Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing P-8A Poseidon T2 Successfully Completes 1st Flight

06/05/2009

Boeing P-8A Poseidon test aircraft T2 takes off from Renton Field today to begin its successful first flight. T2 took off at 10:32 a.m. Pacific time and landed two hours and 56 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle at 1:28 p.m.

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems to Acquire Axsys Technologies, Inc.

06/05/2009

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Axsys Technologies, Inc., (NASDAQ: AXYS) for $54 per share of Axsys Technologies’ outstanding common stock. The cost of the transaction would be $643 million.

Lockheed Martin Releases Paris Air Show 2009 Media Briefing Schedule

06/04/2009

Lockheed Martin today released its media briefing schedule for the 2009 Paris Air Show. Briefings will take place in the Lockheed Martin Press Center, Lockheed Martin Chalet, Row A, No. 397, unless otherwise designated below.

Boeing Details Briefing Schedule for Paris Air Show 2009

06/04/2009

The Boeing Company today outlined its presentation schedule for the Paris Air Show, which begins later this month and is marking its 100th anniversary this year.

FLIR Systems experiencing high demand for airborne imaging systems around the world

06/04/2009

FLIR Systems announced today that it is experiencing a strong demand around the world for the company's Star SAFIRE and Talon classes of stabilised, multi-sensor airborne systems.

General cites importance of airpower for Afghanistan

06/04/2009

The Afghan National Army Air Corps is a vital and rapidly growing component of Afghanistan's security forces and is building airpower to deny terrorists a safe haven in Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force general here said.

Lockheed Martin Conducts Successful Flight Of AFRL’s Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft

06/03/2009

On Tuesday, June 2, Lockheed Martin and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) successfully conducted the initial demonstration flight of the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA). This flight marks the final and most significant milestone of Phase II of AFRL’s ACCA program, in which Lockheed Martin replaced the mid/aft fuselage and empennage of a Dornier 328J aircraft with an advanced composite structure.

Lockheed Martin Receives $2.1 Billion For Third Lot Of F-35 Low-Rate Production

06/03/2009

The United States Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.1 billion contract modification to produce 17 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in the third lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP). The buy also includes the first international orders – two F-35 operational test aircraft for the United Kingdom and one for the Netherlands.

Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force Mark Successful Sniper® ATP Site Activations at A-10C Units

06/03/2009

Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force have successfully completed Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) A-10C site activations at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, and Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.

US to sell Seoul bunker-buster bombs

06/03/2009

The 19-ft-long, 5,000lb bombs can penetrate over 20ft of concrete and 100ft of earth and could be used to target North Korea's intricate system of military bunkers and a series of munitions tunnels along the border.

Israel and Russia in UAV Deal?

06/02/2009

"Syria Buying MiG-31s, MiG-29s for $1 billion" covers ongoing speculation about a potential fighter deal with Iranian financing; some reports even place the Islamic Republic of Iran as the ultimate recipient. Recent reports say that Russia has put the deal on the backburner, though Syria denies this. What’s even more interesting are the parallel reports that Israel may be selling UAVs to Russia, and speculation that the 2 sets of events may be related.

Boeing Submits Proposal for USMC Unmanned Cargo Aircraft Demonstration

06/02/2009

The Boeing Company on June 1 submitted a proposal offering its A160T Hummingbird for the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory's Immediate Cargo Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Demonstration Program.

Extreme Altitude Bird Strike Prompts Action

06/01/2009

The Indian air force has slanted to a more ornithologically conscious approach to flight planning following a bird strike involving one of its aircraft and reported in the flight levels. A huge four-engine IAF IL-76 transport was flying at more than 22,000 feet when it struck a yet-unidentified bird.

IAF May Replace AWACS with Modern Aircraft In Future

06/01/2009

After inducting its first Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), the IAF is planning to replace the Russian IL-76 aircraft with some other "modern aircraft" as the platform for the system in future. India is the first country in South Asia to own an AWACS, popularly called 'an eye in the sky'.

India floats tender for combat, heavy lift helicopters

05/30/2009

To replace its ageing helicopter fleet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the much-awaited tenders for 22 combat and 15 heavy lift choppers to US, European and Russian manufacturers.

Egypt Intends To Purchase 24 More Lockheed Martin F-16s

05/29/2009

The U.S. Department of Defense formally notified Congress on April 12 of Egypt's intent to purchase 24 more F-16 aircraft. This begins a 30-day review period.

Russia to upgrade military transport fleet, buy new planes

05/29/2009

The acquisition of new aircraft for Russia's military transport aviation will begin in 2012, while modernized Il-76, An-22 and An-124 aircraft will remain in service for another 20-30 years, a senior Air Force official said on Friday.

Russian govt. approves Kyrgyz airbase lease extension to 49 years

05/29/2009

The Russian government has approved the 49-year term of its lease of an airbase in Kyrgyzstan, with an automatic prolongation every 25 years.

Gripen policing the Baltic States’ airspace

05/29/2009

The Czech Air Force is now responsible for protecting the airspace of the Baltic countries. Czech Gripens are therefore policing the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Pakistan fighter jet crashes

05/29/2009

A CHINESE-BUILT Pakistan Air Force FT-7 fighter jet crashed in central Pakistan on Friday during a training run but the pilots ejected safely, officials said.

Indian MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan; pilot safe

05/29/2009

In the third crash of a fighter plane in Rajasthan in a month, a MiG-21 went down in a village about 40km from Jodhpur on Wednesday. The pilot was brought down by villagers from a tree into which he fell after ejecting safely.

Iraq Orders C-130Js

05/29/2009

In August 1990, Iraq’s Air Force had more than 500 aircraft in their inventory. The IqAF was decimated in 1991, after Saddam invaded Kuwait and ended up facing the US military and its allies. What remained was hobbled by extensive, and expensive, no-fly zones, until the war formally concluded in 2003 with a US-led invasion that eliminated Saddam’s regime. Rebuilding it under the new Iraqi government has been a slow process.

IAF practicing MIG-29/F-16 dogfights

05/29/2009

Israel Air Force test pilots are flying MIG 29 jets and conducting dogfights against the IAF's F-16 fighters.

Rolls-Royce awarded $80 million contract for C-130J engine

05/28/2009

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has been awarded a contract worth $80 million by the U.S. Air Force to provide AE 2100D3 spare engines and parts to power Lockheed Martin C-130J military transport aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the Indian Air Force.

First Russian AWACS plane put in service with Indian air force

05/28/2009

The first Russian-made A-50 Mainstay AWACS aircraft developed on the basis of Il-76MD military transport plane officially entered service on Thursday with the Indian Air Force (IAF).