December, 2009 Military Aviation News
12/31/2009
India’s capability of building state -of- the art fighter planes and rockets would be put to test in the New Year.Scientists are confident of propelling the country’s aerospace industry into a new orbit in the coming decade.
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12/31/2009
Lockheed Martin has announced that the United Kingdom has sanctioned funds for the purchase of its third Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II operational test aircraft. The decision, it said, reinforced the UK's continued commitment to the Joint Strike Fighter programme's upcoming Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E).
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12/31/2009
After supplying modernised Su-24M2 bombers, the Sukhoi Company has delivered two Su-34 frontline fighter bombers to the Russian Air Force.
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12/30/2009
The prototype of Sukhoi’s fifth-generation fighter, known as PAK-FA or T-50, has started taxi trials with an aim to make first flight early in January, industry sources say.
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12/30/2009
Flight Lieutenant Manu Akhouri’s greatest passion was flying. As a child, his only toys were planes and helicopters and he would rush out to see aircraft flying past. His father, Colonel Sanjay Akhouri, doesn’t know whether the students in a government school at Bhisiana village of Gidderbaha did the same when Manu’s plane went down nearby on September 10, reportedly as the 24-year-old made his best to ensure he didn’t crash into the building.
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12/29/2009
Dr Mahathir said that with the country’s current economic conditions, he wondered whether the government could afford new acquisitions. He argued that the MiG-29Ns should actually be refurbished as that would be more cost-effective.
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12/28/2009
The newest aircraft to the Air Force's inventory arrived Dec. 27, 2009, to Bagram Airfield. The MC-12 aircraft, tail number 090623, was the first of an undisclosed number of aircraft for the new 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron here.
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12/28/2009
Despite a pending order from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for 20 light combat aircraft (LCA), India can manufacture only eight such aircraft annually, a senior Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) official has said.
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12/28/2009
The commander-in-chief of the Air Force of Russia Colonel General Alexander Zelin has signed the «Certificate about ending of the state joint tests of a combat-trainer aircraft Yak-130». This document allows operation of Yak-130 aircraft in units of the Air Force of the Russian Federation for training and combat purposes.
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12/28/2009
The Indian Navy has invited five global makers of combat planes, including the US-led F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, to participate in a competition for deck-based aircraft that it wants to buy.
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12/28/2009
The trials all the six aircraft competing for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal will be completed before April end next year, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik said, according to a media report.
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12/27/2009
The U.S. military wrapped up a war games exercise in the Middle East in the first deployment of the F-22A Raptor, the U.S. Air Force announced.
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12/27/2009
On Dec 18/09, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced [pdf] Egypt’s request to buy parts and services from GE Aircraft Engines, in order to upgrade its most modern F-16s. Egypt wants to upgrade 156 of the F-110-GE-100 engines that power its F-16 C/D Block 40+ fighters through the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). Egypt will also buy transportation services, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, and U.S. Government and contractor te
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12/25/2009
The Russian Air Force will start receiving Il-476 heavy transport planes in 2012, the commander of the Russian Air Force's military transport aviation said on Friday.
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12/24/2009
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the first four upgraded Lynx Mk.9A helicopters for the British Army have been delivered, with the fourth aircraft delivered today, just 12 months after contract award.
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12/24/2009
The U.S. Army fired two TALON Laser-Guided Rocket guided test vehicle rounds during the Aviation Multi-Platform Munition Demonstration.
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12/23/2009
The number of strategic bombers performing routine patrols could be doubled if the Russian General Staff makes such a decision, the commander of Russia's strategic aviation said Tuesday.
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12/23/2009
The Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) program has announced that the United Kingdom has received financial approval to purchase its third Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II operational test aircraft, reinforcing the U.K.'s continued commitment to the Joint Strike Fighter program's upcoming Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E).
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12/23/2009
Boeing said today it has acquired Alenia North America's half of Global Aeronautica, LLC, a South Carolina fuselage subassembly facility for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, and is now the sole owner of that entity. Alenia North America is a subsidiary of Italy's Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company.
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12/22/2009
Lockheed Martin recently completed Phase 2 of its Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) B-52 integration program at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA. Sniper pod integration on the B-52 will provide aircrews with critical long-range, positive target identification and video downlink capability to forward-deployed forces for non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
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12/19/2009
The final Defense Appropriations bill for 2010 includes a provision to postpone movement of any F-15s from Tyndall until April 1, 2010.
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12/19/2009
Senior U.S. military officers working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed the danger of Russia and China intercepting and doctoring video from drone aircraft in 2004, but the Pentagon didn't begin securing the signals until this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
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12/19/2009
Boeing has successfully completed the first phase of flight test for a B-1 bomber upgraded with new digital avionics. The B-1 Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL) flight test plan for Phase 1 concluded Oct. 16; it included nine sorties performed by the U.S. Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base.
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12/19/2009
Boeing Defence UK Ltd., a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, today confirmed the Nov. 30 delivery of the first converted Chinook Mk3 helicopter to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Following the early delivery, the RAF declared Initial Operational Capability for Chinook Mk3, enabling the aircraft to begin supporting operational needs in locations such as Afghanistan.
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12/18/2009
SkyGrabber is a simple enough concept: grab the signals that spill from a satellite broadcast (or even narrowcast), aimed from a satellite towards a specific location, and turn them into TV feeds you can look at. Or as the website puts it: "You don't have to keep an online internet connection. Just customise your satellite dish to selected satellite provider and start grabbing."
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12/17/2009
Saab has signed a contract for the sale of two airborne surveillance systems to the United Arab Emirates. The contract is worth approximately 1.5 billion SEK.
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12/17/2009
The Boeing Company and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence this week announced an agreement for the acquisition of a seventh C-17 Globemaster III for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Boeing is scheduled to deliver the aircraft in December 2010.
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12/16/2009
Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully completed maritime sensor demonstrations using a company-owned MQ-8B Fire Scout tactical Vertical Unmanned Aircraft System (VUAS). Fire Scout was equipped with the Telephonics' radar and FLIR Electro Optical Infrared system, and highlighted the versatility of the unmanned helicopter's modular payload architecture and its flexibility in integrating off-the-shelf payloads.
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12/16/2009
The German Air Force’s Jagdbombergeschwader 31 “Boelcke” has received today its first four Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The Eurofighter Typhoons have been handed over in a ceremony at the Wing’s base, Nörvenich, in North Rhine Westphalia and will replace the Tornados today in service with the Wing by the end of June 2010.
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12/16/2009
Raytheon Company's Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared pod, which provides pinpoint accuracy and real-time target assessment from long standoff ranges, has marked more than 500,000 hours of operational flight on the U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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12/16/2009
Boeing today announced that it has completed a demonstration for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) at Fort Bragg, N.C., that integrated both air and ground unmanned systems to perform psychological operations (PSYOP) wartime missions for combatant commands.
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12/15/2009
Sikorsky Military Systems, a business unit of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., and Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) have successfully completed the Armed BLACK HAWK (ABH) demonstrator program, proof-of concept for the development BATTLEHAWKTM helicopter. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
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12/15/2009
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today celebrated the formal delivery of a UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter to the Defense Forces of Bahrain. It is the first of nine aircraft that will ultimately be delivered. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
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12/15/2009
Raytheon Company demonstrated the capability to employ the AIM-9X Sidewinder advanced infrared-guided air-to-air missile to attack surface targets.
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12/15/2009
It’s the perfect job for anybody who likes the Joker better than Batman or cheers for Tom instead of Jerry.
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12/14/2009
Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany participated in an exercise Dec. 1 through 10 at Nevatim Air Force Base, Israel to accomplish various training requirements for the C-130J Super Hercules which are not allowed in Germany because of country regulations.
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12/14/2009
Thirty Royal Danish air force F-16 Fighting Falcons took to the sky over their homeland Dec. 8 to rendezvous with a Royal Air Force Mildenhall-based KC-135 Stratotanker and perform semi-annual aerial refueling training.
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12/14/2009
Boeing today announced that it has delivered the 500th Combat Track II kit, an airborne intelligence system for U.S. Air Force cargo and bomber aircraft that enhances situational awareness, increases aircrew survivability and improves airframe effectiveness.
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12/11/2009
The Air Combat Command accident investigation board is attributing the July 18 crash, the first fighter-jet crash in Afghanistan since the war started, to aircrew mistakes.
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12/11/2009
Russia's plan to supply Lebanon with 10 MiG-29 fighter jets will enter its final phase soon, the Beirut-based Al-Markazia news agency reported.
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12/11/2009
The two EC225s ordered by the French Armament Procurement Agency (DGA) will be the first to be operated by the French Navy. The helicopters, which will be used to perform search and rescue (SAR) missions off the coast of Brittany, are slated for delivery in the first half of 2010 and will be assigned to the Lanvéoc naval air station in the Finistère region. They are destined to replace the navy's Super-Frelon helicopters, which are near the end of their service life, and will be operated until s
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12/11/2009
Today (Dec. 10th, 2009) was the first delivery of the Heron Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to the Canadian company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), and to the customer, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Heron UAS, made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), includes an aircraft, mission payloads, Advanced Ground Control Station (AGCS), spare parts, and ground support equipment.
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12/10/2009
Wreckage discovered in the Tatar Strait in the past three days was confirmed to belong to the Russian military Tu-142 plane that crashed to the surface in the strait in early November, a search team member has said.
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12/10/2009
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Jim Culmo, vice president of Airborne Early Warning & Battle Management Command and Control Programs, said today that the company's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Program is on track for initial operational test and evaluation in 2011. Culmo provided a program overview at the Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management 2009 Conference in Amsterdam.
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12/10/2009
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) of China has taken delivery of two Grand light twin helicopters during an official ceremony held at AgustaWstland's Vergiate facility in Italy today.
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12/10/2009
Saab has entered into a partnership with Thai company Avia Satcom Co. Ltd., to form a joint venture for developing high technology products within aviation and defence.
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12/10/2009
Two Russian Tu-95 MS Bear strategic bombers have accomplished a routine patrol mission over neutral waters of the Arctic and Pacific oceans, an Air Force spokesman said on Thursday.
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12/10/2009
A secure, internet-like tactical network is one step closer to providing joint warfighters with unprecedented access to voice, data and video communications, as well as a level of interoperability never achieved before. The Lockheed Martin team has announced the successful completion of Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Airborne, Maritime/ Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). The Lockheed Martin team includes BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.
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12/09/2009
A fuel leak on board India’s most advanced fighter could have led to the engine fire that caused the Su 30 MKI crash on Monday. Investigators, including an HAL engine expert, have reached the site of the crash and sources said a problem with the fuel system was likely to have caused the fire on board the aircraft that forced both pilots to eject.
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12/09/2009
Not many modern armed forces unite in their inventory, and particularly among their key assets, technology from two – in political terms – entirely opposite origins. It is more common in the countries of the former Soviet bloc where, since the fall of the iron curtain, Western technology slowly but ever increasingly found its way into countries primarily equipped with Russian weapon systems. In the past two decades the Middle East and southern countries of the Asian continent have become areas i
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12/09/2009
The test flight of India’s naval version of indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas began at the naval air station INS Hansa here on Tuesday.
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12/09/2009
Pakistan has received the first of four Saab-2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft from Sweden, with the air force claiming it will boost operational capabilities manifold over land and sea.
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12/09/2009
Russian Helicopters is pursuing modernisation of constituent companies by introducing prospective industry technology to the manufacturing process. As part of this move Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress named after N.I. Sazykin will see full-scale technical overhaul in 2009—2015. The company manufactures the famous Ka-50 Black Shark and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters and the Ka-60/62. The new light Mi-34C2 Peregrine is about to enter production.
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12/09/2009
Russia's MiG aircraft maker said on Tuesday it has delivered the first four MiG-29 Fulcrum-D carrier-based fighter jets to India.
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12/08/2009
Lockheed Martin has received a $14.75 million U.S. Navy contract to integrate a digital messaging interface that will improve the flow of data the MH-60R anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter can send to U.S. Navy ships across the new Ku band tactical data link.
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12/08/2009
Vietnam could become a key importer of Russian weaponry if several contracts on the purchase of diesel submarines and aircraft are signed in the near future, a Russian newspaper said.
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12/07/2009
The Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III program has completed the first flight of its structures test aircraft. The test, conducted Nov. 23 in Mesa, demonstrated flight characteristics and handling maneuvers. Tests to continue to expand the helicopter's flight envelope are expected to continue for the next several weeks.
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12/03/2009
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its entire fleet of Sukhoi fighter jets after one crashed during a routine training exercise in Rajasthan state.
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12/02/2009
A Boeing and a Raytheon employee complete installation of an APY-10 radar antenna on P-8A Poseidon test aircraft T2 last month at the Boeing Developmental Center in Seattle. T2 is the P-8A program's primary mission system test article.
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12/01/2009
Lockheed Martin has marked successful entry into low rate initial production on the F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The first production units have been delivered to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, TX, for integration onto the aircraft.
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12/01/2009
The Boeing EA-18G Growler was approved to advance into Full Rate Production (FRP) by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) on Nov. 23. The St. Louis-based EA-18G program now can proceed from Low Rate Initial Production to FRP quantities of approximately 20 aircraft per year.
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