled $420 billion in 2018, up 4.6% from 2017, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). U.S.-based companies again dominate SIPRI’s list of top global arms manufacturers and military services providers. With Congress passing its record high $738 billion defense spending bill this December, which includes military modernization and a new Space Force military branch, this trend is likely to continue.
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12/30/2019
Moldova couldn’t afford to maintain the fleet and, to make matters worse, was in a deep recession. Meanwhile, the United States feared Moldova would sell the MiG-29s to Iran, which could use them to bolster its own fleet of Fulcrums. Washington was also wary that Moldova might pass the technology to Iran’s rivals since the fleet included 14 MiG-29C variants configured to deliver nuclear weapons.
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12/30/2019
By the end of 2019, Algeria has ordered from Russia, its main arms supplier, 42 combat aircraft : 14 Sukhoi 57, 14 Sukhoi 34 and 14 Sukhoi 35, Algerian and Russian media reports said. An option for two other squadrons of 14 aircraft for each aircraft type has also been signed to compensate for the natural withdrawal of aircraft from the Air Force fleet in the future», added the same source.
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12/29/2019
In the year 2000, a visit by North Korea’s foreign minister to a cemetery in Bac Giang, Vietnam confirmed a long-rumored fact: dozens of North Korean pilots had dueled American Navy and Air Force pilots over the skies of Vietnam during the 1960s. And fourteen North Korean Air Force did not return alive.
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12/29/2019
As 60 enemy fighters closed in on a US Air Force 4th Generation fighter aircraft, blinding the jet with electronic warfare attacks, an experienced pilot faced unseen life-threatening attackers closing in - during an air-combat Red Flag exercise closely replicating actual warfare scenarios.
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12/28/2019
Boeing has secured a $565 million contract to remanufacture AH-64D Apache attack helicopters operated by three countries into the more advanced “E” variant. The work will cover 47 helicopters, according to a Boeing statement.
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12/28/2019
The Embraer KC-390 tactical transport has completed a campaign involving aerial drops of cargo. “The KC-390 Millennium new generation multi-mission medium airlifter has successfully concluded the testing campaign for gravity airdrop and extraction drop of heavy loads by the use of the Container Delivery System (CDS) and Low Velocity Air Drop (LVAD), respectively,” says Embraer in a statement.
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12/27/2019
China sailed a new aircraft carrier into the Taiwan Strait ahead of the upcoming presidential election in Taiwan, Reuters reported Thursday. The Chinese carrier Shandog sailed north through the Strait, Reuters reported, citing Taiwan’s defense ministry. “It’s the responsibility and duty for the two sides across the strait to maintain peace and stability and strive for the well-being of the people,” Taiwan’s presidential office reportedly said in a statement.
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12/27/2019
The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron shot down a subscale drone using an AGR-20A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided rocket Dec. 19, providing a proof of concept for using rockets queued from an F-16 Fighting Falcon targeting pod as viable munitions to perform cruise missile defense.
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12/27/2019
Algeria is likely to buy 12 Su-57 fighters with an option to procure 12 more, from Russia. “Algeria is currently in fairly active negotiations with Russia to acquire 12 Su-57 fighters with the possibility of increasing the order to 24 combat aircraft,” sources were quoted as saying by Russia’s Avia.pro on Monday.
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12/27/2019
The U.S. is not relaxing its surveillance even after the “Christmas gift” deadline threatened by North Korea is passed. The country is carpet-bombing the Korean Peninsula with its reconnaissance resources. The U.S. deployed its five main reconnaissance planes, such as E-8C Joint STARS, at once to the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, which was followed by three more reconnaissance aircraft on Thursday to detect any new signs of North Korean provocations involving ICBMs and SLBMs.
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12/27/2019
The Chinese military is building up a meaningful force of J-20 stealth fighters, Y-20 strategic airlifters and other high-tech military aircraft while also developing a new stealth fighter, fighter-bomber and heavy bomber.
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12/26/2019
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will have a moment of history in Jodhpur on Friday, when the last of its MiG-27 fighters fly into the sunset. Starting in 1985, the IAF has flown 165 MiG-27 fighters, built under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). With this, the last MiG-27 squadron — No. 29 Squadron, which calls itself the Scorpions — will be ‘numberplated’, or placed in suspended animation until it can be re-operationalised with new aircraft and manpower.
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12/26/2019
Turkey’s president has warned that he would evict U.S. forces from two military bases in his country if Washington imposes new sanctions on his government—creating a quandary for the NATO alliance as it seeks to cope with Ankara’s deepening ties to Russia.
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12/24/2019
A Russian Sukhoi Su-57, NATO reporting name “Felon”, twin-engine, 5th generation fighter is reported to have crashed yesterday near the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant in the Far East Khabarovsk Krai region of Russia. The first report of the accident, published early Tuesday morning by Russia’s official government sponsored RT News Network, reported that the pilot of the single-seat aircraft escaped without injuries and rescued by an Mi-8 helicopter.
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12/24/2019
As Kazakhstan’s latest move to become the region’s most important aircraft manufacturer and service provider, a tripartite agreement was signed on December 14 covering main parts assembly for Mi-8 AMT/Mi-171 helicopters in Nur-Sultan, the recently renamed capital (formerly Astana) of the Central Asian country.
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12/24/2019
The Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) first Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk has arrived in South Korea. The remotely piloted aircraft arrived at an air base near Sacheon during the morning of 23 December, according the official Yonhap news agency.
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12/24/2019
Lockheed Martin was awarded a five-year contract worth $7 billion for maintenance of the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. The contract is an option exercised by the US Air Force (USAF) from its ongoing sustainment deal with Lockheed Martin, the Department of Defense says in an online notice on 20 December. This additional five-year contract will extend the service’s contract work with Lockheed Martin through 31 December 2032.
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12/24/2019
Taiwan has confirmed that the US Foreign Military Sale of 66 Lockheed Martin F-16Vs to the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) is in the implementation stage, after both sides signed the letter of offer and acceptance (LOA).
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12/23/2019
The Chinese defense industrial base is infamous for its tendency to “borrow” from foreign designs, particularly in the aerospace industry. Almost the entirety of China’s modern fighter fleet have either borrowed liberally from or directly copied foreign models. The J-10 was reputedly based on the Israeli IAI Lavi and by extension the United States’ General Dynamics F-16; the J-11 is a clone of the Russian Su-27; the JF-17 is a modern development of the Soviet MiG-21.
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12/23/2019
The Syrian army, backed by Russian air power, has advanced into al-Qaeda-controlled north-western Idlib province over the past week with the aim of capturing the town of Ma’arat al-Nu’man, which straddles the highway linking Damascus with Hama and Aleppo.
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12/23/2019
According to the Air Force, airmen from the wings based at Hill are currently deployed in the Middle East and have flown some of the first combat sorties involving the aircraft. The Air Force conducted its first combat mission with the fifth-generation fighter in May when two F-35As struck an entrenched Islamic State tunnel network and weapons cache at Wadi Ashai, Iraq.
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12/23/2019
Kim Jong Un has held a meeting of North Korea's top military officials to discuss boosting the country's military capability, the country's state news agency reported on Sunday amid heightened concern the North may be about to return to confrontation with the United States.
Kim presided over an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission, KCNA said, to discuss steps "to bolster up the overall armed forces of the country militarily and politically."
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12/23/2019
The US Space Force (USSF) was established as the sixth military branch of the US armed forces on 20 December 2019 when President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The new service will reside within the US Air Force (USAF), under the leadership of the secretary of the air force, Barbara Barrett.
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12/22/2019
A trio of Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons took part in a flypast of Doha on 18 December, joining Qatari assets involved in national day celebrations. Also appearing for the first time were Dassault Rafales of the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
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12/22/2019
The US State Department approved a potential $78 million upgrade package for four Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft which Argentina recently purchased through the Pentagon’s Excess Defense Articles programme.
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12/22/2019
The US Air Force is again allowing Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers to carry passengers and cargo, lifting a ban after accepting Boeing’s cargo-lock retrofit. The USAF announced in September that during test flights multiple cargo-floor restraint locks malfunctioned and came unlocked. At the time, in-service KC-46As were transporting cargo. The service suspended cargo and passenger flights as a precaution.
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12/20/2019
New Delhi (Sputnik): With the signing of the Industry Security Annex agreement between Indian and the US government on Thursday, the contest for the Indian Air Force’s $15 billion fighter jet tender has become more intriguing.
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12/20/2019
Leidos signed an agreement to acquire privately owned Dynetics for $1.65 billion in cash, a deal which would add several up-and-coming military weapons, including hypersonic missiles and glide munitions, to the company’s portfolio. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, pending typical closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The board of directors of both companies unanimously approved the transaction, says Leidos on 17 December.
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12/20/2019
Embraer and the Brazilian air rorce will study the development of a new light military transport aircraft. The two have signed a memorandum of understanding related to the potential development, says the Brazilian manufacturer.
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12/20/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) named its intercontinental ballistic missile base security and support helicopter, the Boeing MH-139A, the “Grey Wolf” on 19 December. The MH-139A is the military version of the commercial Leonardo AW139 twin-engined, medium-sized helicopter. Built at Leonardo’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania factory, the helicopter’s military components are added by prime contractor Boeing after initial assembly.
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12/19/2019
A senior military source told Breaking Defense that both competitors are needed and the question is -- is who will get bought first: "The IAF needs 75 F-35s and the advanced version of the F-15, and the question is, who will be the first to be purchased."
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12/19/2019
Engineers from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) helped Sikorsky solve the CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter’s gas re-ingestion problem. The US Marine Corps (USMC) helicopter gets its heavy lifting capacity from three General Electric T-408 engines, rated at 7,500shp (5,520kW) each. However, Sikorsky has struggled to integrate the big engines, with exhaust gas re-ingestion being the “most troublesome” issue, NAVAIR says on 17 December.
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12/19/2019
Bell’s 360 Invictus, the company’s proposal for the US Army’s Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition, will receive a power boost from a supplemental power unit, a Pratt & Whitney PW207D1 turboshaft.
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12/19/2019
The Lockheed Martin F-35A has entered operational service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) following a ceremony in the central city of Cheongju, where the nation’s 17th fighter wing is based. According to a report in South Korea’s official Yonhap News Agency, no press was invited in order to keep the event low key, so as to not irritate the country’s volatile neighbour, North Korea.
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12/18/2019
China's second aircraft carrier entered service on Tuesday, adding major firepower to its military ambitions as it faces tensions with self-ruled Taiwan as well as the U.S. and regional neighbors around the disputed South China Sea. The commissioning of the warship, named the Shandong, puts China in a small club of nations with multiple aircraft carriers, and the country is reportedly building a third.
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12/17/2019
Switzerland has been struggling to modernize its own air force and now it looks like the U.S. plans to buy 22 aging fighter jets from the country. According to a U.S. Navy spokesperson, the contract is expected to be signed once U.S. lawmakers approve the fiscal 2020 defense budget.
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12/17/2019
The draft 2020 defense policy bill prohibits the Air Force from transferring any low-rate initial production F-35s to the adversary air role until the chief of staff submits a report to Congress detailing the service’s plan for modernizing its organic aggressor fleet.
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12/17/2019
Airbus Defence & Space has secured new orders for its C295 twin-turboprop from the Czech Republic and Ireland, with the year-end business further bolstering its backlog for the utility and special-mission type. Prague on 16 December signed for two new C295s, and also committed to an upgrade programme for its in-service fleet of four examples. The Czech air force will receive its new, winglet-equipped medium transports by mid-2021, Airbus says.
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12/15/2019
Singapore and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding for the Southeast Asian island nation to set up a fighter jet training detachment in the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. The nonbinding agreement, which was signed by U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, is meant for approximately a squadron’s worth of Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter jets and associated personnel.
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12/15/2019
The United States Air Force is in the midst of a transformational shift. Since the 1990s, all new combat aircraft accepted into inventory have been designed with stealth in mind. Stealth is considered a key aspect of survival over the modern battlefield.
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12/14/2019
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price have officially welcomed the latest P-8A Poseidon aircraft to Australia. Minister Reynolds said the cutting-edge anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft will enhance Australia’s maritime security.
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12/14/2019
America is getting a sixth branch of its military, to be called the Space Force. Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have agreed the sixth service should be organized within the Department of the Air Force and report to Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, but the new Chief of Space Operations will be co-equal with the other service leaders sitting on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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12/14/2019
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has accepted the delivery of an additional seven F-35A fighter aircraft at RAAF Base Williamtown from the US. The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter programme will provide the RAAF with a fifth-generation combat capability.
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12/13/2019
China has been showcasing its Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon single-engine fighters prominently since 2018. The latest J-10C model is comparable with modernized variants of the classic American F-16 Fighting Falcon tactical fighter with capabilities including beyond-visual-range engagement, precision air-to-ground strike, digital glass cockpit instruments, in-flight refueling and electronic warfare.
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12/13/2019
The training programs that bring thousands of foreign military forces to the United States each year are meant to project American values around the world, but they have at times had troubling outcomes: soldiers accused of using their skills to overthrow governments, commit atrocities or crush democratic uprisings.
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12/13/2019
One of the workers caught up in a blaze on Russia's only aircraft carrier has spoken of how he thought he would die during his escape. A thick plume of smoke could be seen from the Zvezdochka shipyard in Murmansk, the home of Russia's Arctic fleet where the vessel was berthed, when the Admiral Kuznetsov caught fire on Thursday morning during repair work.
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12/13/2019
The governments of Turkey and the UK have reportedly reached an agreement to fast-track work on the next-generation fighter aircraft project. Turkey Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish media that the governments agreed to speed up their collaboration on the development of engines for the fighter jets. In 2017, the UK Government signed a £100m deal with Turkey to help develop the advanced combat jet for the Turkish Air Force.
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12/13/2019
France has declared initial operational capability (IOC) with the F3-R-standard Dassault Rafale fighter. Introduced by the French air force in July, F3-R has been developed by Dassault, missile manufacturer MBDA, Safran and Thales under a 2013 contract.
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12/11/2019
According to the report, Israeli planes seeking to attack the Syrian Air Force T-4 base located in the Homs district were confronted over the weekend with the Russian Air Force's advanced Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft deployed to intercept them from the Khmeimim Air Base, operated by Russia, in the south-east of the city of Latakia.
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12/11/2019
F-22 jet fighter delivered some of the first strikes in the U.S.-led attacks on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, when aerial bombing began in 2014. The Air Force and Lockheed Martin are arming the F-22 stealth fighter with more long-range precision attack technology, an expanded targeting envelope, and new networking for real-time collaborative targeting among aircraft.
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12/11/2019
A Chilean air force Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport headed for a base in Antarctica crashed somewhere over Drake Passage on 9 December with 38 people aboard. The military aircraft was headed to Antarctic outpost Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva when radio contact was lost at 18:13 local time, says the Chilean air force on 9 December. Santiago declared the aircraft crashed about seven hours later on 10 December.
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12/11/2019
It has certainly taken a long time, but Airbus at last looks to be entering smoother air with its long-troubled A400M Atlas tactical transport. As the 10th anniversary of the European airlifter’s first flight passes on 11 December, the company finds itself at a literal tipping point. It has now delivered 85 of the turboprop-powered type – almost half way through its total orderbook of 174 examples for a combined eight nations.
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12/10/2019
Korean Airlines Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD) has received a $213 million contract to support US Air Force Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes deployed to South Korea. The contract covers ten years to 31 December 2029, according the US Department of Defense. A-10s deployed to Korea are based at Osan, south of Seoul. KAL-ASD will perform support work at its MRO facility in Busan. The company also supports other USAF aircraft.
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12/10/2019
Boeing is researching adding a laser-range finder to the KC-46A Pegasus’ problem-plagued refuelling boom camera system. The laser-range-finder retrofit onto the boom cameras, known as the remote vision system (RVS), would give operators additional information about the true distance between the end of the KC-46A’s boom and a receiving aircraft’s receptacle during in-flight refuelling, says Will Roper, assistant secretary of the US Air Force (USAF) for acquisition, technology and logistics.
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12/09/2019
China is mass-producing a genre of special mission warplanes that experts say will help create a full information system that allows the Chinese military to recognize every hostile movement and even sabotage enemy communications. Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corp. Ltd. (SAIC) under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has been manufacturing special mission aircraft — including anti-submarine aircraft, early warning aircraft, surveillance aircraft and electronic warfare air
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12/09/2019
The Indian Rafale fighter jets will fly with the tail sign 'BS' after the recently retired Air Force Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa. "While the two-sweater trainer Rafales will have the tail number initials of present Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria RB, the fighter versions will fly with the tail sign initials of BS after the previous chief Dhanoa," IAF officials told ANI.
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12/08/2019
MD Helicopters (MDHI) expects to start deliveries of six MD 530G light scout attack helicopters to Malaysia in the first quarter of 2020. When ordered in early 2016, plans had called for deliveries to start later that year, but MD Helicopters explains that this was delayed at the behest of Malaysian prime contractor, Destini Group.
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12/06/2019
The Pentagon is considering deploying additional forces to the Middle East—a move it considers a “prudent” step to deter Iranian aggression as part of a dynamic response to ongoing threats in the region, the Defense Department’s head of policy told lawmakers.
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12/06/2019
The Air Force and Lockheed Martin are now arming the F-22 stealth fighter with more long-range precision attack technology, a wider targeting envelope or “field of regard” and new networking technology enabling improved, real-time “collaborative targeting” between aircraft.
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12/06/2019
MD Helicopters intends to upgrade its MD 530G Block II scout attack helicopter with an integrated weapons system made by Elbit Systems that would make the rotorcraft capable of carrying and firing the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. The addition of the semi-active laser-guided missile would give the MD 530G an anti-tank and anti-armour capability it does not currently have.
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12/06/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) has started searching for a new airborne command, control and communications operations center to replace the Boeing E-4B, and the service is asking US defence manufacturers for input.
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12/05/2019
When the U.S. Air Force gets its first F-35 Lightning II distributed mission training simulator system at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, this spring, pilots will have the ability to fly virtually as a group, alongside other aircraft, and practice exchanging information across a network, according to Lockheed Martin officials.
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12/05/2019
The naval version of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is being readied for its first-ever take off from the Indian Navy’s Kiev-class aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, according to Indian defense industry officials. “It [the carrier-based take-off] is not too far. Extra safety is being taken and hence time is being consumed,” a source within the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was quoted as saying on December 2 by The Print.
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12/05/2019
After falling behind several new competitors, pioneering loitering-munition manufacturer AeroVironment is working on a bigger Switchblade variant, as well as several new uses for its legacy weapon. Additionally, the company believes it is close to receiving US State Department approval for a license to export its loitering munition, says AeroVironment chief executive officer Wahid Nawabi during a 3 December earnings call.
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12/05/2019
The purchase of additional Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian navy has received government approval – but only six aircraft are now planned to be acquired, instead of the 10 originally planned. New Delhi has also revived its moribund Airborne Warning and Control System India (AWACS India) programme, which seeks to deliver an indigenous replacement for the Ilyushin Il-76-based A-50Is now in use.
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12/05/2019
Spain has selected the Pilatus PC-21 single-engined turboprop to replace its aged fleet of jet-powered CASA C-101 trainers. Tender documents indicated that Madrid will pay €204 million ($226 million) for 24 PC-21s, plus simulators and a logistics package, against a budget of €225 million.
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12/04/2019
While speculation on the agreement continues to fuel headlines, there are few concrete indications about how it could play out. Late last month, Malaysia’s defense minister confirmed that Kuala Lumpur was still considering a fighter jet exchange deal with Russia that had previously been in the headlines. The comments once again spotlighted one of the areas of Malaysia-Russia security relations that continues to attract speculation.
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12/04/2019
Pilot training company CAE has unveiled a new virtual reality training system it says can help militaries accelerate pilot training and reduce pilot training costs. CAE's Sprint Virtual Reality system is meant to give military student pilots more hours in realistic flying scenarios at less expense than in full-motion simulators or in actual aircraft, CAE says.
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12/04/2019
Romania plans to acquire another five surplus Lockheed Martin F-16s from Portugal – and will upgrade the 12 examples of the fighter already in its fleet. Under a draft law passed by the government on 28 November – still to be ratified by the country’s parliament – four aircraft will arrive in 2020, with the final example to follow in 2021.
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12/03/2019
The Japanese government has completed the 16 billion yen (US$146 million) purchase of an uninhabited island between Kyushu and Okinawa prefecture which it plans to develop into a training base for Japanese and US military aircraft.
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12/03/2019
A U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon (nicknamed “Viper” in the fighter pilots community) crashed near Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, around 3:30PM LT. The jet was approaching the runway at the airbase to perform what the Air Force defined a “routine landing” when the pilot was forced to eject for reasons that have not been disclosed yet. The F-16 pilot landed near the base suffering minor injuries, and was taken to a medical facility.
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12/03/2019
The F-35 Lightning II is not only a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, but a 21st century tooth-to-tail concept. I recently had the privilege to join a Canadian media trip sponsored by Lockheed Martin to visit the F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as the 63rd Fighter Squadron, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., which is responsible for F-35 pilot training.
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12/03/2019
Officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. - the organization handling F-35 aviation technology procurement for all military forces - are asking the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas to build 15 F-35As for Australia, and for long-lead items to build 48 F-35As for the Air Force.
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12/03/2019
Chilling relations between the USA, China and Russia are forecast to push military spending higher in 2020, continuing a trend that bodes well for the aerospace industry. Total defence spending is estimated to grow 3-4% next year to $1.9 trillion worldwide, with funds primarily spent on modernising and replacing aging military equipment, according to a report released in recent days by consultancy Deloitte.
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12/02/2019
On 29 November 2019, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) announced that it held a ‘command level operation’ exercise – designated ‘Hawk-Eye’ – involving all three of its Regional Commands. According to the PAF, Hawk-Eye involved the use of all of its aircraft types, including combat aircraft and force-multipliers, the latter likely being the fleet’s airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft as well as air-to-air refueling (AAR) tankers and/or electronic attack (EW) assets.
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12/02/2019
Training aircraft took center stage at the 2019 Dubai Airshow, as defense contractors from around the world showed off trainers and their attack variants to potential buyers. One of the few major military contracts inked at the show was for trainer aircraft — a Nov. 20 order by the United Arab Emirates for 24 Calidus B-250 turboprop planes. But while companies from the United States, Russia, Italy, China and other nations also had their sights set on trainer sales to the UAE and beyond.
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12/02/2019
Interoperability training among the nation's armed forces is occurring in Hawaii on an unprecedented scale -- and China is the reason, defense experts say. In the most recent example, two Air Force B-52 bombers, more than 1, 500 Schofield Barracks soldiers, at least 30 Army helicopters and Arkansas-based C-130 cargo carriers deployed to Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island for a 10-day "fire support coordination exercise."
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12/02/2019
For the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), a critical aspect of Swift Retort — the PAF’s retaliatory incursion against India for its stand-off range attacks across of the Line-of-Control (LoC) — was its ability to demonstrate a reasonable attack capability against predetermined targets in enemy territory.
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12/02/2019
A report in the national magazine Foreign Policy indicates the Air Force is considering significantly scaling back its Global Hawk program. The news raises questions about the future of the Global Hawk mission, an unmanned surveillance aircraft whose mission is headquartered at Grand Forks Air Force Base and helps bolster the regional economy.
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12/01/2019
Japanese Defense Minister Kono Taro while on his visit to India arrived at the Hindon Airforce base on Saturday and went onboard the SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft. The Japanese Defense Minister and accompanying delegation were received by Air Marshal D Choudhury, Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Air Command and Air Commodore Rajiv Talwar at Air Force Station Hindan.
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12/01/2019
The United Arab Emirates’ Global Aerospace Logistics (GAL) has signed an agreement with the Kenya Air Force to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for its aircraft. GAL, part of the newly created Edge defence conglomerate, made the announcement during the Dubai Air Show last week. It said the Kenyan agreement is its first international contract.
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12/01/2019
For nearly three decades, the F-15 Eagle fighter was considered the undisputed king of the skies. Until the debut of its replacement, the F-22 Raptor, the F-15 was the U.S. Air Force’s frontline air superiority fighter. Even today, a modernized Eagle is still considered a formidable opponent, and manufacturer Boeing has proposed updated versions that could keep the airframe flying for the better part of a century.
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12/01/2019
An unusually strong surge of U.S. Navy activity this month in the South China Sea shows that Washington is trying to teach China a set of rules for operating in contested waters, official statements and scholars say. The Navy sent two ships into the Asian sea, which is increasingly controlled by China but disputed by five other countries, last week after China sent its first domestically produced aircraft carrier into the same waterway for research and testing.
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11/30/2019
Turkey activated its Russian-made S-400 missile defence system this week, bringing the drawn-out dispute between Ankara and Washington to a head. The United States has long argued that Turkey's purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defence system may allow Moscow to obtain intelligence on US-made F-35 jets employed by NATO, of which Turkey is a member.
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11/30/2019
A Chinese military plane violated South Korea's air defense identification zone again Friday, prompting the Air Force to deploy its fighters to drive it out, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The plane, presumed to be its Y-9 surveillance aircraft, first entered the KADIZ at 10:05 a.m. from an area west of Ieodo, a submerged rock south of Jeju Island, and exited the zone at 10:53 a.m. It later reentered the zone two more times before its last exit at 1:36 p.m.
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11/30/2019
Russia has started implementing a contract on the delivery of a batch of its newest Su-30SM multirole fighter jets to Belarus, but some analysts raised concerns about costs over the entire life cycle of the aircraft, from fabrication to maintenance. The publication Lenta.ru reported Friday that a wide range of renowned experts has expressed their concerns regarding Belarus selected Russian-made combat aircraft to replace ageing Soviet-era MiG-29 fleet.
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11/30/2019
Singapore's air force has deployed six of its advanced F-16 fighter aircraft to train alongside the IAF's six Sukhoi combat aircraft during their upgraded joint military training in India. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) are conducting the Joint Military Training (JMT) from October 31 to December 12 at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal.
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11/29/2019
Poland has returned its fleet of RAC MiG-29 fighters to operational use, removing a grounding order that had been in place since a non-fatal accident earlier this year. Announcing the resumption of MiG-29 duties, Warsaw’s armed forces general command says the decision was taken “after analysing the implemented recommendations” following a spate of accidents involving the Russian-built type.
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11/28/2019
Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, the head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, climbed into the cockpit of an F-16 on the flightline at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar Nov. 4 to take his old ride for a spin. The Fighting Falcons of the famed 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base in Italy had just arrived in Qatar for the first time in 15 years.
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11/28/2019
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. was an awarded a $93 million modification on a contract for operational flight program upgrades on special operations forces C-130 fixed-wing aircraft along with systems engineering and integration support activities encompassing multiple third party systems sources for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
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11/28/2019
Malaysia has expressed interest in purchasing fighter jets from India, despite the strained relations between the two countries regarding Kashmir, reports said. Malaysia has expressed interest in India’s Tejas, a multi-role combat aircraft, which is touted as the world's lightest supersonic fighter. The single-engine jet is manufactured by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics.
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11/28/2019
Russia appears to be developing a new, small air-to-air missile that could arm the Su-57 stealth fighter. The United States also is working on smaller air-to-air missiles to arm its own growing force of radar-evading warplanes.
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11/28/2019
The United States Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force have signed a $1.2 billion contract with Rolls-Royce for engine maintenance of the Bell-Boeing V-22 fleet. The five-year contract comes under R-R’s MissionCare services, and will cover the AE 1107C engines that power the tiltrotor fleet.
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11/27/2019
President Emmanuel Macron expressed "deep sadness" over the biggest single loss of life for the French military since the 1980s. An investigation has begun into how the two helicopters hit each other. Thousands of French troops have been deployed in Mali since 2013 after militants overran parts of the north.
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11/27/2019
Mongolia has accepted a pair of MiG-29UB two-seat fighters donated by Russia under the orders of President Putin. The acceptance ceremony took place on November 26—the nation’s Independence Day—at the military base within the fence of the Chinggis Khaan International Airport that serves the capital city, Ulaan-Baatar.
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11/27/2019
Spanish military-electronics specialist Indra has claimed the lead in a program meant to equip future European military aircraft with new electronic-warfare capabilities, according to a company announcement. The project, named Airborne Electronic Attack, falls under the European Union’s latest batch of so-called PESCO initiatives, which are meant to foster collaboration among member nations in key military areas.
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11/27/2019
NATO plans to award Boeing a $1 billion contract to upgrade the alliance’s fleet of E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft at a ceremony at Melsbroek Air Base in Brussels on 27 November. The alliance announced the upcoming ceremony on 25 November.
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11/27/2019
The Afghan Air Force has taken delivery of the final five MD Helicopters MD530F rotorcraft. The five rotorcraft are the last examples of a 30-example order the company received in September 2017. They are part of the $1.4 billion IDIQ (indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity) package the company signed with the US government in September 2017 that covers up to 150 MD530 rotorcraft for partner nations.
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11/27/2019
Korea Aerospace Industries has awarded MBDA a contract to integrate the Meteor air-to-air missile on the developmental KF-X fighter. The contract includes integration support of the beyond visual range (BVR) weapon, test equipment, knowledge transfer, and a trial campaign, says MBDA. It gave no amount for the contract, and did not disclose the time period the contract covers.
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11/25/2019
On a recent episode of ASPI’s Policy, Guns and Money podcast, analysts Marcus Hellyer and Andrew Davies debated the question of whether Australia needs an additional long-range strike capability. The issue had just been raised by two former Royal Australian Air Force chiefs, Leo Davies and Geoff Brown.
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11/25/2019
It’s been a busy year for Hill Air Force Base’s F-35s so let’s do a quick recap of what the 388th FW’s Lightning II have been up to during 2019. The 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, the US Air Force’s first combat coded F-35 unit, deployed again its F-35As just two weeks after the end of the first combat deployment. The 34th Fighter Squadron “Rude Rams” moved last week to Al Dhafra Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates, to support the Central Command (CENTCOM) mission in the Middle East.
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11/25/2019
25th November, 2019) The Russian combat aircraft on Sunday conducted air patrolling along several routes as part of the Russia-Turkey deal over the buffer zone in northern Syria, the commander of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said.
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11/24/2019
‘Don’t mess with us!‘ Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson warns Putin as Britain‘s new state-of-the-art £1billion stealth fighter squadron roars into front-line service. Gavin Williamson has warned Britain‘s ‘enemies‘ including Vladimir Putin not to ‘mess with’ Britain now that the RAF‘s new fleet of supersonic stealth fighter jets are combat ready.
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11/24/2019
China has been showcasing its Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon single-engine fighters prominently since 2018. The latest J-10C model is comparable with modernized variants of the classic American F-16 Fighting Falcon tactical fighter with capabilities including beyond-visual-range engagement, precision air-to-ground strike, digital glass cockpit instruments, in-flight refueling and electronic warfare.
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11/23/2019
The first Mirage F1 for Draken International took to the skies from Lakeland Linder International Airport, Lakeland, Florida. But it looks like it’s not a former Spanish Air Force jet. As we have already reported, Draken International recently unveiled the first of its 22 Mirage F1 jets that the company will employ for CAS (Contract Air Services) adversary role.
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11/23/2019
Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded the first four payload prizes for the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary (MUX) programme. The US Marine Corps’ MUX programme ultimately aims to develop a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft which would be ship-based and serve as a platform for airborne early warning,
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11/22/2019
As a part of the joint exposition of PJSC UAC, MiG Corporation held a series of negotiations with potential buyers of the export version of the MiG-35 multirole fighter, and discussed maintenance and modernization of the earlier supplied aircraft.
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11/22/2019
French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation has handed over a total of three Rafale multirole fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) thus far, the Indian government said in a November 20 statement. The three aircraft are reportedly being used to train IAF pilots and technicians in France.
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11/22/2019
The US State Department approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Morocco worth an estimated $4.25 billion for 36 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including manned-unmanned teaming kits. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency says it notified the US Congress of the possible sale on 19 November.
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11/22/2019
The US Defence Department has pegged the price of five Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports for New Zealand at $1.4 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statement follows Wellington’s announcement in June that it favoured the USA-built type to replace its five C-130Hs, and that it would request pricing information from Washington.
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11/21/2019
The Israeli Air Force's strikes against targets in Syria mark the latest stage in a developing struggle between Israel and Iran, one that inevitably risks a much broader conflict. Iran is eager to bolster its military footprint in Syria. Israel is just as eager to stop it.
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11/21/2019
U.S. Air Force bombers represent a crucial capability needed to support the 2018 National Defense Strategy, with the range, payload, endurance, and resiliency to hold targets at risk anywhere and at any time. These long-range combat aircraft routinely deploy to both Europe and the Indo-Pacific to send a strong deterrent message to potential adversaries and reassure America’s allies.
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11/21/2019
Today, the fighters landed at the airfield of Baranovichi air base. In 2019, all the obligations to supply aircraft under the contract under the agreement between Russia and Belarus on the development of military and technical cooperation were fulfilled. Today, Su-30SM is considered one of the best fighters in the world. It has excellent characteristics. As it was previously reported, 12 such planes will be delivered to our country.
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11/21/2019
China’s second aircraft carrier has docked at Yulin Naval base at the southern tip of Hainan Island, amid media speculation that it will soon be commissioned into Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) service.
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11/21/2019
The US Army is drawing up its roadmap for the future of medical care on the battlefield and is looking to autonomous vehicles, including unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), to support its medevac mission.
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11/21/2019
A US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) report has highlighted the importance of UAVs in Iran’s defence strategy, and the possibility of new fighter buys when United Nations sanctions end in 2020. “UAVs are Iran’s most rapidly advancing air capability,” says the report. “Iran uses these versatile platforms for a variety of missions, including ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) and air-to-ground strikes.”
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11/20/2019
Saab is celebrating after the United Arab Emirates, its launch customer for the GlobalEye airborne surveillance system, announced its intention to order two additional units of the Bombardier Global 6000-based platform.
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11/20/2019
India’s long-running process to replace its Hindustan Aeronautics-built HS 748 – or “Avro” – fleet of utility transports could be nearing an end, with Airbus Defence & Space confident of concluding an order for its C295. “We hope to progress soon with India,” says Ioannis Papachristofilou, the company’s head of marketing, who notes that Airbus also has “a lot of open campaigns” for the twin-turboprop type.
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11/20/2019
Rostec is forging ahead with efforts to sell advanced combat aircraft on the international market, although US sanctions present a challenge. The Russian defence conglomerate has offered both the Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 to Turkey, according to chief executive Sergey Chemezov. “As soon as they make a decision, we will be ready to sell both the Su-35 and Su-57,” he says.
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11/19/2019
Amid a slump in India’s bilateral ties with Malaysia, state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is eyeing the possibility of selling its Tejas fighter jet to the south-east Asian country, ThePrint has learnt. The Malaysian Air Force has shortlisted the Indian jet as a contender for the contract of its 36 new Light Combat Aircraft. If the deal goes through, it will be HAL’s first foreign sale.
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11/19/2019
The U.S. Air Force is taking its time to settle on a next-generation fighter design, awaiting instead lessons learned from the F-35 jet and playing the field with promising technologies, according to a senior service official. Options being kicked around are still in the conceptual stage, as America’s newest fighter, the fifth-generation F-35, is only now “coming off the line,” according to Lt. Gen. David Nahom, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for plans and programs.
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11/19/2019
Boeing and Embraer have rebranded the KC-390 airlifter as the C-390 Millennium to emphasise the transport’s cargo mission. The companies have also announced that their defence joint venture set up to sell the KC-390 will be branded as Boeing Embraer – Defense. The two firms announced their joint venture in 2018.
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11/19/2019
Production of Boeing’s AH-6 Little Bird light-attack helicopter has been at a virtual standstill for around 18 months, but increasing Foreign Military Sales interest has the company believing it can revive the programme with as many as 75 more orders.
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11/19/2019
The Lockheed Martin LM-100J commercial freighter received its type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration on 15 November. The aircraft was approved after 150h of flight testing under the supervision of the FAA, says Lockheed.
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11/18/2019
Dmitry Shogayev, head of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation, said at the Dubai Airshow 2019 that negotiations are still under way on supplying the UAE with Russian Su-35 fighter jets. “Negotiations are underway to supply the Su-35 to the UAE and develop the fifth generation of light combat aircraft,” Shogayev said.
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11/18/2019
Russia’s JSC Rosoboronexport, a subsidiary of the state corporation Rostec, has begun marketing new-generation combat aircraft, according to Alexander Mikheev, director general.
“At the Dubai Airshow 2019, Russia showcases the cutting-edge Sukhoi Su-57E 5th-generation multirole combat aircraft, the Ilyushin Il-112VE light military transport aircraft, and the upgraded Mil Mi-28NE combat helicopter that has been modified on the base of combat experience,” Mikheev said.
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11/18/2019
India is close to inking a defence deal with the US for the procurement of Sea Guardian armed drones and P-8I anti-submarine warfare and surveillance aircraft. The deal is valued at over $7 billion. "Indian Navy, Air Force, and Army are coordinating their requirements and specifications for the acquisition of these Sea Guardian armed drones from the US under the FMS route," Defence sources told India Today TV.
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11/18/2019
In the wake of the loitering munitions attack on the Saudi Aramco oil processing facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais in September, Dubai air show is taking precautions against intruding unmanned air vehicles. The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority says it banned unmanned air vehcile flights in a 8nm (15km) radius from the centre of Al Maktoum International airport between 13 November and 21 November.
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11/18/2019
The UK Royal Air Force intends to use the Eurofighter Typhoon as a “testbed” for new development methods and technologies that will be employed on the forthcoming Tempest sixth-generation fighter. If the RAF is going to field the Tempest by 2035 it needs to practise shortening development times by adding new technologies on the Typhoon, said Air Chief Marshal Michael Wigston at the Dubai International Air Chiefs conference on 16 November.
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11/16/2019
North Korea on Saturday said leader Kim Jong Un attended a flight demonstration of military aircraft at an airfield on the country's eastern coast where he instructed combat pilots to acquire "great idea and tactics" against enemies "armed to the teeth." The report from Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency followed a slew of statements expressing anger at planned U.S.-South Korea military drills that the North says could derail its nuclear negotiations with Washington.
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11/16/2019
American military aircraft have joined UK fighter jets in a training exercise over the North Sea.
The recurring Point Blank exercise, which on Thursday included 35 aircraft from 10 units, aims to hone how allies will fight in real world operations.
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11/15/2019
The Air Force Academy’s Aerobatic Demonstration Team will showcase their talents to the Las Vegas community for the first time in several years at Aviation Nation at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Nov. 16-17. One of the larger airshows in the country, Aviation Nation traditionally draws crowds of more than a quarter-million people over the two-day event.
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11/14/2019
Further flight testing of a developmental automatic boom refuelling capability for the A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) will be performed for an undisclosed customer next year, Airbus Defence & Space has disclosed. Trials work on the company’s A3R automatic air-to-air refuelling technology conducted since 2017 has included its A310 testbed making automatic in-flight contacts with Lockheed Martin F-16s and an A330 MRTT.
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11/14/2019
Leonardo Helicopters is maintaining its belief in the AW159 Wildcat, despite a barren sales period that has seen its backlog for the platform dwindle to zero. This week, the manufacturer celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Wildcat’s 12 November 2009 first flight. However, with deliveries to the UK and export customers exhausted, there are no new examples of the medium-class helicopter in production.
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11/14/2019
The AN/APG-78 Longbow mast-mounted radar that equips the Boeing AH-64E Apache has completed the US Army’s Follow-On Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) II. The fire control radar, produced by a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman called Longbow LLC, demonstrated several new modes and longer range detection capability against land, air and sea targets, says Northrop Grumman.
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11/14/2019
Tokyo has placed a follow-on order with Norwegian firm Kongsberg for Joint Strike Missiles to equip its Lockheed Martin F-35s. The follow-on contract is valued at NKr450 million ($49 million), according to Kongsberg. It does not disclose the number of weapons involved, or the delivery timeframe.
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11/12/2019
Russian forces have been jamming GPS systems in the Middle East. The electronic-warfare campaign could affect U.S. forces gathering in the region in advance of potential strikes on Iran. “Since last spring, pilots flying through the Middle East, specifically around Syria, have noted that their GPS systems have displayed the wrong location or stopped working entirely,” The Times of Israel reported in late June 2019.
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11/12/2019
It has often been said that Israel lives in a troubled neighborhood. Multiple regional wars and violent conflagrations with at least half a dozen regional states and armed groups certainly depict a country ill at ease with its neighbors.
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11/12/2019
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems plans to demonstrate its MQ-9 Guardian unmanned air vehicle’s (UAV) maritime patrol surveillance capabilities for European nations in December. The company is working with the Greek air force to conduct several demonstration flights from the Greek air base of Larissa, it says in a media release on 11 November. General Atomics also plans to showcase its detect-and-avoid system, which helps the UAV fly near civilian or other manned aircraft without risking col
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11/11/2019
The U.S. Air Force will deploy its F-35 stealth jets to Israel in order to maintain a strong presence in the region, the Israeli publication 9TV reported, as quoted by the Russian publication Avia.Pro on Sunday. “The Americans will place a huge number of hangars for their F-35 fighters on the territory of the Jewish state. We are talking about hundreds of combat aircraft, which creates a certain threat to Russian military facilities in the Middle East,” Avia.Pro said.
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11/11/2019
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned on Sunday against undermining NATO, in Berlin's strongest response to date to French President Emmanuel Macron's critical remarks about the security alliance. Macron told The Economist this week that NATO was experiencing "brain death", citing a lack of coordination and U.S. unpredictability under President Donald Trump. He also expressed doubt about the U.S.-led alliance's security maxim that an attack on one ally would be treated as an attack on all.
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11/11/2019
The nation’s long-vaunted strategic “sea-air gap” moat is shrinking, placing increased pressure on the tactical and strategic capabilities of the Royal Australian Air Force, which is further complicated by the regional proliferation of advanced combat aircraft, precision high-speed munitions and missile systems.
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11/10/2019
Did a Russian anti-aircraft missile hit one of Israel’s new F-35 stealth fighters? Pro-Russian media are claiming that an Israeli F-35I was hit and damaged by a Russian-made S-200 surface-to-air missile during an Israeli air strike in Syria earlier this month. Israel says one of its F-35s was damaged—after colliding with a bird.
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11/09/2019
It's been just over four months since the Air Force's AC-130J Ghostrider kicked off combat missions in the skies above Afghanistan, and the aircraft that the service once described as "the ultimate battle plane" and "a bomb truck with guns on it" is already bringing the pain on a daily basis.
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11/09/2019
The Russian Air Force is expected to receive the first serial-produced Su-57 fighter aircraft, the Russia first purported indigenously designed and built fifth-generation stealth fighter, by the end of this year, Deputy Defense Minister, Alexei Krivoruchko, told reporters during a visit to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Komsomolk on-Amur aircraft plant in the Russian Far East this week.
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11/09/2019
Obviously, technology has changed dramatically since 1940. While contemporary fighters can now go more than five times as fast as the Spitfires and Messerschmitt fighters of the Battle of Britain, two new technologies promise to make hit-and-run tactics more effective: stealth technology and long-range air-to-air missiles.
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11/09/2019
Egyptian and Russian forces have carried out joint air defence exercises using new Russian weapons platforms, the latest of several drills between the two powers which have grown more frequent in recent years. The overthrow of Egypt’s Western backed islamist government in 2013 by popular protest led by the country’s armed forces led Cairo to seek closer defence ties with Moscow - and within weeks the African state had placed considerable orders for Russian hardware.
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11/09/2019
US officials have approved the possible sale of 10 Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to the United Arab Emirates. In a 7 November notification, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) gives the total contract value as $830 million.
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11/08/2019
In October South Korea announced it was buying 20 more F-35 stealth fighters. There are already 40 on order and South Korea will have received 13 by the end of 2019. Those 60 F-35s will cost $9.7 billion and a decision still has to be made as to whether any of the second 20 will be the VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) F-35B version. The first 40 will all be the basic F-35A which just operates from land-based airfields. But South Korea has ships that F-35Bs could operate from.
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11/08/2019
It's not a secret that the US Air Force is still flying the F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft at Tonopah Test Range (TTR) although the iconic Black Jet was officially retired from active service in 2008.
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11/08/2019
The US Navy (USN) is moving forward with its plan to add Link 16 communications terminals to its fleet of Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopters. The service intends to buy 50 Link 16 terminals over the course of five years to install on the unmanned air vehicles (UAV), according to a sources-sought notice posted online on 1 November.
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11/08/2019
Norway has declared initial operating capability (IOC) status for its Lockheed Martin F-35As, with the milestone having been reached on 6 November. The achievement followed a deployment to Rygge air station to check that the aircraft could be successfully operated away from its home base of Orland.
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11/08/2019
Germany appears poised to advance a joint programme with Spain to equip the nations’ later-model Eurofighters with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, as Berlin also nears approving the acquisition of 38 new aircraft to replace its Tranche 1-standard interceptors.
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11/07/2019
Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has showcased a new electronic attack and counter-ground-based air defence variant of the Eurofighter combat aircraft as it looks to secure Germany's Tornado replacement requirement.
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11/07/2019
The Air Force’s E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft have exited the Middle East after being deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility for 18 years. Known as JSTARS, the airborne ground surveillance, battle management and command and control aircraft departed Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar Oct. 1, according to an Oct. 31 Air National Guard news release.
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11/07/2019
China is exporting unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) to the Middle East which are capable of launching autonomous attacks. That’s according to the Pentagon’s top leader, US defense secretary Mark Esper, who gave a speech about artificial intelligence at the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence public conference on 5 November.
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11/07/2019
Rapid improvements in high-energy laser weapons has the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) concerned that US aircraft could be targeted and attacked by adversaries in the future.
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11/07/2019
Airbus Defence & Space has revealed a more than decade-long research and demonstration effort into very low observable (LO) technologies, conducted as a classified effort for the German defence ministry.
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11/05/2019
U.S. Air Force Capt. Spencer G. Weide and Capt. Justin J. Newman are the first USAF operational pilots to fly the Lightning II aboard an amphibious assault ship. While not operating the STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, the U.S. Air Force got a taste of F-35B Lightning II‘s shipborne operations thanks to two operational pilots flying with the U.S. Marine Corps Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122) out of Marine Air Corps Station Yuma, Arizona.
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11/05/2019
U.S. sanctions against Russia's defense industry aimed at weakening exports and pushing other countries to give up on purchasing the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system have failed, as the world's second-largest military power is moving forward with strengthening its position in the world arms market. Russia has completed the delivery of all components to the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system to NATO member state Turkey ahead of schedule.
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11/05/2019
The Royal Netherlands Air Force has received the first Lockheed Martin F-35A to be based on Dutch soil, with the initial example arriving at Leeuwarden air base on 31 October. However, the event did not go quite to plan after fire-fighting foam was mistakenly used instead of water to form a traditional welcome arch.
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11/05/2019
Boeing has formally delivered a first P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), with the adapted 737NG to support crew training activities in the USA for the next few months. First flown on 12 July, aircraft ZP801 touched down at the US Navy’s (USN's) NAS Jacksonville site in Florida on 31 October, after the airframer had completed equipment installation work at its Boeing Field site in Seattle, Washington.
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11/04/2019
United States and South Korea are expected to again skip their yearly winter air drill as they did last year in order to extend support to the present denuclearization talks with North Korea, according to a source. As mentioned by the South Korean News Agency, there is a mutual understanding among the military forces of the two countries to delay the Vigilant Ace air exercise which is scheduled to take place in the month of December.
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11/04/2019
On October 6, around fifty U.S. commandos in northeastern Syria tasked with hunting down ISIS forces were withdrawn from territory near the Turkish border controlled by the Kurdish-Arab SDF faction. The U.S. withdrawal was a prerequisite for a Turkish attack against the SDF which subsequently took place. The remaining hundreds of U.S. forces elsewhere in northeastern Syria were endangered in the crossfire and had to be withdrawn a few days later.
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11/04/2019
A former Spanish Air Force Mirage F1M, now registered N574EM, is about to move to Nellis Air Force Base to start providing advanced adversary services to the U.S. Air Force. In a pretty cool digital paint scheme. The role of Aggressors is to train fighter pilots in the most realistic way: the must fight aircraft that are as analogous as possible to the real threat.
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11/03/2019
On October 18, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $6.4 to $7.5 billion dollar contract to seven private companies to provide aggressor air combat training services to the Air Force through 2024. That huge sum is all dedicated to one goal: sharpening the skills of Air Force fighter pilots by putting them in realistic air battles against foreign jet fighters.
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11/03/2019
Advances in computer power, processing speed and AI are rapidly changing the scope of what platforms are able to perform without needing human intervention. The Air Force and DARPA are now testing new hardware and software configured to enable 4th-Generation aircraft to command drones from the cockpit in the air, bringing new levels of autonomy, more attack options and a host of new reconnaissance advantages to air warfare.
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11/02/2019
The Air Force’s MiG-27 strike aircraft would fly into the sunset on the last day of this year, bringing to an end the era of ‘swing-wing’ fighters in the IAF. IAF sources said the fleet is formally being retired on December 31 and a ceremony is being organised at the Jodhpur airbase, where the last remaining MiG-27 outfit, No.29 Squadron, also called Scorpions, is based.
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11/02/2019
How do you make a 51-foot-long, 35-foot-wide fighter jet, with an engine that generates 43,000 pounds of thrust, vanish? You don't. There's no black magic that exists to make something that big disappear. The F-35A Lightning II isn't invisible, but it does have a "cloak," which makes it very difficult to detect, track, or target by radar with surface to air missiles or enemy aircraft.
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11/02/2019
It couldn’t be better even if the late Tom Clancy were to have written it, and we have to believe he is smiling down from the tactical high ground of the afterlife. The latest Russian 5th generation “stealth” combat aircraft, the Sukhoi Su-57, was assigned an official NATO reporting name this week: “FELON”
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11/02/2019
The U.S. Air Force has taken another step toward bringing a small number of new aircraft to Hurlburt Field as part of the service’s light-attack aircraft initiative. The Air Force hinted at the purchase of up to six light-attack turboprop aircraft earlier this year, when it included $35 million in its budget request for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. However, the federal defense funding bill that would provide money for the purchase remains tied up in congressional wrangling.
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11/02/2019
The Indonesian air force plans to buy two squadrons of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 72 Viper fighters, while also following through on its plan to purchase a squadron of Russian’s Sukhoi Su-35s. Jakarta plans to make the formal request for the aircraft on 1 January 2020, Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, air force chief of staff, said to local news agency Antara on 28 October.
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11/01/2019
The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $4.5 billion upgrade program for 98 of the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF)’s fleet of Boeing/Mitsubishi F-15J Eagles to the Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI) standards. According to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency release, the program will see the delivery and integration of the APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, Advanced Display Core Processor II Mission System Computer, ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System, ARC
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11/01/2019
BAE Systems announced a $36.7 million contract from the U.S. Navy to develop and demonstrate a next-generation, dual band Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) to protect aircraft and pilots from advanced threats.
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11/01/2019
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter’s mission capability rate was hurt due to difficulty Lockheed Martin and its suppliers had producing spare parts, an issue caused by a three-year push to dramatically increase production of the aircraft, a top US Air Force official says.
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10/31/2019
PAC JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft, developed jointly with China, reaffirmed its position as the front line fighter of the Pakistan Air Force after displaying exceptional performance at PAF’s Inter-Squadron Armament Competition on Wednesday. The most anticipated contest of the force’s operational year was held at Sonmiani firing range, said a statement issued by the PAF in Karachi.
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10/31/2019
The U.S. Navy is looking to the past for a possible solution to its current aircraft carrier problems. Borrowing an idea employed in World War II, the service is seriously looking at retrofitting smaller ships normally used to transport Marines into battle. Instead of troops, the new “Mini Carriers” would have a squadron of F-35B Lightning II jet fighters.
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10/31/2019
Upgrades to help America’s aging B-2 bomber fleet detect and evade the improving air defenses of rivals China, Russia and Iran are running almost three years late and over budget.
The service now estimates it will take until at least until September 2024 before eight of the U.S.’s 20 stealth bombers are upgraded to have an initial combat capability, according to an Air Force statement.
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10/31/2019
Lockheed Martin won a $25 million contract to start engineering and manufacturing work on a new version of its GPS Spatial Temporal Anti-Jam Receiver (GSTAR) which will be installed in the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. The installation of the new anti-jam GPS is part of the most recent F-35 modernisation phase, called Block 4, says Lockheed Martin in a media release on 29 October.
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10/30/2019
The US State Department approved a $4.5 billion package to upgrade 98 examples of Japan’s Mitsubishi F-15J Eagle air superiority fighter fleet. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency told the US Congress of the possible sale on 29 October, it says in a media release. The agency is required by law to tell the US Congress, but the notice does not mean the sale is finished.
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10/30/2019
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office agreed to a $34 billion production contract for 478 examples of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. As part of the three year deal, the price of all aircraft variants will fall an average of 12.7% from lot 11 to 14, the company says.
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10/30/2019
French defence minister Florence Parly has welcomed the delivery of the first two Dassault Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft upgraded to the new standard 6 specification. Parly was shown the capabilities of the modified twin-turboprops during a 2h demonstration flight from the French navy’s Lann-Bihoue base in Britanny, northwest France on 24 October.
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10/30/2019
Amid criticism from the US Air Force that it is moving too slowly towards fixing the KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tanker Boeing is touting incremental improvements that is says should help get its troubled programme back on track.
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10/27/2019
China is steaming ahead with plans to build four large, flat-deck carriers equipped with catapults, having already launched two lower-capacity carriers with curved ski-ramp decks. Meanwhile, the PLA Naval Air Force is already looking ahead to outfit those carriers with the gold-standard of twenty-first century military aviation: stealth fighters.
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10/27/2019
The U.S. Air Force is officially putting down its money to buy two different models of light-attack aircraft. The service will purchase two to three aircraft each of the Textron Aviation AT-6 and Sierra Nevada Corporation/Embraer Defense & Security A-29 aircraft. The handful of planes will be used to support “allies and partner capacity, capability and interoperability via training and experimentation,” according to an Air Force announcement.
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10/26/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) released its final request for proposal (RFI) for about half a dozen Textron Aviation AT-6 and Sierra Nevada /Embraer A-29 light attack aircraft. The RFI was issued on 24 October. The USAF plans to purchase two to three light attack aircraft from each manufacturer, the service says in a media release.
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10/26/2019
Airbus Defence & Space sees the A400M tactical transport as its top sales priority in the Asia-Pacific region, while also eyeing opportunities for tankers and support aircraft. Johan Pelissier, head of Asia-Pacific at the airframer, says the two markets with the most potential for the A400M are South Korea and Indonesia.
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10/25/2019
Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle. The modification, known as boom flight control law, was coded in response to difficulties encountered during flight trials, and the update adds another receiver type to the list of aircraft certified for refueling from the tanker.
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10/25/2019
A group of F-15E Strike Eagle fighters from the 494th Fighter Squadron arrived at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates Oct. 18 to help support ongoing operations in the Middle East.
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10/25/2019
Two Russian Aerospace Forces Tupolev Tu-160 ‘Blackjack’ bombers touched down at Air Force Base Waterkloof on Wednesday in a groundbreaking visit to South Africa. The aircraft arrived at approximately 16:30, later than expected due to a delayed takeoff in Russia due to bad weather. The aircraft were originally scheduled to arrive in South Africa on 22 October but were delayed by more than a day due to technical issues.
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10/25/2019
U.S. Air Force combat aircraft avionics experts needed 3-D audio systems for their fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II close-air-support jets. They found their solution from Terma North America Inc. in Arlington, Va. Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, announced a five-year $60 million sole-source contract to Terma on Wednesday for as many as 328 3-D audio systems for the A-10 aircraft, which affectionately is called the Warthog.
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10/25/2019
The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refueling tanker formally transitioned into Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) on 22 October. The US Air Force programme executive officer for the tanker formally certified the long-awaited process, the service says in a media release.
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10/25/2019
Airbus Helicopters has handed the first of an eventual 18 NH90 Sea Lion naval rotorcraft to Germany, with an additional two examples to arrive by year-end. Destined to replace the German navy's 21-strong fleet of aged Westland Sea King 41s, the Sea Lion has been developed from the baseline NFH variant produced by the NH Industries (NHI) consortium.
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10/24/2019
A cooperation agreement was signed on Wednesday by the US defence group Lockheed Martin and Belgian companies in the context of potential economic benefits related to the purchase of 34 F-35 combat aircraft by the Belgian government, a contract worth some 3.8 billion euros. Eight companies signed the contract at Solvay’s headquarters in Neder-Over-Heembeek: Asco Industries, Coexpair, Feronyl, Sabca, Safran Aero Boosters, Sonaca, Thales Belgium and Solvay.
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10/24/2019
The Navy and Marine Corps recently tested out the “Lightning Carrier” concept of packing an amphibious assault ship with F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets, and they will likely continue to expand and exercise this capability.
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10/24/2019
Past evidence seems to confirm that a French fighter pilot once “killed” an American F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in mock combat. Although not unprecedented, the simulated shoot-down is still a big deal for a couple reasons. For one, the Lockheed Martin-made F-22 is supposed to be the most fearsome warplane in history, a quarter-billion-dollar-per-plane technological marvel that flies higher and faster than its opponents while avoiding detection by radar.
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10/24/2019
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG intends to make its MiG-35 fourth-plus generation fighter jet available to African nations for purchase. The company on Tuesday announced it will reveal an exportable version of the MiG-35 -- which it previously said straddles fourth- and fifth-generation capability -- during the first-ever Russia-Africa summit this week in Sochi, according to a news release.
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10/24/2019
A programme to upgrade Taiwan’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds to the latest V-model standard is running behind schedule, leaving the country facing a capability gap. Taiwanese defence minister Yen Teh-fa told the country's parliament earlier in October that so far, just four upgraded fighters have been handed back to the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF).
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10/24/2019
Lockheed Martin has defended both the stealth coatings of the F-35A and its efforts to boost the supply of spare parts, as it eyes the conclusion of three fighter campaigns in 2020 and lower operating costs. While 2019 has been a relatively trouble-free year in the programme’s long history, reports have emerged regarding concerns about the durability of its low-observable coatings at high speeds, as well as continued issues with spare parts availability.
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10/23/2019
South Korea sent its fighter jets to warn Russian warplanes who encroached South Korea’s air defense zone on Tuesday. Over several hours, Russian bombers and other warplanes – six total aircraft – entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) for the 20th time this year, ignoring the unique protocol required for foreign aircraft to identify themselves, Reuters reported.
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10/23/2019
Russia and Turkey agreed Tuesday on a plan to push Syrian Kurdish fighters from a wide swath of territory just south of Turkey’s border, cementing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s preeminent role in Syria as U.S. troops depart and America’s influence wanes.
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10/23/2019
Lockheed Martin believes its backlog of orders for the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft could more than triple based on demand from Middle Eastern and Asian countries. The company currently has a backlog of 30 F-16s, but anticipates orders for additional aircraft could increase its sales by at least another 60 examples, says Kenneth Possenriede, executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin on the firm’s third quarter earnings call on 22 October.
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10/23/2019
Work is continuing on a South Korean project to convert elderly MD Helicopters MD500s into unmanned rotorcraft, with the sole prototype eventually to be handed over to the country's army for assessment. First flight of the aircraft, known as the 500MD, took place in July and Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD), which is leading the modification effort, is now assessing data from that sortie.
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10/23/2019
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is forging ahead with sales efforts in the international advanced jet trainer/light attack market with the FA-50 after a stinging loss in the USA’s T-X competition. Sang Choi is executive vice president and general manager of KAI’s business division. He is a veteran of the company’s overseas sales campaigns for the T-50 advanced jet trainer and its FA-50 light attack variant. He spoke with FlightGlobal at the recent Seoul ADEX show.
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10/22/2019
The US Air Force’s (USAF) Air Combat Command awarded seven companies contracts worth $6.4 billion in total to provide mock dogfighting and aerial combat training services over the next five years. As part of the Combat Air Forces Contracted Air Support programme, the companies will fly their own fleet of fighter aircraft against USAF fighters during Red Flag exercises, the USAF says in an online award notice posted on 18 October.
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10/22/2019
The Eurofighter Typhoon’s self-protection equipment will be the subject of a major modernisation effort, with industry partners having launched plans for a so-called Praetorian Evolution, or “Evo” package of capabilities. Details of the proposed enhancement were outlined to partner air forces, the Eurofighter consortium and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency on 9 October by EuroDASS: a venture involving Elettronica, Hensoldt, Indra and led by Leonardo.
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10/22/2019
A pair of notifications on a US government website indicates that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) may increase the processing power of its Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, and that it will add an infrared search & track (IRST) capability.
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10/22/2019
The US State Department has cleared the possible sale of 120 Raytheon AIM-120C-7/C-8 AMRAAM missiles to South Korea. A statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency estimates the cost of the potential deal at $253 million. The package includes support equipment, logistics, and spare parts, and stems from an original request from Seoul.
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10/21/2019
The German air force will select a new fighter aircraft in early 2020, German minister of defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced in late September 2019. The plane will replace the Luftwaffe’s fleet of 93 Panavia Tornado fighter-bombers and complement the service’s roughly 140 Eurofighter Typhoons. For the longer term, Germany is working with France to develop a next-generation warplane under the Future Combat Air System program.
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10/21/2019
Army aviation faces current and future challenges as it adapts itself to both find new pilots while also preparing the next generation of aviators for air combat not seen in generations. In recent weeks, top Army aviation leaders have said publicly that while the number of pilots in the ranks fills the current aviation needs of the combatant commanders, junior pilot numbers are short and could create a critical gap as senior pilots retire or end their service.
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10/21/2019
International security isn’t a given. Historically, peace among the great powers is a rarity. It’s also a great accomplishment. Like trust, peace and security take a long time to build and only a moment to dismantle. One of the pillars upholding international peace and security today is the 1992 Open Skies. Treaty. Thirty-four nations, including the U.S. and Russia, have agreed to this treaty, which allows signatories to fly unarmed surveillance aircraft over one another’s territory.
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10/21/2019
The United States is set to receive at least two entirely new classes of long range air to air missile in the 2020s, which are intended to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM currently in service. U.S. defence manufacturer Raytheon, best known for its THAAD, RIM-161 and AIM-120 missiles, in September announced the development of the ‘Peregrine’ - an entirely new family of air to air missiles intended to be deployed by next generation American fighters.
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10/20/2019
On May 22, 2018 Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin announced that its F-35I stealth fighters had flown on two combat missions on “different fronts,” showing as proof a photograph of an F-35 overflying Beirut. While details on those missions have not been released—apparently, they were not deployed in a massive Israeli air attack on Iranian forces in Syria that took place on May 9, 2018.
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10/20/2019
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that under the current plan all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the military will continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence. Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Middle East, Esper did not rule out the idea that U.S. forces would conduct counterterrorism missions from Iraq into Syria. But he said those details will be worked out over time.
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10/20/2019
Roaring jet engines, amazing aerobatic flights and cheering crowds, the Chinese large transport aircraft Y-20 and stealth fighter J-20 ignite the passion for aviation in Changchun, a well-known "automobile city" and the capital of northeast China's Jilin Province. Friday marks the opening of a five-day air show held to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force, and the Y-20 and J-20 contributed demonstration flights.
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10/19/2019
It's official: top Pentagon officials will not clear the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for full-rate production this year, after setbacks during a crucial testing phase. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord on Friday said officials may not sign off on the F-35 full-rate production milestone - a sign of confidence in the program to produce more fighter jets -- until as far out as January 2021 because of the latest testing lapse.
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10/19/2019
House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said the Turkey-Syria cease-fire amid a U.S. troop pullout in Syria is not a success. Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran of the Iraq War, told Neil Cavuto Friday on "Your World" that the cease-fire's terms essentially allow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reach his goal in the region.
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10/19/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) is looking for a precision approach landing system to enable its aircraft to land at expeditionary air strips on islands in the Pacific Ocean. The service is asking military contractors to submit white papers that outline component-level designs and trade-off analyses to determine the right mix of requirements necessary for a Small Footprint Precision Approach and Landing Capability (SF-PALC) system, it says in an online notice on 17 October.
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10/19/2019
Since its inception in 1947, the U.S. Air Force has been deeply invested in operating long-range strategic bomber for nuclear deterrence. However, by the 1960s it grew clear that high-flying B-52 bombers had poor odds of surviving the Soviet Union’s growing network of high-speed interceptors and surface-to-air missiles. The Air Force instead invested in supersonic FB-111 and B-1 bombers designed to penetrate hostile airspace at low altitude, where radar detection was more difficult.
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10/18/2019
High-resolution satellite images show that the construction of China's first full-sized aircraft carrier is progressing steadily in what has been billed as the country's future 'warship factory'.
The vessel will be Beijing's third aircraft carrier which is expected to be launched in 2021.
Also captured by the pictures are expansive infrastructure work that suggests the ship will be the first of several large vessels produced at the site by the Yangtze River, according to analysts.
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10/18/2019
Taiwan’s Minister of Defense, Yen Teh-fa, assured parliament on Wednesday that an estimated $4.5 billion (some sources state $5.3 billion) upgrade program for 142 Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16 fighter jets is proceeding according to schedule.
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10/18/2019
Fifth generation (5th Gen) combat aircraft are totally transforming the nature of air combat, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II test pilot Billie Flynn has told the 2019 Aeronautical Society of South Africa conference, in Pretoria. The F-35 multirole fighter is the second 5th Gen combat aircraft to enter service, following the F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter (which is also a Lockheed Martin product).
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10/18/2019
The US Senate confirmed Barbara Barrett as the 25th secretary of the US Air Force (USAF).
She was confirmed in an 85 to 7 vote on 16 October. Barrett replaces Heather Wilson who resigned in May to become the president of the University of Texas at El Paso. Barrett will become the third consecutive woman confirmed to lead the USAF.
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10/17/2019
The global community of C-130J Super Hercules operators recently surpassed 2 million flight hours, Lockheed Martin announced in an Oct. 15 release. These hours were logged beginning with the C-130J’s first flight on April 5, 1996, through the end of July 2019.
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10/17/2019
The U.S. Air Force wants to fly supersonic fighter jets at lower altitudes in lightly populated areas of southwestern Idaho, northern Nevada and southeastern Oregon to better simulate combat conditions. The Air Force on Wednesday said it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement to study the idea and will hold meetings and take public comments through Nov. 25 to help shape the study.
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10/17/2019
The 2020s will see the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) obtain new aircraft for three emergent requirements. The requirements include a new Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) programme, two additional airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft, and possibly a dedicated electronic warfare (EW) platform.
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10/16/2019
France and Germany have unveiled their much-anticipated Future Combat System (FCAS) at this year’s Paris Air Show, formally entering the global race for a sixth-generation fighter. FCAS is the successor to aircraft manufacturer Dassault’s four-decade old, fourth-generation Rafale fighter, boasting a bubble canopy design accompanied by what appears to be a fully digitized onboard display.
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10/16/2019
Since the Cold War, the U.S. Navy has enjoyed complete dominance in the aircraft carrier arena. Now China is building a fleet of at least four carriers that could rival the U.S. in the Pacific in the coming years. Her second carrier, Shandong, set out on her eighth sea trial yesterday. Other countries are now responding with carrier programs, further eroding the U.S. lead.
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10/16/2019
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is upgrading its MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to be able to carry and launch the Dynetics GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition, as well as so-called future air-launched effects. Improvements in the aircraft’s external capacity – which is being increased to 680kg (1,500lb) across hardpoints on both wings, as well as on its centreline – will allow the UAV to carry more payload than before.
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10/16/2019
Bell is pursuing a number of Asia-Pacific opportunities across its defence and commercial product lines. A major focus regionally is for the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter. South Korea’s marines are preparing a request for proposals for 24 attack helicopters, and have a separate requirement for two squadrons of utility helicopters.
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10/15/2019
U.S. House and Senate lawmakers are readying bills to sanction and potentially ban U.S. arms exports to NATO ally Turkey to punish it over military operations in northern Syria against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces who helped fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The action comes after France, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway announced last week they would suspend arms sales to Turkey. French and German officials announced their bans Saturday.
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10/15/2019
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force is emulating the US Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office, creating its own RCO to swiftly field new aircraft gear, and will pursue a version of USAF’s new “Century Series” initiative in developing its own next-generation combat aircraft, the Tempest.
Even with these steps, however, the RAF commander said he sees no changes for Britain’s involvement with the F-35 program.
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10/15/2019
Seoul has unveiled a full-sized mockup of the developmental Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-X fighter. The dispaly shows the KF-X’s six wing hard points carrying mockups of two external fuel tanks, two bombs, and two short-range Diehl IRIS-T missiles. Its right cheek station carries a mockup of the Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pod, with four MBDA Meteor missiles on the aircraft’s belly.
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10/15/2019
The Lockheed Martin F-35A appears likely to secure a 20 aircraft follow up order from Seoul, as the type makes its ADEX debut in the livery of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). One example is in the show’s static display, with three jets to appear in the flying display during the opening ceremony.
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10/14/2019
American commandos were working alongside Kurdish forces at an outpost in eastern Syria last year when they were attacked by columns of Syrian government tanks and hundreds of troops, including Russian mercenaries. In the next hours, the Americans threw the Pentagon’s arsenal at them, including B-52 strategic bombers.
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10/14/2019
British supersonic stealth jets have taken off and landed on the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier for the first time, as part of advanced trials with the US military. The F-35 Lightning jets, the world's most advanced, will undergo rigorous mission planning and flying exercises off the east coast of north America, the Ministry of Defence said.
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10/14/2019
UFO “sightings” are the stuff of tin-foil hat conspiracy theorists. That is, until one hears the extraordinary account of retired U.S. Navy Commander David Fravor and his colleagues. Fravor, a career fighter pilot, former squadron commander and level-headed skipper in an acclaimed PBS documentary, makes a particularly compelling witness to an as-yet unexplained incident that occurred off the coast of Southern California in 2004.
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10/13/2019
In preparation for the arrival of the first of its F-35s next spring, Eielson Air Force Base has reactivated the 356th Fighter Squadron and named its new commander. Lt. Col. James Christensen will lead the 356th, the first of two combat fighter squadrons coming to the base, according to an Oct. 10 news release. The first of 54 F-35 Lightning IIs is scheduled to arrive in April 2020, with the rest following over two years. A number of personnel dedicated to the F-35s have already arrived.
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10/12/2019
Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) pilots, weapon systems officers and engineers have been doing advanced training on F-15SG fighter jets for the past 10 years in the United States.
At the same time, the more than 370 airmen of the Peace Carvin V (PC V) detachment and their families have made the city of Mountain Home in Idaho their second home, participating in events such as the annual air force appreciation day parade and charity projects.
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10/12/2019
A senior South Korean lawmaker has said the country should reconsider proposals for acquiring either light or medium aircraft carriers with Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery, or CATOBAR, configurations to respond to growing regional security threats. These were alternatives to South Korea's reported decision to purchase a number of large amphibious assault ships capable of supporting fixed-wing short takeoff and vertical landing combat jets.
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10/12/2019
Russian Helicopters plans to merge its two storied design bureaus, Mil and Kamov, into one unit, called the National Helicopter Center. The board of directors of Russian Helicopters, which is part of the larger Russian government-owned Rostec State Corporation, decided the two bureaus would be more efficient as one, the company says in a media release on 11 October.
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10/12/2019
The Harbin Z-20 helicopter will be employed for a number of missions across China’s military, according to a report in Beijing’s official China Daily. The helicopter appeared in the 1 October military parade in Beijing to celebrate 70 years of communist rule in China, and closely resembles the Sikorsky S-70.
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10/12/2019
The Pakistan military’s yearbook for 2017-2018 disclosed that Islamabad has obtained at least 60 CM-400AKG air-to-surface missiles, and that work continues on a future fighter concept.
During the two years covered in the yearbook, which covers all arms of the military, Islamabad spent $100 million to obtain 60 Chinese-made CM-400AKGs, a supersonic anti-ship missile that can be deployed from the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 fighter.
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10/11/2019
In light of the recent drone attack in Saudi Arabia, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has initiated necessary action to counter this new form of threat to critical installations and the security of the country. The drones have become versatile multi-role platforms because they can be launched for various purposes from a hill, dessert or sea.
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10/11/2019
The Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E is the top Russian air-superiority fighter in service today, and represents the pinnacle of fourth-generation jet fighter design. It will remain so until Russia succeeds in bringing its fifth-generation PAK-FA stealth fighter into production.
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10/11/2019
Turkey’s incursion into northeastern Syria this week has been met with international condemnation – but it’s also induced something of a schism between members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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10/11/2019
Since making its first flight in May, Sikorsky’s optionally-piloted UH-60A Black Hawk has flown a combined 54.5h and tested several autonomous flight functions. The test helicopter, which is retrofitted with a full authority fly-by-wire Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) kit developed by Sikorsky, has now flown up to 150kt (278km/h), the company says.
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10/11/2019
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is funding a project to expand the search and rescue (SAR) capability of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The work is taking place NAS Patuxent River and has seen P-8As deploy the UNIPAC III SAR kit, according to a NAVAIR statement.
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10/10/2019
Turkish combat aircraft on Wednesday delivered their first airstrikes against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria, spreading the panic among the civilian population, Mustafa Bali, the head of SDF Press Office in northern Syria, said. "Turkish warplanes have started to carry out airstrikes on civilian areas. There is a huge panic among people of the region," Bali wrote in his Twitter blog.
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10/10/2019
The Argentine air force plans to retrofit an undisclosed number of IA-58 Pucara light attack aircraft into intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) variants, renaming the type as the IA-58 Fenix. Buenos Aires operates 25 IA-58s, according to Flight International’s 2019 World Air Forces Directory.
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10/10/2019
Industry partners Airbus Defence & Space and Dassault are urging the French and German governments to agree funding commitments to rapidly launch demonstrator-phase activities linked to a proposed Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
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10/10/2019
Italy’s Guardia di Finanza agency has signed for three additional ATR 72MPs – the maritime patrol variant of the turboprop airliner. Valued at over €150 million ($162 million), including support services, the deal adds to an initial example ordered in 2018.
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10/10/2019
The Philippine Air Force will use spare parts donated by Japan to help return seven UH-1 utility helicopters to service. According to an air force statement carried by the official Philippine News Agency, a team of air force personnel “found several items needed for restoring seven of the helicopters [to] operational status.”
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10/09/2019
The Dutch government on Tuesday announced plans to purchase nine more of Lockheed Martin's F-35 jets, a move that would bring the country's inventory to 46. The envisioned €1 billion acquisition will “lay the foundation” for a third F-35 squadron in the Dutch air force, a plan that government officials first floated in late 2018, according to a statement posted on the defense ministry website.
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10/09/2019
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed at approximately 3:00 pm local time (1300 GMT) near Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany close to the German/Luxembourg border. The pilot ejected and is safe, having sustained minor injuries, according to a news release from the 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs unit.
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10/09/2019
Boeing Defense, Space & Security delivered 77 military aircraft in the third quarter of 2019, a 114% jump over the number of aircraft it delivered in the second quarter, as the company continues catching up on orders delayed by quality issues. Much of the production lift comes from a boost in deliveries of new and remanufactured AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, as well as of KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers, the company disclosed in a media release.
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10/09/2019
New Delhi has taken delivery of its first four Dassault Rafales, completing a decades-long odyssey to obtain a new fighter for the Indian air force. The jets were handed over to Indian defence minister Raksha Mantri at a ceremony held at Dassault's Merignac production line near Bordeaux in southwest France.
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10/08/2019
The acquisition of the F-16V Block 70 fighter jets is not just a purchase, but a long-term partnership that enables the Bulgarian Air Force to successfully meet the new challenges in the sector, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said at a meeting with representatives of Lockheed Martin, a government statement said.
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10/08/2019
Fears a US withdrawal from Syria will leave Kurdish fighters exposed to Turkish invasion have materialised amid reports of an airstrike by Ankara. Turkish combat aircraft carried out an airstrike against a Kurdish and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) military base in Syria's Hasakah province, local media reports. It came after US President Donald Trump defended a decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria.
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10/08/2019
He died Sept. 6, 2018, while training a Saudi student pilot at the Khashm Al An Airfield in Riyadh. When the accident occurred, Reidy only had 75 hours of flight time on the AH-6i. He needed a minimum of 250 hours in that aircraft, according to Saudi Arabia’s own regulations, and so was granted a waiver, according to an investigation into the mishap obtained by Army Times.
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10/08/2019
Bangkok wants to be involved in the development of software when it eventually looks to obtain a new fighter. In remarks made to the Bangkok Post, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) commander Maanat Wongwat said that a Concept of Project Requirements (COPR) will be developed for aircraft acquisitions.
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10/07/2019
Is China’s newest aircraft carrier half-full or half-empty? That depends on how you look at the vessel’s aircraft capacity. The ship, prosaically named the Type 001A for now, is China’s second carrier and the first built in China. The first carrier, the Liaoning, is a refurbished ex-Soviet vessel. The Liaoning could carry twenty-four J-15 fighters. The Type 001A can carry thirty-six J-15s plus various support aircraft and helicopters, according to Chinese media.
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10/07/2019
Ahead of handing over of the first Rafale jet to India, European missile maker MBDA has said that the aircraft with most advanced weapons package comprising Meteor and Scalp missiles will provide the country unrivalled deep strike capability and air dominance in the region. MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the 36 Rafale jets being procured by India at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
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10/07/2019
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has downplayed reports it is planning to acquire a new fleet of high-tech, expensive fighter jets - including the US-made F-35 multi-role combat aircraft. Air force commander ACM Maanat Wongwat said the air force has a policy of not purchasing "ready-made" aircraft, and the F-35 manufacturer has yet to sell its jet to a buyer who wants to participate in the development of the fighter jets' software programmes.
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10/05/2019
The race between Boeing’s F-18 jet and the Airbus Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to replace Germany’s Tornado fighter-bombers has tilted toward the American plane, according to a German media report.
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10/05/2019
The path towards procuring a replacement fighter for the CF-188 Hornet has been one with many twists and turns due to political gamesmanship and strategic business marketing, causing much public misunderstanding.
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10/05/2019
The US Navy’s (USN) last F/A-18C Hornet made its final active-duty flight at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia on 2 October. The fighter aircraft, number 300, had been flying for decades, completing its first USN acceptance check flight 14 October, 1988, says the service. The service noted that Lieutenant Andrew Jalali, who piloted the Hornet for its final 1.5h flight, was also born in 1988.
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10/05/2019
Startup Anduril Industries unveiled its drone-smashing Interceptor unmanned air vehicle (UAV) on 3 October. The small UAV is designed to take out drones, such as consumer quadcopters, by colliding into them, the Irvine, California-based company says in a media release.
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10/05/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) has created a new office to help with the development of advanced fighter technologies. “The new office was created to transform the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program into the Air Force’s Digital Century Series initiative, using digital engineering, modular open systems architecture and Agile software development to design advanced airplanes faster and enter production with a significantly lower learning curve,” says the USAF.
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10/04/2019
Proving yet again that one nation’s misfortune is another’s business opportunity, Russia says it will sell radars in the Middle East that are designed to detect cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons. The announcement follows a devastating attack – reportedly by drones and cruise missiles – on Saudi oil facilities last month. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia accuse Iran of being behind the attack, which ostensibly was conducted by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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10/04/2019
It is built to withstand more damage than any other frame that I know of. Its known for its ruggedness, A-10 pilot Lt. Col. Ryan Haden, 23rd Fighter Group Deputy, Moody AFB, told Scout Warrior in an interview last year. The pilot of the A-10 is surrounded by multiple plates of titanium armor, designed to enable the aircraft to withstand small-arms fire and keep flying its attack missions.
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10/04/2019
The 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan relieved the commander of its maintenance squadron on Monday, according to a media report. Lt. Col. Jason Moehle, who led the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, maintainers of the F-16 Wild Weasel aircraft, was relieved by 35th Maintenance Group commander Col. Rognald Christensen, who cited a loss of confidence in Moehle’s ability to command, the Air Force Times reported Wednesday.
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10/04/2019
In September 2018, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on China following its purchase of the Su-35SK under the terms of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). This Act is intended to counter Russian influence in Europe and Eurasia, and to punish Russia for its involvement in the wars in Ukraine and Syria and for its alleged interference in the 2016 US election, by restricting its ability to export weapons.
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10/04/2019
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) has received the final advanced Typhoon combat aircraft from BAE Systems during a ceremony at the company’s final assembly facility at Warton, Lancashire. The delivery marks a key programme milestone as BAE Systems completes the handover of 160 Typhoon aircraft ordered by the RAF.
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10/04/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) plans to award a sole source contract to Collins Aerospace to deliver 3,018 examples of its ACES 5 ejection seats for installation in the service’s fleet of Boeing F-15, Lockheed Martin F-16, Lockheed Martin F-22, Boeing A-10 and Boeing B-1Bs.
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10/03/2019
The first four Russian Su-30SM aircraft are supposed to be delivered to Belarus in November, BelTA learned from Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov on 2 October. The official said: “The contract, which was signed in 2017, has come into force. Its financing has begun. The first four Su-30SM aircraft are supposed to be delivered in November 2019.”
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10/03/2019
One of the most significant Make in India success stories for the Modi government has been the US-based aerospace company Lockheed Martin’s decision to build F16 wings for their global supply to the world from India. Renowned aerospace scientist Dr Vivek Lall had made the announcement along with Lockheed’s strategic partner Tata in September 2018.
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10/03/2019
The U.S. Air Force’s extended post-Cold War “procurement holiday” has many of these characteristics. During the late 1970s through the 1980s, the service averaged buying more than 200 combat aircraft per year. Post-Cold War, for more than 25 years, it averaged less than 20 leading to the smallest, oldest Air Force in history. When the Air Force deployed for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, it had 134 fighter squadrons across all components.
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10/03/2019
Facing competitors who are pushing the envelope in terms of complexity and novelty, Bell has revealed that it is taking a more conventional route to its proposal for the US Army’s Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition: a winged helicopter called the 360 Invictus.
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10/03/2019
Tokyo will receive the full allotment of nine Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft originally announced last year. A 26 September statement from the US Department of Defense navy awarded $1.4 billion to Northrop for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal.
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10/02/2019
At the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unveiled a number of new pieces of high end hardware during a large scale parade in Tiananmen Square. Alongside new DF-17 hypersonic tactical missiles, WZ-8 hypersonic surveillance drones and Gongji-11 unmanned stealth bombers the PLA for the first time displayed its DF-41 hypersonic intercontinental range ballistic missiles.
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10/02/2019
The biggest homegrown weapons development project in Korean history is about to take off as Seoul begins production for its new cutting-edge, multi-role fighter jets known as the KFX.
The design for the KFX, which stands for Korean Fighter Experimental, is the result of almost two decades of planning that cost the government approximately 8.6 trillion won ($7 billion).
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10/02/2019
The US Navy (USN) plans to host a fly-off competition in Yuma, Arizona in January 2020 to find a tactical cargo resupply unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for the US Marine Corps (USMC). The competition is called the small Unmanned Logistics Support – Air (ULS-A) effort, says the USN in a media release on 30 September.
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10/02/2019
Beijing used the 70th birthday party of communist rule in China to display an impressive array of firepower. Involving a total of 15,000 personnel, hundreds of vehicles, as well as over 100 aircraft and helicopters, the parade was conducted under extremely tight security in Beijing.
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10/01/2019
Unmanned systems are rapidly transforming the ways wars are fought across the globe—whether high-tech stealth drones operated by the U.S. military or cheap commercial quadcopter modified by rebels in Syria to carry improvised bombs. Drone warfare reached a new milestone in the fall of 2019 when Turkish- and Chinese-built drones operated by both factions in Libya’s civil war largely replaced manned aircraft in combat roles, and were used to attack each other’s bases.
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10/01/2019
Rafale jets will greatly enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and will give the IAF an edge over Pakistan and China, new IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Monday. "Rafale is a very capable aircraft, once we induct it, it will be a gamechanger in terms of our operational capability and when we use it in combination with SU-30 and other fleets which we have, we would have a serious jump in our capability. It will give us an edge over Pakistan and China," Bhadauria
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10/01/2019
As India looks to acquire 114 new medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to shore up its depleting strength, Swedish defence major SAAB has pitched for a complete Transfer of Technology (TOT) and local production of its Gripen fighter jet at “half” the cost of French alternative Rafale.
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10/01/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) awarded Boeing a $2.63 billion contract for 15 KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling tankers. The lot 5 production contract includes funds for KC-46A aircraft, as well as related product data, two spare engines, five wing refueling pod kits, initial spares, support equipment, “subscriptions and licenses,” the USAF says in a notice posted 27 September. The aircraft are expected to be finished by March 2023.
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10/01/2019
Some names stick. Bell designates the latest incarnation of the venerable AH-1 attack helicopter as the AH-1Z Viper – sometimes referred to as the ‘Zulu’ in casual conversation. The most recent version of the UH-1, meanwhile, is the UH-1Y Venom.
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09/30/2019
Tripoli: In Libya, where rival forces are deadlocked south of Tripoli, a months-long battle for the skies between Turkish and UAE drones has failed to break the stalemate, analysts say. Since April 4, when eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to capture Tripoli - the capital and seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA)- frontlines have moved little.
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09/30/2019
The Chinese Communist Party plans Tuesday to put on the largest military parade in the history of the People’s Republic of China, wheeling out new hardware designed to show the country’s advances under the leadership of Xi Jinping. The party is marking the 70th anniversary of its establishment of the state, an important milestone because the PRC has outlasted the Soviet Union, which endured for 69 years.
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09/30/2019
In the illustrious history of the F-35 fighter jet, add a pony farm outside Berlin as the place where one company claims the plane’s stealth cover was blown. The story that follows is a snapshot in the cat-and-mouse game between combat aircraft — designed to be undetectable by radar — and sensor makers seeking to undo that advantage. In the case of the F-35, the promise of invisibility to radar is so pronounced that it has colored much of the jet's employment doctrine.
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09/28/2019
Moscow and Ankara are having "progressive interaction" on fighter jets deliveries, the head of Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev said Friday. The service organized a special presentation for the Turkish Air Forces in Istanbul "in dynamic and in static," Shugaev said in an interview with the state-run RIA news agency.
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09/28/2019
The German air force will select a new fighter aircraft in early 2020, German minister of defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced in late September 2019. The plane will replace the Luftwaffe’s fleet of 93 Panavia Tornado fighter-bombers and complement the service’s roughly 140 Eurofighter Typhoons. For the longer term, Germany is working with France to develop a next-generation warplane under the Future Combat Air System program.
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09/28/2019
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is increasing potential long-term production quantities of Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) from a possible maximum of 4,900 to a possible maximum of 10,000.
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09/27/2019
Italy has become the first country to deploy F-35 stealth fighters for NATO’s air-policing missions. Italian F-35As belonging to the Italian air force’s 13° Gruppo, 32° Stormo are on track to take over the air-policing mission in Iceland, David Cenciotti reported at The Aviationist on Sept. 25, 2019.
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09/27/2019
In early August, the interdepartmental commission, set up by the government on 4 July, sent requests to 26 potential bidders concerning the procurement of multi-purpose combat aircraft, the government's press office recalls. Since then the commission has considered the proposals made by those bidders who expressed interest in this project.
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09/26/2019
The F-16 fighter was originally conceived as a lightweight fighter for the United States and her NATO allies. In the U.S. Air Force, the “Fighting Falcon” would comprise the low end of a “high-low” mix of super-capable F-15s and cheaper, less capable F-16s. Among NATO allies, it would be a frontline fighter to replace aging planes like the F-104 and F-15.
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09/26/2019
An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would be able to use its sensors, weapons and computer technology to destroy Russian and Chinese 5th-Generation Stealth fighters in a high-end combat fight, service officials said. “There is nothing that I have seen from maneuvering an F-35 in a tactical environment that leads me to assume that there is any other airplane I would rather be in.
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09/26/2019
The US Navy’s (USN) Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler have surpassed an 80% mission capability rate, complying with a directive set by former defense secretary Jim Mattis last year. But the USN’s premier fighter aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, will not reach the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) 80% goal, the USN announced on 24 September.
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09/26/2019
The US Department of Defense has approved the possible sale of eight Boeing AH-6I attack helicopters to Thailand as the Southeast Asian nation contemplates its attack helicopter requirements. The $400 million deal, to be conducted through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, includes a range of weapons, sensors, training, and other support, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency statement.
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09/26/2019
Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has unveiled the prototype of a new indigenous Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) at the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) facility in Taichung, christening it the "Yung Yin” or Brave Eagle. Designated “A1”, the prototype is one of four that will be produced for ground and flight tests.
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09/25/2019
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump renewed a key defence pact which allows American forces to use Singapore’s air and naval bases, extending it by another 15 years to 2035.
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09/25/2019
For the first time, Airmen from the 33rd Fighter Wing fired AIM-9X missiles from F-35A Lightning II Sept. 17-19 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during exercise Combat Archer. “The 33rd Fighter Wing is crossing another important milestone this week as we take on a short notice Weapons Standardization and Evaluation Program tasking to load, carry and fire seven AIM-9X missiles in support of Combat Archer,” said Chief Master Sgt. John Lang, 33rd FW weapons manager.
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09/25/2019
In Saudi Arabia, a combined drone and cruise missile attack conducted by still-unknown forces (either Iran, Iraqi proxy groups, Yemeni militia forces, or a combination of all three) caused significant damage to the Kingdom’s most important oil facility. Defence writer Tyler Rogoway is alarmed about the implications.
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09/25/2019
Airbus Defence & Space says its A400M tactical transport has cleared a key test point on its way to securing approval to refuel military helicopters in flight. During four test flights, the company’s hose and drogue refuelling pod-equipped “Grizzly 4” airframe made 51 so-called dry contacts with an Airbus Helicopters H225M, without transferring fuel. The activity was conducted at altitudes of 1,000-10,000ft, and speeds as low as 105kt (195km/h).
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09/24/2019
The Pentagon will investigate the Air Force's handling of the development of a remotely operated boom on its newest refueling tanker, which has been plagued by a host of problems.
The Defense Department’s Inspector General is expected to begin evaluating “whether the Air Force adhered to DOD and Air Force systems engineering processes” during the design and development of the refueling boom on the new Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, the IG’s office said in a statement last week.
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09/24/2019
After months of effort, The War Zone has been making steady headway in obtaining new details about the status of the U.S. Air Force's remaining F-117 Nighthawk stealth combat jets and their future fates, including that one is headed for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Still, it has long proven difficult to get any details about who is still flying at least some of these jets and why, which has long been one of the hottest topics of interest regarding these aircraft.
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09/24/2019
Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 20 the large international exercise Cobra Warrior 2019 took place in UK airspace. Exercise Cobra Warrior is an annual exercise and is the RAFs premier tactical training event, designed to conclude the training of the Qualified Weapons Instructor, Qualified Multi-engine Tactics Instructor, QWI Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Qualified Space Instructor Course students.
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09/24/2019
The French air force received its first of two Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules aerial refuelling tankers at Orléans – Bricy air base on 19 September. A second KC-130J is planned for delivery in 2020, says Lockheed Martin.
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09/23/2019
An unidentified aircraft struck on Sunday a military base near an airfield west of Iraq's Anbar province, Lebanese television network Al-Mayadeen quoted Iraqi sources as saying. The sources added that the military base serves an Iranian-backed militia. No casualties were reported in the alleged strike. Hours later, a second attack on a base in the Fallujah area, used by Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces fighters, was reported by Al Hadath, citing Iraqi security sources.
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09/23/2019
U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin completed a trans-Pacific flight in MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for the fourth time, transiting from Darwin, Australia to their home station on Marine Corps Base Hawaii on September 19, according to a recent service news release.
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09/22/2019
The recent announcement by the Trump administration approving the sale of new fighter jets to Taiwan has predictably drawn ire from China and stirred fresh debate about American arms sales to the East Asian island.
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09/22/2019
It’s not surprising that China claims that its J-20 stealth fighter is superior to the U.S. F-22 and F-35. All nations like to claim their weapons are better than those of their adversaries (and if they don’t, it’s because they want more money for the defense budget). But a Chinese defense magazine has gone a step further by describing how Chinese experts view the J-20 as superior to American jets in many – but not all – categories.
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09/21/2019
The U.S. aerospace giant Boeing released video of its newest F-15EX Advanced Eagle fighter jets. Boeing posted a short promo video of a new fighter jet on social media pointing that new combat aircraft will be equipped with World’s fastest computer, Fly-by-wire controls, and leading-edge electronic radar.
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09/21/2019
IAF received its first ‘acceptance’ Rafale combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation in France, yesterday. Deputy Air Force Chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhary also flew in the aircraft for around one hour. India and rance had signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets in 2016 during PM Narendra Modi's visit to that country. The contract for 36 ready-to-fly aircraft was signed at about Rs 58,000 crore.
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09/21/2019
MBDA and Bharat Dynamics (BDL) have entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the production of missiles in India. The agreement involves the ASRAAM and Mistral missiles, and covers final assembly, integration and testing, says MBDA.
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09/20/2019
A Belgian Air Force combat jet crashed into a field in France on Thursday, with one of the plane’s occupants reportedly stuck on a high-tension wire. The F-16 was carrying out a military exercise when it crashed into a field in Pluvigner, near the Morbihan gulf in northwestern France, according to the Belga news agency.
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09/20/2019
Defence minister Rajnath Singh will travel to France on October 8 to receive the first Rafale combat aircraft manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation. The fleet of aircraft will come to India next year. "October 8 is auspicious for two reasons. It is both Dussehra and Air Force Day," government sources told ANI.
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09/20/2019
The Vermont Air National Guard is due to take delivery of the first two of what will become 20 F-35 fighter aircraft, the first Guard unit to receive the next-generation fighter. The aircraft will be based at Burlington International Airport and are being flown to Vermont on Thursday from the factory in Fort Worth, Texas.
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09/20/2019
Saudi Arabia says it has evidence showing Iran sponsored Saturday's drone and missile attacks on two of its oil facilities, and called on the international community to take action. The question is whether there could be a war. The scale of the attacks means that Saudi Arabia cannot overlook what happened, and its decision to identify Iran as the culprit compels the kingdom to respond.
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09/19/2019
Problems with the new plane’s refueling system could prompt the Air Force to put off retiring 1960s-era KC-135 tankers that are supporting the U.S. military’s operations around the world. The KC-46 was supposed to be battle-ready in 2017, but numerous design and development problems have led to repeated delays and cost the plane’s maker Boeing more than $3 billion.
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09/19/2019
Two Belgian fighter jets intercepted four Russian military aircraft reportedly flying over the Baltic Sea, in NATO airspace, unauthorised, the Belgian Air Force announced. The Air Force announced that the Russian aircraft were two Russian Blackjack bomber planes and two Flanker fighters, sharing images of the combat jets on Twitter.
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09/19/2019
Sikorsky expects the US Air Force (USAF) to make a Milestone C decision for its Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) on 24 September, paving the way for a low rate initial production contract worth more than $500 million for 10 aircraft to be signed shortly thereafter. The first production helicopter is scheduled for delivery in April 2021, says Sikorsky.
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09/19/2019
Boeing has made insufficient progress fixing issues with the KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker’s remote vision system (RVS) – the camera-based technology that helps crew guide a refuelling boom to receiving aircraft, according to the US Air Force.
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09/19/2019
Raytheon has demonstrated the rapid setup of its Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), which can help aircraft land at austere, hastily-established airfields. The work took place at US Navy (USN) Air Station Patuxent River, with a Raytheon team getting the system operational in 70 minutes on the first day, and 50 on the second.
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09/17/2019
The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber’s first flight will be a short hop, about 22mi (35km) north across the Mojave Desert, from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California where it is being built to its testing site at Edwards Air Force Base.
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09/17/2019
Raytheon has unveiled a new medium-range, air-to-air missile called Peregrine. The in-development Peregrine offers the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), with the manoeuvrability of the AIM-9X Sidewinder, says Mark Noyes, Raytheon’s business development executive for air warfare systems.
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09/17/2019
The US Air Force has designated the Boeing T-X jet trainer the T-7A Red Hawk, in tribute to the US Army Air Corps’ Tuskegee Airmen and their World War II-era P-40 Warhawks. The naming was announced by acting secretary of the air force Matthew Donovan at the 2019 Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland on 16 September. The trainer will sport red livery on its tail as the aircraft of the Tuskegee Airman’s 99th Pursuit Squadron did during World War II.
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09/16/2019
The drone attacks on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia's oil industry included hitting the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran was behind the attacks. Iran accused the US of "deceit." Later Mr Trump said in a tweet the US knew who the culprit was and was "locked and loaded" but waiting to hear from the Saudis about how they wanted to proceed.
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09/15/2019
Taiwan has signalled to US officials that it will move swiftly to complete the purchase of 66 new F-16 fighters once congressional foreign relations committees complete their review this month, according to a US State Department official. The department formally notified Congress on August 20 that it approved the sale, which includes munitions, defensive electronics and a fire-control radar that would allow precision-guided missiles and bombs to be launched from greater distances.
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09/15/2019
With the first serially produced Su-57 fifth-generation fighter set to enter service in the Russian Air Force later this year, the Russian defense industry is planning to unveil the export version of the Su-57 at the upcoming MAKS 2019 international air show.
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09/15/2019
Recent reports about the B-21 Raider suggest that the plane might have a mission that U.S. bombers have not had for a very long time: air-to-air combat. If the Air Force continues to pursue this line of thought, it will revive a concept that dominated airpower theory in the early age of aviation, but that fell by the wayside because of technological and operational concerns in the 1950s and 1960s.
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09/15/2019
President Donald Trump’s plan to pay for his proposed border wall by taking funds from more than four dozen Air Force military construction projects poses various national security risks for the U.S. armed forces, according to a report compiled by the U.S. Air Force.
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09/14/2019
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally receive the first of its 36 ordered Rafale multi-role fighters in Paris on October 8, the foundation day of the IAF. Previously, the official handover was expected to happen on September 20. It will mark the first new fighter induction into the Air Force since the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas was received in 2016. In September 2016, India signed a Euro 7.87 billion (INR 59,000 crore) deal with the French government for purchase of Rafale aircraft.
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09/14/2019
The US Navy has received its first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft with an air-to-air refueling probe. The aircraft joined the navy’s VAW-120 “Greyhawks” fleet replacement squadron, according to the US navy.
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09/13/2019
The J-10 “Vigorous Dragon” is a mainstay of China’s effort to modernize its large fleet of single-engine jet fighters, with 350 already in service. An agile tactical fighter similar to the ubiquitous F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Vigorous Dragon was the first domestic Chinese design roughly on par with Western and Russian fourth-generation fighters.
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09/13/2019
Fresh off a fraught decade-long rewinging effort, the Air Force's beloved A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet is poised to keep on BRRRTing in the free world for at least another decade — and the beloved attack aircraft will pick up some tasty new upgrades along the way.
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09/13/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) has banned the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refueling tanker from carrying passengers and cargo after it discovered cargo floor restraint devices unlocking during a recent operational test and evaluation flight.
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09/13/2019
The Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Shadow R1 fleet of intelligence-gathering aircraft is to receive a major self-protection upgrade, intended to safeguard the Beechcraft King Air 350CER-based type against attack using infrared-guided missiles.
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09/12/2019
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) will be holding their first ever joint air combat exercise, codenamed Bushido Guardian 2019, in northern Japan, according to the Australian Department of Defense (DoD). According to the DoD, up to 150 RAAF personnel, seven F/A-18A/B Hornet fighters, a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft, as well as C-17A Globemaster and C-130J Hercules transport aircraft will participate in the exercise.
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09/12/2019
Less than 15 months after unveiling its long-term air combat strategy and next-generation Tempest concept, the UK has added a second international partner to the latter activity, with Italy signing a statement of intent to work on the project. The international armament directors of the UK and Italy signed an agreement at the DSEI exhibition in London on 10 September, followed by a similar pact the next day between their defence industries.
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09/12/2019
The US State Department has approved the sale of 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters to Poland as part of a package worth an estimated $6.5 billion. NATO member Poland wanted the stealth aircraft as a counterweight to Russia, a country Poland has viewed as increasingly aggressive following invasions of Georgia and Ukraine. The F-35As are to replace the Polish air force’s Russian-built MiG-29 and Su-22 fighters, says a US State Department notice posted online on 11 September.
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09/12/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) has modified a Boeing B-1B Lancer to enable the bomber to carry larger and heavier weapons, including hypersonic missiles. The service's 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California showcased a B-1B with the improve weapons capabilities to an undisclosed group of industry partners on 28 August, the USAF says.
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09/12/2019
Speaking to employees gathered in a delivery hangar at its Marignane site, Airbus Helicopters chief executive Bruno Even laid out the importance of the Super Puma family to the airframer. Over its 41-year history – first flight of the original AS332 took place in September 1978 – the Super Puma has made Airbus Helicopters "stronger, more humble and more demanding", Even said.
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09/11/2019
U.S. jets bombed an ISIS-“infested island” in northern Iraq Tuesday, according to new video and a statement from the U.S.-led coalition battling the terrorist group. More than 80,000 pounds of laser-guided bombs were dropped on the island located on the Tigris River south of Mosul, according to U.S. Army Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, based in Baghdad.
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09/11/2019
Poland is being offered a locally developed modernisation package for its land forces' Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters, with updates to include replacement avionics and new weapons. An integrated avionics system would incorporate new head-up and multi-function displays and the update’s developers are also proposing the installation of a Rafael Toplite electro-optical/infrared sensor turret.
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09/11/2019
Kuala Lumpur is studying options for replacing its Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters, but its poor acquisition record suggests a long process. Media reports from Malaysia quote defence minister Mohamad Sabu as saying that studies about new jets are underway, with an eye to replace the jets with new aircraft from Russia - he did not mention specific types.
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09/09/2019
As the global arms industry prepares to set up shop at the DSEI arms fair in London this week, a new report today by Amnesty International reveals that the world’s biggest arms companies - including Airbus, BAE Systems and Raytheon - are failing to undertake adequate human rights due diligence which could prevent their products from being used in potential human rights violations and war crimes.
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09/08/2019
The federal government says it’s providing additional emergency military support to areas in the Bahamas that were destroyed by Hurricane Dorian. Global Affairs Canada says a Canadian Armed Forces’ CC-130J Hercules aircraft was sent Friday to provide airlift support.
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09/08/2019
Welcome to Syria, the Russian Air Force’s battle lab. Russia has been able to gain valuable combat experience in Syria, according to Anatoly Tsyganok, a retired Russian colonel and military commentator writing in the Russian defense publication Independent. Russian pilots have learned to perform high-altitude bombing runs over Syria, fire air-launched cruise missiles, conduct low-level helicopter attacks, and effectively support the ground troops.
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09/07/2019
Russia’s intervention in the Syrian Civil War proved pivotal in saving Bashar al-Assad’s regime from defeat by Islamic rebels. While Hezbollah and Iran fought the ground war with troops and advisers that buttressed the sagging Syrian Arab Army, Russia flew constant and devastating air strikes against the rebels (and also killed numerous Syrian civilians). Russia had a chance to test numerous planes, including the Su-35 fighter, the Tu-160 strategic bomber, the Su-57 stealth fighter and various m
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09/07/2019
To continue current missions, adapt to brand new aircraft and prepare for large-scale combat operations, the Army is pushing its pilots in some of the toughest training challenges, both real and virtual, that they’ve ever faced.
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09/07/2019
In a major boost for the indigenous defence manufacturing capability, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to place orders worth around ?45,000 crore with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to acquire 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighters. The IAF had issued a tender for 83 LCAs about two years ago and the project was stuck over the pricing issue as the government and the Air Force felt that the price offered by the HAL was slightly higher.
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09/06/2019
The Czech Republic intends to acquire a dozen aircraft from Bell – eight transports and four attack helicopters – as part of a fleet modernisation worth Kc14.5 billion ($600 million). Speaking during a visit to Sedlec air base in late August, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said that the nation wants to acquire the new rotorcraft "as soon as possible".
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09/06/2019
The Philippine air force looks set to receive two Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters donated by Jordan in early 2020. The delivery had apparently been planned for this month, but training the crews for the rotorcraft has delayed this, according to the government-owned Philippines News Agency.
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09/06/2019
The Brazilian air force received its first Embraer KC-390 transport in a ceremony at Anápolis Air Base outside of Brasilia on 4 September. The service is starting preparations for the transport’s entry into service with its First Troop Transport Group. Embraer says it has already been conducting “theoretical and practical training with the air force teams to start operations”.
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09/06/2019
Canada's options for a new fighter have narrowed to three, with the formal withdrawal of the Eurofighter Typhoon from the competition. In a statement on 30 August, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Airbus Defence & Space announced that the Typhoon would not compete for the 88-fighter deal. This whittles contestants down to just three: the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-35A and the Saab Gripen.
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09/04/2019
As Russia upgrades infrastructure at its Hmeymim air base in Syria, prototypes of two Sukhoi Su-57 stealth-capable fighters have been sent, presumably to show off Russia's weaponry.
This is the “first demonstration of the latest Russian combat aircraft under real war conditions," reports Krasnaya Zvezda.
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09/04/2019
NATO member Croatia aims to buy 12 fourth-generation fighter jets by the end of 2020, a government official has said. "Our aim is to know by the middle of next year what jets we can buy and have a contract signed by the end of next year," Robert Kopal, a special advisor to prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, said in a government press release on Monday.
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09/04/2019
Now it is unlikely the United States will allow Turkey to buy fifth-generation F-35 fighters jets, there is renewed speculation the Turkish government could seek to buy warplanes from Russia instead. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had ice cream with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a visit to Russia last week and had a look at Russian Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 jet fighter-bombers exhibited at the MAKS-2019 air show. “Yes, you can buy it,” Putin said of the Su-57.
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09/04/2019
Deterring and/or defeating aggression by China’s military has become a top priority of U.S. defense strategy. Due to China’s geographical circumstances, Pentagon planners assume that any outward thrust of the People’s Liberation Army, Navy and Air Force would occur in the east, presumably using maritime routes. So it is there that America and its allies intend to block aggression—starting at the first island chain off the eastern coast that includes Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
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09/03/2019
In a major boost to the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities, eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters are set to be inducted into the IAF on September 3, officials said on Monday.
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa will be the chief guest during the induction ceremony, which will take place at the Pathankot Air Force station.
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09/03/2019
US National Security Adviser John Bolton recently accused China of stealing US technology to make a stealth fighter, a charge Beijing has denied. On a visit to Ukraine last week, Bolton said an unnamed fifth-generation aircraft “looks a lot like the F-35, that’s because it is the F-35. They just stole it”.
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09/02/2019
Israeli fighter jets touched down at Waddington Air Force Base in the United Kingdom to take part in a high-intensity tactical drill with aircraft from other nations. The jets joined 50 aircraft of various types from the German, Italian and American air forces for the 20-day Cobra Warrior exercise.
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08/31/2019
Panel Loss is Second Caught on Film This Month Following U.S. F-16 Three Weeks Ago. A new MiG-35D two-seat, advanced “generation 4++” fighter lost a large wing panel from its left wing after takeoff during a flight demonstration at the MAKS Aviasalon 2019 air show at Zhukovsky Air Base outside Moscow on Thursday, August 29, 2019. The aircraft, which may have been crewed by a delegation from the Indian Air Force at the time of the panel separation.
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08/31/2019
China appears to be considering arming a future aircraft carrier with the country's first fifth-generation stealth fighter, a move that will seriously boost the Chinese navy's combat power if it can overcome the relevant hurdles in the coming decade or so.
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08/31/2019
The Navy is currently analyzing air frames, targeting systems, AI-enabled sensors, new weapons and engine technologies to engineer a new 6th-Generation fighter to fly alongside the F-35 and ultimately replace the F/A-18.
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08/30/2019
Russian Su-35s took off from Hmeimim Airbase and made their way towards the Mediterranean Sea as the Israeli aircraft were preparing an attack against Syria. While IAF managed to hit one of its main targets, the Russian publication Tsargrad.TV reported that IAF aircraft were forced out of Syrian airspace as they were preparing for a second wave of strikes.
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08/30/2019
A US military plane flew over the Taiwan Strait on Thursday (Aug 29), the island's government said, just days after one of its navy ships sailed through the waters and the latest arms sale between Washington and Taipei. Taiwan's defence ministry said in a statement that the transport aircraft flew south along the "median line" of the narrow strait, a traditionally respected maritime line dividing self-ruled Taiwan and mainland China, in a move likely to provoke Beijing.
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08/30/2019
The U.S. military has started moving aircraft from the East Coast to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth as part of preparations for Hurricane Dorian’s landfall over the weekend. Approximately 150 aircraft will be arriving in the next couple of days. They’ll be coming from as far south as Key West, Florida to as far north as Beaufort, South Carolina.
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08/30/2019
On Aug. 28, 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defense published a video showing Su-34s bombers operating from a highway strip during a material and technical support exercise (MTO) of the Russian Federation Armed Forces in the Central Military District. During the exercise 12 Su-34 Fullback bombers and two An-26 Curl cargo aircraft landed on the highway strip, where the entire airfield support infrastructure was deployed along with at least three Mi-8 helicopters.
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08/30/2019
The Chinese Army will send 1,600 troops and around 30 helicopters and aircraft to take part in Russia’s Tsentr-2019 (Center-2019) strategic drills, Spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang said at a news briefing on Thursday.
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08/29/2019
Pakistan's JF-17 Jet Has Its First Victory by Destroying an Iranian Drone. An Iranian drone operating in Pakistan’s Parom area of Panjgur district was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) JF-17 fighter. It was unknown when the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down but the wreckage was recovered by local security forces on Jun. 19, 2017.
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08/29/2019
In short, the MiG-31 mistakenly shot down its wingman. It has now emerged that the twin-engine fighter was brought down by another MiG-31 which fired an R-33 air-to-air missile mistakenly.
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08/29/2019
Last week, NATO jets scrambled three times to intercept nine Russian warplanes flying over the Baltic in international space, according to Lithuania's Defense Ministry. On Monday, August 19, the NATO air force intercepted a pair of Su-30s flying from the Kaliningrad exclave to another part of the Russian Federation, the report says. On Tuesday, August 20, a NATO jet identified Russia's Su-34 and T-134 aircraft, which were also flying from Kaliningrad region.
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08/29/2019
Russia's defence export agency Rosoboronexport has unveiled the Su-57E, the export variant of its fifth generation fighter aircraft, at the MAKS international air show here. Russia said the latest aircraft is a priority in marketing plans and preliminary negotiations for foreign buyers will start.
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08/28/2019
A little over a month after the USA dumped Ankara from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme over its decision to buy the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system, Turkey’s President Recip Erdogan showed up at the MAKS air show looking for a new defence partner.
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08/28/2019
BrahMos Aerospace may conduct a second air-launch test of its supersonic cruise missile to further demonstrate the weapon’s ability to fly to a number of waypoints before reaching its final destination.
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08/28/2019
The first Gripen E fighter to have been produced for Brazil completed a 65min flight debut from Saab’s Linkoping site in Sweden on 26 August. Performed by company test pilot Richard Ljungberg, the milestone sortie “included test points to verify basic handling and flying qualities at different altitudes and speeds”, the airframer says.
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08/28/2019
Lisbon has selected Elbit Systems to provide the electronic warfare (EW) suite of its five new Embraer KC-390 tactical transports. The suite includes radar and laser warning systems, an infrared (IR) missile warning systems, a countermeasures dispensing system, DIRCM (Direction IR countermeasures) and an active electronic countermeasures system, says Elbit.
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08/27/2019
Boeing has delivered the 11th C-17 Globemaster III to the Indian Air Force India’s adding capability to meet current and future strategic airlift requirements. Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III is a premier transporter for military, humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. The massive, sturdy, long-haul aircraft can carry large combat equipment, troops and humanitarian aid across long distances, directly to austere airfields anywhere in the world, in all weather conditions.
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08/27/2019
Rosoboronexport JSC (part of the Rostec State Corporation) has invited 120 delegations from 65 countries to the MAKS 2019 International Air Show, which will be held from August 27 to September 1, 2019 at the Gromov Flight Research Institute’s airfield in Zhukovsky, Moscow region.
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08/27/2019
China’s rapid military modernisation has triggered an intense discussion about Australia’s defence priorities, reviving old debates about an independent ‘defence of Australia’ doctrine or a deeper alliance with the United States. Missing from that debate, however, is an understanding of the weaknesses and shortcomings of the People’s Liberation Army.
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08/26/2019
From the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia to the crowded neighborhoods of Beirut, a drone war has taken flight across the wider Middle East, raising the stakes in the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Since the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal last year, there has been an increasing tempo of attacks and alleged threats, notably this weekend, from unmanned aircraft flown by Tehran's and Washington's allies in the region.
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08/26/2019
“It was dusk, one of the worst times to use night vision goggles. The sun was going down over my right shoulder. The Mediterranean was dark and the sky was dark, like being in a gigantic black hole. It was hard to tell which way was up and which way was down. We started looking for targets outside of Tripoli. We had determined, by the amount of surface-to-air equipment there, the Gaddafi regime would be using it to target coalition aircraft. Eliminating the equipment was a high priority.”
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08/26/2019
In a rare announcement, the Israeli government said its military aircraft carried out a preemptive strike against Iran-linked targets southeast of Damascus on Sunday, allegedly thwarting a planned drone attack on Israeli territory. “The IDF, by Israeli aircraft, was able to thwart an Iranian attempt led by the Quds Force from Syria to conduct an attack on Israeli targets in northern Israel using killer drones,” IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus told reporters early Sunday.
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08/25/2019
Held at Mollis Air Base, Switzerland between Aug. 15 and Aug. 17, 2019 Zigermeet took place two months after the Swiss Air Force ended the evaluation for the five types of combat aircraft under consideration (Eurofighter Typhoon, the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet, the Dassault Rafale, the Lockheed Martin F-35A and the Saab Gripen E) to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 fighter jets, and older model F/A-18C/D fighters.
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08/25/2019
Noteworthy the Egyptian Air Force MiG-35 deal represents the largest order for the Fulcrum fighter aircraft in the post-Soviet period. Taken by Dmitri Terekhov at Zhukovsky Air Base, Russia, the interesting photo in this post shows first Egyptian Air Force (EAF) MiG-29/35.
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08/25/2019
Carriers may be on the verge of a global comeback. China’s ambitious aircraft carrier program is already well documented—but Beijing’s northeastern neighbors are set to deploy three new aircraft carriers between them. The United Kingdom will soon have two carriers of its own, as will Italy. There’s a common factor behind these developments, and that is the F-35B stealth jet.
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08/25/2019
Officials in Tokyo have requested Marines deploy F-35B fighters aboard Japan’s largest warships, a U.S. defense official confirmed to USNI News on Friday. The service is now studying the feasibility of deploying short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) fighters from JS Izumo (DDH-183) and JS Kaga (DDH-184), Japan’s 24,000-ton big deck amphibious.
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08/24/2019
MAKS International Airshow is setting up this week, and some of the most remarkable aircraft in the world are flying into Zhukovsky for the massive commercial, civil and military aviation business expo and airshow. Along with other aviation journalists and photographers from around the world, we clamber for the best spotting locations awaiting arrivals and watching rehearsals the week before the show opens.
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08/23/2019
We’re outside the fence of Zhukovsky Airport in Zhukovsky, Russia, about 40 kilometers from downtown Moscow. The instant Alex’s car comes to a stop we are out and setting up cameras. Alex, who speaks both English and Russian, plugs his earphone into his scanner.
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08/23/2019
MBDA’s Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) appears set for integration on several Indian combat aircraft. The weapon will be part of the missile armament for Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Tejas Mk-1A, a combat capable version of the Hawk Mk132 called Hawk-India (Hawk-i) and Sukhoi SU-30MKIs, in addition to upgraded Sepecat/HAL Jaguar strike aircraft.
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08/23/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $999 billion for 27 wing replacements for the service’s Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, with the option to order 85 more sets over the contract’s 11-year period.
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08/22/2019
As reported by AirforceTimes, lawmakers at a House Armed Services readiness subcommittee hearing on Mar. 22, 2017 were told by Lt. Gen. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard (ANG), about plans to retire its 236 F-15C/Ds to save costs. He added that the service plans to replace those retired aircraft with upgraded F-16s.
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08/22/2019
Northrop Grumman plans to more than double production capacity for the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) to 12 aircraft per year in anticipation of growing demand for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform.
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08/22/2019
Russian fighter manufacturer RSK MiG is preparing production of an updated version of the Ilyushin Il-114 regional turboprop in a bid to create additional workload beyond its long-standing MiG-29 family.
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08/22/2019
Washington's formal approval to sell 66 new Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D Block 70s to Taiwan provides a much-needed boost for the island state, but has already drawn the (inevitable) ire of Beijing. A Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statement on the pivotal sale has been expected for some months, with confirmation finally coming late last week from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
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08/21/2019
The U.S. Navy says two Blue Angels jets touched midair during a practice run in the Florida Panhandle. Navy spokeswoman Lt. Michelle Tucker tells the Pensacola News Journal a jet made momentary contact with the underside of a second jet’s outer wing Wednesday as the pilots practiced over the Naval Air Station Pensacola. She says no one was injured.
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08/21/2019
As India looks to overhaul its Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fleet for better, India also hopes to make a mark in the defence export market by offering upgraded Sukhoi aircraft to friendly nations. The Russian aircraft is one of the best fighters the Indian Air Force has and now India hopes to sell the tweaked versions to strategic partners.
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08/21/2019
The Turkish Air Force allegedly deployed some of their warplanes to the southern countryside of the Idlib Governorate after the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) scored a series of gains near the city of Khan Sheikhoun. According to the aviation publication Avia.Pro, two Russian Su-35 jets intercepted the Turkish warplanes and forced them to leave Syria’s airspace.
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08/21/2019
South Korea is set to receive four additional Lockheed Martin F-35As, bringing the number of the type on the Korean peninsula to eight. According to a report by official news agency Yonhap, quoting military sources, the four aircraft will arrive later this week. By the end of 2019 the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) will have ten examples on the peninsula, out of a total order for 40.
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08/20/2019
Eleven years after the U.S. Air Force retired the type, an F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter has made yet another public appearance. Dismantled and being hauled across the American West on a tractor-trailer. Photographer Chris McGreevy spotted the truck and its F-117 cargo on Aug. 16, 2019 on Columbia Way near the Palmdale Regional Airport outside Palmdale, California.
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08/20/2019
The US Navy (USN) is soliciting options to improve or replace the electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) air-to-air and air-to-surface targeting pods on its Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers. The move comes amid concern about the current hardware's readiness state and sustainment cost.
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08/19/2019
The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced formally its decision to select the U.S. F-35B stealth fighter as the country’s short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. The decision was virtually assured given that the United States and Lockheed Martin, the aircraft’s manufacturer, were the only bidders for the Japanese contract.
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08/19/2019
The interesting photo in this post shows a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 fighter jet wearing a new silver-gray scheme which according to Chinese sources is able to give the aircraft a certain stealth capability.
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08/17/2019
Back in 2013, Pentagon press secretary George Little said that an Iranian air force F-4 Phantom combat plane attempted to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone flying through international airspace near Iran. As we reported back then, one of the two F-4 Phantom jets — in service in Iran since the Shah — came to about 16 miles from the Predator, but broke off pursuit after two American planes escorting the drone broadcast a warning message.
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08/17/2019
A photo of the J-20 was recently released as part of China’s recent defense white paper release titled “China’s Defense in a New Era.” Over the last few years, many photos of the J-20 5th generation fighter have been released, including photos of the J-20 in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). However this J-20 bore a serial number indicating it belonged to a frontline combat unit, marking a major milestone for the aircraft.
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08/17/2019
The Trump administration has approved the sale of new Lockheed Martin F-16Vs to Taiwan, a long considered decision that will likely worsen tensions with China, which wants to bring the island nation back under its control. Several media outlets pegged the sale at $8 billion for 66 jets, citing anonymous sources. The deal was confirmed by a joint statement from House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, a Democrat, and ranking member Michael McCaul, a Republican.
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08/17/2019
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Dzyne Technologies have developed a robotic system that successfully flew a 1968 Cessna 206 for 2h during a demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah on 9 August. The Robotic Pilot Unmanned Conversion Programme intends for a mechanical robot to fly an aircraft in same way as a human pilot would, says the AFRL. Its robotic system is called Robopilot.
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08/17/2019
Boeing has upgraded six Lockheed Martin P-3K2 Orions operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) to improve their capability in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission. The $22 million project saw upgrades and modifications to both mission systems and aircraft components, the addition of improved simulation for training purposes, and support.
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08/17/2019
Boeing Australia continues work on developing technology for autonomous aircraft, as it aims for the first flight of the Air Teaming System (ATS) prototype in 2020. Work designed to simulate mission capabilities and the aircraft’s lifecycle are taking place at the company’s Systems Analysis lab in Brisbane, says Boeing.
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08/16/2019
Watch out China, India May Be Getting the Super Hornet for Its Aircraft Carrier Boeing is vying for a Indian Navy contract for 57 new fighter jets to operate from its next aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. Dan Gillian, Boeing’s program manager for the F/A-18 and EA-18G, told Economic Times that his company had done simulations of the Super Hornet taking off from a ski jump and the aircraft can be launched with a ‘significant’ payloadwithout any modifications.
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08/16/2019
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters held a real hunt for Draken International’s L-159 Honey Badger multi-role aircraft during the Northern Lightning exercise at Volk Field, Wisconsin. U.S. Air Force Airmen on its F-35A fighter jets assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing take part in annual Northern Lightning exercise. August’s edition of the exercise is the second iteration of Northern Lightning this year, the first of which occurred in May.
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08/16/2019
As reported by TASS, starting from 2019, MiG Corporation and Sukhoi will merge into the combat aviation structural unit of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). “For us, the year 2019 is the year when we switch to the format of a single company, a single corporate contour while the division will be in the format of a unit of the UAC single company,” UAC President Yuri Slyusar said at Paris Air Show responding to a question about establishing a combat aviation complex based on Sukhoi and MiG.
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08/15/2019
A photograph of what appears to be a small-scale model of Taiwan’s newest jet aircraft was released online a day before the opening of the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), which is taking place this week from Aug. 14 to Aug. 17 at the Nangang Exhibition Center.
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08/15/2019
State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has pitched for an order to manufacture four additional squadrons of the Su-30 MKI jets to quickly meet gaps in fighter squadron strength but the air force seems to be only keen on ordering replacements for aircraft that have been lost in accidents.
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08/15/2019
A Spanish F-18 fighter jet had a tense encounter with a Russian Su-27 over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, as seen in a video released by Russia’s Defense Ministry. The Spanish aircraft, which is deployed at the Lithuanian base of Siauliau as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, is seen tagging a plane that was reportedly carrying Russian Defense Minister Serguéi Shoigu.
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08/14/2019
State-run Chinese media is claiming that the People’s Liberation Army has been able to track the U.S. Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighters over the East China Sea. While the Chinese report might be easily dismissed as propaganda—it is not beyond the realm of possibility. In fact—it’s very possible that China can track the Raptor. Stealth is not a cloak of invisibility, after all. Stealth technology simply delays detection and tracking.
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08/14/2019
The U.S. Air Force has given the OK for a majority of its C-130 Hercules fleet to fly again after about a quarter of its cargo aircraft were grounded last week for precautionary inspections. As of Aug. 12, 88 aircraft have been inspected and 87 returned to service, Air Mobility Command spokeswoman Rose Riley told Military.com on Tuesday.
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08/14/2019
The U.S. Air Force has completed a re-winging effort for 173 A-10 Warthog attack aircraft that began nearly a decade ago. As part of the $1.1 billion "Enhanced Wing Assembly" contract awarded to Boeing Co. in 2007, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, recently completed work on the last A-10 slated to receive the upgrade, the service said in a news release Monday. The effort began in 2011.
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08/14/2019
Indian Air Force (IAF) is getting ready to receive the first batch of four `Rafale’ fighter aircraft from Dassault Aviation in France next month. These state-of-the-art Rafale fighter planes are twin-engine multi-role fighter aircraft, nuclear-capable and can engage in both air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks. After receiving these combat aircraft equipped with Meteor missile.
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08/14/2019
Germany is working to progressively bring its Airbus Helicopters Tigers back into service after a safety issue forced their grounding on 2 August. Berlin's decision to suspend flight of the army's attack helicopter fleet was based on information from the airframer that certain titanium bolts in "safety critical" areas could suffer from a manufacturing defect.
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08/13/2019
Pakistan is moving its fighter aircraft at forward air base Skardu near Ladakh, said reports by the intelligence agencies. Intelligence agencies have spotted atleast three Pakistan Air Force transport aircraft C-130 bringing equipment to Skardu air base.
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08/13/2019
Marines in the Pacific carried out the first-ever, at-sea F-35B "hot reloads" in that theater, allowing the aircraft to drop back-to-back 1,000-pound bombs on a target in the middle of the Solomon Sea. Marines from the amphibious assault ship Wasp went to war last week with the "killer tomato," a big red inflatable target that was floating off the coast of Papua New Guinea.
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08/13/2019
Boeing delivered three more KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers to the US Air Force (USAF) on 8 and 9 August, a week after winning a $55 million contract to redesign the aircraft’s boom telescope actuator.
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08/11/2019
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Anneliese Satz made history on June 27, 2019 when she became the first female USMC fighter pilot to complete the F-35B Lighting II training syllabus. Following her completion of training in the F-35B at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, Capt. Satz attended the grueling SERE school (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) for training combat pilots how to survive and escape if they are forced down over enemy areas.
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08/11/2019
The Turkish defence procurement authority has asked the Turkish military to formally weigh in on the possible purchase of Russian Su-35 jets and will start official negotiations with Rosoboronexport if the military approves the proposal, pro-government daily Yeni Safak reported on Saturday.
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08/08/2019
The United States persuaded Turkey to forestall its planned invasion of Syria, the U.S. embassy in Ankara announced on Wednesday. The embassy statement said that U.S. and Turkish military delegations met this week at the Turkish Defense Ministry in Ankara and agreed to "discuss plans to coordinate establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria."
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08/08/2019
Eurofighter Typhoons, the British RAF fighter jets intercepted Russian combat airplanes over the Baltic Sea; the Russian aircraft went for another provocative act in Europe. According to BBC, on Monday, the fighter jets intercepted a Russian Antonov AN-26 “Curl” transport aircraft. Following this and on the same mission, the fighters later diverted to intercept a Russian TU-142 “Bear” Bomber and two SU-27B “Flanker” fighters. The planes approached the airspace of Lithuania.
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08/08/2019
Despite years of attempts to address the problem, the Army is struggling to deal with a shortage of about 700 pilots, a persistent manpower problem that could impact the readiness of the entire force. Two years ago, the head of Army aviation told lawmakers that the Army was grappling with a hole in its warrant officer corps ? 731 pilots at the time ? and said the Army would tackle the problem through recruiting efforts, increasing seats at training schools and an aggressive push to retain seaso
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08/08/2019
Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force (USAF) integrated the F-35 Lightning II’s target tracking data with the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS), an important milestone for the stealth aircraft's ability to act as an elevated sensor.
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08/07/2019
The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced last week that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has resumed training flights of its fifth-generation Lockheed Martin Lightning II F-35A Joint Strike Fighters as of August 1. Following the crash of a JASDF F-35A into the Pacific Ocean off northern Japan on April 9, the service’s entire fleet of 12 Joint Strike Fighters was grounded pending an investigation into the causes of the accident.
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08/07/2019
Raytheon delivered the first Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) pod to the US Navy (USN) for the service to begin ground and aircraft integration testing. The jamming pod is the first of 15 EMD pods to be delivered to the USN for mission systems testing and qualification on the Boeing EA-18G Growler, the service’s carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, Raytheon says.
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08/07/2019
One criticism – among many – of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is that the fighter lacks the range needed to conduct long-range stealth strike missions. While Lockheed Martin has studied adding external fuel tanks to extend the aircraft's range, slinging the bulky hardware under the F-35 would ruin its minimal radar cross section, giving away the stealth fighter's chief advantage.
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08/06/2019
A scramjet engine made by Northrop Grumman set a record for the highest thrust produced by an air-breathing hypersonic engine in US Air Force history. Ground tests of the 5.5m (18ft)-long engine were conducted by US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Air Force Test Center staff at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee.
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08/06/2019
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Lockheed Martin an $800 million contract linked to the production and future support of 14 F-16V Block 70 fighters for Slovakia. Work under the contract will be completed by January 2024, the DoD said on 31 July, with the deal made via the US Foreign Military Sales mechanism.
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08/02/2019
If land-based precision artillery, maneuvering Air Force fighter jets and Navy destroyers were all able to seamlessly share sensitive targeting information in real time during high-intensity combat, the Pentagon would be closely approaching its currently-envisioned concept of modern joint multi-domain warfare.
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08/02/2019
In Michigan's 26-year defense cooperation with Latvia under the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program (SPP), a defining area of collaboration has been the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) program. The latest chapter in this story of cross-cultural teamwork is being written at Grayling Air Gunnery Range, Michigan, July 22 - Aug. 2 during exercise Northern Strike 19, with a visiting team of qualified Range Control Officers from Adazi Military Base, Latvia.
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08/02/2019
Fighter jets on training missions drop into a narrow canyon in California’s Death Valley National Park, banking and dodging the jagged walls. On a nearby overlook, tourists and aviation enthusiasts crane their necks or aim cameras at the jets, some of them so close that onlookers can glimpse into cockpits.
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08/02/2019
Germany has selected the NH Industries NH90 as the replacement for its navy's 21-strong fleet of Westland Sea Lynx 88A anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. Due to be delivered from 2025, Berlin will take a version of the NFH model, which is closest to the "Caiman" ASW variant operated by France, the country's defence ministry says.
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08/02/2019
Aero Vodochody has transformed its certification plan for the L-39NG, and is now seeking to clear the type for delivery in a full trainer configuration during the third quarter of 2020. It had previously been working towards securing approval for a basic standard before the end of this year.
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08/01/2019
A Rolls-Royce (R-R)-led team is to conduct a two-year study into hypersonic propulsion systems for the UK Ministry of Defence, with the technology demonstration linked to its Project Tempest future combat air system activity.
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08/01/2019
Leonardo has secured a launch order for six examples of the M-346FA – the fighter attack variant of its advanced jet trainer – from a major "international customer". Speaking on a half-year results call on 30 July, Leonardo chief executive Alessandro Profumo said the deal was signed during the last month.
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07/31/2019
On July 19 and again on Jul. 28, the Israeli Air Force carried out air strikes on Iranian warehouses storing arms and missiles at Camp Ashraf, north-east of Baghdad, in Iraq. What is more, during the first raid, the base was struck by an F-35I Adir stealth jet. This is what Israeli media outlets are reporting after the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat broke the news, citing Western diplomats, on Jul. 30.
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07/31/2019
Boosting its capabilities in beyond visual range warfare, India has signed a deal worth around Rs 1,500 crore to acquire R-27 air-to-air missiles from Russia to be equipped on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft. "A contract has been signed with Russia for the acquisition of R-27 air-to-air missile to be fitted on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force," government sources told ANI here.
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07/31/2019
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is on track to restore its lapsed maritime patrol aircraft capability within the next nine months, according to Air Commodore Rich Barrow, senior responsible owner for the service’s Boeing P-8 and E-7 acquisitions.
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07/31/2019
The UK is planning to achieve a seamless transition in its delivery of unmanned surveillance services from the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator to the company's more capable Protector RG1 by 2024, with flight testing of the new model now gathering pace.
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07/31/2019
Bulgaria's on-off acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-16V appears to be proceeding again after the country's parliament overturned a presidential veto of the $1.26 billion deal. On 23 July, President Rumen Radev stopped the procurement – the country's largest since the fall of Communism – arguing that there was no "consensus" over the eight-aircraft purchase and that the process had been rushed through parliament.
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07/30/2019
According to Avia.pro, two Ukrainian Il-76TD cargo aircraft were destroyed on Al Jufra Airbase in Libya, after rocket attacks carried out on the airfield under control of the Libyan National Army. Earlier, unconfirmed news reported that the aircraft were destroyed after multiple Libyan Air Force drone attacks on Al Jufra Airbase conducted by means of a Turkish-built Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) which was instead shot down.
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07/30/2019
The iconic Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a U.S. Air Force single-seat, twin-engine, stealth attack aircraft that was developed by Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works division. The first prototype (YF-117A), developed around the Have Blue Proof of Concept demonstrator, made its maiden flight on Jun. 18, 1981 and entered active service in 1983, even though the USAF denied and covered the existence of the aircraft until November 1988. 64 F-117s were built, 59 of those were production jets.
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07/30/2019
Pyongyang hasn’t made its opposition to the combat aircraft delivery a secret. On July 11, about two weeks before the launch, an unnamed official in the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s Institute for American Studies lambasted Seoul’s purchase of the F-35 as an “extremely dangerous action” requiring countermeasures from the North.
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07/30/2019
The Russian military aircraft industry has started manufacturing the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter aircraft, Russia’s first alleged indigenously designed and developed fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, according to the office of Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Borisov.
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07/30/2019
India will receive its full complement of 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters by 2020, with its first four examples having arrived at Hindan Air Force Station. Four more examples will follow "in the coming week", the airframer says.
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07/29/2019
More than 200 Airmen of the 127th Wing returned home from a combat tour in Afghanistan with their A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. Deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Selfridge operators, maintainers, and support staff were responsible for supporting close air support missions, aircraft maintenance, and logistics operations.
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07/29/2019
The MiG-21s and -23s were at an almost total disadvantage against the Israeli F-15s and F-16s. While the Israeli fighters had long-range radars allowing them to position themselves advantageously for the attack, the MiGs were limited to initial GCI vectors from radar sites back in Syria, and as they approached the Israeli fighters, electronic jamming rendered their radars useless and disrupted their radio contact with the Syria-based GCI units.
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07/29/2019
It has been reported that Israel obtained a nearly complete, crated, MiG-29 via a covert deal with a Polish general. The aircraft was at Gdansk awaiting shipment to Syria, but was instead put on a plane and flown to Israel in late 1985. The Soviets soon got wind of this and demanded its return. Because the Israelis were then attempting to foster good relations with the Soviet Union, they complied in about February 1986.
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07/28/2019
China’s. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force inducted its first stealth aircraft into active service in early 2017, and the Chengdu J-20 fifth generation air superiority fighter remains the most advanced combat jet in the Chinese fleet with a role analogous to the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor.
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07/27/2019
Ankara continues to call on NATO allies to acknowledge that Turkey's defense choices are a matter of national security and no threat of sanctions could prevent the country from acting in accordance with its own interests
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07/26/2019
Asia has just taken a giant leap towards disaster: The combat jets of four nations have squared off above a disputed island. Vietnam is challenging an aggressive Chinese spy ship. And the Philippines has appealed to the US for protection. On Wednesday a chaotic confrontation unfolded above a tiny island claimed by both South Korea and Japan. Chinese and Russian bombers infringed the territory, with Tokyo and Seoul fighting over the right to defend the airspace.
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07/26/2019
On July 23, South Korean fighter jets fired more than 300 warning shots at a Russian military aircraft that violated airspace claimed by Seoul as it was conducting a joint air patrol with China. Around the same time, Japan scrambled combat aircraft to warn off the Russian and Chinese planes flying near islands claimed by both Japan and South Korea in the Sea of Japan.
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07/26/2019
“A completely new aircraft”, ‘MiG-35 4++ Generation’ combat plane of Russia, said IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be added to the force after going through the due process of tender, evaluation and test flights. The IAF Chief came across the MiG-35 jet during his visit to Russia from July 9 to 12.
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07/26/2019
Ottawa has released a request for proposals (RFP) for its future fighter competition that could see it obtain 88 new fighter jets. Released on 23 July by Public Services and Procurement Canada, it names four potential contenders: Saab, Airbus Defense & Space, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.
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07/24/2019
The FA-50s would help the air force to begin rebuilding. The navy meanwhile has begun its own rearmament program. Five ex-French navy Super Etendard fighters in May 2019 arrived at the port of Bahia Blanca in Argentina.
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07/24/2019
Lockheed Martin expects to sign $3.5 billion worth of hypersonic development contracts within the next two years. The company foresees booking around $600 million in hypersonic sales this year, with the remaining $2.9 billion to come beyond that, according to a quarterly earnings call on 23 July. The aerospace manufacturer appears to be winning more hypersonic development work than any other US defence firm.
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07/24/2019
Bulgaria's president has vetoed the country's planned $1.26 billion acquisition of eight Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters, citing a lack of agreement and clarity over the deal. Issuing the veto on 23 July, President Rumen Radev said that for a purchase of this size it was necessary not only for it to be affordable, but also "to have a broad consensus and support".
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07/24/2019
Jakarta continues to press for concessions on the price of involvement in the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) K-FX/I-FX fighter programme. A recent report by Indonesia's official Antara news portal quotes government minister Wiranto as suggesting that the next payments be not in cash, but potentially a contra deal involving Indonesia-produced defence equipment.
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07/24/2019
The upgrade of Indian air force Antonov An-32 tactical transports is well behind schedule and is only likely to be completed by 2025 - an eight year delay from the original plan. Indian defence minister Shripad Nayak has informed parliament that 55 aircraft have so far been upgraded to the An-32RE (re-equipped) standard.
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07/23/2019
The South Korean military fired two warning shots at a Russian military aircraft that entered South Korean airspace on Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul said, and Chinese military aircraft had also entered South Korean airspace. It was the first time a Russian military aircraft had violated South Korean airspace, a ministry official said.
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07/23/2019
The United States military has accused a Venezuelan fighter aircraft of endangering the crew of a US navy plane in international airspace. The Venezuelan plane made an "unsafe approach" and "aggressively shadowed" the US reconnaissance aircraft over the Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said on Sunday.
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07/23/2019
Pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force have tested the sea warfare capabilities of their advanced Su-35 fighter jets over the South China Sea, state media reported. An air force brigade from Southern Theatre Command took part in the exercises after modifications to the Russian-built Sukhois, PLA Pictorial magazine said on Monday.
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07/22/2019
The U.S. military has just released a series of four videos filmed by a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II intercepted by a Venezuelan Air Force Su-30MKII Flanker in international airspace over the Caribbean Sea on Jul. 19, 2019. According to U.S. Southern Command, the Russian-built multirole aircraft “aggressively shadowed” the EP-3E aircraft, flying at an unsafe distance from the interlligence gathering aircraft “jeopardizing the crew and aircraft.”
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07/22/2019
Rather than tangle with a stronger US military, Iran is poking and prodding its Western antagonists in ways apparently designed to avoid triggering war, but that nonetheless seem to heighten the risk of missteps and miscalculation that could lead to an armed conflict with global consequences.
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07/21/2019
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of July, 2019, a private Israeli business jet entered Croatian airspace from the direction of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the intent to cross over to Italy. ''A combat duo of the Croatian Air Force were engaged in the protection and surveillance of the airspace of the Republic of Croatia and successfully intercepted the aircraft,'' they said in a statement.
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07/20/2019
Iran said it had seized a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday but denied Washington's assertion that the US Navy had downed one of its drones, as tensions in the Gulf region grew again. Britain said it was urgently seeking information about the Stena Impero tanker, which had been heading to a port in Saudi Arabia and suddenly changed course after passing through the strait at the mouth of the Gulf.
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07/20/2019
The armed forces are looking forward to learning from the experience of the Syria war with a large scale joint exercise planned with Russia later this year, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa has said. Describing Ex Indra 2019 – which will involve the air force, army and navy – as an `important experience’, the Air Chief said that the exercise will be themed around joint anti terrorism operations.
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07/20/2019
A pilot with the US Air Force’s (USAF) 413th flight test squadron conducted the service’s first flight of a Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter on 11 July at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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07/20/2019
Airbus has revealed a hybrid-electric 80-seat airliner design – with "feathered" wing and tail structures mimicking an eagle or falcon. However, the 1m (3ft)-long model, dubbed Bird of Prey, is unlikely to give too much away about the airframer's future developments in the commercial arena. It is "not intended to represent an actual aircraft concept". Instead, its purpose is to "inspire a new generation of aeronautical engineers".
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07/20/2019
It has been a long time coming, but Europe's largest multinational military aircraft programme appears to be finally flying clear of the turbulence that has buffeted its progress over much of the past decade.
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07/19/2019
President Donald Trump has said the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship "took defensive action" on Thursday after the drone came within about 1,000 yards (914m) of the vessel. Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In June, Iran downed a US military drone in the area.
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07/19/2019
The USA officially removed Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter programme – the international effort to develop and manufacture the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter – less than a week after the country received shipments of the first components of Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile battery.
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07/18/2019
This week we’ll mark the 50th anniversary of the first men landing on the moon, a magnificent achievement that we still marvel at half a century later. Wednesday marked another anniversary in the annals of aerospace history that is less well known, but of significant consequence for the security of our nation—the 30th anniversary of the first flight of the B-2 stealth bomber aircraft on July 17, 1989.
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07/18/2019
The RAF has set out plans that could see the production of hypersonic planes flying at more than 3000mph. The Ministry of Defence has announced it is investing £10 million to develop new hypersonic engines that could be used to power manned fighter jets and drones.
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07/18/2019
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov has said Moscow would consider signing an agreement for the sale of fighter aircraft to Turkey. The Russian Deputy Minister signalled a possible deal between the countries when responding to a question on whether Russia and Turkey could sign an agreement for combat aircraft, Euronews Turkish reported on Wednesday.
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07/18/2019
Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis ordered the USAF and US Navy (USN) in September 2018 to increase mission capable rates for the F-35, F-22, F-16 and Boeing F/A-18 to more than 80% by the end of September 2019. The mission capability rate is defined as the percentage of a fleet of an aircraft that are able to perform at least one assigned mission over a period of time.
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07/18/2019
Six Lockheed Martin F-35Bs assigned to the UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) 207 Sqn operational conversion unit touched down at the service’s Marham base in Norfolk on 16 July. The short take-off and vertical landing aircraft arrived at their new home following a 10h flight from the US Marine Corps’ MCAS Beaufort site in South Carolina. The deployment was supported by RAF Airbus A330 Voyager tanker/transports.
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07/17/2019
From Jul. 1 to 12, 2019, the Indian Air Force has deployed four Su-30MKI Flanker derivatives, belonging to the 15 Wing based at Bareily Air Force Station (AFS), along with an Il-78MKI Midas aerial refueler from the 78 Sqn, based at Agra AFS, to Mont-de-Marsan, France, as part of Exercise “Garuda IV”. A C-17 Globemaster III airlifter supported the deployment of 120 military that took part in the two-week drills in Europe, the largest joint exercise for the IAF this year.
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07/17/2019
Finland has scrambled its F/A-18 combat jets to identify three Russia military aircraft above the Gulf of Finland. "Finnish Air Force F/A-18s on #QRA [quick reaction alert] were scrambled on 15 July to identify Russian Tu-160, A-50 and Su-35 aircraft in international airspace above the Gulf of Finland and the northern part of the Baltic Sea," the Ukrainian-registered media outlet European Pravda reported, citing the Finnish Air Force's tweet.
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07/17/2019
President Donald Trump blamed former President Barak Obama for Turkey’s decision to buy the S-400 missile system – a decision which has caused the USA to ban the sale of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to the country.
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07/17/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) and the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Defence Infrastructure Organisation broke ground during a ceremony on new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II infrastructure at RAF Lakenheath on 15 July.
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07/17/2019
Boeing and the UK's Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group have signed a risk-reduction-phase contract linked to the latter's modification of five 737NGs for the Royal Air Force (RAF) E-7 airborne early warning and control system aircraft acquisition.
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07/16/2019
Skyworks Global’s retro gyrocopter concept took a turn back toward the serious via a partnership with Northrop Grumman-owned Scaled Composites to design, build and test its first prototype aircraft. Utah-based Skyworks believes its VertiJet gyrocopter could have a 348kt (644km/h) cruise speed with a range of 1,000nm (1,852km). The company thinks it could have a prototype flying in 18 to 24 months now that it has the rapid prototyping expertise of Scaled Composites backing its project.
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07/16/2019
The UK’s first Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft made its flight debut on 12 July, with company test pilots completing a short transfer from the manufacturer’s Renton final assembly site to Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. Online flight tracking sites show that the debut sortie lasted 47min.
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07/16/2019
France is considering the acquisition of an undisclosed number of special forces-roled Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for its air force. Although the French military operates extensive numbers of Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal and NH Industries NH90 Caiman rotorcraft – both in the 11t class – the country's deployment in Mali has been augmented by three Royal Air Force Chinooks.
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07/16/2019
The US government has cleared the potential sale of seven Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R multi-mission helicopters to Greece. The $600 million package includes the rotorcraft, which are optimised for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare tasks, as well as sensors, weapons, and services related to the acquisition.
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07/15/2019
The first two fighter jets purchased from Australia are now operational and plans are underway to upgrade those and other jets to keep the country’s CF-18 fleet in the air until 2032. The upgrade program, which will include improvements to navigation systems, communications and other systems, and eventually a new series of weapons and other combat enhancements for a smaller number of planes, could cost up to $1.5 billion, said Brig.-Gen. Todd Balfe.
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07/15/2019
Two F-35 fighter jets landed in Israel Sunday, the army said, bringing the number of fifth-generation stealth aircraft that the military says it has in its arsenal up to 16. The Israel Defense Forces’ first two F-35 jets arrived in December 2016. Approximately a year later, the stealth fighter — known in Israel as the Adir — was declared operational, and several months after that, the head of the air force revealed that the aircraft had conducted bombing raids.
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07/13/2019
China announced it will blacklist U.S. businesses selling weapons to Taiwan, a breakaway island nation over which Beijing claims sovereignty. Addressing a regular press briefing Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang condemned the recent $2.2 billion sales of M1A2T Abrams Tanks and Stinger man-portable air defense systems to Taiwan.
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07/13/2019
Defying threats from the USA that it would be cut from the F-35 stealth fighter programme, Turkey took delivery of the first batch of components for the Russian-built S-400 surface-to-air missile system on 12 July.
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07/12/2019
North Korea has criticized South Korea for the latter’s purchase and ongoing deployment of American F-35 stealth fighter jets and threatened it will respond by developing and testing its own special weapons to destroy the aircraft. North Korea’s warning comes as South Korea expressed hope that the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un will help revive dialogue between the Koreas.
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07/12/2019
Portugal’s government will buy five KC-390 military transport aircraft and a flight simulator from Brazilian aerospace company Embraer for 827 million euros ($932 million), Defence Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho said on Thursday. The first of the five planes will be delivered to the Portuguese armed forces in February 2023, with the rest arriving by February 2027.
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07/12/2019
Boeing says it selected Raytheon to design, develop, produce and sustain the radars, which will be based on the company’s APG-79/APG-82 radar family used on the USAF’s F-15E fleet. Low rate initial production is scheduled to start in 2024 and the radar is intended to be used on the bomber fleet beyond 2050.
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07/11/2019
The R-73 was already in service with the IAF's Sukhoi 30s, MiG-29s and MiG-21 'Bison' jets but integrating these onto a Western platform had never been attempted. In Air Force circles, its been referred to as the ultimate 'jugaad' or innovative fix - mating a Russian air-to-air missile to an Israeli helmet mounted display to be worn by an Indian pilot flying a French-built Mirage 2000 fighter.
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07/11/2019
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to adopt a new European visual range air to air missile across its fighter fleet. The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) of European missile-maker MBDA has been approved for fitting on Jaguar jets and the IAF was looking to integrating it on the Su-30MKIs and the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) as well, defence sources said.
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07/11/2019
After struggling with manufacturing and parts design problems last year, issues which delayed dozens of deliveries, Boeing Defense, Space & Security matched its 2018 delivery totals in the first six months of the year, with 96 military aircraft received by customers.
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07/11/2019
Bulgaria's government has given the green light for the $1.25 billion acquisition of eight Lockheed Martin F-16Vs. Approval from the council of ministers was obtained on 10 July, with the agreement likely to be put before the country's parliament next week.
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07/11/2019
The Australian Department of Defence has issued a request for information (RFI) related to a future acquisition of up to 29 attack helicopters to replace the army's 22 Airbus Helicopters Tigers. The RFI was issued under the auspices of Canberra's LAND4503 requirement. It foresees deliveries commencing in the mid-2020s.
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07/10/2019
The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Air Forces Africa has reported that one squadron of F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets was deployed to Europe. According to a statement, the U.S. Air Force deployed one squadron of F-15E Strike Eagles, Airmen, and associated equipment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, for theater familiarization and to conduct training with allies, partners, and other U.S. Air Force aircraft in Europe.
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07/10/2019
Seven Kuwaiti military pilots have graduated from Italy receiving courses that included training on one of the world’s most formidable combat aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon. The airmen have completed the courses at the International Flying School and graduated at a ceremony held at the southern air base of Galatina. Eurofighter joint international bureau said in a statement on Tuesday that the graduation ceremony, held last Friday.
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07/10/2019
Without an additional $157 million, U.S. Army aviation readiness could suffer, according to an omnibus reprogramming request sent to Capitol Hill on June 25. The Army is asking congressional defense committees to approve the injection of $157 million into Army aviation readiness drawn from other fiscal 2019 accounts to fill a funding gap.
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07/10/2019
After a news report that said it might pull out of Canada’s fighter competition, Boeing says it’s still participating in the process and hasn’t made any final decisions. Boeing and Airbus, which are respectively offering Ottawa the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon, have complained in letters to Canada’s Department of National Defence that its procurement competition is unfairly favouring Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, according to a report by Reuters.
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07/10/2019
Development of the AVIC FC-31 fighter is going well, and the aircraft is destined to enter service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA), according to its chief designer. A report the official China Daily newspaper quotes Sun Cong, a chief researcher at AVIC's Shenyang Aircraft Corporation unit, as saying that observers can expect news about the project at some point. "You will see its latest developments in due course, in the near future," Sun is quoted as saying.
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07/09/2019
The commander of India’s Air Force is heading to Russia for visits to an array of facilities and to try the country’s newest subsonic jet trainer, just as India’s military looks to upgrade its fleet of combat aircraft. India didn’t reveal much about Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa’s “goodwill visit” to Russia, but said the top-tier commander will visit some “operational and training units” and will have talks with his Russian counterparts.
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07/09/2019
As the budget has been all done, the Indian Air Force is now pushing for the two long-pending mega projects that form a part of PM Modi-led ‘Make in India’ project. With a total worth of about Rs. 1.5 lakh crore, the project for Tata-Airbus consortium’s 56 medium transport aircraft is set to commence this year while the other one for 114 fighter jets will have to wait to get to that stage.
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07/09/2019
China's development of the FC-31, the country's second stealth fighter jet, is proceeding smoothly and on schedule, according to its chief designer. Sun Cong, president of the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment under Aviation Industry Corporation of China, said at a news conference on Thursday in Shenyang, Liaoning province, that people should be patient and wait for good news from the project.
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07/09/2019
The first Airbus Defence & Space C295 aircraft due for Canada’s Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) programme has had its maiden flight. Airbus says that this places the aircraft on track for delivery by the end of 2019, whereupon it will begin operational testing.
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07/08/2019
In an op-ed for the Airman official magazine of the U.S. Air Force, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Air Force Research Laboratory officials have provided few details about future of American combat aircraft. According to the Airman, Air Force Research Laboratory and DARPA are working to push the boundaries of speed and make future technologies possible today.
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07/07/2019
Earlier this week China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force most likely tested a DF-21D or DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missile—sometimes know as "carrier-killers"—in the South China Sea. Details remain sketchy, as Chinese spokesmen have remained close-mouthed about the exercise. The test came on the heels of news last May that PLA weaponeers had installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles on Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, and Mischief Reef, west of the Philippine Island
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07/07/2019
It was a close call. Back in 2013, Pentagon press secretary George Little said that an Iranian air force F-4 Phantom combat plane attempted to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone flying through international airspace near Iran. As we reported back then, one of the two F-4 Phantom jets — in service in Iran since the Shah — came to about 16 miles from the Predator, but broke off pursuit after two American planes escorting the drone broadcast a warning message.
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07/07/2019
The seventh iteration of Cope West, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral tactical fighter aircraft exercise involving U.S. and Indonesian air forces, concluded with a closing ceremony at Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Manado, Indonesia, June 28. Cope West is designed to advance interoperability and build upon already-established partnerships between U.S. military forces and Indonesian air forces, with the end goal of enhancing both sides’ combat capabilities and unit readiness.
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07/06/2019
The Russian Defence Ministry on Friday said that it scrambled a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft to intercept a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance jet heading towards the Russian airspace over the Black Sea. "A Su-27 fighter jet as part of the Southern Military District's air defences was scrambled to intercept the target. The crew flew the aircraft at a safe distance to the aerial target and identified it as a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance jet.
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07/06/2019
EVEN AT SEVEN in the morning, the south Florida heat and humidity is stifling. It steams up eyeglasses and feels like an iron on your skin. An alligator lurks in a stagnant pond water between the taxiway and the runway. Perhaps a spy sent by Bell, Sikorsky’s chief competitor for the contract to build the Department of Defense’s next generation of vertical-lift aircraft.
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07/06/2019
Indian media reports indicate that investigations are underway into New Delhi’s May 2012 purchase of 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II basic trainers. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is apparently looking into corruption allegations related to the basic trainer aircraft contract worth approximately US$523 million, following the completion of a three-year inquiry into the deal.
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07/05/2019
The Indian defence ministry’s response to a parliamentary question suggests that a plan to obtain 110 advanced fighters is inching through New Delhi’s bureaucracy.The response followed a question posted by a parliamentarian regarding India’s ambitions for “public private partnerships” to develop indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
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07/04/2019
The US Army plans to grant Boeing a multiyear contract for the production or remanufacture of up to 600 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. The potential contract’s value was undisclosed, though it would consist of a five-year multiyear contract or one-year contract with options from FY2022 to FY2026, according to a US Army notice online. The army intends on sole sourcing the work to Boeing and posted its plan online so as to give other potentially interested parties a chance to bid.
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07/04/2019
NATO's main operating base for its Boeing E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet is to trial the use of digital tower air traffic control technology next year, with equipment supplied by Swedish venture Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions.
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07/04/2019
Boeing Defence Australia and Airbus Australia Pacific have agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) related to future sustainment of the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF's) Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft fleet.
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07/03/2019
The RAF released photos of the Eurofighter Typhoon jets, part of Operation AZOTIZE of the Baltic Air Policing mission in Estonia, intercepting the Russian Sukhoi Su-30s on June 14 and 15. Ten days later, the Typhoons were directed to intercept two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighters.
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07/03/2019
Troops and jets from Hill Air Force Base recently took to the sky with a pair of the United States’ most well-known allies. According to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs office, members of Hill’s 388th Fighter Wing flew their F-35 Lightning IIs with counterparts from the United Kingdom and Israel during “Exercise Tri-Lightning” on June 25.
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07/03/2019
The active duty 388th Fighter Wing (FW) and Reserve 419th FW conducted a very unique integrated defensive counter-air exercise from Apr. 30 to May 2, 2019 at the Utah Test and Training Range. The friendly and enemy forces were made up of F-35 Lightning IIs from Hill Air Force Base (AFB), F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and 80th FS at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and a team of contracted aggressor pilots from Draken International.
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07/02/2019
An army helicopter crashed in northern Germany on Monday (Jul 1), killing the pilot, defence officials said, in the second fatal crash in a week for a military plagued with equipment problems. The aircraft hit the ground in Aerzen, near Hamelin in northwest Germany, at around 1.45pm (1145 GMT). The reason for the crash is not yet known.
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07/02/2019
F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft from the U.S, United Kingdom and Israel participated in Exercise Tri-Lightning over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, June 25. Exercise Tri-Lightning was a one-day defensive counter air exercise involving friendly and adversary aircraft from the three participating countries and consisted of active and passive air defense operations. This exercise is a demonstration of the interoperability between the U.S., U.K. and Israel using the F-35A, F-35B and F-35I respect
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07/02/2019
The U.S. Senate is calling for additional Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters (CSAR) for the Air National Guard to account for delays in the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter program and planned replacements of HH-60Gs lost in combat.
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07/02/2019
China is reportedly considering an offer to purchase more advanced Russian fighter jets, once again ignoring U.S. sanctions. The state-run Tass Russian News Agency cited the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation as saying Wednesday it was "expecting a response from China on our offer to purchase modern weapons and military equipment manufactured in Russia, including additional batches of Su-35 fighter jets."
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06/29/2019
The +9 g capable Su-35S is a supermanoeuvrable fighter with thrust vectoring engines. Russia claims the Su-35S jet is a quantum leap from Sukhoi’s Su-27 fighter and is just behind the 5th Generation Su-57 stealth aircraft, which the Russian Air Force has started to deploy, in terms of technology.
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06/29/2019
This is the moment a Royal Air Force Voyager refuels a £190 million UK F-35B combat aircraft over the Nevada Desert in a test of the capabilities of the UK’s most advanced warplane. As the tempo increases to prepare the UK’s F-35B for deployment, we exclusively go behind the scenes of the test centre in Edwards, California. The mid-air process is similar to that of refueling a Typhoon currently on Operation Shader and takes up to five minutes per jet to refuel.
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06/28/2019
The naval aviation community is facing a budget shortfall of at least $100 million for the current fiscal year and may have to cut back flight hours and other operations between now and the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, USNI News learned. Commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic Rear Adm. Roy Kelley has notified Navy leadership and the numbered fleets that the aviation community is considering not scheduling additional flyovers until the new fiscal year.
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06/28/2019
The mock-up model of Turkey's first national and domestically developed national combat aircraft, the TF-X, debuted last week at the Paris Air Show. Being developed by Turkish aerospace engine manufacturer, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the aircraft is expected to be one of the best combat aircraft in the world. Reportedly, the first flight is planned for 2023. In 2017, the Turkish Kale Group established a partnership with British Rolls-Royce to produce an aircraft engine for the TF-X.
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06/28/2019
Germany's air force has disclosed further details about the fatal collision between two Eurofighter combat aircraft that took place near Rostock on 24 June. The pair were part of a formation of three single-seat Eurofighters practising an air combat mission at an altitude above 9,800ft, the Luftwaffe says.
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06/28/2019
The UK gave an operational debut to its Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning force in mid-June, with the fifth-generation type having flown missions over Iraq and Syria alongside Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons.
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06/27/2019
Russia is reportedly looking to develop an AC-130-like gunship armed with a pair of 57mm automatic cannons, as well as additional smaller guns. The first phase of the project would involve the conversion of an Antonov An-12 Cub cargo plane into a flying testbed to experiment with different weapons and tactics, techniques, and procedures.
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06/27/2019
Earlier this week, IAF F-35's took part in an international exercise with the United States and the United Kingdom for the first time, an IDF spokesperson announced on Wednesday. During the exercise, known as Tri-Lightning, Israeli F-35's trained alongside F-35's from the US and UK over the Mediterranean Sea. IAF forces practiced defense scenarios against changing threats in various advanced fighter aircraft, including the F-35.
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06/26/2019
The Chinese military has tested an unmanned transport plane that successfully delivered cargo at a designated area, making it a future prospect for airdropping cargo through parachutes in real battle conditions, official media here reported on Monday.
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06/26/2019
Iran's destruction of a U.S. Global Hawk unmanned aircraft with a surface-to-air missile near the Strait of Hormuz should be a wake-up call for proponents of autonomous or remotely-piloted warfighting systems. The era of drone warfare is not upon us, because the vehicles currently available for military purposes are too limited in their capabilities to survive combat with a reasonably well-equipped adversary.
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06/26/2019
Britain’s most advanced military aircraft, the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, has flown its first missions over Syria and Iraq as part of ongoing operations against remnants of the Islamic State group, the U.K.'s defense secretary said. Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt said in a statement released Tuesday that that the jets’ first operational mission from a British air base in Cyprus was made following a highly successful training period.
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06/26/2019
The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that its newest and most advanced fighter jet, the Lightning F-35B, has successfully completed its first operational missions. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense has announced F-35Bs have flown alongside Typhoon aircraft on operational flights over the skies of Syria and Iraq, as part of the ongoing fight against Daesh.
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06/26/2019
An investigation is under way into a fatal collision involving of a pair of German air force Eurofighter combat aircraft near Rostock on 24 June. The two jets were part of a formation of three single-seat Eurofighters from the Luftwaffe's 73 Squadron, which had taken off for a training flight from their base at Rostock airport, close to the Baltic Sea.
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06/24/2019
The Japanese military says its fighter jets were forced to scramble after two Russian military aircraft violated its airspace. The Defense Ministry said in a statement on June 20 that two Russian TU-95 bombers approached southern Japanese islands, including Kyushu, from the north before heading north toward the Japanese mainland.
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06/23/2019
President Donald Trump said Saturday he's still considering military action against Iran after it downed an unmanned US military aircraft, saying the use of force is "always on the table until we get this solved." The president said he aborted a military strike set for Thursday after learning 150 people would be killed. "I don't want to kill 150 Iranians. I don't want to kill 150 of anything or anybody unless it's absolutely necessary," he told reporters as he left the White House for a weekend.
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06/22/2019
United Kingdom's Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets have been regularly tracking, monitoring and intercepting Russian fighters in the skies near the Estonian border as part of Operation AZOTIZE of the Baltic Air Policing mission. RAF Typhoon jets on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) intercepted Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft flying to the north of Estonia twice in two days.
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06/22/2019
A satellite image obtained by CNN shows China has deployed at least four J-10 fighter jets to the contested Woody Island in the South China Sea, the first known deployment of fighter jets there since 2017. The image was taken Wednesday and represents the first time J-10s have been seen on Woody or any Chinese-controlled islands in the South China Sea, according to ImageSat International, which supplied the image to CNN.
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06/22/2019
After 40 years of sanctions and arms embargoes, Iran's air force has slowly become an eclectic mishmash of aging platforms sourced through various channels.
If war were to break out between Iran and the United States today, US pilots would find themselves squaring off with Iranian pilots in a swarm of old American, Soviet, and Chinese jets. Some of these planes, like the Northrop F-5 Tiger II, have seen update efforts over the years. Others, however, are thought to be barely sky-worthy.
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06/22/2019
The long-serving Eurofighter Typhoon could soon see additional enhancements as part of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) effort, which aims to boost the platform’s capabilities until next-generation assets – such as the Franco-German New Generation Fighter revealed earlier this week – are brought into service.
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06/22/2019
After six months in position as Airbus Defence & Space’s head of military aircraft, Alberto Gutierrez was at the show in upbeat mood, buoyed by a new contractual agreement with customers of the A400M tactical transport and the swift progress being made with a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme for France, Germany and Spain.
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06/20/2019
Further raising tensions in the Middle East, the government of Iran claims to have shot down a Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) over Kuh Mubarak, a coastal area of Iran at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
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06/20/2019
Boeing is optimistic on the international prospects for the Block III version of its F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. The company sees an opportunity to sell more than 350 aircraft across six major fighter competitions, and is in discussions with other unspecified countries, Boeing vice-president Thom Breckenridge says.
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06/20/2019
The company plans to modernise the aircraft over the next several years with a progression of enhancements. Additions will include Automated Ground Collision Avoidance Software, several new pieces of electronics hardware – such as an integrated core processor, cockpit display unit and aircraft memory system – new software to control loyal wingman unmanned air vehicles, anti-ballistic missile capabilities, extended-range fuel tanks and several undisclosed classified features.
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06/19/2019
With its ability to offer bulk discounts to foreign militaries closing within about a year, the Bell-Boeing joint venture that makes and sells the V-22 Osprey hopes to close deals for up to 50 aircraft. Boeing says that about a dozen prospective customers are on its radar, and it is encouraging them to sign a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for the tiltrotor by the third quarter of 2020. Prospective customers include Israel and possibly blue water navies that need to resupply ships on long
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06/19/2019
The worldwide fighter market could grow by 17.2% over the next decade, representing a total output of 3,401 aircraft. That production volume would be worth $264 billion in FY2019 dollars, according to a report by Forecast International.
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06/18/2019
Officials involved in the multinational multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) fleet (MMF) – which will see eight adapted Airbus A330s pooled between five European nations – are keen to introduce more countries to the capability-sharing agreement.
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06/18/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) continues to find foreign object debris (FOD) inside the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tanker, including loose material found this week, and it expects to discover objects for the foreseeable future.
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06/18/2019
Turkish Aerospace is one of the many companies at this year’s show to have pulled the covers off a new full-scale aircraft model – its fifth-generation Turkish Fighter (or TF-X) – and even stole some of the limelight from the unveiling of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System at the same time.
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06/18/2019
Dassault kicked off its home show attendance in some style, unveiling a full-scale model of a proposed next-generation fighter that it and industrial partner Airbus Defence & Space soon expect to advance towards a first demonstration phase.
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06/17/2019
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in remarks published Sunday that the kingdom will not hesitate to confront threats to its security and joined the U.S. in accusing its bitter rival Iran of being behind the attacks on two vessels traveling near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route for Arabian energy exports in Asia.
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06/17/2019
Airborne electronic warfare (EW) systems are becoming an increasingly important part of the electronic systems in fighter aircraft. Moreover, the functionality of many airborne EW designs are no longer just limited to being a self-protection system. One of the secondary—but growing in importance—features of this technology is to be able to record all the signals and electronic emissions that the aircraft is either subjected to or in range of during its mission.
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06/15/2019
The U.S. military released an aerial video last night that shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps patrol boat removing a magnetic mine from the hull of the Japanese tanker Kokuka Courageous after it apparently failed to explode. The video, recorded by a U.S Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft, appears to have caught the Iranians red-handed, trying to remove the evidence that would directly link the Guard Corps to the coordinated attack on two tankers yesterday in the Gulf of Oman.
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06/15/2019
Red Flag-Alaska, an exercise involving 2,000 personnel, 85 aircraft and the air forces of four Pacific Rim countries, is underway, the U.S. Air Force announced. The majority of the aircraft, from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the South Korean Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force and the U.S. Air Force, are flying from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, both in Alaska.
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06/15/2019
Airbus’s launch partners for the A400M Atlas tactical transport have signed a key contract amendment via Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) defence procurement agency, concluding a process initiated by the airframer more than two years ago.
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06/14/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) conducted a carry test flight of its AGM-183A Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) on a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress aircraft on 12 June at Edwards AFB in California. The prototype did not have explosives and was not released from the B-52 during the flight test, says the USAF. Instead, a sensor-only version of the ARRW prototype was carried externally by a B-52 during the test to gather environmental and aircraft handling data.
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06/14/2019
taly has signed for 13 more Leonardo M-345s in a deal worth €300 million ($333 million), bring to 18 the number of the new trainers ordered by Rome. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2020, and the Williams International FJ44-4M-34-powered jets will be located at Galatina air base near Lecce.
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06/14/2019
Dassault Rafale M fighters operating from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle are performing well during an epic long-range deployment. FlightGlobal visited the ship in Singapore three months into a cruise that has included the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and finally the Straits of Malacca.
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06/13/2019
Over the past several years, U.S. Defense Department leaders have gone from citing technical problems as their biggest concern for the F-35 program to bemoaning the expense of buying and sustaining the aircraft. But the reality may be worse. According to documents exclusively obtained by Defense News, the F-35 continues to be marred by flaws and glitches that, if left unfixed, could create risks to pilot safety and call into question the fighter jet’s ability to accomplish key parts of its miss
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06/13/2019
The Spanish navy and air force are still interested in the American F-35 fighter jet, even though the government is about to join a Franco-German program to develop a new European plane.
The two services are in the beginning stages of an analysis in which the Lockheed Martin-made aircraft is emerging as a key contender, officials told reporters on the sidelines of the FEINDEF defense expo here in late May.
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06/13/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) plans to move $57 million in FY2020 funds from the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tanker programme to support the cost of flying and maintaining its fleet of older KC-135 Stratotankers longer than it expected.
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06/13/2019
The UK wants to adopt a new partnership arrangement with international participants in its Tempest next-generation combat aircraft programme, in an effort to avoid the rigid workshare model employed during previous joint efforts.
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06/12/2019
The Defense Ministry will resume flights of F-35A stealth fighter jets that have been suspended since an April crash off Aomori Prefecture, with pilots to undergo training for spatial disorientation to prevent similar accidents. “We will carefully provide an explanation to related local governments,” Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on June 10, when the ministry released the results of its investigation into the crash.
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06/12/2019
Greece is among the potential buyers for new F-35 fighter jets from the United States, according to Admiral Mathias Winter, head of the Pentagon office for the F-35s. The information was made public in a Reuters report which came out on Tuesday. According to Admiral Winter, Greece, Singapore, Romania, Spain and Poland are all among the future potential buyers of the aircraft.
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06/12/2019
“The U.S. Air Force has deployed one squadron of F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, Airmen, and associated equipment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings, at Hill AFB, Utah, to participate in exercises and conduct training with other Europe-based aircraft as part of a Theater Security Package,” the Air Force said on Tuesday.
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06/12/2019
Sikorsky was awarded a $542 million contract from the US Navy (USN) to build six production VH-92A Presidential Helicopters, an aircraft which will be known by the call sign “Marine One” when the president of the USA flies aboard.
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06/12/2019
Wellington has selected the Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transport as the preferred candidate to replace its five C-130H aircraft. It will seek pricing information on the aircraft via the US government’s Foreign Military Sales mechanism, says a defence ministry statement. Replacing the C-130Hs with a new type is “the highest priority project” for the government’s Defence Capability Plan in 2019.
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06/11/2019
In what is billed as the largest procurement contract in the history of the Department of Defense (DoD), Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon reached a $34 billion “handshake agreement” for hundreds of F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.
The agreement covers the purchase of 478 F-35 aircraft over low-rate initial production lots 12, 13 and 14. The Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin are negotiating on the final details of the contract, which would cover aircraft delivered to the USA, as well
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06/11/2019
Lockheed Martin was building several F-35A Lightning IIs for Turkey on its production line in Fort Worth, Texas when FlightGlobal toured the factory on 9 May. A small version of the country’s flag, red with a white star and crescent moon, was optimistically posted in front of each fuselage being assembled.
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06/11/2019
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) believes pilot disorientation caused the crash of a Lockheed Martin F-35A on 9 April. A Reuters report quotes defence minister Takeshi Iwaya as saying that it is “highly likely the pilot was suffering from vertigo or spatial disorientation and wasn’t aware of his condition.” In addition, no distress call was received from the pilot, nor has the investigation into the crash revealed that he tried to eject.
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06/10/2019
New weapons and technologies arming the Air Force’s stealthy B-2 bombers are expected to bring “massive firepower to even the most heavily-defended targets,” according to an official service acquisition report. Specific adjustments, as outlined by the report, include the expected delivery of a new “earth-penetrating” upgraded B-61 mod 12 nuclear bomb for the aircraft - to arrive as soon as this year.
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06/10/2019
The aerospace units of United Technologies - Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney - are to be merged with Raytheon. The boards have approved the all stock merger of the two companies, according to a joint statement from the two companies. “The transaction will create a premier systems provider with advanced technologies to address rapidly growing segments within aerospace and defense,” say the two companies.
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06/08/2019
The Pentagon on Friday told Turkey that it is cutting off Ankara’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets if the Turkish government goes ahead with plans to buy a Russian missile defense system, ratcheting up what has been a lengthy, heated dispute between the two NATO allies.
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06/08/2019
InstantEye has launched a new long-endurance variant of the Mk-3 GEN4D quadcopter that can fly for more than 50min. Called the Mk-3 GEN4-D1, the new surveillance drone uses a proprietary battery to increase its flight time by 20min, says InstantEye. The small unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is designed to be carried by a soldier in a backpack and then rapidly launched to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information for tactical-level situations.
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06/08/2019
With the Pentagon wavering over the number of F-35s it wants to buy, Lockheed Martin has turned its gaze on Europe. The company is bullish on selling the aircraft to America’s European allies. It believes that by 2030 there will be more than 500 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters deployed in Europe – more than the number of Eurofighter Typhoons currently in operation worldwide.
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06/07/2019
Lockheed Martin, US military aviation giant that is offering its F-21 fighter jet to India, says it will make the jet locally and is already working to tie up with Indian suppliers. The firm along with six other global companies is in the tender to produce 110 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.
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06/07/2019
A Sikorsky UH-60A that was retrofitted with fly-by-wire controls and an autonomous flight control kit made its first manned flight on 29 May in West Palm Beach, Florida. Sikorsky is conducting follow-on flight testing throughout the summer of 2019 to expand the optionally piloted helicopter’s flight envelope. It plans to conduct a fully autonomous flight without any pilots in 2020.
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06/06/2019
The Royal Jordanian Army and Air Force (RJAF) is attempting to sell more than two dozen aircraft, including six recently delivered Rainbow CH-4B unmanned air vehicles (UAV) built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The country’s armed forces posted its intent to sell the aircraft online on 3 June without explanation. It will close bidding on 1 July.
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06/06/2019
Saab will later this year conduct a first test flight of a Gripen C/D carrying a pod-housed electronic attack jammer, as it eyes potential sales opportunities with European air forces. A product of the Swedish company's Arexis family of electronic warfare equipment, the low-band jammer is contained within a demonstrator pod that is 4m (13.1ft) long and weighs 350kg (770lb).
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06/04/2019
The Indian Air Force is considering arming its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole air superiority fighter jets with the Israeli-made Rafael Advanced Defense Systems I-Derby extended range (ER) beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) by 2022, according to local media reports.
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06/04/2019
An Indian Air Force transport aircraft has gone missing after taking off from an airbase in Assam. The last contact with the aircraft -- an Antonov An-32 military transport aircraft - was at around 1pm today. 13 people were onboard the plane, including eight crew members and five passengers.
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06/04/2019
The tactical UAVs are expected to all be delivered by March 2022, according to a Department of Defense notice online. In addition to the aircraft, the orders provides for spare payloads, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools, training, technical services and labour of field service representatives.
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06/04/2019
Boeing is working on potential international deals related to its KC-46A tanker and the 737-based E-7 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft. The company has delivered 11 KC-46As to the US Air Force, and aims to have 18 delivered by the second quarter and “somewhere between 36 and 40 by the end of the year,” says Boeing vice-president Jeff Shockey, speaking with reporters in Singapore in late May.
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06/03/2019
The United Arab Emirates has issued a request to the United States to buy three tanker aircraft, manufacturer Boeing has confirmed. Jeff Shockey, Boeing’s vice president of global sales for defence, space and security, confirmed the request letter had been submitted by the UAE in comments to reporters at a media event in Singapore, according to a report by the Defence News website.
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06/03/2019
Israel fired missiles onto a Syrian military air base in the country’s center late Sunday, killing a soldier and wounding two others hours after other Israeli attacks in southern Syria killed three soldiers and wounded seven, Syria’s state-run media said.
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06/03/2019
In 1964, the Soviet Union’s awesome MiG-25 Foxbat jet fighter flew for the first time. Specifically designed to intercept the U.S. Air Force’s spy planes, the MiG-25 could routinely reach Mach 2.8—nearly three times the speed of sound.
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06/01/2019
It’s no secret that the United States has flown captured — or otherwise acquired — Soviet and Russian aircraft for test, evaluation and training. The Soviet Union returned the favor. The RT video below contains some quite famous footage of a U.S.-made Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter — formerly stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam — flying in Soviet markings in mock combat with a Soviet MiG-21.
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06/01/2019
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) plans to acquire used Kuwaiti fighter jets while waiting to purchase new aircraft in the next 10 to 15 years. RMAF chief General Affendi Buang said Kuwait is planning to phase out its existing fleet of Hornet FA-18C and 18D aircraft as it waits for the delivery of the Boeing Super Hornet aircraft in 2021.
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06/01/2019
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has taken delivery of its first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft. “Northrop Grumman’s longstanding partnership with Japan is beginning a new chapter with the delivery of the first Japan E-2D,” says Northrop Grumman’s Jane Bishop.
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05/31/2019
The Russians have expanded the perimeter of their defense capabilities in the Arctic and in so doing have raised concerns from the other Arctic powers. This is clearly a core concern for the Nordics and an important input to their defense modernization efforts, nationally and collectively.
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05/31/2019
Saab is ready to sell the Canadian government 88 Canada-built Gripen fighters should Ottawa require home-built aircraft. The Swedish combat aircraft manufacturer cautions nothing is finalised and its offer will ultimately reflect Canada’s formal request for proposal (RFP). The company expects the final RFP to be issued around midyear by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
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05/30/2019
Will Malaysia eventually purchase the Indian HAL Tejas over other competitors including Pakistani/Chinese JF-17 Thunder? According to the key sources, the Malaysian Government is quite keen on evaluating the HAL Tejas and is making a lot of enquiries which are being promptly answered.
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05/30/2019
Germany’s effort to replace its ageing heavy transport helicopter fleet is gathering pace, with both Boeing and Sikorsky formally confirming their interest in the requirement. Berlin in February issued a “call for competition” for the Schwerer Transporthubscrauber (STH) programme, requiring responses by late May.
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05/30/2019
Lockheed Martin believes that worldwide sales of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter could reach 4,600 units, a 15% increase from its previous projection. The company said as recently as 24 May that it projected the F-35 to have a lifetime sales potential of 4,000 aircraft. The current programme of record for the F-35 is around 3,200 examples; though that count includes planned purchases as well as signed orders.
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05/30/2019
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has entered a $52 million contract related to Bangkok’s purchase of T-50TH advanced jet trainers. “The deal is an Upgrade & Modification program which aims to equip the T-50TH Jet trainers which RTAF operates with radars and the [radar warning receiver], and [counter measures dispenser system],” says KAI.
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05/30/2019
Poland has deepened its interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35, with the country’s defence minister indicating that it intends to purchase 32 examples of the fifth-generation fighter. Mariusz Blaszczak says it intends to acquire the A-model variant to replace its Soviet-era RAC MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft under the Harpia programme.
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05/29/2019
Chinese maritime militia vessels are believed responsible for a series of laser attacks on Australian Navy pilots during a recent voyage through the hotly contested South China Sea. Defence sources have confirmed helicopters were targeted during night flights, forcing the pilots to temporarily return to their ship for medical check-ups.
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05/29/2019
Poland has issued a formal request to the US for the procurement of 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) combat aircraft, the country's defence minister announced on 28 May.
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05/29/2019
Boeing subsidiary Tapestry Solutions has won a 10-year contract worth up to $259 million from the US Air Force (USAF) to provide Weapon Planning Software for the service’s combat aircraft. Also called mission planning software, Tapestry’s programme is designed to help the USAF and allied air forces plan the details of combat missions, including routes, the location of threats and the points at which precision-guided weapons are launched.
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05/29/2019
France has advanced by 12 months the launch of its tri-service helicoptere interarmees leger (HIL) programme, enabling first delivery of the Airbus Helicopters H160M in 2026. Paris had previously planned a 2022 launch for its rotorcraft renewal effort, which will replace five types with just one, with deliveries set for later that decade.
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05/29/2019
Today’s Airbus Defence & Space can trace its corporate heritage back to roughly the same point as its parent company’s creation as a commercial aerospace entity, when Germany’s Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) was formed in 1969.
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05/28/2019
Russian technical specialists will pay a visit to Turkey to help putting Russian-made S-400 missile systems into operation, Turkish Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar told the Haber Turk TV channel on Monday.
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05/28/2019
Israel struck a Syrian military target in Quneitra on Monday after an anti-aircraft missile was launched earlier at an Israeli fighter jet, the Israeli army said. Also Monday, a report in the Lebanese media outlet Al Mayadeen said an israeli drone struck a reconnaissance compound in southern Lebanon. An additional report said the Lebanese army was at the scene investigating the compound, which is said to be Israeli.
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05/28/2019
The Indian air force recently conducted the second launch of the Mach 2.8 Brahmos cruise missile from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter, and the country's weapons developers have also tested a new 500kg guided bomb. India’s defence ministry says the 22 May Brahmos launch went well and the aircraft scored a direct hit on a land target.
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05/26/2019
The introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter into service with the Royal Australian Air Force is on track to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) in December 2020, despite the recent unexplained crash of a Japanese aircraft.
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05/25/2019
At the beginning of the 1990s, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Finland established a stance of enhanced independence when it purchased Hornets from the United States and began a process of working with Western allied airpower.
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05/25/2019
Flight-testing of Saab’s Gripen E combat aircraft is moving faster than anticipated, according to Eddy de la Motte, vice president and head of the Gripen E/F business unit at Swedish manufacturer Saab. De la Motte told a media briefing that tests to fire MBDA’s Meteor missile had been carried out by test aircraft 39-8 and 39-9 in northern Sweden. “We’d planned two weeks for the testing and were able to get everything done in one,” the executive remarked.
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05/25/2019
In a controversial move, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, citing unnamed threats from Iran, bypassed approval from the US Congress and pushed through the sale of $8.1 billion of arms to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
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05/25/2019
The US Air Force claims to have cut 100.5 years of what it deems “unnecessary schedule” from its weapons development programmes since May 2018. As part of its “Century Challenge” goal, the service is trying to streamline and accelerate development programmes to keep pace with adversaries such as Russia and China who are rapidly innovating in areas such as hypersonic missiles and anti-aircraft defences.
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05/24/2019
Unmanned drones, powered by artificial intelligence, may soon accompany US Air Force Pilots on missions as autonomous wingmen. Both Boeing's F-15 and Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets are being considered for the 'Skyborg' drone support program. The scheme would cut down on the amount of people in the jets and could both reduce the risk to pilots and be more economical.
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05/24/2019
China has reportedly overhauled a Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 “Thunder” Block I multirole fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force in March, according to media reports. Citing a report by China Aviation News, the website Defense World.Net states that the overhaul of the aircraft was carried out by Changsha 5712 Aircraft Industry Company, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
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05/24/2019
The US Navy (USN) awarded Raytheon a $235 million contract for 23 units of the company’s Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS). The fixed-price-incentive contract was anticipated for several months now. It will pay for launch of serial production, as well as installation of JPALS on the USN’s 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and eight amphibious assault ships.
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05/23/2019
UK military investigators have attributed a 2017 incident, in which a Lockheed Martin C-130J operated by the Royal Air Force’s 47 Sqn was written off, to the flightcrew’s lack of situational awareness as they attempted to land on a temporary strip in darkness. However, the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) notes that a “variety of inter-linked factors compounded this lack of [situational awareness] making the accident more likely.”
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05/22/2019
The US has scrambled a flight of F-22 Raptor interceptors in response to four Russian bombers and two fighters prying off the coast of Alaska. It was all fair, safe and ‘professional’. But when Russian bombers loiter off the United States’ front gate, people get nervous. Yesterday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)— a joint effort between the US and Canada — detected two flights of Russian aircraft approaching Alaska.
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05/22/2019
Bulgaria may walk away from negotiations with the U.S. for the purchase of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, according to Bulgaria’s defense minister, instead turning to Sweden or Italy for new combat aircraft. As part of Bulgaria’s tender to acquire eight new fighter jets for its military, Italy offered the Eurofighter Typhoon and Sweden offered the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. The Bulgarian Air Force aims to replace its outdated Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets with Western-made air
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05/22/2019
Boeing plans to soon test fly a CH-47F Chinook Block II helicopter with two GE Aviation T408 turboshaft engines, which each produce 7,500shp (5,600kW). The GE T408 turboshaft has 2,500shp more than the helicopter’s current engine, the Honeywell T55. It is certificated and installed on the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) forthcoming heavy lift helicopter, the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion.
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05/22/2019
Beijing’s ambitions for a large aircraft carrier have gained more clarity, with the emergence of detailed artist impressions of the Xian KJ-600 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft, as well as satellite imagery of a Chinese shipyard. Recent artists impressions posted on social media offer more details about the Xian KJ-600, which is expected to be a key part of future People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carrier air wings.
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05/22/2019
Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor completed a series of low-speed pitch, roll, and yaw manoeuvres at the company’s Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas in early May. The company says the rotorcraft’s flight demonstrations show that it meets the US Army’s Level 1 handling qualities requirements. Bell believes those qualities will roughly reflect what the service wants from its Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).
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05/22/2019
Russia could deliver the S-400 anti-aircraft system to Turkey before July possibly forcing the USA to withhold delivery of Ankara’s F-35A stealth fighters. The US and its allies are concerned that Turkey’s plan to buy the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system could expose vulnerabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II – weaknesses which could then be exploited by Russia.
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05/20/2019
Banda Aceh, Indonesia: Poor weather conditions have forced seven French navy fighter jets taking part in a training exercise to make emergency landings in northern Indonesia, an Indonesian air force official said on Sunday. The crews of the seven Dassault Rafale combat planes landed safely at Sultan Iskandar Muda air force base in Aceh province on Saturday, 90 minutes after taking off from their aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Indian Ocean.
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05/19/2019
The U.S. military's biannual Northern Edge exercise is in full swing in Alaska and a picture has emerged showing an F-15C Eagle taking part in the drills while carrying a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod. This system has an infrared search and track sensor, or IRST, which offers the pilot an important additional way to detect and track other aircraft at significant ranges.
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05/19/2019
A new squadron has been added to the 53rd Wing, which is responsible for operational testing and evaluation of new equipment and systems proposed for use by the service’s combat air forces. The 87th Electronic Warfare Squadron was formally activated in a ceremony held Friday at Eglin Air Force Base. It will be part of the wing’s existing 53rd Electronic Warfare Group.
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05/18/2019
A U.S. Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed into a large warehouse building while attempting to land at March Reserve Air Force Base in Riverside County, California on Thursday afternoon, May 16, 2019 at approximately 3:45 PM local time. The pilot of the aircraft ejected and is being evaluated in a local hospital according to news outlets.
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05/18/2019
Greece has received its first revived Lockheed Martin P-3B Orion as part of a “rebirth” of the country’s maritime patrol capability as it brings stored aircraft back to service. Following work performed by Hellenic Aerospace Industries (HAI), the initial aircraft, described as an “interim” step, was presented to Greece’s navy on 17 May.
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05/18/2019
Switzerland's government has allocated Swfr6 billion ($5.85 billion) to replace by 2030 the nation's ageing Boeing F/A-18 and Northrop F-5 fighters as part of a wider overhaul of its air defences. The government states that the federal defence department has been tasked to draft by early September a procurement proposal, which has then to be approved first by the country's parliament and then voters via a referendum.
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05/18/2019
Boeing is showing off conceptual images of what it calls a Compound AH-64 Apache, a variant of the attack helicopter with a pusher propeller and small wing. The company says it would have increased range and speed – capabilities initially envisioned for the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift Capability Set 3, a medium-lift utility and attack rotorcraft. However, because the attack requirement was absent from the service’s latest development iteration – the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)
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05/15/2019
Boeing is ready to deliver at least two engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) F-15EX fighters to the US Air Force (USAF) as soon as 2020. The company says the aircraft’s similarities to its Advanced F-15 – a fighter it is producing for Qatar and Saudi Arabia – means it can quickly be turned out from its active production line.
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05/15/2019
The UK has awarded CAE a contract to produce a second operational flight trainer (OFT) for its future fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, with the device to follow another already ordered for the Royal Air Force (RAF). CAE, which on 13 May announced its receipt of the business from P-8 prime contractor Boeing, says the UK's simulators are scheduled for delivery to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland in 2021.
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05/14/2019
US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin says it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, a move aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega deal. Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, says if F-21 wins the contract, then India will also be integrated into the company's global fighter ecosystem, which is a $165 billion dollar market.
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05/14/2019
The F-35 fighter is the enabler of American air dominance through mid-century. It will provide the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps with combat aircraft that can survive in places where no legacy fighters would be safe, collect information crucial to joint operations, and suppress threats that might otherwise preclude victory.
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05/14/2019
The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to launch a competition to teach artificial intelligence (AI) software programmes how to control aircraft and their weapons in dogfights.
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05/14/2019
Two of the UK’s five on-order Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft will be converted commercial airliners, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. London on 22 March signed a £1.5 billion ($1.96 billion) contract for the 737-based Wedgetails, which will be operated by the Royal Air Force.
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05/13/2019
The Air Force is reactivating the 65th Aggressor Squadron and moving 11 F-35A Lightning IIs to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, as part of a larger initiative to improve training for fifth generation fighter aircraft. The action came after Gen. Mike Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, recommended improving training for fifth generation fighter tactics development and close-air support by adding F-35s to complement the fourth generation aircraft currently being used.
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05/13/2019
The Indian air force defended its decision to send old MiG-21 fighters up against much more modern Pakistani F-16s during recent aerial skirmishes. On Feb. 26, 2019 Indian planes crossed the line of control at India's border with Pakistan and bombed what New Dehli described as a terrorist training camp near Balakot. Several days of aerial fighting followed the bombing raid. On Feb. 27, 2019, Pakistani F-16s and other planes crossed the line of control to attack Indian forces, New Delhi claimed
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05/13/2019
The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) canceled its ARES research programme with Lockheed Martin and Piasecki Aircraft due to cost. The project was aimed at developing a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with twin, tilting ducted fans for hauling military cargo.
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05/13/2019
Qatar could be set to double the strength of its incoming fleet of Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, with the US Department of State having approved a potential 24-unit follow-on buy worth $3 billion. Doha has already ordered 24 Apaches, with Cirium's Fleets Analyzer showing that the first three of these were delivered earlier this year.
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05/09/2019
Moscow plans to upgrade its Sukhoi Su-25SM3 attack aircraft with a targeting system that uses artificial intelligence (AI), and continues to work on the cruise missile capabilities of its bombers. The system will allow pilots to select a target, and then let an AI engine prosecute the attack, according to a report by Russian news agency TASS quoting an unnamed defence official.
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05/09/2019
Saab will open a new manufacturing site in Indiana to support its contribution to the T-X advanced jet trainer, which it jointly developed with prime contractor Boeing, and other advanced projects. The facility will be located in West Lafayette, at the Discovery Park District, which is affiliated with Purdue University. From 2020, when construction will start, Saab says it has earmarked $37 million for the development. Ultimately the new facility will create up to 300 jobs.
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05/09/2019
India’s defence ministry has given its nod for a navy procurement of 10 additional Russian-built Kamov Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters. The purchase approval came from the Defence Acquisition Council, which is led by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The deal is valued at approximately $515 million.
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05/06/2019
The U.S. Navy is on the brink of an explosion in research and development funding for its next-generation fighter program — an effort that could make or break the mainstay of the fleet’s powerful strike arm. The service this year proposed quadrupling funding for its next-generation air dominance program from last year’s paltry $5 million to $20.7 million, with plans to increase funding every year to at least 2024, when it peaks at $372 million, according to the Navy’s fiscal 2020 budget documen
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05/06/2019
When Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited AFWERX's Pilot Training Next program in Austin, Texas, last year, she watched as trainees took flight from the seats in front of her -- through the use of virtual reality. It piqued her interest enough to ask service officials to explore ways that similar flight simulator programs could be introduced to high schools to get young students involved in the nation's endeavors to create more pilots.
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05/05/2019
Seven Venezuelan military officers have been killed when their helicopter crashed while heading to a state where President Nicolas Maduro appeared alongside troops Saturday. The Cougar helicopter hurtled into a mountain outside Caracas in the early hours of an overcast day in the capital.
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05/05/2019
North Korean state media on Sunday showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts.
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05/04/2019
U.S. arms-maker Lockheed Martin is developing a laser that could be small enough to arm a future, “sixth-generation” fighter plane, company officials told reporters on May 1, 2019. But it’s not clear when the Pentagon might develop a new fighter. The laser could be ready before the plane is.
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05/04/2019
Aircraft and strategic drone belonging to the United States (US) have been conducting reconnaissance operations close to Russian borders in Ukraine, several reports have claimed.
An online aircraft monitoring resource PlaneRadar stated that at least three American reconnaissance aircraft were spotted near Russia’s southern and western borders on May 1- the RQ-4B Global Hawk drone, Boeing RC-135V and the P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
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05/04/2019
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) successfully used a laser weapon to shoot down multiple air-launched missiles in flight. The AFRL Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) Advanced Technology Demonstration Programme downed the missiles using a ground-based laser demonstrator. The SHiELD programme is developing a directed energy laser system to be installed on an aircraft for self-defence against surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles.
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05/04/2019
Beijing continues to make strides in developing modern airpower capabilities across the full spectrum of platforms, from strategic bombers to armed UAVs. In its most recent report to Congress, the US Department of Defense notes progress with fighters such as the Chengdu J-20 and AVIC FC-31, the Xian H-6K bomber, the development stealth bomber to be designated H-20, and well as the greater integration of special mission aircraft. In addition, combat training in China is becoming more realistic.
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05/03/2019
A battle is brewing between the Pentagon, congressional purse-holders and two of the country’s top defense contractors over President Donald Trump’s controversial 2020 budget request calling for the Air Force to acquire a souped-up variant of the F-15 jet fighter.
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05/03/2019
A program to train Afghan attack pilots has been ended after the airmen kept going absent without leave, or AWOL, while training in the United States. More than 40 percent of the Afghan Air Force students enrolled in the U.S.-based training program to fly the AC-208 Combat Caravan, a light attack combat aircraft, went AWOL, according to a quarterly report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR.
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05/03/2019
Aselsan used the IDEF exhibition in Istanbul to showcase its latest airborne radar developments, including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) design that is being pitched for integration on the Turkish air force's fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s.
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05/03/2019
The US Air Force wants to assess sources that can provide spare parts for Taiwan’s fleet of Northrop F-5E fighters. The Proven Aircraft Office of the Air Force Materiel Command has issued a list of 37 separate F-5 parts required, ranging from windshield panels and fuel tanks to air data computers.
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05/02/2019
Boeing has been awarded a $5.7 billion post-production contract for combat capability for the U.S. Air Force's troubled K-46 Pegasus refueling tanker aircraft. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, announced Monday by the Department of Defense, includes non-recurring and recurring requirements centered on user-directed and Federal Aviation Administration-mandated KC-46 air vehicle needs.
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05/02/2019
China may declare its first stealth fighter operational this year as it also develops long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, part of a regional buildup by Beijing that the U.S. is closely monitoring, according to the U.S. Air Force’s Pacific commander.
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05/02/2019
The French air force has taken delivery of its 15th A400M Atlas military transport aircraft, the first directly outfitted to the “tactical standard,” including an expanded ability to land and take off from unprepared terrain and the capacity to make landing approaches under automatic pilot in all weather.
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05/02/2019
With the first delivery of its GlobalEye surveillance system still more than a year away, Saab is already talking to several potential additional customers, chief executive Hakan Buskhe has revealed. Buskhe says the Swedish company’s GlobalEye flight test campaign is “going extremely well”.
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05/02/2019
Sweden could be poised to approve an extension to operations with part of its Saab Gripen C/D fleet until beyond 2030, in a step that would bolster the size of its fighter inventory beyond the 60 E-model examples currently on order for its air force.
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05/01/2019
In what it described as the largest combined operation since the March capture of Baghuz, Islamic State’s last bastion in eastern Syria, the Coalition said CJTF-OIR and Iraqi forces on April 24 attacked ISIS sleeper cells in northern Iraq. Separately, in the first acknowledged combat employment of the aircraft by the U.S. military, two U.S. Air Force F-35A joint strike fighters conducted an airstrike in the same area on April 30.
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05/01/2019
Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft conducted an air strike at Wadi Ashai, Iraq, in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, April 30. This strike marked the F-35A’s first combat employment. The F-35As conducted the airstrike using a Joint Direct Attack Munition to strike an entrenched Daesh tunnel network and weapons cache deep in the Hamrin Mountains, a location able to threaten friendly forces.
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05/01/2019
Airbus is aiming to have a revised contract for the A400M signed off by mid-year, as negotiations with the programme's launch nations continue. Speaking on a first-quarter results call on 30 April, chief executive Guillaume Faury said that talks were "progressing".
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05/01/2019
The Royal Australian Air Force will equip five Lockheed C-130Js with Ka-Band satellite communications systems. The work will be undertaken from late 2019 and be completed in 2022, says the RAAF. One RAAF C-130J was fitted with the system in 2017 for trial purposes. The work involves installing Honeywell’s JetWave Ka-Band system. This will allow high-definition video to be streamed and support mission planning while the aircraft is in flight.
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05/01/2019
The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) fleet of Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft have achieved initial operating capability (IOC). “Over time, this aircraft will work with Army and Navy platforms to enhance our ability to control the electronic environment, and where necessary, deny or degrade the electronic systems of adversaries,” says Air Marshal Leo Davies.
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04/30/2019
The Israeli Air Force is nearing a multi-billion-dollar order for American-made aircraft. On April 28, 2019, IsraelDefense magazine reported on the current status of Israel’s pending acquisition of U.S.-made aircraft. The Israeli Air Force has been known to be considering a potential deal for new fighter jets, transport helicopters, and tanker aircraft, and is looking to make a purchase from either Lockheed Martin or Boeing.
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04/30/2019
On Monday, April 29, Soldiers of the North Atlantic Alliance countries officially began the annual exercise Spring Storm. During exercises from April 29 to May 17, servicemen at different levels will work on techniques for synchronizing combat plans, cooperation in management, and increased readiness for tactical tasks, according to the Defence Blog, an online military magazine.
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04/30/2019
The implementation of aerospace industry standards has helped the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) industry significantly improve the quality of components available compared to 15 years ago when it relied on hobbyist-grade parts and systems.
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04/29/2019
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s red-carpet welcome by Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing on the occasion of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation earlier this month has not surprised anyone. At a time when Xi’s ambitious project – Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – has alarmed the Western countries and Asian and African nations, including India, by fueling indebtedness to expand Beijing’s political and military influence around the world.
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04/29/2019
The U.S. Air Force’s 3rd Wing announced on his Facebook page that the new GAU-5A Aircrew Self Defense Weapon will increase the firepower of the F-22 fighter jet pilots if they ever have to eject over enemy territory.
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04/25/2019
The U.S. military's aviation training ranges are outdated and underfunded, leaving pilots operating in the Asia-Pacific region ill-prepared to deal with modern-day threats, a Defense Department investigation found.
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04/25/2019
Faster computer processors, AI-infused algorithms able to fuse sensor information, and automated maintenance and checklists are influencing emerging pilot tactics to anticipate future threat environments. For the F-35 and B-2 stealth combat aircraft, AI enables rapid database access, organizing information, and high-volume procedural functions. Algorithms, for example, increasingly are able to scan, view, and organize targeting, navigation, radar warning, images, and video.
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04/25/2019
Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s revenue in the first quarter of 2019 increase 2% to $6.6 billion year on year due to higher sales volume of satellites, weapons and surveillance aircraft.
The company’s first quarter profit increased 12.8% to $847 million.
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04/25/2019
Some military secrets are better kept than others. The emergence of Tokyo’s real plan for its pair of Izumo-class helicopter destroyers was always, to naval observers, more a matter when than if. With their 248m (814ft) length, expansive flight decks and large hangars, the JS Izumo and her sister JS Kaga are the largest ships in the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) – and aircraft carriers in all but name.
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04/23/2019
In July 1972, the F-15 fighter jet flew for the first time. The F-15 was the American military’s answer to the Soviet block’s mighty Mig-25 and incorporated all the lessons learned in the Vietnam War. The F-15 rapidly replaced the 1950s designed F-4 Phantom as the U.S. Air Force’s dominant air superiority fighter. Also in the 1970s, the Air Force secretly developed the first stealth fighter, the super secret F-117 for strike missions without being detected by radar.
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04/23/2019
The likely next Army chief of staff has made Guard aviators of the future a real part of the service’s next steps in combat aircraft. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said that the newest helicopter under development, which will replace many UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks, will go not just to tip-of-the-spear units such as the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
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04/23/2019
The defence chiefs of the USA and Japan are confident that China won’t be able to recover pieces of the Lockheed Martin F-35A that crashed off the coast of Japan on 9 April. A flurry of media reports had speculated that parts of the aircraft were vulnerable to discovery by the Chinese or Russian militaries, giving those countries’ armed forces an opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities or copy the fighter’s stealth technology.
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04/23/2019
Washington and Tokyo appear to be holding deeper talks related to Japan’s development of a new fighter to replace the Mitsubishi F-2. A report in Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, citing unnamed government sources, says that the United States is willing to offer a notable degree of intellectual content related to stealth aircraft design. The report adds that a proposal from the US side is on the table, and that Tokyo will decide by the end of 2019.
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04/22/2019
The scenario goes like this: In 2030, Russia invades the Baltic States. As the U.S. sends forces to Europe, China seizes the opportunity to seize disputed islands in the South China Sea. American airpower flies to the rescue, only to discover that sophisticated Russian and Chinese fighters and anti-aircraft defenses have rendered the skies too deadly for older American planes to conduct missions.
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04/20/2019
The T-38 Talon prototype embarked on its maiden flight as the U.S. Air Force’s first supersonic trainer on April 10, 1959. Serving critical missions for six decades, the venerable T-38 has consistently performed and has assisted in flight training exercises for 80,000 pilots. And, with various modernizations, the aircraft has maintained low operating costs, is maintenance-friendly and has a great safety record.
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04/20/2019
The Indian Air Force spectacular and dramatic deep penetration strikes on Pakistan terror camps at Balakot on February 26 2019 by India’s valiant ‘Air Warriors’ enabled by bold & decisive leadership of PM Modi opens new imperatives for fast tracking augmentation of Indian Air Force ‘Strike Power’ in the unfolding geopolitical threatening environment.
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04/20/2019
The Japanese F-35A stealth jet, which is missing since April 9 was involved in seven emergency landing incidents prior to the crash along with four other F-35s out of 13 in service with the Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF). The first accident took place on April 9 when one of the fighters crashed into the Pacific during a routine anti-fighter combat training with three other F-35A jets.
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04/19/2019
The US Air Force has deployed F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters to the Middle East for the first time. The jets arrived at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi earlier this week and are ready to be sent on missions across the region. The aircraft, which cost about $90 million each, are undetectable by radar. The F-35s are equipped with advanced weapons systems which mean they do not have to be pointing at its target. They also have the capability to launch electronic warfare attacks on enemies.
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04/19/2019
With voting underway in India’s general election, February’s Kashmir conflict is likely to weigh on the minds of voters, especially given last week’s social media uproar over the reported downing of a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet during the crisis. The controversy flared up when a Foreign Policy article stated that the Pentagon had accounted for all of Pakistan’s F-16 jets.
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04/19/2019
Hindustan Aeronautics has recommenced flight testing of its HJT-36 Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) from its Bengaluru production centre. “The flight was flawless and its success is an important step towards the IJT program,” says HAL. “The flight testing of IJT (HJT-36), designed and developed by HAL for the stage-II training of IAF pilots was put on hold after the aircraft had encountered problem in the spin test flights in the year 2016.”
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04/18/2019
Russia has completed the delivery of Su-35 combat aircraft to China in defiance of U.S. sanctions, Russia’s military and technical cooperation agency told state media Tuesday. Russia and China signed a $2.5 billion deal on the delivery of 24 Sukhoi Su-35s in 2015, making it the first foreign buyer of the fourth-generation multirole air superiority fighter. The United States imposed sanctions on the Chinese military last September for buying 10 Su-35s in 2017 and missile systems in 2018 from Rus
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04/18/2019
The US Department of Defense has approved a possible deal for the continuation of a training and support programme for the pilots of Taiwanese Lockheed Martin F-16s at Luke AFB, Arizona. If accepted by Taipei, the possible $500 million package includes flight training, exercise participation, and other services and equipment consistent with the Luke contingent.
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04/18/2019
The search continues for a Lockheed Martin F-35A operated by the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force that crashed last week in the northern Pacific Ocean. Japanese media reports indicate that that the aircraft’s tail has been recovered, but the aircraft’s fuselage and the body of the pilot have yet to be located.
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04/14/2019
Japan’s 2019 Mid-Term Defense review quietly revealed that after years of hesitation, Tokyo has decided to press ahead with development of its own domestically designed sixth-generation Mitsubishi F-3 air-superiority stealth fighter, rather than purchasing an additional foreign stealth design to supplement its growing fleet of F-35s.
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04/14/2019
U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has released concept images depicting the new F-15EX Advanced Eagle fighter aircraft. Boeing launches a new update for the website as part of the promotional activities of its new upgraded version of the F-15EX fighter jet, commonly known as Strike Eagle on Steroids. With new concept images, Boeing reveals additional details of new fighter jet purpose-built for the U.S. Air Force.
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04/14/2019
For the past half century, fighter pilots have dominated high-level leadership roles in the Air Force, much as bomber pilots did during World War II and the Cold War. But a recent study from the Rand Corp., sponsored by the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment, questions whether that hierarchy — with fighter pilots first, bomber pilots second and other specializations after — continues to serve the best interests of the service, especially in terms of fostering innovation.
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04/13/2019
The Puerto Rico Air National Guard, or PRANG, has lost its flying mission less than two years after Hurricane Maria battered its main base and nearly a year after tragic accident exposed a culture of apathy and poor morale. It will now reorganize its former flying units to support the U.S. Air Force’s recent push to revitalize its ability to rapidly deploy and establish forward bases overseas during major crises and conflicts.
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04/13/2019
The evaluation phase of Switzerland’s ongoing fighter assessment for a new-generation combat aircraft is underway. The current flight trials follow an earlier exercise whereby Swiss officials tested the aircraft models involved in simulators in the countries of each manufacturer.
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04/13/2019
Details have emerged of an incident early this year during which a Lockheed Martin F-16AM from the Royal Netherlands Air Force was damaged by its own gunfire during a training flight.
The 21 January mishap involved a formation of two Dutch F-16s using their M61A1 20mm cannons during a practice strafing run, firing at a target on the Vliehors range located on the island of Vlieland.
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04/12/2019
Officials have said that the major U.S., Filipino and Australian exercise known as Balikatan isn’t aimed at China, but given Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent words of warning, observers can be forgiven for thinking that. Balikatan 2019 is running from April 1-12 and taking place on the islands of Luzon and Palawan.
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04/12/2019
The Swiss have kicked off flying season for the five types of combat aircraft under consideration to replace the country’s aging fleet, with several demonstrations scheduled between now and early July. The probes are part of the Swiss “Air 2030” program, an $8.2 billion project to buy new aircraft and ground-based equipment for policing the country's airspace.
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04/12/2019
Honeywell is eyeing upgrade opportunities for Kuala Lumpur’s Boeing F/A-18D Hornet fighters and Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules tactical transports. Honeywell has a significant amount of content on the F/A-18Ds that it could upgrade, says company vice-president Tim Van Luven.
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04/11/2019
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency’s 125-page report, “China Military Power – Modernizing a Force to Fight and Win,” details China’s military modernization efforts with an emphasis that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is not a “national army” but a military arm of the Chinese Communist Party that exists to guarantee the CCP’s survival.
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04/11/2019
The start of formal operational testing is a milestone more than 18 years in the making,” Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer, said in a written statement. "While aircraft are in operational test, the F-35 Joint Program Office will continue to support the delivery of phased capability improvements and modernization of the air system.
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04/11/2019
A Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jet with one pilot on board disappeared from radar while on a training mission over the Pacific on Tuesday night, the defense ministry said. The disappearance prompted Japan's military to ground its remaining fleet of the U.S.-made warplanes.
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04/11/2019
The US Navy (USN) has awarded Northrop Grumman a $3.2 billion multiyear procurement contract for the purchase of 24 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft. This is the second multiyear procurement contract awarded to Northrop Grumman for the E-2D. The USN awarded the first contract in 2014 for the production of 25 E-2D aircraft, which Congress later increased to 26 aircraft.
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04/11/2019
President Donald Trump nominated US Air Force Major General Eric Fick for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as director of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme. Fick currently serves as deputy executive officer for the programme, which is based in Arlington, Virginia. He will replace US Navy Vice Admiral Mathias Winter, who has served as the programme’s director since May 2017. The Department of Defense (DoD) did not say when Fick would take over.
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04/10/2019
The radar wake of a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter disappeared over the Pacific Ocean about 73nm (135km) east of Misawa air base on 9 April at 19:27 local time. The Japanese military has commenced a search mission for the aircraft and its single pilot, though the country’s air force offered no details on suspected causes of the disappearance. The Lockheed Martin F-35A was engaging in night-time training with three other F-35A jets, according to The Japan Times.
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04/07/2019
The ROKAF, South Korea’s Air Force received their first F-35A fighter jets in April 2019. The ROKAF hopes to eventually buy forty F-35As and should have ten F-35As by the end of the year. But how do these aircraft fit into the ROKAF’s existing fleet of aircraft? What role could they play in countering the North Korean KPAF?
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04/07/2019
Combat units of the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter fleet within the three US military services and eight international programme partners are on track to reach an 80% mission capability rate by September 2019.
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04/06/2019
Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been a leading client for high-end Russian military hardware. Such imports played a key role in revolutionizing China’s aerial warfare capabilities, in particular during the 1990s with acquisition of the most capable Russian air defense systems, air-to-air missiles and air superiority fighters available.
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04/06/2019
The U.S. Air Force was able to bomb Libya with impunity after knocking out its relic of an Integrated Air Defense System, but what if the country had actually maintained a competent IADS network? That would pose a different challenge altogether. Russia’s S-400 system, for instance, mixed with other overlapping missile batteries, fighter aircraft and command and control nodes, would have tested America’s ability to carry such an air raid like never before.
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04/06/2019
Poland believes it can accelerate the purchase of up to 32 Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft, following suggestions that the USA is willing to expand the fifth-generation jet's operator base. In written testimony to the US House of Representatives, Vice Admiral Mat Winter, director of the Joint Strike Fighter programme, indicated that the Department of Defense was considering sales to countries including Greece, Poland, Romania and Spain.
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04/06/2019
Group Captain Samrath Dhankhar of the Indian air force has earned a place in aviation history, as the commanding officer of its 45 Sqn (“The Flying Daggers”): the first to operate the Hindustan Aeronautics Tejas Mk1 fighter.
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04/05/2019
The Air Force awarded the Gallant Unit Citation to the 74th Fighter Squadron out of Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, March 14 for its combined actions during close-air support missions against the Islamic State group in Syria. The squadron struck more than 44 percent of targets in the Operation Inherent Resolve theater over the course of 181 days with only 12 aircraft beginning in the summer of 2017, according to the unit citation.
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04/05/2019
Germany’s renewal of an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia effectively casts doubt as the lead partner for France to build a future fighter jet, drone, and tank, key projects to boost consolidation in the European defense industry. Berlin on March 28 extended by a further six months a ban of the sale of weapons to Riyadh. German imposed that sanction last October in the wake of the slaying of journalist Jamal Kashoggi by Saudi officials in Turkey.
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04/05/2019
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to purchase 21 Russian MiG-29 jets to address the shortfall of combat aircraft in a deal estimated to be valued at $900 million (INR 6,300 Crore).
“The airframes are ready and Russia has promised to deliver all 21 fighters within 18 months,” a senior air force official was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying Thursday.
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04/05/2019
Russian Helicopters has completed preliminary flight tests of the new Mil Mi-26T2V helicopter, pending its handover to the Russian defence ministry for joint evaluation. The rotorcraft first flew in August 2018, and testing has been conducted from the Mil Moscow Helicopter plant. Russian Helicopters says the Mi-26 is the world’s largest helicopter, with a maximum take-off weight of 56t and capable of carrying a 20t payload.
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04/04/2019
Malaysia’s SU-30MKM fighter jets are now almost certain to get a life extension following the launch of a local enterprise to perform deep maintenance on the Russian-made fighter jets.
Consequently, a plan to purchase the Dassault Rafale or the Eurofighter, as part of the Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) project may be delayed indefinitely as Kaula Lumpur grapples with budget cuts and a deepening palm oil crisis with the European Union.
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04/04/2019
The U.S. Air Force is preparing for the next A-10 Warthog contract to re-wing more of the close-air support aircraft. The next contract for the "A-10-Thunderbolt II Advanced-Wing Continuation Kit," known as "ATTACK," is going through source selection and is expected to be awarded this fall, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Monday. The service has $267 million set aside to buy "about 20 total wings," she said.
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04/04/2019
Malaysia is said to be considering purchasing JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan following Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s visit to Islamabad last month, according to reports. Mohamad was Prime Minister Imran Khan’s guest of honor while on a state visit as he watched the Pakistan Day military parades and celebrations.
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04/04/2019
US Air Force pilots and maintainers at Hill AFB in Utah completed the first operational hot crew swap exercise with the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. Also, called a “rapid” crew swap, during the operation a pilot takes off, completes his mission, lands and refuels the aircraft, while another pilot takes over the cockpit of the same fighter. The process cuts down on the number of required maintenance activities and reduces the time it takes to launch new sortie by up to 2h, says the USAF.
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04/03/2019
The US State Department has cleared the sale of 24 Lockheed Martin MH-60R anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters to India. The deal is work $2.6 billion and follows a request from New Delhi for the acquisition, says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
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04/03/2019
The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has received its first pair of Lockheed Martin F-35As in South Korea. Seoul’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirms that the two aircraft arrived on 29 March, landing at Cheongju air base at 14:00 local time.
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04/03/2019
The US Air Force suspended deliveries of Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers for a second time in about a month on 23 March after discovering foreign object debris (FOD) inside the aircraft. The service previously halted delivery of the refueling tankers on 20 February after FOD, including forgotten tools, were discovered inside the aircraft’s airframe.
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04/02/2019
China says it will buy Russia’s advanced Su-57 stealth fighter in a move that will further cement the nation’s status as a rising world superpower. The Beijing controlled Global Times reports Moscow has released the advanced new fighter jet for expert in a bid to attract scarce foreign currency.
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04/02/2019
Spain plans to purchase two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Block 5 Reapers for $34 million via the US foreign military sales process. The acquisition also provides for associated equipment, presumably ground control stations, spares and support equipment. The unmanned air vehicles are expected to be completed by 31 March 2020, according to a US Defense Department contract notice online.
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04/02/2019
Saudi Arabia has rolled out the first of an eventual 22 BAE Systems Hawk Mk 165 jet trainers to be locally assembled. Unveiled at King Abdulaziz air base by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the indigenous manufacturing effort is part of the country's Vision 2030 strategy to grow its defence sector.
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04/01/2019
Advanced air forces around the globe are often highly technologically dependent, considering the sophistication and complexities inherent in aerospace technology. These complexities are often surmountable through painstaking efforts of many years of unbroken research and development, with huge financial burden on the nation and its citizenry. The sacrifices may seem grave but the benefits are no doubt greater.
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04/01/2019
The Pentagon's annual budget request is a shopping list featuring some of the most sophisticated, cutting-edge technologies available on the planet. But one item that stood out in this year's request was the military's embrace of a 1960s-era fighter jet that the Air Force said it intends to acquire in significant quantities in the years to come.
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04/01/2019
A pair of Marine Viper pilots were killed Saturday night when their helicopter crashed in Arizona, Marine officials announced Sunday. The crash occurred near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma at about 8:45 p.m. local time, according to a statement from base officials. The pilots were flying an AH-1Z Viper helicopter.
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04/01/2019
A MiG-27 UPG aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on Sunday morning here. The pilot managed to eject safely. The aircraft was on a routine mission. Notably, MiG-27 UPG is upgraded versions of the aircraft. Indian Air Force now is now left with the last squadron of the Mig-27 UPG, according to reports.
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03/31/2019
The Ilyushin Il-112V military turboprop completed its maiden flight on 30 March from the VASO manufacturing plant in Voronezh. The aircraft, which is part of the United Aircraft (UAC) stable, took off with chief pilot Nikolai Kuimov at the controls. The maiden test flight was flown in normal mode, says UAC.
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03/30/2019
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) requires between RM6 billion and RM7 billion of funding from the government to acquire 36 light combat aircraft (LCA). RMAF chief General Datuk Seri Affendi Buang said the new requirement for the LCA would enable the air force to keep up with advanced technology and capability. “Our BAE Hawks are now already passing 25 years in service.
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03/30/2019
The Harrier II is unique among American military aircraft as one of few to have been adapted from a foreign design. The AV-8B's origin traces back to the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier, which was designed in the 1960s. Though not the first vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft built, it was the first fully operational and successful example. V/STOL capability was revolutionary because it created an aircraft that could operate from short or less-than-ideal runways, or from no runway at al
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03/30/2019
For the second time in 12 months, the US Air Force has grounded its Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber fleet over safety concerns with its ejection seat. Air Force Global Strike Command ordered a safety stand-down of the B-1B Lancer fleet March 28. The service says that during a routine inspection potentially fleet-wide issues were identified with the rigging of the ejection seat drogue chute system. As a precautionary measure, the USAF directed an all-inclusive inspection of the entire egress system.
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03/30/2019
Japan’s air force stood up its first operational F-35A fighter squadron, the 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, on 29 March. The stealth fighter replaces the squadron’s aging, third-generation Mitsubishi F-4EJ Kai fighters, which are Japanese-licensed variants of the Vietnam-era McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The squadron is stationed at Misawa Air Base, which is near the northernmost point of Japan’s main island.
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03/29/2019
Japan continues to work on creating domestic fifth-generation stealth fighter as seen in footage aired on national TV. The footage posted on 26 March shows that Mitsubishi Electronics-led team proceeded to test their active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar based on the F-2 fighter aircraft. According to several media reports, the new Japanese AESA radar similar to US-made AN/APG-81, which is installed on Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
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03/29/2019
As the United States Air Force continues its struggle with fielding enough aggressor aircraft for its combat aircraft crews to train against, contractors are stepping up to the plate. In some cases, contractors are able to field remarkable aircraft that provide an exceptionally authentic replication of enemy aircraft. Such is case of Air USA—the company has managed to acquire three two-seat trainer versions of the Mikoyan MiG-29UB Fulcrum.
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03/29/2019
Speaking in a press conference at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition yesterday (26 Mar), Malaysia Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that Malaysia’s ageing combat aircraft are still functioning well and can be used for several more years.
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03/29/2019
The US Air Force selected Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota on 27 March as the preferred location to base the first operational Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider bomber and the stealth aircraft’s formal training unit.
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03/29/2019
Belgium has secured approval for a potentially $600 million acquisition of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' MQ-9B SkyGuardian. The US Department of State determination moves Brussels closer to obtaining four of the medium-altitude, long-endurance type, which will be equipped with General Atomics' detect and avoid technology to enable flight in non-segregated airspace.
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03/27/2019
The company says it has a $320 million undefinitized contract with the US Air Force to develop the new radar. The ASARS-2B has double the surveillance range of its predecessor, the ASARS-2A system, while maintaining the same mapping and imagery resolution. The new radar completed flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California in early 2019, says Raytheon.
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03/27/2019
The latest iteration of MBDA's combat-proven Brimstone precision-strike weapon has undergone a successful first test firing. Conducted at the Vidsel range in Sweden, the telemetry unit-equipped Brimstone 3 was deployed from a surface launcher against a pick-up truck target.
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03/27/2019
A Malaysian aerospace group has developed a programme for the 10-year service inspection of the Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter. An Su-30MKM that underwent Aerospace Technology Systems’ (ATSC) inspection regime was officially presented to the country’s prime minister at the Langkawi international Maritime Exhibition.
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03/27/2019
India’s air force formally inducted its first four Boeing CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-lift helicopters into its inventory on 25 March. The helicopters were handed over during a ceremony held at Air Force Station Chandigarh that was attended by senior air force dignitaries. India’s defence ministry says that the remaining 11 Chinooks from its 2015 order will be delivered progressively by March 2020.
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03/26/2019
Russian Air Force An-124 Condor heavy transport plane is back home after a brief trip to Venezuela, where it helped reportedly deliver almost 100 military personnel and tons of unspecified cargo as part of the Kremlin’s ongoing support for embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. For two months now, Maduro has been locked in a political crisis with American-supported opposition leader Juan Guaido and there continue to be signs that a U.S. military intervention might be on the horizon.
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03/26/2019
The US State Department approved the possible sale of 25 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 72 fighters to the Royal Moroccan Air Force, as well as a possible agreement to upgrade 23 of the air force’s Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to the F-16V variant. The F-16C/D fighters and related equipment are estimated to cost $3.79 billion, while the upgrade and related equipment is estimated to cost $985 million.
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03/26/2019
Russia's Irkut has confirmed the delivery of Yak-130 advanced jet trainers to Laos, with Cirium's Fleets Analyzer recording four examples as having been handed over to the nation's air force so far this year. Laos has another six of the type on order, our data indicates.
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03/25/2019
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) are renewing their efforts to secure additional customers for the JF-17 Thunder lightweight multi-role fighter, which is co-produced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and PAC, and is the mainstay combat aircraft of the PAF.
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03/25/2019
Pakistan is ruling out the possibility of using its nuclear weapons and sees them as more of deterrence tool to prevent actual wars, Spokesman for the Pakistan Army Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor told the international media in an interview. "Since we have gone overtly nuclear, as India also, in 1998, our stance is that this capability eliminates the possibility of a conventional war between the two states. So that is to say, this is a weapon of deterrence and a political choice.
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03/25/2019
India's indigenous supersonic fighter jet Tejas will for the first time participate in aerial displays during the five-day Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia. India has been projecting the Tejas aircraft in a big way as it has been manufactured indigenously at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
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03/24/2019
The J-10 “Vigorous Dragon” is a mainstay of China’s effort to modernize its large fleet of single-engine jet fighters, with 350 already in service. An agile tactical fighter similar to the ubiquitous F-16 Fighting Falcon , the Vigorous Dragon was the first domestic Chinese design roughly on par with Western and Russian fourth-generation fighters .
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03/23/2019
Egypt recently turned heads with its decision to purchase twenty advanced Su-35S fighter jets from Russia. This adds yet another unique airframe to Egypt’s inventory, which currently fields Rafales, two generations of F-16s, MiG-29s modernized to near MiG-35 standard, and two generations of Mirages. What could the Su-35S add onto this lineup? What could the political repercussions of the buy be?
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03/23/2019
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems was awarded a $123 million contract by the Pentagon to manufacture four MQ-9 Block 5 Reapers for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The contract has been anticipated for a while, as the US State Department approved the sale in 2015 and Amsterdam officially announced the order in July 2018 at the Farnborough air show in the United Kingdom.
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03/23/2019
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed plans to acquire five Boeing 737-based E-7 airborne early warning and control system aircraft, with the platforms to be modified by Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group. Announced on 22 March and worth £1.5 billion ($1.98 billion), the contract will lead to the adapted narrowbody airliners being introduced to service from the early 2020s. They will replace the Royal Air Force's (RAF) current Boeing 707-based E-3D Sentry fleet.
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03/22/2019
The leadership of Taiwan has recently stepped up efforts to obtain a new American fighter aircraft to urgently recapitalise its aging air force. Media reports indicate that president Tsai Ing-wen has publically confirmed that a request for new fighter aircraft has been made to Washington.
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03/22/2019
Airbus Defence & Space has been awarded a contract to produce a single C295 medium transport for Kazakhstan's border service. Announcing the commitment on 21 March, the European airframer says the asset will be employed for duties including "border control activities and homeland security operations". A delivery schedule has not been revealed.
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03/22/2019
Weapons integration activities on the Lockheed Martin F-35B are to be expanded for the UK, with the pending addition of MBDA's Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and in-development Spear ground-attack system. Announced on 18 March and placed by Lockheed as "an initial funding award", the integration activity will be conducted by a team including the airframer and European guided weapons specialist, along with BAE Systems.
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03/22/2019
Boeing has secured a three-year contract for 78 F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornets, with a total contract value of approximately $4 billion. “Boeing will begin converting existing Block II Super Hornets to Block III early in the next decade,” says a company statement. “The fighter’s life also will be extended from 6,000 hours to 10,000 hours.”
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03/21/2019
A MiG-29 fighter wing and a pair of Su-25 attack aircraft performed scheduled flights over the Sea of Azov, providing an air cover for Ukraine Navy ships sailing in the area. The corresponding video was posted by the press service of the Joint Forces Operation HQ on its Facebook page.
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03/21/2019
The Department of Defense ordered a second stealth aerial target demonstrator from Sierra Technical Services on 13 February. The so-called 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) is a high-performance, fighter-size unmanned air vehicle that is intended to represent stealthy aircraft threats from advanced adversaries such as China or Russia.
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03/21/2019
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey first flew 30 years ago today on 19 March 1989. Since, the Bell-Boeing joint venture behind the tiltrotor has produced more than 375 examples, which have accumulated more than 450,000 flight hours, the manufacturers say.
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03/21/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Boeing Defense Space & Security a $250 million contract to integrate the nuclear-tipped Long Range Stand-Off Cruise Missile (LRSO) on the B-52H bomber. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is for aircraft and missile carriage equipment development and modification, engineering, testing, software development, training, facilities, and support necessary to fully integrate the missile on the strategic bomber, says the USAF.
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03/19/2019
The Russian Federation’s domestically-produced Su-57 stealth jet will be transferred to their aerospace forces by the end of 2019, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) President Yuri Slyusar announced this month. While Russia is expected to purchase all fifteen of the Su-57 jets, it appears Moscow may have a potential buyer in India, the National Interest publication reported.
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03/19/2019
A global geopolitical shift has taken place without the wider audience noticing. Turkey has drifted apart from the US and NATO, it has got much closer to Russia, and the US is desperately seeking to find ways to fill a huge gap in the strategic Black Sea region. Turkey is still a NATO member. But it has repeatedly said it is committed to buying Russian missile defence system, despite warnings from the United States that the S-400s cannot be integrated into the NATO air defence system.
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03/19/2019
Japanese leaders will soon need to make a decision that will fundamentally shape their nation’s security: the replacement of their aging F-2 fighter aircraft. One overarching threat sets the bar for Japan: China. Beijing’s increasingly aggressive actions throughout the Pacific, backed by rapid and cutting-edge military buildup, leave no margin for error.
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03/19/2019
Not too long ago, the Boeing F-15's days looked numbered. First flown in 1972 - back when the Vietnam War was still raging and President Nixon remained in office - the "Eagle" had lately seemed too old, too last-century, to compete for sales against modern counterparts, notably the Lockheed Martin F-35.
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03/18/2019
Israel is also developing two different sets of external fuel tanks to extend the F-35’s range. The first will be non-stealthy 425-gallon underwing tanks developed by a subsidiary of Elbit—these could be dropped when approaching enemy airspace (the pylons holding the drop tanks would reportedly detach as well so as not to compromise stealth), or used for missions in which stealth isn’t necessary.
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03/18/2019
With India and Pakistan sabre-rattling over cross-border skirmishes, a distressing fact about India’s premier fighter jets has come to light. According to sources, over 20 SU-30 MKI fighters, the backbone of the Indian Air Force, are lying with Hindustan Aeronautics for overhaul and are not available for combat.
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03/18/2019
The Australian government and Boeing recently unveiled their plans for a “Loyal Wingman” drone system that would provide multiple support drones for fighters, bombers, and even unarmed aircraft during combat operations. Now, the U.S. Air Force has begun touting a new endeavor, dubbed “Skyborg,” that could take the Loyal Wingman concept to the next level.
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03/17/2019
According to the latest report on arms transfer, released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) earlier this month, India ceased to be the world’s largest importer of arms during 2014-18, sliding to the second position behind Saudi Arabia with a 24 per cent decrease in imports compared with the imports during the preceding five-year period (2009-13) as compared with a 192 per cent increase in imports by Saudi Arabia.
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03/17/2019
The Russian Armed Forces again deployed Sukhoi SU-25 attack aircraft to Syria after a year’s interval. Images from civilian satellite company ImageSat International released a new photo showed returned SU-25 attack aircraft at Khmeimim air base in Syria. Recent satellite images from ImageSat reveal a new deployment of SU-25 aircraft at the Khmeimim base since the previous one in July 2018.
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03/17/2019
During an aerial skirmish on February 27, 2019, an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison was shot down by a radar-guided missile. The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) claims the kill was scored by a JF-17 Thunder, a domestically-built fighter built with Chinese assistance. However, India subsequently revealed fragments of an AIM-120C-5 missile—a U.S.-built weapon only compatible with the American-built F-16s in PAF service.
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03/17/2019
“I’ve never seen anything like it before. My wingman was a brand new F-35A pilot, seven or eight flights out of training. He gets on the radio and tells an experienced, 3,000 hour pilot in a fourth-generation aircraft. ‘Hey bud, you need to turn around. You’re about to die, There’s a threat off your nose,’” Wood explained in the service report.
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03/16/2019
Qatar has received the first batch of Apache-QA during a ceremony held at the Boeing Defense Systems headquarters in Arizona, US, in presence of HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah. nnThis batch comes as part of a deal signed by the Qatar Armed Forces to acquire the latest - sixth generation - of the fighter aircraft.
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03/16/2019
The US Air Force’s (USAF) 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida took delivery of the first Block 30 AC-130J Ghostrider gunship on 6 March. The Block 30 AC-130J Ghostrider gunship is to replace the AC-130U Spooky gunship, which is slowly being retired from active duty after more than 20 years of operation.
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03/16/2019
Leonardo is hopeful that Italy can join the UK's Tempest sixth-generation fighter programme, building on the involvement of its defence electronics division in the effort. Although the company is headquartered in Rome, it has a large presence in the UK, including the former Selex operation.
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03/15/2019
The US Navy has announced that the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is ready for operational use after meeting all requirements. The F-35C achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after the Navy’s first F-35C squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, completed aircraft carrier qualifications aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).
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03/15/2019
The US Air Force (USAF) is requesting funds from Congress for eight Boeing F-15EX fighters instead of more of its favoured aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, in a move aimed at cutting costs.
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03/14/2019
A Chinese navy plane crashed in Hainan province on Tuesday killing two crew members, the military said. A short statement said the crash happened during a training exercise over rural Ledong county in the southern island province. No one else was reported to have been injured after the plane hit the ground and the cause of the incident is being investigated.
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03/14/2019
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Tuesday successfully test-fired indigenously developed extended range smart weapon from JF-17 multi-role fighter aircraft. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “the weapon has been developed, integrated and qualified solely through indigenous efforts of Pakistani scientists and engineers.”
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03/14/2019
Development and production of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 “Thunder” Block III multirole fighter aircraft is reportedly underway, the chief designer of the fighter jet, Yang Wei, said at press conference in China last week.
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03/14/2019
The US Air Force started a market assessment to identify potential sources for its Next Generation Ejection Seat. The service is looking for a modern ejection seat replacement to be installed in a variety of aircraft, including the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor and Rockwell B-1 Lancer, it says in an online announcement.
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03/14/2019
A Polish-based US military unit equipped with the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted air system has achieved full operational capability. Forward-deployed at the Polish air force's Miroslawiec air base, the US Air Force's (USAF) 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2 flies the medium-altitude, long-endurance type in an unarmed configuration. MQ-9s have been flown from Poland since May 2018, the service says.
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03/14/2019
Kongsberg has entered into a deal with Tokyo to supply its Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for use by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The Norwegian company disclosed the deal in a statement, but said that neither it nor the Japanese government are disclosing the number of weapons or the value of the contract. The timing of deliveries was also not discussed.
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03/13/2019
As part of its fiscal year 2020 budget proposal, the Pentagon is requesting billions from the US Congress to further research and development work on new aircraft, as well as funds to improve the day-to-day flight readiness of its current fleet. For example, requested funding for the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider heavy bomber is to increase more than 30% to $3 billion as the programe moves from design to manufacturing development. The stealth bomber completed its critical design review in Novemb
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03/13/2019
Warsaw has prioritised its Harpia fighter programme as part of a new technical modernisation plan for its armed forces, while its aged RAC MiG-29s remain grounded following a 4 March crash. Poland plans to acquire 32 "fifth-generation" aircraft to replace its remaining MiG-29s and a ground-attack fleet of Sukhoi Su-22s. It is believed to be particularly interested in the Lockheed Martin F-35.
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03/12/2019
Electronic warfare (EW) experts at Harris Corp. will provide sophisticated EW systems to the government of Kuwait that are designed to protect combat aircraft from incoming radar-guided missiles. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., on Friday announced a $43.3 million order to the Harris Electronic Systems segment in Clifton, N.J., for additional lot 16 AN/ALQ-214 A(V)4/5 EW jammers for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter-bombers for the Kuwaiti milita
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03/12/2019
Look on the nose of many modern jet fighter aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and you’ll spot a large bulbous protrusion coming from just near the cockpit. Air Force Technology reports. Continue reading original article
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03/12/2019
Northrop Grumman received a $323 million contract from the US Navy for engineering and manufacturing development work on its Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER), an air-launched weapon designed to seek and destroy radar sites on the ground.
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03/12/2019
Although it has a manufacturing presence throughout France, Dassault's headquarters is in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud, its heavy black gates a stone's throw from the river Seine.
Journalists attending the airframer’s annual results press conference have grown used to the event being held on the company's boat, Le Talisman, moored opposite the main office building.
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03/10/2019
The U.S. Navy has signed delivery order for Bell-Boeing team to upgrade an additional four MV-22 Osprey aircraft to the Block C configuration. The modification to a previously awarded contract, announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense, is worth more than $85,7 million and provides for the upgrade of four MV-22 aircraft from the Block B to the Block C configuration in support of the Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization Program (CC-RAM).
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03/10/2019
Secretary of the US Air Force Heather Wilson plans to resign on 31 May and become president of the University of Texas at El Paso. Wilson is President Donald Trump’s first Secretary of the Air Force and was rumoured to be considered for Secretary of Defense, a position which came open in December after Secretary James Mattis retired. The White House has yet to nominate someone for the role, so former Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan is serving as the acting official.
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03/08/2019
Australia plans to continue conducting refueling trials with the Airbus KC-30A tanker aircraft, as the country seeks to expand the type’s flexibility in supporting coalition operations. Speaking at the Avalon Airshow, Flight Lt. Kevin Baker, a test pilot from No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, which flies the KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport, said the receiver aircraft are from other nations and include U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG
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03/07/2019
The Minister of Defence for Singapore, Ng Eng Hen, has further clarified the country's plans to modernise the Royal Singapore Air Force combat aircraft fleet. Speaking at the Committee of Supply Debate in parliament, the Minister of Defence for Singapore, Ng Eng Hen, has further clarified the country's plans to modernise the Royal Singapore Air Force combat aircraft fleet through the acquisition of F-35s.
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03/07/2019
After refueling at night over a southern-Nevada dust bowl called Texas Lake, scores of U.S. and coalition warplanes crossed into contested air space on a mission to suppress state-of-the-art enemy air defenses. The formation was soon bombarded with warning signals as radars of advanced surface-to-air (SAM) missile batteries with the reach of Russia’s S-300 and S-400 air defense systems switched on.
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03/07/2019
The U.S. Air Force’s new T-X jets could be more than just trainers, with aggressor or light-attack missions now on the table for the Boeing-made plane, the head of Air Combat Command said Thursday. Although buying new T-X trainers to replace the more than 50-year-old T-38 fleet still remains a top priority for that program, the service is beginning to explore whether the T-X could be procured for other uses, Gen. Mike Holmes said at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium.
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03/07/2019
Rolls-Royce has reportedly scaled back attempts to join a programme to build a new fighter jet for Turkey in partnership with Kale Group. The programme seeks to create Turkey’s first combat aircraft. Financial Times (FT) first broke the story and stated that the company’s decision will affect the UK’s ambitions to ensure the British aerospace industry plays a pivotal role in the project.
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03/07/2019
The USA is providing financial backing of $19 million for a pair of Mielec M28 Block 50 utility transports that will be delivered to Nepal. “This contract involves foreign military financing to Nepal,” says a recent US Defence Department statement. “This award is the result of a country-directed sole-source acquisition. Foreign military financing funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award.”
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03/07/2019
Though Airbus Helicopters’ deliveries of the UH-72A Lakota to the US Army are scheduled to conclude in 2020, the company believes the programme may still have some foreign military sales life left. Airbus Helicopters assembles the twin-engine light utility helicopter in a factory in Columbus, Mississippi and expects to deliver 24 examples this year. The company believes it will finish all 472 deliveries to the US Army in August of 2020.
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03/06/2019
Two F/A-18s collided in midair over the sprawling Twentynine Palms, California, Marine training base on Feb. 28, according to military officials. The two Hornets involved in the accident are from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. They both managed to land safely after “experiencing a mid-air incident” over Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, 1st Lt. Fredrick D. Walker, a spokesman for 3rd MAW, told Marine Corps Times. "No personnel were injured.”
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03/06/2019
The Indian Air Force is in the process of equipping its Su-30MKI with Israeli SPICE-2000 laser-guided bombs, as part of its effort to make the fighter jets more potent, official sources said. Currently, the IAF's Mirage-2000 are equipped with the SPICE-2000 bombs and these aircraft were used in the pre-dawn strike on the biggest terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit in Pakistan recently.
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03/06/2019
Pakistani fighter pilots flying their F-16 combat aircraft had fired four to five American AMRAAMs from a distance of 40-50 km at the Indian aircraft including the Su-30 and the MiG-21 Bison. To expose Pakistan further on its claim of not using the F-16 planes while attacking India on February 27, Indian troops on the ground are carrying out an extensive search of probable areas where the debris of the AMRAAMs could have fallen, sources told ANI on Tuesday.
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03/06/2019
The show – held every two years, alternating with the Paris air show – has normally capped off its five-day trade and industry focus with two days of flying displays which are open to the public. But organiser Farnborough International says it will be “removing” the weekend public days from the 2020 show, in favour of allowing public access to the final trade day.
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03/05/2019
In November 2018 the Corps decided to attach elite Air Force pararescuemen to its Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Africa, to aid in rescue missions and field an in-flight paramedic. Much like the Pacific theater, U.S. forces in the Africa command area of operations must overcome a monstrous distance.
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03/05/2019
Earlier in the day, IAF chief B.S. Dhanoa had claimed that the operations were still going on as he refused to go into details about the aerial engagement between the two forces. A Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Monday shot down a Pakistani Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone opposite the Bikaner-Nal sector on the International Border in Rajasthan using its air-to-air missile, news agency ANI reported.
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03/05/2019
Dassault can secure sufficient additional orders for the Rafale fighter to take production to at least 2030, but is unconcerned over any potential production gap with the next-generation combat aircraft it is developing alongside Airbus. In 2018, the airframer took in additional 12 export orders from Qatar, raising the year-end backlog for the fourth-generation type to 101.
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03/04/2019
As you probably already know by now, both on Feb. 26 and 27, 2019, an F-117 Nighthawk (or two?) flew very low over the flats in beautiful Panamint Valley in Death Valley National Park.
Using radio callsign “Lehi”, the Nighthawk(s), chased by two F-16s (Groom Lake Vipers have been spotted chasing F-117s in the past), the stealth jet flew over the Death Valley and were shot by some lucky photographers over there.
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03/04/2019
With the exception of one engagement over Syria in 2017, the United States has not found any of its fighters in a good old-fashioned “dogfight” since the early 1990s. Throughout much of the world, the same can be said for most other national militaries. As a result (and bolstered by new fighter technologies), there’s a growing sentiment within the defense media and among some defense officials that the days of dogfights are gone forever.
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03/04/2019
After a fairly amazingly well documented week of F-117 Nighthawk action over desolate Death Valley, the Facebook page of an established aviation enthusiast's website from the Netherland's featured a post that has raised a remarkable amount of attention. In it, they state that the F-117 Nighthawk—an aircraft that had supposedly been retired from operational service for over a decade—was sent back into combat as recently as 2017, albeit in very small numbers.
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03/04/2019
In the ensuing dogfight, the first between India and Pakistan since the 1971 War, Wing Commander Varthaman in his Soviet-era jet managed to acquire a lock on one of the F-16s, shooting it down with a short-range Vympel R-73 air to air missile. Although he couldn't see the outcome of the short 15-minute high-altitude dogfight, Varthaman radioed to base the words "R-73 selected". Seconds later he was himself shot down.
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03/03/2019
Beijing has refused to confirm a former Pakistani air force officer’s claim that China-made JF-17 fighters were used by the Pakistan Air Force to shoot down Indian military aircraft. Less than two hours after the claim was made on Wednesday morning, the share price of the state-owned plane maker’s sister company rose in trading in Shenzhen.
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03/03/2019
In the unlikely scenario of a full-fledged war the IAF will still be superior, but its squadrons need to be strengthened. India-Pakistan tensions have assumed an aerial dimension with the recent combat engagements between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Air power is the total military capability of a nation for use of aircraft and missiles. So how does the IAF compare with its arch rival the PAF?
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03/03/2019
Pilots also can't train because they are tasked with homeland security, even though air defense is a mission that could be handled by other aircraft. Poor U.S. Air Force organization and management have contributed to problems with the F-22 Raptor fighter, according to a new Government Accountability Office audit.
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03/03/2019
The U.S. Air Force is planning to keep its fleet of 76 Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers in service until at least 2050, when the youngest aircraft will be 88 years old. The USAF will operate these B-52s alongside at least 100 Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bombers, while the newer Rockwell B-1B Lancers that augment the B-52 today will retire in 2025-2035, followed by the small fleet of Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bombers.
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03/03/2019
The US Navy has announced that the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is ready for operational use after meeting all requirements. The F-35C achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after the Navy’s first F-35C squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, completed aircraft carrier qualifications aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).
(Read More...)
03/02/2019
Pakistan’s military said on February 27 that it has shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets that had entered Pakistani airspace, capturing a pilot. “IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace,” according to Pakistan’s military spokesman. “One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K [Azad Kashmir] while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area.”
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03/02/2019
After foreign object debris, including forgotten tools, were found inside an undisclosed number of Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aircraft delivered to the US Air Force, the service suspended acceptance of the air refueling tankers on 20 February.
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03/02/2019
Additional partners could still be brought into the ongoing effort to develop a European future fighter aircraft, but lead company Dassault has warned against overcomplicating the project.
France and Germany agreed to jointly develop a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) in 2018, comprising both manned and unmanned assets. Dassault and Airbus Defence & Space are the industrial champions.
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03/02/2019
Singapore plans to place a firm order for four Lockheed Martin F-35s, with options for an additional eight aircraft. “We have announced our plans to replace our F-16s, which will face obsolescence post 2030, with the F-35s,” said defence minister Ng Eng Hen in a parliamentary speech.
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03/01/2019
The US Navy declared the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, the aircraft carrier-capable variant of the stealth fighter, to have achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on 28 February. The declaration comes shortly after the USN’s first F-35C squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron 147, completed aircraft carrier qualifications aboard USS Carl Vinson and received a Safe-For-Flight Operations Certification, the service said.
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02/28/2019
Two fully assembled Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopters are preparing for maiden flights planned to take place before mid-2019 at the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida testing site. The aircraft were transported late in 2018 to West Palm Beach after rolling off the final assembly line at Sikorsky’s factory in Stratford, Connecticut, said Sikorsky.
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02/28/2019
Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array radar is being considered by Boeing for the Cold War-era B-52 bomber. The company said it is pitching the modern radar to Boeing as part of the B-52 Bomber Modernisation Radar System initiative, which would include engineering, manufacturing, development and delivery of an initial seven radar units.
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02/28/2019
The Kawasaki C-2 transport aircraft made its first public appearance in Australia after a flight from Japan via the Philippines. The twin-engined aircraft appeared in the static park near the Airbus Defence & Space A400m, to which it is the most similar in size.
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02/27/2019
Pakistan says it has shot down two Indian Air Force jets in a major escalation of the Kashmir conflict. A spokesman said one plane had fallen in Pakistani territory and two pilots had been captured. Pakistan also denied reports one of its jets was shot down. India has confirmed the loss of an MiG21 fighter and said a pilot was missing. It said it was investigating reports of his capture.
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02/27/2019
Australian defence minister Christopher Pyne sees the developmental Boeing Airpower Teaming drone as heralding a renaissance in Australian aerospace defence production. “This is the first military aircraft Australia has invested in since the Boomerang in 1942 to 1945,” said Pyne, referring to a piston-engined fighter developed by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.
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02/27/2019
Serbia formally accepted four RAC MiG-29 fighters donated by Belarus during a ceremony at the latter's 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in Baranavichy on 25 February. Maintenance and overhaul work to be funded by Serbia, along with the replacement of some avionics and the installation of new navigation and communication equipment, will take up to 18 months to complete, with Belgrade expecting its first modified aircraft to be available before year-end.
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02/26/2019
Rolls-Royce plans to build its F130 turbine at a modernised factory in Indiana if selected by the US Air Force to replace the engines on the service’s fleet of Boeing B-52 bombers. The USAF programme calls for 650 new engines to help extend the longevity and performance of its aging B-52s. Rolls-Royce says its Indianapolis, Indiana facility is nearing completion of a $600 million modernisation initiative, which would optimise production of an engine in the size class of the F130.
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02/26/2019
US Air Force investigators have found that the fatal Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano crash in June 2018 during the service’s Light Attack Experiment was caused by pilot error. After the crash the USAF suspended further experimental flights and eventually finished its testing programme prematurely. The pilot flying the A-29 died as a result of the crash, while the aircraft’s weapons systems officer was able to eject and parachute to safety, sustaining only minor injuries.
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02/26/2019
Most of the pilots who honed their combat skills in the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros single-engined jet trainer were defending the Soviet empire. The 21st century-born aviators who fly its successor – the L-39NG – will only know of the Cold War from history books.
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02/25/2019
Lockheed Martin’s offer to make F-21s — F-16s in new avatar — in India has opened up prospects for the Indian fifth generation fighter development programme but a possible tie-up with the US aircraft-maker will hinge on its commitment to honour license issues and the extent of technology transfer.
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02/25/2019
Development and procurement of roughly 2,400 F-35s through 2037 is now estimated cost over $400 billion, roughly eight times the annual defense spending of Russia. In 2019, the first fully-combat capable of F-35 Lightning stealth fighters with Block IIIF software will finally enter service—twenty-seven years after it was first conceived, and after over 350 aircraft have already been delivered.
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02/25/2019
More than three-and-half decades after the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-I was conceived, the fighter jet was accorded final operational clearance (FOC) by India’s aviation certifying authority this week. FOC certification means that the Tejas fighter jet is now ready to be deployed in combat operations by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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02/24/2019
Brazil’s navy ordered three Airbus H135 light twin-engine helicopters. The helicopters will be operated by the 1st General Purpose Helicopter Squadron and will be used for missions such as special operations, transport of troops and freight, naval inspection, search and rescue and medical evacuation, says Airbus Helicopters. The aircraft are replacements for the Brazilian navy’s twin-engine, light utility Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil helicopter.
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02/24/2019
What’s in a name – particularly when your product seemingly already has more than enough of them to choose from? Lockheed Martin surprised everyone at the Aero India show near Bengaluru by launching its F-21 fighter in pursuit of a 110-unit opportunity with the nation’s air force.
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02/19/2019
In early 2014 Russia invaded Ukraine. This began with special operations troops, the so-called “little green men” appearing in Crimea and declaring that they were separatists who wanted to free Crimea from Ukrainian rule.
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02/19/2019
In February 2019, Japan turned heads with its decision to proceed with the development of an indigenous stealth fighter jet. This came in the wake of the decision to purchase more than one hundred American F-35 jets, and the supposed cancellation of the Japanese X-2 stealth fighter prototype in 2018.
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02/19/2019
After years of expensive development, the first combat-capable Block IIIF F-35 stealth fighter will enter service in this year, yet the Pentagon already is looking ahead to adding capabilities to a follow-on model called the F-35 Block 4 -- an upgrade so ambitious, its already budgeted to cost $16 billion. The National Interest reports. Continue reading original article
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02/19/2019
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has received the first two F/A-18 AB Hornet fighter aircraft at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta from Australia. Last year, the Australian Government agreed to sell up to 25 aircraft to Canada along with spares and support equipment.
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02/17/2019
Indian Air Force, which is facing an acute shortage of combat aircraft, is in advance talks with Russia for an urgent procurement of MiG 29 fighters that can be delivered at a relatively short notice. The plan to acquire 21 additional aircraft to make a new squadron of MiG 29 jets that were first purchased in the 1980s has been discussed in detail last month and is expected to cost the Indian exchequer less than Rs 6,000 crore, government sources said.
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02/17/2019
Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, is starting production on the first prototype of a next-generation fighter jet. On 14 February, South Korea’s biggest aerospace company held a ceremony in order to celebrate the start producing of the first bulkhead, which is the main part of the forward fuselage of the next-generation Korean Fighter Xperiment (KFX) aircraft.
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02/17/2019
The US Army awarded Raytheon a contract worth $406 million to provide ARC-231A communication systems for a variety of helicopters. As part of the contract, Raytheon will deliver 5,000 systems over the next five years, as well as support services and software upgrades to the US Army, the company says.
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02/14/2019
New Delhi has called for expressions of interest related to the planned procurement of 111 aircraft via its Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) requirement, leading up to a request for proposals (RFP) due for release late in the third quarter.
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02/14/2019
Moscow has touted the capabilities of its new Beriev A-100 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft as being far superior to domestic and international rivals. The Russian defence ministry made the claim in a recent release about the type’s launch of preliminary flight tests pending acceptance by the country’s military.
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02/14/2019
The US Department of Defense roughly outlined the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II’s Tier II global repair network. Tier II servicers within the F-35’s maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade network are eligible to fix nearly 400 repairable components, including avionics, power systems, landing gear, egress and canopy systems, pumps, valves and power systems, the Defense Department said 12 February. The network is responsible only for global work outside the continental United States.
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02/12/2019
China is locked in an intensifying arms race with the US, and it's not backing down, Chinese media warned Monday. China is developing a sixth-generation fighter that could be seen as early as 2035, if not sooner, the Global Times reported Monday, citing a recent Chinese media interview with Wang Haifeng, a chief architect at Chengdu Aircraft Research and Design Institute who was involved in the development of the J-20 stealth fighter.
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02/12/2019
The Navy program, called Next-Generation Air Dominance, has moved beyond a purely conceptual phase and begun exploration of prototype systems and airframes as it pursues a new, carrier-launched 6th-Gen fighter to emerge in 2030 and beyond, service officials explained.
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02/12/2019
Spain will join a Franco-German project to build a new fighter plane to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale, the defence ministry said Monday. Defence Minister Margarita Robles will sign a letter of intent with her French and German counterparts on Thursday on the margins of a NATO meeting in Brussels, a spokesperson said.
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02/12/2019
Boeing recorded a $736 million reach-forward loss in 2018 on its KC-46A Pegasus tanker, bringing the programme’s total losses to nearly $3.6 billion. The programme’s losses in 2018 primarily reflected higher estimated costs associated with “certification, testing and change incorporation on aircraft,” as well as a greater than expected effort to meet the US Air Force’s requirements in order for initial aircraft to be accepted, Boeing said in its 2018 financial filing with the Securities and Exc
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02/12/2019
Boeing has delivered its fifth KC-46A Pegasus tanker to the US Air Force, with its latest example the first to be transferred to Altus AFB in Oklahoma. The heavily adapted 767 – registered 76027 – arrived at the site from Everett, Washington on 8 February, exactly two weeks after Boeing had transferred a lead pair of the type to McConnell AFB, in Kansas. That location also received the programme's third and fourth examples, the company says.
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02/11/2019
The phrase “beast mode” wasn’t coined for the sake of the F-35. In fact, more often than not, you’ll find those two words adorning tweets about professional football players breaking tackles or in the caption under videos of street fights. So how did the phrase manage to find its way into so many headlines pertaining to Lockheed Martin’s flagship fifth-generation fighter? Well, for one thing, it makes for some great marketing.
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02/11/2019
The Chinese government has decided to sell its first and only aircraft carrier to Pakistan. More specifically, the Liaoning will be sold to Pakistan for a yet-undetermined price in order to upgrade the Pakistani Navy’s capabilities, reported Chinese and Russia media on Saturday.
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02/11/2019
The Jaguar ground attack deep penetration fighter aircraft will roar in the skies at the Indian Air Force's exercise Vayushakti 2019 on February 16. With over-wing missile pylons, multi-purpose nose radar, anti-shipping weapons, night sensors, photo reconnaissance, laser range finder, the aircraft is a mean fighting machine.
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02/10/2019
The U.S. Air Force has decided to retire its B-1B bombers, which were built in the 1980s, before the B-52Hs, which were built in the 1960s. It’s all about cost. One of the two older heavy bombers has to go when the new B-21 stealth bomber begins entering service in 2030. If that happens the B-1Bs will start to retire in 2025 and the last will be gone by 2035. The B-52s are to serve until the 2040s.
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02/10/2019
The governments of Germany and France have granted the first contract to manufacturers Airbus and Dassault to jointly develop the first conceptual studies for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program that is expected to originate a Friday fighter aircraft generation by 2040. The announcement was made by the French military minister, Florence Parly, and her German colleague, Ursula von der Leyen, at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday.
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02/10/2019
Upon entering service in 2017 the Chengdu J-20 became the first active fifth generation fighter jet in the world developed outside the United States — providing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) with an analogue to the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter. The J-20 was designed with a radar evading stealth profile to maximize its survivability both in air-to-air combat against enemy fighters and against enemy air defenses.
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02/10/2019
The US Air Force continues to struggle to keep and replace sufficient numbers of experienced and highly skilled aircraft maintainers. That’s according to a Government Accountability Office report which said the USAF reduced the overall gap between actual maintainer staff levels and authorised levels from 4,016 maintainers in fiscal year 2015, to 745 in fiscal year 2017.
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02/09/2019
Lockheed Martin Corp. delivered 91 of its F-35 jets in 2018 as promised, but only 54 were “on-time” based on monthly contract targets - and 19 of those were reclassified from “late” in a settlement of production issues with the Pentagon. The tardy deliveries mark the fifth consecutive year in which Lockheed’s missed the monthly dates, which are different from annual targets agreed to with the Pentagon’s F-35 program office, according to the Defense Contract Management Agency.
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02/09/2019
The Nigerian Air Force has placed an order with Embraer Defense & Security and its partner Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to procure 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft. Under the contract, Embraer and SNC will provide ground training devices, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment, and alternate mission equipment.
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02/09/2019
After winning a contract in June 2018 from Lockheed Martin to develop and produce the F-35 Lightning II’s next-generation electro-optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Raytheon is looking at also installing the camera technology on helicopters.
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02/08/2019
India's indigenously-made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is likely to be equipped with air-to-air missile ASRAAM. State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and MBDA are set to hold formal talks this week to arm the aircraft with the heat-seeking close combat air-to-air missile, The Print reported Wednesday.
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02/08/2019
France and Germany have stepped up their efforts to develop a joint Future Air Combat System (FCAS) by awarding Airbus and Dassault a first contract for the project, while Safran Aircraft Engines and MTU Aero Engines have announced a partnership to build the aircraft's powerplants.
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02/08/2019
Sikorsky remains confident that the SB-1 Defiant helicopter it is jointly developing with Boeing can achieve a target speed of around 270kt (500km/h), even though the technology demonstrator is yet to leave the ground.
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02/07/2019
The Indian Air Force and the defence ministry should do “proper homework” while acquiring new technology, said Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. The committee said this in relation to delays in implementing the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation System, resulting from “lack of planning” in integrating it to different aircraft and not timely modifying the IAF fleet.
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02/07/2019
Combined with the dramatic collapse of the Russian economy in the wake of Western economic sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the inflexibility of UAC made the Su-57 impossible to realize. Westerns analysts have concluded that Russia’s fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter is unlikely to enter operational service before 2027. Postponements, cost-overruns and research and development-related problems mar the project.
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02/07/2019
Dassault has handed over the first of an eventual 36 Rafale combat aircraft – a DQ two-seat variant – to Qatar, for operation by the country's air force. Doha signed for 24 examples in 2015, adding a further 12 aircraft a little over two years later. “For the fourth time in our long and trustful partnership with Qatar, a Dassault aircraft will serve proudly in the Qatari Emiri Air Force," says Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier.
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02/07/2019
Deployed operations with the UK's Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft have come to an end, with its last examples having returned to the Royal Air Force's Marham base in Norfolk. Three of the type completed a transfer from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on 5 February, the day after five others had returned to the UK.
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02/07/2019
Australia believes it has finally overcome the high-profile problems that have dogged two of its helicopter procurement programmes – with such progress made on one platform that it has now been accepted for special forces operations. Canberra acquired both the Airbus Helicopters Tiger and the NH Industries NH90 in the early 2000s, and saw both rotorcraft fail to deliver promised levels of availability or performance.
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02/07/2019
US Army officials say they are pleased with the quality of the bids so far received under its future attack reconnaissance aircraft (FARA) programme, with an initial contracting decision anticipated by mid-year. Declining to be drawn on the number of competing submissions, Brig Gen Walter Rugen, the army's director future vertical lift cross-functional team, says that it anticipates, no later than June, awarding "up to six" contracts for the next development stage.
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02/07/2019
The USAF wants HH-60Ws produced and deployed as soon as possible because its 96 HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters have exceeded their expected service lives of 6,000h of flight. As of last August, those helicopters had logged an average of 7,100h of flight, according to a US Government Accountability Office report. Only about 68% of the fleet was mission-capable in fiscal year 2017 – short of the USAF’s desired 75% mission-capable goal.
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02/06/2019
The 414th Combat Training Squadron, which oversees Red Flag, is making changes to the exercise for improved efficiency at Nellis Air Force Base. Red Flag is a realistic multi-domain training exercise that maximizes the combat readiness and survivability of participants by providing a robust, accurate training environment.
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02/06/2019
Elbit Systems of America has been awarded a potentially $22 million contract to support an avionics modernisation activity on the US Air National Guard's fleet of Fairchild Metroliner-derived RC-26B surveillance aircraft.
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02/05/2019
An Indian air force Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft crashed Friday while taking off after being upgraded by a state aerospace company, killing the two pilots. Spokesman Group Capt. Anupam Banerjee said the pilots died after ejecting from the French-made aircraft at an airfield in Bangalore, the capital of southern Karnataka state. No one on the ground was injured.
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02/05/2019
Bulgaria has never been pressured to choose the F-16. “This is a Bulgarian sovereign decision. Bulgaria is our partner, a member of NATO and the EU.” This, the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Eric Rubin assured in an interview with BTV on the upcoming talks with the U.S. on the purchase of a new fighter, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.
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02/05/2019
To repeat: the only serious obstacles to Japan’s construction of fleet carriers are political. But political obstacles are still obstacles, and the appearance of Shokaku and Zuikaku would have significant repercussions at home and abroad. Indeed, the existence of such obstacles would seem to demand a gradual approach. Still, the decision to refit the Izumos to fly modern stealth attack aircraft suggests that the current Japanese government is willing to run some risks.
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02/04/2019
From crashing two aircraft in less than two week to being accompanied by massive tugboats wherever it goes, the last several years have not been kind to Russia’s sole, geriatric aircraft carrier. Most recently, a 70-ton crane smashed into Admiral Kuznetsov ’s hull as the PD-50 floating drydock that housed it sank. The PD-50 incident sparked a new round of speculation concerning Admiral Kuznetsov’s future; while the Kremlin insists that Kuznetsov’s major 2020 overhaul will proceed as planned.
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02/04/2019
The Air Force's top officer says the service had to put its most recent light attack aircraft program on hold to gather yet more data on how it might use such these planes and how they might operate together with attack helicopters, armed drones, and other platforms. He also implied that there had been a lack of interest from potential foreign partners.
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02/04/2019
China made history as the only nation other than the U.S. to ever field a stealth fighter jet, and a new report on China’s military power from the Defense Intelligence Agency just revealed yet another batch of stealth combat aircraft projects.
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02/04/2019
Northrop Grumman’s revenue grew 16% to $30.1 billion in 2018, partly helped by orders from the US Department of Defense for additional unmanned air vehicles, fighter aircraft and B-21 development work. The aerospace manufacturer makes the fuselage for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in Palmdale, California and Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet in El Segundo, California. It also is developing the B-21 stealth bomber in California, reportedly in Palmdale.
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02/01/2019
While senior Air Force leaders are calling for a “fast” pursuit toward production and delivery of its stated F-35 objectives, there are some voices now raising the question as to whether the rates should be sped up even more -- potentially even increasing the overall numbers for the program.
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02/01/2019
US Marine Corps F-35B pilots embarked aboard the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, took off with externally stored missiles in the Philippine Sea, which suggests they trained for all-out aerial combat with China. The move came just days after China deployed its DF-26 missiles that experts say can take down US aircraft carriers from thousands of miles away.
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02/01/2019
Canada is being forced to shoulder a bigger share of the costs of developing F-35 fighter jets even though it has not decided whether it will actually buy any. Canada is one of nine partner countries in the F-35 project, each of which is required to cover a portion of the stealth fighter’s multibillion-dollar development costs to stay at the table.
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02/01/2019
The Defense Ministry of Belarus has confirmed the information on the planned adoption of the first batch of Russian Su-30SM jets this year. The ministry noted that “the contract provides for the supply of the first four aircraft.” On Wednesday, January 30, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the Irkutsk Aviation Plant where he said that in 2019, the Armed Forces of Belarus are preparing to receive the first batch of Su-30SM, interfax.by reports.
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02/01/2019
A new helmet-based sensor that can read human biometrics alongside an aircraft's cockpit pressure levels just hit the market with Air Force pilots in mind. Spotlight Labs, a veteran-owned small business founded by fighter pilots, on Wednesday announced that its SPYDR hypoxia sensor is ready to be used in aircraft that have had a history of pilots reporting hypoxia-like symptoms, such as the T-6 Texan II trainer.
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02/01/2019
Lockheed Martin has rolled out its first operational F-35A for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, ahead of its transfer to the service's Leeuwarden air base later this year. The fighter was unveiled during a ceremony at the company's Fort Worth final assembly site in Texas on 30 January.
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02/01/2019
Manila is on the verge of placing an order for 16 Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters equipped for combat utility missions. The final elements of the deal are being put in place, according a source familiar with the transaction. The rotorcraft will be acquired on a direct commercial sale basis, and be produced at Sikorsky’s PZL Mielec unit in Poland
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02/01/2019
Leonardo’s pitch for the US Navy’s TH-XX helicopter trainer replacement competition will focus on what it said is the affordability of its light-weight, single-engined TH-119 helicopter. Based on the commercial AgustaWestland AW119, the Italian company said the helicopter’s simple and rugged design, as well as its single engine, make it the most practical and cost efficient aircraft for training naval aviators.
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02/01/2019
Boeing’s revenue reached a record $101 billion in 2018, partly helped by a turnaround in the company’s defence unit, which won several large contracts thereby reversing more than a decade of declining sales. Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s revenue grew to $23.2 billion last year, rising 13% from the year prior, the company said in a financial filing. Though, the division’s profit declined 27% to $1.59 billion for the year.
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01/31/2019
On January 2019, Singapore announced that it planned to buy a limited number of F-35 fighters for evaluation purposes. While this didn’t come as a surprise to many Singaporean military watchers, the decision comes at a tense time for Singapore, with China becoming more assertive and rising tensions with Malaysia. Could the F-35 purchase accelerate the arms race in the region? How might the F-35’s unique technical characteristics make it suitable for Singapore’s tactical environment?
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01/31/2019
The word “warfare” summons images of bombs bursting in air, tanks rolling across scarred battlefields and the rat-a-tat of gunfire. But technological advances in warfare are making war invisible as tools like infrared lasers, fire control radars and cyberweapons are increasingly being deployed. As these tools evolve, many conventional weapons are losing some of their punch.
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01/31/2019
China's Ministry of Transport opened a maritime rescue center in Fiery Cross Reef (Yongshu Reef) in the Spratly Islands earlier this week. The Ministry stated that the center has been built to better protect navigation and transport safety in the South China Sea. The move follows last year's establishment of two rescue ships to operate in the area. The two ships have so far rescued 16 people and two ships in eight operations, says the Ministry. Property worth about $1.7 million has been salvage
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01/31/2019
When US Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson's aircraft was grounded because of smoke in the cockpit, causing her to miss the delivery ceremony for the first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker, the snag seemed to be par for the course for the programme.
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01/31/2019
Lockheed Martin chief executive Marillyn Hewson said she was assured by Department of Defense officials that any order of Boeing F-15 aircraft will not come at the expense of future Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II purchases. Hewson was responding on a 29 January earnings call to rumours that the US Air Force might buy F-15 fighters to fill a hole in its future inventory caused by delayed F-35 deliveries.
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01/30/2019
On 29 January, some Russian media claimed, with reference to Egypt source, that a Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft of Egypt Air Force has crashed during a routine training mission. Later Egyptian military officials categorically denied Russian media reports and stated a possible provocation against the background of the started phase of negotiations on the purchase of an additional 12 Rafale fighter jets for Egypt’s air force.
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01/30/2019
VFA-34 “Blue Blasters”, the remaining F/A-18C Hornet squadron in the U.S. Navy, will perform their last flight in the Legacy Hornet this week. The only squadron that has not transitioned to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet yet will say farewell to the “Legacy Hornet” at their home base at NAS Oceana, Virginia, on Feb. 1, 2019.
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01/30/2019
Boeing’s Block III upgrades for the Super Hornet platform will enhance the interoperablity of 4th and 5th generation strike and air combat capabilities of many air forces, with the RAAF’s Super Hornets prime candidates for the modernisation program.
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01/30/2019
Latest social media has shown what is reportedly Russia’s Okhotnik, or Hunter – an unmanned combat vehicle (UCAV). The aircraft has been in development for years in one form or another, with Russian aircraft design house Sukhoi leading-up the project. The craft looks large and with a hardy landing gear that looks similar to those used on modern Russian tactical jet designs.
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01/30/2019
Bell plans to make no more significant investments in its V-280 Valor tiltrotor until the US Army makes a commitment to Future Vertical Lift Capability Set 1 or Capability Set 3 programmes.
After the V-280 reached its 280kt (519km/h) speed goal on 23 January, Bell believes that it sufficiently demonstrated the tiltrotor technology.
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01/29/2019
The US Air Force's 64th Aggressor Squadron, which uses 20 F-16 fighter jets to train the rest of the force on realistic battle scenarios against enemy fighters, will take the paint scheme of Russia's newest fighter jet, the Su-57. And this should give the US a considerable advantage in aerial combat against the Russian jet that's meant to take on US F-22 and F-35 fighters, Brig. Gen. Robert G. Novotny, who commands 38 squadrons including the 64th, told The Drive.
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01/29/2019
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) said that Bell Helicopter Textron Canada will be undertaking the design and development work necessary to upgrade the helicopter’s avionics systems, engines, cockpit displays and integrated sensor systems. Pratt & Whitney Canada says it has been selected to replace the engines on the fleet with its PT6T 9 TwinPac, which is equipped with an engine electronic control system.
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01/29/2019
The UK Royal Air Force is within days of completing its last combat deployment involving the Panavia Tornado GR4, as preparations gather pace for the ground-attack stalwart's formal retirement by 31 March.
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01/29/2019
Joining an editorial board meeting with the Washington Examiner on Sunday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained that the most advanced allied fighter-bomber aircraft can degrade Russia's ability to use anti-access/area denial systems, or A2/AD, to threaten NATO territory.
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01/28/2019
On January 21, Iranian, Syrian and Israeli forces unleashed a hail of missiles upon each other in what is becoming yet another flare-up of violence along the Syria-Israel border. Afterwards, the Israeli Defense Force released a video depicting unidentified munitions eliminating two or three short-range air defense systems—apparently including Russia’s latest short-range system, the Pantsir-S2.
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01/28/2019
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corp. was awarded a $33,7 million contract for C-130J long-term sustainment support for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, according to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
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01/28/2019
A pair of Russian supersonic, nuclear-capable bombers buzzed North America Saturday, forcing American and Canadian fighter jets to scramble and intercept them, the U.S. military said. The two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers “remained in international airspace,” but were escorted by two U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets and two Canadian CF-18 jets, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, better known as NORAD.
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01/28/2019
The U.S. Air Force has announced that high-tech F-35A fighter jets, from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings, will be to take a lead role in Red Flag 19-1 Operations at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. According to a 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs statement, from Jan. 26 – Feb. 15, approximately 200 Airmen from Hill AFB, including reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing, will participate in what is known as the Air Force’s premier combat training exercise.
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01/28/2019
On 25 January, team McConnell’s Total Force crews delivered the first two KC-46A Pegasus aircraft to the Home of Air Refueling – in the Air Capital of the World. “This day will go down in history as a win for Team McConnell and the Air Force as a whole,” said Col. Josh Olson, 22nd ARW commander. “With this aircraft, McConnell will touch the entire planet.”
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01/27/2019
China has started hard-selling its J-10 fighter jet to Laos and Bangladesh to wean them off Russian aircraft such as the Yak-130 trainer/light fighter which both countries are considering.
The country has been trying to get Pakistan interested in the J-10 but Islamabad has shown little interest despite several photo-ops of Pakistani military leaders in the cockpit of the J-10 fighter jet.
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01/27/2019
The Chinese foreign ministry on Friday urged Washington to abide by its “one China” principle after two US warships passed through the Taiwan Strait the previous day. It was the first such operation this year and analysts said that while the coming year may see increasing confrontation over the self-ruled island, the two sides would both be very cautious about taking things too far.
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01/27/2019
Boeing received a $2.5 billion foreign military sales order for 19 P-8 maritime patrol aircraft for the US Navy, Royal Air Force and Norway. The USN is ordering 10 aircraft, the UK is ordering four aircraft and the government of Norway is ordering five aircraft. Thus far, Boeing says it has delivered 78 P-8A Positions to the USN, eight to the Royal Australian Air Force, and eight P-8Is to India. The RAF is scheduled to receive its first aircraft by the end of 2019, says Boeing.
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01/27/2019
The decade since Flight International celebrated its centenary in 2009 seems to have flown by – if you pardon the pun – and during this period there have been some key developments across the aerospace industry, as outlined elsewhere. But that poses the question: what could the next 10 years hold in store? Here, we present some potential advances across the industry that could play out during Flight’s 12th decade.
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01/27/2019
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has signed contracts with MBDA and Raytheon Systems for the armament of the UK Royal Air Force's future Protector remotely piloted air system, which is based on the manufacturer's MQ-9B SkyGuardian.
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01/26/2019
Canada is poised to contribute tens of millions of dollars toward further development of the F-35 stealth fighter even as the federal government wrestles with whether to buy the plane or not. In an interview with The Canadian Press, the Department of National Defence’s head of military procurement says there are no plans for Canada to quit as one of nine partner countries in the F-35 stealth fighter program until after the Trudeau government completes the competition.
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01/26/2019
TAIPEI - The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency’s 125-page report, “China Military Power – Modernizing a Force to Fight and Win,” details China’s military modernization efforts with an emphasis that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is not a “national army” but a military arm of the Chinese Communist Party that exists to guarantee the CCP’s survival.
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01/26/2019
Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) fighters intercepted a Russian Navy Ilyushin Il-38 “Dolphin” maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft over the Sea of Japan on January 17, Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a recent statement. The intercept took place in international water and Japanese airspace was reportedly not violated, according to the MoD.
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01/26/2019
Bell has hit its target speed of 280kt (518km/h) with the V-280 tiltrotor in a little over a year since the technology demonstrator performed its first flight. The airframer says it will continue to expand the aircraft's flight envelope, as it eyes the US Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme.
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01/26/2019
Deliveries of the Boeing KC-46A to the US Air Force will rise sharply in the early part of 2019 following the delivery of the first two examples on 25 January, but will eventually level off at three aircraft monthly for the remainder of this year.
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01/25/2019
The U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin denied the claims circulating in some media recently that the F-16 Block 70 fighters for Bulgaria will be manufactured in India, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.
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01/25/2019
The Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) is set to receive first recently purchased Dassault Rafale multirole fighters. The new Rafale fighters have already painted in a full two-tone grey camouflage color scheme, and are expected to be delivered on 7 February to Qatar. According to deputy commander of the QEAF, the first Qatari squadron will be deployed at Doha Air Base. Also noted that all oredered fighter aircraft will arrive in the emirate between 2019 and 2022.
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01/25/2019
Taiwan’s defense ministry says the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) flew “various military aircraft” close to the island on Tuesday, one week after Taiwan held its first large-scale military drills of 2019 to deter a potential Chinese invasion.
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01/25/2019
US Air Force researchers are looking at using swarms of autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for search and rescue missions. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), in collaboration with the Wright Brothers Institute and University of Dayton Research Institute, said on 22 January that they plan to run a competition to explore the concept.
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01/24/2019
Endowed with state-of-the-art aviation, stealth capabilities and an advanced weapon system, China's fifth generation fighter jet J-20 is considered as one of the world's most advanced fighter jets. China's ace fighter, developed by the Chengdu Aerospace corporation, is somewhat similar to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Sukhoi T-50 fighters. But, the Chinese media has claimed that J-20 is superior to the United States' F-35 stealth fighter.
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01/24/2019
China's J-20 stealth fighter jet represents a massive milestone for Beijing's armed forces and the first stealth aircraft ever fielded outside the US, but the impressive effort still falls noticeably short in some areas. The J-20 doesn't have a cannon, and represents the only entry into the world of fifth-generation fighters that skips the gun, which has seen 100 years of aerial combat.
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01/24/2019
Modern armed forces could cope with the loss of some space-based capabilities, but disabling orbiting assets would be a "game-changer" in the areas of imaging, positioning and ballistic missiles.
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01/24/2019
Poland has advanced plans to modernise its fleet of Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters operated by the nation's army aviation branch. Warsaw intends to conduct a dialogue with potential suppliers, running from July to September, to analyse the feasibility of the project, which will mean extending the lifespan of the Cold War-era helicopters.
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01/24/2019
Portugal is exploring the possibility of contracting advanced jet training for its air force pilots to an external provider that would acquire Leonardo M-346s for the operation. Lisbon has struggled with its pilot training requirements since the retirement of its Dassault Alpha Jets at the beginning of 2018, sending some crews to the USA as a stopgap measure.
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01/23/2019
Lockheed Martin sees a potential export market of more than $20 billion for its F-16 fighter aircraft from an assembly line in India it has offered to set up in order to win a large Indian military order, a top executive said. The U.S. defence firm is competing with Boeing's F/A-18, Saab's Gripen, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and a Russian aircraft to supply the Indian air force with 114 combat planes in a deal estimated to be worth more than $15 billion.
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01/23/2019
The US Marine Corps has ordered 25 additional Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for $439.5 million. The helicopters are part of production Lot 16, the Department of Defense said in a notice on 18 January. Naval Air Systems Command is contracting the aircraft on behalf of the USMC.
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01/23/2019
France has signed a contract with a ceiling value of $89 million to buy an undisclosed number of FLIR Systems' Black Hornet 3 micro unmanned air vehicles for its armed forces. The contract will be managed and executed by FLIR in Hvalstad, Norway, the manufacturer says. About 30 countries around the world operate variants of the Black Hornet, including a number of NATO allies.
(Read More...)
01/23/2019
A Russian Air Force Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber crashed at Olenegorsk airbase, in the Murmansk region, shortly after 13:30LT on Jan. 22. According to the first reports, the aircraft was attempting to recover at its homebase in bad weather after a training sortie when it performed a hard landing. Of the four crew members, two were injured and were transported to a medical facility to receive assistance whereas two were killed.
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01/23/2019
Tokyo will review indigenous production of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter with an eye to saving production costs. No decision has been made about the fate of long-term F-35 production in Japan, but the Japanese government clearly sees potential to save costs by taking jets from the main Fort Worth production line, according to a government document viewed by FlightGlobal.
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01/20/2019
The bodies of two airmen were found during a complicated search and rescue operation in stormy waters after two Russian Su-34 warplanes collided during a training flight. One crew member was saved, and one is still missing. The bodies of two crew members were recovered during the search and rescue operation, the military confirmed. An aircraft navigator was earlier located and evacuated to safety. The Defense Ministry said he was found in “satisfactory condition”.
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01/20/2019
The F-35 strike fighter is supposed to be streets ahead of the competition. It’s stealthy. It’s smart. It networks with everything and everybody around it to give its pilot an unprecedented picture of what’s going on. So why does the US Air Force already want to replace it? Warfare is changing fast.
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01/20/2019
Seeking to make up for the losses in different crashes, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to place an order for eight new Su-30MKI combat aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics LimitedNSE 0.74 % (HAL), likely to be worth over Rs 3,000 crore. "The plan is to acquire eight new Su-30MKI combat planes," top Indian Air Force sources told ANI.
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01/19/2019
Two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers collided in mid-air during a training event over the Strait of Tartary near Japan, Russian media reported on Friday. A rescue helicopter has recovered one pilot while efforts continue to save others. Russian media quoting Russia's Ministry of Defense carried conflicting reports saying that the pilots ejected and that one of the jets may have managed to stay airborne.
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01/19/2019
Russian media announced on 18 January that the country air force had agreed to buy 14 MiG-35 multirole combat aircraft in 2020. According to the state-owned TASS news agency, Russian Aerospace Forces will sign a contract for the delivery of another batch of MiG-35 4++ generation multirole jet fighters in 2020.
(Read More...)
01/19/2019
For the first time, the US Air Force has 3-D printed and installed a replacement titanium part on a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor as part of a greater effort to shrink repair costs and time. The USAF has only 186 operational F-22s and has struggled to deploy and maintain the aircraft effectively. Managing the small fleet is especially difficult because the stealth fighters are notoriously expensive to maintain or fix after damage.
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01/19/2019
Production of the F-35 Lightning II is on course to make its latest rate rise this year, after Lockheed Martin met its contractual target to deliver 91 of the fifth-generation fighter during 2018. Detailing last year's delivery total, Lockheed says a combined 54 aircraft were handed over to the US Air Force, US Marine Corps and US Navy, while 21 went to partner nations. The remaining 16 were shipped to Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme customers.
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01/19/2019
Singapore has confirmed that it will replace its Lockheed Martin F-16s with the F-35, but will assess a “small number” before deciding on its long-term fleet. The country’s defence ministry announced the decision to acquire to acquire the F-35 in a brief statement on its website.
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01/17/2019
A Nellis Air Force Base’s Aggressor Viper to be painted with the same color scheme as the Russian radar-evading 5th generation aircraft. Eye-catching paint schemes which make fighter planes similar to their Russian counterparts have become a distinguishing feature of U.S. Aggressors and Adversary jets.
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01/17/2019
This was a milestone week in Air Force history. The U.S. Air Force and Boeing found agreement on the terms for the KC-46 air-refueling aircraft to enter the active inventory. The long-sought goal of recapitalizing the KC-135 air-refueling force is set to begin. As former Secretary of the Air Force Donald Rice explained in the 1992 version of the seminal “Global Reach—Global Power” whitepaper: “Our global power ensures our friends are not alone. With our responsiveness, potential adversaries unde
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01/17/2019
On 14 January 2019 Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, received the F4-standard development contract for the Rafale combat aircraft during the visit of the Dassault Aviation Mérignac plant by Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces.
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01/17/2019
Embraer’s defence joint venture with Boeing will use the American company’s leverage over suppliers to cut parts and components costs on the KC-390 tactical transport. The Brazilian company said at an investor conference on 16 January that it will also lean on Boeing’s international sales and marketing network, as well as the USA’s geopolitical influence, to expand the transport’s sales.
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01/17/2019
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has partnered with five Belgium-based suppliers as part of its effort to include local suppliers in its deal to deliver MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned air vehicles to the Belgian Armed Forces.
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01/16/2019
Russia reportedly has upgraded the stealth features on its radar-evading Su-57 fighter. But the enhancements don't amount to much. Even with upgrades, the Su-57 still is a niche, mostly experimental aircraft that lacks critical combat systems and which Russia has not committed to building in large numbers.
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01/16/2019
The F-35 fighter has successfully completed flight testing. It is now joining the combat fleets of three U.S. military services and a dozen overseas allies. By the end of 2019, nearly 500 fighters will have been delivered.
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01/16/2019
Lockheed Martin has won a $172 million contract from the US Navy and US Air Force for the second production lot of its stealthy Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). The contract continues production for the air-launched variant of LRASM, including engineering support, the manufacturer says in a statement. The first set of LRASMs were delivered to the USAF in December, a milestone reached as part of Early Operational Capability for the weapon.
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01/16/2019
Austria's government has committed funding for the acquisition of a total of 15 new helicopters in the coming years as it renews its rotorcraft capabilities. Vienna has assigned more than €300 million ($343 million) for the purchases, which cover 12 light multirole helicopters – replacing 21 Aerospatiale Alouette IIIs – and an additional three Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawks, adding to the nine examples already in service.
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01/15/2019
Eurofighter intends to pitch its Typhoon aircraft to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of Boeing CF-18A/B Hornet fighters. Eurofighter, a joint venture among Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, was assumed to be one of the bidders in the competition to replace the RCAF’s fighter fleet with 88 advanced jets, but it hadn’t yet publicly acknowledged its desire to play for the contract.
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01/15/2019
Dassault has been contracted by the French government to begin development work on the new F4 standard for the Rafale fighter. Upgrades over the current F3 and F3R variants include the integration of MBDA's Mica NG air-to-air missile and the Safran Defence 2,200lb (1,000kg) AASM air-to-surface weapon, alongside improvements to sensors, including radar and connectivity.
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01/15/2019
Preliminary information from Iran indicates fatalities resulted from a Boeing 707 crash in the west of Tehran, according to news agency reports. Local media reports suggest that the aircraft was carrying from 10-16 passengers, and that only one survived.
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01/15/2019
Tokyo plans a major investment in electronic warfare (EW) to help counter rising threats in the region. According to a report in the Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo plans to adapt the Kawasaki C-2 tactical transport aircraft as an EW platform, with deployment planned for 2027.
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01/14/2019
The F-5E “Tiger” is one of U.S. aerospace industry’s largest export successes. Designed as a budget lightweight fighter, the F-5E is still operated by many nations around the world despite the availability of more modern fighters.
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01/14/2019
The Russian air force in 2018 received more than 36 new+bild combat aircraft, included modern Su-35S fighter jets. According to the report of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), the Russian Air Force took the delivery in 2018 of 14 Su-30SM and ten Su-35S fighter aircraft, 12 Su-34 Su-34 fighter-bombers, and 14 Yak-130 advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft.
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01/12/2019
The Royal Lao Air Force has received the batch of three Yak-130 advanced jet trainer aircraft from Russia. Lao media released a photo of three Russian-made Yak-130 trainer aircraft received by the People’s Army of Laos at the Vientiane airfield. Aircraft have Lao tail numbers “044”, “045” and “046”.
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01/12/2019
The US Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $1.3 billion upgrade and sustainment contract for its Litening advanced targeting pod. The Litening pod is carried aboard a variety of USAF and US Marine Corps aircraft including the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon and Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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01/12/2019
The US Army intends to grant Boeing a low-rate initial production contract for the CH-47F Block II Chinook cargo helicopter, despite rumours that the upgrade programme might be cancelled in order to shift funds to the service’s modernisation priorities.
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01/12/2019
Israel's government has abandoned a plan to sell surplus Lockheed Martin F-16s to Croatia, as the Middle Eastern country could not obtain approval from the USA to transfer the second-hand fighters fitted with Israeli equipment.
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01/11/2019
The new year isn't even a week old, but two Israeli airmen may have already pulled off the aviation feat of 2019. Haaretz reported Monday that the pair of aviators from Israel's air force got a rude surprise on Jan. 2, when without warning, the canopy flew off their F-15. They were at 30,000 feet on a routine training mission, and had just taken off from the Tel Nof air base in central Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported.
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01/11/2019
A drone attack on a Yemeni government base by the rebel Houthi movement has reportedly killed six soldiers. The drone exploded above a podium at al-Anad base, in the southern province of Lahj, where high-ranking officers and officials were watching a parade.
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01/11/2019
Sky News understands a plan is being drawn up for the jets to be sent to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus this spring. If initial operations run smoothly, it is possible that they could be used on strike missions against Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria by the summer.
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01/11/2019
After a two-day search for a missing fighter jet, French military authorities said Thursday the pilot and a navigator were killed when the plane disappeared during a training flight. The Mirage 2000D vanished from radar Wednesday while flying in a snowstorm near the Swiss border. More than 100 rescuers, police officers and others searched icy mountains for the aircraft and the two-person crew.
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01/11/2019
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country would consider buying Raytheon-made Patriot missiles from the US government, but would not cancel its order of S-400 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia as a condition of the deal.
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01/11/2019
The US Air Force formally accepted the first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus air tanker and will receive delivery of the aircraft at McConnell Air Force Base, in Wichita, Kansas, in the next several weeks. Boeing said that the USAF signed a DD Form 250, a material inspection and receiving report, on 10 January, officially ending years of missed delivery deadlines for the aircraft.
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01/11/2019
The UK has met its initial operational capability target for the Lockheed Martin F-35B, with nine examples assigned to the Royal Air Force's 617 Sqn now deemed "ready to be deployed on operations around the world".
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01/09/2019
In December, two supersonic nuclear-capable Russian bombers visited Venezuela, the third such excursion for the warplanes since 2008. Might Moscow intend to pose a threat, perhaps even nuclear, to the Western Hemisphere? If so, how could Washington respond?
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01/09/2019
The Chinese navy reportedly is considering acquiring a new stealth fighter to replace existing carrier-launched warplanes that have proved unreliable and unsafe. The People's Liberation Army Navy could buy "fourth-generation" FC-31 fighters from the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute to replace older J-15s, state-run Global Times reported.
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01/09/2019
Six Royal Netherlands Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16s returned to the service's Leeuwarden and Volkel air bases on 2 January, after completing a year-long deployment to Jordan as part of an international coalition conducting operations against Islamic State militants in the Middle East.
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01/08/2019
An MQ-1B Predator drone crashed in 2017 after its crew lost contact with the remotely piloted aircraft, a report released Monday said — but the reason why remains a mystery. The Predator, which was from the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, crashed Sept. 4, 2017, in an unidentified part of U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East and parts of North Africa and Central and Southwest Asia.
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01/08/2019
Saab's second of three GlobalEye surveillance aircraft on order for launch customer the United Arab Emirates (UAE) completed a 2h 54min debut flight from its Linkoping site in Sweden on 3 January.
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01/08/2019
Last year brought twin milestones for the Royal Thai Air Force’s fleet of Saab Gripen C/Ds, with the service having marked a decade since ordering the Swedish-built fighter, and completed its first 10,000 flying hours with the single-engined type.
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01/07/2019
While the opposition is targeting the NDA government on the Rafal fighter plane deal, neighbouring Pakistan is engaged in taking full advantage of the opportunity. The Pakistani government has approached China to make the JF-17 (Block 3) Jet fighter plane available for the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) as soon as possible.
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01/07/2019
Chinese fighter-jet and engine manufacturers are emerging as a bright spot in a stormy stock market that’s been besieged by a trade feud with the U.S. and a slowing economy. Avic Shenyang Aircraft Co. and AECC Aviation Power Co. may stand out because their largest customer is the Chinese military, whose purchasing decisions have more to do with the nation’s plans for upgrading its air force and less to do with macro-economic fundamentals, analysts say.
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01/06/2019
Within the next several months, a proposal to update military training airspace around Grayling Aerial Gunnery Range and an environmental assessment will be available for public comment for 45 days public comment phase, the Michigan Air National Guard said in a news release.
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01/06/2019
While China’s ambassador to the United States was celebrating the forty-year anniversary with conciliatory words in the pages of USA Today and President Xi Jinping was writing to President Donald Trump in the hope of jumpstarting a more productive relationship in 2019, a Chinese admiral was pontificating about sinking American aircraft carriers in the open ocean.
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01/05/2019
China’s first locally-developed aircraft carrier remains on target for going into service as early as October, and the next generation of carrier is already under construction. Yet still the development of the People’s Liberation Army’s carrier-borne fighter squadron appears stuck in the slow lane.
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01/05/2019
The US is looking beyond the fifth-generation F-35 with plans already underway for the sixth-generation 'Penetrating Counter Air' concept, which will be operated by the US Air Force and Navy and, potentially, allies like Australia.
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01/05/2019
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has received a W130 billion ($117 million) payment from Indonesia’s defence ministry, suggesting Jakarta’s involvement in the K-FX/I-FX programme is back on track.
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01/04/2019
Observers of the twin-engine stealth fighter long had speculated that the J-20 lacks a cannon. Photography of J-20s since the type's first flight in January 2011 hadn't revealed bulges or openings that might point to an internal gun. The J-20 hadn't appeared in public carrying an external gun pod.
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01/04/2019
U.S. Navy air combat experts are asking electro-optics engineers at the Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. to build infrared search and track (IRST) sensors for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter-bomber to enable the aircraft to detect, track, and attack enemy aircraft in a stealthy way without making its presence known.
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01/04/2019
Boeing will upgrade Spain’s fleet of 17 CH-47Ds to the CH-47F standard, in the first such order outside the United States. The work will see the 17 helicopters receive a digital automatic flight control system, a common avionics architecture, and an improved cargo handling capability,” says Boeing.
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01/04/2019
The improved United Aircraft (UAC) Ilyushin Il-78M-90A tanker commenced factory flight testing with a debut sortie conducted from the Aviastar SP production site in Ulyanovsk in late last month.
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01/04/2019
Russia's first modernised Tupolev Tu-22M3M strategic bomber got airborne for the first time on 28 December 2018, completing a 37min sortie from the Kazan Aviation Plant. United Aircraft (UAC) says the type underwent tests of its updated systems and equipment during the flight, and reached an altitude of 16,400ft. The test asset had been rolled out in Kazan in August 2018 after undergoing modification.
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01/03/2019
When a single F-35 used sensors, on-board computers and targeting systems to find, track and destroy two airborne drones at the same time with air-to-air missiles, the emerging 5th Gen fighter transitioned into a new era for offensive attack missions.
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01/03/2019
Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets and supporting personnel recently arrived in France to take part in evaluating the stealthy qualities of the Dassault nEUROn unmanned combat air vehicle, or UCAV. This comes as the Spanish are considering buying more of the fighters and are looking to join the French and Germans in the development of a new stealth fighter, as well as advanced unmanned combat aircraft.
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01/03/2019
The Navy’s first-of-its-kind carrier-launched F-35C has been conducting aerial maneuvers, weapons integration, “cyclical” flight take-off missions and other war operations from the flight deck of a Nimitz-Class carrier in recent weeks, marking the first operational tests of the stealth fighter slated to deploy in 2021.
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01/03/2019
U.S. Navy aerial warfare experts are asking the Raytheon Co. to build 926 AIM-9X precision short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for jet fighters and other combat aircraft under terms of a $434.4 million order announced last week.
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01/03/2019
Sweden has dropped a plan to reuse some parts from its air force's in-service fleet of Saab Gripen C/Ds during production of new-generation Gripen Es, citing operational considerations.
Announced on 21 December 2018 and worth around SKr430 million ($47.5 million), a new contract from Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) covers the provision of unspecified new-build components for some of the nation's future inventory of 60 E-model fighters.
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01/02/2019
On May 22, Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin announced that its F-35I stealth fighters had flown on two combat missions on “different fronts,” showing as proof a photograph of an F-35 overflying Beirut. While details on those missions have not been released—apparently, they were not deployed in a massive Israeli air attack on Iranian forces in Syria that took place on May 9.
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01/02/2019
The MiG-29, one of Russia’s most exported military jet has been upgraded in India that expands its capabilities from an air superiority fighter to a multi-role aircraft. The Indian Air Force (IAF) revealed the upgrade, called the MiG-29UPG ahead of the Air Force Day celebrations in October 2018.
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01/02/2019
Beijing has a devastating plan to force the world out of the East and South China Seas — and it could cost the US 10,000 lives. They’re the pride of the US fleet: enormous 100,000 tonne, 333m long nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. But Beijing thinks they’re Washington’s achilles heel. Rear Admiral Lou Yuan has told an audience in Shenzhen that the ongoing disputes over the ownership of the East and South China Seas could be resolved by sinking two US super carriers.
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01/02/2019
The Russian Air Force has taken delivery of an upgraded Beriev A-50U Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft as part of a broader fleet upgrade. Following the work, the aircraft, based on the Ilyushin IL-76, can “track more targets and guide more fighters,” says state arms company Rostec in a statement. The upgrades were conducted by Beriev Aircraft Company and Vega Radio Engineering.
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