Military Aviation News Archive

Russian "stealth" fighter to fly by end-Jan

01/28/2010

Russia will test fly by the end of January a new "fifth generation" stealth fighter that aims to challenge the United States for technical superiority, an aviation industry source told Reuters on Wednesday.

First U.K. Service Pilot Flies The Lockheed Martin F-35

01/28/2010

A Royal Air Force officer on Tuesday became the first active-duty service pilot from the United Kingdom to take to the skies in a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Libyan Minister Arrives for Arms Talks

01/27/2010

Libya's defense minister arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks that Russian media said could result in a $2 billion defense contract including 20 jets.

India progressing on Aircraft technology

01/27/2010

Seeds of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirements can be traced back to Kargil conflict more than a decade ago. When Indian air force was pressed into service to clear Mountain peaks in Kargil of Pakistani Army Regulars and Terrorist, many serving aircrafts from the Indian air force inventory like Mig-21/27/29, Jaguars and Mirage 2000D were pressed into service in various roles.

Eurofighter Typhoon trounces F-15 in war simulation

01/27/2010

NATO air forces recently carried out several training engagements known as dact, Dissimilar Aircraft Combat Training. These competitions pit pilots in various aircraft against each other to see how the various craft measure up.

EADS seek future for Airbus military plane

01/27/2010

Nations that have ordered Airbus' A400M military transport plane met Tuesday with parent company EADS before a weekend deadline to find a solution to the troubled project, an official said.

F-35 To Dominate Future Fighter Market

01/27/2010

During the past decade, world fighter production totaled only around 2,500 units, but over the next 10 years, annual deliveries are set to rise. Unlike the 1970s and 1980s, when large numbers of dedicated ground-attack aircraft were produced in addition to fighters, the modern market for combat aircraft is focused almost exclusively on multirole fighters that can handle both the air superiority and attack missions. The U.S. Air Force recently proposed building a new bomber, but this program is n

RTAF seeks B20bn jet fleet budget

01/26/2010

The air force is seeking cabinet approval to buy six more Gripen jet fighters and upgrade six F-16 fighters at a combined cost of more than 20 billion baht.

First A400M Flight Phase Goes Well

01/26/2010

Airbus engineers are working on minor A400M airframe modifications and fixes to the engine control software as the manufacturer digests the broadly positive results of initial flight testing.

U.S. Drone Goes Down Over Pakistan

01/26/2010

A U.S. drone reportedly crashed in Pakistan on Sunday. The Associated Press calls it “a rare mishap for a program Washington has increasingly relied on to kill Taliban and al-Qaida militants.” But that’s not quite right; American unmanned aircraft go down all the time. They’ve even gone down before in Pakistan.

Son Of Predator Joins The Army

01/26/2010

U.S. Army received its first Sky Warrior MQ-1C UAVs about a year ago, and since last April, several of these aircraft have been operating around Baghdad. The first flight in a combat zone, lasting 10.5 hours, was last April 18th.

More MiG-29s for Myanmar

01/25/2010

In late December 2009, reports surfaced that Myanmar (formerly Burma) had signed a EUR 400 million (about $571 million) deal with Russia’s Rosoboronexport for 20 MiG-29D fighters. Some sources add a deal for more Mi-35 attack helicopters, and place the entire package at EUR 450 million.

SINGAPORE 2010: Asian fighter requirements continue to grow

01/25/2010

The Asia-Pacific fighters market will continue to be the world's most active over the next decade, with the countries likely to buy more than 500 aircraft to supplement existing fleets, embark on upgrades and acquire new capabilities to take them into the next stage of their development.

Drones could be growth market for Brevard

01/24/2010

A young Air Force pilot, weaned on computer games, scans his video screen for the enemy he's stalking from thousands of miles away. A camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle known as a Reaper provides the video.

Enhanced Communications and ID Systems for Thales Damocles XF Targeting Pod

01/24/2010

Thales is Europe's most important player in the targeting pod market with its Damocles multifunction pod for day/night laser-guided weapon capability. Though the Dassault Aviation Rafale is its primary platform, Damocles has been purchased for the Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Super Étendard Modernisé, and Sukhoi Su-30MK aircraft.

Why rush the F-35 into production?

01/24/2010

An internal Navy briefing obtained by CongressDaily suggests, without saying it right out, that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter ballyhooed by Defense Secretary Gates will cost so much to buy and fly that the service might have to find a cheaper plane to fill up its carrier decks.

Boeing hands over last KC-767 tanker to Japan

01/23/2010

Boeing delivered its fourth and final KC-767 aerial refueling tanker to Japan on 8 December, the company announced on 12 January.

Eurofighter leading race for India deal

01/23/2010

The Eurofighter Typhoon is "leading the race" to win a contract from the Indian government for 126 fighter jets, valued at around $10.4 billion, India's ambassador to Italy said on Friday.

Burmese fighter pilot killed in crash

01/23/2010

A BURMESE fighter pilot was killed during training this morning when his plane crashed in an airfield in the military-ruled country, an official said.

Lockheed hopes for F-35 deal with Israel this year

01/23/2010

U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) hopes to sign an agreement with Israel on its F-35 fighter jet by the end of the year, and targets 75 to 100 jets for the deal, an executive said on Friday.

Pentagon underscores commitment to F-35

01/23/2010

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn on Thursday underscored the Pentagon's commitment to Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) $300 billion F-35 fighter jet, saying the U.S. government and its allies still planned to buy 3,000 of the new fighters over time.

Send in the Hornets

01/23/2010

For some reason Canada has held back a valuable asset from the battle against the Taliban; our high-performance CF-18 jets should be in action.

Initial TVS data show Raytheon success

01/23/2010

Raytheon marked a milestone for its Target Verification System following a successful demonstration with a U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft.

Eurofighter Shines at Bahrain International Airshow

01/23/2010

The Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat aircraft and will be on of the star attractions during the first Bahrain air show, which started yesterday.

Eurocopter Brazil Secures Largest Service Contract In 30 Years

01/22/2010

Eurocopter's Brazilian subsidiary has managed to secure the largest service contract in more than 30 years of its presence in that country.