January, 2010 Military Aviation News
01/31/2010
The Boeing Company and industry supplier HAVELSAN announced today that they have completed installation of Mission Simulator and Mission Support Center hardware for Turkey's Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) program.
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01/31/2010
The exclusion of F-16C/D jets and of submarines from the recent United States arms deal did not mean that those purchases would not go ahead, Premier Wu Den-yih said Sunday.
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01/31/2010
The Obama administration's 2011 defense budget avoids the controversial weapons cuts of last year, according to a draft copy, and continues to shift modest amounts of money to weapons programs such as helicopters, unmanned planes and Special Operations units that are in heavy use Afghanistan and Iraq.
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01/31/2010
The A400M is massively over budget and four years behind schedule and the aircraft manufacturer wants the seven governments who have ordered it to pay more.
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01/30/2010
Lockheed Martin Corp. is fixing a structural weakness in the Navy version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that limits the jet’s ability to launch from aircraft carriers, according to a company spokesman.
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01/30/2010
The first batch of Russian fifth-generation fighters will go into service in 2013, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
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01/30/2010
France is spending $300 million to upgrade its four E-3F AWACS (Air Warning And Control System) aircraft. The upgrade will replace ancient (mainframe based) computers with PC type networked hardware. This will enable regular upgrades with new processors and data storage equipment. New software will introduce a Windows type interface, and joysticks. This is similar to an upgrade performed on American AWACS. French AWACS will remain able to closely cooperate with E-3 type AWACS used by other natio
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01/30/2010
As the Chinese Air Force puts an increasing number of modern combat aircraft into service, it has realized that it's logistical support services have to modernize as well. Logistics is essential if these modern aircraft (like the Su-30) can be kept in battle. To do that, these aircraft need large quantities of fuel, weapons, spare parts, and people who know how to get that stuff to where it is needed, and on time. The emphasis is on "generating sorties" (rearming and refueling modern fighters qu
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01/29/2010
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will present a wide variety of its advanced technologies and products at this year's Singapore Air Show, taking place from February 2nd – February 7th, 2010 at the Changi Exhibition Centre.
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01/29/2010
Boeing announced today that a B-52H upgraded with new communication technology successfully accomplished its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base on Jan. 17. The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions.
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01/29/2010
Boeing delivered a record five Apache Longbow Crew Trainers (LCTs) in 2009 -- more than in any previous year -- and all five have been declared "ready for training."
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01/29/2010
The United Arab Emirates Air Force is considering selling the Mirage 2000-9 jet fighters that it originally purchased from France, according to a UAE representative at the Dubai Air Show last November. The main reason, he said, was high maintenance costs.
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01/29/2010
A United States aircraft landed at a military air base in Colombia on Thursday, with the intention that it will be used by the Colombian government to deliver aid to Haiti.
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01/29/2010
Though Lockheed Martin Corp. has thousands of government contracts, none is more important to its future than the F-35 Lightning II, a fighter-jet program that will cost almost $300 billion to design, build and buy in the coming decades.
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01/29/2010
Russia on Thursday expressed optimism that the MiG-35 fighter jets fielded by it in the Indian Air Force's tender for acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will prove an edge over its Western rivals and ultimately win the contract.
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01/28/2010
The military says Nellis Air Force Base will host extra activity in coming days with combat training exercises being conducted over the Nevada desert.
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01/28/2010
The Singapore Airshow 2010, starting on February 2, will take place at a time when industry players are noticing a pickup in the aviation sector.
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01/28/2010
The Boeing Company will highlight its broad range of commercial and defense products, technologies, and services during this year’s Singapore Airshow, which begins Feb. 2.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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01/22/2010
Eurocopter recently reported its 2009 figures, and offered forecasts for 2010. While Robinson is far and away the leading global helicopter builder by numbers, Eurocopter is generally accepted as the #1 firm when measures include order value, competition across multiple major segments, etc. This makes their fate and forecasts an interesting bellwether for the sector.
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01/22/2010
Plans to locally develop a fighter aircraft and an attack helicopter will start next year. The plan is part of comprehensive projects to develop the nation’s aerospace industry over the next decade, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.
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01/22/2010
Vietnam became Russia's biggest arms client in 2009, having ordered six diesel-electric submarines and 12 Su-30 fighter jets, according to the calculations of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), a think tank here that tracks Russia's arms exports.
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01/22/2010
Bahrain’s first-ever international air show, which began yesterday at the country’s Sakhir Airbase, showcased 74 aircraft from suppliers representing 15 nations.
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01/22/2010
Hellenic Aerospace Industries has won a three-year, $43 million contract with the Saudi Arabian defence ministry to maintain and repair the Rolls-Royce Allison T56 engines that power its air force fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130 tactical transports.
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01/22/2010
A testing delay for the F-35 program will prompt an increase in the per-unit cost of the stealthy single-engine fighter “for a period,” says the U.S. Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz.
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01/22/2010
A package of arms sales being prepared by Washington for Taiwan may portend a downturn in U.S.-China relations only a year after the Obama administration entered office championing closer ties with Beijing. The ever-sensitive topic of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, considered by Beijing to be an integral part of the People’s Republic of China, will undoubtedly result in protestations by the Chinese, who have long maintained a vow to recover the island by force if necessary.
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01/22/2010
India's Navy has started a $1.5 billion overhaul of its ageing Soviet-era fleet of aircraft, seeking to boost its air power in an Indian Ocean region where a growing China is threatening its traditional dominance.
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01/21/2010
EADS should fund a large share of the A400M's cost overrun, French Defense Minister Hervé Morin said, speaking on the eve of a meeting of procurement ministers and the prime contractor to negotiate financial terms for the troubled airlifter program.
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01/21/2010
Rosoboronexport will be taking active part in the first Bahrain International Airshow, BIAS 2010. This exhibition of military, civilian and business aircraft will take place from 21 to 23 January at the Sahir Airbase in Manama.
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01/21/2010
The Indian Air Force is offering the Bangladesh Biman Bahini (Bangladesh air force) the use of its facilities to modernise and maintain fighter aircraft and helicopters, a senior defence source told The Telegraph here.
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01/21/2010
The U.S. Defense Department is slowing Lockheed Martin Corp's $300 billion F-35 fighter jet program, a multinational effort, to stabilize its schedule and costs, according to draft budget documents obtained by Reuters.
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01/21/2010
With radar-cross-section (RCS) trials for Boeing’s Silent Eagle semi-stealthy F-15 prototype complete, company officials are now focusing on South Korea as a possible first customer.
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01/21/2010
January 20, 2010: Two years ago, the U.S. Army thought it had a deal with the Air Force, to settle a dispute over who should control army UAVs.
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01/21/2010
BAE Systems, a global defence, security and aerospace company, will display its innovative technology -- MANTIS and HERTI, its unmanned air systems, and a full size replica of the Eurofighter Typhoon, at the inaugural Bahrain
International Air Show today, a company official said.
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01/21/2010
Two Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have successfully carried out a routine patrol flight over the Arctic Ocean, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
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01/20/2010
In the latest chapter of the on-again, off-again U.S. Air Force program to upgrade avionics on the C-130 airlifter fleet, service officials say the once-dead project is now funded and will move forward.
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01/20/2010
Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Najib Tun Abdul Razak arrived here this evening on a five-day State Visit to India during which the two countries will sign several agreements aimed at forging closer bilateral cooperation between them, including possibly an extradition pact.
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01/20/2010
Iran denied passage to a Russian Su-27 fighter even though its flight plan had been cleared in advance, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
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01/20/2010
The Defense Ministry has told the Pentagon that it will purchase the stealth-enabled Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) if it is allowed to replace 50 percent of the systems with Israeli-made technology, defense officials said Tuesday.
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01/20/2010
Placing a new aircraft in a combat situation is a true test of its capabilities and future role within the Army.
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01/20/2010
The Boeing Company has signed a $34 million contract with Italian defense company Oto Melara to co-produce the Small Diameter Bomb Increment I (SDB I) weapon system for the Italian Air Force.
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01/20/2010
The Boeing Company today announced that it has been awarded a five-year In-Service Support contract for Project Wedgetail, Australia's 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) program. The contract from Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation is worth approximately US$600 million.
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01/19/2010
Recent events for Northrop Grumman Corporation’s E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft program reinforce its contribution as the top airborne battle management platform. Joint STARS is the only platform in the U.S. defense arsenal that can provide wide area surveillance covering more than 50,000 square kilometers and detect objects moving at a wide variety of speeds.
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01/19/2010
The Boeing Company today announced that it has begun assembling the first A-10 Thunderbolt replacement-wing set at its Macon facility. The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing the contract, worth up to $2 billion, in June 2007 to provide as many as 242 A-10 replacement-wing sets through 2018.
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01/18/2010
Boeing Co. (BA) said Monday it has received initial requests for information from India's federal government for supplying six refueling tankers, in what is likely to further expand the U.S. aircraft maker's presence in this burgeoning market for defense equipment.
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01/18/2010
India and Russia are set to agree a 1.2-billion-dollar deal for 29 MiG-29 fighter jets which will cement Moscow's role as New Delhi's principal arms supplier, an official said Monday.
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01/18/2010
Lockheed Martin’s Vice President for Business Development Orville Prins told India Strategic defence magazine that a presentation about the aircraft was made to the Indian Navy recently after it expressed interest in the newer generation of aircraft for its future carrier-based aircraft requirements.
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01/18/2010
It was Dwight D. Eisenhower, America’s only 5-star General President, who first warned us of the “military-industrial complex.” (Less well-known is the fact that in the draft of the address, Eisenhower initially used the term “military-industrial-congressional complex,” but struck the word “congressional” in order to pacify members of Congress. Too bad – Congressional meddling and jockeying to get moredollars in their district is the largest single factor in defense cost over
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01/18/2010
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), one of Turkey's top defense companies, expects its role in international programs, mostly the F-35 and A400M projects, to expand its sales by nearly 40 percent this year, the company's director general says.
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01/18/2010
Last year, for the first time, the U.S. Air Force graduated a class of UAV operators who were not already military pilots. Actually, these officers were given flight training, but only of the most basic kind, and needed only 18 hours at the controls of an aircraft, before they went on to UAV operator school. Now, the air force has increased that to 35 hours, because it is believed that a UAV operator needs a pilots sense of what is going on, even while operating an aircraft remotely from the gro
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01/18/2010
As the military rushes to place more spy drones over Afghanistan, the remote-controlled planes are producing so much video intelligence that analysts are finding it more and more difficult to keep up.
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01/17/2010
Visitors to the inaugural Bahrain International Air Show, to be held from 21-23 January 2010, will be able to see at first hand BAE Systems’ innovative technology in the form of MANTIS and HERTI, its unmanned air systems, and a full size replica of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the world’s most advanced multi-role/swing role combat aircraft. Through the Royal Bahraini Air Force and the Bahrain Defence Force, BAE Systems’ Hawk and Avro RJ100 in VIP configuration will also be represented.
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01/16/2010
A Thunderbird pilot killed in Southeast Asia and listed as missing in action for more than 40 years returned to the location of his last Air Force assignment Jan. 14 for a celebration of his life among a sea of family and peers.
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01/16/2010
Russia has suspended SU-27 Flanker fighter jet flights until the cause of a deadly crash earlier in the week is determined, a Defense Ministry official told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
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01/16/2010
Russian Navy plans to buy the first batch of MiG-29K fighters set to be deployed on an aircraft carrier later this year, said a Navy official on Friday.
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01/16/2010
Japan is risking a rapid loss of fighter engineering skills, an official review of the industry warns, urging the government to avoid fully importing combat aircraft.
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01/16/2010
Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has received a $1.4 billion contract to maintain engines for RAF jet fighters.
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01/15/2010
France has adapted the Israeli Heron TP UAVs to serve as a Predator substitute, until a new design can be developed in France.
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01/15/2010
Lockheed Martin recently inducted its second C-5 Galaxy strategic transport into the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) production line at its Marietta, Ga., facility. The RERP modifications consist of more than 70 improvements and upgrades to the C-5 airframe and aircraft systems, and include the installation of new higher-thrust, more reliable turbofan engines.
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01/15/2010
Rescue teams discovered on Friday the crash site of a Su-27 Flanker fighter jet which has been missing in the Khabarovsk Territory since Thursday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said.
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01/15/2010
The statement of Indian Army Chief for fighting a ‘two front war’ against Pakistan and China in chorus has been under discussion since the end of December 2009.
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01/15/2010
Wrapped in secrecy for most of the decade following its 1998 test flight, Chengdu Aircraft Corp.’s J-10 multirole fighter is set to enter the global market. Following a development history that extends to the 1960s, and five years in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the J-10 may emerge in the market soon after 2010, offering capabilities approaching Lockheed Martin’s F-16C Block 60, at half the price.
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01/15/2010
Lockheed Martin recently delivered two of seven upgraded P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan under the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales program.
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01/14/2010
The first Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules produced for Canada leaves the company's paint facility in Marietta, Georgia.
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01/14/2010
The Boeing Company has selected Science Engineering Services Inc. (SES) to perform disassembly, inspection and repair on AH-64D Apache helicopters in preparation for their upgrade to the Block III configuration. The program will create approximately 70 new positions for aviation and avionics mechanics, structural installers, and aviation quality inspectors within SES.
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01/14/2010
Boeing today announced that it has received a $22 million option to continue supporting the B-52 bomber under the Engineering Sustainment Program (ESP) contract the company received from the U.S. Air Force in June 2009. Under the $750 million, 10-year ESP contract, Boeing will continue to perform engineering assignments that maintain the B-52 as a ready, reliable and viable asset to the Air Force.
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01/13/2010
Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter plane stands a good chance of winning its first-ever export contract with Brazil but it may have to make more price sacrifices, analysts said on Tuesday.
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01/13/2010
The Boeing Company on Jan. 8 delivered the last of four KC-767 aerial refueling tankers to the Japan Ministry of Defense, completing one of the International Tanker team's most significant milestones.
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01/12/2010
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will choose the French-made Rafale jet as Brazil's next-generation fighter plane but wants to negotiate a lower price, a cabinet member told Reuters on Monday.
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01/12/2010
China, which has not found a Western supplier, has decided to buy Russian engines for its FC-1 Xiaolong multirole fighter plane, a rival of Russia's MiG-29 in developing countries.
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01/12/2010
A Northrop Grumman Corporation land-based MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned Aircraft System, designated P7, successfully demonstrated interoperability with the Army's One System(R) Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., the week of November 23.
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01/12/2010
Lockheed Martin has received ongoing funding through a recently issued Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) that authorizes Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) associated with the C-5 Super Galaxy Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program (RERP).
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01/11/2010
India on Monday successfully test-fired two short-range, air-to-air Astra missiles from the eastern state of Orissa, a news report said. The tests of the Astra, which means weapon in Sanskrit, were carried out from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, 230 kilometres north-east of state capital, Bhubaneshwar, the PTI news agency reported.
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01/11/2010
Boeing and partner Bell Helicopter delivered two MV-22 Osprey Containerized Flight Training Devices (CFTD) to the U.S. Marines at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in California in the last quarter of 2009.
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01/11/2010
Air Force leaders have said they want to retire one C-5A Galaxy for each of the 10 new C-17s, which were approved by Congress and the president in December as part of the 2010 budget.
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01/11/2010
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates directed the Air Force to return to its proposed budget three major programs the service offered to cancel, including one by Boeing Co. to build and install upgraded software in the cockpits of C-130 transports, according to a budget document.
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01/10/2010
A total of 230 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft have been ordered for the Indian Air Force (IAF), including 140 that are being assembled under license in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Recently, the commander of the IAF indicated that his service was interested in acquiring 50 additional Su-30MKIs, which would thus bring the total IAF acquisition to 280 Su-30MKIs.
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01/09/2010
Japan is risking a rapid loss of fighter engineering skills, an official review of the industry warns, while urging the government to avoid fully importing combat aircraft.
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01/09/2010
The Boeing Company announced today that the U.S. government has received a Letter of Request from India's Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Indian Air Force regarding the potential acquisition of 10 C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters.
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01/08/2010
On the heels of yesterday’s announcement that the United Arab Emirates recently finalized the purchase of six Boeing C-17 aircraft, Boeing released a statement today revealing that the nation of India has expressed interest in possibly purchasing ten additional aircraft.
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01/08/2010
The Pentagon is proposing delays and production cuts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter through 2015, in a setback for Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), on concerns that the military contractor has fallen behind schedule on development and testing, according to media reports Thursday.
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01/08/2010
The IAF today indicated that the ageing fleet of its fighter planes was a matter of concern and hoped that the massive deal for purchase of 126 multi-role combat aircraft would come through.
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01/08/2010
The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighter engaged its STOVL propulsion system in flight for the first time today. The successful test is the first in a series of planned STOVL-mode flights that will include short takeoffs, hovers and vertical landings.
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01/08/2010
Lockheed Martin has signed a foreign military sales contract to deliver Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) and LANTIRN™ Enhanced Resolution (ER) navigation pods to the Turkish Air Force. Valued at $118 million, the contract will provide Sniper ATP and LANTIRN ER navigation pods to equip Turkish Air Force F-16 Block 40 and Block 50 Peace Onyx aircraft.
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01/08/2010
Boeing and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence today announced that the UAE has signed a contract for the acquisition of six Boeing C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters. The UAE, which announced in 2009 that it would modernize its airlift capabilities with the C-17, is the second Middle East nation to order the airlifter.
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01/06/2010
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has set a goal of achieving $1.5 billion in defense exports this year, up 28 percent from last year's 1.17 billion, the largest amount ever.
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01/06/2010
The Brazilian Air Force would prefer to buy its next-generation fighter jets from Sweden, putting it at odds with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's preference for French planes, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
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01/06/2010
Scrutinising the Sukhoi Corporation’s work on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) — a project that India will soon sign up to co-develop — gives one an idea of Russia’s size, and its aerospace expertise. During daytime, in Moscow, the Sukhoi Design Bureau conceptualises FGFA components; by 10 pm the drawings are electronically transmitted over 5,000 kilometres to a manufacturing unit in Siberia. Here, at KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Organisation) — seven time zones awa
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01/06/2010
The Indian government has overruled its air force and approved French assistance in bailing out an Indian attempt to develop an engine for the Indian designed LCA (Light Combat Aircraft, or "Tejas"). The French engine manufacturer Snecma will provide technical assistance that will cost the Indians over $200 million. Earlier last year, the Indian air force had asserted that Snecma assistance would not bail out the ill-fated Kaveri engine program. But the government apparently believes that it is
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01/06/2010
Boeing today announced that a fifth U.S. Army unit has fielded the CH-47F Chinook helicopter. The 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., completed all required training and officially assumed operation of 12 CH-47F Chinooks on Dec. 8.
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01/05/2010
STAFF at a Lincolnshire air base have sung the praises of a new advanced flight simulator.
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01/05/2010
Late last year, a defence ministry delegation to Sukhoi’s flagship aircraft facility in Siberia became the first Indians to set eyes upon the next-generation fighter that is slated to form the backbone of the future Indian Air Force (IAF). In that first meeting, carefully choreographed by Sukhoi, the new fighter, standing on the tarmac waved a welcome to the Indians, moving all its control fins simultaneously.
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01/05/2010
Securing Tranche 3 was a victory of sorts for Eurofighter in production of the Typhoon: It guarantees additional work to 2016, but the procurement number is less than half of that originally agreed.
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01/05/2010
Eurojet of Germany has offered India aircraft engine technology to power India's homegrown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2 version.
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01/04/2010
Russia has started initial tests of its futuristic fifth generation stealth fighter jet, dubbed the PAK-FA programme, which it is partnering with India. The PAK-FA, or the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme, as it is referred to in India, hopes to match, or outperform, the American F-22 Raptor.
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01/04/2010
Controversy will remain the buzzword in the defence sector during 2010, with long-running processes to select a new tanker for the US Air Force and a new-generation fighter for Brazil likely to grab early headlines.
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01/04/2010
Claims that the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornets are not combat-ready as they are not equipped with source codes are erroneous.
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01/03/2010
As the U.S. military buys more and more sensors, cameras and surveillance gear, it also is purchasing systems to turn the new data feeds into usable information for soldiers.
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01/03/2010
More and more U.S. troops are viewing video feeds directly from UAVs - and that is highlighting what is either poor planning or fresh evidence of how hard it is to anticipate future needs.
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01/03/2010
The first C-130J Super Hercules mission in support of U.S. Air Forces Africa, or 17th Air Force, opened up doors to a future partnership of support between the 86th Airlift Wing and upcoming missions into Africa.
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01/02/2010
Fifteen F-22 Raptors are scheduled to deploy to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in January 2010 for approximately three months.
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01/01/2010
U.S. Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has clinched a deal to sell at least 20 advanced F-16 jet fighters to Egypt.
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01/01/2010
Russia’s new strategic bomber will use stealth technologies and is expected to enter service in 2025-2030, the commander of Russia’s strategic aviation said on Tuesday.
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