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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11/30/2009
An Indian Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed on Monday near Jaisalmer in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, but both pilots survived, an Air Force spokesman said.
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11/30/2009
Boeing today announced it has received a $23 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for Phase 2 of the B-1 Laptop Controlled Targeting Pod software upgrade. The upgrade will add additional capability to the B-1 bomber aircraft's targeting system by allowing it to more accurately identify both stationary and moving targets.
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11/28/2009
The Boeing Company today delivered the first two Project Wedgetail 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
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11/25/2009
Alenia Aermacchi (a subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica) – and ARMAEREO (Direzione Generale per gli Armamenti Aeronautici) signed a contract worth EUR 220 million to provide the Italian Air Force with six M-346 Master advanced trainer aircraft (T-346A) and related flight simulators, which together comprise an Integrated Training System (ITS). This contract forms part of a broader agreement to supply a total of 15 M-346 Masters and related support.
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11/25/2009
Northrop Grumman Corporation completed the first three MQ-8B Fire Scout production deliveries to the U.S. Navy, which completes the first year of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (VTUAV) program.
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11/25/2009
Russia has completed the delivery of 28 Su-30MKA Flanker-C multi-role fighters to Algeria.
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11/25/2009
Boeing has completed delivery of two more trainers for the U.S. Air Force's C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. The Avionics Part Task Trainer and Cockpit Familiarization Trainer were declared "Ready for Use" on Sept. 25 and Oct. 22, respectively.
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11/24/2009
Pakistan has reportedly reached a deal with China to buy 36 Chengdu J-10B fighters in a deal worth around $1.4 billion.
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11/21/2009
Two Russian Tu-95 MS Bear strategic bombers have accomplished a routine patrol mission over neutral waters of the Arctic and Pacific oceans and the Aleutian Islands, an Air Force spokesman said on Friday.
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11/21/2009
Demonstrating the increase in the C-130J build and delivery rate, Lockheed Martin simultaneously delivered two C-130Js on Nov. 19 to two different customers – a C-130J to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and a KC-130J to the U.S. Marine Corps.
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11/21/2009
Lockheed Martin has received a $17.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for a software upgrade that integrates critical communications and situational awareness capabilities into the A-10C close air support fighter.
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11/20/2009
Lockheed Martin and U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officials marked the delivery of the first CBP set of new production P-3 Orion wings from the company's Marietta, Ga., production facility today.
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11/20/2009
Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on Nov. 18 commissioned a C-17 Globemaster III Aircrew Training System (ATS) at RAAF Base Amberley.
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11/19/2009
The Boeing Company in May demonstrated the ability of mobile laser weapon systems to perform a unique mission: track and destroy small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
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11/18/2009
The Saab 340 Erieye AEW flight took two hours and 14 minutes and was executed by Magnus Fredriksson and Åke Wargh from Saab.
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11/17/2009
Russia will offer a new package of proposals on military-technical cooperation to countries in the Middle East at a major air show in the region, Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said.
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11/17/2009
The first Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighter arrived Sunday at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where it will conduct its first hovers and vertical landings. The ferry flight initiates a sequence of F-35 arrivals at Patuxent River this year and next.
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11/17/2009
Lockheed Martin's first optimized conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35 Lightning II fighter made its inaugural flight on Saturday, Nov. 14, the fourth F-35 to begin flight operations.
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11/13/2009
While Israel is interested in purchasing the fifth-generation stealth Joint Strike Fighter from Lockheed Martin, it will likely hinge its order on US acceptance of its demand that Israeli defense industries be allowed to participate in the aircraft's production, senior defense officials said Thursday.
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11/13/2009
Raytheon Company moves closer to its first international sale of RACR (Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar) following approval for the company to move forward with technical discussions with at least two potential customers.
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11/13/2009
The Boeing Company received a $500,000 U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract on Sept. 30 for the first phase of a program to demonstrate miniature weapon technology for use on unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV).
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11/12/2009
Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes against rebel positions in northern Yemen, hitting dozens of targets, and has moved thousands of troops to the border.
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11/12/2009
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] at this year’s Dubai Air Show will showcase a range of advanced commercial and defense products and services designed to meet the needs of customers in the Middle East. The show runs Nov. 15-19.
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11/12/2009
Engine failure could have caused Friday's crash of a Russian military Tu-142 plane in the Tatar Strait, the chief of the Russian General Staff said on Wednesday.
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11/12/2009
The Boeing Company on Sept. 28 received a $275,000 contract from the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) for a study of the magnetic noise associated with the heavy-fuel propulsion system on Boeing's MagEagle Compressed Carriage (MECC) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). The MECC, designed and built to be magnetically quiet, is a special-mission variant of the company's ScanEagle Compressed Carriage UAS.
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11/11/2009
Lockheed Martin will present a variety of program briefings for members of the media at the "Dubai Airshow." The show takes place Monday, Nov. 16, through Thursday, Nov. 19.
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11/10/2009
Capt. Steve Ritchie, left, piloted an F-4 Phantom in Vietnam with Capt. Charles DeBellevue as his weapons systems officer. The two shot down five MiGs together during the war. (Courtesy photo)
“There are two saddest days in a pilot’s life,” says Chuck DeBellevue. “The day he walks out to an airplane knowing it’s his last flight and the day he walks out to an airplane not knowing it’s his last flight.”
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11/10/2009
An F-16 pilot takes aim at a ground target, losing track of just how steep and low his jet is. Too confused to eject, he crashes.
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11/10/2009
Northrop Grumman Corporation is participating in the Dubai Airshow 2009 where it will highlight its global security capabilities and programmes, including its world leading expertise in airborne early warning and control systems, fire control radars and infrared countermeasures.
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11/10/2009
The Russian Pacific Fleet suspended on Saturday all flights of its naval aviation following the crash of a Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance plane in Russia's Far East, the fleet spokesman said.
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11/10/2009
Maj. Gen. Michael Snodgrass, chief of staff, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, today accepted the seventh of 14 Lockheed Martin C-130Js to be based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The USAF Europe C-130Js based at Ramstein also support the airlift needs of Africa Command.
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11/10/2009
The Boeing Company has been awarded a $72 million U.S. Air Force contract for more than 2,900 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits.
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11/09/2009
The Boeing Company announced today that it has successfully completed tests of the Counter Measures Dispenser System (CMDS) for Project Wedgetail, Australia's Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. The tests were conducted in September and October off the Washington coast and over Puget Sound, Wash.
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11/08/2009
There is no indication that the crew of a Russian military Tu-142 plane that crashed late on Friday made use of emergency equipment, a highly-placed Air Force source told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
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11/07/2009
There were 11 people on board the Pacific Fleet's Tu-142 plane that has crashed off Russia's Pacific coast, an Air Force source in the Far Eastern Military District said on Saturday.
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11/07/2009
Lockheed Martin has received three contracts totaling $7.7 million from the U.S. Air Force for the continued modernization and sustainment of the A-10 close air support fighter jet.
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11/07/2009
Boeing submitted a proposal to the U.S. Air Force on Nov. 5 for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) II weapon system program, following the completion of a successful 42-month risk reduction program.
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11/07/2009
Boeing and development teammate ACME Worldwide Enterprises delivered the first Remote Aerial Refueling Operator (RARO) Trainer to the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) on Oct. 12.
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11/06/2009
Boeing today announced that it delivered the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) third F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet three months ahead of schedule on Sept. 30, after completing production on the multirole fighter at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' St. Louis facility.
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11/05/2009
The new M-346 Master advanced trainer designed by Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company, has reached the symbolic 1,000-flight milestone.
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11/05/2009
Boeing today delivered F-111 A08-135 to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at a ceremony at RAAF Base Amberley. The jet is the 28th and final F-111 serviced by Boeing under the Deeper Maintenance program.
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11/02/2009
Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy completed the first free-flight demonstration of the Joint Standoff Weapon Extended Range air-to-surface precision guided missile.
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11/01/2009
A Russian heavy-lift military cargo plane crashed on takeoff Sunday in Siberia, killing all 11 crew members on board, officials said.
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10/31/2009
Lockheed Martin successfully completed the first in a series of flight tests of the paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) guidance kit. The paveway II Plus LGB uses an enhanced laser guidance package, significantly improving precision when compared to existing paveway II LGBs.
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10/31/2009
The Boeing Company, with partner Bell Helicopter, has received a contract from the U.S. Navy to upgrade the CV-22 Cabin Part Task Trainer (CPTT) with modifications including an Aircrew Flight Simulation (AFS) that deploys a fused reality system that fuses video images with virtual reality. The upgrade will be delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command, 58th Training Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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10/31/2009
The Boeing Company today announced it has received an $84 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for additional upgrades of the B-1 bomber fleet's avionics software.
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10/29/2009
Rheinmetall Defence and the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (Bundesamt f?r Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung – BWB) signed a service provider contract today to provide the German Bundeswehr with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through the deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. This bridges the gap prior to the “SAATEG (System zur Abbildenden Aufkl?rung in der Tiefe des Einsatzgebietes)” acquisition programme. Under the curren
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10/29/2009
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II team has established three new leadership positions to ensure a successful F-35 Initial Operational Capability (IOC) and introduction into U.S. military fleets. The new program managers, one each for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, will provide a direct link between Lockheed Martin and the individual services.
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10/29/2009
Boeing transported a 170-foot-long C-17 Globemaster III fuselage by tractor-trailer from its facility in Long Beach to Seal Beach, Calif., and then by ship to Fort Lee, Va. -- a monthlong journey that ended on Aug. 22.
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10/28/2009
NASA and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced the initial flight of a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to be used for environmental science research.
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10/28/2009
Alenia Aeronautica has delivered on the 21st of October 2009 to the Air Force of the Lithuanian Republic the last out of 3 C-27Js, as per the contract signed in June 2006, fully meeting time schedule.
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10/27/2009
The Austrian Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoons were significantly involved in air policing missions during meetings of NATO’s Defence Ministers held in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October 2009.
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10/27/2009
The Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) successfully completed Lot 7 Reliability Assessment Program flight tests with a record of 15 successes out of 16 flights, as officially scored by an independent test data scoring board.
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10/27/2009
Lockheed Martin’s new multi-functional AGM-114R HELLFIRE II missile scored a direct hit during its first proof-of-principle (POP) flight test recently at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The HELLFIRE II design, now entering the qualification phase, features a new multi-purpose warhead that enables a single missile to cover all of the target sets of the current laser-guided HELLFIRE II variants.
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10/26/2009
Fourteen Americans were killed in Afghanistan on Monday in two crashes involving helicopters, making it one of the deadliest days in America’s eight-year war here.
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10/24/2009
Lockheed Martin officials briefed reporters Tuesday at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition about the proven capabilities of the C‑130J Super Hercules, all of which are key components in aiding global security. Attendees gained insight into how the C-130J meets 90 percent of the world’s airlift needs, how the aircraft is used today and its future capabilities.
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10/24/2009
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program is the only fighter program delivering 5th generation capabilities internationally, a Lockheed Martin executive said Tuesday at the Seoul Air Show.
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10/24/2009
The Boeing Company submitted two proposals to the Indian Air Force this week, offering the AH-64D Apache and the CH-47F Chinook for India's attack and heavy-lift helicopter competitions.
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10/23/2009
The nation's fleet of B-2 stealth bombers will all receive a new Northrop Grumman Corporation developed radar system following the U.S. Air Force's decision to authorize full-rate production of the units by the company's Radar Modernization Program (RMP).
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10/23/2009
The Boeing Company has successfully completed its industrial cooperation program for the AH-64D Apache Armed Helicopter Program for the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs. This achievement, reached one year ahead of schedule and exceeding the reinvestment obligation, demonstrates the company's continued success in meeting its industrial cooperation commitments. Boeing has successfully implemented industrial participation programs totaling more than US$31 billion in nearly 40 countries over
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10/21/2009
The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $17.5 million contract to upgrade existing anti-submarine warfare systems aboard the P-3C Orion aircraft to improve current acoustic capabilities and significantly reduce parts obsolescence.
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10/20/2009
In preparation for its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E), Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye test aircraft, known as Delta One, has successfully completed its first land-based catapult launch tests - a required phase of testing prior to fleet introduction. Both E-2D System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft, Delta One and Delta Two, are currently undergoing shore-based carrier suitability testing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., conducted b
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10/20/2009
The first Gripen NATO Pylon manufactured at Aero Vodochody in the Czech Republic was handed over to Saab during a ceremony on October 8.
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10/20/2009
BAE Systems has been awarded a five and a half year contract worth more than £400m by Eurofighter GmbH. The new contract will provide support for the radar and defensive aids sub systems (DASS) on the Typhoon fleets for the air forces of Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
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10/18/2009
A military delegation from Iraq will visit Moscow in the near future to discuss the purchase of Russian weaponry, an Iraqi parliament member has said.
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10/16/2009
Northrop Grumman Corporation and EADS Defence & Security (DS) introduced the first Euro Hawk(R) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in an unveiling ceremony today at Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, Calif., facility. The Euro Hawk(R) marks the first international configuration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAS, and solidifies Northrop Grumman's first transatlantic cooperation with Germany and DS.
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10/16/2009
The Boeing Company will highlight its partnerships with Korean industry as it presents the company's leading-edge commercial and defense technologies and capabilities at the 2009 Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition, starting Oct. 20 at Seoul Airport.
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10/15/2009
Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport expressed the hope on Wednesday that it could initiate military-technological cooperation with the sultanate of Brunei.
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10/14/2009
Russia's Navy will buy at least 24 MiG-29K (Fulcrum-D) fighters to be deployed on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, an unnamed Defense Ministry official said on Friday.
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10/14/2009
Lockheed Martin unveiled the first of 18 new F-16s being produced for Pakistan in ceremonies today at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility. Officials including the Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. and Pakistan Air Forces were on hand to witness the event.
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10/14/2009
The Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter successfully completed 20 test flights from Aug. 31 to Oct. 8 with the Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER). The tests, conducted at Fort Stewart, Ga., validated the radar-carrying A160T's flight characteristics with more than 50 hours of flying time.
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10/14/2009
The Boeing Company and the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 19 damaged a moving ground vehicle from the air using the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, completing ATL's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a mobile target.
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10/13/2009
A flight instructor and a trainee are considered missing following a combat trainer crash in Ireland on Monday, a local newspaper reported citing the country's Air Corps officials.
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10/13/2009
A Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber has accidentally dropped a bomb on a house in southern Kazakhstan, which did not explode, Kazakh military prosecutors said.
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10/13/2009
The Boeing GBU-40 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) II team successfully concluded a 42-month risk reduction program on Sept. 29 with a flight test in which the weapon impacted its target.
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10/12/2009
The Russian air force has grounded its mainstay heavylift cargo planes following an accident in which an engine broke off the wing of one of the aircraft just before take off, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.
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10/11/2009
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman will leave for the United States in a few days to attend the Pakistan F-16 Peace Drive I inauguration ceremony and a luncheon at the Lockheed Martin aeronautics company, the manufacturers of the state-of-the-art aircraft.
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10/10/2009
Saudi Arabia is the only Arab state contiguous to Israel to maintain a full state of war with Israel since 1948 without ever agreeing to any cease fire or peace treaty with the Jewish state. In the context of that war, the Saudi government has been negotiating for a new major order of the F-15 fighter jets from the United States.
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10/10/2009
India will discuss the modernization of the Russian-made Su-30MKI aircraft in service with its air force during an upcoming military-technical cooperation meeting in Moscow, the country's Defense Ministry said on Friday.
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10/09/2009
After five years of developing capabilities for the RAF’s frontline Typhoons, BT005, a development aircraft based at BAE Systems Warton, will now transfer to RAF Coningsby to join its frontline colleagues.
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10/09/2009
Lockheed Martin recently completed a successful test of a new infrared sensor turret aboard its Desert Hawk III Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), marking the first time a small UAS has flown with a 360-degree infrared sensor.
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10/09/2009
The Boeing Company today delivered a third C-17 Globemaster III to the NATO Airlift Management Organization (NAMO) in support of NAMO's 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) initiative. The delivery, which took place at Boeing's final assembly facility in Long Beach, completes SAC's first fleet of the advanced airlifters.
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10/08/2009
Boeing today announced that the AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopter successfully completed its first flight on Sept. 16, seven months after the company started work on the prototype aircraft.
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10/06/2009
Saab has submitted an update on the proposal offering 36 Gripen Next Generation (NG) to the Brazilian Air Force. The offer consists of a cost-effective solution, a comprehensive Technology Transfer and a unique competitive partnership between Brazil and Sweden.
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10/05/2009
Boeing on Oct. 2 in Brisbane received an Engineering Excellence Award, Resource Development category, from the Queensland Division of Engineers Australia. The award from the state's top engineering organization recognizes Boeing Defence Australia's best practices in support of Australia's F-111 strike aircraft fleet.
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10/05/2009
Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday it will exhibit a wide range of aircraft, air defense systems and high-precision guided missiles at an airshow in Libya.
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10/03/2009
The opening of the Typhoon Support Centre and the Typhoon Maintenance Facility at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on 30th September 2009, marks the official start of the Typhoon Availability Service (TAS) for which BAE Systems will take a major role in ensuring the availability of the Typhoon fleet to meet its standing and operational commitments.
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10/03/2009
India wants to buy another 50 Sukhoi-30MKI multi-role fighters, an Indian daily reported on Friday. According to The Times of India, the 50 air-superiority fighters will come on top of the 230 already contracted from Russia in three deals worth a total of $8.5 billion.
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10/03/2009
Two Boeing programs, the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) and the AH-64 Apache, participated in a successful integrated capabilities event this summer at the U.S. Army's C4ISR On-The-Move (OTM) Event 09 at Fort Dix, N.J. For the first time during this large-scale exercise, Boeing flew a WNW-equipped Apache helicopter and demonstrated the Army's concept for networking the Future Force by transmitting data, voice and video communications between air and ground forces.
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10/02/2009
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the ATAK Team, comprising Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), Aselsan and AgustaWestland, has successfully performed the maiden flight of the first T129 prototype.
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10/02/2009
On September 25, 2009 Alenia Aeronautica delivered at Capodichino the first of the 18 G.222 tactical airlifters ordered by the United States Air Force for the Afghan National Air Corps in September 2008.
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10/02/2009
The 4th Air Wing of the Italian Air Force have reached the key milestone of 10,000 flight hours with the Eurofighter Typhoon.
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10/02/2009
The Boeing Company announced today that a (K)DC-10 modified with Fokker Services and Boeing's Cockpit Upgrade Program (CUP) has completed a certification flight-test program that began in July 2008.
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10/01/2009
Russia's MiG aircraft maker said on Tuesday it has successfully tested on board the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier four MiG-29 carrier-based fighter jets due to be delivered to India.
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10/01/2009
Lockheed Martin delivered the first set of new production P-3 Orion wings to the company’s launch customer, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, on Sept. 25. The milestone delivery ushers in a new era of P-3 life cycle sustainment.
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10/01/2009
Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) missile system recently reached two program milestones -- the first launch from an F-16 aircraft and the 100th missile launch. Both flights took place at the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, Calif.
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09/30/2009
Boeing has connected two additional F-15E Mission Training Centers (MTC) to the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Mission Operations Network (DMON) -- one at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and one at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom.
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09/28/2009
When the Israeli army's then-Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Halutz was asked in 2004 how far Israel would go to stop Iran's nuclear program, he replied: "2,000 kilometers," roughly the distance been the two countries.
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09/28/2009
The DSCA notified US Congress of two possible Singapore Air Force pilot training programs. Singapore wishes to continue training in the Continental United States (CONUS).
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09/28/2009
Russian strategic and tactical bombers equipped with new high-precision weapons systems have successfully conducted live-firing drills at a practice range in Belarus, a Ground Forces spokesman said on Sunday.
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09/25/2009
General Dynamics C4 Systems has received a $37 million contract to supply the U.S. Air Force with Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Mode 5 (KIV-78) cryptographic modules and spare parts. The IFF cryptographic modules enable precise identification of ‘friendly’ aircraft by ships, ground forces and other aircraft operating in increasingly large and crowded battlespaces. Deliveries from the five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract begin in May 2010; the initial delivery or
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09/25/2009
The Boeing Company today received the Draft Request for Proposal document for the KC-X Tanker competition from the U.S. Air Force, and released the following statement:
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09/25/2009
Eurofighter has delivered the 15th and final aircraft ordered by the Austrian Armed Forces today. The aircraft was rolled out from the the EADS Defence & Security Manching assembly line, close to Munich, Germany.
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09/25/2009
Lockheed Martin has signed a foreign military sales contract to deliver Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) to the Royal Moroccan Air Force. The $30 million contract includes integration support, product spares and logistics support. The Sniper ATPs will fly on the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s newly-purchased F-16 block 50 aircraft.
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09/25/2009
The Boeing Company announced today that it has received two separate contracts from the U.S. Air Force to support modernization of the service's fleet of 365 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The contracts, which have a total value of $4.2 million, consist of several tasks ranging in duration from three to 18 months.
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09/22/2009
Turkey has increased its requirement for Boeing CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters from 10 to 14 aircraft, with its undersecretariat for defence industries, the SSM, having added four for special forces applications.
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09/21/2009
ELTA Systems Ltd., a group and wholly owned subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has been awarded a contract to supply its self-protection systems, Flight Guard, for commercial planes in Israel. Contracts for various customers in Israel and abroad for the self-protection systems are estimated to be valued at tens of millions of dollars, over period of years. This is the only system to be tested and authorized by the Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA).
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09/21/2009
The defence and security company Saab has received an order valued at MSEK 130 from FMV (the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) for the development and upgrade of the Armed Forces SK60 training aircraft.
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09/21/2009
The same video management technology that helps sports broadcasters assemble the day’s top highlights will soon help military commanders track the action on the battlefield. The U.S. Joint Forces Command awarded a Lockheed Martin team a $29 million contract for Valiant Angel, a new system that will apply highly advanced broadcasting technologies to help commanders collect, manage, process, exploit and disseminate full-motion video.
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09/19/2009
Criminal charges have been laid against the top management of a company accused of providing low-quality equipment for MiG-29 fighters later rejected by Algeria, Russia's business daily Kommersant said on Friday.
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09/19/2009
Russia will finish upgrading MiG-29 fighters in service with the Indian air force in 2013, a Russian defense industry source has said.
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09/19/2009
Russia's Phazotron NIIR corporation said on Thursday it has developed a new-generation airborne radar for MiG-35 fighter jets which participate in the Indian fighter tender.
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09/18/2009
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] senior leadership briefed members of the media about three growing air mobility business areas at this year’s Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition. Speakers provided details on how well the C-5M Super Galaxy and C-130J Super Hercules are performing and the company offered insight into future airlift technology concepts.
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