Military Aviation News Archive

Pakistan defers purchase of J-10 planes till their test flights

02/26/2010

Pakistan has deferred the purchase of state of the art fighter J-10 planes from China till test flights.

Brazil closing in on jets deal

02/26/2010

Brazil looks poised by the end of March to pick the winner of a multibillion-dollar tender to supply its air force with state-of-the-art combat aircraft.

The Same, But Different

02/26/2010

Saudi Arabia has decided to equip its new Eurofighter aircraft with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and Brimstone anti-tank missiles. The Storm Shadow air launched stealthy cruise missile got its first combat experience over Iraq seven years ago. The 5.2 meter (16 foot) long, 1.3 ton missile has a 250 kilometer range and carries a penetrating warhead. The missile is a British modified version of the French Apache missile and entered service in late 2002, costing about $1.2 million each.

Aging Air Force Tankers: Flying in the Face of Danger

02/26/2010

This week, the U.S. Air Force presented its revised request for proposals for the new KC-X tanker aircraft. Industry now has 60 days to submit bids, and the contract for the new tankers should be awarded sometime this summer.

US seen hawking F-16s to Taiwan

02/26/2010

China's military warned the US to "speak and act cautiously" to avoid reigniting tensions between the two countries amid speculation that the US is considering sales of advanced F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, following last month's announcement of a package of arms sales to the island.

Lockheed Martin Receives Contract Option to Increase Number of AMF JTRS Engineering Development Models

02/26/2010

Additional equipment is being developed to support early integration and testing of a revolutionary tactical network that will provide warfighters in the air, on land and at sea with secure, interoperable communications. The Lockheed Martin team developing the Airborne, Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) has received a contract option to increase the number of engineering development models (EDM) by 60 percent.

USAF More Interested in Mobility Than JSF Program

02/25/2010

Due to the F-35 Lightning II delay, the USAF will have a wider variety of additional C-17s and 1,056 tankers and airlifters -- helping increase mobility of the Air Force -- though F-35 Lightning II interest will still be important. The Air Force is phasing out C-17 development in favor of the smaller C-27 aircraft.

Agreement reached on A400M military plane costs

02/25/2010

European governments have reached an agreement on sharing the costs of the over-budget A400M military transport plane.

U.S. Sells Arms to South Asian Rivals

02/25/2010

The Obama administration is sharply expanding American weapons transfers to both India and Pakistan, longtime rivals about to sit down for peace talks Thursday.

Extended term for MiGs

02/25/2010

The MiG-29N jet fighters will not be grounded but will be used for at least another five years.

Lockheed Martin Awarded Apache M-TADS/PNVS Performance Based Logistics Follow-On Contract

02/25/2010

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a follow-on Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract to support the Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) and Modernized TADS/PNVS (M-TADS/PNVS) systems on the AH-64 Apache helicopter. The contract has a potential value of $90 million for 2010.

Boeing Statement on Release of US Air Force KC-X Tanker Final Request for Proposal

02/25/2010

The Boeing Company today received the final Request for Proposal (RFP) document for the U.S. Air Force KC-X Tanker competition, and released the following statement from Jean Chamberlin, vice president and general manager, Boeing USAF Tanker Program.

Ethiopia sends five Helicopters to Darfur peacekeepers

02/24/2010

The Ethiopian government today said that a tactical aviation unit comprising of five helicopters has headed to Sudan’s Darfur region to join the badly-needing African Union and UN peacekeeping operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

Gates Tells Brazil’s Jobim Boeing Jet ‘Most Capable’

02/24/2010

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Brazilian counterpart Nelson Jobim today that Boeing Co.’s F/A-18 fighter jet offers the best technology in the $7.5 billion competition to modernize the South American nation’s fleet.

Republican renews bid for multiyear F-18 deal

02/24/2010

A key House Republican plans to press Navy leaders this week on the Pentagon's apparent reluctance to enter into a multiyear deal with Boeing Co. for F/A-18 aircraft, arguing that the costs saved are worth the risks of a long-term financial commitment.

US Air Force, lawmakers spar over 2nd F-35 engine

02/24/2010

U.S. Air Force officials defended on Tuesday a Pentagon decision to cancel development of the second engine for Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 jet fighter, but acknowledged it was a "close call."

Boeing Cuts C-17 Output by 33%, Awaits Foreign Orders

02/24/2010

Boeing Co., the second-largest defense contractor, is scaling back production of the C-17 military cargo plane by a third so it can extend the life of the assembly line while waiting for international orders.

India speeds up plane purchases

02/24/2010

Indian air force pilots have begun testing two Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets for flight evaluation trials, part of an order for 126 planes in a deal valued at $10 billion.

Germany Prepares to Deploy UAVs to Afghanistan

02/23/2010

With the first German Air Force UAV crews trained in Israel, Germany is preparing to send the first of its Israeli-supplied Heron 1 to Afghanistan by March, Luftwaffe officials said.

BAE Systems Looks Beyond Mantis Spiral 1

02/23/2010

In October 2007, not even the design concept had been selected, but 24 months later the Mantis medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle demonstrator flew for the first time—even allowing for some non-program-related distractions.

Accidents a matter of concern: IAF chief

02/23/2010

Admitting that aircraft crashes were a matter of concern, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik said Monday they couldn't be entirely ruled out.

France warns EADS not to expect more aid on A400M

02/23/2010

European defense and aerospace giant EADS should not expect any more government money to help salvage the over-budget A400M military transport plane, the French defense minister said Monday.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Poised to be Backbone of USAF Fighter Fleet

02/23/2010

The United States Air Force officially becomes the first F-35 Lightning II customer later this year, when the first of the stealth fighters is delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The delivery will initiate a massive recapitalization of the Air Force's multi-role fighter fleet, and will usher in profound increases in capability, a Lockheed Martin executive said Friday.

Don’t delay fighter deal

02/23/2010

At a time when the combat power of the Indian Air Force is at an all-time low (29 squadrons, against a sanctioned strength of 39.5 squadrons and a required strength of 45 squadrons), two significant events connected with the enhancement of its capabilities are underway without much fanfare and are hopefully gathering momentum quietly, away from the public gaze.

Pentagon paints grim picture of Taiwan air defense

02/23/2010

The Pentagon has painted a grim picture of Taiwan's air defense capabilities, saying that many of the island's 400 combat aircraft would not be available to help withstand an attack from rival China.