Military Aviation News Archive

Russia resumes Su-24 flights after 10-day suspension

06/29/2009

Russia's Air Force has resumed Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft flights after a 10-day suspension following two crashes in mid-June, a Defense Ministry official said on Monday.

Boeing Connects 1st F-15E Simulators to US Air Force's Worldwide Training Network

06/29/2009

Boeing has connected the F-15E Mission Training Center (MTC) at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, to the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Mission Operations Network (DMON), enabling F-15E pilots at the base to train virtually with pilots located around the world for the first time. Mountain Home is the first of three F-15E training centers Boeing will link to the network this year.

Pakistan-made JF-17 to start flying by year-end

06/28/2009

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said on Saturday that the first Pakistan-made JF-17 Thunder aircraft would start flying by the end of this year.

United States Air Force Fiscal Year 2010 Force Structure Announcement

06/27/2009

Air Force officials here announced June 26 its proposed force structure realignment for fiscal 2010.

The USAF’s KC-X Aerial Tanker RFP

06/26/2009

In January 2007, the big question was whether there would be a competition for the USA’s KC-X proposal, which will cover 175 production aircraft and 4 test platforms. The cost for this first phase alone is likely to reach $35+ billion spread over about 20 years, but the USAF believes that adding new plane types to America’s 40-50 year old aerial tanker fleet is its #1 priority. Otherwise, unpredictable age or fatigue issues, like the ones its F-15A-D fleet experienced in 2008, could ground its a

SWARMS Project: Swarming Drones to Sting the Enemy?

06/26/2009

Like a swarm of angry bees, unmanned aerial, ground, and sea vehicles automonously converge on enemy troops, aircraft and ships, decide what to do, then engage the enemy with surveillance or weapons to help U.S. forces defeat them. All this without direct human intervention. Sounds like science fiction? The American military is one of several working on the technology, called “swarming,” in order to make this scenario a reality.

First Production HMDS Orders for F-35 Pilots

06/26/2009

The Elbit Systems/Rockwell Collins joint venture Vision Systems International, LLC recently announced $54.1 million in contracts. These awards will begin production of their Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), which will equip all American and exported F-35 fighters. The contracts will cover low rate initial production (LRIP) Lots 1, 2 and 3, and run through 2012. They include Lockheed Martin’s purchase of 52 F-35 Gen II Helmet Mounted Displays, and 30 aircraft shipsets. VSI also received cont

IAI Delivers First Batch of Kfir Fighter Jets to the Colombian Air Force

06/26/2009

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is delivering the first batch of upgraded Kfir fighter jets to the Colombian Air Force in a ceremony held at IAI's facilities in Israel. In attendance at the ceremony was Juan Hurtado Cano, the Colombian Ambassador to Israel, high ranking officers from the Colombian Air Force, and executives from the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD-SIBAT), and IAI.

Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III Demonstrates Level IV UAS Control

06/24/2009

Boeing today announced that the AH-64D Apache Block III prototype helicopter successfully demonstrated Level IV unmanned aircraft system (UAS) connectivity on June 8 during a flight test over the Arizona desert.

Advanced tactical laser aircraft fires high-power laser in flight

06/23/2009

Members of the 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and contractor Boeing recently successfully fired the high-power laser aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser aircraft for the first time in flight.

Military Needs Flexibility to Handle Spectrum of Future Threats

06/23/2009

The U.S. military has to have flexibility across the spectrum of conflict to handle the threats of the future, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Russia buys 12 spy drones from Israel

06/22/2009

Russia has bought 12 unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel in a recent deal worth $53 million, a Russian government official said on Monday.

Global Partners Building Global Security

06/21/2009

International participants in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program have begun purchasing aircraft and making long-range commitments to integrate the fighter into their fleets, a Lockheed Martin executive said Wednesday at the Paris Air Show.

Italy Orders M346 Jet Trainers

06/19/2009

At the 2009 Le Bourget air show, Alenia Aeronautica announced that Italy’s Air Force has signed a long-awaited contract to buy Alenia’s new M346 Master advanced trainer jet. This initial agreement covers 6 jets and an integrated training service, with an option for another 9 aircraft.

The USMC’s H-1 Helicopter Program

06/18/2009

The US Marines’ helicopter force is aging on all levels, from CH-46 Sea Knights that are far older than their pilots, to the 1980s-era UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters that make up the Corps’ helicopter assault force. While the V-22 program has staggered along for almost 2 decades under accidents, technical delays, and cost issues, replacement of the USMC’s backbone helicopter assets has languished. Given the high-demand scenarios inherent in the current war, other efforts are clea

Russian defense industry on track for arms contract

06/18/2009

The Russian Defense Ministry has received three strategic missiles, 20 combat aircraft, 20 tanks, three spacecraft and other military hardware since the beginning of the year under government defense contract, a senior military official said on Wednesday.

Boeing Committed to Funding F-15 Silent Eagle Development

06/18/2009

The Boeing Company will dedicate funding to further development of the F-15 Silent Eagle program, with the goal of a flight demonstration in the third quarter of 2010. The announcement came at the Paris Air Show following meetings with potential customers and reaffirmed a commitment to the prototype program made by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems President and CEO Jim Albaugh at the air show on June 14.

International demand for Russian combat aircraft growing

06/17/2009

“The demand for Russian aircraft and helicopters grows despite the ongoing global financial crunch. It makes us feel special obligations and responsibility both as a supplier, and as a reliable time-tested partner,” head of the Rosoboronexport delegation Alexander Mikheev emphasised. “We take every necessary measure and constantly revise every line of defence cooperation, which nowadays actively expands, among other things due to developing relations with NATO member-states.”

E-2D Hawkeye: The Navy’s New AWACS

06/17/2009

Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye serves as the US Navy and French Navy’s carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft. Its primary role is advance warning of incoming aerial threats; ship-based radars are far larger and more powerful, but cannot scan below the angle of the horizon. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkey

BAE SYSTEMS WINS $33 MILLION CONTRACT FOR AIRBORNE COUNTERMEASURES

06/17/2009

BAE Systems has been awarded a $33.6 million low-rate initial production contract for the ALE-55. The AN/ALE-55 is part of the U.S. Navy’s Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) system that provides fighter aircraft with electronic defense against radar guided missiles.

Boeing Completes Communications and Air Traffic Management Upgrade for US Air Force AWACS Fleet

06/17/2009

The Boeing Company announced today that it has completed satellite communications and air traffic management upgrades on the U.S. Air Force's 32 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance aircraft as part of the Integrated DAMA/GATM (IDG) program.

Embraer Launches KC-390 Tactical Air Transport Program

06/16/2009

Global competition in the 20-ton air transport segment continues to intensify, with Brazil’s launch of its KC-390 program. Embraer figures reportedly place the global C-130 replacement market at around 700 aircraft. In response, it will develop a jet-powered rival to compete with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J, the larger Airbus A400M, Russia’s AN-12 and its Chinese copy the Yunshu-8, and the bi-national Irkut/HAL MRTA project. Smaller aircraft like the EADS-CASA C-295M and Alenia C-27J may also repre

Medvedev makes sales pitch for Russian warplane

06/16/2009

Russia would like to expand sales of such warplanes as the Su-34 throughout the world, President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Chinese TV released on Monday.

Turkey to buy Russian Night Hunters

06/16/2009

A Turkish military delegation has come to Russia to discuss the possible acquisition of Mi-28 attack helicopters. This is not the first time the two countries have discussed cooperation.

Bell Boeing Team Awarded Contract for Next Phase of V-22 Osprey Support

06/15/2009

The Bell Boeing Program Office announced today that it has been awarded Phase 1.5 of a two-phase Joint Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to support the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft for the Marine Corps (MV-22), and Air Force Special Operations Command (CV-22).