December, 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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