2011 Military Aviation News
12/31/2011
The Indian defense procurement bureaucracy has struck again. Despite over a decade of pressure from the Indian Air Force to obtain new trainers, new basic flight training aircraft have still not been obtained. As a result, trainee pilots are only getting 25 hours of flight time before going off to train on a specific type of aircraft (fighter, transport, helicopter). These trainees are supposed to get 75 hours before moving up to the advanced trainers and service aircraft. This problem has been
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12/31/2011
All six crewmen aboard a Sudanese military helicopter were killed when it crash-landed and burned in North Kordofan state on Friday, the army said. Fire broke out because of a "technical problem" aboard the Russian-made aircraft three minutes after takeoff from a base at El Obeid, the state capital, army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad told AFP.
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12/31/2011
The year has been a rollercoaster ride for the CIA -- incredible highs coupled with significant lows. But those dramatic ups and downs also underscored how intelligence is evolving and the agency is changing to keep pace. Keeping secrets is becoming more difficult and what the agency does is sometimes more visible.
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12/31/2011
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer Friday won a Defense Department contract to manufacturer military aircraft in Jacksonville. The contact, totaling $355 million, represents 50 high-wage jobs initially at an Embraer facility at Jacksonville International Airport. Mayor Alvin Brown, who lobbied heavily for the contract, said the company could begin hiring in January.
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12/31/2011
The Air Force has bought a new hunter-killer aircraft that is the fastest and largest armed drone in its fleet. The Avenger, which cost the military $15 million, is the latest version of the Predator drones made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., a San Diego-area company that also builds the robotic MQ-9 Reapers for the Air Force and CIA.
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12/31/2011
In an effort to provide virtual war simulated training to new recruits, the Ministry of Defense has proposed the development of war games along the lines of popular commercial versions like Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. The British Military is expected to benefit from the cheap production costs of war games compared to actual weapons training with aircraft, tanks and explosive rounds.
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12/31/2011
Sierra Nevada and its major partner Embraer have been awarded a firm-fixed price contract for $355.1 million for the U.S. Air Force’s Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft program; but competitor Hawker Beechcraft indicated it will continue to fight the move in court.
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12/31/2011
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma told India Strategic in an interview that the Navy was satisfied with the progress of the first eight Indian P8-Is being built by Boeing under a 2009 order and that the second order for four more aircraft was being processed to be placed within the current fiscal ending March 2012.
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12/31/2011
Mexico bought three Russian Mi-17V-5 tactical transport helicopters, an informed source in the Mexican military circles told RIA Novosti on Saturday. The Mexican navy ministry, which along with defense ministry is charged with efforts against drug trafficking and organized crime, signed a contract with Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport on December 22.
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12/31/2011
The U.S. Army is almost ready to deploy to Afghanistan a new rotary-wing surveillance drone, the Boeing A160T Hummingbird, equipped with a cutting-edge 1.8-gigapixel camera, the army says. Three drones, or unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in military jargon, will be deployed to Afghanistan in May or June, after they complete flight testing in Arizona at the beginning of the year, said the US Army's project manager for unmanned air systems modernization, Lt. Col. Matthew Munster.
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12/30/2011
There’s been lots of grumbling over the cost of the $380 billion F-35 fighter program, and some wheels squeak louder than others. On Wednesday, the Navy awarded a $1.1 billion contract for 30 F-35 engines to Pratt & Whitney Military Engines of East Hartford, Conn.
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12/30/2011
How may gamers out there want to get a downloadable content (DLC) packs for free? Well, if you are pinning for some new skills for your Ace Combat – Assault Horizon in its multiplayer mode, you’ll be delighted to hear that this holiday season, Japanese video game developer-publisher Namco Bandai is equally pinning to sell you some Ace Combat DLC for “free”.
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12/30/2011
BAE Systems‘ information and electronic systems integration sector has won a $13,480,910 firm-fixed-price contract to provide CXP digital transponder hardware to the U.S. Army and Navy and the governments of Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands.
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12/30/2011
Relying on contractors has brought companies that operate for profit into some of America's most sensitive military and intelligence operations. And using civilians makes some in the military uneasy.
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12/30/2011
A US aircraft carrier entered a zone near the Strait of Hormuz that is now being used by the Iranian navy for military drills, an Iranian official said on Thursday amid rising tensions over the key oil-transit channel. "A US aircraft carrier was spotted inside the manoeuvre zone ... by a navy reconnaissance aircraft," Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, the spokesman for the Iranian exercises, told the official IRNA news agency.
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12/30/2011
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney today welcomed the announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that it has reached an agreement to purchase from the U.S. government 84 new Boeing F-15 fighter aircraft and to upgrade 70 of its existing F-15s.
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12/29/2011
Two F-16 fighter jets flew over to check on an airplane that lost radio contact, government officials said. It happened "in the vicinity of the National Capital Region at approximately 1215 EST today," NORAD said Wednesday afternoon.
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12/29/2011
The F-22 Raptor continues to have growing pains. The Air Force says it is implementing a technical order requiring the backup oxygen system in each F-22 to be removed, inspected and returned to service before that aircraft can fly again. The system, known as the Emergency Oxygen System (EOS), is designed to be used when the pilot is having physiological symptoms that indicate a problem with the main air supply.
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12/29/2011
The British military has had to radically improve some of its simulated training war games to keep the attention of recruits who have grown up in the Playstation and Xbox generation, a Ministry of Defence scientist has admitted.
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12/29/2011
Offsetting losses in other manufacturing sectors, the St. Louis economy continues to benefit from military aerospace production dating to the first prototypes that rolled out of McDonnell Aircraft Company hangars in the mid-1940s.
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12/29/2011
The Eurofighter is in a face-off with France’s Rafale for the race to provide 126 fighters to the Air Force, that is grappling with a serious shortage of combat aircraft. A decision on the matter is expected within the next few weeks, with Defence Ministry officials indicating that the winner would be announced by the first week of January.
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12/29/2011
Experimental testing on the strike-fighter plane Su-25UBM destined for the training of pilots, with performance suitable for combat missions has been completed. The certification that confirms the end of the tests has been signed by the commander in chief of the Russian Air Force, Colonel-General Alexander Zelin, who has recommended the start of its mass production.
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12/29/2011
China on Wednesday dismissed media reports saying that Chinese troops had entered North Korea, Xinhua said. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said reports claiming that Chinese force had entered North Korea as requested by the country to help maintain its stability were “totally groundless.” Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands paid their last respects to former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as the reclusive country started a two-day funeral service for its deceased “dear leader.”
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12/28/2011
The IAF has inducted its sixth C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft procured from the US at the Hindon air base near here. This is the last of the six C-130J Super Hercules ordered by India under the US Foreign Military Sales program, IAF officials said.
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12/28/2011
Swedish defense and security company Saab recently received two orders worth a combined total $36.7 million. The first, from the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration, is for continuous support of the operational capacity of the Gripen jet fighter. Gripen is a single-engine, multi-role aircraft. It comes in four variants and is used by Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Thailand and South Africa. It has a maximum speed of 1,372 mph at altitude.
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12/28/2011
Two months ago, the U.S. MQ-1 Predator UAV fleet hit a million hours in the air. Over 20 percent of those hours were flown this year. The Predator replacement, the MQ-9 reaper has flown nearly 250,000 hours so far. America's large UAVs (MQ-1, MQ-1C, MQ-9, RQ-4 and RQ-170) flew some 400,000 hours this year.
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12/28/2011
India's quest to modernise its armed forces into a lean, mean fighting machine continued in 2011, with a few critical deals materialising and several others facing time overruns. During the past 12 months, India finalised the purchase of some important military equipment, such as 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavylift cargo planes from the US and the upgrade of 51 Mirage-2000 combat planes initially by the French manufacturer and later in India.
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12/28/2011
Aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft Corp. filed suit Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims after it was excluded from an Air Force contest to supply a small number of attack planes to Afghanistan and other allies.
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12/28/2011
Venezuela became the largest importer of Russian arms for ground forces in 2011, the Moscow based Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT) said on Tuesday. Russia delivered a large consignment of arms to Venezuela under contracts signed in 2009 and 2010, CAWAT head Igor Korotchenko said without offering any figures.
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12/27/2011
The commander of the Indian Air Force recently took an hour-long flight in one of Indias Russian made Su-30MKI jet fighters. This was to reassure Indian pilots that the Su-30MKI was safe. One had crashed recently, and there were widely publicized reliability problems with the engines used in the Su-30MKI, and many of the other Russian designed and built components of the aircraft.
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12/27/2011
Advantage in purchasing military equipment, senior IDF officer explains, is in the price, which would likely be dramatically lower than buying same equipment new. Due to the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East and potential delays to existing procurement plans, the IDF is looking at the possibility of purchasing fighter jets and other platforms used by the United States military in Iraq.
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12/27/2011
For the first time, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B STOVL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft are being armed with long-range AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. Although the AV-8B is primarily a ground attack aircraft, it can also be quite effective in air-to-air combat. The first AMRAAM equipped AV-8Bs are aboard the amphibious ship (which looks like a small carrier) USS Makin Island.
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12/27/2011
Unmanned systems have revolutionized combat aviation, providing a colossal advantage in the fight against terror with surveillance and close-air support. Recently, a detachment of Marines from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 in Afghanistan added aerial resupply to the list of UAV capabilities. The detachment completed its first unmanned aerial system cargo delivery in a combat zone using a helicopter in Afghanistan, Dec. 17.
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12/27/2011
The government is all set to announce the winner of the Indian Air Force (IAF) competition for 126-plus combat jets early in 2012. Authoritative sources told India Strategic defence magazine that the process was nearing completion but there were volumes of paperwork and the complicated costs involving Transfer of Technology (ToT), Offsets, Lifecycle Upgrades and Maintenance Support. Every detail was being looked into as this was India’s - and the world’s - single biggest defence tender yet in t
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12/27/2011
The drone had been in the air for close to five hours before its mission crew realised that something was wrong. The oil temperature in the plane’s turbocharger, they noticed, had risen into the “cautionary” range. An hour later, it was worse, and it just kept rising as the minutes wore on. While the crew desperately ran through its “engine overheat” checklist trying to figure out the problem, the engine oil temperature, too, began skyrocketing.
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12/27/2011
It was the second win in Asia for the JSF (in 2007, Australia placed an initial order for 24 F-35s, and Canberra could acquire up to 100 aircraft). This order was the latest in a string of losses for the leading European fighter aircraft programmes, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Rafale. If these programmes do not secure an export order soon, it could be the end of their chances to sell to one of the world's most lucrative arms markets: Asia.
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12/27/2011
Iran has capability to disrupt any military plots the U.S. may seek to implement against it, Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Monday. Iran has the requisite technology and equipment, including unmanned aerial vehicles, to “counter electronic and covert warfare,” Vahidi was quoted by Press TV as saying.
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12/26/2011
The Israeli government has canceled a $141 million contract to supply Turkey with an advanced aerial intelligence system, Israeli officials confirmed on Friday. The move appeared to reflect a profound reassessment of strategic ties with Turkey, a former ally, months after Turkey downgraded diplomatic relations with Israel.
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12/26/2011
The first batch of P-81 maritime reconnaissance aircraft being purchased by the Indian Navy from Boeing Corporation of US will carry a vital and innovative mobile satellite service (MSS)-based communication system developed by Hyderabad-based firm, Avantel.
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12/25/2011
Iran launched a large-scale 10-day naval exercise on Saturday in an area stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden, Press TV reported. The exercise, codenamed Velayat 90, will feature advanced weapon systems and technology, including Tareq and Ghadir submarines, ground-to-sea missile systems and torpedoes.
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12/23/2011
$480 million in funding will bring a C-27 J Spartan Aircraft here to Fargo. Senator John Hoeven says this aircraft gives North Dakota's National Guard empowerment and a stronger voice in shaping the nation's defense policies. This new aircraft provides key support for our nation's defense and homeland security operations. It's a versatile cargo aircraft used to transport materials in support of combat operations.
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12/23/2011
An unmanned helicopter capable of carrying more than 3,500 pounds of cargo (1.6 tonnes) has begun supplying troops in Afghanistan, US military officials said Thursday. It is hoped the K-MAX, which conducted its maiden flight with cargo in a combat zone on Saturday, will help save lives by reducing the need for vehicle convoys which are often a target of roadside bombs.
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12/23/2011
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be a cornerstone of Japanese defense. The Japanese know something about technology. And as a leader in technology worldwide, the Japanese decision validates the cutting edge role of the F-35.
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12/22/2011
The Philippines has asked the United States, its closest security partner, to give it at
least a squadron of second-hand F-16 fighters to help upgrade its territorial defences, the foreign secretary said on Wednesday. The Philippines has no air power to speak of, with its 40-year-old F-5A/Bs fighter jets retired from service several years ago. It has no bombers or surveillance aircraft and still flies Vietnam War-era UH-1H helicopters.
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12/22/2011
India's Air Chief on Wednesday flew a one-hour sortie in a Sukhoi combat jet in a bid to restore his pilots' confidence after doubts were raised over the aircraft's safety following a crash on December 13, the third since the plane was inducted in 1997.
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12/22/2011
Never colonised, Oman has benefited from a long and close alliance with Britain, which helped transform the tribal levies and palace guard of Muscat and Oman into modern armed forces.
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12/22/2011
News of the death of Kim Jong-il was accompanied by conspicuous muscle flexing by the North Korean military. The “Dear Leader” left behind an enormous war machine, the maintenance of which consumes the bulk of the country’s daily activities. How does this machine work and what does the future hold for it?
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12/22/2011
The drone had been in the air for close to five hours before its mission crew realized that something was wrong. The oil temperature in the plane’s turbocharger, they noticed, had risen into the “cautionary” range. An hour later, it was worse, and it just kept rising as the minutes wore on. While the crew desperately ran through its “engine overheat” checklist trying to figure out the problem, the engine oil temperature, too, began skyrocketing.
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12/22/2011
With its Dec. 20 decision to purchase Lockheed-Martin's Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II as Japan's next generation fighter aircraft, the Japanese government gets to have its cake and eat it too. What Japan wants is simple: the most advanced military technology available (or at least better than what China has); activity in the domestic weapons industry; and good relations with the United States. They get all this and then some with the F-35.
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12/22/2011
A Saudi Hawk jet aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force crashed during a training mission in the north-western region (Tabuk) yesterday morning, the Saudi Telegraph has reported. The newspaper reported that an official source of the Ministry of Defence said the crash was caused by a bird collision, which led to a malfunction in one of its engines. The source said the pilot managed to eject safely in a parachute.
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12/22/2011
The US Department of Defense has announced that Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $600 million fixed-price foreign military sales contract for the supply of 12 additional Block 50 F-16 C/D fighters (eight single-seat F-16Cs and four two-seat F-16Ds) to the Royal Air Force of Oman.
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12/21/2011
The fifth Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has made its first flight, marking the end of a highly successful year for the programme and meaning that the full fleet of Grizzly development aircraft is now in the air, completing the flight-test programme. Known as Grizzly 5, the aircraft took off from Seville, Spain with a take-off weight of 125 tonnes at 08:55 local time (GMT+1) and landed back at Seville 2 hours 10 minutes later.
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12/21/2011
As Iraq continues along the long road towards rebuilding its Air Force aircraft fleet, it continues to evaluate the available options like the Italian one represented by the M-346 of Aermacchi, the British BAE Hawk and the Korean KAI T-50 Golden Eagle. However, at the moment the Czech offer appears to have stolen a march as the nation’s interest has now switched to second-hand Aero L-159A: a single-seat light multi-role combat aircraft designed for a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground and reco
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12/21/2011
The aerodrome, in West End Road, will host Typhoon jets before and during the Olympic Games next summer, and
has been designated as the main base for military aircraft in the capital, in a security operation that includes 13,500 troops across the various London 2012 venues. HMS Ocean, the largest warship in the Royal Navy, will be anchored in the Thames at Greenwich, from where Puma and Lynx helicopters will be on 24-hour standby to combat any terrorist attack.
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12/21/2011
The U.S. aerospace industry will post solid gains for 2011, but faces strong headwinds in 2012 and beyond with predictions of massive job losses if budget sequestration efforts go into effect, said the head of the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA).
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12/21/2011
As the world watched the last convoy pass through the gates at Khabari Crossing on the Kuwait-Iraq border, they may not have realized those on the ground had some help in the skies from airmen with a historic lineage. Col. Rodney Petithomme, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group commander, and Lt. Col. Jason Plourde, commander of the 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron “Tigers," both part of the Tuskegee Airmen heritage, flew the last combat mission over Iraq, Dec. 18, 2011, piloting F-16s.
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12/21/2011
The battle to win a $1.5 billion contract to supply Australia with new combat transport aircraft has heated up. A US bid document has prompted a European competitor to suggest its offer could save as much as $300 million in the lifetime of the project. The tender for as many as 10 ''battlefield airlifter'' aircraft to replace the RAAF's DHC-4 Caribou, which were retired in 2009, has been under way since September.
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12/20/2011
As Iraq continues along the long road towards rebuilding some military capabilities, including a fully independent and capable air force, the acquisition of an advanced jet trainer aircraft is being accorded a high priority. It seems, though, that the nation’s interest has now switched from the BAE Hawk, KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and Aermacchi M-346 to second-hand Czech Aero L-159As.
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12/20/2011
As unmanned aerial vehicles become increasingly common, warfighters continue to press for more imagery from a broader range of high-resolution sensors, putting more pressure on those who design the systems that collect images and send them to analysts. System developers are responding by deploying different types of sensors and electronics that analyze and compress images before they’re transmitted.
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12/20/2011
Today, the Honourable Julian Fantino, Associate Minister of National Defence, made the following statement following Japan's decision to purchase the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Like Canada, countries are choosing this state-of-the-art aircraft over other fighters including the F-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
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12/20/2011
Oman has placed a $600m order with Texas-based Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, the US Ministry of Defence has said. The new aircraft, which includes ten single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers, will join 12 of the aircraft already in service with the Royal Air Force of Oman, the DoD said in a contract notification.
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12/20/2011
The 2012 defense authorization bill will likely mean the retirement of four B-1 bombers from the Dyess Air Force Base fleet over the next five years, U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer said. The legislation, approved last week by Congress, mandates the retirement of six B-1s staggered over five years to save about $400 million, free up funds to reinvest in modernizing the aging fleet and provide spare parts to keep the remaining B-1s in the air. It's not clear yet which B-1s the Air Force will cut.
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12/20/2011
With the death of Kim Jong Il, and the apparent succession by his youngest son Kim Jong Un, the world's fourth largest Army, and a modest but capable nuclear arsenal, fall into the hands of an unknown man in his late 20s. The exact age of the younger Mr. Kim is unknown, as his birth date may have been changed to reflect a more auspicious number, but he was likely born Jan. 8 in 1982 or 1983.
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12/20/2011
Eventually it may become passé to call drones the “eyes in the skies” for ground troops, if only because they will be called on to do so much more than the reconnaissance missions that so far have been their forte. Efforts continue to outfit more unmanned aircraft systems with weapons. And the day is coming when UAS will carry cargo and people in and out of war zones, officials said Dec. 16 at an Army Aviation Association of America conference in Arlington, Va.
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12/20/2011
Flying drone aircraft over Afghanistan from the comfort of a military base in the United States is much more stressful than it might seem, even for pilots spared the sacrifice of overseas deployment and separation from family and friends.
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12/20/2011
The Japan Ministry of Defense has announced its selection of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s (JASDF) next generation fighter aircraft, following the F-X competitive bid process. The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant (CTOL) was offered by the United States government with participation from Lockheed Martin. The initial contract will be for four jets in Japan Fiscal Year 2012, which begins April 1, 2012.
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12/19/2011
Seoul put South Korean forces on high alert and Pyongyang urged an increase in its "military capability" as the death of North Korea's enigmatic leader Kim Jong Il spurred fresh security concerns in the tense region.
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12/19/2011
Two early warning aircraft that were sent to the United State in June last year for upgrades have been returned and will be tested soon, military sources said Sunday. They have been retrofitted with more efficient eight-blade propellers and their radar and surveillance systems have been upgraded. The two aircraft, originally called E-2T, were sold to Taiwan by the U.S. in the 1990s.
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12/19/2011
The Israeli and Italian Air Forces on Friday completed a two-week joint training exercise involving fighter jets from both nations. The exercise involved pilots flying F-16A, F-16C and F-15Is from three Israeli squadrons, pitted against Italian Air Force pilots flying Eurofighter Typhoons and Panavia Tornado strike fighters.
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12/19/2011
After first denying that the Iranian military had captured the CIA's RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone, and then reluctantly acknowledging the fact only after PressTV aired footage of the killer bot, the Associated Press reported that "the Obama administration said Monday it has delivered a formal request to Iran" that they return it.
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12/19/2011
The last U.S. soldiers rolled out of Iraq across the border to neighboring Kuwait at daybreak Sunday, whooping, fist bumping and hugging each other in a burst of joy and relief. Their exit marked the end of a bitterly divisive war that raged for nearly nine years and left Iraq shattered, with troubling questions lingering over whether the Arab nation will remain a steadfast U.S. ally.
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12/19/2011
Around 1,100 Air Force pilots fly remotely piloted aircraft – or drones. These planes soar over Iraq or Afghanistan but the pilots sit at military bases back in the United States. A new Pentagon study shows that almost 30 percent of drone pilots surveyed suffer from what the military calls "burnout." It's the first time the military has tried to measure the psychological impact of waging a "remote-controlled war."
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12/18/2011
The RAF faces a freeze on recruiting pilots after being forced to clear a three-year backlog of trainees caused by defence cuts, confidential documents show. Despite sacking 170 trainee pilots earlier this year, air force chiefs have found they still have 150 recruits “too many” for their flying programme, papers passed to The Telegraph disclose.
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12/18/2011
Russia will try to stop any military attack against Iran as the two countries have mutual interests and any attack against Tehran would also be a serious problem for Russia, a Russian military analyst tells Press TV.
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12/18/2011
Miss Blessing Liman made history on Saturday, December 10, 2011, when she became Nigeria’s first female military pilot. 25-year-old Blessing was commissioned along with her male colleagues who completed the Direct Short Service Course 2010/2011 at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Kaduna. It may be argued that the emergence of Nigeria’s first female military pilot is long overdue.
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12/17/2011
The Serbian air force, left with just a handful of operational planes after wars in the 1990s, wants to buy a dozen aircraft at a cost of around 1 billion euros (1.3 billion), a defence official said on Friday. "The procurement of two squadrons, weapons systems, spares and training will likely require additional borrowing," said the official, who asked not to be named. "Parliamentary approval would be needed."
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12/17/2011
A hack led to the recent capture of a United States RQ-170 Sentinel drone by Iran, a science-oriented tech site reported. The Christian Science Monitor interviewed an Iranian engineer who said they exploited a vulnerability in the drone's system to fool it into landing in Iran. “The GPS navigation is the weakest point. By putting noise (jamming) on the communications, you force the bird into autopilot. This is where the bird loses its brain,” the Iranian engineer said.
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12/17/2011
The Air Force is buying a single General Atomics Predator C Avenger jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft, the service said in a document posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website on Friday. According to the heavily redacted document, Lt. Gen. Thomas Owen, commander of the service’s Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, approved the procurement. The value of the sole-source contract was redacted.
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12/17/2011
India Friday signed a fresh agreement with Russia for the licensed production of 42 Sukhoi fighters for which the Russians will provide technical and equipment support. The new deal comes a week after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashed near Pune in Maharashtra following which the entire fleet of 120 planes in six squadrons has been grounded while the case of the accident is investigated.
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12/17/2011
The US has recorded budget cuts and is expected to also record budget cuts during the forecast period. Despite this, North America is expected to account for the largest share of 42.9%, of the total global expenditure on military aircraft during the forecast period. The high demand in the region is primarily driven by the development of 2,456 F-35 multi-role fighter aircraft as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program and 452 V-22 Osprey transport aircraft.
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12/17/2011
The Army of today is making plans for the helicopter of tomorrow -- fast, tough, and even semi-autonomous. And with the Pentagon's target date of 2030 to begin fielding a fleet of these next-generation vertical-lift aircraft, one can only hope that the Army won't be overly beholden to designs based on the futuristic blueprints of today.
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12/16/2011
U.S. officials in Baghdad have spoken of the sacrifices made by both Americans and Iraqis at a formal ceremony marking the end of U.S. military operations in Iraq after nearly nine years of war. U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that "after a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real."
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12/16/2011
The US Department of Defense on December 14th, has announced that Lockheed Martin have been awarded $600M fixed-price contract for a Foreign Military Sales program that will provide the government of Oman 12 additional F-16 C/D block 50 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft.
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12/16/2011
There is no chance that Canada will cancel its order for about 65 F-35 joint strike fighters.
That fact was underlined again this week with reports from Japan that before Christmas, Tokyo will announce its intention to buy as many as 50 of the state-of-the-art stealth warplanes.
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12/16/2011
The most interesting intelligence-related incident in recent times has been the loss of an American RQ-170 Sentinel ''stealth'' Unmanned Aircraft System to Iran earlier this month. Another term for the aircraft is ''low-observable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle'' or UAV. The ''RQ'' denominator indicates that it is not an armed aircraft, unlike the Predator or Reaper UAVs with their ''MQ'' prefix and air-to-surface-missile fits.
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12/16/2011
The raging arms race in the region between the U.S, China, Japan and Russia has shifted from naval weapons to fighter planes. The Japanese government says it will select Lockheed Martin's F35 stealth jet as its choice for the next-generation fighter plane. Tokyo will apparently announce its selection later this week. It will purchase four of the radar-evading fighters in 2016 and deploy a total of 50 in stages. The total cost is estimated at W10.23 trillion (US$1=W1,156).
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12/16/2011
The British government's most senior defence and security policy advisers are finally facing up to a fundamental shift in the world's military and economic balance. More than two decades after the end of the cold war, they are acknowledging some harsh realities - Europe will no longer be able to rely on the US, Europe is getting progressively poorer, and the people of Europe want to spend less on weapons, not more.
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12/16/2011
The Air Force made public a long-awaited report about the death of a pilot who crashed in the Alaskan wilderness in the military's most expensive fighter jet, the F-22 Raptor. An Air Force accident investigation board issued a report that said Capt. Jeff "Bong" Haney, 31, was at fault when his F-22 crashed near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during a test mission at night in November 2010.
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12/16/2011
Develop one aircrew mask that can be used on over 100 different air frames. That is the challenge for researchers assigned to the Joint Service Aircrew Mask-Fixed Wing Program.
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12/16/2011
There’s been much talk in the media of an apparent offer by the Seychelles of a base for Chinese ships deployed to the Gulf of Aden and the West Indian Ocean, to help combat piracy. While it’s not yet clear if the offer has been accepted, Chinese media reports suggest that Beijing is actively considering it as a “resupply” base.
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12/16/2011
Belarus has taken delivery of the first consignment of advanced Tor-M2 antiaircraft missile systems from Russia, Belarusian Defense Minister Yury Zhadobin said on Thursday. “The first two units arrived yesterday,” he told the Belta news agency. All 14 systems will have been delivered before December 24, he said, adding that the first Tor-M2 battery would be based in the Brest region.
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12/15/2011
As the military scrambles to deal with a U.S. spy drone lost in Iran, it was revealed that the U.S. Air Force has bought a cutting edge, jet-powered stealth drone -- and plans its immediate deployment in Afghanistan.
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12/15/2011
An Air Force investigation into what caused the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle during a night combat operation over Libya last March has concluded that a weight imbalance was a major factor. Col. Scott Shapiro, who led the accident investigation, said in a Wednesday phone interview from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, that the right wing of the jet was supporting at least 1,000 pounds more weight than the left side at the time of the March 21 crash.
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12/15/2011
One of the oldest planes the United States Air Force still flies is used to carry out some of America's most sensitive and critical missions. Whether it's aiding NATO troops in Afghanistan, providing surveillance over North Korea or examining Japan's hurricane ravaged coast, the high altitude U-2 keeps flying despite initial plans to retire it by the end of this year.
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12/15/2011
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Wednesday he was confident of selling Rafale fighter jets to Brazil and could beat off rival bids because the aircraft’s technology cannot be matched. The Rafale is competing against US aviation giant Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Swedish manufacturer Saab’s Gripen jet for a tender from Brazil to supply 36 multi-role combat aircraft.
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12/15/2011
U.S. aerospace sales for 2012 may remain unchanged from this year’s revenue of $218 billion because of weak military sales, an industry trade group said today.
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12/15/2011
These are decisive days for the Eurofighter Group, as its plane is competing in two major tenders in Japan and India. The first tender seems to have been lost, as announced yesterday by the Japanese press, having favored the F-35 Joint Strike fighter of which 40 units should be purchased to boost its self-defense, despite being more expensive than the two other competitors, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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12/15/2011
House and Senate conferees agreed on $662.4 billion for the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill, about $26.6 billion below the president’s original request, reflecting the level of reductions in national security spending required under August’s budget agreement. Almost all the cuts were made in the Pentagon’s core budget, with only $2.3 billion coming out of funds for Afghanistan and Iraq, and $1.2 billion from the nuclear weapons program.
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12/15/2011
Iran has nearly completed their examination of a crashed U.S. Air Force spy drone and are preparing to reverse-engineer it so it can be mass-produced for the Iranian military. Iran refused requests from the U.S. that the drone be returned.
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12/15/2011
The report, dated Nov. 29, sounds alarms that technological and performance problems, which will be costly to resolve, lie ahead for the already troubled and over-budget warplane. Among the issues raised are unexpectedly severe shaking and failures of an important electrical component. However, the report does not suggest that any of the problems cannot be overcome or that the F-35 will be unable to fulfill its intended capabilities.
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12/15/2011
An action-packed 2011 saw air power put to the test across its full spectrum of activities, from all-out conflict and clandestine cross-border raids to flying humanitarian relief missions in the wake of natural disasters. For once, the main defence headlines of the year were not driven by coalition action in Afghanistan or Iraq, but the result of the "Arab Spring" movement that swept through Middle Eastern and North African nations, bringing unrest and political upheaval.
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12/14/2011
A frontline Sukhoi jet of the Indian Air Force ( IAF) crashed near this Maharashtra town Tuesday but the two pilots bailed out to safety, an officer said. The crash of the SU-30MKI combat jet occurred around 1.30 p.m. "The pilots are safe," the officer said, adding that there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties on the ground.
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12/14/2011
The appearance of a Russian navy battlegroup off the coast of Scotland last night raised fresh concerns over the UK government’s decision not to have any surveillance aircraft. Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources told The Scotsman that a Type 42 destroyer, HMS York, had to be despatched from Portsmouth to shadow the group of Russian ships, 25 miles off the coast of Moray.
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12/14/2011
Japan is poised to decide which new fighter jets will defend its borders for the next generation, in the most highly anticipated deal of a miserable year for military aircraft producers. The decision, likely before the end of the year, will define whether Tokyo continues its almost exclusive technical military partnership with the US or turns to Europe for major front line weapons for the first time since the second world war.
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12/14/2011
Aviation Week cites several of the problems in the report. Of interest is how the F-35 program spins events to make them sound like progress. For instance, it was reported in the media recently that the F-35 reached Mach 1.6 in a test. Few glowing statements were spared. Not reported was that after the flight, the aircraft program was limited to Mach 1 performance because of damage to the horizontal stabilisers and engine thermal protection.
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12/14/2011
An American military drone which had been used to monitor piracy off the East African coast has crashed at an airport on the island nation of Seychelles during a routine patrol, officials said.
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12/14/2011
Iranian officials have crowed they are mining "priceless technological information" from a CIA spy drone that went down days ago inside Iran's borders, broadcasting triumphant images of what they said was the craft on state TV. But many experts say the loss of the RQ-170 Sentinel drone — like the U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 — may have more value as propaganda than as a treasure trove of technological secrets.
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12/14/2011
The White House is pointing to a proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Iraq as a sign of a deepening security partnership, though delivery of the aircraft is a few years away, and Iraq's fighter pilots are still learning to fly. That means Iraq will be left with a gap in its defenses after the departure this month of the last U.S. forces stationed in the nation.
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12/14/2011
Army officials have not identified the deceased soldiers or the cause of the crash, as an investigative team traveled to the site to begin work Wednesday morning. The two-seat reconnaissance choppers crashed after 8 p.m. Monday in the southwest training area of the sprawling base, killing all four on board, according to the Army.
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12/14/2011
The final F-22 Raptor fighter jet rolled off the assembly line during a ceremony at the Lockheed Martin aircraft plant at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. The U.S. military is turning to the less costly F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to complement its operational fleet of 187 Raptors, amid concerns in Washington that the $153 million F-22 is too costly and too high-tech for its own good.
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12/14/2011
The Boeing Company today delivered the second Peace Eye 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).
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12/13/2011
France still hopes to find a buyer for its Rafale fighter jets and has no intention of giving up on its aviation industry because of difficulties selling the aircraft abroad, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Monday. France delivered its 100th Rafale plane this summer and production is due to stop in 2021 if no new order materialises.
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12/13/2011
In 2011, gamers were graced with two Ace Combat titles, one on consoles and the other on the Nintendo 3DS. Both games carry the title “Assault Horizon” but they are both completely different titles when it comes to the gameplay department. In Assault Horizon on the consoles, players can expect very explosive dog and ground-fights while in Legacy, they are toned down due to the limitations of the 3DS hardware.
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12/13/2011
Fresh troubles are delaying India’s indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft program, with final operational clearance slipping by over a year to December 2014. Testing challenges and performance-parameter issues have delayed flight testing, operational envelope expansion and certification, leading to the Indian air force (IAF) reluctantly agreeing to a 12-month slip in declaration of the aircraft as fully operational.
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12/13/2011
Even as the last F-22 fighter jet rolls out of flag-draped doors at a Lockheed Martin Corp assembly plant on Tuesday, the Air Force has taken steps that leave open an option to restart the premier plane's production relatively cheaply. The Air Force is preserving the hardware used to build the jet, not scrapping it, although it insists this is solely to sustain the fleet over its projected 30-plus years' "lifecycle."
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12/13/2011
Iraq wants to buy an additional 18 Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Fighting Falcon jets, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on Dec. 12. The $2.3 billion sale includes 24 Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229 or General Electric F110-GE-129 engines, and would be managed under the Pentagon's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) apparatus, the release says. The deal would also include a host of ancillary equipment such as targeting pods, weapons and conformal fuel tanks.
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12/13/2011
Hu said that China's navy should "make extended preparations for warfare," adding that the navy should "accelerate its transformation and modernization in a sturdy way, and make extended preparations for military combat in order to make greater contributions to safeguard national security. Our work must closely encircle the main theme of national defense and military building."
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12/13/2011
The U.S. Army's MQ-5B Hunter unmanned aerial ISR vehicles will be reset by Northrop Grumman from C-Band communications to a tactical common data link. The work comes under two contractor logistics support contract modifications worth $91.2 million. Each features a one-year performance period.
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12/13/2011
The ability to defend the skies and operate overseas at the same time would be in peril if the Harper government buys fewer stealth fighters than planned, the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force said Monday. Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps said the air force would have to review how much "concurrent activity" it could handle if the number of radar-evading F-35s drop below the 65 aircraft the government has promised.
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12/13/2011
China on Monday said its naval fleet would only seek supplies or recuperate in the Seychelles during anti-piracy operations, denying reports that Beijing might break with its long-standing policy by setting up a military base overseas with a presence in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
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12/13/2011
Today Boeing announced completion of all flight testing needed for the B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) program to receive low rate initial production (LRIP) authorization from the U.S. Air Force. The flight test program was conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., by Boeing and the Air Force.
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12/12/2011
The United States has finally vacated the Shamsi Airbase in the Washuk district of Balochistan after using it for numerous covert and overt operations in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan in the war against terror for over a decade.
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12/12/2011
The loss to Iran of the CIA's surveillance drone bristling with advanced spy technology is more than a propaganda coup and intelligence windfall for the Tehran government. The plane's capture has peeled back another layer of secrecy from expanding U.S. operations against Iran's nuclear and military programs. Like the Soviet Union's downing of the American U-2 spy plane during the Cold War, Iran's recovery of the drone has cast a spotlight on part of the U.S.-Iran spycraft.
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12/12/2011
The Pentagon and the U.S. Army are in the early stages of a far-reaching Science & Technology effort designed to engineer, build and deliver a next-generation helicopter with vastly improved avionics, electronics, range, speed, propulsion, survivability, operating density altitudes and payload capacity, service officials said.
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12/12/2011
There appears to be growing consensus that the Marine Corps can better survive a cut in forces over weapons programs to meet expected 2013 budget cuts. Two local men — Harry Blot, retired Marine Corps lieutenant general and Joint Strike Fighter advisor, and Hugh Overholt, retired Army major general and attorney who has led the area’s lobby for continued military air presence at Cherry Point — agree with the Marine Corps logic outlined in stories published on TheHill.com Thursday and Friday.
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12/12/2011
Tight budgets will ground some Air Force aircraft that traditionally appear in smaller air shows, but the organizer of Thunder Over the Valley in Santa Maria retains high hopes of landing an F-22 demonstration team and other military aircraft in 2012.
The Air Force’s Air Combat Command has announced a reduction of single-ship demonstration teams in 2012.
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12/12/2011
Nearly nine years after the United States threw out Saddam Hussein and dissolved his feared security machine, Iraq's rebuilt military is a long way from matching up with regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel. With little air defense, marginal control of its borders and a tenuous grip on Sunni insurgents and Shi'ite militias, Iraq may depend on American military help for years to come, even as most U.S. troops leave Iraqi soil by mid-December.
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12/12/2011
The group of Marines sprang into action and raced into combat position, with weapons aimed, as they assaulted a possible terrorist stronghold. Moments later, they were sipping sodas and chatting with friends about weekend plans. For them it was just another exercise in a war-game training simulation — a computer-generated virtual world that can take them to remote war zones, help them learn combat tactics and terrain, and have them home in time for dinner.
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12/12/2011
Military aircraft designers at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, Texas, will build 30 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) advanced combat aircraft and advanced avionics for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps under terms of a $4 billion contract modification announced late Friday from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.
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12/11/2011
Eurofighter's director for its Typhoon Malaysia programme was responding to negative news reports that the multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) was too costly. "Our approach is to provide a figure... this can go down later (depending on what the requirements are)," he said at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition.
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12/11/2011
The Alberta Aviation Museum will be getting its own F-104 Starfighter aircraft after a local waterbombing and forest firefighting aircraft company stepped in with a donation to commemorate its founder. Air Spray Ltd., whose founder Don Hamilton died in July at age 86, will be giving up to $40,000 to the museum to help it purchase one of the fastest planes ever operated in Canada.
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12/11/2011
If you listen to defense industry lobbyists, hawks in Congress and the Pentagon, the sky is falling and with it, American security. It isn’t. The failure of the “supercommittee” to reach a deficit agreement is supposed to trigger $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts in federal spending over the next decade, nearly $500 billion of that from the basic Pentagon budget. Many Republicans, and some Democrats, are already talking about getting the Pentagon off the hook.
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12/11/2011
The Pentagon and the U.S. Army are in the early stages of a far-reaching Science & Technology effort designed to engineer, build and deliver a next-generation helicopter with vastly improved avionics, electronics, range, speed, propulsion, survivability, operating density altitudes and payload capacity, service officials said.
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12/10/2011
The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force has set the record for the longest ever flight undertaken by a military aircraft in the country without refuelling. "Two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft successfully flew non-stop for 9 hours and 45 minutes from Rome in Italy to Muscat in Oman in June this year setting a record for longest flight without refuelling by any IAF aircraft," IAF officials said here.
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12/10/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) is being awarded a $4 billion fixed-price U.S. Navy contract for 30 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the fifth batch of low-rate initial production, the Defense Department said on Friday. The deal would provide 21 conventional models for the Air Force, six carrier variants for the Navy and three short-takeoff and vertical landing versions for the Marine Corps, a notice in the Pentagon's daily contract digest said.
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12/10/2011
The U.S. Army last month rolled out the latest upgrade to Boeing’s iconic Apache attack helicopter—the AH-64D Longbow Block III. The version includes at least 25 technology upgrades and, importantly, interoperability with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that permits a pilot in flight to control a drone, tap into its streaming video and use its sensors for target engagement.
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12/10/2011
Malaysia’s requirement for a new multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) was a key feature of this week’s Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition. Although no formal request for proposals (RFP) has been issued, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen were all on flying or static display in pairs.
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12/10/2011
Russia's Irkut Corp. has signed a contract with the country's Defense Ministry for 55 Yak-130 jet trainers for delivery in 2015. "As part of efforts to form a new image of the Russian armed forces, the Defense Ministry pays primary attention to equipping the armed forces with state-of-the-art hardware and to enhancing its combat capability," Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said.
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12/10/2011
This week we learned that a stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed 140 miles inside Iran with its wreckage recovered by Iranian security forces. Dubbed "the Beast of Kandahar" in 2009 after it appeared at a U.S. airbase there, the RQ-170 flew clandestine missions over Abbottabad, Pakistan, collecting intelligence prior to the May raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
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12/10/2011
The Pentagon’s purchase of F-35 Lightning II combat jets may have to be stretched out, the top U.S. uniformed official said. “We are committed, that is to say, the U.S. military, to the development of the fifth-generation fighter, clearly,” Army Gen. Martin Dempsey said at an Atlantic Council event in Washington on Friday. “There are some fact-of-life changes that we’ll probably have to make based on the ability to procure it on timelines that we’d like to have.”
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12/09/2011
Victor Komardin, the deputy director of Russia’s arms export agency Rosoboronexport, contends that the two short-listed candidates for India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition have effectively ruled themselves out by putting too high a price on their fighters.
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12/09/2011
Production on France's Rafale fighter jet could be stopped if foreign buyers don't materialize, the country's defense minister warned Wednesday. Gerard Longuet maintained that the Rafale - which has long failed to win any contracts abroad and is currently used solely by the French armed forces -- is an "excellent plane." However, he acknowledged the Rafale is handicapped by its price, which is higher than its U.S. rival.
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12/09/2011
Fighter jets bombed the southern Somali town of Baardheere on Thursday, killing at least one civilian, and fighting broke out in the north of Mogadishu, exposing the government's struggle to secure the capital.
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12/09/2011
The after-market division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has joined two Malaysian firms for aircraft maintenance and support in the country. A Memorandum of Understanding to explore business opportunities was signed Wednesday in Malaysia and involves Sikorsky Aerospace Services, AIROD Sdn. Bhd., and Aviation Design Center Sdn. Bhd.
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12/09/2011
Iran paraded what its military described as a captured C.I.A. stealth drone on national television on Thursday and lodged an official diplomatic protest, portraying the visual images as an intelligence and propaganda windfall in its conflict with the West over its nuclear program.
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12/09/2011
Sudarshan Shakti, a joint exercise of the Southern Army & South Western Air command (SWAC) in the desert has entered into its final phase. The desert-exercise has enabled the army with the air force to use the latest technology to create and be ready for real-time war-like situations.
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12/09/2011
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's aerial bombing campaign in Libya tested the capabilities of Dassault Aviation's Rafale as a multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) and it passed with flying colours, said a French air force pilot who flew it during the campaign.
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12/09/2011
Georgia was named a NATO aspirant country for the first time on Thursday, the country’s deputy premier said. Georgia, which has been proactively seeking NATO membership since a coup in 2003, was included on the list during a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers that opened on Wednesday in Brussels
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12/08/2011
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been conducting a Joint Military Training (JMT) since October 14. The Ministry of Defence said the training at Kalaikunda Air Force Station, India, will end on the December 9.
The RSAF has deployed F16-D+ fighter aircraft, RBS-70 missile system fire units and PSTAR radar to join the IAF's MiG-27, MiG-21 and Hawk MK 132 fighter aircraft for this year's training.
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12/08/2011
Britain and France plan to work together on developing military drones, the British defence minister said on Wednesday. Referring to an agreement last year to increase military collaboration in a bid to cut costs, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond told a parliamentary committee there would be a joint announcement on drones by London and Paris.
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12/08/2011
France has taken delivery of the first of eight Airbus Military CN235 aircraft, ordered last year for 225 million euros, to compensate for delays in receiving the A400M. The French General Directorate of Armaments, DGA, received the first aircraft on November 17, two months ahead of schedule. The aircraft will be operated by Escadron de Transport 62 at Creil-Senlis.
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12/08/2011
The Department of Defense (DOD) is looking to mobile application development to improve its development of sensors for drones and other military surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence vehicles.
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12/08/2011
The current financial crisis in Greece has led to enormous cutbacks in government spending. The military has not been exempt. This year alone, the defense budget will be cut about a third. Over the next two years, the reduced budget will be cut another 15 percent. The army will lose 11 of its 30 brigades, but the air force has disbanded one of 16 squadrons, but kept the aircraft in service by moving them to surviving squadrons. The navy has retired some older patrol boats.
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12/08/2011
France warned on Wednesday that defence giant Dassault would halt production of its Rafale multirole fighter jet if it remains unable to sell any abroad. "If Dassault doesn't sell any Rafales abroad, the production line... will be stopped" once France has received the 180 aircraft it has ordered, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet told a small group of journalists including AFP.
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12/08/2011
U.S. moves to strengthen its military alliances in Asia are not aimed at containing China, a top U.S. defense official said Thursday. She said her comments came in response to Chinese questions about a decision to base 2,500 Marines for training in Australia next year. Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy said she communicated that message to her Chinese counterparts during annual defense talks in Beijing.
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12/08/2011
The United States is in discussions with Libya over ways to help rebuild the country's military, which the U.S. military considers essential to unify the country and bring rival militias under national control.
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12/08/2011
An airborne signals intelligence system configured specifically for the newest C-130J aircraft has been delivered to the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin. The system, which is part of the Senior Scout program that enables C-130 aircraft to be used for tactical signals intelligence and reconnaissance, will undergo acceptance testing in December.
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12/08/2011
Lockheed Martin delivered the first Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) upgrade prototype units to the U.S. Army for use on the Apache attack helicopter. Five System Design and Development (SDD) Laser Rangefinder Designators (LRFDs) were recently delivered to the Army under a three-year contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in September 2008 to modernize the Apache’s Day Sensor Assembly.
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12/07/2011
Russia started the first day at an arms show in Malaysia with a preliminary agreement on the delivery of six Su-30MK2 fighters to Indonesia, the Kommersant business daily said on Wednesday. Kommersant cited a Russian source at the talks with Indonesia during the LIMA-2011 arms show on the main island of Langkawi as saying that a contract on the Su-30MK2 delivery could be signed as early as by the end of 2011.
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12/07/2011
So just how often do US military drones "disappear"? The US military acknowledged Sunday that one of its unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV’s, had gone missing over western Afghanistan late last week. “The operators of the UAV lost control of the aircraft and had been working to determine its status,” a statement released by NATO forces in Afghanistan said Sunday.
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12/07/2011
The U.S. drone that apparently fell into Iran's hands was part of a joint CIA-military reconnaissance operation, Fox News has learned. A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the spy plane was being used for the CIA-military operation along the Afghan-Iranian border when it lost connectivity and disappeared.
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12/07/2011
Eurofighter Typhoon will take pride of place as one of the highlights of the daily flying display at LIMA 2011 as it debuts at the show. On Tuesday 6 December the world’s most advanced multi-role combat aircraft, flown by BAE Systems’ Typhoon Test Pilot, Nat Makepeace, will take to the skies for the first time over Langkawi, demonstrating its incredible agility and speed.
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12/07/2011
Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulators for E-3 aircraft are being provided to the U.S. Air Force by Northrop Grumman. The CEESIM system will be used to support maintenance of the U.S. Air Force E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, Electronic Support Measures Operational Computer Program software.
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12/07/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $835,000,000 firm-fixed-price, time-and-material and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a Foreign Military Sales Program which will provide the government of Iraq with the following: 18 F-16 C/D Block 52 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (12C models and 6 D models); support equipment; technical orders; integrated logistics support; and contractor logistics support.
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12/07/2011
The Department of Defense is already preparing for more than $400 billion in spending cuts over the next 10 years, and if the automatic reductions dictated by the 2011 Budget Control Act are not reversed, that number will increase by an additional $500 billion–$600 billion.
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12/07/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] on Nov. 28 received a U.S. Navy contract under the Foreign Military Sales Program to provide the first major upgrades for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) fleet of eight F/A-18D Hornet fighter aircraft.
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12/06/2011
Although it's by no means out of the woods yet it seems clear now that the 3DS is having a good Christmas. Key games Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are both excellent and to judge by the charts they seem to be selling well. But while Nintendo has been shocked into action with their own games they’ll need to rely on other companies to pad out the rest of the system's release schedule. Something this new Ace Combat manages surprisingly well.
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12/06/2011
Spring 2012 at NAS Patuxent River, Md., and an unusual shape joins the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters flying the pattern at the U.S. Navy’s test center. The tailless flying wing is Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D), being prepared for autonomous landings on an aircraft carrier in 2013.
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12/06/2011
The Indian Navy briefly touches upon the national consciousness every year on December 4 when it celebrates Navy Day to commemorate its successful sea-borne bombing of the Karachi harbour in the 1971 war with Pakistan. Similarly, it now makes news whenever its warships successfully interdict Somali pirates and rescue merchant vessels off the Gulf of Aden or elsewhere.
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12/06/2011
The first set of two Mirage 2000 combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have flown out for upgrade at the facilities of Thales, the French defence and aerospace giant, as part of a $1.35 billion deal for the 51-aircraft fleet. "Two aircraft - a single seater and a double-seater - have flown out to the French Air Base near Istres. The aircraft will reach Monday-Tuesday after halts in two countries in the Gulf and two in Europe," Thales country director Eric Lenseigne said.
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12/06/2011
Service in the drone squadrons of Israel, the world's oldest military operator of pilotless aircraft, sometimes begins on the fields of teenaged model plane enthusiasts. Veteran air force officers scout new talent among radio-controlled model clubs, a drone commander said Monday during a rare media tour of his unit.
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12/06/2011
The global economic crisis and the pressure it creates on defense spending means the U.S. and its allies must agree on new ways to split and share their military responsibilities, a top former U.S. defense official said.
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12/06/2011
An interservice battle fueled by disagreements over the purchase and operation of small, fixed-wing cargo planes has divided the Air Force from its own National Guard component and the Army. The debate between the parties over the future of the C-27J cargo aircraft, built by L-3 Communications and Alenia, has intensified in recent weeks in advance of the Pentagon finalizing its 2013 budget proposal, which is expected to determine the fate of the program.
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12/06/2011
Gloom and doom from one side, glee and visions of sugar plum fairies from the other: As usual, the Pushmi-pullyu beast that is America’s political elite has it exactly wrong as it weighs the dire (or wondrous) implications of “Draconian” cuts facing the U.S. armed forces over the next decade.
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12/06/2011
A U.S. super-secret spy plane believed to be in Iranian possession could be a major loss for the U.S. military -- and a major gain for Iran. According to a senior U.S. military source with intimate knowledge of the Sentinel drone, the aircraft likely "wandered" into Iranian air space after losing contact with its handlers and is presumed to be in tact since it is programmed to fly level and find a place to land, rather than crashing.
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12/06/2011
Lockheed Martin received two contracts totaling $30.6 million from the Naval Surface Warfare Center for the Target Sight System (TSS), the fire control system for the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter.
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12/05/2011
The congressional supercommittee concluded its work without an agreement on $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade. The impasse could lead to automatic cuts to national defense, which accounts for 20 percent of federal spending. Congress has already cut $460 billion from the defense budget over the next decade; automatic triggers could allow an additional $600 billion in cuts.
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12/05/2011
The United States on Sunday appeared to give credence to Iranian state media reports that Iran had come into possession of a downed U.S. surveillance drone. The American-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan issued a brief statement Sunday saying that an unarmed U.S. reconnaissance aircraft had gone missing while on a mission in western Afghanistan late last week.
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12/05/2011
An American special plane arrived in Balochistan on Sunday to airlift American military personnel from Shamsi airbase after the government sought its vacation by December 11. The government had asked the U.S. to vacate the airbase hours after NATO fighter jets and helicopters bombed two border posts in Mohmand agency near the Afghan border and killed 24 soldiers on November 26.
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12/05/2011
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.'s S-92® "Legacy of Heroes" demonstration helicopter will be shown on static display at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition beginning Dec. 6. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp..
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12/05/2011
There are celebrations at Linkoping, the home of the Gripen NG fighter, which is barely two hours from Stockholm in one of Sweden’s ultra-friendly inter-city trains. On Tuesday, the Swiss government announced its selection of the Gripen fighter for the Swiss Air Force, turning away the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale.
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12/04/2011
Swiss socialists want to hold a referendum on the government's 3.1 billion franc (2.5 billion euro) purchase of a new fighter jet fleet if the deal affects spending elsewhere, it was reported on Saturday. The Federal Council revealed on Wednesday its proposal to buy 22 Swedish-made Gripen planes to replace its ageing F5 fighters.
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12/04/2011
The U.S. Air Force's fleet of stealthy F-22 Raptor fifth-generation fighters has suffered two additional "physiological incidents" since Nov. 21, the service confirmed Dec. 2. "Since 21 Nov., there have been two physiological incidents and no events of interest," said Air Combat Command spokeswoman Kelly Sanders in an emailed statement.
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12/04/2011
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today vowed to fight an Air Force proposal, currently under consideration at the Defense Department, to eliminate the C-27J program. The elimination of the C-27J could have a serious impact on the 179th Airlift Wing at the Mansfield Air National Guard Base. The C-27J, in addition to being used in overseas operations, is also used domestically for disaster relief and other missions.
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12/04/2011
Production of Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the costliest arms purchase in history, should be slowed because of the potential number of airframe cracks and "hot spots" turning up in testing and analysis, the Pentagon's F-35 program director said.
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12/04/2011
Congress’ failure to make a deficit deal could cut the number of soldiers by up to 25 percent, leaving the smallest Army since just before World War II. That, in turn, means you stand a good chance of deploying more often. You will do so with older gear, weapons and vehicles, and your pay and benefits — which are protected right now — are likely to see changes in the near future. For military leaders, the choice comes down to cutting soldiers, cutting programs or reducing pay and benefits.
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12/03/2011
A MiG-21 combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Friday crashed near Mangalia village of Rania Mandi in Sirsa but the pilot managed to eject moments before the plane went down. The combat aircraft of AIF took off from Sirsa Air Force station base around 10am for its regular practise. The plane crashed around 1pm in the fields of Mangalia village.
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12/03/2011
India's first carrier-borne naval fighter aircraft "LCA Tejas (Navy)" will take to the skies for its maiden flight this month, a top defence official said today, adding that it will form the air element of the Indian Navy. "LCA (Navy) will be flown in the month of December.I think by the end of this month, it should fly", V K Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said.
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12/03/2011
Citing budget constraints, only the Air Force’s flagship aircraft—the F-22 Raptor—survived the chopping block, subsequently banishing the A-10 Warthog East and West, F-16 Viper East and West, and the F-15E Sentry Eagle teams to the history books, at least for the 2012 airshow season.
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12/03/2011
Airmen from the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron successfully completed an airdrop mission to Combat Outpost Herrera in east Afghanistan, using GPS-guided bundles to deliver the supplies Nov. 27.
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12/03/2011
The stealth design of the F-35 joint strike fighter is supposed to make it nearly invisible to enemy radar, but the super high-tech combat aircraft may not be able to avoid the bull's-eye of Pentagon budget-cutters. Congress' failure last month to agree on $1.2 billion in additional deficit reduction measures means the Defense Department is facing enormous funding cuts mandated by law.
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12/02/2011
A major defense contractor has joined with AVX Aircraft Co., a fledgling Fort Worth company, in an effort to win a Navy contract for an unmanned surveillance helicopter. AVX officials announced Wednesday that they teamed with BAE Systems, a $36 billion international conglomerate based in Great Britain, to submit a proposal for the planned Medium Range Maritime Unmanned Aerial System.
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12/02/2011
The Russian Air Force is receiving about a hundred new or refurbished aircraft and helicopters next year. That's a big improvement over a decade ago, when the air force got no aircraft, and only enough fuel to allow most pilots a few hours a month (on average) in the air.
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12/02/2011
Raytheon is offering its advanced combat radar system to South Korea as the air force opens its competition for radar upgrades to its F-16 aircraft. The RACR employs active electronically scanned array technology, a statement from Raytheon said. The system is the same AESA radar that Raytheon pioneered for the U.S. Air Force's F-15C and fielded in December 2000.
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12/02/2011
The cost for the Marines to fix and fly their full fleet of V-22 tiltrotors has grown by nearly two-thirds over just four years, according to a Pentagon estimate. In 2008, the Defense Department calculated the “lifetime” cost of operating 360 V-22 Osprey transports at $75 billion over roughly 30 years. Today the figure is more than $121 billion — a 61-percent increase.
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12/02/2011
The Swiss Federal Council decided to purchase 22 Swedish-made Saab Gripen fighter jets to replace its ageing F-5 Tiger. The planned purchase will be put to Parliament as part of the Government's 2012 arms programme.
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12/02/2011
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company, and The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], drew wide international attention at the Dubai Airshow held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from Nov. 13 to 17.
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12/02/2011
The Russian Air Force is planning to acquire about 60 new and modernized air defense systems in 2012, Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Thursday. “The new acquisitions include S-400 long-range air defense missile systems, Nebo-U radars and Pantsir-S1 short range missile/gun systems,” Drik said. The Air Force will receive up to 10 Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers, about 10 Su-25SM Frogfoot attack fighters, and an unspecified number of Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighters.
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12/01/2011
Korea on Wednesday unveiled its first unmanned tiltrotor aircraft, capable of vertical takeoff and landing as well as high-speed navigation. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute disclosed the new “smart” aircraft at the aerospace center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. The state-funded aerospace think tank is negotiating with government agencies for commercial use of the vehicle.
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12/01/2011
Moscow is deploying warships at its base in the Syrian port of Tartus. The long-planned mission comes, providentially, at the very moment when it could help prevent a potential conflict in the strategically important Middle Eastern country. The Russian battle group will consist of three vessels led by the heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, Admiral Kuznetsov.
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12/01/2011
A new app from the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service challenges users to see if they have what it takes to design the next generation of military aircraft. The Make It Fly app for the iPhone hit the Apple store in November and already has positive reviews. The free program lets you build and fly your own aircraft—from fighter jets to remotely piloted bombers.
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12/01/2011
China's Ministry of National Defense criticized U.S. plans to establish a permanent military presence in Australia, accusing Washington of acting antagonistically in the region and perpetuating a Cold War mentality.
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12/01/2011
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters that he was trying to discuss the incident with Pakistan behind closed doors. "Candidly we don't want to try to resolve this issue through the media. No offense," he said in an interview as he flew back to Washington after a trip to London. "The one thing I will say publicly and categorically is that this was not a deliberate attack."
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12/01/2011
Prince Harry has returned to the UK after completing a major exercise in the US, flying Apache helicopters with the Army, St James's Palace has said. The prince spent eight weeks taking part in Exercise Crimson Eagle in California and Arizona. He flew the aircraft in mountainous and desert conditions, during both day and night, as well as firing its weapons.
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12/01/2011
French military and business jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation SA (AM.FR) said Wednesday it was "astonished" at the Swiss government's decision to buy 22 Gripen fighter jets from Swedish defense and aerospace company Saab AB (SAABF, SAAB-B.SK) instead of Dassault's Rafale multirole combat aircraft.
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12/01/2011
The Russian Navy will take part in several international drills, including those involving the United States, Britain and France, in the new training year which begins on Thursday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.
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12/01/2011
The Armed Forces of Turkey and the UK have signed a military cooperation treaty during an official state visit to Britain. The treaty was signed by the deputy chief of the Turkish general staff, General Hulusi Akar and the UK's Secretary of State for defence, the Rt Hon Phillip Hammond and will enable greater cooperation between the Armed Forces of Turkey and the UK.
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11/30/2011
The United States is preparing to accede to Pakistani demands that it vacate a remote air base in Pakistan used for drone flights, but the move is not expected to have a significant impact on operations against militants, U.S. government sources say.
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11/30/2011
Following the launch of A400M series production last February, Airbus Military has begun final assembly of the first A400M that will be delivered to a customer – the French Air Force.
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11/30/2011
The Government has given first pass approval for Phase 1A of the Air 5438 Lead-In Fighter Capability Assurance Program (CAP). This first phase will identify the requirements for the upgrade the RAAF’s Hawk 127 lead in fighter capability, so that it may continue to produce aircrew with the necessary skills to operate current RAAF combat aircraft, like the F/A-18 Classic and Super Hornet fleets, as well as the future combat aircraft such as the F-35 JSF.
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11/30/2011
Britain’s commitment to buy the US-led Joint Strike Fighter combat aircraft and the diplomatic and commercial sensitivities surrounding the project were the prime factors that saved the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers last year, according to information released by the government on Monday.
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11/30/2011
Even with the F-22 on the ramp, if the F-35 program is delayed or killed, the U.S. and its allies will need more aircraft with a reduced radar signature or the ability to carry standoff weapons at a range to penetrate sophisticated air defenses.
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11/30/2011
Malaysia has a commanding position astride two of the world's most strategic waterways, the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea. The importance of these sea lines of communication to major powers such as China, Japan and South Korea cannot be overstated. Through these waters flows the lifeblood of their economies. From the west flows oil from the Middle East and from the east flows finished goods bound for Europe.
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11/30/2011
After nine months of brutal repression that has killed over 3,500 people-the vast majority being nonviolent protestors--Syrian opposition groups are escalating the frequency and variety of their demands for international military support. What form that external intervention might take, what the intended military and political objectives would be, and what countries may contribute, remain altogether unclear.
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11/30/2011
Pratt & Whitney's F100-PW-220U engine and exhaust system have successfully powered the first flight of the second Northrop Grumman X-47B flight test aircraft for the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.
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11/30/2011
The Boeing Company received a $20 million contract in September from the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the visual systems in the F-15C Mission Training Centers. Twelve MTCs, located at Langley Air Force Base, Va., Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, and Kadena Air Base, Japan, will be upgraded with Boeing’s Constant Resolution Visual System (CRVS).
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11/30/2011
The dispatch of a Russian Navy task force to the Mediterranean Sea is part of a scheduled exercise and is not connected to the situation in Syria, General Staff chief Nikolai Makarov said on Tuesday. “We are not sending anything [to Syria],” he said. He did not say when the exercise would take place. Earlier in the day a Russian Defense Ministry source denied media reports that a group of Russian warships led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier would arrive at the Syrian port of Tartus
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11/28/2011
Fighter technologies have evolved at an impressive rate since the end of the Cold War. In industrial defense establishments across the world, the production and development of relatively cheap and viable versions of fourth generation aircraft continues. Incorporation of modern electronics suites and advanced upgrades have extended the life of such platforms for decades.
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11/27/2011
U.S. President Barack Obama used a visit to Australia November 16-17 to announce a strengthening of military ties between the global imperial power and its longtime key imperialist ally in the southwest Pacific. For the first time since World War II, significant U.S. armed forces will be stationed at Australian military bases in the north and west of the country.
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11/27/2011
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been awarded a $35 million contract to supply the next generation of its EHUD Autonomous Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (AACMI) system to a foreign customer. The system will provide a significant leap in performance to modern joint training capabilities for air, ground and naval forces.
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11/27/2011
A competition to sell the Israel Air Force’s new advanced combat trainers is heating up as a Korean defense delegation plans to arrive in Israel next month to sign an agreement paving the way for increased cooperation and potentially $5 billion in sales for Israeli companies.
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11/27/2011
From his spot beneath the famous Wright Military Flyer in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Peter Singer is reminded of a modern military drone. "The story of manned airplanes is a great parallel to what's happening now with unmanned airplanes," he tells weekends on All Things Considered guest host Rachel Martin.
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11/27/2011
Pakistani authorities on Saturday gave the United States 15 days to leave the Shamsi airbase, and closed NATO supply lines into Afghanistan in response to a deadly NATO air strike, the DawnNews TV channel reported. The Federal Cabinet's Defense Committee said no compromise would be made on the country’s sovereignty and security. "The people and the army will ensure Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity at any cost," it said.
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11/26/2011
The third Advanced Tactical Frontline Fighter (PAK FA) performed its first flight November 22 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur KnAAPO. The jet was piloted by honored test-pilot Sergey Bogdan. The jet spent about an hour in the air and landed at KnAAPO runway after successful and complete fulfillment of the flight assignment. Aircraft stability and power plant performance were checked during flight, the pilot noting reliability of all systems and equipment.
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11/26/2011
Wall also reported on the United Arab Emirates’ invitation to Eurofighter to bid its Typhoon for its combat aircraft replacement and how this was another swipe by the UAE at Dassault and its Rafale offering.
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11/26/2011
Aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) has requested a review of the US Air Force (USAF) Light Air Support (LAS) bidding process, after the USAF notified the firm that its AT-6 fixed-wing aircraft had been excluded from continuing in the process.
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11/26/2011
At the peak of the United States’s war in Iraq, the U.S. military had more than 170,000 troops, 500 bases replete with tents and toilets, kitchens and motor pools, and an airline that flew hundreds of times a day across the country.
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11/26/2011
The 16-ton fighter jet slowed to a stop off the warship's port beam, where it hovered like a floating rock as thousands of pounds of thrust from its engine and lift fan stirred up a cloud of mist from the Atlantic Ocean 100 feet below. After a brief hesitation, the sleek, new gray airplane - a Marine Corps version of the radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - slipped quickly sideways over the amphibious assault ship and then dropped to the flight deck with a gentle bump.
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11/26/2011
Russia’s radar station in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad will monitor missile launches from the North Atlantic, as well as the future European missile defense system, the Aerospace Defense Forces chief said on Friday. “We will be able to control the entire European continent and the Atlantic, including the European missile defense system,” Lt. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said.
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11/24/2011
North Korea threatened Thursday to turn Seoul's presidential office into a "sea of fire," one day after South Korea conducted large-scale military drills near a front-line island attacked by North Korea last year.
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11/24/2011
The U.S. military will deliver more Thanksgiving dinners to troops and support staff in Afghanistan than to those in Iraq and Kuwait for the first time since 2003 - a milestone marked by increased logistical challenges.
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11/24/2011
Boeing is offering a line of upgrades for international variants of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-15C/Es that the U.S. military is likely to envy and may well adopt as defense budgets shrink.
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11/24/2011
The first session of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) wrapped up in Algiers last week with the adoption of a roadmap for Sahel security. The two-day closed door conference finished on Thursday (November 17th) with a focus on two topics of concern: controlling Libyan weapons throughout vast desert tracts and stamping out the sources of finance for terrorism and crime.
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11/24/2011
Russia may deploy "advanced offensive weapon systems" on its borders with Europe in response to a planned U.S.-backed European missile shield, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday.
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11/23/2011
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is in a bit of a quandary. From the outside the game looks like a flight sim/aerial combat. However, the game’s visual aesthetic is very similar to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, and to call this a flight sim is selling Namco Bandai‘s latest release a bit short.
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11/23/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy its major frontline combat aircraft, including the Su-30, for a massive joint exercise with the Army in the Jaisalmer sector. The exercise has been codenamed 'Maha Gujraj' which will test the efficiency of a conventional integrated land-air warfighting machinery over the desert.
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11/23/2011
The military plans to hold a large-scale response exercises Wednesday according to the scenario of a North Korean surprise assault on the Northwest Islands and military provocation. This comes one year to the day after the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
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11/23/2011
The Air Force is still producing new pilots for unmanned aircraft, a spokeswoman said, although the service has dispatched its cadre of UAV instructors on combat missions. “The basic training pipeline for Air Force Pilots, RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] Pilots and Sensor Operators is active,” Air Combat Command spokeswoman Kelly Sanders wrote in an emailed response to questions.
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11/23/2011
President Benigno Aquino III on Monday sought South Korea’s help in buying helicopters, boats, aircraft and other equipment for the Armed Forces. Mr. Aquino said the Philippines was interested in buying new military equipment during his meeting with visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the Palace. “This is in consonance with the upgrading and modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” the President said.
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11/23/2011
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has painted such an apocalyptic vision of America’s national security under $500 billion in military budget cuts triggered by the failure of a Congressional deficit panel, that Pentagon officials said Tuesday that they were pushing back at Congress and not even planning for the spending reductions, which are to take effect in January 2013.
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11/23/2011
Boeing has received a $135 million contract from the U.S. Navy for engineering and manufacturing development of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor system.
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11/23/2011
Lockheed Martin received a contract to complete the development of the Infrared Search and Track (IRST™) sensor system for the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F, marking the start of the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development phase of the program.
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11/23/2011
The first international Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II rolled out of the factory Sunday evening. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence will use the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, known as BK-1, for training and operational tests.
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11/23/2011
The Russian Air Force will take delivery of about 90 new or modernized fixed and rotary wing aircraft in 2012, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. The Air Force will receive up to 10 Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers, about 10 Su-25SM Frogfoot attack fighters, and an unspecified number of Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighters, Col. Vladimir Drik said.
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11/22/2011
Eurofighter and Rafale, the two finalists in the fray for India's big combat jet order, have extended their dogfight to the UAE to win another commercial tender.
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11/22/2011
The United States is giving, not selling, two dozen second-hand F-16 fighter planes to Indonesia to strengthen security ties with an "important U.S. partner," the Defense Department said on Monday. The F-16 C/D models are decommissioned and no longer part of the U.S. Air Force inventory. Retooled and upgraded, they will contribute to Indonesia's "interoperability" with the United States, Navy Commander Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Defense Department spokeswoman, added in an email to Reuters.
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11/22/2011
The USA intends to use the ANZUS Treaty (Australia, New Zealand and the USA) against China. Barack Obama visited Australia's capital Canberra to mark the 60th anniversary of the alliance. Obama met Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and agreed to considerably strengthen the defense cooperation with the country. Particularly, it goes about a tenfold increase of the US military presence on the green continent.
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11/22/2011
Ten years earlier and almost to the day, the first known lethal drone strike took place, in Afghanistan. The precise date is still a US state secret, since the CIA carried out the killing. The most likely first target was Mullah Akhund, the Taliban number three, who was attacked by a drone some time around November 8 2001. Akhund survived but others were reported to have died.
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11/22/2011
The chief of the National Guard said Friday that after 10 years of war, the Guard is stronger than it's been in its 350-year history. With those wars drawing down, he said he's trying to make the case inside the Pentagon that the Army and Air Guard shouldn't get left behind by budget cuts.
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11/22/2011
President Benigno Aquino III on Monday asked visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for aircraft, boats and other hardware to help boost the country’s military, amid rising tensions with China over the Spratly Islands. Mr. Aquino said he and Lee discussed their respective regional security concerns, which for the Philippines was the situation in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), where China has been accused of bullying.
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11/22/2011
In the budget clash over national defense, the money is in the billions but the rhetoric soars even higher. And the gloom-and-doom forecasts of possible military cuts seem to get more alarming by the day. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that additional cuts would erode national security and even lead to war, encouraging America's enemies to attack.
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11/22/2011
The Pentagon announced that it awarded a contract worth as much as $7.4 billion to aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp. to upgrade the Air Force's fleet of problem-plagued F-22 Raptor fighter jets. The announcement said that the Bethesda, Md., company would “add new capabilities and enhance the performance" of the aircraft.
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11/22/2011
During a recent European exercise, Lockheed Martin demonstrated advanced border surveillance capabilities from an optionally piloted vehicle. Lockheed Martin and its team showcased how traditional defense focused integrated airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities can be quickly adapted to address dynamic border protection as well as maritime search and rescue needs.
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11/21/2011
A stinging rebuke by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to French efforts to sell the Rafale will pressure fighter maker Dassault to smarten up its commercial approach, particularly as the company is a contender in India's bid for a new warplane, analysts said.
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11/20/2011
Despite the Obama administration’s recent rejection of Taipei’s request for new sales of F-16C/D multirole craft, elements of the U.S. government continue to support the future sale of various combat weapons systems to the island nation. Looking at the situation strategically, most observers agree that Taiwan needs new fighters. As it currently stands, the air forces of the Republic of China operates a mix of F-16A/B jets, Mirage 2000s and the domestically-produced Indigenous Defense Fighter.
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11/20/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp. has landed a $7.4 billion deal to support the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor program. On Friday, the Defense Department announced the multi-year contract, which was issued by Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Under the deal, Lockheed Martin will be asked to work on a variety of tasks that include developing upgrades, incorporating new requirements, adding capabilities and boosting performance in the F-22 weapon system.
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11/20/2011
Worries over the costs and need of the F-35 fighter jet program are merely "clatter and noise," Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Friday as he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the high-tech multi-role aircraft. MacKay and his American counterpart, U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta, tried to downplay concerns surrounding the multibillion-dollar procurement program, saying they’re confident it is not in jeopardy.
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11/20/2011
The "black box" of a military training aircraft that crashed into the Gulf on Friday near the Palm Deira has been located and will be retrieved today. The retrieval of the crash recorder from the wreckage of the Italian M-346 will bring an end to the search operations.
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11/20/2011
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shoved his head into a snug aviator helmet topped with goggles one September morning and swooped into Lower Manhattan on a V-22 Osprey, a $70 million aircraft that Marines use for battlefield assaults in Afghanistan.
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11/20/2011
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shoved his head into a snug aviator helmet topped with goggles one September morning and swooped into Lower Manhattan on a V-22 Osprey, a $70 million aircraft that Marines use for battlefield assaults in Afghanistan. “How’d you like that gizmo?” Mr. Panetta said after landing at the Wall Street heliport in the Osprey, which takes off like a helicopter, flies like an airplane — and has been responsible for the deaths of 30 people in test flights.
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11/19/2011
A military training aircraft returning to Italy after the Dubai Airshow crashed in the sea near Deira about midday yesterday, less than half an hour after take-off. The two pilots from the Italian-made trainer M-346 ejected from the aircraft just before it went down in the Gulf near the Palm Deira, which is under construction.
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11/19/2011
The United States plans to supply 24 refurbished F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Indonesia, the presidents of the two countries announced in Bali on Friday on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific summit.
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11/19/2011
Israeli defense officials say they're confident the first squadron of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be delivered on time in late 2016 despite problems that have set back the project for at least two years. The officials' optimism, reported in Israel's media, flew in the face of the constant technical setbacks that have plagued the development of the stealthy fifth-generation fighter and suggestions in Congress the high-profile project be scrapped because of massive cost overr
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11/19/2011
The IAF will make public in four weeks the winner of India's biggest-ever Rs 42,000 crore military contract to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft ( MMRCA), Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said.
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11/19/2011
Fears that the F-35 fighter jet program is in jeopardy are nothing more than "clatter and noise," says Defence Minister Peter MacKay. MacKay, who is meeting with U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta in Halifax Friday, said the program is vital to Canadian security and will proceed despite concerns about the cost and need of the 65 jets Canada plans to purchase.
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11/19/2011
The U.S. Army has conducted the first flight test of a new weapon concept designed to fly within the earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speed and long range, the Pentagon said. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command launched the Advance Hypersonic Weapon (AHW), “a first-of-its-kind glide vehicle,” at 17:30 GMT Thursday from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii. It hit its designated target at the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll, about 2,300 miles away.
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11/18/2011
After months of average titles and mediocre releases, the Nintendo 3DS is finally beginning to morph into the handheld system that Nintendo always claimed it was. The biggest issues was (and continues to be) the software, but that is slowly beginning to change as more and more franchises are looking to dip their collective toes into the potentially lucrative pool of Nintendo’s waters.
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11/18/2011
MiG is claiming a major first in military aviation with the launch of a 3D flight simulator at the Dubai Air Show, providing volumetric visualization of beyond-the-cockpit space for trainee top guns. The simulator comes complete with the MiG-29's cockpit and actual control systems.
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11/18/2011
Australia has asked the United States for the sale of one C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support.
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11/18/2011
Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today delivered to the U.S. Army the fourth of 15 UH-60M BLACK HAWK aircraft for further transfer to the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV).
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11/18/2011
Kenya's government has made an urgent appeal to the Obama administration for the Pentagon to provide intelligence and logistical support to Kenya's faltering month-old military operation in Somalia against the Shabab, a powerful Al Qaeda-linked militia.
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11/18/2011
A House panel on Thursday approved two measures urging the White House to sell Taiwan the newest version of the F-16 fighter jet.?? The bills were approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee weeks after the Obama administration announced in September it was moving forward with a $5.9 billion arms package for its Asian ally.
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11/18/2011
The Swedish made JAS-39 Gripen jet fighter [PHOTO] got its first combat experience over Libya recently, as part of the UN sponsored humanitarian bombing campaign. As with most aircraft, the first time in combat, problems show up that were not revealed during tests or training. For example, the encrypted radios, fitted out to communicate with NATO aircraft (Sweden is not a member, but is equipped to operate with the alliance), had problems.
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11/18/2011
The future of America’s national security hangs in the balance. Facing a looming Thanksgiving deadline, a select bipartisan panel of 12 lawmakers is struggling to hammer out legislation that would reduce the federal deficit by more than $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years. However, it remains unclear if they will succeed.
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11/18/2011
Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Company signed a deal at the show to create an alliance with American unmanned air systems(UAS)specialist Insitu to provide support and sustainment of Insitu's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) UAS products and services in the Middle East.
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11/18/2011
The supreme commander of the UAE armed forces and Crown Price of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nayhan spoke publicly about the collapsed deal between Dassault and the UAE Defence Force for its Rafale fighter aircraft saying all the diplomatic and political will in the world would not overcome uncompetitive and unworkable commercial terms.
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11/17/2011
The Mexican Navy has taken delivery of the first of four CN235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) ordered from Airbus Military through a contract with EADS North America under the Mérida Initiative, a joint program between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Mexico. The remaining three aircraft will be delivered in the first half of 2012.
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11/17/2011
If there's one problem with today's aircraft it's that they aren't colorful enough. Why fly the skies in a camoflaugh or silver covered aircraft that people have a hard time seeing? You want to be bright, colorful and gaudy as possible so those bogies see you coming a mile away. That way - they know you mean business.
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11/17/2011
As Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), which displayed its products in Dubai Airshow-2011 in UAE, told APA, Azerbaijan shows interest in JF-17 Thunder combat aircrafts jointly produced by Pakistan and China and announced its intention to purchase aircrafts of this type.
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11/17/2011
A long-awaited French deal for Dassault to sell at least 60 Rafale fighter jets worth an estimated $10 billion to the United Arab Emirates hit a new snag on Wednesday when it said proposed terms were "uncompetitive and unworkable."
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11/17/2011
The U.S. military gave new details Wednesday of U.S. military capabilities in the Pacific, amid fresh warnings that China continues to upgrade its navy and weaponry. The details follow the announcement earlier Wednesday by President Obama of new military cooperation with Australia, including the rotation of U.S. Marines to an Australian base near Darwin.
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11/16/2011
The Government may finally get some money out of the long-stalled sale of its mothballed air combat aircraft. A US company JDI Holdings has bought the last eight of its mothballed Skyhawk fighter bombers for $7.9 million and says it is planning to use them for aerial displays and for US Defence Department contracts. JDI has paid a $1m deposit but the deal, which includes spare engines and parts, depends on approval by the US Government.
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11/16/2011
Namco Bandai wants to do everything in its power to link Ace Combat: Assault Horizon with the uber popular Call of Duty franchise and for the most part, it works as engaging and globe-trotting action fest.
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11/16/2011
That's what Flight International reporter Stephen Trimble suggests in a post on the Dew Line blog out of the Dubai Air Show. After years of negotiations, UAE was widely expected to buy Dassault Rafale fighters to go along with its combat jets, notably the special version of Lockheed Martin F-16 developed for the country a decade or so ago, the Block 60.
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11/16/2011
The latest version of the most lethal attack helicopter used by the US Military is being managed out of "Redstone Arsenal". According to the product manager Lieutenant Colonel Dan Bailey, Apache Block III is the fastest and most powerful of any aircraft that American soldiers have ever used, and describes it as an "unstoppable horse".
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11/16/2011
Cruising near the speed of sound across the skyline, a fighter jet twists and climbs at a seemingly impossibly sharp angle, several hundred feet in seconds, leaving behind a trail of smoke that dangles in the sky. Onlookers crane their necks, squinting in the sunshine for a better view of the aerobatics.
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11/16/2011
As India has put tremendous effort into modernizing its armed forces, so the United States, Russia and the European Union have sought to be the principal providers of advanced military equipment. With a growing defense budget, India is being wooed like never before.
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11/16/2011
Despite signs that budget cuts may signal the end of plans in the U.S. to procure a fleet of new generation high-tech fighter jets, Canada is standing behind the besieged F-35 program and hailing its benefits to the economy and the military. NDP MPs hammered the government over yet another indication Tuesday that the F-35 program, which has been hit by delays and cost overruns, is on shaky ground.
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11/16/2011
The last time the remote Australian city of Darwin played a significant role in American military planning was during the early days of World War II, when Gen. Douglas MacArthur used the port as the base for his campaign to reclaim the Pacific from the Japanese.
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11/16/2011
Russia’s Irkut corporation said on Tuesday it had secured orders for at least 300 Su-30MK fighters and that it had already delivered over half of them. Orders have been placed by India, Algeria and Malaysia, Irkut’s marketing director Andrei Alyoshin said at the Dubai Airshow 2011.
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11/16/2011
The importance of the Gulf region to the UK has been underlined here at the Dubai Airshow, particularly with ongoing Typhoon export campaigns in the UAE, Qatar and Oman.
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11/15/2011
Israel and South Korea are increasingly at odds over a $1 billion contract for the Israeli air force's new advanced jet trainer to replace its venerable A-4 Skyhawks, amid reports that Israel has already signed a preliminary deal with Italy to buy a rival aircraft. How this dispute is resolved is likely to determine potentially lucrative Israeli defense contracts with one of the two countries.
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11/15/2011
The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $383 million contract to maintain, operate and sustain the Persistent Threat Detection Systems (PTDS). The tethered aerostat provides real-time, around-the-clock reconnaissance and surveillance of broad geographic areas for warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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11/15/2011
The Malaysian defense ministry plans to buy 18 Russian Su-30MKM fighters fit to carry Russian-Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the Izvestia daily said on Tuesday. The paper said, citing military sources, that Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi plans on Tuesday to visit the Irkut aviation plant, producing Su-30MKI fighters for India. According to Izvestia, one such aircraft would cost Malaysia about $50 million, future maintenance included.
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11/15/2011
Russia is close to signing new contracts with Saudi Arabia on the export of helicopters and air defense missiles systems in addition to recent arms deals with Riyadh, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday.
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11/15/2011
Fresh from operations over Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Marine Corps Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey is making its regional airshow debut at Dubai.
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11/15/2011
Though the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master prototypes have been a regular sight at international air shows, Dubai sees the public debut of the production aircraft, in the shape of the first T-346 to be delivered to the Italian Air Force's Reparto Sperimentale Volo at Pratica di Mare.
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11/15/2011
Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Pakistan's Chief of the Air Staff, underlined the importance of the new JF-17 Thunder which, he said, “represented a much-needed capability for the Pakistan Air Force”.
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11/15/2011
The joint Russian exhibition (pavilion: W560) has been organised by the state corporation Russian Technologies. Rosoboronexport, the sole Russian exporter and importer of military and dual-purpose products, technologies and services, is representing a host of products from the Russian aerospace industry, including the Su-35 and MiG-29M/M2 multifunctional fighters, Yak-130 combat trainer and the Be-200 amphibious aircraft.
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11/15/2011
Raytheon has completed the development and testing of a new 'WiPak' method of wirelessly integrating its Paveway family of laser-guided and dual-mode (laser/GPS) bombs.
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11/15/2011
Taking off from Gioia del Colle in Italy, Patounas met up with his wingman (in this event in a Tornado) off the Libyan coast, from where they were directed to Bani Walid. They located and attacked a tank, loitering in the area for an hour. Reports of gunfire then resulted in them being vectored to Sirte, where they discovered nothing more lethal than a local firework display, patrolling for another hour.
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11/14/2011
As Kenyan troops push their way into Somalia's hinterland in pursuit of Al-Shabaab militants, several security analysts and observers allege an unseen hand behind Operation Linda Nchi. The allegations have been riding on the wave of unconfirmed reports in the early days of the incursion that claimed that unmanned American drones had attacked several targets inside the lawless nation.
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11/14/2011
Irkut is at the show promoting its Yakovlev-designed Yak-130 advanced jet trainer for the Middle Eastern market, as it also nears the receipt of a new order from the Russian air force and first deliveries to export customer Algeria.
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11/14/2011
The U.S. Air Force recently revealed that an F-16 pilot, killed when his aircraft dove into the ground during an air combat training exercise, appears to have passed out because high G-forces while making a high-speed turn at 6,000 meters (18,000 feet). Fighter pilots are equipped and trained to deal with handling up to 9 Gs. But some of these methods require the pilot to contract abdominal muscles and take a deep breath to maintain consciousness.
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11/14/2011
The current console space has its fair share of World War II flight combat games. Early on, there was the arcade action of both Blazing Angels games followed by Heroes Over Europe and the simulation title, IL-2 Sturmovik. All four games had both good and bad qualities, but ever since, developers have preferred the comfort of modern flight combat. Air Conflicts: Secret Wars revisitsthat heroic era, and although it's a budget title, there is some fun tucked away here.
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11/14/2011
Pakistan Air Force is participating in Dubai Air Show-2011, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister of UAE, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Rashid Al-Makhtum, on Sunday. Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force also attended the inaugural ceremony along with a large number of delegations from different countries including Air Chiefs of a number of Air Forces, said a press release.
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11/14/2011
The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor military transport aircraft, is likely to get its first international customer from the Middle East, where its debut at the Dubai Airshow received interest from United Arab Emirates royals, program executives said Sunday. "The first international customer will come from the Middle East," said John Garrison, president and chief executive of Bell Helicopter, which runs the program in an alliance with Boeing Co.
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11/14/2011
Embraer Defense and Security, in concurrence with the Brazilian Air Force, recently announced that International Aero Engines AG has been chosen to provide the powerplant for the country's new KC-390 multi-role tanker/transport aircraft. The engine has been designated the V2500-E5.
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11/14/2011
Defence analysts monitoring the three-way dogfight for the multi-billion contract say Tokyo has been impressed with the stealth technology of the Lockheed Martin F-35, which will enable it to carry out clandestine monitoring of Chinese, North Korean and Russian military assets in the region.
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11/14/2011
The Afghan Army Air Force continues to grow. In the last year it has gained a thousand personnel (for a total of 5,000), and 26 aircraft (for a total of 66, mostly Mi-17 transports and Mi-35 gunships helicopters). In addition to the helicopters there are also Russian transports and Italian transports and some trainers. Eventually, there are to be 8,000 personnel and 145 aircraft, mostly helicopters and transports, plus trainers that can double at light attack aircraft.
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11/14/2011
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has asked Britain to bid the Eurofighter Typhoon for its combat aircraft fleet competition, a British government spokesman said, dealing a blow to French efforts to sell the Rafale to the Gulf state. "We have received the request for proposal for the Eurofighter Typhoon," an official from the U.K. Defense & Security Organization said Nov. 13 on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow. "We're working on it."
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11/13/2011
British, French and U.S. aircraft began the action in mid-March, in a “coalition of the willing” named Operation Odyssey Dawn that was led by U.S. Africa Command. On March 31, NATO took command. Eleven other nations sent aircraft to join the campaign. They were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Jordan, Norway, Qatar, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
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11/13/2011
Thousands of onlookers fixed their eyes on the North Las Vegas skyline Saturday morning as Air Force jets soared over Nellis Air Force Base. Aviation Nation, Nellis’ annual open house, is celebrating 70 years of the Air Force’s presence in the valley. “It’s our way of being accountable to the public, to let them know the capabilities of their Air force and what we provide,” said Nellis spokesman Lt. Ken Lustig. “These performances are sort of sweet and condensed versions of what we do on a reg
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11/13/2011
India is reviewing its offset policy in defence procurements, introduced in 2006, to bring in more transparency and clear ambiguities even as review of the 11th Plan has pegged the Army’s shopping list at nearly at Rs 41,000 crore. The offset policy is aimed to prevent cash outflows and make it mandatory for foreign firms that bag defence contracts to reinvest a part of the total contract value by entering into local tie-ups in the defence industry.
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11/13/2011
ACE Combat Assault Horizon, the latest in a long running series of Ace Combat titles, sends you into the skies to do battle in a variety of death-dealing aircraft, including jets, Apache helicopter gunships and bombers. From the very start, you'll be impressed with the flashy cinematic graphics which are very fluid and look amazingly realistic at times.
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11/13/2011
The Middle East has long been a prized region for aerospace manufacturers wanting to sell combat jets and trainers. But the competition to sell to the leading potential buyers in the region – most notably Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates – is set to become increasingly fraught in the next few years.
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11/13/2011
Training is just getting under way of the first military fixed-wing pilots to be taught to fly in Afghanistan since the early 1990s. The initiation of the first course follows the delivery of three Cessna 182T basic trainers in September, and three Cessna 208B Caravans for advanced instruction on October 22.
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11/13/2011
The only military wing headquartered outside South Block in the capital’s Raisina Hill is the Indian Air Force. A squat multi-storeyed block, the Vayu Sena Bhavan is marked out by a scrapped fighter aircraft mounted on a pillar, its nose skywards as if it were soaring. Visitors are allowed in only on invitation and after they are frisked, the irises of their eyes checked biometrically to confirm their identities.
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11/13/2011
The UAE is re-opening its multi-billion dollar fighter contest, just weeks after it seemed certain that the Dassault Rafale would be selected unopposed. French hopes that the Rafale's selection would be announced here in Dubai appear to have been dashed and the competition to supply the UAE Air Force & Air Defence with a next-generation fighter is again wide open.
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11/13/2011
Eurocopter helicopters are operating in a range of applications including homeland defence and security, law enforcement, VIP transport, utility and offshore support for the oil and gas industry. During the show, the Franco-German manufacturer will have five aircraft on show – the NH90, EC725, EC175, EC145 T2, and AS350 B3.
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11/13/2011
The UK has mounted a major ‘push’ here at the Dubai Airshow, with a delegation led by Gerald Howarth, the UK’s Minister for International Security Strategy, supported by Richard Paniguian; head of the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), and Air Chief Marshal Kevin Leeson Chief of Materiel (Air) in the UK Ministry of Defence.
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11/12/2011
India Friday ruled out any " political considerations" while awarding the multi-billion dollar deal to acquire 126 combat aircraft. "There will be no political considerations in defense procurement and that is our stand which everybody knows," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told the media here.
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11/12/2011
Israel does not believe that American plans to delay initial operational capability of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will affect the aircraft’s scheduled arrival here in late 2016, defense officials said on Thursday. According to Aviation Week, the US Air Force is now planning to upgrade more than 300 F-16 fighter jets and potentially some F-15s as well to fill the gap caused by delays to the development of Lockheed Martin’s F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet with stealth capabilities.
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11/12/2011
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced it will present a comprehensive display of its commercial, special mission and military trainer aircraft at the Dubai Air Show, Nov. 13-17, at Dubai International Airport. On static display will be the company’s flagship super-midsize business jet, the Hawker 4000, as well as a Hawker 900XP, Beechcraft Premier IA, Beechcraft King Air 350i and Beechcraft King Air 250.
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11/12/2011
Boeing on Nov. 3 received a $ 1.7 billion low-rate initial production award from the U.S. Navy for seven additional P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.
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11/12/2011
Relatively unglamorous they may be, but military transport aircraft are vital workhorses for modern armies. Now the world of these delivery trucks of the sky is set for a shake-up, as the production of long-dominant aircraft winds down and new competitors come to market. One of the transporters facing an uncertain fate is the Boeing C-17, the workhorse of the US Air Force – which has more than 160 of the aircraft.
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11/12/2011
Fighter pilots who train alongside the their peers in the Indian Air Force (IAF) are left in little doubt of their tactical pedigree. Indian pilots are among the best in the world, with lightning-sharp reactions and the deft hand-eye co-ordination essential to notch up “kills” in aerial exercises.
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11/12/2011
Russia will showcase its most advanced combat aircraft and air defense systems at a major airshow in the Middle East which starts on Sunday, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said. The Dubai Airshow will be held on November 13-17 in the United Arab Emirates. The Airport Expo complex in Dubai is expected to host about 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries which will showcase their products to more than 55,000 guests and visitors.
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11/12/2011
Northrop Grumman is to highlight its global security capabilities at this year's Dubai Airshow, including airborne surveillance, UAS', airborne early warning and control systems, fire control radars and infrared countermeasures, plus its training and support services.
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11/11/2011
Australia said the participation of its Boeing Wedgetail aircraft in Exercise Bersama Lima was a "step forward" for the nearly $4 billion project. The Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft "successfully participated in the Five Power Defense Arrangements Exercise Bersama Lima," Australian Minister for Defense Materiel Jason Clare said.
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11/11/2011
Fresh from battle experience over Libya, a French Rafale jet is heading to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to strut its stuff amid a heavy pitch to finally clinch a deal for the first foreign sale of the fighter aircraft. The sleek Rafale, built by Dassault Aviation, is expected to fly at the biennial Dubai Air Show, a five-day jamboree of top aviation, defense and aerospace executives, which begins on Sunday.
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11/11/2011
The grounding of the Air Force OV-10 units will not affect operations against lawless elements in Mindanao, the military stressed yesterday. Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Okol said they can tap other air assets to provide air support for ground troops. “We still have other air combat assets like the MG520, SF260TP Warriors and the AS211 Warriors,” Okol said.
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11/11/2011
The United States has expressed strong interest in participating in India's tender for attack helicopter and heavy-lift helicopters despite the snub it received earlier this year in the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition, according to a top official.
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11/11/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has received a $48 million contract from the U.S. Navy to collaboratively develop a new mission computer for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler.
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11/10/2011
Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) have the potential to revolutionize air warfare. The ability of armed UAVs to fly undetected over many areas and launch precision-guided strikes against time-critical targets makes them a major factor in the asymmetric battles that dominate current conflicts.
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11/10/2011
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleiman has said that the induction of JF-17 Thunder into the PAF combat fleet will go a long way in the history of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the Pak-China strategic relations.
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11/10/2011
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress Nov. 8 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Peru for the modification and refurbishment of two C-130E aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $74 million.
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11/10/2011
The Obama administration on Monday proposed new rules to govern exports of military aircraft and associated parts, a move that a major industry group said would save U.S. companies time and money. The proposed changes, published in the Federal Register, call for certain less sensitive items such as nuts, bolts and fasteners, to be moved under the oversight of the Commerce Department, while providing more specific language to govern exports of complex items such as avionics.
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11/10/2011
As the U.S. government considers reducing its budget for its next-generation fighter jet program, concerns have been raised over Seoul’s planned purchase of new combat aircraft. As part of its deficit reduction plan, Washington seeks to curtail its defense budget by around $450 billion over the next decade.
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11/10/2011
Taiwan's air force will practice aircraft landings and takeoffs on a Pingtung County highway for the first time, during a military drill that begins Nov. 14, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday. The Jiadong section of Provincial Highway No. 1 will be used for eight military aircraft, including F-16, Mirage 2000 and Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jets, E-2K Hawkeye early warning aircraft and AH-1W Super
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11/10/2011
I like to think of myself as a bit of a maverick. I always thought how awesome it would be to be Tom Cruise in “Top Gun,” killing bogeys, winning the girl’s heart, and showing Val Kilmerz what’s what. I guess you could say I was excited to strap on the seat belt and give “Ace Combat: Assault Horizon” a try.
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11/10/2011
Boeing on Nov. 3 received a $1.7 billion low-rate initial production (LRIP) award from the U.S. Navy for seven additional P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.
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11/10/2011
The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Tactical Common Data Link Assembly (UTA) recently controlled an unmanned vehicle from an AH-64D Apache Block III attack helicopter, while both were in flight. The LONGBOW LLC is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Northrop Grumman.
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11/10/2011
The NH90 programme has reached a major milestone with the declaration of compliance for the NH90 TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) variant's Final Operational Configuration, This marks the NH-90 TTH's development completion, and enables deliveries to begin before year-end in the helicopter's full operational definition.
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11/09/2011
A stunt pilot in the British military's Red Arrows aerobatic display died Tuesday after he was ejected from the plane while it was still grounded, the Associated Press reported. The pilot's name hasn't been revealed yet and the cause of the deadly incident is being investigated, a Cpt. Simon Blake said in a statement.
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11/09/2011
In 100 years of naval aviation, only the most experienced combat pilots have performed the difficult task of launching an attack on a nearby target and returning the aircraft to a ship as it bobs in the ocean. Now that tricky task is being turned over to unmanned drones.
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11/09/2011
The third aircraft in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) expanding fleet of new-generation Airbus Military A330 MRTT multi-role tanker/transports has been formally handed over to the RAAF providing a significant boost to Defence’s in-flight refuelling, air logistics support and air combat capability.
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11/09/2011
Dozens of suspected counterfeit parts have been installed on U.S. defense equipment from Raytheon Co., L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. and Boeing Co., including aircraft deployed to Afghanistan. The Senate Armed Services Committee found counterfeit parts - usually from China - on at least seven aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin Corp. C-130J transport plane, Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and L-3 27J Spartan transport.
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11/09/2011
The Boeing Company’s presence at the 2011 Dubai Airshow will include the Middle East debut of the 787 Dreamliner, the world’s most advanced passenger jet, and the innovative Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The two aircraft will be part of a formidable lineup of defense and commercial products and services designed to meet the needs of Middle East customers. The show runs Nov. 13-17 at Dubai’s Airport Expo.
(Read More...)
11/09/2011
The U.S. Marine Corps will soon be using a tactical Smartphone network developed by Lockheed Martin to support their humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission exercises. The Marine Corps Forces Pacific Experimentation Center has acquired the MONAX system, which the Office of Naval Research purchased, a portable private 4G network that provides voice, data and video services through commercial Smartphone technologies.
(Read More...)
11/09/2011
India is close to purchase two additional Russian-Israeli airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, the Times of India newspaper reported. India ordered three A-50EI variants, developed on the basis of the Russian Il-76MD military transport plane and fitted with the Israeli-made Phalcon radar system, in 2004. They are already in service with the Indian air force (IAF).
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11/09/2011
Russia expects to sell up to 90 warplanes in the Middle East by 2025, the United Aircraft Corporation said on Tuesday. These will mostly include so called 4++ generation fighters - Su-35 and MiG-35, an UAC spokesman said.
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11/09/2011
India has taken delivery of the first batch of 80 Mi-17V-5 tactical transport helicopters ordered under a $1.345 billion deal in 2008, Russian arms sales agency Rosoboronexport said on Tuesday. The helicopters are being built by Russian Helicopters' Kazan Helicopter Factory (KVZ) subsidiary.
(Read More...)
11/09/2011
The Russian Defense Ministry will sign a contract with aircraft construction company Irkut on the delivery of 65 YakovlevYak-130 advanced jet trainers within the next two weeks, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, said on Tuesday. The contract is expected to be fulfilled by 2017, he said, without elaborating on the contract price of the jets.
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11/08/2011
The Bell Boeing joint venture will bring the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor to the Dubai air show for the first time, as it continues to push for the type's first export sale.
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11/08/2011
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is planning to crack down on counterfeit electronic parts, which more often than not originate in China and eventually make their way to U.S. military weapon systems. The committee, led by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., released the results of a months-long investigation on Monday.
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11/08/2011
The U.S. general in charge of training Iraq’s fledgling air force said Monday that there are no plans to have American aircraft protect the country’s airspace when U.S. forces depart next month.The Iraqi air force is in the process of acquiring 18 F-16 fighter jets from the U.S., but the jets and pilots won’t be ready for at least two years, according to Maj. Gen. Russell J. Handy, commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq, and director of the Air Component Coordination El
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11/08/2011
The Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural Affairs and Fisheries has extended its existing contract with Airbus Military for the maintenance of three C212 aircraft for two more years. These C212 aircraft are used by the Fisheries Inspections Department for the surveillance of Spanish territorial waters.
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11/08/2011
With Iran said to be on its way to obtaining a nuclear weapon, Israel and the United States plan to hold the largest-ever joint exercise aimed at testing their defense against ballistic missiles. The drill, dubbed "Austere Challenge," is scheduled to take place in May 2012, and will simulate Israel's ballistic missile defense in action, the Israel Hayom daily reported on Monday.
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11/08/2011
Kazakhstan’s Air Defence Forces have received the first modernized Antonov An-12 military transport aircraft. It was repaired and re-equipped at an aircraft factory in the Russian city of Taganrog. Among other things, navigational equipment was installed to ICAO standards in the cargo aircraft, which allows it to fly outside Kazakhstan. The An-12 is also referred to as a similar aircraft to the American Lockheed C-130 Hercules which is widely used around the world.
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11/08/2011
We are at a critical point regarding our nation’s security. The weak U.S. economy and massive national debt are currently the biggest threats to our country. Attempts to decrease our nation’s debt will result in the Department of Defense budget reductions of $400 billion and future cuts to our military are expected to increase over $1 trillion in the next 10 years.
(Read More...)
11/08/2011
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] $46.8 million in contract options to begin modernizing 29 long-range radars which provide advanced warning and air traffic control surveillance over North America’s airspace.
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11/08/2011
The procurement, integration, testing, and installation of the new equipment was carried out by Arinc Engineering Services of the USA. The new technology allows Iraq’s Air Force to establish efficient operational control with modern equipment in the towers at the two airbases, as part of the rebuilding of Iraq. Arinc performed the work under a US Air Force Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract, awarded by the USAF Electronic Systems Center (ESC) Aerospace Management Systems Division.
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11/08/2011
NATO jets were scrambled Monday as four Russian air force planes flew near the territory of the Baltic states, Lithuania's defence ministry said, adding that the unusual number was a cause for concern, AFP reported. Defence ministry spokeswoman Ugne Naujokaityte said that four Danish F-16 fighters, which currently police the skies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, took to the air twice to escort the Russian planes.
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11/07/2011
The remains of the pilot of the MiG-29 combat jet that crashed in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul Valley last month have been recovered after a fortnight-long combing operation in the snow-capped mountains, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said Nov 6.
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11/07/2011
When you add up F-4 (Phantom), F-16 and F-15, you get F-35. The next fighter plane of the Israel Air Force is taking shape on Lockheed Martin's production line and flight lanes here, in Dallas' sister city. The industrial and technological prowess of the largest military corporation in the world, with annual revenues exceeding $40 billion, cannot fail to impress visitors from Israel. The thorn in the rose is a financial one: The F-35 will be right on the money, but only if paid in full.
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11/07/2011
Brigadier General Dick Lord, the Fleet Air Arm pilot who has died aged 75, was instrumental in the development of America’s Top Gun fighter pilot academy, made famous by the film of the same name.
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11/06/2011
On the evening of April 5, a pilot settled into a leather captain's chair at Creech Air Force Base in southern Nevada and took the controls of a Predator drone flying over one of the most violent areas of southwestern Afghanistan. Minutes later, his radio crackled. A firefight had broken out. Taliban insurgents had ambushed about two dozen Marines patrolling a bitterly contested road.
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11/06/2011
The details are emerging as Boeing and rival Lockheed Martin, with its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), move from being cut out of the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft and look to non-JSF partners like Japan for new business. Along those lines, Boeing’s concept for a newer Super Hornet is intended to improve the basic airframe in terms of thrust/weight ratio, acceleration, agility, maneuverability, combat persistence, low-observable characteristics and sensor capabilities.
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11/06/2011
Now, battle-lines for the Europe versus France contest, after elimination of US and Russia in earlier rounds, have been clearly drawn. India on Friday opened the financial bids of the two fighters left in the fray for the world's biggest combat aircraft deal, but promptly declared it would take at least two-three weeks to declare the eventual winner since tons of data had to be computed.
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11/06/2011
The last of the Canadian pilots and aircrew who helped enforce a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya have returned home to a military air base in Nova Scotia.
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11/06/2011
The Ace Combat series has long been known for its heavy action bent and disregard for the more accurate side of flight sim territory, and the latest instalment, Assault Horizon, is no different, and once more discards any pretence at real flight mechanics in favour of total arcade thrills.
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11/05/2011
A B-2 Spirit flew from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to the North Pole and back Oct. 27 on a mission to test the aircraft’s hardware and software upgrades, endurance and its performance at extremely high latitudes.
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11/05/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has submitted a proposal to the U.S. Army for a multiyear contract for the production and delivery of 155 CH-47F helicopters.
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11/05/2011
An Indian contract to buy 126 fighter jets from one of two European bidders could be worth more than $20bn, almost double the original estimate, according to government officials. The defence ministry revised up its initial $11bn estimate after opening bids on Friday from the Eurofighter Typhoon consortium and France’s Dassault, the maker of the Rafale aircraft, a ministry official told the Financial Times.
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11/05/2011
Namco Bandai, in conjunction with the United States Air Force (USAF) and partner GameStop, have joined forces to bring even more intensity to Ace Combat Assault Horizon, the top-flight action shooter. Namco Bandai is giving fans even more than they already have – including exclusive video content and a custom aircraft skin, the F-16C Patriot.
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11/05/2011
On his inaugural trip to Asia as secretary of defense, Leon Panetta offered reassuring words throughout the region that America’s presence in the Western Pacific will not decline as a result of the ongoing military budget reduction process in the United States.
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11/04/2011
The U.S. Air Force will upgrade between 300 and 350 F-16C Block 40 and 50 fighters with new avionics and increased airframe life, a three-star general said before Congress. Testifying Nov. 2, Lt. Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, Air Force deputy chief for operations, plans and requirements, also said the service doesn't have enough trained UAV pilots, and that the U-2 isn't quite ready for retirement.
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11/04/2011
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency reports that Turkey is seeking the sale of Bell AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters. The total Foreign Military Sale package includes three AH-1Ws; seven T700-GE-401 engines; inspections and modifications; spare and repair parts; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics personnel support services.
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11/04/2011
China's official media published a strongly worded article on Oct. 25, asking countries who have conflicts with China over the South China Sea region to get prepared for a military resolution. On the same day, however, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that they will “do their best to peacefully solve,” the conflicts in the South China Sea. The contradictory statements drew attention.
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11/04/2011
During the past decade’s operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military has come to rely heavily on the continuous or nearly continuous presence overhead of both manned and unmanned aircraft to support ground troops. Unmanned aircraft that remain aloft in particular locations (or “orbits”) have been primarily used to provide timely information about activities on the ground and to attack ground targets on short notice.
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11/04/2011
Military leaders warned Congress on Wednesday that steeper cuts in defense spending, as either a policy choice or a consequence of political gridlock, will gut the armed forces and sap U.S. global influence.
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11/04/2011
NATO has "no intention whatsoever" of intervening in Iran, the alliance's top official said in response to reports that some governments may be planning a military strike against Tehran's nuclear program. One of those reports came from the Guardian newspaper, which claimed the U.K. military is preparing "contingency planning for potential military action against Iran amid mounting concern about Tehran's nuclear enrichment programme."
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11/04/2011
The Army is looking for a lightweight way to protect its helicopters from shoulder-fired missiles such as those that went missing in Libya during the battles to overthrow Muammar Qadhafi.
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11/04/2011
Before humans were capable of heavier-than-air-powered flight, thinkers were already conceiving of ways that airpower could be used in warfare. Two years before the Wright Brothers conducted their first successful flights in December 1903, H.G. Wells published his bestselling work of futurology, Anticipations: Of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress Upon Human Life.
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11/04/2011
Step into the cockpit of the world's most advanced fighter jet. It's the F-35 Lightning II. Not only can the fifth-generation fighter cruise across the sky at more than 1,200 mph, but the aircraft's stealth capabilities also enable it to fly deep into enemy territory unnoticed.
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11/04/2011
The country's top soldier says that the speed with which Canada contributed to the mission in Libya and post-earthquake relief in Haiti would not have been possible without a trained and well-equipped military. But Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk, whose department is struggling with pending budget cuts during the first real lull in combat operations since 2006, said such capabilities do not come cheap.
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11/03/2011
An Israeli official said Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to persuade his Cabinet to authorize a military strike against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program — a discussion that comes as Israel successfully tests a missile believed capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to Iran.
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11/03/2011
Airbus Military is betting a new agreement with state-owned Indonesian Aerospace will revive the fortunes of its tactical transport business, by helping it to secure aircraft orders there and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.
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11/03/2011
Israeli jets exercised a long range attack simulation at the NATO Decimomannu base in Sardinia last week. Israeli media reported the event today after news emerged of a possible military strike by Israel against Iranian nuclear sites.
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11/03/2011
Kenya’s military said it plans to “continuously” attack 10 towns in Somalia including Baidoa, where it said two unidentified aircraft delivered weapons to the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group. Other towns that are being targeted include Baydhabo, Afgooye, Afmadow and the port city of Kismayo, MajorEmmanuel Chirchir, spokesman for the Kenya Defence Forces, said in statements on his Twitter account.
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11/03/2011
Crews piloting the latest version of the Army’s Apache attack helicopter will be able to fly faster and higher, all while controlling unmanned aircraft during battles, according to Army officials. The first of nearly 700 new or upgraded AH-64D Longbow Apache Block III helicopters that the Army is acquiring under a near $700 million deal with Boeing are set to roll off a production line on Wednesday, according to Sofia Bledsoe, a public affairs officer with Program Executive Office Aviation.
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11/03/2011
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Bell Helicopter - Textron, today congratulated the Naval Air Systems Command Joint V-22 Program (NAVAIR PMA-275) on receiving the U.S. Department of Defense 2011 Packard Award for acquisition excellence. NAVAIR PMA-275 earned the honor for significantly reducing costs-per-flight-hour (CPFH) across the operational V-22 Osprey fleet.
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11/03/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] celebrated delivery of the first AH-64D Apache Block III multi-role attack helicopter to the U.S. Army today in Mesa. The Block III Apache begins a new era in combat aviation by delivering advanced technologies and capabilities to benefit soldiers and battlefield commanders.
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11/03/2011
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] yesterday celebrated the rolling out of the 250th C-130J Super Hercules built at its facility here. This C-130J is destined for Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which is scheduled to receive a total of 28 C 130Js. This aircraft is the 2,404th C-130 of all makes and models to be built in Marietta.
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11/03/2011
A contract on the supply of advanced Russian anti-ship missiles to Syria is being implemented, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Mikhail Dmitriyev said on Wednesday. Russia has repeatedly said it would honor a 2007 contract on the delivery of several Bastion anti-ship missile systems armed with SS-N-26 Yakhont supersonic cruise missiles to Syria, despite efforts by Israel and the United States to stop the deal.
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11/03/2011
Washington is prepared to offer India its latest F-35 Lightning II stealth combat aircraft, otherwise known as the Joint Strike Fighter, according to India’s IANS news agency, after U.S. companies lost a tender earlier this year to sell 126 fighter aircraft to Delhi. If India is interested in the JSF, the United States is prepared to supply information about the aircraft as part of the sales process, according to a Pentagon report on cooperation with India presented to Congress.
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11/02/2011
The administration of US President Barack Obama came under new pressure on Thursday to sell advanced F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan. While Obama has refused to sell the fighters as part of an arms package announced last month, the White House has said that a sale is still under consideration. That consideration is likely to be boosted by a new report from Stephen Fuller, an economist at George Mason University in Virginia.
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11/02/2011
Italian junior defence minister Guido Crosetto leaves for Qatar on Tuesday on a visit during which he is hoping to help sell M346 military trainers built by Finmecanicca's aircraft unit Alenia Aermacchi, the minister told Reuters.
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11/02/2011
While NATO forces fielded the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the UN-mandated war against Gaddafi’s forces in Libya, details emerging from briefings by the U.K. and French air forces about the use of their respective fighters tell that the Rafale was the primary attack plane while the Eurofighter Typhoon provided intelligence through its targeting pods.
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11/02/2011
That the frequency of Indian combat aircraft crashes is galling would be a bit like calling the Taj Mahal a nice hut. The Indian air force (IAF) is now rebuilding its training regime to finally cure the long-running problems that have attrited men and machines.
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11/02/2011
Military planners are concerned the Harper government is buying too few F-35 fighters with almost no room for any loss of the stealth jets throughout their projected lifetimes, according to internal Defence Department briefings. “Canada is the only country that did not account (for) attrition aircraft” in its proposal, said an undated capability-and-sustainment briefing given to senior officers late last year.
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11/02/2011
A Boeing 767 with 231 people on board has made an emergency landing, skidding down the runway on its belly at Warsaw Airport after its landing gear failed. Fire and ambulance crews were deployed and all 220 passengers and 11 crew on the plane of national carrier LOT Polish Airlines were able to disembark safely.
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11/02/2011
NATO has ended its Libyan military campaign after thousands of combat sorties and billions of dollars of alliance and individual participant expenditures. The alliance's no-fly zone and naval blockade, which began in March, were terminated at midnight Monday after the U.N. Security Council closed the book on the mandate authorizing military action to protect Libya's people from the Moammar Gadhafi regime.
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11/02/2011
The military could be putting pilots’ lives at risk in its hurry to begin training with the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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11/02/2011
They fly over Africa, Asia and Europe, as well as North and South America. Some are literally thrown into the air by human hands. Others take off like traditional airplanes. Some carry only simple video cameras. Then there are those packing 3,750 pounds worth of bombs and missiles whose operators “fly” the planes from air-conditioned trailers located thousands of miles from the war zone.
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11/02/2011
Kyrgyzstan’s President-elect Almazbek Atambayev has called for the closure of the United States’ airbase at Manas in the central Asian republic. “I don’t think the base at Manas guarantees the security of our country. I would not want to see another country carry out a retaliatory strike against the base. A civil airport is a civil object, and it should remain so,” he said.
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11/01/2011
The Defense Department on Monday said it had finished an initial review of what the next batch of F-35 fighter jets should cost, and would brief the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Corp, shortly.
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11/01/2011
India has asked the United States for six Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft in a Foreign Military Sales deal worth a total of $1.2 billion.
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11/01/2011
The United Arab Emirates has reopened negotiations with France regarding the acquisition of a military surveillance satellite that would allow the Gulf Arab nation to monitor Iranian activity. Talks between UAE and France regarding the satellite may be tied to a larger $10 billion defense deal involving the purchase of 60 Rafale combat aircraft from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
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11/01/2011
The Pentagon is considering investing more of its funding in military platforms for the Asia-Pacific region and less on tools for counterinsurgency, defense sources say. The change in thinking is being spurred by a soup-to-nuts strategy review at the Pentagon that was initiated last spring to help the Defense Department navigate budget cuts.
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11/01/2011
When you have a mountain to climb, it makes sense to get an early start. With that in mind, South Korea is moving rapidly into the demonstrator phase for a stealthy combat drone that it does not expect to field until late in the next decade.
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11/01/2011
Explosions that damaged four Yemen military aircraft and temporarily closed Sanaa's airport is under investigation, a military official said yesterday. "I can confirm the blast inside the base did not occur by any shelling. We are still investigating the reasons behind the blast," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.
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11/01/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has received a follow-on contract from the U.S. Air Force for additional upgrades of the B-1 bomber fleet's avionics software.
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11/01/2011
A modernized A-50U airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force on Monday, an AF spokesman said. The aircraft has an advanced onboard computer, satellite communication and radar systems, Col. Vladimir Drik said.
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10/31/2011
One night in November 2003, beneath the moon-washed waters off Somalia’s northern coast, a small, dark shadow slipped away from the attack submarine Dallas and headed toward the shore. The smaller shape was a 21-foot-long submersible called a SEAL delivery vehicle.
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10/31/2011
The much-awaited bidding for the ambitious Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will open on November 4 in New Delhi, said Air Marshal Dhiraj Kukreja.
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10/31/2011
America's first jet transport—the Boeing 707—will soon roll down the runway. For Boeing, the nation's top producer of bombers, the huge plane marks a new bid for leadership in a field long dominated by Douglas.
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10/31/2011
Brigadier General Vahidi noted that Iranian Air Force is cooperating in manufacture of the new military aircraft with Defense Ministry experts. “Different jet fighters, their maintenance, upgrading them, designing and manufacture of jet fighters such as Azarakhsh, Saeqeh, as well as other new airplanes is the sign of genius, knowledge and domestic technology, and booming of country’s defense industries in the peak of sanctions unilaterally imposed by US,” he added.
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10/31/2011
Advocates of US air power are seizing on the outcome of the NATO campaign in Libya as further evidence that high-tech aircraft are the key to maintaining US military might. With its relatively low price tag and short duration, the Libya conflict offers a stark contrast to the protracted and costly ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have left Americans wary of counter-insurgency campaigns.
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10/30/2011
When the most senior U.S. military officer admits that the largest defence procurement program in history has affordability issues, then you can bet that the situation is dire. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has even put forth the likelihood that at least one variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may be cancelled, and total numbers reduced.
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10/30/2011
The U.S. government deployment of a special task force to Uganda is simply fulfilling a past commitment to help Uganda defeat the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). The deployment is part of the support promised in the 2010 LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. The LRA has displaced some 385,000 people in central Africa and launched over 250 attacks in 2011.
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10/30/2011
The report is part of the new publication “Strategic Survey for Israel 2011“ Edited by Anat Kurz and Shlomo Brom, this volume includes thirteen analytical essays written by INSS researchers. Focus is on Israel’s strategic environment in the period under review, particularly in the wake of the major changes experienced in the Middle East commonly known as the “Arab spring.” The ongoing Palestinian issue and Iran’s nuclear program remain at the fore of the challenges facing Israel.
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10/29/2011
The US may have been ejected out of the $10.4 billion race to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to the IAF, but it is going great guns on other fronts. After the $4.1-billion contract for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic airlift aircraft, the US seems all set to bag the $1.4-billion deal for supplying 22 heavy-duty attack helicopters or gunships to the IAF.
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10/29/2011
The first problem concerned a fatigue crack in the idler gear that occurred at cruise propeller speed. This led to an in-flight shutdown and also caused the cancellation of the A400M’s appearance in the flying display at Paris as a precautionary measure. With the fault located, EPI instigated a redesign to shift the resonance point out of the running range.
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10/29/2011
India's Defence Ministry has invited the two rivals for a $12 billion jet fighter contract - France's Dassault and the European Eurofighter consortium -- to unveil their bids next week.
The Dassault group is hoping to secure the contract for 126 jets, one of the largest military contracts of recent years, with its Rafale fighter which has yet to find any foreign buyers.
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10/29/2011
India is going to soon ink yet another $1.2-billion deal with the US for six more C-130J " Super Hercules" military transport aircraft, even as the IAF gears up for intensive training on the first six of these aircraft for "special operations".
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10/29/2011
The White House says the United States has drones in Ethiopia and that the unmanned aircraft are there to conduct reconnaissance missions, not airstrikes. Spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Friday that the operation is part of the U.S. government's partnership with Ethiopia to promote stability in the Horn of Africa and combat terrorism.
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10/29/2011
he Obama administration may transfer combat helicopters from existing Marine inventory to Turkey, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Friday. The DSCA has formally notified Congress of a possible sale of AH-1W Super Cobra Attack helicopters to Turkey. The notification was required under the U.S. Arms Export Control Act.
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10/29/2011
Like a strike fighter aircraft that averts danger from all directions as it heads toward its mission, the political agility of the Boeing Corp.'s F/A-18 Super Hornet program is being tested as it maneuvers through congressional budget-cutters, dodges errant flak from the Missouri legislature and hones in on foreign sales.
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10/29/2011
Twenty-eight members of the NATO Council agreed to end the seven-month air operations in Libya from October 31 at their meeting in Brussels on Friday, media reports said. The decision came after Libya’s 42-year leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed on October 20. Confrontation between Gaddafi loyalists and the opposition lasted for nine months and left thousands dead.
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10/29/2011
Russia’s third prototype Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter will be ready to take to the skies in the near future, a military industry source said on Thursday.
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10/29/2011
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has successfully flown its medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) as part of a key test programe.
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10/27/2011
The up-again, down-again, F-22 Raptors at Langley Air Force Base are up again. The Raptors were authorized to fly as of Tuesday, said Monica Miller Rodgers, a spokeswoman for Joint Base Langley-Eustis. The commander of the 1st Fighter Wing had ordered a pause in flying last Thursday after a pilot reportedly experienced symptoms of hypoxia.
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10/27/2011
A Georgia man was jailed for nearly four years Wednesday for his role in a "broad conspiracy" to illegally export sensitive military equipment to Iran, officials said. Michael Todd, president of The Parts Guys company, was also ordered to forfeit more than $160,000 in connection with his efforts to supply Iran with components for US fighter jets and attack helicopters.
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10/27/2011
Bulgaria will delay the purchase of eight fighter jets to replace Soviet-era aircraft because of budget cuts next year. A procurement plan and tender for the acquisition of military aircraft will be postponed after the Cabinet decided to narrow the 2012 budget deficit to 1.35 percent of gross domestic product, from 2 percent this year, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov told reporters in Sofia today.
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10/27/2011
While the win in Libya may reassure some of NATO’s critics and embolden its advocates, if you think it will pave a road to Damascus, think again. A unique alignment of conditions made intervention possible in Libya that is not present in Syria.
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10/27/2011
France has begun withdrawing its combat aircraft from Libya operations, returning four Mirage F1s to France as operations come to a close following Muammar Gaddafi’s death and NATO’s withdrawal at the end of the month. On Monday four Mirage F1CRs returned to Base Aerienne 188 Mont-de-Marsan, after having been based at Souda, Crete, as part of Operation Harmattan, France’s contribution to NATO’s Operation unified Protector. On Monday two Mirage 2000Ds also returned from Souda.
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10/27/2011
Russian flight safety authority Rosaviatsia denies it has any plans to temporarily ground the nation’s fleet of Mil Mi-8T helicopters, the watchdog said on Wednesday following media reports that a ban was being considered. The Mi-8 and its updated variant, the Mi-17, is the most widely produced helicopter in history, and hundreds remain in service throughout the world, particularly in Russia and the former Soviet Republics.
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10/27/2011
Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) crews started flight training on their first A330 MRTT with Airbus Military instructors at the Airbus Military Getafe facilities in Spain yesterday.
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10/26/2011
Although it is far from certain that the Airbus Military A400M transport will meet two of its 2011 targets — receiving its type certification and flying the fifth test aircraft — program officials are generally upbeat about overall development progress and confident that the far more important objective, delivering the first customer aircraft, can be met next year.
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10/26/2011
An Air Force fighter jet crashed in a sparsely populated part of southern Nevada on Monday, but the pilot was able to eject from the aircraft and didn’t suffer any injuries, authorities said. The F-15C Eagle from Nellis Air Force Base crashed on federal land northwest of Alamo, Nev., said Lt. Ken Lustig, an Air Force spokesman. Alamo is about 100 miles north of Las Vegas.
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10/26/2011
Allied air power saved the Libyan revolt from being crushed at least once, if not twice, this past summer. Nearly 8,000 allied strike sorties kept Gadhafi's forces on the defensive, destroyed their command-and-control network, and eliminated much of their supply infrastructure.
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10/26/2011
From managing hot pursuits of an intelligence target halfway around the world, to real-time intelligence gathering at the scene at a far away location, to the firing of a lethal precision missile at a top terrorist - modern armies no longer consider these unmanned combat systems just expensive toys.
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10/26/2011
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta assured anxious Asian allies that the U.S. will maintain its large military presence in the Pacific as a counterweight to China, despite mounting pressure at home to cut spending. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta at a news conference during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence ministers’ meeting ion Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, on Sunday.
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10/26/2011
America's Air Force has again grounded portions of its stealthy fleet of F-22 Raptor tactical fighter jets. This comes on the heels of a recent four-month grounding of the fleet earlier this year. While the call for accountability is certainly warranted, Air Force leaders appear to be doing everything possible to keep the pilots safe while trying to identify the problem.
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10/26/2011
Boeing delivered the 12th C-40A aircraft to the U.S. Navy on Oct. 21. The Boeing 737-700 derivative was modified at the company's Wichita facility for troop and cargo transport missions. Boeing and Navy representatives marked the milestone with a ceremonial "passing of the key" at the Wichita facility before the aircraft departed for its home base at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego.
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10/26/2011
Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter has lost a tender on the delivery of 22 attack helicopters to the Indian military in strong competition with the American AH-64D Apache, an Indian Defense Ministry source said on Tuesday.
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10/25/2011
The White House announced that once again, the United States would be reevaluating its defense partnership with the Republic of China on Taiwan. The administration decided last month that the arms package it would be selling to Taipei would be sorely reduced; the Pentagon has chosen not to sell Taiwan 66 late-model F-16 aircraft, a deal potentially valued at over $8 billion, after years of debate over whether to supply the free Chinese island with advanced strike aircraft to upgrade its aging ai
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
The first sea trials of the Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter model designed for the Marine Corps were successfully completed last week, the program office said today. The F-35B short-take off and vertical landing version finished three weeks of tests on the Marine amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, achieving “all planned flight envelope test points,” Joseph DellaVedova, a spokesman for the Joint Strike Fighter program, said in an e-mail.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
Saab AB’s joint venture with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture airborne electronic warfare systems in Bangalore will commence production in six months from now, the Swedish defence aircraft manufacturer said today. It was in February this year that the Stockholm-headquartered company announced its JV plan. Today, Saab India Technologies managing director Inderjit Sial said the two firms were currently working out the business plan, including financial details.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
Witness accounts tell of Kenyan fighter aircraft attacking targets deep inside neighbouring Somalia, of hundreds of heavily armed soldiers backed by armoured vehicles, helicopter gunships and artillery deploying across the border.
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10/25/2011
The Defence Ministry has invited Eurofighter and Dassault Rafale - the two shortlisted vendors in the multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal - on November 4 to open their commercial bids after which a final decision on giving the contract will be taken. The two shortlisted vendors have received a letter from the Ministry and have been informed that commercial bids for procuring 126 Multi-role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) tender will be opened on November 4, industry sources told PTI here.
(Read More...)
10/25/2011
One of the most-talked-about news this year was that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il could not come out of his underground bunker for nine days, fearful of the F-22 Raptors in the skies above during a joint military drill between South Korea and the United States late last year.
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10/25/2011
A lobbying effort to keep Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and repair work flying toward Cherry Point continues in earnest, spurred on by warnings that scrapping the F-35 program could compromise the nation’s defense. A Friday column by nonprofit Lexington Institute CEO Loren B. Thompson warns that “very few politicians or pundits seem to grasp the pivotal role that F-35 plays in future military plans.”
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10/25/2011
When Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti was the U.S. military commander in eastern Afghanistan last year, he toured the battlefield with his counterparts from Pakistan along both sides of the porous border. U.S. and Pakistani troops conducted coordinated operations to squeeze Taliban insurgents seeking sanctuary in the rugged mountains along the border.
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10/24/2011
The Pakistani military forced an Indian army helicopter to land for violating Pakistani airspace and detained four Indian army officers. The helicopter intruded into Pakistani territory in the Olding sector of the northern Skardu region at around 1pm (9am BST) on Sunday.
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10/24/2011
After receiving a month ago the first initial training aircraft for the Afghan Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training, this morning the first three of six new Cessna C-208B advanced trainers have arrived at Shindand Air Base. Capable of carrying a combination of ten passengers and up to 3000 pounds of cargo, they can serve in a light transport aircraft role, and as such twenty more will be acquired by the AAF to be stationed across Afghanistan.
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10/24/2011
Canada's new multibillion-dollar stealth fighters are expected to arrive without the built-in capacity to communicate from the country's most northerly regions — a gap the air force is trying to close.
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10/24/2011
NORAD says military aircraft intercepted two civilian aircraft in separate incidents in the Washington region.
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10/24/2011
Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots will officially get a taste of home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas with the 12th aircraft from the project flight-line and the seventh from the limited series production (LSP-7) block set to kiss the skies soon.
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10/24/2011
Technical glitches led to two aircraft crashes this summer within eight days of each other, according to separate accident investigations. An unmanned MQ-1B Predator was destroyed during a June 28 crash near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. A QF-4 crashed July 6 about 70 miles east of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., with the pilot safely ejecting and suffering minor injuries.
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10/24/2011
Pentagon leaders are hoping a mandate to cut at least $350 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years won’t disrupt plans for a more agile, efficient and modern force that still can reach across the globe to deliver a crushing blow when needed. That’s what they hope. The only thing for sure is that the military will be smaller when the budget-cutters get done.
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10/24/2011
Well, with the wounds closing up from last week’s flogging at the hands of Dark Souls, I decided to drop the sword and shield for a while and hopped into the cockpit to take on Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. Hilariously enough, it's published by Namco-Bandi, the same company that made Dark Souls.
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10/24/2011
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Norman Anil Kumar Browne motivated defense scientists, to realize the importance of manufacturing a military aircraft engine for the home made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
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10/24/2011
Bowing under economical burden the german Government plans deep cuts in defense spending, dramatically reducing planned procurement of main weapon systems and platforms. Overall the personnel level in military services will be reduced from 185,000 to 65,000, to include only professional service members. Among the hardest hit industry group will be EADS, with its Eurofighter Typhoon, NH90, Tiger helicopters and Euro Hawk drones affected, all programs are managed by EADS subsidiaries.
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10/22/2011
President Barack Obama said Friday he was bringing all U.S. forces home from Iraq by the new year, ending a war that stretched nearly nine years, divided the country, transformed the military and left an enduring mark on American history.
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10/22/2011
The 300th Eurofighter Typhoon produced by four partner companies has been delivered by Cassidian to the Spanish air force. Eurofighter GmbH, which has headquarters in Germany, called the delivery a production milestone. The Eurofighter Typhoons - developed and manufactured by Cassidian in Germany and Spain, BAE Systems in Britain and Alenia Aeronautica in Italy - are in service with six air forces, replacing 11 aircraft types.
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10/22/2011
For all its success, NATO’s intervention in Libya had several significant flaws that highlight why future offensives, against a stronger adversary, could be far more difficult. Even as Washington put a European mask of command on the operation — an effort described as “leading from behind” — shortages in allied intelligence-gathering aircraft, aerial refueling tankers and precision-guidance kits for bombs proved the United States remained the backbone of any NATO offensive.
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10/22/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said it has recovered wreckage of a MiG-29 jet that crashed in the inhospitable Himalayan terrain of Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh three days ago. But it failed to locate the entire combat aircraft. "Some locals have sighted parts of the wreckage in the hills of Thirot, and IAF experts matched these with the MiG-29," Lahaul and Spiti Deputy Commissioner Rajeev Shankar told IANS.
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10/22/2011
On Thursday, Col. Moamar Khadhafi's military convoy was bombed by an American predator drone and then attacked by French jets before the deposed dictator was finally apprehended and killed by rebel fighters, the Pentagon disclosed yesterday.
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10/22/2011
NATO is planning to end its military operation in Libya on October 31, the alliance's secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said on Friday. NATO made the preliminary decision during a meeting of its governing body earlier in the day. Speaking after the meeting, Rasmussen said the formal decision is expected to be announced next week.
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10/21/2011
Attention is being drawn to what technology foreign competitors can offer for South Korea’s next generation fighter procurement. Under the “FX-III” project, the Seoul government plans to purchase a high-end fleet of about 60 fighter jets with a budget of around 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion), seeking to deploy them from 2016.
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10/21/2011
Australia's last four Super Hornets will touch down at RAAF Amberley on Friday with all 24 aircraft now delivered ahead of the original schedule and for less than the contracted cost.
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10/21/2011
Canada has been involved in the NATO-led mission in Libya since March. During the seven-month conflict, it has committed a total of 635 personnel, seven jet fighters, two patrol aircraft, two tankers and two frigates. The air component of Operation Mobile, as Canada's mission is known, has been focused on enforcing the no-fly zone imposed on Libya by the UN Security Council on March 17 and protecting civilian-populated areas.
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10/21/2011
EADS, the parent company of Airbus, is bracing for months of thorny negotiations with Germany as the country seeks to cancel billions of dollars’ worth of orders for military aircraft in an effort to cut its defense budget.
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10/21/2011
Drone technology is spreading rapidly. As many as 50 countries are developing or purchasing these systems, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Even non-state actors are involved. Hezbollah reportedly has deployed an Iranian-designed drone. Iran is developing a new drone aircraft with a range of more than 600 miles.
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10/21/2011
Aircraft maker European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co NV (EADS) said it will manufacture fewer military aircraft in coming years than previously, in response to cost-cutting measures by the German defence ministry. A report in the Financial Times stated Wednesday the government's austerity measures include reducing the size of its armed forces, and buying 140 instead of 177 Eurofighters, 40 instead of 53 A400Ms, 80 instead of 122 NH-90s, and 40 instead of 80 Tigers.
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10/21/2011
Eurocopter is planning to offer two defense aircraft platforms to South Korea in response to possible requests for proposals. The company, which has headquarters in France, said the aircraft would be the Panther platform for the Light Attack Helicopter program and the Tiger for the Heavy Attack Helicopter program. The two formal Requests for Proposal are expected to be issued by Seoul next year.
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10/21/2011
Two aircrew were killed on Thursday when a Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft crashed at the Ukrainka military airfield in Russia's Far East, military prosecutors said. "A Su-24 aircraft crashed while landing at about 12.00 local time (02:00 GMT) in the Amur region. Both pilot and navigator were killed in the crash," a statement said
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10/20/2011
Brazil's fleet of C295 aircraft, made by Spain's Airbus Military, has reached 25.000 flight hours after six years of successful operation. The 12 aircraft fly mainly in Amazonia and Mato Grosso, areas where the airplanes are vital for the local population.
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10/20/2011
Germany plans to slash the number of military aircraft it will buy from EADS, the European aerospace company, as it shrinks its armed forces by a fifth as part of an austerity drive.
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10/20/2011
Pakistani armed forces, especially the army and air force, are closely monitoring the Indian Army’s efforts to acquire a ground attack aircraft on its own, sources in the capital city say. According to reports from across the border, the Indian Army is trying to raise two aviation brigades that would consist of two squadrons each, one for attack and the second for surveillance, air observation for artillery and casualty evacuation.
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10/20/2011
South Korea recently revealed that North Korea had gone looking for someone to sell them new combat aircraft, and had been turned down by China and Russia. South Korean diplomats were pleased to find this out, and South Korean Air Force officers were not surprised that the North Koreans were desperate to upgrade their air force.
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10/20/2011
As Congress works on the fiscal year 2012 budget and to reduce federal debt, Army and Air Force Reserve and National Guard leaders were on Capitol Hill here to testify and answer questions about their funding proposals Oct. 12.
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10/20/2011
Honeywell’s T55 turboshaft production continues for its sole application, Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook. Boeing biggest customer for the CH-47 is the U.S. Army who is upgrading its Chinook fleet from the D to the F standard. The current requirement is set at 464 aircraft with a mix of new-build and remanufactured airframes. The Army is also buying MH-47Gs and will eventually have a fleet of 69 of the type.
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10/20/2011
Turkey launched air and ground assaults on Kurdish militants in Iraq on Wednesday, vowing to take "great revenge" after 24 Turkish soldiers were killed in one of the deadliest Kurdish attacks in decades.
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10/20/2011
A surge of C-5 Galaxies, slated to take place Oct. 17 - 21, will bring together 18 active-duty and 23 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command crews and aircraft to fly cargo in support of combatant commanders across the globe.
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10/20/2011
"You may have to steal, beg or borrow but you have to do it," IAF chief N A K Browne has stated to drive home the urgency for developing a military aircraft engine to strengthen defence capabilities. The DRDO has been entrusted with the task of developing a fighter aircraft engine under the Kaveri programme but not much success has been achieved in this direction for the last over 25 years.
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10/20/2011
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) unanimously ruled in favor of Lockheed Martin by determining that “paveway” is a generic term for a type of laser guided bomb (LGB).
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10/19/2011
Australia is considering equipping half its fleet of Boeing-built Super Hornet warplanes with sophisticated radar and communications jamming technology, giving its military a more potent electronic warfare capability than others in the region.
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10/19/2011
A computer virus that affected the US military's drone fleet last month was not "specifically" aimed at the unmanned aircraft's network, the head of US Strategic Command said Tuesday.
"It was a virus that we believe at this point entered from the wild, if you will, not specifically targeted at the RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) activities but entered through some other process," General Robert Kehler told reporters.
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10/19/2011
In a July 20, 2011 letter to West Valley Partners, U.S. Sen. John McCain pledges his continued support for the F-35 and Luke AFB as a major training base for the newest fighter jet in the country’s defense arsenal.
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10/19/2011
A military aircraft with six people on board crashed Tuesday into hills in a remote hunting reserve in mid-western Nepal, the army said. The Britten-Norman Islander airplane was returning to the capital Kathmandu from a rescue mission by the Indian border in the southwest when it lost contact with the ground, army officials told AFP.
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10/19/2011
Afghan and NATO forces have stepped up their fight against a militant network considered the most dangerous threat facing coalition forces in Afghanistan, the nation's defense officials said Tuesday.
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10/19/2011
Boeing is showcasing its F-15 Silent Eagle fighter jet and AH-6i attack/reconnaissance helicopter at an international exhibition in South Korea. In addition to military aircraft, Boeing will feature passenger aircraft such as the 787-9. 747-8 and 737 MAX at 2011 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition this week.
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10/19/2011
The United States is reportedly launching major military maneuvers in the Middle East amid speculation that the Pentagon is preparing a response to Iran’s alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington.
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10/19/2011
A recent Pentagon report warns India about challenges posed by China's frenetic defence modernisation, after China launched its first aircraft carrier, the instrument of power projection. China's peaceful rise is best determined by distinguishing between its military capabilities and intentions.
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10/19/2011
The V-22 Osprey tiltrotor flown by the Marines and Air Force crashes or burns much more often than the military cares to admit. But that hasn’t stopped Osprey-maker Boeing from pitching a new tiltrotor for an ambitious Army program aimed at replacing almost everything the ground combat branch flies … with a single aircraft design.
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10/19/2011
Northrop Grumman Corp has pulled out of the 2012 Farnborough International air show as part of a drive to cut costs in what it describes as leaner times in the global defence market but it is honouring its commitment to the Dubai Air Show.
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10/18/2011
The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Corp. (Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., USA) announced on Oct. 10 that the X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstration aircraft reached a major milestone Sept. 30 when it retracted its landing gear and flew in its cruise configuration for the first time. The flight, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, also helped validate precision navigation hardware and software that will allow the X-47B to land with precision on the moving deck of an aircraft carr
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10/18/2011
France was reported Monday to be in the final stages of wrapping up a $10 billion contract with the United Arab Emirates for 60 Rafale combat jets. That would be a crucial breakthrough for French manufacturer Dassault Aviation, which has been struggling for years to find its first foreign buyer for the multi-role fighter. "We're in the final negotiations," French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet told France's LCI television, adding that the prospect of a deal was "very strong."
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10/18/2011
Aiming to enhance mutual defence ties, British Vice-Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nicholas Houghton today began a three-day visit here today. During his visit, Gen Houghton met Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju and Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma and discussed issues of mutual cooperation and ways for further enhancing defence ties between the two countries.
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10/18/2011
Armored vehicles, trainer jets and weapons will be on display this week at South Korea’s biggest aerospace and defense exhibition, as the nation works to triple annual military exports by the end of the decade.
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10/18/2011
Lockheed Martin delivered and installed the first weapons load training device at the F-35 integrated pilot-and-maintenance training center (ITC) at Eglin Air Force Base’s 33rd Fighter Wing.
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10/17/2011
As the Marines and coalition and Afghan forces in the southwestern regional command of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force patrol the Helmand River valley, they do so knowing an overwhelming advantage is behind them. With air assets led by 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), the coalition can strike the enemy at will, move troops around the battlespace safely and quickly, and medically evacuate service members or Afghans in need.
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10/17/2011
Kenyan military forces moved into southern Somalia on Sunday, an official and residents said, a day after top Kenyan defense officials said the country has the right to defend itself after a rash of militant kidnappings inside Kenya. Late Sunday evening, a military helicopter crashed and caught fire inside Kenya from an apparent mechanical malfunction, a diplomat and a resident said. No civilian casualties were reported, but the status of the pilots on board wasn't immediately known.
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10/17/2011
They increasingly dot the planet. There’s a facility outside Las Vegas where “pilots” work in climate-controlled trailers, another at a dusty camp in Africa formerly used by the French Foreign Legion, a third at a big air base in Afghanistan where Air Force personnel sit in front of multiple computer screens, and a fourth at an air base in the United Arab Emirates that almost no one talks about.
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10/17/2011
A South African firm has produced the continent's first indigenous aircraft, which its makers hope will revolutionize the military aviation industry while bringing in half a billion dollars a year to the local economy. The Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC) was created by the Paramount Group, a South African defence company, together with Aerosud, an aeronautical engineering firm.
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10/17/2011
There is a potential target among weapons systems. It’s the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the next-generation, supersonic aircraft for the Air Force, Marines and Navy, the biggest weapon procurement program for the Pentagon at a cost of $238 billion. The aircraft hasn’t lived up to its other name — Lightning II — falling behind schedule and rising over budget, with one variant of the plane suffering cracks in the bulkhead after it flew just 1,500 hours out of a planned 16,000.
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10/17/2011
Missile-defense experts at the Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz., are offering their Common Infrared Counter Measures (CIRCM) system for a U.S. Army competition to protect combat helicopters and other aircraft by jamming the infrared guidance systems of heat-seeking missiles and diverting the missiles away from the aircraft.
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10/16/2011
THE United States is planning to send dozens of former military personnel to Libya to help track down and destroy surface-to-air missiles from Muammar Gaddafi's stockpiles, which US officials fear could be used by terrorists to take down passenger jets.
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10/16/2011
An historic "surge" of the nation's largest military airlifters will more than double their normal day-to-day workload, exercising the ability of United States Transportation Command and its air component, Air Forces Transportation, to rapidly provide strategic airlift in response to large-scale crises and contingencies, according to officials here.
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10/15/2011
The Air Force’s KC-46 tanker is a model acquisition program in several ways, yet four things may keep the aircraft from entering service on schedule, senior defense officials said.
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10/15/2011
While growing tensions on the high seas have been the main focus in recent territorial tensions between China and Japan, a report released by the Defense Ministry shows prickliness is escalating in the skies as well.
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10/15/2011
Lawmakers continue to reject the Pentagon’s attempts to deploy light-attack aircraft to Afghanistan as part of a combat experiment. The House Appropriations and Armed Services committees and Senate Armed Services Committee rejected a $17 million U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) request for the Combat Dragon II program, according to a Pentagon reprogramming document.
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10/15/2011
The seven-month bombing campaign in Libya is a “positive story” that showcased the commitment of the alliance’s European members, who conducted most of the combat missions for the first time in the organization’s history, NATO’s top official said Friday.
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10/15/2011
How far is China’s military reach? The answer depends on what it wants to do. A Chinese warship deployed to the Mediterranean this year, so, by that yardstick, global reach is at hand. But the isolated ship only supported civilian evacuations from Libya, and had no real military potential.
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10/15/2011
Defense leaders said Thursday that the Pentagon must be spared from deeper budget cuts than those already planned, and the nation's top military officer suggested that three separate versions of the F-35 might be unaffordable. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee that he is "concerned about the three variants and whether we can go forward in this fiscal environment with all three."
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10/14/2011
Egyptian warplanes are patrolling the Sinai without Israeli consent, despite a 1979 peace treaty limiting Egypt’s military presence in the peninsula, Egypt’s air force chief said on Thursday. Parts of the Sinai have been off-limits to Egyptian troops under the terms of the 1979 treaty by which Israel agreed to end its occupation but in recent months the army has deployed reinforcements with Israeli consent to tackle suspected Islamist militants.
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10/14/2011
The French government has told Airbus and other contractors working on the A400M multi-role military transport aircraft program that it won't take delivery of the aircraft it has ordered starting in 2013 unless Airbus improves the terms of a maintenance contract for the planes. The move is seen as an attempt by the French government, struggling to cut public spending and shrink the country's yawning budget gap, to get more attractive pricing from Airbus on the maintenance deal.
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10/14/2011
BULLETS and bombs are so 20th-century. The wars of the 21st will be dominated by ray guns. That, at least, is the vision of a band of military technologists who are building weapons that work by zapping the enemy’s electronics, rather than blowing him to bits. The result could be conflict that is less bloody, yet more effective, than what is now seen as conventional battle.
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10/14/2011
In mid-August, talk show host Stephen Colbert asked U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice why the United States had not intervened to save the lives of Syrians as it had in Libya. Ambassador Rice replied that Syrian opposition members had told U.S. diplomats, "What they want from the United States is more leadership, political pressure, and sanctions, but very clearly no military intervention."
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10/14/2011
The Air Force and Army secretaries have sent the House Armed Services Committee a letter requesting the MC-12 "Liberty" spy plane program be kept with the Air Force, and thus at Beale Air Force Base. But a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, R-Chico, said the letter might not mean the MC-12's move between service branches is dead.
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10/14/2011
The Marine Corps has responded to our story on the military’s apparent manipulation of the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor’s safety record. “No one is more focused on the safety of the Marine V-22, or any other aircraft the Marines fly, than the Marine Corps,” a statement issued Thursday by the Corps assures, “because we know that those aircraft are flown by our Marines and carry our Marines and other coalition personnel into combat.”
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10/14/2011
Over the last two years, the United States has sent over the largest helicopter force ever seen in Afghanistan. Most of the aircraft in Afghanistan are helicopters, and most of these belong to the U.S. Army. By itself, U.S. Army aviation would be one of the largest air forces in the world.The U.S. Army has 20 CABs (Combat Aviation Brigades). Twelve are active duty units, and eight are from the reserves.
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10/13/2011
New statistics released by European air controllers show the vast superiority of the US air force over EU countries and the density of US military traffic in European skies.
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10/13/2011
A team at the Electronic Systems Center, working in conjunction with the Boeing Co. and personnel from several Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Army bases, is working to get important warfighter-requested capabilities onto the AWACS platform.
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10/13/2011
Under the U.S. Air National Guard evaluation of a future Light Attack and Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) to be operated by the U.S. and Afghan air forces, the Air Force is seeking a low cost, light fighter capable of flying at altitudes up to 30,000 ft. above sea level, with a range up to 900 nautical miles, and mission endurance of six hours.
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10/13/2011
Tyndall Air Force Base received two T-38 Talon jets last week that will serve as simulated enemy aircraft for F-22 Raptor pilots. Tyndall, east of Panama City, is home of the 325th Fighter Wing which provides training for pilots of the F-22 Raptor, the country’s premier air superiority fighter.
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10/13/2011
EADS North America CEO Sean O’Keefe has applauded the U.S. Army’s call for a flight demonstration of potential offerings to replace the aging Kiowa Warrior armed helicopters.
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10/13/2011
A new batch of Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters has been delivered to a pilot training center near Moscow, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Wednesday. “The helicopters have been delivered to the Torzhok training center to improve the pilot training program there,” Drik said.
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10/12/2011
The 100th anniversary marking the fall of China’s last imperial dynasty upped tensions in the Taiwan Strait, with Chinese President Hu Jintao calling for “reunification through peaceful means” and his Taiwanese counterpart, Ma Ying-jeou, responding that he was just fine with the status quo. The last thing needed is outside provocation. So we applaud the Obama administration’s compromise decision last month to go ahead with a $5.85 billion deal to upgrade Taiwan’s existing fleet of F-16 fighter
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10/12/2011
Israel's quest for a new jet trainer for the air force has moved toward South Korea's T-50 after Korea Aerospace Industries said it was joining with Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Israel is buying, to market the supersonic aircraft. The air force is seeking a replacement for its fleet of Vietnam-era Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, with the T-50 Golden Eagle competing against the M-346 Master built by Alenia Aermacchi of Italy.
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10/12/2011
The U.S. Navy reached a new milestone for a futuristic new stealth drone when it successfully retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time, engineers announced Tuesday. Developed by Northrop Grumman, the X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft designed to take off from and land on moving aircraft carriers at sea. New images released today depict a futuristic, almost UFO-like vehicle.
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10/12/2011
Russia is desperate for the world to think of it as a superpower again. Last week, Vladimir Putin — the country’s once and presumed future president — proposed the formation of a “Eurasian Union” among former Soviet states. The move was widely seen as a challenge to the West, and a push to reestablish Moscow’s former empire.
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10/12/2011
The Army has given up on developing an entirely new armed scout helicopter for now, but plans to invite companies with existing helicopters that can do armed reconnaissance to demonstrate their wares.
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10/12/2011
Unmanned aircraft used by the Air Force for espionage and combat have been stung by malware. Should we be worried?
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10/12/2011
The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $19 million follow-on production contract for the VNsight low-light-level TV capability for Apache attack helicopters.
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10/11/2011
Insitu Inc. announced today that its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) delivered real-time video to Canadian Forces during the largest military exercise to date in the Far North.
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10/11/2011
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) on Sunday denied rumors that one of its experimental fighter aircraft had crashed during a test flight in Shaanxi Province after Hong Kong and Taiwanese media reported the news. The reports said that an all-weather, single engine J-10B -multirole fighter aircraft had crashed at the China Flight Test Establishment in Xianyang, Xi-an, adding that the pilot was killed in the accident as he attempted to save the aircraft.
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10/11/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will induct in June 2013 the first of the 10 C-17 Globemaster-III heavy airlifters it has purchased from the US, and then order six more. IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) in an interview that Boeing would deliver all the already ordered 10 aircraft between 2013 and 2014, and that once the IAF was satisfied with their performance, six more would be ordered.
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10/11/2011
Raytheon Company's Common Infrared Counter Measures solution for U.S. Army helicopters is also ideal for protecting unmanned aircraft systems. At 15 pounds less than the Army's requirement, Raytheon's CIRCM system is lightweight enough for large UAS platforms.
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10/11/2011
India’s defense ministry on Oct. 7 approved the offset proposals of the two short-listed vendors in its $11 billion Medium-Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program, paving the way for the opening of commercial bids. According to a defense ministry official, bids should be opened in the next few days for the Eurofighter consortium’s Typhoon and Dassault’s Rafale, though no specific time frame was given. The original tender was issued by the defense ministry in August 2007.
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10/11/2011
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said U.S. troops might still be able to stay in Iraq as trainers beyond a 2011 withdrawal date, even though the country's political blocs have rejected giving immunity to any American soldiers.
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10/11/2011
Elbit Systems of America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. will present an array of cutting edge solutions, designed to enhance the capabilities of the United States Armed Forces at the upcoming Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition (AUSA), (booth #1103) set to take place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington DC from October 10-12, 2011.
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10/11/2011
China's faster-than-expected military buildup has alarmed the United States and its Asian allies and could help the Pentagon gird against deeper defense cuts threatened in some corners of Congress. But even though the sophistication of China's People's Liberation Army has exceeded US military forecasts, there is a recognition within the Pentagon that some of its most-cited conventional capabilities are still in their infancy.
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10/11/2011
Saudi Arabia is planning to reach an agreement with the United States on the purchase of artillery systems worth $186 million, Arabian website Elaf said citing a high-ranking source in the Saudi government.
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10/10/2011
The head of the air force said Taiwan's defense capabilities won't suffer despite the refusal of Washington to sell the island country F-16C/D fighters. Instead of allowing the sale of new fighters to Taiwan, the United States has agreed to a major $5.9 billion upgrade program of the country's 145 General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon jets.
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10/10/2011
There are rumblings that the Boeing F-15 deal with Saudi Arabia is delayed. There’s speculation the Saudis are upset with President Obama’s support of Arab Spring demonstrations or his opposition to Palestine becoming a state through U.N. approval.
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10/10/2011
An F-15 fighter jet's empty fuel tank that crashed to the ground Friday in Ishikawa Prefecture may have exploded after its internal air pressure spiked, according to officials from the Air Self-Defense Force's Komatsu base.
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10/10/2011
Patriot Taxiway Industries announced the delivery of 40 additional KC-135 Portable LED Cargo Lighting System kits to the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Earlier this year, the command’s Surgeon General Office ordered16 kits to be deployed with medical crews in support of worldwide Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) mission.
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10/10/2011
A culture of shared sacrifice is one of the greatest strengths of the U.S.’s volunteer military. It is not, however, a good basis on which to decide budget cuts. Facing at least $450 billion in reductions over the next decade - and as much as $1 trillion total if the congressional deficit supercommittee fails to reach a consensus and the automatic deficit trigger kicks in - Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta may be tempted to follow precedent and ask for trims across the services and their progr
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10/10/2011
The country is growing accustomed to debate about the use of drone aircraft in military surveillance and strikes. Should the U.S., as it has under President Barack Obama, be leaning more heavily on the use of the remote-controlled airplanes to hunt and kill terrorists — including American citizens?
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10/09/2011
The IAF inquiry into the emergency landing performed Thursday by an F-15 crew determined that the pilot and the navigator's resourcefulness prevented the jet from crashing. The inquiry found that around 11 am the F-15 took off from the Tel Nof Air Base for a routine training flight. Once airborne, the crew spotted a flock of pelicans flying in their direction and changed their course so not to collide with the birds.
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10/09/2011
Japanese officials announced Saturday that a 350-pound fuel tank and part of a dummy missile fell off an F-15 during a training mission, prompting Tokyo to ground the fleet for the second time in three months. The Taiwan News reports that the entire 202 plane fleet will be grounded indefinitely and available only for emergency scrambles.
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10/09/2011
At the Zhuhai air show in southeastern China last November, Chinese companies startled some Americans by unveiling 25 different models of remotely controlled aircraft and showing video animation of a missile-armed drone taking out an armored vehicle and attacking a United States aircraft carrier.
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10/09/2011
Iran's national defense system has been equipped with advanced radars capable of detecting unmanned aerial vehicles, a senior military commander said on Saturday. “No unauthorized unmanned aircraft now dares fly over the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said, according to Press TV.
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10/08/2011
Six days after the Sept. 11 attacks, and about three weeks before America went to war, a headline on the front-page of The Washington Post foretold the difficult fight ahead.
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10/08/2011
NATO ministers said Thursday that the bombing campaign in Libya, now in its seventh month, will continue until armed resistance to the new pro-Western regime ceases.
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10/08/2011
Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security delivered 28 military and combat aircraft in the third quarter to September 30, comprising 13 F/A-18E/F and EA-18Gs, six CH-47F and MH-47G Chinooks, four C-17s, three F-15s and two 737 AEW&C aircraft.
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10/08/2011
A MiG-21 combat aircraft of the IAF today crashed near Uttarlai airport in Rajasthan’s Barmer district but the pilot ejected safely.
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10/08/2011
The defence ministry on Friday approved the offset proposals for India’s biggest defence deal to buy 126 fighter planes at an estimate price of Rs 42,000 crore ($ 10.4 billion) paving the way for opening the commercial bids around Diwali.
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10/08/2011
The computers used to control Predator and Raptor drones used in Afghanistan and other war zones have been reportedly infected by a virus that captures the keystrokes of the pilots operating the unmanned aircraft.
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10/08/2011
Boeing has received a performance based logistics (PBL) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP).
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10/07/2011
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Thursday that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close brotherly and strategic relations since their inception. This relationship has matured and strengthened further over the years and has long history of deep rooted cooperation, he made these remarks after witnessing ongoing Joint Military Exercise (Al-Samsaam-IV) 2011 between Pakistan Army and Saudi Land Forces near Jhelum.
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10/07/2011
Mum's the word on exactly when he'll arrive, but Prince Harry - or Capt. Harry Wales, as he's called on a military airfield - will use live fire for the first time when he soon begins helicopter gunship training at U.S. bases in California and Arizona, officials said Thursday.
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10/07/2011
Egypt is now the 13th international customer for Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP), which provides precision targeting and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) in a single lightweight system. The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) has selected Sniper to equip its F-16 aircraft purchased under the Peace Vector program.
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10/06/2011
Boeing's first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy completed its initial flight today, taking off from Renton Field at 12:02 p.m. Pacific time and landing two hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle. During the flight, Boeing test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations and autopilot flight modes, and took the P-8I to a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet prior to landing.
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10/06/2011
The Department of Defense awarded a contract worth up to $11.7 billion to Boeing Co. for support and maintenance of its C-17 aircraft to the U.S. military and global allies. The award comes less than a week after the Chicago-based company won a contract modification worth up to half a billion for similar services.
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10/06/2011
Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov was quoted as saying that “solutions have been found to a number of problem issues of India-Russia defense cooperation”. Mr. Serdyukov also expressed hope that “India is regarding military and technical cooperation as one of the key areas of partnership with Russia”. Mr. Antony in his turn noted that “Russia has always been the unique strategic partner that India relies upon”.
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10/06/2011
A Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft performed the first short takeoff from an amphibious assault ship early Tuesday. Piloted by Marine Lt. Col. Fred Shenk, BF-2 lifted from the deck of the amphib Wasp at 8:45 a.m., Joint Strike Fighter Program Office officials confirmed.
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10/06/2011
U.S. officials are still confused about why Libya’s stockpile of new, advanced SA-24 Grinch man-portable air defense systems (Manpads) were not fired at NATO aircraft during the battle to oust Moammar Gadhafi. The weapons are perhaps the most sophisticated, light, anti-aircraft missiles made by Russia, and they are certainly the most sought after by insurgents shopping the black market.
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10/06/2011
Members of the NATO military alliance parted company Wednesday over how quickly to halt the six-month bombing campaign in Libya, and the dangers of doing so if fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, the country's deposed strongman, are still engaged in armed resistance.
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10/06/2011
The army has grounded its fleet of five CH-47D Chinook helicopters, while it sorts out a problem with the aircraft's flight control system. Brigadier Neil Turton, director-general of aviation, said the temporary suspension of flight operations would ensure safety and was consistent with Army Operational Airworthiness procedures. He said the issues had been identified in the CH-47D's Advanced Flight Control System (AFCS).
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10/06/2011
The Marine Corps will deploy the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Kaman [NASDAQ-GS: KAMN] unmanned K-MAX® to Afghanistan next month.
The decision follows the successful completion of a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment for the U.S. Navy’s Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program. A formal report, released last week by Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force, confirmed that the unmanned K-MAX exceeded the Navy and Marines’ requirement to deliver 6,000 pounds of cargo per day.
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10/06/2011
The Ukrainian Air Force will take delivery of three An-70 military transport aircraft, Defense Minister Mikhaylo Yezhel said on Wednesday. The first plane will be delivered "in the very near future," he said. Asked whether Ukraine would be able to make An-70s without Russia, the minister said: "It's already making them."
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10/05/2011
The Air Self-Defense Force has exchanged a memorandum with the U.S. military enabling SDF tanker aircraft to refuel U.S. military airplanes midair during Japan-U.S. joint exercises, it has been learned. Previously, only U.S. tanker aircraft have been able to refuel SDF aircraft during such circumstances, sources said.
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10/05/2011
Among the issues that the two sides will discuss include the joint development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and medium transport aircraft (MTA). Indian Air Force will get 250 FGFAs and 45 MTAs later in this decade.
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10/05/2011
The Navy and Marine Corps Team made naval aviation history today as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp’s (LHD-1) flight deck, the first at-sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm. “It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But that’s because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done by the Wasp and JSF team.”
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10/05/2011
Kevin Bredenbeck, the pilot who flew the revolutionary X2 Technology demonstrator last year to an unofficial speed record for conventional helicopters, has been recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) with the Iven C. Kincheloe Award for the year's outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing.
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10/05/2011
Indonesian Air Force officers will soon be shopping in the Arizona desert, picking out two squadrons of mothballed F-16C/D fighter jets from America's aircraft "boneyard", to beef up their country's paper- thin air defenses. The 30 aircraft will come free of charge. But six of them will be cannibalized for their parts. The Indonesians are expected to spend US$400 million to US$600 million equipping the rest with advanced avionics and weaponry and buying 28 Pratt and Whitney engines.
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10/05/2011
The largely homegrown Tejas fighter is still to fight its way out of the doldrums. The jet will not become fully-operational anytime before 2013, a full three decades after the LCA (light combat aircraft) project was first sanctioned in 1983. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, responding to questions on Monday, remarked the Tejas LCA's operational clearance had been delayed by almost a year, without elaborating any further.
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10/05/2011
With the current operations in Libya directly impacting the direction of the fighter jet market, military and industry professionals are faced with the challenge of defining immediate upgrade plans and future capability developments.
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10/05/2011
NATO defense ministers meet Wednesday and they are expected to discuss ways of ending the alliance's aerial campaign in Libya and training Afghan security forces to play a larger role in their country's war. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who took over from Robert Gates as Pentagon chief in July, will be making his first visit to Europe in that role to attend the meeting.
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10/05/2011
Oliver VTOL LLC, today announced a “Hexplane Heavy Lift (HHL)” concept that has the potential to meet the military’s need for a new, large vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) transport aircraft.
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10/05/2011
The Boeing Company will serve as corporate host for the MILCOM 2011 conference and exposition, which takes place Nov. 7-10 at the Baltimore Convention Center. This will be the conference’s 30th year of gathering leaders from the military, industry and academia to promote and discuss all aspects of military communications technologies and services.
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10/04/2011
“The process of modernisation [of the IAF] is going on at a fast rate, and I am not aware of any air force doing so in 15 years… We have to be [reaching] wherever the country's strategic interests are,” he said at apress conference, ahead of the Air Force Day that falls on October 8. Its traditional strategic sphere lay between the Gulf of Aden and the Straits of Malacca; but with India's global footprint expanding, the IAF should be ready to serve wherever India's strategic interests rested, he
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10/04/2011
The U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command has taken delivery of its first MC-130J Combat Shadow II aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The aircraft, the first of 20 ordered, was flown from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' facility to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., by Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, commander AFSOC.
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10/04/2011
South Korea’s decision to build a naval base at Sadong Port on Ulleung Island is causing strains in its relationship with Japan. Ulleung is the closest South Korean territory to the disputed islets (known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japan) in the Sea of Japan which is claimed by both countries. South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will provide 217.5 billion Won for the base, while the remainder of the cost will be borne by the Ministry of National Defence.
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10/04/2011
India is gradually building powerful military capabilities in tune with its expanding geopolitical interests, which are no longer limited to the swathe stretching from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait, even as the eastern and western fronts are being strengthened to deter the twin Pakistan-China threat.
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10/04/2011
There must be a crazy-haired mad scientist roaming the U.S. military’s research laboratories unsupervised. That’s the most reasonable explanation for the military's latest advancement in drone technology.
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10/04/2011
A total of 32 UAVs have been produced in the initial stage, with eight to be deployed in each of the country's four major combat sectors, the Chinese-language China Times daily said. Citing unnamed senior officials, the paper said the indigenously produced UAVs can fly as high as 6,000 feet and stay in the air for up to 12 hours.
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10/04/2011
Iraq is likely to order a second batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 combat jets following last month's contract to buy 18 of the aircraft, Iraqi officials say. This appears to be a concerted, but belated, drive by the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to give the country's emerging postwar air force a credible defensive punch funded by windfall oil revenues and to shore up an important gap in Iraqi defenses as U.S. forces withdraw.
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10/04/2011
The Boeing Company has signed a teaming agreement with the Rotary Wing Training Center (RWTC) - a subsidiary of the Netherlands' World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA) -- to establish a state-of-the-art CH-47 Chinook helicopter maintenance training facility near the Dutch Gilze-Rijen Airbase. The training center will help address the needs of international Chinook operators.
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10/03/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to acquire six more C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft in addition to the six already ordered. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) that the aircraft had performed well in the recent earthquake relief operations in north-eastern India and that the IAF would utilize the multi-role capability of the aircraft as required.
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10/03/2011
At first glance, it seems nothing unusual or hinting of danger - just a few wooden munitions cases piled up in the corner of a vast hangar on the outskirts of Benghazi in eastern Libya. But the cases' rectangular shape, their size - about that of a coffee table - and the yellow inscriptions in Cyrillic letters allude to their deadly contents.
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10/03/2011
The Philippine Air Force yesterday described as "propaganda" the statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that Abu Sayyaf terrorists shot down the Huey aircraft that crashed in Patikul, Sulu, last Saturday and left the pilot and two crew members dead.
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10/03/2011
When Lord West, former First Sea Lord and security minister in the Brown government, waved the flag for Britain last week, reminding the world that we are still a country to be reckoned with and “not like bloody Denmark or Belgium”, he presented Liam Fox with a gaping open goal. West, the Defence Secretary crowed, was guilty of crass insensitivity and should apologise. What about those plucky Danes in Afghanistan?
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10/03/2011
The entire Defence Force will be re-shaped by 2015 into what will be called a Joint Amphibious Task Force that will enable the Army to deploy more people for longer in combat situations. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp this morning launched the plan at Defence Headquarters, including some decisions on equipment and training as part of the Defence Capability Plan, the first in 10 years.
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10/03/2011
The much-awaited user trials of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) would commence by the end of this year. The user trials, which will be conducted by the IAF’s Bangalore-based aircraft systems and testing establishment (ASTE), is a prerequisite before the LCA is inducted into the IAF.
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10/03/2011
Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force transferred its remaining seven early model (Block 10) RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs to other government agencies. These UAVs began flying eight or so years ago and each has spent, on average some 3,000 hours in the air. Some have spent over 7,000 hours in the air, while others have mostly stayed on the ground. On average, these Block 10 aircraft flew once a week. But some 90 percent of hours flown were in combat operations.
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10/03/2011
The CIA drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, the US-born propagandist for al-Qaeda's rising franchise in Yemen, was one more demonstration of what US officials say is a cheap, safe and precise tool to eliminate enemies. It was also a sign that the decade-old US campaign against terrorism has reached a turning point.
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10/03/2011
As a Cobra attack helicopter pilot, Marine Capt. Jim “Hottie” Carlson was running support missions above Afghanistan last summer when it occurred to him that it was taking far too long to find where U.S. troops were under attack. “Do you have any idea how long it takes to find the right map, unfold it, and find where you’re going? It’s agonizing,” he said.
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10/01/2011
Despite government cuts in defense expenditure, and the postponement of a final decision regarding the need to renew the military fleet, a decision that former president Lula should have taken before the end of his tenure (2010), defense minister Celso Amorim officially declared that Brazil has an "Urgent" need for new fighter jets.
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10/01/2011
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has delivered an S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter to Jalisco, the first state government in Mexico to acquire the newest variant of the world's most employed military utility aircraft. Jalisco state police will deploy the aircraft for general law enforcement with initial aircraft operation anticipated during October's XVI Pan American Games. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
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10/01/2011
Airbus Military, a subsidiary of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., said a C-212 transport aircraft had an accident in the north Sumatran region of Indonesia. The company said it’s “premature” to speculate on the cause of the incident.
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10/01/2011
U.S. planemaker Boeing said local defense contractors might build F/A 18 Super Hornets under license if Japan chose to buy the next-generation fighter jet. The comment came after the U.S. aerospace giant, along with Lockheed Martin and a consortium of European countries, submitted bids to produce Japan's next mainstay combat aircraft in a deal that could be worth up to $8 billion.
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10/01/2011
Saudi Arabia was the leading buyer of U.S. weapons in 2003-10, receiving arms worth $29 billion, the U.S. Congressional Research Service's latest report on arms transfers stated. That's not counting the $60 billion Riyadh is expected to spend on U.S. military purchases - including combat jets, warships and missiles - over the next decade. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Raytheon will be major beneficiaries of the biggest U.S. arms deal on record.
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10/01/2011
The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States’ four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers on schedule. The E-4B was returned to home station Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., on Sept. 19.
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09/30/2011
On most days for the past several years, pilots from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force have scrambled to stop military aircraft from China and Russia buzzing Japan’s air space. It is a reminder of how prickly Japan’s ties with its neighbours have become, not least because of contested sovereignty over a few remote islands. Intercepts of Chinese planes almost tripled last year, to 96 (see chart). Russia, meanwhile, recently sent two bombers skirting provocatively around the Japanese archipelago.
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09/30/2011
BAE Systems Inc. said Thursday that two UK Royal Air Force Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers will for the first time participate in Air Shows sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. The company will demonstrate the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft’s capabilities at the Randolph Air Force Base Air Show in San Antonio on Oct. 29-30.
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09/30/2011
Brazilian defense industry growth has prompted the Boeing Co., a U.S. company, to expand operations in the South American country. Boeing has set sights on winning a multibillion-dollar order in Brazil's FX-2 competition which aims to replace the Brazilian air force's aging inventory of fighter aircraft with modern, multipurpose jets capable of performing under challenging conditions in overland and offshore defense duties.
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09/30/2011
Residents in the communities surrounding Holloman Air Force Base can expect the possibility of a periodic sonic boom over the next two weeks as the base returns to regular F-22 flying operations.
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09/30/2011
Iraq's decision to purchase 18 F-16 fighter jets will provide a "very robust capability" where now there is none and will allow the country to protect its airspace, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said Thursday.
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09/30/2011
Boeing's first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy completed its initial flight today, taking off from Renton Field at 12:02 p.m. Pacific time and landing two hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle.
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09/29/2011
The Iraqi government has transferred its first payment for 18 F-16C fighter aircraft, bringing Iraq closer to independently securing its airspace, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday. “These aircraft will help provide air sovereignty for Iraq to protect its own territory, and deter or counter regional threats,” Little said. The fighter aircraft, he added, “are also a symbol of the commitment to a long-term strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq.
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09/29/2011
Be prepared to hear loud roars of fighter jets every night. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi-30MkI air dominance fighters have just stepped up their night flying, and will continue to do so in the coming days. This was disclosed to media persons by Wing Commander B Satish, commanding officer of the 30 Squadron (The Rhinos) at the IAF base at Lohegaon on Tuesday. The media visit had been organised as part of the Air Force Day celebrations, to be held on October 8 across the country.
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09/29/2011
While there’s no question that China is rapidly growing and modernizing its military, analysts have long seen the PRC’s lack of expertise in making high-performance jet engines as a major obstacle in Beijing’s quest to field a 21st Century air force.
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09/29/2011
Rebel tribesmen in a mountainous region just north of the capital brought down a military aircraft on Wednesday, Yemen’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Soviet-era crashed roughly 30 miles north of the capital, Sana, as it was “carrying out a routine task this morning,” according to the statement, which was published on a Web site run by the ministry.
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09/29/2011
Most U.S. military helicopter crashes in Afghanistan have resulted from human error, bad weather, and mechanical problems rather than insurgent attacks — but the assaults were more deadly, reports USA Today.
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09/29/2011
Researchers from Boeing and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a prototype application that allows someone to fly a miniature unmanned aircraft from an iPhone. Eventually, the technology may be applied to remotely control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as drones used by the U.S. military in combat and reconnaissance missions.
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09/29/2011
The Boeing KC-46 Tanker program successfully completed its Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) with the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 24 at Boeing program headquarters in Mukilteo. The assessment, attended by senior Air Force program officials, validated the program’s technical scope and finalized key milestones for the design and development phase of the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling tanker.
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09/29/2011
At ceremonies today at the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here, company officials formally delivered four C-130J Super Hercules airlifters to the State of Qatar.
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09/28/2011
Turkey’s first drone airplane called Anka is seen during a roll out ceremony at the Turkish Aerospace Space Industries, or TAI, near Ankara. Turkey is striving to bolster its unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, fleet through international means, as domestic work to develop large pilotless aircraft has been faltering.
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09/28/2011
“The Rafale took the lead (built by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation) by a narrow margin in the first stage of the assessment, but considering interoperability and the alliance between Korea and the U.S., we have finally chosen the F-15K (built by the American company Boeing).”
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09/28/2011
Saddam Hussein once commanded one of the most powerful airforces in the Middle East with 40,000 personnel and 1,000 aircraft including Soviet MiG and French Mirage fighters. Now its combat capability lies largely in three Cessna propeller planes armed with Hellfire missiles.
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09/28/2011
India and China remain Russia’s main partners in terms of military-technical cooperation. The value of the Russian-Chinese military and technical cooperation stands at one billion dollars, while the value of the Russian-Indian military-technical ties is annually assessed at 3.5 billion dollars.
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09/28/2011
Two South African companies are attempting to elbow their way into the global defense market with an unusual new aircraft developed on home soil. Paramount Group and Aerosud Holdings Ltd. on Tuesday will unveil the Ahrlac, a compact plane that they say merges the capabilities of a drone, an attack helicopter and surveillance aircraft.
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09/28/2011
Australia will allow women to serve in front-line combat roles for the first time, joining a handful of other countries that have removed gender restrictions in their armed forces.
The decision, which has bilateral political support, means women will be permitted to perform any role, provided they meet the physical and psychological requirements. The changes, to be phased in over the next five years, could lead to them serving in infantry combat units and special forces.
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09/28/2011
China will likely suspend some military ties with the U.S. following the Obama administration's approval of a $5.85 billion package of upgrades for Taiwan's aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets and pilot training, a senior U.S. State Department official said Monday. That announcement comes one week after the U.S. said it would provide upgrades to aging combat aircraft supplied to Taiwan in the 1990s.
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09/28/2011
Boeing today announced that the U.S. Air Force has granted the F-15E Radar Modernization Program (RMP) approval to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the APG-82(V)1 radar system. Boeing and radar supplier Raytheon also performed extensive flight tests to validate the design and development of the system. The RMP leverages prior radar development programs on F-15C and F/A-18E/F aircraft to significantly reduce cost and integration risk for this new radar.
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09/27/2011
Civilian and military leaders of the U.S. Air Force outlined priorities they plan to defend against potentially severe budget cuts, citing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, remotely piloted aircraft and a future long-range bomber specifically, among other systems and capabilities. In keynote addresses on successive days at the Air Force Association conference last week, Air Force secretary Michael Donley and chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz warned that a “hollow force” could result from indiscri
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09/27/2011
Belize is a premier training ground for many NATO allies. Military units from Britain, Poland, Norway, Spain and others have all taken advantage of the unique training experiences the Central American country can provide. Recently, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 from MCAS New River and Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 self-deployed four MV-22B Ospreys to Belize to evaluate the merit of future Marine Corps exercises in the region.
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09/27/2011
This is the week that Pentagon policymakers begin sorting out how to assure that one of the military's most important reconnaissance systems will be available to warfighters at an affordable price. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aircraft conceived to replace the venerable U-2 spy plane with a longer-endurance platform that could host a wider array of sensors.
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09/27/2011
Three firms on Monday submitted bids to supply Japan’s Air Force with new fighter jets that will replace its ageing F-4 planes. Boeing and the U.S. Navy’s offer for the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) was the F/A-18E Super Hornet Block II, the U.S. military’s most advanced combat aircraft. Boeing Japan President Mike Denton promised the JASDF new and unprecedented capability with the Super Hornet.
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09/27/2011
Iraq has signed a contract to buy 18 Lockheed Martin F-16 warplanes to bolster its air force, an adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday. The value of the deal was not immediately known, but a senior U.S. military official said recently the offer on the table for the Iraqi government was valued at "roughly $3 billion."
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09/27/2011
"Boeing is incredibly pleased by the confidence shown by the Australian government in the unique airlift capabilities provided by the C-17 Globemaster III. Australia is widely recognized for its role as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, for its support of allied military operations, and for its crucial role in humanitarian missions around the globe. The presence of Australia's C-17 aircraft at hotspots around the world is demonstrative of the country’s role as a valued ally and global partner
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09/27/2011
Boeing announced today the delivery of a fourth C-17 Globemaster III to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence from the company's C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach. Boeing delivered the UAE's first three C-17s in May, June and July of this year and will deliver two more in 2012.
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09/27/2011
The Boeing QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target program in August became the first target program to conduct software tests in a systems integration lab (SIL) environment. The program demonstrated key capabilities for the U.S. Air Force during a program review and tour.
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09/27/2011
Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor returned to the skies today here in a series of test and production flights, the first since a four-month fleet stand down was lifted on Sept. 19, 2011 by the U.S. Air Force.
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09/27/2011
A small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed on Monday near a highway in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia, a police source reported. "A report on Monday said that a small aircraft crashed near the Caucasus federal highway. Police confirmed after arrival at the site that it was an aerial-imagery UAV," the source said, adding that the crash did not result in any damage to ground infrastructure or casualties.
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09/26/2011
Russia's top jet engine-maker has signed an agreement to supply over 100 high powered engines for China's new fleet of fighter jets, but Beijing is yet to ratify the deal as it is apparently miffed by some stiff conditionalties of the deal, a media report said.
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09/26/2011
Kazakh Defense Minister Adilbek Jaksibekov flew to the area of the large-scale joint strategic exercises "Center-2011" on a supersonic jet fighter of four plus generation Sukhoi Su-27 from the Astana airport, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
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09/26/2011
Poland has been replacing its Cold War era MiG-29s with F-16s. Currently Poland has 48 F-16s and 32 MiG-29s in service, and those remaining MiG-29s are in serious need of upgrading. There is not a lot of money available to upgrade aircraft. So as a compromise, 16 of the MiG-29s will undergo a basic upgrade. At a cost of about $3 million per aircraft, the MiGs will get new electronics, including jam-resistant GPS and fire control computers.
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09/26/2011
Cassidian in Unterschleissheim, Germany, has finished upgrading the identification equipment of all German military aircraft, and has handed over the last installment of its STR 2000 military transponders to the German Procurement Authority BWB. Cassidian, the defense and security division of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (EADS) in Leiden, The Netherlands, has delivered more than 650 transponders were delivered since 2002 to German military forces since 2002, Cassidian offic
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09/26/2011
Union leaders will seek urgent talks with the defence group BAE Systems after it emerged the firm is planning to axe a further 3,000 jobs in a "shocking" and "devastating" blow to the industry.
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09/25/2011
Residents in the communities surrounding Holloman Air Force Base can expect the periodic sonic boom to return to the skies over the next two weeks as the base returns to regular F-22 flying operations.
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09/25/2011
Lockheed Martin today delivered the first HC-130J Combat King II to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). The aircraft was flown from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' facility to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., by Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. This aircraft is the first of 11 currently on order.
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09/25/2011
In a key step towards attaining final operational clearance (FOC) from the India Air Force, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is undergoing weapon trials, including firing air-to-air missiles to test its capability to bring down enemy planes.
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09/24/2011
They don’t want to say it out loud, but here’s what Boeing and Lockheed are thinking right now: “Not again!” According to a report this week in the Financial Times, Japan says it would be open to choosing the Eurofighter Typhoon as its new front-line fighter jet, setting up a possible three-way battle between it, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed’s F-35 Lightning II.
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09/24/2011
The United States expects some fraying of relations with China over its $5.3 billion plan to upgrade Taiwan's F-16 fleet but not as "shrill" a reaction as if it had met the request for new fighter jets, the top U.S. military commander in the region told Reuters on Friday.
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09/24/2011
With armed drones now deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, there’s huge demand in the U.S. military and CIA to acquire “hunter-killer” unmanned aircraft such as Predators and Reapers. But one branch of the military is generally keeping its distance.
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09/24/2011
Guatemala will purchase six Brazilian military aircraft Super Tucano, radars and other equipment to combat the narcotics trade traffic of which the Central American country is considered a crucial link between South America and the United States.
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09/24/2011
The Egyptian Air Force has today has taken delivery of its first Airbus Military C295. The aircraft in military transport configuration, was delivered ahead of contract schedule and is part of a three aircraft order placed by the EAF in October last year. The other two aircraft are to be delivered during the last quarter of 2011.
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09/23/2011
The 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron recently filled its ranks with C-130J Hercules aircraft and aircrews as two new units joined the squadron. Almost two dozen C-130Js and a full complement of aircrew and maintenance personnel, split between California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing and Rhode Island Air National Guard's 143rd Airlift Wing, replaced C-130H-model Guard units from Alaska and New York.
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09/23/2011
Three aviation programmes - the Boeing KC-46A tanker, Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter and a next-generation bomber - have received firm and explicit backing from US Air Force leaders against sweeping new budget cuts.
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09/23/2011
The Indian Air Force will seek a more powerful engine for the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet that is being jointly developed by Russia and India for delivery in 2018, a top government official said. The air force is aiming to induct 250 Sukhoi T-50s with stealth technology, 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft and 120 indigenously built light combat aircraft, known as the Tejas, in addition to upgrading RAC MiG-29, Dassault Mirage 2000H/TH and Jaguar fighter jets.
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09/23/2011
The Afghan air force has received three more G222 aircraft from Alenia North America.
The aircraft delivered were the 12th, 13th and 14th of 20 G222 aircraft ordered by the U.S. Air Force for Afghanistan. Alenia North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Alenia Aeronautica and part of the Finmeccanica group, said one aircraft deployed to Kabul this month and the second and third will deploy before the end of September.
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09/23/2011
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress Sept. 21 of a possible Foreign Military Sales Order II (FMSO II) to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States for an estimated cost of $52 million.
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09/23/2011
A £17M fighter jet that will create a “virtual battlezone” in the sky is revolutionising the way pilots are trained at RAF Valley. The Hawk TMK2 is now in the process of replacing the existing Hawks at the Anglesey airbase – with state-of-the-art simulated technology bringing warfare into the cockpit. RAF chiefs have now started training-up experienced former frontline pilots that will instruct the first recruits on the new aircraft next April.
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09/23/2011
Japan is open to choosing a European aircraft as its long-awaited new air defence fighter, despite decades of reliance on the US for imports of sophisticated weapon systems, according to new Japanese defence minister, Yasuo Ichikawa.
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09/23/2011
The new arms package offered by the US to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16A/B aircraft is not enough to meet Taiwan’s security needs, the US-Taiwan Business Council said in a special commentary on Wednesday. The commentary by US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers was written in response to a US announcement on Wednesday that it had decided to offer an upgrade of Taiwan’s F-16A/Bs as part of a US$5.85 billion arms deal for Taiwan.
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09/22/2011
The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday cleared its F-22 Raptor fleet to return to service following a four-month grounding over concerns that the jets' pilots weren't getting proper oxygen. Bases are cleared to start flying the fighter jets under a "return to flight" plan - with new rules including daily inspections of the life-support systems - that the Air Force announced earlier in the week, said Staff Sgt. Heidi Davis, spokeswoman for the Air Force's Air Combat Command.
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09/22/2011
International Aero Engines arrives at this year's Beijing Air Show with a wider market venue than it has in the past. For the first time in its history, V2500s will be powering military aircraft -- having captured the opportunity to power Embraer's new KC-390 tanker/transport.
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09/22/2011
The Obama administration’s decision to offer upgrades to Taiwan’s aging F-16 fighter fleet will annoy Beijing and unsettle Taiwan. On Wednesday, the Obama administration officially notified the US Congress of its decision to only offer Taiwan an upgrade of existing F-16 A/Bs, rather than the sale of 66 new F-16 C/Ds as the government in Taipei had requested.
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09/22/2011
U.S. Air Force officials say the number of fighter pilots is likely to decline in coming years, due in part to fewer aircraft and training opportunities, fighter pilots increasingly assigned to non-flying jobs and the lure of lucrative jobs in commercial aviation.
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09/22/2011
The U.S. military is deploying a new force of armed drones to eastern Africa in an escalation of its campaign to strike militant targets in the region and expand intelligence on extremists, officials said.
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09/22/2011
The Boeing Company and the U.S. Army celebrated the opening of the newly renovated H-47 Chinook manufacturing facility today. The event coincided with the 50th anniversary of the H-47 Chinook's first flight.
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09/22/2011
A top–level group of Air Force leaders from around the world have confimed attendance at the Dubai International Air Chiefs Conference (DIAC) which takes place on the eve of the Dubai Air Show at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
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09/22/2011
A team led by Boeing today delivered the first Peace Eye 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). The aircraft was delivered during a ceremony attended by officials from the ROKAF, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the South Korean and U.S. governments, industry partners and Boeing at ROKAF Base Gimhae, the main operating base for the Peace Eye fleet.
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09/21/2011
Romania cannot afford to purchase second-hand F-16 combat aircraft unless granted a long-term financing plan, Romanian President Traian Basescu said yesterday.
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09/21/2011
A crucial round of armament trials of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has just begun in Jaisalmer. Close on its heels, a second round of trials will take place in Goa next month.
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09/21/2011
Dassault Aviation hopes to capitalize on France's participation with the United Arab Emirates in the air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi's crumbling regime in Libya to promote the sale of 60 Rafale multi-role jets to the Persian Gulf state.
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09/21/2011
AgustaWestland North America, Inc. proudly enters the Air Force Association's 2011 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition firmly committed to the U.S. Air Force with the right helicopters for the mission and the right talent for the job.
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09/21/2011
Taiwan, China and Congress won't be cheering the Obama administration's decision to upgrade Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets but not sell it new planes. But it may be a compromise they can all live with.
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09/21/2011
Looming defense cuts will lead to changes in the way the U.S. Air Force does business with industry, said Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz. In a Sept. 20 keynote address at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Schwartz said there is no room anymore for companies to “over-promise only then to under-deliver.” There will be no blank checks for industry, and the military will not be able to have everything it wants.
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09/21/2011
U.S. military aircraft are still “very committed” to the NATO-led intervention in Libya, especially refueling planes that are “schwacking” targets, a top general said Tuesday.
American tanker planes have pumped nearly 150 million gallons of fuel into U.S. and coalition combat aircraft, U.S. Air Mobility Command (AMC) chief Gen. Raymond Johns told reporters during a breakfast meeting in Washington.
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09/21/2011
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 flight test program moves closer to reaching year-end milestones since the last update issued July 26. Since then, the F-35 Lightning II 5TH Generation multirole fighter conducted 124 test flights, bringing the total number of flights for the year to 642.
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09/20/2011
A military helicopter crashed in a remote area of Camp Pendleton, killing the two Marines on board and sparking a wildfire, base officials said Monday. The crash took place after 1:05 p.m. at a training area near De Luz Road east of Fallbrook, Sgt. Art Carlson said.
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09/20/2011
The Russian army on Monday kicked off a pair of major war games aimed at making the Kremlin's forces more agile and better capable of deploying to allied countries, the Interfax news agency reported. More than 12,000 service personnel from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were participating in the Centre-2011 exercise, which will be the region's biggest military training operation of 2011.
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09/20/2011
The fastest-growing occupation in the U.S. Air Force — warzone surveillance — soon may be reaching its peak as the Defense Department looks for ways to cut costs. The deployment of Air Force remotely piloted spy aircraft across Iraq and Afghanistan grew rapidly over the past eight years, at the same time that the Army also expanded its fleet of unmanned surveillance drones.
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09/20/2011
China expressed its opposition Monday to a reported deal between the United States and Taiwan to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets, even though the U.S. apparently rejected the island's bid for a more advanced version of the plane.
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09/20/2011
The US Air Force vowed Monday to "protect" costly weapons programs despite budget pressures, saying the country needed the F-35 fighter jet, a long-range bomber and other aircraft. While acknowledging the need for reductions to the defense budget, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley proceeded to list several big ticket programs that were not up for negotiation.
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09/20/2011
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program has successfully completed static structural testing, achieving one of five milestones established by the Joint Program Office for 2011. Static structural testing is used to verify the structural integrity of the airframe and to ensure specifications outlined in technical drawings used to produce the aircraft are accurate. Engineering teams at Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and the Joint Program Office conducted the tests over the past two years.
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09/20/2011
Azerbaijan’s armed forces will take delivery of 60 Orbiter and Aerostar unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) by the end of this year, the Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA) said on Monday quoting military sources.
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09/20/2011
Qatar's government is said to be considering purchasing a substantial stake in EADS – the European aerospace and defence conglomerate which owns Airbus, Eurocopter and other major manufacturers.
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09/19/2011
Dassault Aviation is expected to put an offer to sell about 60 Rafale fighterjets to the United Arab Emirates this month, in a sign that negotiations are progressing, Les Echos newspaper reported on Thursday. Last month another French newspaper said an agreement could be reached between September and the end of the year.
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09/19/2011
BAE Systems is teaming with Northrop Grumman to propose its Hawk trainer for a forthcoming U.S. Air Force competition to replace the T-38C fast-jet trainer. The team plans to announce their partnership on Sept. 19 at the annual Air Force Association conference, according to industry officials. Competitors are likely to include Lockheed Martin/Korea Aerospace Industries’ T-50 and Alenia Aermacchi’s M346.
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09/19/2011
A Turkish military cargo plane was attacked by anti-aircraft weaponry after parachuting humanitarian aid into Libya on Sunday. Turkish and National Transitional Council, or NTC, executives had decided to parachute the aid into Waddan, south of Sirte and near Libya’s border with Niger, early on Sunday. The two cargo planes took off from Benghazi Military Airport and when they reached Waddan, one of them became the target of anti-aircraft fire.
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09/19/2011
The Obama administration has decided to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets but not sell it the new planes it also wants, congressional staff said. The administration gave a briefing on Capitol Hill on its decision Friday, but has yet to issue a formal notification of the intended deal. An announcement is expected by the end of this month.
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09/19/2011
Pakistani troops battled Taliban militants Sunday morning to win control of the remnants of a CIA drone that crashed in the nation’s borderlands, according to Pakistani security officials.
The cause of the crash of the unmanned Predator aircraft, among the drones the CIA uses to fire missiles at Taliban and al-Qaeda hideouts in the rocky region bordering Afghanistan, remained in dispute hours after it was downed in Zangarha village in South Waziristan.
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09/19/2011
India is swiftly moving towards inking another major deal for training aircraft to teach rookie pilots the intricacies of combat flying before it stitches up the over $10.4 billion (Rs 42,000 crore) project to acquire 126 top-notch fighters. The Rs 2,900 crore deal for acquiring 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 turbo basic trainers is in the final stages now, with the "note" prepared for the Cabinet Committee on Security being "vetted" by the finance ministry at present, say defence ministry sources.
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09/19/2011
Romania cannot afford to purchase second-hand F-16 combat aircraft unless granted a long-term financing plan, Romanian president Traian Basescu said on Sunday. "We have no money and we cannot commit ourselves to such a contract without a long-term financing scheme," Basescu said during an interview on private TV channel ProTV.
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09/19/2011
Marines in Arizona will soon duke it out with a crop duster and a Russian helo in a new effort to understand enemy tactics and weaponry. The Antonov An-2, built after World War II, and the Russian Mi-24 Hind, a 1980s-era helo, will be flown at the biannual Weapons and Tactics Instructor course aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
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09/18/2011
Over the past decade, the Air National Guard has shrunk in size and continues to fly with some of the oldest aircraft in the Defense Department’s inventory. “I’m very concerned about the future of our Air Guard and the Air Force,” said Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
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09/18/2011
Boeing has selected BAE Systems to provide touch-screen control panels for the U.S. Air Force's KC-46A aerial refueling tanker. The panel allows control of a variety of interior functions on the aircraft, such as lighting, potable water and waste tanks.
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09/18/2011
On Thursday, The Washington Times reported that President Obama has finally made a decision on the long-pending issue of arms sales to Taiwan. According to an unnamed official, the administration has approved the arms package worth $4.2 billion. The package is likely to include upgrading F-16 A/B fighter aircraft, but not the supply of 66 advanced F-16 C/D model aircraft requested by Taiwan.
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09/18/2011
Taiwan and Japan have been sending officers and NCOs to the United States to obtain useful tips on how to adapt American military experience from the last decade. China has also been mining this experience, but does not have the same close access to American troops that allies like Japan and Taiwan do.
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09/17/2011
Increases in defense spending over the past decade have been good for the Indiana economy, boosting the state’s defense manufacturers and increasing its take of federal dollars. But with U.S. involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, and Congress looking to cut into the massive federal debt, the spending pendulum is swinging the other way.
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09/17/2011
The annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) have approved measures designed to further strengthen the alliance's cooperation, interoperability, and capabilities of the two nations' military resources.
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09/17/2011
When Marines are in a firefight in Afghanistan and need back up, they call in helicopters to blast the enemy from the sky. Sounds simple enough, but it’s not — according to current standard operating procedures for close-air strikes, ground troops radio coordinates to a pilot who then has to rifle through 60 to 80 pounds of maps to find the building he’s supposed to hit.
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09/17/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] on Sept. 15 celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the C-17 airlifter. On Sept. 15, 1991, test aircraft T-1 took off from the Boeing Long Beach site on a two-hour flight that proved the engineering and design concepts of the aircraft and marked the beginning of the program.
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09/17/2011
Eighteen Su-30K fighter jets which were delivered by Russia to India in the 1990s could end up in service with the Belarusian air force, respected Russian business daily Kommersant said on Friday.
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09/16/2011
With two flagship programs in the balance, EADS is awaiting formal government endorsement of both its Eurofighter Typhoon active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and Talarion unmanned aircraft endeavors.
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09/16/2011
F-35 production could be frozen at around 32 aircraft for four years, if a US Senate committee's version of the fiscal year 2012 defence budget is signed into law. The Senate's defence panel, on the appropriations committee, recommended a $695 million reduction in the F-35 programme, and freezing new production orders at 32 aircraft through FY2013.
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09/16/2011
The F-16 production line at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics ' Fort Worth plant could see extended life beyond 2013 should pending orders from Iraq and Oman come through as expected. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that the company is close to landing orders from the two nations.
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09/16/2011
The potential sale of 18 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to Iraq looks “very promising,” according to the senior Air Force general in the country. “We are hearing very encouraging words and we certainly hope that that will be soon,” Maj. Gen. Russell Handy, commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and Director of the Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq, said Wednesday during a briefing at the Pentagon.
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09/16/2011
The major "Velayat 3" drills showed that sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and its European allies over the past three decades were futile, Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Brigadier General Hassan Shah-Safi told reporters, Press TV reported with reference to IRNA.
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09/16/2011
The Israeli military has identified an operational requirement for an unmanned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platform that will be used to perform resupply and medical evacuation tasks from the front line. Efforts are now being made to allocate a budget for the requirement in the services' new multi-year acquisition plan and the defence ministry will participate in the funding of the proposed solution.
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09/16/2011
Lockheed Martin will establish facilities in the U.S. for the final assembly of Korea’s T-50 supersonic aircraft to meet the possible U.S. demand for trainer jets, a senior official at the defense giant said last week. It has already reached an agreement on this with Korea Aerospace Industries, the country’s sole aircraft maker which developed the T-50 with technological assistance from Lockheed Martin.
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09/16/2011
The recent NATO intervention against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya has been a considerable source of contention among many on the left, with self-proclaimed progressives, most notably Juan Cole, openly supporting this military action.
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09/16/2011
An emerging defense agreement would let the U.S. expand its military presence in Australia as the Obama administration and its allies maneuver to counter an increasingly assertive China. It would include positioning U.S. equipment in Australia, increasing access to bases and conducting more joint exercises and training.
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09/15/2011
Britain and France have extended their cooperation on drone technology to a possible unmanned replacement for fighter aircraft, Peter Luff, the U.K. defense- procurement minister, said today at a military exposition in London.
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09/15/2011
The recent edition of Pentagon’s Annual Report on ‘military and security developments involving China (2011)’ received unexpected coverage in Indian media. In particular, the focus was on how the Chinese PLA has deployed advanced and survivable solid-fuelled CSS-5 medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) to strengthen its deterrence posture against India.
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09/15/2011
NATO, which has been bogged down for nearly 10 years in Afghanistan and more than 12 in Kosovo, is desperately seeking a mission it can end, quickly, cleanly and for good.
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09/15/2011
South Asia is the second most unstable region in the world and is closely following West Asia in the race to reach the number one spot. Among the world’s major democracies India faces the most complex threats and challenges spanning the full spectrum of conflict from nuclear to sub-conventional.
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09/15/2011
Southern Nevada residents will be seeing more military aircraft flying overhead for the next two weeks as the Air Force begins a series of battle exercises known as Green Flag West. Missions start at Fort Irwin, Calif., and fly over the Las Vegas Valley, to and from Nellis Air Force Base, near Mount Charleston, and north of Pahrump. The exercise runs from 1 p.m. to 10:40 p.m. this week and 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. next week.
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09/15/2011
Russia’s state-of-the-art Kamov Ka-52 combat helicopter has passed all tests to be approved for deployment on Navy vessels. The aircraft will be used with Mistral-class carriers, which Russia buys from France.
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09/15/2011
The last decade has revolutionized air warfare, and air forces. This revolution was brought about by two technologies (smart bombs and UAVs) that have been around for decades but, over a decade ago, became reliable and capable enough to have a decisive effect on warfare. Now UAVs armed with smart bombs are poised to replace manned aircraft.
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09/15/2011
The defense-aerospace sector is lobbying supercommittee members not to make any additional Pentagon budget cuts, saying they could hinder America’s national security, force thousands of job losses and further erode the nation's economic viability.
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09/15/2011
Boeing today delivered Australia’s fifth C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during a ceremony at the C-17 program’s final assembly facility in Long Beach. A RAAF delegation led by Stephen Smith, Australia’s Minister for Defence, received the country’s latest C-17 at an event also attended by Chief of the Defence Force Gen. David Hurley, Australian Secretary of Defence Duncan Lewis, and U.S. Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich.
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09/15/2011
Lockheed Martin’s first F-35 Lightning II center wing produced here is complete and en route to the F-35 final assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas.
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09/14/2011
U.S. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., introduced the Taiwan Airpower Modernization Act (TAMA) on Sept. 12 for congressional review. The new act is an effort to force the Obama administration to adhere to "obligations" under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act "to provide Taiwan with the military equipment it needs to maintain its self-defense capabilities," said a press release issued by the two senators.
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09/14/2011
In F/A-18A Hornet aircraft attempting to land at NAS Fallon crashed at approximately 1:10 a.m., Tuesday. The pilot ejected safely from the aircraft and was treated at Banner Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon for minor injuries.
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09/14/2011
Witnesses last night said they saw what appeared to be two air force aircraft crash into mountains near the 116km section of the Suhua Highway on Taiwan’s east coast. Following the report, the Ministry of Defense sent a search and rescue team to the area.
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09/14/2011
Beijing's admission last week that Chinese defense companies met with representatives of Moammar Gadhafi as recently as July to discuss a possible arms deal has raised questions about the kind of military support China supplied Libya's former ruler.
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09/14/2011
The Boeing Company has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide mission planning support for the F-22 Raptor.
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09/13/2011
At the major international aero engine conference ISABE 2011 in Gothenburg today, Volvo Aero will present a number of technical solutions to increase the thrust produced by the RM12 Gripen engine.
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09/13/2011
A news release stated that the Belgian government would be willing to buy F-35 military aircraft: in a meeting held October 16, 2009, defense minister Pieter De Crem had discussed the matter with the US ambassador to Brussels, claiming that despite being late to enter the production process of the aircraft as a partner, Belgium would be interested in purchasing the planes once realised, "Maybe in 2020."
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09/13/2011
North Korea, East Asia’s most annoying Stalinist dictatorship, tends to get a little cranky when its neighbor to the South drills with the US military.Usually, that means Pyongyang using its GPS jammers to try and throw a wrench in the exercise.Now, South Korea’s military says the North’s electronic interference has done more than just bug folks trying to get satellite-guided directions to their favorite bibimbap spot.North Korea’s jamming pushed an American military aircraft out of the skies.
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09/13/2011
Trade up, or upgrade? That's the question when it comes to Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft.And if Sens. John Cornyn (R., Texas) and Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) have their way, the U.S. will be selling brand-new F-16s to Taiwan, instead of simply upgrading existing ones. The lawmakers today introduced a bill, the Taiwan Airpower Modernization Act, that would require the Obama administration to sell Taiwan 66 new F-16C/D multirole fighter jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT).
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09/13/2011
When Peter Luff, the UK’s defence equipment minister, spoke to business leaders this summer about the Anglo-French military treaty, the most closely followed part of his speech concerned the future of drone-aircraft. Indeed, the most eye-catching industrial development to emerge from the treaty is an alliance between the UK’s BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation of France, the two countries’ fighter jet manufacturers.
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09/13/2011
Japan is apparently proceeding on schedule with the F-X fighter competition, despite the large economic impact of the recent earthquake and tsunami, and a recent government reshuffle. A Ministry of Defense spokeswoman told Bloomberg news agency that a decision is likely by year-end. Requests for proposals were issued to Boeing (for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet), Lockheed Martin (for the F-35) and Eurofighter last April. Formal responses are due at the end of this month.
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09/13/2011
NATO planes are still in the air and bombing targets over Libya, and Moammar Gadhafi is still on the loose. Nonetheless, NATO is taking something of a victory lap in the wake of an operation that broke new ground for the military alliance. But the Libyan operation also raised questions about its mission, its future role in such conflicts, and how it determines when to intervene.
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09/13/2011
The defence ministry has cleared the offloading of 10% equity of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the country's only military aircraft manufacturer, making it the third defence PSU after BEL and BEML to be headed for disinvestment. Defence minister A K Antony on Monday gave "in principle approval'' to the 10% stake sale of HAL over the next five years to mop up resources for the Navratna PSU's modernization, said officials.
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09/13/2011
If ever there was a potent reminder of the need to modernise India’s ageing defence capability, it was the regular tailspins and nosedives of its Russian fighter jets. The MiG-21 is known among the brave ranks of the Indian Air Force as the “flying coffin”. Of the almost 800 MiG-21s inducted into the Indian Air Force since 1963, more than 350 have been lost in accidents, killing about 170 pilots.
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09/13/2011
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] an $84.3 million contract to provide the first phase of the C-130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training System (MATS) II program. Under the award, Lockheed Martin will deliver four weapons systems trainers for aircrew instruction and provide program management and engineering services.
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09/12/2011
The Philippine Air Force (PAF), the youngest of the three major commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is not capable of defending the country with its “almost nil or zero conventional capability,” the Commission on Audit (CoA) said.
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09/12/2011
A drone provides remarkable advantages. There is no chance of the pilot being killed or captured. The UAV can fly longer, carry more weapons and manoeuvre better than a regular fighter aircraft — for a fraction of the cost.
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09/12/2011
Military jets were scrambled to escort a passenger jet from Los Angeles to New York after the crew reported a disturbance among the passengers, apparently after one or more passengers refused to leave the restrooms, officials said.
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09/12/2011
An Air Force effort to get new helicopters to rescue units “as rapidly as possible” has failed to deliver and could cost the service hundreds of millions of dollars more than planned, according to officials and documents.
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09/12/2011
Six months after the U.S. Navy’s first full size combat UAV made its first flight, the U.S. Navy leadership has ordered naval aviation leaders to examine the possibility of reducing orders for the new F-35B and F-35C, and use that money to buy the new X-47B, and similar robotic combat aircraft. That move was probably helped along by DARPA (the Department of Defense’s research organization), which earlier this year decided to explore development of robotic ground support aircraft.
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09/12/2011
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, transformed the National Guard from a force associated with the slogan "one weekend a month, two weeks a year," to a force that more closely resembles the active-duty military. Although members of the National Guard have participated in every war or conflict involving the United States, Maj. Chris Heathscott, Arkansas National Guard public affairs officer, said their service over the last 10 years is unprecedented.
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09/10/2011
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, LLC, has been awarded a contract to supply Boeing Military Aircraft with the CV-22 Color Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas.
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09/10/2011
A U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after coming under electronic attack from North Korea, Agence France Press reported Friday.
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09/10/2011
The Indian army will induct the attack version of the indigenously built advanced light helicopter into the army aviation corps this year, a defense official said. The Rudra light combat helicopter is a "heavily loaded" version of the advanced light helicopter Dhruv. The Rudra is armed with an array of guns and rocket pods as well as air-to-air and anti-tank missiles, a report by the Press Trust of India said, without naming any army official.
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09/10/2011
For 25 years, Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 has been serving as the enemy for Marine Corps pilots. The squadron's mission is to improve the Marine Corps' air-to-air combat readiness by employing current threat tactics against Marine pilots. A component of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Corps Reserve, the Sniper squadron was activated here on March 18, 1986. In June of 1987, the squadron received its first aircraft, Israeli F-21A
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09/10/2011
Late in the morning of the Tuesday that changed everything, Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney was on a runway at Andrews Air Force Base and ready to fly. She had her hand on the throttle of an F-16 and she had her orders: Bring down United Airlines Flight 93. The day’s fourth hijacked airliner seemed to be hurtling toward Washington. Penney, one of the first two combat pilots in the air that morning, was told to stop it.
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09/09/2011
The November 2010 crash of a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor was caused by a malfunction with the aircraft engine's bleed air system, an industry source said. The pilot, Capt. Jeff "Bong" Haney of the 525th Fighter Squadron, was killed in the accident.
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09/09/2011
With the company’s prized F-35 program facing rising scrutiny from Congress, Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens argued earlier this week that the “F-35 is a fundamental investment in the security infrastructure of the nation.” While U.S. lawmakers and the Pentagon assess the importance of the F-35 program to America’s national security interests, the Australian government seems poised to do the same.
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09/09/2011
A submerged iPhone pinpointed a military aircraft crash in the Chilean sea, in another example of the durability of Apple's devices. The iPhone, which responded Apple's "Find My iPhone" feature, allowed the Chilean Navy to triangulate the location of the crash site. Search teams were unable to find the lost CASA 212 plane, but thanks to the GPS locator, authorities are now combing through the wreckage.
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09/09/2011
Pointing to a sheer wastage of public funds, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report slammed the Ministry of Defence and the Navy for buying war planes that do not have weapons. It also pointed a finger at the Indian Air Force (IAF) for having ‘let off’ three of its officers who caused a loss of Rs 302 crore when a sensitive aerostat radar got damaged.
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09/09/2011
A decade ago on the confused morning of Sept. 11, we came perilously close to having our own nightmare in Alaska. A Korean Air Lines passenger jet on a flight from Seoul was heading to Anchorage and the military and civilian aviation authorities had good reason to believe it was hijacked.
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09/09/2011
Late last year, the UK armed forces were rocked by the effects of a Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) process overseen by a new coalition government determined to tackle a massive budget deficit head-on. Almost 12 months later, the defence industry will gather for its largest post-SDSR coming-together at the Defence & Security Equipment International show, or DSEi, which will be held in London's Docklands on 13-16 September.
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09/09/2011
Lockheed Martin delivered the sixth C-130J Super Hercules to crews at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, today. Lt. Gen. Robert Allardice, 18th Air Force Commander, accepted delivery of the sixth of 28 C-130Js to be assigned to the 317th Airlift Group.
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09/09/2011
The fifth of six C-130J Super Hercules on order for the Indian Air Force has departed the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. This aircraft, like its predecessors, was delivered well ahead of schedule and is now en route to Air Force Station Hindan in India. India’s sixth C-130J will be delivered in October.
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09/08/2011
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has received a development contract for a project to create an indigenous jet training and combat aircraft. According to the agreement between the company and Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Savunma Sanayii Müstesarligi (SSM), the two-year project will focus on showing the needs and capacity of the nation's industry.
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09/08/2011
The new Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, has reached out to India’s fledgling private aerospace industry. Worried by the growing inability of public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to keep the IAF fleet flying, Browne has promised to back a private sector production line that will manufacture a replacement for the vintage HS-748 Avro transport aircraft. The private sector is needed, says the IAF chief, to back the air force’s major expansion.
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09/08/2011
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme is expected to see a series of maiden flights in the next few months. Three aircraft from the LCA stable, the Limited Series Production (LSP-7 and LSP-8) and the naval variant of the aircraft, Naval Prototype-1 (NP-1) will take to the skies.
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09/08/2011
India will procure over 300 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets and Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) at a total cost of Rs 64,408 crore to strengthen the combat capability of the IAF, the government said today. Replying to a question on procurement of combat aircraft in the Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "Su-30 MKI aircraft and Tejas LCA are the major modern combat aircraft that have been contracted for induction into the Indian Air Force."
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09/08/2011
As many a driver knows to their cost, putting the wrong thing in your petrol tank at the local garage is an embarrassing business. But when it's military aircraft you're dealing with instead of a Ford Focus - such a mistake can be very expensive indeed. That's what red-faced air chiefs have discovered after de-icer was wrongly added to £1.5million of aviation fuel – rendering it unusable.
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09/08/2011
It is bit of a trick question: It happened last week when 28 of the fighter jets took off from Langley Air Force Base to avoid tangling with Hurricane Irene. But the experience was more than historical trivia for pilots of the 1st Fighter Wing, who have been unable to fly their aircraft since early May. The Air Force grounded its Raptor fleet on May 3, expressing initial concerns about its oxygen supply system, then expanding its examination to encompass the entire aircraft.
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09/08/2011
For four years, a doctor commuted between his clinics in Texas in a $5 million turboprop with jazzy metallic stripes and ruby stones embedded on the drink cabinet inside. The plane featured exotic wood veneers and polished chrome, and his daughter’s initials were in the tail number.
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09/07/2011
Iran began testing its military aircraft in a first phase of war games on Tuesday, official news agency IRNA reported. During the 10-day war games, different types of Iranian aircraft - including the domestically manufactured Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) - will be tested.
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09/07/2011
Granting Taiwan's politically sensitive request for new F-16 fighter aircraft would merely maintain the island's air power capabilities, not boost them, the chief executive of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the plane's manufacturer, said on Tuesday.
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09/07/2011
A MiG-21 ‘Bison’ fighter aircraft crashed into a paddy field on Tuesday near Shambu, about 15 km from Rajpura in Patiala district, during a routine sortie, while the pilot ejected to safety. The aircraft was on a routine sortie from Ambala airbase and the crash occurred at 10:30 am when it developed some snag while returning to the airbase from Rajpura side.
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09/07/2011
Thanks to the provisions of the Budget Control Act and the subsequent directions of President Obama's budget director, Jack Lew, the Department of Defense is figuring out how to trim $1 trillion from its current and planned budgets. Perhaps the principal target in the sights is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program (aka the Lightning II.
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09/07/2011
When Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer plunged into Afghanistan's Ganjgal Valley, he was sure he wouldn't come out alive. "I don't think there was ever a question in my mind if I was going to die," Meyer said. "It was just when." Inside the narrow valley, Taliban insurgents were dug into the high ground and hidden inside a village, pouring down deadly fire at Afghan forces and their American advisers. Armed militants swarmed the low ground to try to finish off the troops.
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09/07/2011
Soldiers who fly hand-launched drone scouts to spot enemies on the battlefield may soon get a deadly robotic device capable of also delivering a knockout blow. The U.S. Army has ordered its first batch of small suicide drones that are capable of launching from a small tube, loitering in the sky and then diving at a target upon command.
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09/07/2011
Boeing today announced it has been awarded a one-year, $2.9 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to develop and validate a modification of the A-10 aircraft's Digital Video Audio Data Recorder (DVADR). The modification will provide a near-term solution to supportability issues with a major subcomponent in the DVADR system.
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09/07/2011
The Lockheed Martin led unmanned K-MAX® team successfully completed a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment (QRA) for the U.S. Navy’s Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program.
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09/07/2011
Investigators have found one of the two flight recorders at a crash site of a Russian MiG-31 Foxhound fighter jet in the Urals, a source in the investigation committee said. The jet exploded in a fireball minutes after taking off from a military airfield in the Perm region in the early hours of Tuesday. Both pilots were killed in the crash. "We have found one of the flight recorders and will continue the investigation of the crash site tomorrow," the source told RIA Novosti.
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09/07/2011
A Russian Mikoyan MiG-31 fighter jet crashed in the Urals on Tuesday, killing both pilots, officials say. The jet exploded in a fireball minutes after taking off from a military airport in the Perm region in the early hours of Tuesday. It was on a routine training flight, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said.
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09/06/2011
Boeing strategic alliance with Bell Helicopter – Textron, ‘The Bell Boeing (NYSE:BA) V-22 Program’ has received a $34 million order from the U.S. Air Force. The Bell Boeing (NYSE:BA) V-22 Program will deliver a new Wing Part Task Trainer to Kirtland. According to the contract the Bell Boeing (NYSE:BA) V-22 Program will upgrade a CV-22 Cabin Part Task Trainer (CPTT) and two fuselage aircrew/maintenance trainers at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., to create a full-fuselage Cabin Operational Flight
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09/06/2011
On September 1, 2011 at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant’s airfield – a subsidiary of JSC IRKUT Corporation, pilots of Algerian Air Force performed first solo flights on the Yak-130 combat trainer jet.
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09/06/2011
Irkut Corporation's plans to upgrade the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) Su-30MKI fleet will provide the fighter with capabilities similar to that of fifth-generation combat aircraft, Russian industry officials have said. Speaking at the Moscow Air Show on 19 August Alexei Fedorov, the head of Irkut, announced that in addition to upgraded cockpit avionics and enhancements to the aircraft's radar, the so-called 'Super Sukhoi' will also receive modifications aimed at improving stealth capabilities.
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09/06/2011
European countries, who take the lead in NATO's Libya mission, could not get the job done without vital military capabilities provided by the United States, the alliance's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday.
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09/06/2011
Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense company, is counting on stealth technology to beat Boeing and Eurofighter in a Japanese fighter contest that may be worth more than $4 billion. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has better anti-radar capabilities than Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet and Eurofighter's Typhoon, as it was specifically designed in a shape that would be hard to detect, said Craig Caffrey, a London-based analyst at IHS Jane's DS Forecast, which advises defense suppliers.
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09/06/2011
The reach and capability of China’s navy and air force are expanding, posing a growing risk to security in Asia, military officials say. A new aircraft carrier that began sea trials this summer and the public test flight in January of an advanced fighter jet designed to rival U.S. technology are just two examples of China’s growing military might, U.S. officials say.
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09/05/2011
A frame agreement for the maintenance of Bulgarian-owned jetfighters MIG-29 was signed Saturday between the Bulgarian Defense Ministry and the Russian aircraft corporation MIG. The agreement was sealed at the Krumovo airfield where Bulgaria is marking the 100th anniversary of the country's aviation with a large-scale, two-day air show, titled "Skies for Everyone."
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09/05/2011
The whereabouts of about 30 Ugandan pilots, who were flying with the Libyan air force, are unknown, following the rebels’ capture of Tripoli, Libya’s capital. The pilots, who have been flying with the Libyan airforce since 1979, were sent to Russia for training by former President Idi Amin’s regime. A source in security circles, who was privy to the pilots’ training, said; “the majority of them were from the West Nile.”
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09/05/2011
The investment should remind local authorities that just two decades ago, Romania was one of the top ten countries in the world in the field of airplane manufacturing. Prime Minister Emil Boc walks confidently towards the stand. He smiles broadly at the audience and begins his speech by congratulating the Premium Aerotec division of the EADS group for its “successful investment” in the aircraft components factory in Ghimbav.
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09/05/2011
A summer of discontent for the U.S. Defense Department and Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Lightning II may be followed by an even tougher autumn as Congress' debt-ceiling "super committee" mulls big defense budget cuts that could affect the next-generation stealth jet fighter.
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09/05/2011
The Air Force is taking a deliberate, measured approach to an apparent technical problem that has kept its F-22 Raptors on the ground since May 3. The problem may have contributed to a crash last year that killed Capt. Jeffrey “Bong” Haney, 31, of the 525th Fighter Squadron, the “Bulldogs.”
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09/05/2011
In the final weeks of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s battle with Libyan rebels, Chinese state companies offered to sell his government large stockpiles of weapons and ammunition in apparent violation of United Nations sanctions, officials of Libya’s transitional government said Sunday. They cited Qaddafi government documents found by a Canadian journalist, which the officials said were authentic.
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09/04/2011
A military plane carrying businessmen, troops and journalists crashed off a Chilean island in the South Pacific Ocean, killing all 21 on board, the Andean country’s government said. All the passengers and crew died instantly, Defense Minister Andres Allamand said after touring the crash site. The twin-propeller Casa C-212 plane crashed last night off the Juan Fernandez Archipelagos, 600 kilometers (375 miles) west of Chile.
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09/04/2011
Russia's Defense Ministry and the Russian Helicopters holding have reached a long delayed agreement and signed a $4 billion deal, a senior defense sector official said on Saturday. Russia's annual defense order was seriously delayed by price disputes between the ministry and defense sector companies to a point when President Dmitry Medvedev and then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had to step in and press for contracts to be signed until the end of last month.
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09/04/2011
The war in Libya may be one of those quietly telling moments in the history of more important nations. For the first time, the United States has taken a secondary role — “leading from behind,” if “leading” is even the right word — in a war prosecuted by the NATO alliance and driven by Britain and France, the two strongest military powers in Europe.
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09/04/2011
The engaging aerobatic demonstrations of the Indian Navy’s elite Sagar Pawan team, based in Goa, have been put on hold because of heavy training pressures on aircraft. Addressing reporters at the headquarters in Vasco, 35 km from here, Commodore Ravneet Singh said the Kiran aircraft were currently engaged in training fresh pilots for MiG- 29K and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
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09/04/2011
With an unmistakeable 30ft radar dish bolted to the top of its fuselage, it can pick out enemy fighters 300 miles away.
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09/03/2011
As Major Dan Caine climbed into his F-16 fighter jet on September 11, he saw black smoke rising from the Pentagon in the distance and braced himself for a mission he never expected: shoot down hijacked airliners heading towards the capital.
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09/03/2011
You know the budget wars are heating up when a senior U.S. Republican senator starts attacking weapons programs important to other legislators in his own party. That’s what happened yesterday, when Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss assailed Pentagon purchases of Boeing’s carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornet, saying the plane is “obsolete” and “will be of limited to no value in any future threat scenario.”
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09/03/2011
As Malaysia scouts for fifth-generation replacement jet fighters for its ageing fleet, at least five contenders are bidding to be part of this ambitious programme, worth billions of ringgit. France's Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the United States' Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Europe's Eurofighter Typhoon, the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen and the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E are reportedly the top contenders for the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) new-generation front-line fighters.
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09/03/2011
Since the days of the Mexican-American War, US intentions south of the border are regarded with the highest degrees of suspicion. Today, as Mexico struggles under a barrage of violence related to drug trafficking, the idea of American military assistance is anathema to the public.
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09/03/2011
The first publicly observed flight of the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in January and the more recent emergence of the ex-Soviet Varyag aircraft carrier demonstrate China’s progress toward becoming a modern military power by 2020. But China’s ability to project force outside the region remains limited in the near term, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) advises in its annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments.
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09/03/2011
An armed, unmanned aerial vehicle that can be carried in a backpack has been ordered by the U.S. Army from AeroVironment Inc. The Switchblade air vehicle launches from a small tube and transmits live color video wirelessly for display on AeroVironment's standard small unmanned aircraft system ground control unit. Upon confirming the target using the live video feed, the operator then sends a command to the air vehicle to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target.
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09/02/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), the world’s largest defense company, is counting on stealth technology to beat Boeing Co. (BA) and Eurofighter GmbH in a Japanese fighter contest that may be worth more than $4 billion.
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09/02/2011
The Czech Republic will give 2000 redundant magazines for SA58 assault rifles to the Afghan police, under a proposal that the Czech government approved on Wednesday. The Czech military does not need the magazines because it started replacing the SA58s with new assault rifles. The Defence Ministry reacted to a request from NATO and Afghanistan to help develop the Afghan police forces.
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09/01/2011
The delivery of refurbished Dutch surplus F-16 fighter aircraft to Chile is nearing its end as the final aircraft left the Dutch Volkel Air Base on Monday, 29 August 2011. This batch of six aircraft from a total of 18 fighters marks the end of a long transfer process, as agreed between the governments of the Netherlands and Chile in early June 2009. On Monday, five aircraft took off from their former home base; one straggler, which could not leave on time, followed the next day.
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09/01/2011
Washington and Baghdad have made significant progress on a deal for Iraq to buy Lockheed Martin F-16 warplanes but do not have a signed contract, a U.S. military official said on Wednesday. The Iraqi government in February delayed its planned purchase of F-16s and diverted $900 million set aside for an initial payment on the aircraft into its national food ration programme to help ease shortages and cool nationwide protests.
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09/01/2011
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Bell Helicopter – Textron [NYSE: TXT], has received a $34 million order from the U.S. Air Force for three new CV-22 training devices and an upgrade to an existing device.
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09/01/2011
Two Lockheed Martin F-35As, AF-10 and AF-11, along with two F-16 chase aircraft, are poised for takeoff to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Wednesday morning.
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09/01/2011
Rebel forces in Libya making the final push to end the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have been making use of modern UAV technology. According to the US-based AUVSI, the rebels have been using Canadian technology to help them know where to shoot as they surrounded Gadaffi’s compound and hometown stronghold.
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08/31/2011
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin is to visit Indonesia early next month to seal a US$1 billion deal that would result in South Korea's first submarine exports. If the deal is secured, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine, which is likely to be chosen as the preferred bidder by the Indonesian government, will sign a memorandum of understanding to sell three 1,400-ton submarines to the Southeast Asian country, ministry officials said.
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08/31/2011
If you ever dreamt about owning your own fighter jet, here’s your chance. Hungary’s defense ministry is selling off eight of its MIG-29 planes. Hungary’s government has decided that it would part with the 24 planes to raise cash after they were retired from active duty. The deadline for bids for the first stage of the sales involving eight planes and 20 thrusters is Sept. 15. The jets will be sold off in a one-round public tender to be concluded in October.
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08/31/2011
A US lease to operate military aircraft from Kyrgyzstan's Manas air base will expire in 2013 and Bishkek won't renew it, a senior Kyrgyzstan official said Tuesday. 'It should be a civilian transportation hub,' said Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev in an interview with Russia 24 television. 'There shouldn't be any kind of military base there.' The Kyrgyzstan government has already communicated to Washington its intention not to renew the air base lease, Atambaev said.
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08/31/2011
Five F-16 fighters from the Netherlands are on their way to Chile as the government continues to cut expenditures. The planes, which departed Monday from Volkel Air Base, are part of a 2009 sales agreement between the two countries. The Dutch Ministry of Defense said the first two batches of F-16s - totaling 12 aircraft in all -- were delivered in November 2010 and in April of this year.
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08/31/2011
NATO's air policing mission for the Baltic states has suffered its first major mishap, with two aircraft involved in a mid-air collision on 30 August. The Lithuanian defence ministry confirmed one of its Aero Vodochody L-39ZA trainer/light attack aircraft was involved in the incident, along with a French air force Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter.
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08/30/2011
(CNA) The United States is still mulling the sale of its advanced F-16 C/D jet fighters to Taiwan and has yet to make a decision, Taiwan's deputy representative to the U.S. said Thursday. Leo Lee, deputy head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington D.C., said the U.S. government is serious about its promise to Taiwan in the Taiwan Relations Act, and that the door on arms sales "has always been open."
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08/30/2011
The APG-79(V) multimode radar supports both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions and features active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. In May 2011, Boeing awarded Raytheon a contract for 42 radars in the second procurement of the four-year Multi-Year III program for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
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08/30/2011
In the ten years since the 9-11 attacks, remotely-piloted aircraft have become the signature weapons of America’s global war on terrorists. As Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group aerospace consultancy observes in his August newsletter, the only stories concerning military aircraft that seem to make it into the news columns of most newspapers these days are reports about unmanned aircraft.
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08/30/2011
Compared to the West’s military interventions in the Gulf, Afghanistan or the Balkans, the war in Libya was a modest affair, with the engagement of about 100 combat aircraft and a baker’s dozen of attack helicopters.
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08/30/2011
Price Harry of Wales, who is an accomplished combat helicopter pilot, will undergo training at two U.S. military bases in California as part of an Apache attack helicopter course.
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08/29/2011
A major new Pentagon report on the Chinese military says China is on track to build a modern military by 2020 and that despite improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan remains the principal focus of the Chinese military. Fueled by its booming economy, China’s military growth in the past decade has exceeded most US forecasts.
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08/29/2011
B-52 flight and ground crew members from Minot, Barksdale's sister bomber base in North Dakota, wrote a new chapter in the history of Air Force Global Strike Command with a recent goodwill visit to Russia. Their bomber, "Wham Bam II," flew a route rarely used by aircraft, over the North Pole and the polar ice cap. It returned from its 10-day mission to take part in the MAKS 2011 International Aviation and Space Salon on Tuesday by way of an Air Force Base in Alaska.
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08/29/2011
Conservative lawmakers and analysts are seizing on the Pentagon’s finding that China is “closing the gap” with other militaries to criticize the Obama administration’s plans to pare U.S defense spending. The critics say the president does not fully grasp the Asian giant’s global ambitions.
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08/27/2011
If the bipartisan supercommittee assembled by Congress fails to agree on more than a trillion dollars in deficit reduction before Thanksgiving, federal spending will be slashed by that same amount in indiscriminate, across-the-board cuts. Fully half of those cuts would come out of defense.This is not a good way to make policy, for it does nothing to assess and deal with the emerging threats to our national security in a world where Iran is becoming a nuclear power and terrorist organizations are
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08/27/2011
Something has happened on the bombing runs over Libya. France played a major role in this war, winning grudging respect from a Pentagon that has long looked down on many European militaries. Although Americans led the way in knocking out Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s air defenses with volley after volley of Tomahawk missiles, French warplanes flew the first raid into Libya and, along with the British, have flown the bulk of the airstrike missions.
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08/27/2011
The Pentagon’s Report to Congress on China’s military and security developments has been constructed this year not as a criticism but rather as a series of questions in an effort to limit political backlash from Beijing.
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08/27/2011
"In normal times, the defense secretary's support for his department's biggest weapons program would be taken as a given. But these are not normal times. The federal government is borrowing billions of dollars each day, and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was put in charge of the Pentagon with an eye to finding big savings. Panetta is well qualified for that role, having chaired the House Budget Committee while serving in Congress, and then run the White House budget office.
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08/27/2011
Moscow is ready to loan Venezuela $4 billion on purchases of military equipment, Russia's Kommersant newspaper said on Friday citing a diplomatic source. "Russia is ready to loan money to Venezuela," the source said. "Considering the current election campaign in the country, this loan would mean the opportunity to support our key ally in the region."
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08/27/2011
Russia has never transferred any stealth technology to China to assist it with its J-20 Black Eagle fifth-generation stealth fighter prototype, Russian plane maker MiG said on Friday.
"We are not delivering any equipment to China, and never have," MiG spokeswoman Yelena Fyodorova said.
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08/26/2011
Money alone cannot reinvigorate an air force after years of neglect—that is the painful lesson the Russian military is learning as it and the domestic industry work to modernize the country’s air force. The influx of funding in the past two years has undoubtedly benefited industry, triggering a reversal of fortunes. But it also has brought to the forefront a raft of new problems, including how to meet the timetable for replenishing the air force fleet.
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08/26/2011
After an inaugural four-day trial at sea, China’s aircraft carrier returned to the mainland’s northeastern port of Dalian on Aug. 14. A reincarnation of the former Soviet carrier Varyag, it was acquired from Ukraine in 1998. The carrier is expected to be enlisted into the Chinese navy in August of next year, to be christened afterwards in October.
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08/26/2011
China is continuing to make significant gains in developing submarine technology but is still dependent on Russia for its aircraft know-how, defense specialists at a recent conference here on the transformation of Brazil's military said.
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08/26/2011
Both politicians and the general public seem unable to focus on significant problems underlying our economic collapse (e.g., huge imbalance in cash flow between the U.S. and foreign nations). Instead, they discuss corporate jets, increasing taxes on the evil wealthy or even throwing more, steadily shrinking dollars at poorly managed, failing businesses and financial institutions.
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08/25/2011
Eastern Carolina military installations are taking no chances with Hurricane Irene. At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base dozens of jets are being moved to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The 78 jets include F-15E Strike Eagles and KC-135R Stratotankers. As the jets are being moved to safety the base says the 5,000 people stationed at Seymour Johnson are getting ready for possible high winds, and flooding.
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08/25/2011
As street fighting continues in Tripoli between Free Libya Forces and members of Colonel Gaddafi's former regime, British and NATO military aircraft are maintaining a presence in the air. In the lead up to Free Libya Forces entering Tripoli this weekend the RAF continued to strike at key Colonel Gaddafi targets within the city as part of NATO's Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR.
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08/25/2011
One of the U.S. military's newest aircraft made its debut over southern Idaho this month as part of a training exercise at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Aircrews and maintenance teams from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., flew missions from the base as part of a scheduled deployment here.
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08/25/2011
Boeing recently sent two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) on a mission using swarm technology. Although testing drones isn’t new, the fact that the two drones were two different types of aircraft is. Popular Science has more about what’s called the “swarm” concept: This project is unique because it integrates two disparate types of aircraft, which is likely to be necessary if drone swarms are ever called up for duty.
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08/25/2011
The Pentagon issued fresh warnings Wednesday that China's military expansion could stir up new tensions and provoke dangerous misunderstandings.
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08/25/2011
Lockheed Martin completed delivery today of the third production C-5M Super Galaxy to the U.S. Air Force. The sixth C-5M overall to be delivered to the Air Force, this aircraft will undergo internal paint restoration at Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., before traveling to its permanent home at Dover AFB, Del.
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08/24/2011
NATO succeeded in aiding the Libyan rebels in toppling Moammar Gadhafi despite early challenges in coordinating missions, and now the alliance and Libyans face an uncertain future, analysts and former officials say.
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08/24/2011
No large military contracts, though promised, were concluded or even announced at the MAKS-2011 international air show. The reason, experts believe, is the open conflict between buyers and sellers. The reluctance of manufacturers and the military to seek a compromise is the big story in combat aviation, even if the incident with the 5th generation fighter at the air show on Sunday steals the spotlight for a time.
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08/24/2011
China watchers have been fixated on the maiden voyage of Beijing's first aircraft carrier this month. However, U.S. and Asian defense planners should take care not to ignore another aspect of China's growing military might. The Chinese Air Force may one day play the most significant role in challenging America's military presence in the Asia-Pacific. At the same time, looming cuts to the U.S. Air Force may wind up reducing its ability to protect American interests.
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08/24/2011
Boeing on Aug. 20 delivered three F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) at Daegu Air Base. The aircraft left the Boeing St. Louis facility on Aug. 16 and made stops in Palmdale, Calif., Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, before arriving in Korea.
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08/24/2011
Lockheed Martin recently delivered its third P-3 Orion with a new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) kit to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
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08/23/2011
U.S. Navy officials are giving the go-ahead for the The Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis to begin full-scale development of an infrared search and track (IRST) system for the F/A-18E/F carrier-based jet fighter-bomber, which will give the combat jet the ability to detect enemy aircraft and missiles at long ranges without using radar.
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08/23/2011
There are new concerns about the safety of drone technology, after an unmanned aircraft hit a military cargo plane over Afghanistan. No one was hurt, but as drone technology expands, some are concerned a disastrous drone accident is just waiting to happen. The American drone that collided with a huge air force cargo plane was only 12 feet long. But the collision forced the huge Air Force plane to make an emergency landing in Afghanistan, and it's raising questions about the safety of UAVs.
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08/23/2011
The chief worry is China’s new DF-21D whose primary target is America’s huge aircraft carriers. According to Chinese sources, the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) has recently become operational in limited numbers. Originally developed for submarines, the DF-21D is said to have a range of 2,700km and at least some capability to strike moving targets.
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08/23/2011
Besides an ongoing plan to develop a fighter jet program with the US or Europe, Turkey is seeking to broaden its fleet with a second option. South Korea’s KAI and Sweden’s Saab are the two possible partners, according to a Turkish procurement official. Turkey is supposed to take part in the design of the possible project.
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08/23/2011
In PROSECUTING the air campaign against the forces of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi there can be no doubt Nato far exceeded the action mandated by UN Resolution 1973. Only in a reading so broad as to make a mockery of language could the phrase "all necessary measures to protect civilians" be taken to justify the punitive ground-attack sorties undertaken by assorted warplanes.
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08/23/2011
NATO officials say the campaign won't necessarily be seen as a template for further intervention in the Middle East. The Libyan campaign had United Nations backing, giving it a legitimacy that the U.N. isn't likely to bestow too readily on other interventions, observers say. Cash-strapped Western governments and their war-weary publics have little appetite for more costly and riskier military adventures.
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08/23/2011
No question about it — the Brits have given the world some classic combat aircraft: The Spitfire. The Harrier. The Fairey Gannet. The Buccaneer. Their joint ventures with European partners have also been successful, including the Jaguar, the Tornado and most recently, the Eurofighter Typhoon. But the outgoing boss of UK aerospace supplier GKN warns that with the realities of the defense world today, the Typhoon could be Britain’s last fighter — and it’s only a portion British to begin with.
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08/23/2011
Boeing on Aug. 3 successfully completed an evaluation flight of the B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) interphone system. The six-hour flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., evaluated the interphone system's readiness for formal flight tests and accomplished formal flight tests of other CONECT capabilities. The interphone system enables crew members to communicate with one another, other aircraft and the ground.
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08/23/2011
Boeing has received a $1.64 billion (£1 billion) contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide 14 new CH-47 Chinook helicopters and associated support for the first five years to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The new-build CH-47 Mark (Mk)-6 Chinooks are part of the MOD's Strategic Helicopter Vision to modernize its helicopter force structure, and will expand the RAF fleet to 60 Chinooks.
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08/22/2011
A superfast unmanned military plane traveled at 20 times the speed of sound and managed to control itself for three minutes before crashing into the Pacific Ocean in a recent test, military officials said.
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08/22/2011
In the last 48 hours RAF strikes around Tripoli have intensified dramatically with both Tornado and Typhoon jets bombarding multiple targets around the Libyan capital.
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08/22/2011
When congressional cost-cutters meet later this year to decide on trimming the federal budget, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq could represent juicy targets. But how much do the wars actually cost U.S. taxpayers?
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08/21/2011
A Taiwanese who was convicted of conspiring to export defense articles from the US to China on Tuesday was deported and returned to Taiwan, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Wednesday.
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08/21/2011
A leading US expert on the Chinese military says that by 2020, Beijing could have 2,000 or more missiles, nearly 1,000 modern combat aircraft, 60 modern submarines and a potential invasion force of many hundreds of thousands of troops “pointed at Taiwan.”
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08/19/2011
One of 12 former South African Air Force (SAAF) fighter aircraft, sold to Ecuador for more than R550-million, has been quarantined following an unspecified "in-flight" incident in the South American country. On Thursday Denel Group spokesperson Sinah Phochana confirmed that a Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE) pilot was hospitalised after suffering injuries on Monday.
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08/19/2011
A superfast unmanned military plane traveled at 20 times the speed of sound and managed to control itself for three minutes before crashing into the Pacific Ocean in a recent test, military officials said. The prototype Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2), billed as the fastest aircraft ever built, splashed down in the Pacific earlier than planned on Aug. 11 shortly after launching from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on its second-ever test flight.
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08/19/2011
Boeing Co. says it will provide a full transfer of technology to Brazil if the U.S.-based company wins a $5 billion fighter-jet bid. The president of Boeing Military Aircraft tells Brazil's Senate that the South American country would be able to fully produce the F-18 Super Hornet if it purchases the planes from Boeing.
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08/19/2011
Earlier this week, the Associated Press released a story on the outlook for military contractors that ended with an absurd observation by Brookings Institution senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon. The widely quoted military analyst said, "the era of manned airplanes should be seen as over," and he went on to imply that politics is the main reason Washington hasn't acknowledged the inexorable trend away from use of human pilots.
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08/19/2011
According to a report in Defense News, the Obama administration quietly informed Taiwanese officials last week that Washington won't supply Taipei with new fighter jets. Since 2006, Taipei has asked to buy 66 new F-16 C/D fighters, but it will only get an upgrade of its older F-16s with better radar.
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08/19/2011
Boeing today announced the successful autonomous communications and operation of dissimilar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in flight tests over the rugged terrain of eastern Oregon.
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08/19/2011
Boeing today announced that it will use a Helimod helicopter simulator leased from Ryan Aerospace to help train Australian Army pilots to fly Bell 206B-1 Kiowa helicopters. Delivery is expected before the end of this year.
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08/19/2011
Next year Russia will build its second aircraft specially equipped for international aerial inspections under the Open Skies Treaty, Vladimir Verba, the director general of Vega concern, said on Thursday. Russia's first-built Tupolev Tu-214ON aircraft with installed equipment for aerial inspections was showcased for the first time at the MAKS-2011 International Air Show in the Moscow Region running between August 16 and 21.
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08/18/2011
Aviation buffs and military fans will have a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with military aircraft and the performers during the Selfridge Air Show. The event, set for Saturday and Sunday at Selfridge National Air Guard Base, will feature a mix of military and civilian aircraft.
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08/18/2011
Representatives from the United States Air Force are pondering a proposal from their Russian colleagues to perform a joint demonstration flight at the tenth international aerospace show, MAKS 2011, which opened in Zhukovsky near Moscow on Tuesday, a source from the flight control unit at the show told Interfax-AVN.
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08/18/2011
Electronics workers in Fife have landed a £20m order to help build one of the world's most advanced radar systems. BAE Systems at Hillend near Dunfermline will embark on building the next generation of the Typhoon combat aircraft. That will mean about 200 jobs will be secured for the next two years.
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08/18/2011
Russia expects initial orders for its fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet to be booked from 2015, United Aircraft Corporation's chief said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is due to watch the first public display of the stealth fighter at the MAKS airshow, where Russia is showcasing its top-of-the-line fighter jets and hoping to win civil aircraft contracts.
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08/18/2011
Russia on Wednesday lifted the curtains on its Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighter, the platform on which India's fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) will be based. In a major leap forward for the Indian Air Force's FGFA programme, a T-50 prototype blazed through the skies at the MAKS 2011 international airshow outside Moscow - the stealth jet's first public appearance.
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08/18/2011
Russia's Aviastar aircraft factory will produce the first production Il-76MD transport aircraft this year and test fly it in February 2012, a management source in the plant said at the international MAKS airshow on Tuesday. The first two Il-76MDs will be delivered by 2013, "probably for the Russian Emergencies Minstry or Defense Ministry," the manager said.
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08/18/2011
Russia's Sukhoi T-50 5th generation fighter performed its first demonstration flight at the MAKS 2011 International Aviation and Space Show on Wednesday. The flight was observed by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and other dignitaries.
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08/18/2011
The first flight, conducted by TAI’s test pilots, of T129 “P6” prototype helicopter has timely and successfully been completed at TAI’s facilities in Akinci (Ankara) the company said today.
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08/17/2011
China is not interested in acquiring the stealth technology currently being used by the United States for its flying machines as it has already developed the same in a much advanced shape and is using it in its most sophisticated multi-role planes, highly placed defence sources told The News here Monday.
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08/17/2011
The Turkish mediation and intervention in the ongoing crisis in Syria has many people inside and outside Syria puzzled as to whether Ankara is still trying to save the threatened regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad or is Turkey orchestrating international moves to change this regime.
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08/17/2011
Boeing today announced that its Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business unit will showcase the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II simulator inside the National Congress Building in Brasília from Aug. 16 through 19. The Brazilian public will be able to fly the simulator and see the advanced technology inside the Super Hornet.
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08/17/2011
The Russian military will use new MiG-35D multirole fighters as an equal to the U.S. F-35 fighters, the Air Force chief said on Tuesday. "We have not given up on the MiG-35D light aircraft project, but we will transfer to the T-50 [heavy fighter] in the future," Gen. Alexander Zelin, the Russian Air Force commander, said during his visit to the six-day air show MAKS-2011 that opened near Moscow on Tuesday.
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08/17/2011
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will on Wednesday attend the six-day air show MAKS-2011 that opened in the Moscow Region town of Zhukovsky on Tuesday, the government press service reported.
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08/17/2011
Russia's biggest helicopter building company has said it will supply the country's Air Force with more than 450 helicopters this year. Helicopters of Russia company head Dmitry Petrov said the firm had signed contracts to deliver the coppers, including Kamov KA-52 Alligators, as part of this year's arms procurement plan.
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08/17/2011
Russia's new stealth fighter jet, which is expected to make its first public appearance at the MAKS exhibition near Moscow on Tuesday, will be the principal plane for both the Russian and Indian military, a top official says.
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08/17/2011
Russia's United Aircraft corp (UAC) has said it is looking to clinch a contract to supply the country's military with ten Antonov An-124 freighters. "Staring from 2015, we plan to supply the Defense Ministry with ten An-124s as part of the arms procurement program until 2020," UAC chief Mikhail Pogosyan told reporters at the opening of the MAKS-2011 air show outside Moscow.
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08/17/2011
Russia's state-run United Aircraft corp (UAC) has said it plans to supply the country's military with more than 20 new planes a year. "From this year on, we will supply the Defense Ministry with more than 20 planes a year," UAC chief Mikhail Pogosyan told reporters on Tuesday.
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08/17/2011
A new generation prototype fighter is set to make its first public appearance at the Moscow Air Show this week. The Sukhoi T-50 will be the jewel in the Russian Air Force’s crown. The service has relied on the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 family of combat aircraft as the core of its fighter force since the mid-1980s, but these aircraft are seen as approaching obsolescence.
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08/06/2011
With so much funding for the Defense Department now on the chopping block — particularly the potential for $600 billion in cuts under the debt limit agreement – America’s ability s to defend itself and confront emerging threats is at serious risk.
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08/06/2011
Morocco is the latest U.S. partner nation to receive the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a historic event marked by a ceremony here Aug. 4. The new Block 52 aircraft will supplement the Royal Moroccan Air Force's existing fleet of fighter aircraft and will contribute to the upgrade and modernization of the country's military.
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08/06/2011
The U.S. military and Lockheed Martin have grounded their F-35 fleet and launched an internal investigation into the matter, after a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base led to a power failure. The Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office noted this was a precautionary move, with an unknown date on when the temporary suspension will be lifted.
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08/06/2011
In response to President Obama’s call to action to support U.S. military veterans, Lockheed Martin today announced its strong endorsement of his challenge to support military families by actively recruiting and hiring veterans transitioning back into the workplace.
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08/06/2011
ARINC Engineering Services, LLC, has announced it has completed the modification of 22 Russian Mi-17 Helicopters for use by the Air Force of Iraq, under a 2007 U.S. Army contract.
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08/05/2011
The Navy is considering buying another 122 V-22 Ospreys from Textron Inc. (TXT) and Boeing Co. (BA) for about $8 billion. The proposed contract, in its early stages, would supply the aircraft to the Marine Corps and Air Force through 2017 -- renewing a current deal for five more years.
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08/05/2011
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Bell Helicopter – Textron [NYSE: TXT], announced today that it has submitted its proposal to the U.S. Navy for a second multiyear procurement (MYP II) contract for the production and delivery of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
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08/05/2011
Five new Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets have arrived at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley, expanding the RAAF's fleet of the advanced multirole fighters to 20. Three aircraft landed at the base on July 14 and were joined by two additional Super Hornets on Aug. 3.
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08/05/2011
The sun shines above the newest addition to the C-5M modernization program. Tail number 85-0003, a C-5B Galaxy, is the eighth aircraft inducted into modernization production line to become a Super Galaxy.
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08/05/2011
Russia and the United States plan to sign more military cooperation deals, the deputy chief of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said on Thursday. This May, the United States signed a $367.5 million contract with Russia to buy 21 Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters for the Afghan army.
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08/04/2011
A small military transport plane from the Virginia National Guard made a safe, emergency landing at the Johnstown airport Tuesday evening after a problem developed with one of the craft’s two engines.
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08/04/2011
The US military, the most powerful defence organisation on the planet, is set to account for 69% of worldwide UAV procurement in the next decade, according to the Teal Group consultancy, and 77% of research and development spending. Though the US plans to withdraw completely from its two wars over the next several years, US UAVs will have a presence over Iraq and Afghanistan for decades to come. And the rise of China brings increased pressure to bear on maritime forces.
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08/04/2011
India plans to purchase military equipment, including fighter planes, warships, helicopters and artillery guns, worth $100 billion in the next ten years, which would make the country one of the world’s most lucrative arms markets.
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08/04/2011
The Czech Republic has paid for the Spanish-made CASA transport planes twice more than Portugal, the daily Lidove noviny (LN) reports today, referring to The Military Balance prestigious yearbook published by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
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08/04/2011
Russia's MiG aircraft corporation has launched production of a new batch of MiG29K/KUB carrier fighters for the Indian Navy, a MiG spokesman said on Wednesday. The fighters are to be delivered under a 2010 contract, the spokesman said. Under the $1.5-billion contract, Russia will supply 29 MiG-29K Fulcrum-D jets to New Delhi starting in 2012.
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08/03/2011
Indian Air Force has ordered 40 Tejas Mark-I aircraft and two such planes would be ready for induction by March 2012, Defence Minister A K Antony said. "Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas has been completed in December 2010. So far 1,659 flight tests have been completed. IAF has ordered 40 Tejas Mk-I aircraft. Two aircraft will be ready by March 2012 for induction," Antony informed the Lok Sabha yesterday.
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08/03/2011
China will give Pakistan a squadron of the advanced J-10B multi-role, all-weather fighter aircraft in a bid to boost the strategic reach of its close ally, a media report has said. China has made the offer to Pakistan Army’s Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Arshad, who has just concluded a week long visit to China, the Pakistani Urdu daily Jang said.
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08/03/2011
The Czech defense ministry is threatening to cancel a $200 million deal to buy four EADS military transport aircraft because they could not be deployed to Afghanistan as a result of technical problems.
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08/03/2011
Clinton is understood to have made a strong pitch for more US military sales to India, especially in the wake of American companies recently losing out in the race for a $ 10.4 billion order by the Indian Air Force for 126 fighter aircraft.
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08/03/2011
In the wake of the shrill debate about the purchase or otherwise of military aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces, it may be important to pause and ask ourselves whether we needed to reach the current low depths of accusations and counter accusations.
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08/03/2011
NATO’s military operation against Libya, conducted mainly by the armed forces of the US, France and Britain, is speeding up the formation of a new system of international relations. At the same time the war serves as a firing ground for testing the strategy of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) in real combat situation as well as the efficiency of new weapons …
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08/03/2011
More than 200 Russian and foreign aircraft will be exhibited at the MAKS-2011 air show near Moscow in August, an organizer of the event told RIA Novosti. The MAKS-2011 air show will be held at Zhukovsky outside Moscow on August 16-21. In all, 627 aerospace industry companies, including 473 Russian and 154 foreign, have registered to take part in the air show as of June 1.
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08/03/2011
The UAE has received its third C-17 Globemaster III airlifter and took deliver from Boeing's final assembly facility in Long Beach, California
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08/02/2011
The development of light combat aircraft (LCA) is a step towards the technological freedom for the country. The LCA project will not only boost the aviation industry, it will also help develop a range of technologies which could be implemented in other sectors, such as automobile and healthcare, said senior scientist Kota Harinarayana here on Monday after he was felicitated with prestigious Lokmanya Tilak award.
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08/02/2011
Aircraft manufacturer Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force have selected BAE Systems to provide flight control electronics for the KC-390 military transport aircraft.
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08/02/2011
Japan expects China to further expand its maritime activities in the South China Sea and the Pacific, its annual defence report said on Tuesday, the latest expression of regional security concerns about China's military buildup.
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08/02/2011
The first four of 24 new Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] advanced Block 52 F-16s produced for the Royal Moroccan Air Force have left the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas, en route to Morrocco. An arrival ceremony will be held in Morocco later this week.
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08/02/2011
The Russian Air Force and NORAD, the U.S. and Canadian joint air defense command will hold a second round of anti-terrorism exercises on August 8-11, the Commander in Chief of the Eastern military district, Igor Muginov said on Monday.
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08/01/2011
Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne's task is well cut-out. From bolstering IAF's combat potential and strategic reach to infusing some much-needed "synergy" with Army and Navy, he will have to ensure his force can establish the primacy of "aerospace power" in "shaping" battlefields of the future.
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08/01/2011
China is offering Pakistan a squadron of J-10B, the advanced multi-role, all-weather fighter aircraft. The official offer was presented to the Pakistan Army’s Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Waheed Arshad, during a week long visit to Beijing. If such delivery takes place, Pakistan will be the first country, after China, to operate the J-10B, considered as one of China’s most advanced, operational combat aircraft.
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08/01/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon have to make up its mind between two fighter jets - the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Dassault Rafale. Both these aircraft are competing fiercely to don IAF colours in what is being touted as the world's biggest defense deal.
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08/01/2011
Officials at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced that company's X2 Technology demonstrator made its final flight, marking the end of the program. The X2 Technology demonstrator helicopter program will be transitioning to its first application, the S-97 Raider.
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07/31/2011
The tailhook version of the F-35 Lightning II stealth combat aircraft – which, following the recent UK defence review, is now planned to fly from new Royal Navy carriers in years to come – has successfully completed its first catapult launch test.
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07/31/2011
Taking bilateral defence relations to a new high,China will givePakistan a squadron of the advanced J-10B fighter aircraft, a media report said. The offer was made by senior Chinese military leaders to visiting Pakistan Army's Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen.Waheed Arshad, the Urdu daily Jang reported on Saturday, quoting defence sources.
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07/31/2011
The government of Taiwan said it will follow through on its commitment to purchase F-16 jet fighters from the U.S., despite fears that such a transaction would anger Mainland China. "The defense ministry has constantly appealed to the U.S. to sell the F-16 C/D jets through various channels. Our determination to maintain self-defense has never changed," the Taipei government said in a statement.
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07/31/2011
The number of dogfights between the military planes of Turkey and bailed-out Greece hit a record low this year. While the annual number of dogfights was between 300 and 500 in previous years, this number is currently at 79 and is not expected to exceed 100 by the end of the year.
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07/31/2011
NATO allies are in a hurry to bring the air war in Libya to a victorious end but are having to carry on with a shrinking alliance after Norway withdrew its jets and Italy pulled an aircraft carrier. Norway’s departure this weekend leaves the 28-nation military club with combat planes from seven nations instead of eight to finish a job begun four months ago that some hoped would last just weeks.
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07/31/2011
Boeing on July 28 delivered a third C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence at the C-17 program’s final assembly facility in Long Beach.
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07/31/2011
Boeing joined the U.S. Air Force today at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to help dedicate a C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the members of the U.S. armed forces who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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07/31/2011
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 flight test program moves closer to achieving year-end milestones since the last update issued June 13. The F-35 Lightning II 5TH Generation multirole fighter conducted 107 test flights, bringing the total number of flights for the year to 518.
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07/31/2011
Russia's Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter, also known as PAK-FA, will perform its first public flight at the MAKS-2011 air show near Moscow in August, Nikolai Zanegin, Deputy General Director of Russia's Aviasalon company, said on Wednesday.
(Read More...)
07/31/2011
The US based association for the unmanned aerial systems industry has reported US denials of an Iranian report that the country's Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. drone (unmanned spy plane.
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07/26/2011
Malaysia's Defence Ministry is looking into purchasing Typhoon fighter jets, reports the New Straits Times. The ministry had set up an evaluation team to consider buying the multi-role combat aircraft from the Eurofighter company, although Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has admitted that its development and production cost (it has an estimated price tag of RM600 million or S$243.5 million) is prohibitive.
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07/26/2011
Two Chinese fighter jets crossed an unofficial dividing line in the Taiwan Strait late last month in pursuit of a US spy aircraft, according to defence sources in Taipei and Beijing.
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07/26/2011
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Gen. Yoweri Museveni, yesterday conceded calls by opposition for the government to give priority to infrastructure and healthcare ahead of military hardware are plausible but said defence cannot wait for war to purchase equipment.
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07/26/2011
Keen on getting 126 combat aircraft as early as possible, the Indian Air Force is pushing for the commercial bids of the two contenders - Eurofighter and Dassault - to be opened before the end of this month.
(Read More...)
07/26/2011
Russia's Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA fifth-generation fighter has been placed on a short list of a South Korean tender for the delivery of advanced fighter jets, a Russian arms industry think-tank said on Monday. Korea is seeking to buy 60 fighters with advanced stealth capability from a foreign aircraft maker in the biggest arms-procurement deal ever for the country with an estimated budget of $7.86 billion under a program code-named FX-III.
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07/25/2011
China is revising its combat pilot training program. The existing system takes ten years of academic and flight training. The new program cuts that to 5-7 years, while increasing flight hours by over 40 percent. This is more in line with Western methods, while the existing system owes more to the one the Russians developed during the Cold War. The new system puts more emphasis on trainee pilots demonstrating combat flying skills before they can graduate.
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07/25/2011
Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) might replace its MiG aircrafts with the Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA). Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the 10 Russian-made MiG-29s were nearing the end of their service period and the RM3 billion Eurofighter may fit the bill.
(Read More...)
07/25/2011
Israel Aerospace Industries continues to fortify its presence in Europe after it beat out an American bid to sell strategic unmanned aerial vehicles to the French military. Last week, the French Defense Ministry announced its decision to purchase IAI’s Heron TP long-endurance UAV that entered the Israel Air Force service in 2010. The Heron TP will replace the smaller Heron 1, which has been in French service for a number of years.
(Read More...)
07/25/2011
It's Navy Week in Los Angeles, not a routine event in a city currently without a coastal Navy base. However, L.A. is rich with naval influence and heritage nonetheless. In a very real way, the citizens of L.A., like all Americans, have a vested interest in having a Navy - one that is fast, flexible, powerful and global.
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07/25/2011
India is keeping a wary eye on China's rapid global ascent. Unresolved border issues that resulted in the Sino–Indian War of 1962 have been heating up again in recent years. Indian policymakers are scrambling to develop effective policies to cope with a rising China by simultaneously pursuing both a robust diplomatic strategy aimed at encouraging peaceful resolution of border disputes and forging strong trade and economic ties and an ambitious military modernization campaign that will build Indi
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07/23/2011
The Obama administration will make a final decision on the sale of 66 F-16C/D fighter jets to Taiwan by Oct. 1, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on July 21. Since 2006, the U.S. has repeatedly rejected Taiwan's letter of request (LOR) for new F-16C/D fighters. China has called the proposed sale, estimated to be worth more than $8 billion, a "red line."
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07/23/2011
The recent cancellation of two scheduled bilateral exercises by the Russian side has brought to light the existence of some strains in the otherwise robust Indo-Russian defence partnership. An assertive Indian officialdom aggravated by indifferent Russian sales support is causing the latter to resort to short term pressure signaling.
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07/23/2011
The Army has relaunched its program to deploy a manned airborne intelligence and reconnaissance gathering platform. Working on a tight development schedule, the effort will turn more than 30 commercial turboprop aircraft into flying sensor platforms that will support ground forces by searching out and pinpointing enemy activity.
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07/23/2011
Accidents caused by lack of training and the mishandling of weapons are common among the rebels of the Western mountains. But negligence might also be an 'invisible enemy' among Moammar Gadhafi's troops.
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07/22/2011
Boeing on Wednesday, July 20, conducted an industry forum in São José dos Campos to share with local businesses and universities the broad spectrum of opportunities available to them as part of Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet offering in the F-X2 fighter aircraft competition.
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07/22/2011
The US Air Force's top civilian leader has called for a quick-look study on safety concerns about oxygen generation systems across the combat aircraft fleet. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley directed the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board to conduct the study more than two months into a fleet-wide stand-down for the Lockheed Martin F-22 over related concerns.
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07/22/2011
The Yankee Air Museum's 2011 "Thunder Over Michigan" Air Show is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24 and is proud to welcome back the world's most famous military demonstration team, the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels to Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
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07/22/2011
Nato aircraft have flown 5 900 sorties over Libya and engaged more than 3 000 targets since combat operations began, the alliance has announced, with French and British helicopters destroying more than 300 targets since June 4. “Nato has controlled the Libyan air space around the clock, every day since the implementation of the No-Fly Zone, using Nato's sophisticated airborne warning and control system,” said Colonel Roland Lavoie, Nato spokesperson for Operation Unified Protector.
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07/22/2011
A distracted pilot and a blinding swirl of dust kicked up by rotors were to blame for a helicopter crash in Afghanistan two years ago that killed two Canadians and a Briton. A military board of inquiry filed its final report on the crash on Wednesday.
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07/22/2011
Boeing and the U.S. Navy recognized the 40th anniversary of the Harpoon Missile System today at a ceremony near the company’s St. Charles facility.
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07/22/2011
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) program received a Milestone B Acquisition Decision Memorandum from the U.S. Navy on July 13. This allows the program to advance to its next development phase - Engineering and Manufacturing Development.
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07/22/2011
A court martial in northern Russia’s Arkhangelsk has given a two-year suspended jail sentence to an Air Force officer who supervised flight operations prior to the crash of a MiG-31 interceptor in March, military investigators said on Thursday. The officer, Roman Storozhenko, was found guilty of accepting the base at Kotlas in Arkhangelsk Region as being fit to allow flight operations in March 2010, and authorizing missions for MiG-31s.
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07/21/2011
The commercial bids for the ‘mother of all defence deals’ - for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), valuing over $10 billion, will be opened before July 31. However, the winner of the contract - French Dassault or European Eurofighter - will be known only when the IAF finds out the lowest bidder based on various factors such as life cycle maintenance costs.
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07/21/2011
Several Japan Air Self-Defense Force Mitsubishi F-15 Eagles joined other RED FLAG-Alaska participants July 12 after having its entire F-15 fighter fleet grounded in response to an incident on July 4 with one of the fighter jets during a routine training exercise back in Japan. The Mitsubishi F-15 Eagle forms part of JASDF fighter-interceptor aircraft inventory used to engage hostile aircraft. The F-15 was brought to RED-FLAG Alaska to help JASDF members improve their tactical flying skills and
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07/21/2011
The loan agreements includes a $105,370,177.09, from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for the purchase of one Embraer E 190 jet with a hanger, an €11 million from Fidelity Bank Ghana for two DA42 MPP Guardian Surveillance aircrafts and another €60 million from the Deutsche Bank Sociedad Anónima Espanóla for the purchase of two CASA 295 aircraft.
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07/21/2011
Boeing officials do not expect to breach the cost estimates that the Air Force endorsed when it handed the company a $35 billion contract for new tanker aircraft. “There are no overruns. … We remain on cost, on schedule,” Boeing executive Chris Chadwick told The Hill on Wednesday. “Our bid has not changed since the Air Force accepted it. Our expectation of cost has not changed since the Air Force selected the Boeing plane.
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07/21/2011
The Boeing Co. cast its net wider in the campaign to secure Brazil's multibillion-dollar order for up to 100 jet fighters, pledging generous technology transfers and training for Brazilians as part of the deal. Boeing is in competition with French Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter jet and Swedish company Saab's Gripen NG rival.
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07/21/2011
The German air force is keen on a joint military exercise with India and will discuss the possibility of this when the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief visits Berlin in September. Luftwaffe chief General Aarne Kreuzinger-Janik said during an interaction on the sidelines of the Royal International Air Tattoo here that Germany was exploring the possibilities of regular joint exercises with the IAF for achieving interoperability.
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07/21/2011
The Obama administration is reportedly pushing for yet another $100 billion in Defense cuts, on top of the more than $500 billion in cuts to the ten-year defense spending plan the White House is already planning to enact -- ensuring that there will be few -- if any -- major Obama era defense programs left.
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07/21/2011
It was wheels up Wednesday morning for Lockheed Martin’s second F-35A Lightning II production jet delivery in a week. Maj. Joseph T. “OD” Bachmann (Marine Corps) piloted the aircraft, known as AF-8, to Eglin Air Force Base where it arrived at 11:50 a.m. CDT. AF-8 joins AF-9 which Lockheed Martin delivered to the 33rd Fighter Wing last Thursday.
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07/20/2011
From Ramnath Shenoy London, Jul 19 (PTI) As India prepares to open the commercial bids for the USD 10.8 billion tender for 126 medium range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), Eurofighter hopes to make the country a partner in its Typhoon fighter jet programme which it says would be a game-changer.
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07/20/2011
The Pentagon's acknowledgment on Friday that an American defence contractor's computer networks had been seriously hacked by a foreign spy agency is the first in a series of security wake-up calls likely to hit Australia in coming months.
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07/20/2011
The skies over Las Vegas will fill with Lightning next year, as the military's next-generation fighter jet lands at its new home at Nellis Air Force Base. The Air Force announced plans on Tuesday to establish a test and training center at Nellis for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the Lightning II.
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07/20/2011
With their strategic proximity growing, the US on Tuesday pitched for more military sales to India, a call soon after Washington decided to cut $800 million arms aid to Pakistan. "On the issue of defence technologies, the US expects to continue developing and selling the world's most competitive products," secretary of state Hillary Clinton, on a three-day visit to India, said here.
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07/20/2011
China can send a man into space and a rocket into lunar orbit but, paradoxically, its defense industry cannot build a top-end aircraft engine. Or an engine sophisticated enough to power advanced surface ships and armored vehicles.
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07/20/2011
Indian policymakers are scrambling to develop effective policies to cope with a rising China by simultaneously pursuing both a robust diplomatic strategy aimed at encouraging peaceful resolution of border disputes and forging strong trade and economic ties and an ambitious military modernisation campaign that will build Indian air, naval, and missile capabilities.
(Read More...)
07/20/2011
The first Boeing P-8A Poseidon production aircraft completed its first flight on July 7, taking off from Renton Field and landing three hours later at Boeing Field in Seattle. The P-8A is the first of six low-rate initial production (LRIP) aircraft Boeing is building for the U.S. Navy as part of a $1.6 billion contract awarded in January.
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07/20/2011
A Pakistan Navy Uqab unmanned air vehicle (UAV) crashed on Tuesday in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, according to local television, quoting Navy sources.
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07/20/2011
The top award is the King Hussein Memorial Sword - presented in memory of the late HM King Hussein of Jordan, Patron of the International Air Tattoo (1983-1989) - and is awarded for the best overall flying demonstration. This year it went to Maj Murat Keles, flying the F-16C “Solo Turk” from 141st Sqn, Turkish Air Force.
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07/19/2011
The U.S. Air Force’s F-22 fighter remains subject to the longest full-force grounding of any combat aircraft in recent history, with no cause firmly identified. Meanwhile, documents show that the focus of the investigation—the onboard oxygen-generation system (Obogs)—has been a flight safety issue for many years on the F/A-18C/D Hornet, increasing the number of cases where aircrew were affected by hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, in flight.
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07/19/2011
New Delhi seems to be bending backwards to explain why two iconic US Fighter aircraft have been left out of the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft Competition to supply fighter jets to India. However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to push for the fifth generation F-35 on her visit to India.
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07/19/2011
A rainbow unit of Air National Guard Airmen comprising members from Alabama, California, Iowa, Washington and Massachusetts flew into a base that until July 16 only had seen use by Mig-29s and Su-27s. Following the advance teams of maintenance and support personnel, seven F-16C Fighting Falcons from Alabama and Iowa cut through the calm, blue Ukrainian sky. The F-16Cs were among the first American fighter jets to touch down in this former Soviet-bloc country.
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07/19/2011
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assumed command and control over the western-led intervention in the Libyan civil war four months ago with three stated military missions: enforce an arms embargo, enforce a no-fly-zone, and protect civilians and civilian populated areas.
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07/19/2011
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to India for the India-US Strategic Dialogue talks provides an opportunity for the US to take India’s pulse on China and to discuss new diplomatic and security initiatives that will contribute to maintaining a stable balance of power in Asia.
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07/19/2011
Recent briefings in Brussels and London on Operation Unified Protector reveal that attack helicopters provided by France and the UK are now making key contributions to NATO-led operations over Libya, which has been extended until the end of September.
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07/19/2011
Ukraine's arms exports in 2010 reached almost a billion dollars with the bulk of weaponry sold to African countries, the Kommersant-Ukraine newspaper said on Monday. "The portfolio of contracts signed by state-run arms exporter Ukrspetsexport increased in value from $799.5 in 2009 to $956.7 billion [in 2010]," the paper cited data released by the State Service for Export Control.
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07/19/2011
Russia's Irkut aircraft holding is in talks with the Defense Ministry on the delivery of up to 40 Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighters to the Russian Air Force, the company said on Monday.
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07/19/2011
The third production C-5M Super Galaxy took its first flight today here at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Aircraft 0005 is stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del. and assigned to be flown by both active duty and reserve airlift wings there.
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07/19/2011
The fifth Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) flight test aircraft delivered to the Marine Corps arrives at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md., Saturday, July 16.
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07/18/2011
Since early May, pilots at Langley Air Force Base have been living life at less than supersonic speeds. The Air Force ordered a stand-down of its F-22 Raptor fleet on May 3 after reports of potential malfunctions in the oxygen system. The investigation has since expanded to include all aspects of the aircraft, according to Air Combat Command, which is headquartered at Langley.
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07/18/2011
Somebody should get the AVIC and CATIC marketing staffs back on the same page. I realized yesterday that I had picked up two different product cards in the exhibit halls of the Paris Air Show for the JF-17 Thunder, the low-cost, multi-role, Chinese-Pakistani collaboration.
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07/18/2011
France recently announced that it has been spending about $2.5 million a day for operations in Libya. France and Britain are the largest contributors, in terms of warplanes, to the Libya operation. But the U.S. is still contributing most of the aircraft, except that most of these are support (intelligence, electronic warfare, refueling and transport).
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07/18/2011
Noting that there was a “mismatch” between Indian procurement requirements and the American license regime, the US business chambers has strongly pitched for finding “breakdown” in these procedures and also recommended issuance of a list of “pre-approved” technologies by the US to India.
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07/18/2011
NATO aircraft have carried out a "major strike" today on a military depot at Tajura, north-east of Tripoli, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said.
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07/18/2011
It is rare for two serving Air Force chiefs to concur, but in an appraisal of the Eurofighter Typhoon, one of the two contenders for a multi-billion dollar Indian Air Force tender, they unanimously voted it as very reliable as seen in the operations against Libya.
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07/18/2011
One of the fastest helicopter prototypes ever developed, the Sikorsky X2 technology demonstrator, is being retired after making its final flight last Thursday. The X2 has served its purpose, and the technological lessons learned from the prototype are blending into the Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter program, which Sikorsky will propose for the U.S. Army's future Armed Aerial Scout program.
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07/18/2011
TechNewsDaily was recently invited to take a rare behind-the-scenes tour of a UAS ground control station in Italy that is jointly shared by the Italian and U.S. air forces to demystify some of the operations of these robot warrior aircraft.
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07/17/2011
An international consortium for the development of an advanced fighter aircraft? It sounds familiar – and the precedent isn’t encouraging. The programme to build the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) involving the United States and eight other countries has become a cautionary tale over the complexity and runaway expense of developing a next-generation fighter aircraft.
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07/17/2011
China has been dedicated to a peaceful external environment so that it can concentrate on domestic agendas, bring more welfare to the world's biggest population and remain committed to world and regional peace and stability.
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07/16/2011
Sikorsky Aircraft launched its new hybrid helicopter line, the S-97 Raider, this week, creating what could generate the future lines of all its helicopters, one analyst said. The launch of the S-97 follows the final flight of an experimental aircraft, the X2, in Florida on Thursday, which management credited for paving the way for the new line.
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07/16/2011
Minister of external affairs S M Krishna mistook Washington’s suspension of the $800 million military aid to Pakistan as its termination and endorsed the US move. It is not just bad advice he acted on that’s at fault. There’s something gravely amiss in India’s Pakistan policy. Does the Indian government think that India or the United States is better placed to decide how much security is enough for Pakistan than the Pakistanis themselves?
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07/16/2011
French air force and navy Rafale F3 combat aircraft are touted as true “omnirole fighters.” Military officials say there are multirole fighters that conduct reconnaissance, air-to-air combat, air-to-surface attack or deterrence, but only one at a time. The F3 can perform all in a single mission, they maintain.
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07/16/2011
Lockheed Martin recently delivered the final AN/AAQ-39 targeting system full production unit to the U.S. Air Force. Q-39 is the electro-optical/infrared targeting system for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130U Gunship.
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07/16/2011
The first Lockheed Martin production model F-35 Lightning II to be assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing arrived here today at 1:18 p.m. CDT after its more than 90-minute ferry flight from Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft, known as AF-9, will be used for activities in concert with training F-35 pilots and maintainers who begin coursework at the base’s new F-35 Integrated Training Center this fall.
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07/16/2011
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called on the alliance’s members to send more aircraft to deliver surgical strikes on Libyan targets, Western media said on Friday.
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07/16/2011
Several Belarusian firms will showcase over 40 types of military-purpose electronic equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the MAKS-2011 air show near Moscow in August, a Belarusian defense industry official said.
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07/14/2011
It is costly to operate in the vast and inhospitable Arctic. But the Canadian military is exploring a way to cut costs and speed up the movement of troops and equipment by building several new northern bases.
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07/14/2011
Western Libyan rebels pushing towards Tripoli plan to attack a pivotal city within a week, a top commander said, speaking hours before his forces lost ground captured last week from loyalist forces.
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07/14/2011
The past 20 years has been a tale of near-continuous decline for the ex-Soviet military. Once it was the largest military force on the planet. Of late it has fallen to a mere shadow of its former self. So low have the fortunes of Russia’s conventional military fallen that it was barely able to defeat Georgia in their short conflict in 2008. The Soviet Union was once known for its massive nuclear arsenal. Now it is barely able to maintain a viable force; most of its systems are obsolescent and ag
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07/14/2011
In a book published in 1983, Norman Augustine, a luminary of the US aerospace industry, drafted a series of light-hearted “laws”, 52 in alli. Law XVI reads: “In the year 2054, the entire defence budget will purchase just one aircraft. This aircraft will have to be shared by the Air Force and Navy 3-1/2 days each per week except for leap year, when it will be made available to the Marines for the extra day.”
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07/14/2011
The government today approved the costliest military aircraft upgrade programme yet, gifting to France a deal that will see the Indian Air Force’s 25-year-old Mirage fighter planes being dressed up for more than Rs 200 crore a piece.
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07/14/2011
Russia's ambitious $730-billion rearmament program appears to be stalling amid skyrocketing prices, late deliveries and, in some cases, the sheer inability of Russia's military industries to deliver the goods.
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07/14/2011
Iraq seems to be moving forward on plans to buy up to 18 US F-16 fighter jets at a cost of $3bn - after putting off a potential sale several months ago - according to an American military spokesman who spoke to CNN yesterday.
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07/13/2011
China's military jet engine capability is increasing at a rapid pace, with implications not only for China's independent military capabilities, but also for the global defence industry. Yet China also faces major impediments in achieving its strategic aim of establishing itself as an independent manufacturer in one of aerospace's most complex engineering technologies: high-performance turbofan engines. Our recent paper, Jet Engine Development in China found that China's progress is uneven but th
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07/13/2011
A mix of the old and the new will be on display in the air and on the ground next month at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Air Show and Open House. Two Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets similar to the jets that flew over the lakefront during this past weekend for the Gold Cup Races are scheduled to appear at the free air show Aug. 20-21 along with the Air Force's new F-22 Raptor.
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07/13/2011
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was not supposed to live this long. But with the latest slippages in the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and aging fighter forces worldwide, Boeing talks about stretching production to 1,000 aircraft and keeping the line open to the end of the decade, despite the recent loss in India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition.
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07/13/2011
Lockheed Martin, one of the two US companies which lost out in the bid for the 126 combat aircraft deal, is expected to be conveyed the reasons for it by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF is expected to brief Lockheed Martin Tuesday in detail about the reasons of their exclusion for which the request is understood to have been made by the US government, defence sources told PTI here.
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07/13/2011
The rumor among the Euro-aero-hacks in Paris this year was that all is not well with India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program, which prompted them to ask American industry officials if they thought they might end up getting another shot at it. (Boeing’s top military aviation executive crossed his fingers.) But until and unless something actually happens, the Indians are going forward with their last round of competition between the Eurofighter Typhoon and France’s Dassault Rafale — and
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07/13/2011
When it comes to China's military relationship with the United States, U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen is not one to mince his words. "We don't have a relationship, it was stopped," the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says after climbing down from one of China's high-tech combat planes during a rare visit to the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army in Shandong province.
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07/13/2011
Boeing EA-18G Growlers operated by U.S. Navy electronic attack squadron VAQ-132 safely returned to their home base at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., on July 9, after completing an eight-month deployment that included combat operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility.
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07/12/2011
The new version of the Microsoft Surface tabletop computer made an unexpected appearance at the recent Paris Air Show, as Dassault Aviation showed a trio of Surface applications that work in conjunction with its Rafale military aircraft.
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07/12/2011
When the top commanders of the world’s two largest standing armies get together, you’d expect their tete-a-tete to show some results. But so far, we’re not getting much more than schoolyard nitter-natter.
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07/12/2011
South Korean and U.S. Air Forces have recently reached an agreement to stage an aerial refueling exercise on a regular basis here, using a U.S. in-flight tanker, a military source said Monday. The first joint refueling exercise in which the U.S. is to mobilize its KC-135 tanker currently based in Okinawa, Japan, is expected to take place in the latter half of this year, the source said.
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07/12/2011
After thousands of years of intra-species fighting we have to face the possibility that the institution of war may no longer need us.
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07/12/2011
Boeing on July 9 joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to commemorate the base's transition to the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter. Wright-Patterson, home of the 445th Airlift Wing, previously flew the C-5A Galaxy and is the latest Air Force Reserve Command unit to transition to a fleet of C-17 aircraft.
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07/11/2011
Deliveries of F-22 Raptors to the Air Force have been halted due to the continuing suspension of flight operations for the stealthy fifth-generation air superiority fighter. Even though manufacturer Lockheed Martin continues to build the aircraft at its Marietta, Ga., factory, the company is unable to do required flight testing for each aircraft as it leaves final assembly. Nor can government test pilots from the Pentagon’s Defense Contract Management Agency fly their acceptance flights for new
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07/11/2011
The US Air Force has taken the first public step towards upgrading hundreds of Lockheed Martin F-16s with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. The Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) published a six-page request for information in late June, asking suppliers for information about options for upgrading between 300 and 600 later-model F-16s from 2017.
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07/11/2011
The US-based Chinese-language Duowei News says the United States will announce in September a deal to upgrade Taiwan's aging F-16 A/B fighter jets.
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07/11/2011
Pakistan's increasingly "close and effective defense ties" established with China during the past decade will allow Islamabad to "fill the gap" arising from the prospect of reduced military aid from the United States, a senior Pakistani official said on Sunday after reports emerged of cuts of up to $800 million in U.S. aid.
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07/10/2011
Two F-15 fighter jets have intercepted a small aircraft near Camp David in Maryland, where President Barack Obama is spending the night with his family, according to the U.S. military. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said the civilian aircraft was out of radio communication just after noon on Saturday. Fighter jets intercepted the plane and directed it out of restricted airspace near Camp David. The plane landed without incident.
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07/10/2011
China urged Japan to stop "risky actions" in the East China Sea, the Ministry of National Defense said on its website. Flights of Chinese military aircraft over waters under China's "management" is "completely" in accordance with international law, the ministry said
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07/10/2011
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme which has seen several delays since the project was conceived 27 years ago, has suffered another setback as Air Commodore Rohit Varma, project director of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) which oversees all flight test-related activities of aircraft, quit his post on Friday.
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07/10/2011
Are the days of "Top Gun" coming to an end? Not yet. But the Navy moved a step closer to a new era of unmanned carrier-based aerial combat last weekend. Aboard the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower off the Virginia coast Saturday, an F/A-18D Hornet, modified to emulate an unmanned aircraft, made its first carrier touchdown without a pilot's guiding hands.
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07/10/2011
Having used it for aerial operations in Libya, the UK says India could do no better than invest in the Eurofighter. In New Delhi to talk defence relations and pitch for the Eurofighter over the French Rafale (the only two aircraft left in the race for IAF's 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft bid), British defence secretary Liam Fox told TOI in an exclusive interview that UK has been "extraordinarily impressed by its capability and availability" in the Libya operations.
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07/10/2011
A $649 billion defense spending bill for next year easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday after four days of debate in which war-weary lawmakers sought to curb President Barack Obama's combat operations in Afghanistan and Libya.
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07/10/2011
This September will bring the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest moments in the modern history of the UK Royal Air Force, when 14 servicemen lost their lives as a British Aerospace Nimrod MR2 surveillance aircraft exploded in mid-air over Afghanistan.
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07/10/2011
In the backdrop of the Eurofighter Typhoon combat plane being shortlisted in a $10.4-billion Indian tender, British Defence Secretary Liam Fox was here on a daylong visit Friday looking to expand defence business ties with India.
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07/08/2011
TALY will pull back its role in the Libya campaign, the country's defence minister said yesterday, bringing an aircraft carrier and hundreds of sailors home, in new evidence that a Nato alliance is starting to fray after nearly 100 days of bombing.
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07/08/2011
Chinese defense ministry said Thursday that flying over China's sea areas by Chinese military aircraft accords with the international law.The Japanese defense ministry reportedly alleged that two Chinese military aircraft on July 4th were, at one time, flying over the seas area some 60 kilometers away from the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands, but did not enter the "Japanese territorial airspace." The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force reportedly sent F-15 fighters to intercept them.
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07/08/2011
China has ramped up its research in drone technology and is in the process of building armed, jet-propelled unmanned planes, which it plans to sell to countries like Pakistan.
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07/08/2011
"The war-fighter has provided outstanding reviews of the UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter's performance in theater," said Lt. Col. Heyward Wright, Product Manager, representing Col. Thomas Todd of the U.S. Army's Utility Helicopters Project Office. "In my estimation, the UH-60M aircraft sets the standard for a successful utility platform in a combat environment."
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07/08/2011
F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft CF-2 is performing Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) tests at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. The JBD, located behind the catapults aboard aircraft carriers, deflects high energy exhaust from the engine to prevent damage and injury to other aircraft and personnel located in close proximity.
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07/08/2011
Customs authorities in Russia's Far East have launched a criminal case against a Chinese citizen who attempted to smuggle spare parts for Russian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters last year, a customs' spokesperson said on Friday.
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07/07/2011
In the wake of the raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, many have been wondering whether a “stealth” helicopter was involved and have been asking the question: how does one make a helicopter stealthy?
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07/07/2011
Japan has grounded its entire F-15 fighter fleet following the crash of one of the jets into the East China Sea. Japan's Defense Ministry on Wednesday ordered the fleet to remain on the ground pending an investigation into the cause of the crash Tuesday, when an F-15 based on the island of Okinawa went down during a routine training mission.
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07/07/2011
Aerosonic Corporation (AMEX:AIM), a leading supplier of precision flight products for commercial, business and military aircraft, today announced that it has received a new purchase order from Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. ("KAI") in support of its T50 Golden Eagle jet trainer sale to Indonesia.
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07/07/2011
A pilot with Holloman Air Force Base is safe after he was ejected from a Vietnam Era fighter jet Wednesday morning. Holloman Air Force Base officials say the manned fighter jet crashed around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday west of Artesia, near Hope, NM.
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07/07/2011
Last week the Washington Post, the New York Times and other major American newspapers reported that the U.S. launched its first unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) missile attack inside Somalia. The strike was the first acknowledged Pentagon military attack inside the Horn of Africa nation since a helicopter raid staged by commandos in 2009 and the first use of an American drone to conduct a missile strike there.
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07/07/2011
Indian ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra is upbeat about the prospects of relations between India and Russia in all areas, ranging from defence and trade to culture and tourism. In this wide-ranging interview with Rossiskaya Gazeta, the Indian envoy assures that despite increasing competition, India and Russia have “a dynamic and growing defence relationship, not a waning one.
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07/07/2011
About noon Pacific Time a Marine helicopter crashed at Camp Pendleton, California. All six crew members had injuries and have been taken to local hospitals. Initial reports say three of the injured Marines were taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, about 30 miles south of the base. No fatalities were reported and few details have been released including where the other three military personnel were taken for treatment.
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07/07/2011
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now talking with Lockheed Martin about buying more F-16 fighter aircraft because France's offer of an advanced version of the Rafale combat jet is seen as too expensive, said a source familiar with the negotiations in the gulf.
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07/07/2011
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov formally asked on Wednesday his Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Yezhel to rent facilities on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula for naval pilot training. In line with a 1997 bilateral agreement, Russia occasionally uses the Nitka Naval Pilot Training Center in Ukraine as the only training facility for its naval pilots.
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07/06/2011
Taiwan and its supporters in Congress are pressuring the Obama administration to sell new F-16 fighter jets to the island, with one senator vowing to hold up the confirmation of a new deputy secretary of state if there is no progress on the issue.
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07/06/2011
Russian arms shipments to Syria are legal, beneficial to regional stability, and will continue as planned, a senior Kremlin official said in a Tuesday interview. 'We do not see signs the Syrian government has lost control of the situation,' said Mikhail Bogdanov, special advisor to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for Africa and the Middle East.
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07/06/2011
When people look back at the history of the 21st century, the hum-drum attention paid by the U.S. media to the “drone war” over Pakistan may be viewed as something of an inflection point. America, somewhat past its height in terms of relative omnipotence, nonetheless retained its lead in automated forms of combat. The guided missiles of the 1960s morphed into cruise missiles in the 1970s, then smart bombs in the late 1980s and, by the turn of the century, Predator drones.
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07/06/2011
In a corner of Creech air force base near Las Vegas, Nevada, an RAF flag marks the home of 39 Squadron, an elite unit formed in some haste during 2007 and yet to return to the UK. Bolted to the ground around the flagpole stand three identical sand-coloured metal containers of the kind transported by lorries and ships all over the world.
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07/06/2011
The driving force in NATO's bombing campaign against Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi has brushed aside a U.N. resolution and supplied arms to rebels. French government officials, following a report in the Paris newspaper Le Figaro, said tons of small arms -- rifles, machine guns, anti-tank rockets -- and ammunition had been airdropped early in June to rebels in the Nafusa Mountains, a Berber tribal area, under pressure from Gadhafi forces.
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07/06/2011
Boeing today announced it has been awarded a $99.5 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to integrate three major modifications on the B-1 Lancer bomber fleet. This contract is for the first lot of modification kits of a planned multi-lot production contract to upgrade the service’s B-1s.
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07/05/2011
One of the eye-opening features of the three month old NATO air campaign in Libya is the hollowness of the world’s premier military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Let’s be honest, this is not a major conventional war against a capable adversary. The real challenge for NATO airpower is finding targets to hit.
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07/05/2011
A Japanese fighter jet pilot was missing after his F-15 crashed in the East China Sea during a training flight on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said. Thirteen military aircraft and several ships as well as three Japan Coast Guard patrol ships were deployed to search for pilot Yuji Kawakubo, 37, the official said.
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07/05/2011
Russia expects to sell military equipment worth $11 billion in 2011, with aviation activities likely to account for up to 50% of this total. Sergei Kornev, head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at last month's Paris air show, said deliveries of Russian-made combat aircraft and air-launched weapons are continuing to Algeria, India and Vietnam.
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07/05/2011
In Washington the season of budget cuts is in full blossom. Unfortunately, leaders of both political parties may soon agree to further slash the defense budget. Yet this comes as the military is fighting an ongoing war against jihadi terrorists while also confronting a China that is using its growing military power more aggressively.
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07/05/2011
US Air Force and Navy aircraft are still flying hundreds of strike missions over Libya even though the US government claims it is only playing a support role in the NATO-led operation.
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07/05/2011
At the most recent Zhuhai air show, the premier event for China’s aviation industry, crowds swarmed around a model of an armed, jet-propelled drone and marveled at the accompanying display of its purported martial prowess.
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07/04/2011
Watching fireworks or attending the family reunion are Independence Day traditions that U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jacob Wolfe of Lake City will miss during the holiday this year. Wolfe, 24, is serving his country on a seven-month deployment in Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan.
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07/04/2011
A multination consortium in Europe has invited Korea to join its high-end jet production project in an apparent attempt to win what would be Korea’s biggest arms-procurement deal. The move came following Seoul’s announcement that it would purchase 60 advanced fighter aircraft in line with its push to shift the country’s military posture from passive defense to proactive deterrence with a projected budget of up to 10 trillion won ($8.96 billion).
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07/04/2011
he United States is expected to announce soon it will help Taiwan to upgrade its current F-16 fighter planes rather than selling it more advanced aircraft, a senior Taipei legislator said Sunday. The move to upgrade the F-16A/B combat aircraft rather than sell the island the more advanced F-16C/Ds it wants will generate less pressure from Beijing, which strongly opposes any arms sales to Taiwan, analysts say.
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07/02/2011
The pilot of the USAF F-16C that crashed on public land near the Nevada Test and Training Range earlier this week didn't survive, officials at Nellis Air Force Base said today.
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07/02/2011
The thing is, any country, especially those archipelagic in nature, needs a modern air force for rapid deployment of defensive aircraft. The current military thrust on internal security operations – that is, focusing on domestic insurgency – does not preclude the need for new military aircraft to better protect Philippine territories.
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07/02/2011
ROC President Ma Ying-jeou praised Taichung-based Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. for successfully upgrading six Taiwan-made Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft, and advancing military manufacturing technology on the island.
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07/02/2011
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company and the U.S. Army Armed Scout Helicopter program office announced today the delivery of the first OH-58 “A2D” wartime replacement cabin for OH-58 “Kiowa Warrior” platform to the Army. The cabin is being delivered 30 days ahead of the contract schedule.
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07/02/2011
The clandestine American military campaign to combat Al Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen is expanding to fight the Islamist militancy in Somalia, as new evidence indicates that insurgents in the two countries are forging closer ties and possibly plotting attacks against the United States, American officials say.
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07/02/2011
Boeing earlier this month supported the U.S. Air Force in the first powered launch of a Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J) from a B-52. The successful test, in which the electronic jammer was launched from a B-52 Stratofortress, took place over the Gulf of Mexico at the Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., test range. Boeing designed the avionics software onboard the B-52 that controls and launches the Raytheon-built MALD-J.
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07/02/2011
The aircraft 0035 breaks the ribbon as the first aircraft to be modernized in the southwest bay. The new southwest bay portion of the L-10 hangar at the Lockheed Martin facilities is the third of four bays to be opened as the program approaches the full rate production of 11 C-5Ms per year.
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07/02/2011
The Russian military has no concrete plans to build aircraft carriers in the next 10 years, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. "We have no plans to build aircraft carriers," the minister told the Russian media on Friday.
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07/02/2011
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the US Congress yesterday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Iraq for follow-on support and maintenance of multiple aircraft systems and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $675 million.
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06/30/2011
The competition for the 126 medium multirole combat aircraft deal has sprung a surprise. The two American aircraft, the F-16 and the F-18, have been eliminated after technical evaluation by the Indian air force, belying the expectations of the government of the United States of America, American companies and most Indian analysts.
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06/30/2011
Australia said Wednesday that it would undertake its biggest disposal of military equipment since World War II to fund a major upgrade, with combat aircraft, helicopters and ships all up for grabs.
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06/30/2011
fter decades of chronic under-funding, they will conclude, it was inevitable that a small country such as Britain could no longer afford the luxury of maintaining independent command structures for its Army, Navy and Air Force. With defence spending slashed from 5 per cent of GDP at the end of the Cold War to just 2 per cent by 2011, the individual Services had already been reduced to such a parlous state that they could barely carry out even the most basic military tasks.
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06/30/2011
In July, the Kingdom of Morocco, a strategic partner for U.S. forces in North Africa, will become the 25th country to own and operate F-16s. The pilots tapped to fly them are scheduled to finish training here in time to bring them home, July 30.
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06/29/2011
The induction of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will enhance the capability of the Indian Air Force which will be procuring the 5th generation fighters by 2017 and by 2027. The country will then have 42 to 45 squadrons as compared to present 34 squadrons, said Chief of Air Staff, Indian Air force, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik. He was speaking to the media here on Tuesday.
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06/29/2011
According to the Eritrean regime, the United States has pressured Pakistan to abort a pending aircraft lease and management deal it was negotiating with Eritrea.Citing an un-named “senior Foreign Ministry official”, the Eritrean state media claimed that “Washington is resorting to such illegal acts as part of its hostile attempts of stiffening anti-Eritrea sanctions.” The senior foreign ministry official is reported to have explained that the United States is arguing that the “planes could be u
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06/29/2011
The Royal Air Force's (RAF) ground attack Tornados currently serving in Afghanistan and Libya have clocked up a staggering one million flying hours over the course of their service.
Number 617 Squadron, 'The Dambusters', took the aircraft through the landmark in Afghanistan last week.
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06/29/2011
There's suddenly a lot of buzz in our industry about laser weapons development. Several different technological advances and upcoming laser weapons tests has me thinking that the first field deployments of laser weapons may be sooner than we think.
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06/29/2011
ell Helicopter has announced its OH-58 Block II demonstrator successfully proved hover out of ground effect performance that exceeds the maximum gross aircraft weight of 5,500 lbs at 6k95 during test flights conducted in Colorado.
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06/29/2011
A two-day commanders' conference of the Eastern Air Command (EAC) will begin at Air Force Station Bagdogra from Wednesday. Air chief marshal PV Naik, IAF chief of air staff, and other officers from Delhi Air headquarters will hold meetings with officers from this part of the country at this conference, which is being hosted by Air marshal KK Nohwar, AOC-in-C, EAC.
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06/28/2011
"Incredible India" is the title of a ubiquitous advertising campaign that promises surprises around every corner, and the motto certainly applies to the country's ongoing fighter jet competition.
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06/28/2011
Czech Defense Ministry partly blames LOM Praha for crash; the state-owned firm says Ukrainian-made engine has structural defect.
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06/28/2011
About P14 billion of the P40 billion allotted by Malacañang to upgrade military capability will go to the Philippine Air Force, PAF chief Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena said over the weekend.
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06/28/2011
A US-India basic trainer would replace some 450 T-38s currently flying in the US Air Force. Add to that an assured market of at least 200 trainer aircraft in India and there is an excellent business case for partnering India in developing the T-38’s successor.
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06/28/2011
At the expansive exhibition area at the Le Bourget airport where the Paris Air Show has just concluded, Indian visitors could not but cast a long gaze at the gleaming new French fighter aircraft Rafale, one of the final two short listed for India's $11 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft deal.
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06/28/2011
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive weapons program the U.S. Department of Defense is currently funding. The reason it’s so costly is that the Clinton Administration decided in 1993 to replace a slew of cold-war combat aircraft operated by three different military services with a single family of planes. The new planes were supposed to be agile, stealthy and versatile — a single-engine airframe produced in three variants that could be sold by the thousands both at home and abroad
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06/28/2011
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the US Congress last week of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Arab Emirates of five UH-60M Blackhawk VIP helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $217 million.
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06/27/2011
"We flew a two-ship formation airdrop of C-130s supporting Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in southern Afghanistan," said the 774th EAS Commander Lt. Col. Rich Adams from Anchorage, Alaska. "We supported them by carrying food, fuel, ammunition and water to support forward operating bases in southern Afghanistan."
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06/25/2011
Seven individuals and five corporate entities based in the United States, France, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Iran have been indicted in the Middle District of Georgia for their alleged roles with illegally exporting military components for fighter jets and attack helicopters from the United States to Iran.
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06/25/2011
The US Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-22 fighters, the most sophisticated combat aircraft in the world, after problems emerged with the plane's oxygen supply, officials said Friday. The radar-evading F-22 Raptors have been barred from flying since May 3 and Air Force officials could not say when the planes would return to the air.
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06/25/2011
The House voted against authorizing President Barack Obama to continue U.S. air support for allied bombardment against forces loyal to Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi and moved to try to restrict funds for the operation. After defeating, on a 295-123 vote, the Democratic- sponsored resolution to authorize military support for the bombing operation, the House debated separate legislation to bar U.S. forces from combat in Libya.
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06/25/2011
From its outset Tornado was designed as a world-class combat aircraft and it is a testament to the design and the outstanding military and civilian personnel who operate, maintain and support it that it continues to provide world class capability in the modern combat environment.
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06/25/2011
Lockheed indicated it could still be in the running for an $11 billion fighter jet sale to India despite the government rejecting its F-16 aircraft. Lockheed Martin's stealth F-35 Lightning II, still in the development stage, could be on the table if the foreign sale is approved by the U.S. government, although no firm decision has been made by Lockheed, a spokesman for Lockheed said at the Paris Air Show.
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06/24/2011
The United States and its allies are concerned that al-Qaida and other terrorist groups may have got their hands on scores, if not hundreds, of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles plundered from Libyan military bases after the civil war erupted there in March.
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06/24/2011
Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 pilots and weapon systems operators conducted aerial refueling training with Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers here June 13. Aerial refueling extends the range of fighter aircraft on transits across great distances, increasing the operability of pilots and weapon systems operators to complete missions and training operations.
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06/24/2011
While there are many military aircraft on display from the U.S. and aroudn the world and the Eurofighter entertains the spectators with its aerial acrobatics, the Paris Air Show is all about the commercial jets.
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06/24/2011
With an eye on the future and fed up with the "bureaucratic culture" pervading Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the country's only aircraft manufacturer, IAF now wants the control of the navratna defence PSU.
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06/24/2011
Seeking to increase its share in the growing Indian defence spending, Finmeccanica, an Italian conglomerate, hopes that Italy could sell military and other equipment to India through the government instead of through the current commercial engagement.
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06/24/2011
Britain has sent its youngest female RAF (Royal Air Force) pilot to Afghanistan, to supervise the initial instruction of four Afghan women selected to train to be helicopter pilots. Afghans are, in general, not enthusiastic about women joining the military, or piloting aircraft.
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06/24/2011
Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, when we celebrate the accomplishments of our servicemen and women. Yet it is also an appropriate time to reflect on the increasingly parlous state of our military.
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06/24/2011
A long-running US military project aimed at producing a "refrigerator sized" laser raygun capable of being mounted on US combat aircraft has received further funding of just under $40m.
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06/24/2011
Two pilots were killed on Thursday when a Russian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed in the Astrakhan region on Thursday, law enforcement sources said. “At 4.43 p.m. the aircraft went off the radar screens around 43 km from the town of Akhtubinsk in Astrakhan region,” the source said.
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06/24/2011
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has launched a small, armed, unmanned helicopter which it says could prove attractive to Middle Eastern countries as an attractive alternative to the products being produced in Israel.
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06/23/2011
Syria's Soviet-era military systems breaking down under stress of clash with unarmed protesters.
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06/23/2011
The Russian defence market is set to expand considerably over the next decade, with the Russian authorities seeking to modernise and improve the capabilities of the Russian armed forces, and to cement Russia's place as a leading military nation.
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06/23/2011
The Defence Ministry today categorically stated that the process for procurement of the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) was irreversible and the Government was moving ahead to the next stage of finalising the nearly $ 11 billion dollar, 126 aircraft deal.
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06/23/2011
Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc., an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it is has secured a letter of intent from Cornucopia, Ltd. ("Cornucopia") to commit up to $8 million for the purchase of military aircraft and related parts and other aircraft assets.
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06/23/2011
Lockheed Martin and its U.S. military partners are attempting to counter at the Paris Air Show this week negative publicity over cost overruns and technical delays that have plagued the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft project. Senior project officials told reporters and analysts at a well-attended briefing here that they have "turned the corner" in the troubled development of the strike aircraft.
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06/23/2011
Alenia Aermacchi received military certification for its M346 jet trainer from launch customer the Italian Air Force on June 20, the firm said Wednesday. The Finmeccanica unit undertook 180 flights over the last five months, for a total of 200 hours’ flying time, to win the certification. The Italian Air Force will now start the acceptance procedure for the first two series aircraft, which it has named the T-346A.
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06/23/2011
If you needed any more evidence as to how important unmanned aircraft have become to the US military operations, the US Air Force today said drones have amassed over one million combat hours flown. While that number is impressive, it took the planes known as Global Hawk, Predator and Reaper, almost 14 years to do it, but it could take only a little over another two years to cross the two million mark according to Air Force officials.
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06/23/2011
As the dust over rejection of two U.S. companies from the Rs. 11,000-crore Indian Air Force tender for fighter aircraft settles, official sources said the United States would also have to reconcile with India's unwillingness to sign three military pacts. The U.S. was extremely upset after Boeing and Lockheed Martin were knocked out of the race for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).
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06/23/2011
The Boeing Company today announced the supplier team that will provide key components for the U.S. Air Force's KC-46 Tanker. The Air Force selected Boeing on Feb. 24 to replace 179 Eisenhower-era KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft.
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06/23/2011
Iraq's Air Force has followed on a contract with Hawker Beechcraft through the American Air Force Security Assistance Training command to support the force's fleet of King Air 250ER aircraft.
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06/22/2011
The US may be out of India's $10.4 billion MMRCA deal, the biggest in recent times, but its firms are making a last-ditch attempt to at least corner a slice of the pie. US defence major Raytheon announced here that it is willing to supply missiles and weapons systems which can be integrated into both Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the two jets which have been shortlisted by India for the project.
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06/22/2011
Pilots from the 60th Guard Air Base are now conducting training flights after sunset in spite of the rules held for the past 15 years. The air base command set the military pilots a task of intercepting a target in the air in complete darkness with zero visibility.
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06/22/2011
Boeing could continue manufacturing variants of its F-15 Eagle — a fighter first flown in 1972 - all the way until the 2020s, the president of its military aircraft division confirmed Tuesday. If Boeing can lock in deals with the air forces of Saudi Arabia and South Korea, it could make new investments “for the long term,” Chris Chadwick told reporters, to make its Eagles or Silent Eagles as cheap and easy to produce as they’ve ever been.
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06/22/2011
Airbus Military and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will jointly develop a new version of an early warning system for the Airbus Military C295 aircraft. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday.
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06/22/2011
U.S. military pride, strength and technology are on display at the 49th International Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget Airport here June 20 through 26. Held every two years, the Paris Air Show provides an opportunity for the U.S. to showcase the best the Department of Defense has to offer in people, aircraft, equipment and training on an international stage.
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06/22/2011
NATO responded on Tuesday to a Congressional threat to cut off funding to the U.S. military involvement in Libya by saying the United States was providing unique assets essential for the success of the mission.
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06/22/2011
Boeing began final assembly of the Indian navy's first P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft this month at the company's Renton factory. The P-8I, based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy.
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06/22/2011
The Boeing C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) is making final preparations for five aircraft to enter the U.S. Air Force Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) program in early 2012.
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06/22/2011
The Norwegian parliament unanimously approved the funding of four Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II training jets to begin fulfilling Norway’s future air-combat capability requirements.
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06/22/2011
In a special ceremony at its headquarters in Wichita today, Hawker Beechcraft celebrated the delivery of the 700th Beechcraft T-6. The milestone aircraft, a T-6C, was accepted by the United States Air Force (USAF) on behalf of the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF). To date, all of the RMAF aircraft have been delivered on or ahead of schedule and all remaining aircraft, ground support equipment and spares are expected to be in-country ahead of schedule.
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06/21/2011
Radar and missiles major Raytheon has enhanced its presence in India with multiple tie-ups with Indian industry, and has announced that its weapons are capable of being integrated on both of the finalists' aircraft in India's medium multi-role combat aircraft competition. The final two shortlisted for MMRCA are Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale.
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06/21/2011
French aviation firm optimistic about selling multi-dimensional fighter jet to UAE, India and Brazil.
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06/21/2011
Weaponizing crop dusters . . . yeah I know I wish I'd thought of it too, but engineers at Moog Aerospace and Air Tractor beat us to it when they added weapons to the Air Tractor AT-802U single engine turboprop aircraft. No longer spraying chemicals, this lethal aircraft now has precision strike capability with bombs and guns. It is part of the static display at the Paris Air Show this week.
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06/21/2011
Northrop Grumman international head John Brooks speaks in slow, measured tones. His carefully spoken insights reflect a thoughtful, probing intellect - decades of experience in the defence industry. For nearly 30 years Brooks served in the US Air Force, rising to the rank of major general, with experience flying in the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter.
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06/21/2011
Nato has admitted civilians were killed during an air strike in Tripoli in the early hours of Sunday morning in the first acknowledged civilian casualties caused by the alliance during the three-month bombing campaign.
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06/21/2011
The first of four C-130J Super Hercules for the Qatar Emiri Air Force took to the skies over the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga., June 8.
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06/21/2011
ockheed Martin announced a new website for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft at the Paris Air Show today. The site, http://www.f35.com, provides the most up-to-date information on the F-35 program, including history, program updates, news, photos and videos.
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06/21/2011
Lockheed Martin announced an update to its media briefing schedule for the 2011 Paris Air Show. These events will underscore Lockheed Martin's commitment to meeting our customers' needs in the new reality of increasing global security challenges and affordability requirements.
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06/21/2011
China's fifth-generation fighter program is more for effect than substance, Russia's leading aircraft maker said on Monday.
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06/21/2011
European manufacturer Airbus' hopes of wooing international customers with displays from its military and civil flagship aircraft were hit by a double blow.
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06/19/2011
Prompted in part by the prospect of squeezed Pentagon budgets, U.S. defense groups have been consolidating operations in pursuit of higher value, higher technology pursuits. At L-3 Communications, as at both Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman previously, this means shifting out of service activities where margins are tighter and there is less scope for differentiation in a tight market, according to the New York-based group’s chairman, president and CEO Michael Strianese.
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06/19/2011
With the $2.4 billion Mirage-2000 upgrade deal with France in its final stages, India's defence ministry and air force top brass seem to be split over the high costs and likely benefits to the country's future air power needs.
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06/19/2011
Le Bourget will as usual provide an ideal platform for France's defence industry and armed forces to showcase the nation's frontline equipment and future military hardware. With its armed forces currently engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan and also over Libya, France's air transport and in-flight refuelling fleets are currently experiencing sustained high demand, with this placing pressure on its current aged types.
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06/19/2011
A group of British observers on board of a Swedish SAAB-340 aircraft will make a series of inspection flights over the Russian territories under the Open Skies Treaty on June 20-24, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. "SAAB-340 aircraft and the equipment it carries were earlier approved and certified by international experts and specialists, including from Russia," the spokesman said.
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06/19/2011
AgustaWestland is preparing to unveil its first production AW159 helicopter at the Paris Air Show. tomorrow. Some 62 AW159s have been ordered by launch customer, the UK's Ministry of Defence for the British Army and Royal Navy to fulfil both over land and maritime missions with a common platform.
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06/18/2011
When the Paris Air Show opens next week, officials from the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin will undoubtedly be touting recent progress on the F-35 joint strike fighter program. But there won't be an F-35 there to demonstrate its prowess.
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06/18/2011
The Norwegian parliament has approved the purchase of an initial four F-35 jets in 2016 preparing for main deliveries in 2018.
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06/18/2011
Designed to replace the F-15 as the mainstay air superiority fighter in the U.S. air force inventory, the F-22 has big expectations riding on its wings, the most important of which is to maintain air superiority until the middle of the 21st century, when the next model comes out.
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06/18/2011
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has plans to set up four manufacturing plants for the production of medium multi-role combat aircraft, light utility helicopter, fifth generation fighter aircraft and multi-role transport aircraft, a senior company official said today.
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06/18/2011
Two months after being shortlisted, French firm Dassault and consortium of European companies Eurofighter have submitted their revised offset bids for the multi-billion dollar 126 combat aircraft deal, the process for which is expected to be completed by the year end.
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06/18/2011
Northern Sudanese military aircraft dropped two bombs within a kilometre of a U.N. compound near the capital of the Southern Kordofan border state on Friday, the U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said.
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06/18/2011
President Barack Obama's proposed defense budget calls for retiring six B-1B Lancer bombers from the nation's fleet, including two from Ellsworth Air Force Base. The Air Force recently notified Sen. Tim Johnson's office that four of the jets scheduled for retirement would come from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and two from Ellsworth.
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06/18/2011
The 49th Paris Air Show is held at the suburbs of Paris, in Le Bourget, in the period from 20th to 26th June 2011. This air show is rightfully considered the oldest and most prestigious venue among other the aerospace exhibitions. The first display of aircraft in the French capital took place as early as in 1908. This year the exhibition in France will be the first to cross a historical centennial landmark.
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06/18/2011
While there are signs of a recovery from the global financial crisis, its effects are still being felt in the aviation sector, notably in defense spending. Cash-strapped nations are only now starting to spend, and many of them may still be looking for bargains at the Paris Air Show this year.
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06/17/2011
China said Friday that its maritime defense forces recently staged three days and nights of exercises in the South China Sea, a disputed, resource-rich region where tensions are rising.The drills involved a total of 14 patrol boats, landing craft and submarine hunting boats, along with two military aircraft, the official People's Daily newspaper said. It said the exercises were aimed at refining anti-submarine, replenishment and island defense capabilities in order to better respond to any futur
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06/17/2011
The second test of an Air Force experimental aircraft developed by Boeing ended prematurely this week just seconds after launching. A video released Thursday showed a B-52 bomber launch the experimental X-51 WaveRider shortly before it crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The 14-foot aircraft — which is designed to hit 4,000 mph — is being developed to give the Pentagon a new way to deliver a military strike anywhere around the globe within minutes.
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06/17/2011
A Navy training jet crashed in a remote South Texas field, but the pilot ejected safely and suffered only minor injuries.
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06/17/2011
he Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey is the world’s first production military tiltrotor aircraft. Since the inception of its concept in the early 1980s, the Osprey has seen many trials and tribulations. Unsuccessful prototypes took Marines' lives, while negative press slammed the project for being too expensive. Despite these hurdles, the current iteration of the Osprey is alive and well, operating daily from U.S. Naval vessels and supporting coalition troops in the mountains and deserts of Afghanis
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06/17/2011
Embraer Defense and Security has selected Liebherr-Aerospace for the advanced environmental and cabin pressure control systems of the KC-390 military transport aircraft.
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06/17/2011
U.S. lawmakers on Thursday urged the Obama administration to authorize the sale of advanced F-16 jet fighters to Taiwan in a strong signal of bipartisan support for a step that would rile China.
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06/17/2011
The Boeing Phantom Eye high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned airborne system completed 12 days of ground vibration and structural mode interaction tests this month at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Phantom Eye is being prepared for its first flight, scheduled for later this summer.
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06/17/2011
The U.S. Navy today announced the Commonwealth of Australia has selected the MH-60R SEAHAWK® helicopter to fulfill the Australian Defence Force’s AIR 9000 Phase 8 requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation, multi-role naval combat aircraft. The Commonwealth will acquire the helicopters with associated training and logistical support via the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales program.
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06/17/2011
On June 15, the third and fourth of six C-130J Super Hercules for the Indian Air Force departed the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga. en route to Air Force Station Hindan in India. The remaining two C-130Js on order will be delivered later this summer.
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06/17/2011
A total of 59 Russian firms and agencies, including 27 defense companies, will take part in the upcoming international air show outside Paris, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said.
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06/16/2011
bout 1,000 airmen are visiting Eielson Air Force Base this week for this year’s Northern Edge exercise. Airmen and service members from the Army, Navy and Marines are participating in the biennial exercise to train for potential crises in the Asia-Pacific region. The exercise began Monday and runs through June 24.
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06/16/2011
India is set to decide on possibly the world's biggest combat aircraft deal of this decade as well as those for new combat, utility and heavy-lift helicopters within the next few weeks or months, but all within 2011.
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06/16/2011
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he'd rather have a smaller "superbly capable" military than a hollow force. Secretary Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee June 15 that even as the department looks for savings, there has to be an admission that reductions will increase risks.
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06/16/2011
Europe’s biggest defense contractor, BAE Systems, has pulled out of the race for a 1.45 billion zloty ($530.5 million) contract to supply Poland with 16 training-combat aircraft, the company said June 14.
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06/16/2011
Strategic considerations played no part whatsoever in India’s down-selection of the EADS Eurofighter and the Dassault Rafale for its lucrative medium multirole combat fighter aircraft (MMRCA) competition. So argues Ashley J. Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in a fascinating analysis that runs counter to many other assessments of the Indian decision, which beggared American belief for its rejection of the two US entrants in spite of the increasingly close ties between Wash
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06/16/2011
Near the coast of southwest Iceland, miles from the snow-covered volcanoes that made media attention twice since early 2010, is the former Keflavik Naval Air Station - the location used for NATO's Northern Viking 2011 training exercise.
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06/16/2011
Boeing today announced that India’s Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement with the U.S. government to acquire 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifters. The Foreign Military Sale -- approved by the U.S. Congress in May 2010 -- establishes India as the C-17's largest international customer. According to the agreement, India will take delivery of its C-17s in 2013 and 2014.
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06/15/2011
The House Appropriations Committee passed a $649 billion defense spending bill Tuesday for fiscal 2012 that trims $9 billion from President Barack Obama's budget while boosting ground combat vehicles and special operations programs.
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06/15/2011
NATO on Tuesday said it had sufficient resources to continue its air campaign in Libya despite fears the alliance could run out of steam as Moammar Gadhafi digs in his heels.
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06/15/2011
After Air Chief, PV Naik, saw the fifth generation fighter aircraft flight in Russia last month, on Tuesday secretary of defence production, RK Singh, was given a flight demonstration of the PAK-FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation).
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06/15/2011
A pair of needle-nosed warplanes suddenly appear, needing fuel before they make the last dash across the Libyan coast to their targets. In the next few minutes, the bomb-laden Italian Tornados will stage a delicate, high-speed, close encounter with lumbering Canadian Hercules, and as a matter of practised routine transfer 10 tonnes of fuel in midair.
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06/15/2011
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, began participating in the U.S. Pacific Command’s Northern Edge 2011 exercise June 13. The exercise runs through June 24 and will focus on strategic capabilities that enable the joint-military world to be adept in detection and tracking in air, land and sea spaces.
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06/15/2011
France's Rafale fighter programme is midway through what could be a pivotal year in the Dassault type's potentially half-century service history. Already involved in NATO-led combat operations over Libya, the aircraft will return to frontline duty in Afghanistan inside the next two months. Its industrial backers are, meanwhile, edging seemingly closer to a long-awaited first export sale.
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06/15/2011
India is preparing to withdraw its four remaining Mi-35 attack helicopters from the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo early next month, ending years of Indian air superiority in the war-racked nation and depriving the U.N. of its most vital military asset as the country heads into a landmark presidential election.
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06/15/2011
Overall, the F-35 program remains ahead of the overall goals for test flights and test points year-to-date. Through May 31, the program accomplished 378 flights versus a plan of 297 and accomplished 3,342 test points against a plan of 2,217.
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06/14/2011
The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) in an interview that while the government had accorded approval earlier this month to buy 10 aircraft, the air force was now processing a case for six more of these airlifters. At a later date, "we will add some more," he disclosed but did not specify the number.
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06/14/2011
Fourteen mobility Airmen teamed together to fly a C-5M Super Galaxy on a direct, non-stop mission from Dover Air Force Base, Del., here June 5 and 6, 2011. The flight was the first time a U.S. Air Force plane flew this northern route from the U.S., over Canada and into the Arctic Circle, then back down through Russian and Kazakhstan airspace to Afghanistan.
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06/14/2011
American and Afghan officials are locked in increasingly acrimonious secret talks about a long-term security agreement which is likely to see US troops, spies and air power based in the troubled country for decades.
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06/14/2011
Since winning the $4 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force for development and engineering of the KC-X refuelling tanker last February, Boeing has provided only generalities on the design of its KC-46A. Last week, during a series of media briefings in Philadelphia and St. Louis preceding the Paris Air Show, Dennis Muilenburg, CEO of Boeing Defense & Space CEO, said, “We don’t do airplane design in the public realm.”
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06/14/2011
The House Appropriations Committee cut $8.9 billion from the Pentagon's 2012 budget request, according to the panel's defense appropriations bill, which was released a day before lawmakers meet to mark up the legislation. The panel, which meets Tuesday, is providing $530 billion for the Pentagon's 2012 base budget.
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06/14/2011
The Central Intelligence Agency plans to use armed drones to try to kill al Qaeda militants in Yemen, where months of antigovernment protests, an armed revolt and the attempted assassination of the president have left a power vacuum, U.S. officials say.
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06/14/2011
Canada's combat role in Afghanistan is on track to end in July, and troops are beginning to wind down their military operations and prepare for the journey home. But for a group of specialized military "movers" tasked with staying behind to prepare, pack up, and 'rack and stack' the gear for shipping, months of work is just beginning.
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06/14/2011
The Indian Air Force could lose its combat edge over rivals in the neighbourhood in the next 10 years if it fails to keep pace with its modernisation targets, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik has warned. He said China had embarked on a "modernisation spree" and there had been "considerable development" of infrastructure and "induction of assets across India's northern and eastern borders".
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06/14/2011
NATO allies Poland and the United States signed a deal on Monday for the stationing of U.S. airforce personnel on Polish soil, a symbolically important move for Warsaw as it keeps a nervous eye on neighbouring Russia.
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06/13/2011
Royal Navy fighter pilots are being forced to learn French in order to operate on board France’s flagship aircraft carrier.
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06/13/2011
Russia's Ambassador to India, Alexander M. Kadakin, has said that the Indian Government's decision to reject his country's MiG-35 fighter jets would not affect bilateral ties between the two countries.
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06/13/2011
After more than $77 billion and five years, the F-22 Raptor has never been to war and now can’t even get off the ground. With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ongoing and bombing raids over Libya, the jet that was once touted as one that “can never be matched” sits, immobile. On Wednesday, Air Command Communications in Langley, Va., had three words regarding the plight of the F-22 Raptor: “Still grounded, sir.”
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06/13/2011
The RNoAF will reduce its F-16 contribution to four jets and will totally withdraw it forces from the NATO-led operation by August 1st, the government said Friday. Defense Minister Grete Faremo said she expects understanding from NATO allies because Norway has a small air force and cannot "maintain a large fighter jet contribution for a long period."
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06/13/2011
In some alarming remarks, U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye was reported as saying in a recent speech that "the U.S. should get ready for continued struggle with China." As relayed by Star-Advertiser columnist Richard Borreca, the context makes clear Sen. Inouye did not just mean political struggle but military struggle, for he said he has concluded over his many years of service "that war is nearly unavoidable" ("Inouye warns against U.S. letting down its guard in Asia,").
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06/11/2011
India’s plans to modernise its ageing air force have triggered a tit-for-tat Pakistani programme that could exacerbate strategic tensions in South Asia, officials and analysts told "The National". Defence analysts said the planned air force expansions were part of an arms race between India and Pakistan that dates back to the 1960s and the height of the Cold War.
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06/11/2011
For the second time in two days, India today successfully test fired indigenously developed air-to-air Astra interceptor missile with an 80 km range from Chandipur in Orissa.
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06/11/2011
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics officials say the company is just days away from delivering its first F-35 Lightning II aircraft to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
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06/11/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded on June 8 a $107,582,787 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N00019-09-C-0010) for the procurement of one Low Rate Initial Production IV conventional take off and landing F-35 aircraft for the government of the Netherlands, including ancillary mission equipment/pilot fighter equipment items.
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06/11/2011
A Senate aide believes there is a feeling among US lawmakers that the Obama administration wants Congress to be responsible for the sale of F-16C/D jets to Taiwan.
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06/11/2011
The Air National Guard has grounded training flights from its Madison base after an F-16 fighter plane crashed this week in central Wisconsin.
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06/11/2011
America’s key strategic alliance throughout the cold war is in far deeper trouble than most members admit. The Atlantic allies face a host of new and old dangers. Without more and wiser European military spending — on equipment, training, surveillance and reconnaissance — NATO faces, as Mr. Gates rightly warned, “a dim if not dismal future” and even “irrelevance.”
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06/11/2011
We’ve written before about the Army’s experiments with how it might use smartphones or tablet computers on the battlefield, but it’s starting to look behind the curve: Consumer-grade mobile devices are already in service elsewhere in the military, including the war zone. Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson use Apple iPads — a whole crate of ‘em, by the looks of it — to help manage geographical information in the ship’s combat information center.
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06/11/2011
Boeing delivered a second C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence today at the C-17 program's final assembly facility in Long Beach. The company is contracted to deliver a total of six C-17s to its UAE customer - four this year and two in 2012.
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06/10/2011
Boeing has revealed its KC-46A tanker is heavier and slightly longer than any previous version of the 767-200 airframe on which it is based, but still refuses to provide essential details about the airframe configuration and refuelling system more than three months after winning the KC-X contract. The company's clamp-down on design details is a departure from its practice on the P-8A, which also involved adapting an airliner, a 737, for a military mission, and in the first round of the KC-X bid
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06/10/2011
Boeing's P-8A Poseidon sub hunter for the U.S. Navy is the base off of which the company could relatively cheaply and easily build other 737-based military aircraft, executives said Wednesday. The Navy plans to purchase 117 of the 737-based P-8As to replace its turboprop Lockheed Electra-based P-3 Orion fleet. The first is set to enter service in 2013.
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06/10/2011
A resolution inspired by Western nations critical of civilian killings in politically-beleaguered Syria is facing threats from two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council: Russia and China.
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06/10/2011
The Indian air force (IAF) has long had big ambitions, and the pending arrival of a new leader with a broad agenda indicates there will be no easing up in efforts to strengthen the service’s capabilities. The first major revamp of the IAF’s order of battle—revival of border air bases to counter Chinese air force deployments, along with quick acquisitions of new weapons and systems—will be operational priorities for Air Marshal Norman Browne, who takes over as IAF chief at the end of July when A
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06/10/2011
Photographs of an unknown Chinese fighter jet appeared on Internet forums on Wednesday, sparking speculation that the country has developed the world's second fifth-generation fighter. The U.S. F-22 Raptor is currently the world's only operational fifth generation fighter plane.
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06/09/2011
Airbus, a market leader in commercial and military transport aircraft is showcasing ideas for a sustainable aviation at the Le Bourget Air Show between June 20th– 26th. Visitors will be able to see revolutionary ideas and concepts as well as daily flying displays from the world’s most modern passenger and military transport aircraft.
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06/09/2011
During the state visit, China agreed to provide Pakistan with fifty 'JF-17 Thunder' fighter jets, a single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft, jointly developed by the two countries. Reacting to this deal, Indian defence minister A. K. Anthony stated that “It is a matter of serious concern for us. The main thing is, we have to increase our capability, that is the only answer.”
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06/09/2011
US military operations in Libya are on course to cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than the Pentagon estimated, according to figures obtained by the Financial Times. Robert Gates, the outgoing secretary of defence, said last month that the Pentagon expected to spend “somewhere in the ball park of $750m” in the 2011 fiscal year as part of efforts to protect the Libyan people.
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06/09/2011
Two retired U.S. senior Persian Gulf experts -- one a diplomat, another a Navy admiral -- said at separate events on Tuesday that a military strike against Iran's nuclear sector appears both inadvisable and unlikely, at least for the time being.
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06/09/2011
A top Chinese military official has confirmed that Beijing is building its first aircraft carrier, described as a "symbol of a great nation" which could reportedly set sail within weeks.
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06/09/2011
Lockheed Martin today announced its media briefing schedule for the 2011 Paris Air Show. These events will underscore Lockheed Martin's commitment to meeting our customers' needs in the new reality of increasing global security challenges and affordability requirements.
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06/09/2011
NATO will continue its mission in Libya for as long as it takes, the alliance said on Wednesday, after formally endorsing an extension of its campaign for a further three months from June 27. The allies have intensified their efforts and are determined to continue the operation to protect the Libyan people "for as long as necessary."
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06/09/2011
The first Airbus Military C295 development aircraft fitted with an Airbone Early Warning sand Command (AEW&C) rotodome has successfully completed its first flight he flight - at Airbus Military’s site in Seville, Spain - follows extensive research and development work, including wind tunnel testing, leading to the conversion of a C295 to be fitted with the in-house developed rotodome.
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06/08/2011
The pilot was recovered south of the Town of New Chester in Adams County and is being medically evaluated. The crash scene is located north of Highway 82, just west of Interstate 39. The aircraft was flying from Volk Field and was carrying a chemical called hydrazine, which is used to make rocket fuel. A hazmat team was assessing the area Tuesday night.
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06/08/2011
The Israeli air force is sending a team to the United States this month to evaluate the controversial V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that it's eyeing for search-and-rescue and covert special operations. The successful March rescue of a downed U.S. Air Force F-15 pilot in Libya by an Osprey crew has doubtless enhanced the prospects of the multi-mission aircraft built by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Rotorcraft Systems.
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06/08/2011
The United States remained the world's top military spender in 2010, laying out six times more money than second-placed China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported Tuesday. Last year, global military expenditures totalled 1.6 trillion dollars, a 1.3-per-cent increase from 2009 SIPRI said.
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06/08/2011
Military and industry officials rave about the V-22 tiltrotor’s performance in Afghanistan but know they need to show the aircraft is worth its high price tag. The Marine Corps are flying V-22 Ospreys in theater and “it’s more effective than we expected,” Maj. Gen. Jon Davis, Second Marine Corps Air Wing commander, told reporters here recently. “We have only scratched the surface with this aircraft. … “We’re doing things with the V-22 we did not plan to do.”
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06/08/2011
The South Korean and U.S. air forces hosted a joint exercise here May recently to sharpen their ability to work together in a simulated wartime environment.
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06/08/2011
The Boeing Company today announced it has been awarded phase one of the Communications Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) E-4B upgrade contract by the U.S. Air Force. The CNS/ATM upgrade, a Federal Aviation Administration requirement, will allow the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center to operate more efficiently at airports and in crowded airspace.
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06/08/2011
Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) tri-mode seeker successfully acquired and tracked multiple moving maritime vessels during recent high-speed, captive flight tests.
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06/08/2011
Russian and NATO fighter aircraft started on Tuesday the operational phase of the joint Vigilant Skies 2011 anti-terrorism drills by intercepting a plane hijacked by terrorists over Poland, Russian National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) spokesman Dmitry Pavlov said.
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06/07/2011
Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc. (OTCQB:TADF), an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it is has executed a letter of intent ("the "LOI") with its pending merger partner, Tactical Air Support, Inc. ("Tac-Air") to acquire certain military aircraft and related aircraft assets (together, the "Ai
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06/07/2011
Israel's High-Tech Industry Association has signed a memorandum of understanding with its Indian counterpart to boost cooperation in advanced technology, a move that will undoubtedly increase the Jewish state's burgeoning defense sales to India. The Jerusalem Post reports that industry executives see the accord with the Confederation of Indian Industry, signed June 1, leading to a convergence of "Israel's innovative prowess with India's huge and talented pool of human resources."
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06/07/2011
Boeing has moved on from its loss in India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition and is now focusing on other opportunities in that country, while also preparing to compete for fighter contracts in Japan and South Korea. “Although we’re disappointed with the results of the fighter campaign in India, we’ve moved forward,” Boeing Defense, Space and Security CEO Dennis Muilenburg told journalists during a press briefing at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 3.
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06/07/2011
India's government on Monday approved the purchase of 10 military transport planes from Boeing Co. for 4.1 billion dollars - the country's biggest defence deal with a US firm. The order for the C-17 Globemaster III planes will enhance the capability of India's air force to swiftly transport combat equipment and troops over long distances. It was confirmed at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs (CCS).
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06/07/2011
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today it submitted a proposal in response to the government’s Request for Proposal (RFP) for the next phases of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) program.
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06/07/2011
Russia's Rosvertol attack helicopter producer said on Monday it is in talks with Algeria over exports of its Mi-28NE for delivery from 2012-2017. "A commercial proposal has already been sent [to Algiers] and discussions will begin this year," Rosvertol General Director Boris Slyusar said. "We hope to sign a contract for delivery in 2012-2017." Rosvertol is the attack helicopter arm of the state-owned Russian Helicopters holding company.
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06/06/2011
General Bond's death opened the possible exposure of five secret programs and facilities, including the MiG program, the F-117 program, Area 51, Area 52, and the nuclear reactor explosions at Jackass Flats. Unlike the deaths of CIA pilots flying out of Area 51, which could be concealed as generic training accidents, the death of a general required detailed explanation.
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06/06/2011
A Dhaka court on Wednesday acquitted all the five, including Air Marshal (Retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed, who were accused in MiG-29 purchase graft case. The four others are: former Defence Secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (Retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Hossain Serniabat and Unique Group Managing Director Nur Ali.
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06/06/2011
British jets hit a military barracks in the Libyan capital early Sunday, intensifying NATO pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi nearly four months into an uprising to end his erratic 42-year rule. The airstrikes on the barracks — repeated targets of NATO strikes — followed the Western alliance's first use of attack helicopters Saturday.
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06/05/2011
Capabilities gained from a decade of combat have transformed military reserve components into a full-spectrum operational force that should be integrated into the active fighting force, a defense official said June 3.
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06/05/2011
he military aircraft that have made emergency landings in Malta were refuelled by Enemalta and the countries which own them are responsible to pay for the fuel purchased, a finance ministry spokesman has told The Malta Independent.
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06/05/2011
He has become known to many Canadians as an outspoken defender of veterans’ rights. But in 2002, Lt.-Col. Pat Stogran was doing very different work. He and 1,000 soldiers from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry landed at Kandahar Airfield to team up with 2,000 paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division in the manhunt for Osama bin Laden and his Arab, Afghan and Pakistani allie.
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06/05/2011
Air strikes by British combat helicopters have been carried out for the first time in Libya, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. Two targets near the Libyan town of Brega were hit by Army Apaches overnight in the latest Nato assault against forces loyal to Colonel Mummar Gaddafi.
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06/05/2011
NATO's actions in Libya are gradually evolving into a land operation, Russia's foreign minister warned on Saturday. The French armed forces website said on Saturday that British and French light aviation helicopters of the ground forces had delivered pinpoint strikes at Libya on Friday night as part of NATO's military operation.
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06/04/2011
Col. Michael T. Thomas has assumed command Saturday of the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard. Thomas, a KC-135 pilot, took command during a ceremony at Selfridge Air National Guard Base on Saturday. Thomas replaced Brig. Gen. Michael L. Peplinski as the wing commander. Peplinski, who had served as the wing commander since December 2005, retired after more than 32 years of military service.
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06/04/2011
Boeing Corp is counting on growing demand in Asia and the Middle East for military aircraft to help offset possible spending cuts in Europe and the United States, a top company executive said yesterday.
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06/04/2011
Lockheed Martin is willing to outsource some production of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Japanese firms if the country's government decides to buy them as its next mainstay fighter aircraft, an executive at the U.S. company said on Friday.
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06/04/2011
Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc. (OTCQB:TADF), an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it is has executed a letter of intent ("the "LOI") with its pending merger partner, Tactical Air Support, Inc. ("Tac-Air") to acquire certain military aircraft and related aircraft assets (together, the "Ai
(Read More...)
06/04/2011
Both US bids for a major Indian Air Force fighter contract lost because of technical faults - not US export control policies or corruption in New Dehli, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar Ashley Tellis said in an interview. The former American diplomat in New Dehli arrived at his conclusions after a three-week trip to India that included meetings with top Indian government, military and industry officials. The IAF selected the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon as final
(Read More...)
06/04/2011
Here the C-295 is being used as a test bed for the development of a new AEW platform, one that features a rotodome to gain 360 degree coverage. What is most striking about the proposed program is that it would fit into a strategy somewhat similar to SAAB’s whereby the company would offer a variety of combat air capabilities ranging from combat air, to AEW, to UAVs.
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06/04/2011
The Czech military may sell its L-159 aircraft to Iraq at a fraction of its original price, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes about the deal discussed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Czech counterpart Petr Necas in late May.
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06/04/2011
Boeing today announced that it has received a $61 million U.S. Air Force contract for two more C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits and two Aircrew Training System devices as part of a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract that was awarded in 2010.
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06/03/2011
A Tucano and two Royal Navy hawk aircraft were coming into land at RAF Linton-on-Ouse when they were involved in a near-miss last October. Investigators concluded that the aircraft would have collided had the pilots not taken avoiding action.
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06/03/2011
When the UK government issued its amazingly “un-strategic” strategic defense review, the main casualties were air and naval power. In probably the most rapid invalidation of a government strategy on record, the Libyan events underscored that everything the Cameron government wished to get rid of, it needed to use in the Libyan campaign, which it sponsored.Literally, key assets headed for the bone yard were pressed into duty to fly the British flag and support European aspirations to “protect” c
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06/03/2011
The United States and Romania are in "very complicated" negotiations about the purchase of second-hand F-16 combat aircraft due to financing issues, the US ambassador to Romania said Thursday. Romania announced in March 2010 it would purchase 24 F-16 aircraft currently used by the US military for 1.3 billion dollars (1.1 billion euros), in order to replace its ageing, Soviet-made MiG Lancer jets.
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06/03/2011
The Boeing Company delivered two F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft -- designated F-15K49 and F-15K50 -- to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) at Daegu Air Base on May 30. The aircraft departed the Boeing St. Louis facility on May 25 and made stops in Palmdale, Calif., Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, before arriving in Korea.
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06/03/2011
Russia and the United States will set up a maintenance center for Mil Mi-17 helicopters bought by Washington for the Afghan armed forces, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Vyacheslav Dzirkaln said on Thursday. The United States signed a contract on the purchase of 21 Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters from Russia for $367.5 million on May 26.
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06/03/2011
Vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Qatar, Michael Bentinck and his team took time out today to celebrate the completion of the 100th Typhoon aircraft which was built at the UK's final assembly facility at Warton in Lancashire.
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06/02/2011
The Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that it plans to replace helicopters based at Futenma air station on Okinawa with the new Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, a move that could complicate already tense U.S.-Japan relations involving the island. The Ospreys could begin arriving at Futenma in 2013 as part of a worldwide effort to upgrade the Marine Corps’ aging fleet of Vietnam War-era Sea Knight helicopters, according to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Bases Japan public affairs o
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06/02/2011
When France sold the Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missile to the UAE (under the name Black Shaheen) in the 1990s, the United States strongly objected that the sale violated the voluntary guidelines under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). France sold the missile anyway, but the US successfully pushed to tighten up MTCR guidelines in 2002 to prevent further transfers like this.
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06/02/2011
The Czech army has ordered the grounding of its nine jet trainer and combat aircraft, the L-39 Albatros, following an accident investigation into a engine failure that forced the pilot to eject in December 2010. Five of the planes will be immediately removed from service and a further four only used for training young pilots — after thorough overhauls of the engines.
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06/02/2011
An Australian Army Boeing CH-47D Chinook transport helicopter has crashed in Afghanistan, killing one passenger and injuring the five other occupants. The incident occurred during a resupply mission 90km (48nm) east of the central Afghan town of Tarin Kot, said Australia's Department of Defence. Ground fire has been ruled out as the cause of the crash, it added.
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06/02/2011
Can America’s defense budget be cut? Yes. Unfortunately, President Obama is going about it exactly backward. He has asked the Pentagon to identify $400 billion in savings. But coming up with an arbitrary figure and telling our military to find some way to hit it isn’t the smart — or safe — way to make the necessary cuts.
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06/02/2011
Russia and NATO fighter aircraft will take part in the first ever joint exercise during the upcoming Vigilant Skies 2011 anti-terrorism drill to run between June 6-10, Russian National Antiterrorism Committee spokesman Nikolai Sintsov said on Wednesday. This is the first such counterterrorism exercise held between NATO and the Russian Federation, Sintsov said, adding that it will be held as a part of "the NATO-Russia Council Cooperative Airspace Initiative."
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06/02/2011
Russia may start buying Ukrainian-built An-70 propfan military transport aircraft in 2012-2013, deputy commander of the Russian Air Force Maj. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Wednesday. "The plane is undergoing factory tests, and next year it will be tested by [Russian] military pilots," Bondarev said. A final decision on the purchase of the An-70 will be maid by a state commission on the basis of the tests results, General Bondarev said.
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06/01/2011
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has confirmed that a "significant and tenacious attack" has been carried out against its network. Lockheed employs 126,000 people worldwide and is a major supplier of military equipment, manufacturing some of the most sophisticated U.S. military hardware such as the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.
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06/01/2011
Boeing Co has seen increased interest in its Super Hornet fighter jet from potential international customers as Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has faced development and cost challenges, a Boeing executive said on Tuesday. "We have definitely gotten a lot more interest," Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, told reporters.
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06/01/2011
On a 24-hour visit to New Delhi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel today tried to hardsell the Eurofighter Typhoon jets to India as she discussed a whole range of issues with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, including the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden.
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06/01/2011
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has long had big ambitions, and the pending arrival of a new service chief with a broad agenda indicates there will be no easing up in efforts to improve the breadth of the service’s capabilities.
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06/01/2011
Not too long ago - October 2007, to be precise - engine maker Pratt & Whitney seemed painted into a strategically perilous corner. New requirements were emerging for next-generation bombers, sixth-generation fighters, tactical airlifters and surveillance aircraft. These demanded a new kind of jet engine, one that could make the next leap in fuel efficiency by reconfiguring and squeezing the air flow at higher levels than ever before.
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06/01/2011
The House Appropriations Committee has crafted a Pentagon spending measure that would swell military spending at a time when both political parties are clamoring for spending cuts. That panel’s Defense subcommittee on Wednesday is expected to approve a Pentagon appropriations bill that includes $530 billion in base military funding. Another subcommittee already has approved a $14 billion military construction measure.
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06/01/2011
Russia and NATO will sign an agreement on setting up a trust fund for maintenance of Mil helicopters in Europe by yearend, a deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said on Tuesday. Vyacheslav Dzirkaln said the fund would be worth $7 million.
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05/31/2011
In the race for bagging the multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal, German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizere will meet his Indian counterpart A K Antony here tomorrow.The German Defence Minister is part of the delegation led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel who will be discussing a range of issues with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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05/31/2011
The RAF is using its E-3D spy plane to help protect Libya's civilians as the war rages between Mumamaar Gaddafi's forces and rebel fighters. Sean Rayment delivers dispatch from on board this secret military jet.
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05/31/2011
Russia has cancelled both its 'Indra' series of military exercises with India. Last month, a flotilla of five warships from the Indian navy's eastern fleet that went for joint naval exercises to Vladivostok in the Russian far-east, was turned back without any manoeuvres. The warships-which included the missile destroyers INS Delhi, INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay-were warmly received by the Russian navy, but when asked about the exercises, they were told the Russians had no ships to spare. On a requ
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05/31/2011
The UAE's main English language newspaper The National reported today that the country is seeking maintenance and spare parts valued at more than $100 million to support the UAE fefence force's F16 fleet.
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05/31/2011
Russia's MiG aircraft maker delivered a new batch of five MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighters to the Indian navy in May, the company said. "A flight training simulator and other technical equipment has also been delivered," MiG said in a statement on Monday.
The two countries signed a contract stipulating the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs to India in January 2004. The contract is part of a $1.5-billion deal to deliver the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, curre
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05/29/2011
Air Force maintainers are getting hands-on experience with the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter here.
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05/29/2011
The statement of French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet, made in New Dehli, that France will not sell Pakistan heavy defence equipment, shows two things. First, that France is not a reliable partner in providing military equipment, and second, how much influence India has over French policy that Mr Longuet found he had to make this statement during his visit to New Delhi.
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05/29/2011
With reports and experts clearly outlining the direct threat Taiwan faces as a result of its decaying military aircraft and China's unprecedented military buildup, US Senator Robert Menendez is leading efforts in the Senate to expedite the sale of 66 F-16 C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
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05/29/2011
The Army's Comanche helicopter was envisioned as "the quarterback of the digital battlefield," a technologically superior aircraft that could hide from enemies, operate at night and in bad weather, and travel farther than any other helicopter. In 2000, it ranked as the most important planned buy for the Army. Four years later, the program -- which had consumed close to 20 years of work and nearly $6 billion - was abruptly shuttered.
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05/29/2011
Britain has said it's sending Apache helicopters to Libya, and France is deploying combat aircraft as well. NATO says it's turning the screws on Moammar Gadhafi, but for some, the move shows they're clutching at straws.
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05/28/2011
India is today the world's largest importer of arms. These include fighter jet planes, missiles and radar systems for strategic partnerships and geo-political power. India is also investing in security and surveillance to combat foreign threats and resistance from its own people in places like the Kashmir valley, and the North East and tribal regions of Central India. This provides tremendous opportunity for multi-national corporations to sell and invest in India, a country marching ahead as an
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05/28/2011
A new generation of laser weapons may be on the horizon that is small enough and with sufficient power to fit on jet fighters, unmanned vehicles, armored combat vehicles, and small military boats to carry out tasks like defending against cruise missiles and swarms of small boats, providing air defenses for combat and cargo aircraft, ground attack, and defending against incoming artillery shells, rockets, and mortars.
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05/28/2011
France will stop sales of heavy military equipment to Pakistan hoping to assuage Indian concerns and prolong the recent success it has had in winning contracts from the Indian armed forces. Gerard Longuet , the French defence minister, began his two-day visit to India by assuring the country that France does not want to be seen feeding Pakistan's military ambitions.
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05/28/2011
The U.S. Army Forces Command and Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport have sealed a contract for the supply of 21 Mi-17V5 multipurpose helicopters to Afghanistan, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation said on Friday. The United States and Russia have been in talks for more than a year on the deal to provide the much needed vehicles for the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
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05/28/2011
The Polish defense minister confirmed on Friday that Warsaw and Washington would sign a deal on the permanent deployment of a U.S. air detachment in Poland after U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the European state. Polish media reports have speculated that Obama could announce the transfer of an F-16 squadron from the Aviano base in Italy to the Lask air field in central Poland during his May 27-28 visit to Warsaw.
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05/27/2011
The C/KC-135 Stratotanker is in and out of Southwest Asia, but these days it supports more than just air refueling operations. As the KC-135 performs more aeromedical evacuation missions, officials said they realized the fleet wasn't properly equipped to care for patients due to inadequate lighting.
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05/27/2011
Ministers from the four Eurofighter programme nations - Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - have given their renewed support to the integration of an active electronically scanned array radar, according to partner company BAE Systems.
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05/27/2011
India and France have decided to further enhance their "strategic partnership" and deepen bilateral defence cooperation. This came after visiting French defence minister Gerard Longuet met his Indian counterpart A K Antony at South Block on Thursday.
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05/27/2011
Director of the Air League Andrew Brookes looks at the effectiveness of the no-fly zone over Libya and asks if it is as much a diplomatic as a military tool.
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05/27/2011
Spanish police say they have intercepted the sale of nine military transport helicopters to Iran. Five Spaniards and three Iranians were arrested after raids on industrial warehouses near Madrid and Barcelona.
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05/27/2011
South Carolina's "Swamp Fox" Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets have joined the nation's air alert system, standing ready to respond to any threats over the southeastern United States.
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05/27/2011
With a roar the Mikado yellow Eurofighter Typhoon jet zipped overhead as Mark Bowman, Chief Test Pilot for combat aircraft at BAE Systems, deftly took the plane into a somersault above the company's aerodrome at Preston in the north-east of England and disappeared into the clouds. The ground-trembling sound subsided as quickly as it made itself felt and peace returned to the Warton Aerodrome.
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05/26/2011
The recent headlines have been dominated by the progressively deteriorating relationship between the United States and Pakistan. The killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Pakistani territory in May by US forces exacerbated the widening rift and further overshadowed the recent staging of a sensitive military exercise involving Pakistani and Chinese forces.
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05/26/2011
While NATO and allied Arab forces continue to apply strong military pressure to Kadhafi’s forces along the Western coast of Libya, France and the UK prepare to deploy additional assets to the operation that are expected to bring a shift in allied tactics. According to French officials, both countries are deploying attack helicopters to provide more flexibility, firepower and precision to airborne operations in Libya.
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05/26/2011
n renewing a two-year-old authorisation to export the aircraft, the cabinet reviewed the situation in North Africa and the Gulf region and concluded the UAE was one of the most politically and economically stable countries in the region. The government first approved the country’s order for 25 PC-21 planes in May 2009, to replace the PC-7 engines exported by Switzerland in the 1990s.
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05/26/2011
One of the first Marine Corps Harrier squadrons to see action in Afghanistan has returned after nearly a decade. Marine Attack Squadron 513, which first deployed to Afghanistan in 2002, will also be the first Marine Corps Harrier squadron to fully operate in Afghanistan since the departure of VMA-231 in 2010.
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05/26/2011
This year's exercises involve hundreds of troops as well as representatives from government sectors and civil authorities from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the US. The exercises will be directed by Centcom, according to WAM, the state news agency. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, France and South Korea are participating as observers.
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05/26/2011
Ministers are to announce the deployment of Apache attack helicopters to Libya, a move seen as a significant escalation of Britain's role in the conflict despite government denials, according to well-placed Whitehall sources.
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05/26/2011
At a time when the credibility of the Manmohan Singh regime lies in tatters, thanks to the scandal-a-day allegations of corruption that it faces, the recent announcement of the Government, narrowing the list of qualified bidders, on the acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft has, happily, not invited any accusations of corruption, cronyism or nepotism. This is unquestionably because of the impeccable reputation for honesty and probity that Defence Minister AK Antony enjoys in India
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05/26/2011
Lockheed Martin will demonstrate its advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and battlefield communication technologies in a nine-day exercise at Empire Challenge 11 (EC 11), May 23 to June 3, at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
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05/26/2011
Lockheed Martin recently began early delivery of Target Sight System (TSS) follow-on production units for the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter. The TSS units feature upgraded software to provide additional targeting capabilities.
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05/25/2011
Leaders of the Romanian Air Force in Bucharest, Romania, needed advanced avionics and other aircraft electronics for the Romanian fleet of Lockheed-Martin C-130 four-engine turboprop transport aircraft. They found their solution from Elbit Systems Ltd. in Haifa, Israel.
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05/25/2011
The Philippine military, one of Asia's weakest, is too weak to stop foreign intrusions in areas such as disputed territories in the South China Sea, and the only recourse is diplomatic protests, the defence secretary said Tuesday.
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05/25/2011
The deadly 15-hour siege on Pakistan's Mehran naval airbase in Karachi on Monday was carried out by attackers with military-level training, raising suspicions they had inside help. Questions are being asked about the security of Pakistan's vital military installations after a well-organised group of gunmen held off Pakistan's equivalent of the US Navy Seals - the Special Services Group - Navy (SSG-N) - for 15 hours.
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05/25/2011
The advancement of technology has so reshaped our lives that we expect actions to have instant effects, inquiries to receive immediate answers, decisions to achieve rapid results. We don’t like or understand delay – so, as the Nato campaign in Libya has dragged on, it has been viewed increasingly as a failure. When David Cameron and Barack Obama issue joint statements of resolve, as they did yesterday, they are seen as empty words. The idea that the situation has become a stalemate – or worse, a
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05/25/2011
The ultimate guarantee against success of aggressors, dictators and terrorists in the 21st century is the size, strength and global reach of the United States military, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said May 22.
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05/25/2011
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he is determined that the department not fall victim to the mistakes of the past, "where the budget targets were met mostly by taking a percentage off the top of everything, the simplest and most politically expedient approach both inside the Pentagon and outside of it.
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05/25/2011
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani (2nd R) and China's Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 18, 2011. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to China from Tuesday allows Islamabad to show it has another major power to turn to just as relations with the United States have faced intense strain after the killing of Osama bin Laden.
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05/24/2011
The recent talks between General Chen Bingde, the chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, have hit the headlines. The PLA top military leader’s one-week visit to the United States, the first of its kind in seven years, signals that Chinese-U.S. relations are back on track.
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05/24/2011
The Rosoboronexport Corporation takes part in the MILEX 2011 International Exhibition of Arms and Materiel in Minsk, Belarus, on 24-27 May, 2011.
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05/24/2011
Iraq is ready to buy light attack aircraft, offered for sale by the Czech republic earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said after talks with his Czech counterpart in Baghdad. The visit to Baghdad by Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas, which began on Monday, focused on bilateral economic and political cooperation.
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05/24/2011
The final F-35 Lightning II flight test aircraft, a carrier variant designated CF-3, launches from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on May 21 on the way to completing its first test flight. CF-3 continues its flight testing in Fort Worth, preparing to fly to NAS Patuxent River, Md., later this year.
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05/24/2011
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) and Lockheed Martin unveiled the first of 30 new Turkish-built F-16s in ceremonies today at TAI’s facility near Ankara.
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05/23/2011
Two years ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates traveled throughout Afghanistan, promising deployed troops he would make sure they had everything they needed to accomplish their mission -- including more forward-deployed medical capabilities in the event they were wounded.
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05/23/2011
An aircraft carrier variant of the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flies over Andrews Air Force Base, Md., during the Joint Service Open House. This is the first public appearance of a joint strike fighter aircraft at an air show. Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus piloted the aircraft. The F-35C is a fifth generation strike fighter with stealth capability and has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for the demanding carrier environment. The aircraft is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval A
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05/23/2011
At least nine people including three troops and six militants were killed in a terrorist attack on a Pakistan air force base in the country's southern port city of Karachi late Sunday night, local Urdu TV channel ARY reported. Besides, several military airplanes including imported U.S. made P.3.C Orion aircraft were reportedly destroyed in the attack.
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05/23/2011
Rejecting the carping by those ejected out of the hotly-contested $10.4 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) race, most notably the US, India is going full throttle to ink the "mother of all defence deals'' by December.
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05/23/2011
After a decade of steady expansion, the Chinese military has made significant strides toward limiting the United States’ ability to deploy its own armed forces in the western Pacific. A combination of new submarines, long-range anti-ship missiles and heavily-armed jet fighters underpins what the Pentagon calls Beijing's ‘anti-access, area-denial’ strategy, aimed at keeping the warships of the US Seventh Fleet, based in Japan, out of the South China Sea.
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05/23/2011
The war by major North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states against Libya is in its third month and has been conducted under the official auspices of NATO for the past fifty days. According to the military bloc's daily online tally, Alliance military aircraft have flown over 7,200 missions and more than 2,800 combat flights since NATO inaugurated so-called Operation Unified Protector on March 31.
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05/23/2011
akistani airmen sabotaged their fighter jets to prevent them from participating in operations against militants along the border with Afghanistan, according to a leaked U.S. Embassy cable.
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05/23/2011
U.S. air power is at a crucial turning point. In a stringent budgetary environment and with a demand to shape a post-Afghan military, the crucial requirement is to invest in the future not the past. President Obama is calling for a Sputnik moment in the investment in future technologies. There is little reason to exclude the Department of Defense from such an effort.
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05/22/2011
Japan may drop the F-35 stealth fighter from a shortlist for the country's next generation fighter due to a sharp delay in the plane's development plan, Kyodo agency reported on Friday citing diplomatic and defense sources.
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05/22/2011
NATO warplanes bombed command centers near Tripoli and in Libya’s southwest as part of a continuing effort to cut communications links between Moammar Gadhafi and his units on the battlefields, the military alliance said Saturday.
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05/21/2011
Airbus Military officials have again sought to assure South Africa about the security of its A400M work packages. Programme head Cedric Gautier says there are “no plans to remove any packages on our own initiative” at present.
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05/21/2011
The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has certainly tested the patience of the Indian air force and the Indian defense establishment, but the coming weeks may finally yield important breakthroughs to fielding the indigenously developed aircraft. Next month, Tejas is due to undergo a second phase of night trials and, if the systems perform as advertised, it will be cleared for night attack, a crucial requirement to achieve full operational clearance (FOC) as a day/night, all-weather platform by Decembe
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
Eurofighter Typhoon is the front-runner for the USD 11 billion contract Indian Air Force Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal, a senior official of the BAE Systems has said indicating that if the contract goes through a part of fighter manufacturing would be off loaded to India.
(Read More...)
05/21/2011
The competition for the Israeli air force's next jet trainer is heating up, with the Defense Ministry narrowing the focus to Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle and Italy's Aermacchi M-346 Master.
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05/21/2011
Last month, the U.S. announced that the war effort in Libya had cost about $600 million for the first 17 days. That was about $35 million a day. A month later, the total U.S. cost has gone to about $750 million, or $16 million a day so far. This was what was expected, for daily costs to eventually settle down to $10-20 million a day. The U.S. has withdrawn most of its combat aircraft, but is still providing electronic warfare (and monitoring) aircraft, aerial tankers and two Predator UAVs.
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05/21/2011
British Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has said yesterday that the long-term vision for Britain's defence depends upon a sound economic base that enables sustainable military power to be built.
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05/20/2011
South Korea's arms procurement agency said Wednesday that it will open a bid next month to purchase radar-evading cruise missiles for its F-15K fighter aircraft, Yonhap news agency reported. According to the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), S Korea had originally planned to buy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) from Lockheed Martin, but the plan got delayed due technical reasons.
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05/20/2011
Navy officials at the Naval Air Systems Command announced that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) carrier variant test aircraft has met its goals to date for 2011. The aircraft - CF-1 - completed 36 test flights up to May 11, almost half the program's goal for the year of 85.
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05/20/2011
The defence ministry has withdrawn its tender for re-engining the Indian Air Force's Jaguar combat jets after one of the two contenders opted out, a leading defence journal says.
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05/20/2011
Officials at the Kandahar Air Wing reached a milestone May 15 when they opened an Afghan Mi-17 weapons arming point here. The officials said it's a key step towards delivering airpower dominance to both the 205th and 215th Afghan National Army Corps.
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05/20/2011
Turkey is to receive its first GrandNew light-twin helicopter from Agusta Westland by the end of June, the FInnmeccanica company said today.
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05/20/2011
Industrial prototypes of Russian and foreign helicopters will be presented to the public at the HeliRussia 2011 international exposition in Moscow on May 19-21, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation said. A total of 125 Russian companies and 40 organizations from 15 other countries are to take part in the exhibition. Military products will be presented by 11 Russian companies and one Ukrainian.
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05/19/2011
Three crew members aboard a Boeing 707 tanker loaded with jet fuel escaped with only minor injuries when the aircraft skidded off the runway and exploded into flames at a Southern California Navy base, officials said. The plane crashed as it was taking off from Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu at about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday. It slid to a halt within a few hundred feet of the Pacific and burst into flames, with thick black smoke pouring out the shattered wreck.
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05/19/2011
The turboprop-powered T-6 Texan II began life as a trainer and then morphed into the AT-6 light attack aircraft for the Greek air force. Now, as the AT-6B/C, it is promising to become an inexpensive path to network-centric operations, precision strike and advanced surveillance for other air forces.
(Read More...)
05/19/2011
Pakistan and China are expected to sign an agreement today (Thursday) for the provision of 50 JF-17 thunder aircraft to Pakistan on emergency basis, it has been learnt by Daily Times. According to official sources, these aircraft will be equipped with sophisticated avionics. Not only will the aircraft be handed over within weeks, China will also foot the bill initially. Although Pakistan and China have been jointly developed this multirole combat aircraft in the past, in the aftermath of the US
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05/19/2011
Adored by the Pakistani masses, the armed forces faced widespread public outcry and humiliation over (1) Osama bin Laden’s presence for nearly six years near a supposedly secure area in Pakistan, and (2) their failure to interdict the heliborne US raiding party. The military hierarchy did the correct thing by presenting themselves in a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate for hostile questioning by the “elected” representatives riding the crest of aroused public opinion.
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05/19/2011
Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D–MI), ranking member John McCain (R–AZ), and Senator Jim Webb (D–VA) have called on the United States to overhaul two complex military realignment agreements with South Korea and Japan. Their proposals would undermine years of carefully crafted diplomacy that achieved U.S. strategic objectives and resolved contentious issues with allies.
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05/19/2011
Pentagon and Lockheed Martin officials will before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday to give an update on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Whether there any real news comes out of the proceedings remains to be seen.
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05/19/2011
efence ministry sources on Wednesday said the long-awaited deal with France for the upgrade of 52 Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters in IAF's combat fleet is "finally ready" at a cost of almost Rs 11,000 crore ($2.4 billion).
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05/19/2011
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has received the first 12 of 24 T-6C trainers from Hawker Beechcraft. The RMAF is replacing its existing fleet of T-34 and T-37 jet trainers.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
Azerbaijan is planning the joint production of Ukrainian anti-tank guided missiles and Czech light combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
European aerospace company Airbus Military is offering South Africa dual role aircraft for the country´s Project Saucepan maritime surveillance aircraft programme. Saucepan is being accelerated because of the spread of Somali piracy to Southern African waters. The company can offer the CN235 or C295 aircraft for maritime surveillance.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
The US' use of drones like these has been well documented in the hills on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. But a new report reveals that the US military may use a version of unmanned craft for use over the Pacific ocean.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
China is actively developing all kinds of military aviation. The other day the country has successfully tested a new type of bomber-missile PLA Navy, which carried out the successful launch of the new model of missiles H-6K (profoundly modernized version of the Soviet Tu-16). In the future we should expect the development of the strategic aviation of China.
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05/18/2011
The United States has no intention of putting boots on the ground in Libya and should not become militarily involved in unrest shaking Syria, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in portions of an interview that aired May 16 on "The CBS Evening News."
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
A deal was signed at EBACE today between Mark Brown, managing director of Times Aerospace, publishers of Arabian Aerospace magazine and Captain Al Gaoud, Bahrain's undersecretary for civil aviation. The Arabian Aerospace daily called 'Show Business ' was launched in association with Aerocomm Ltd at last year's MRO show in Dubai and was the market leader among a number of international show dailies at the MEBA event in December.
(Read More...)
05/18/2011
The first two Boeing KC-767 advanced aerial refueling tankers for the Italian Air Force (ItAF) formally entered into service today during a public ceremony near Rome.
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05/18/2011
The second F-35C Lightning II carrier variant arrives at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md., yesterday.
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05/17/2011
A Marine Corps pilot escaped injury Tuesday when the F/A-18 fighter jet he was flying slid off a runway during a landing at USMC Air Station Miramar, a base spokeswoman said.
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05/17/2011
Pakistan is to return to the United States on Tuesday the remains of a stealth helicopter used in a special forces raid to kill al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Pakistani television said, quoting army sources. Pakistan agreed to return the tail of the helicopter following a late night meeting on Monday between U.S. Senator John Kerry and Pakistani officials in Islamabad. "Tomorrow the tail of the helicopter will be returned to America," Kerry told journalists. The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter cras
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05/17/2011
Of the many planned stops on a U.S. tour this week by a top-level Chinese military delegation, one — the iconic Grand Canyon — is an especially apt metaphor for the wide divide between Washington and Beijing over explosive issues like U.S. support for Taiwan.
Pentagon officials hope the visit, which begins Monday in Washington, will mark a fresh beginning for a prickly, start-and-stop relationship between the two military behemoths. The Chinese delegation is led by Gen. Chen Bingde, the counter
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05/17/2011
Pakistan is seeking a U.S. Foreign Military Sales order to provide funds for the purchase of spare parts for its U.S.-made military aircraft. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, in its notification to Congress Friday, said the estimated cost of the spare parts for F-16s, C-130s, T-37s, T-33s and other aircraft or systems/subsystems of U.S. origin used by the Pakistani air force is $62 million.
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05/17/2011
The U.S. is developing aircraft carrier-based drones that could provide a crucial edge as it tries to counter China's military rise. American officials have been tightlipped about where the unmanned armed planes might be used, but a top Navy officer has told The Associated Press that some would likely be deployed in Asia. "They will play an integral role in our future operations in this region," predicted Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, which covers most of the Paci
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05/17/2011
India is clearly a key player in shaping the future of Chinese power, globally and in the Pacific. At the same time, the significant 2nd and 3rd world fighter market will be dominated by exports from China, Russia, India or Brazil. Neither the U.S. nor Europe is planning a lower cost export fighter. Indian leadership when they saw the Chinese role out of the J-20 understood its impact on global markets. This is an advanced aircraft, which will have implications for upgrades for customers of C
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05/17/2011
EADS North America delivered the first of six UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to the South Dakota Army National Guard yesterday during a delivery ceremony at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills.
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05/17/2011
The second Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II production aircraft flies above the compass rose of Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., May 13. The aircraft, designated AF-6, ferried to Edwards AFB from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base following the Air Force formally accepting the fighter into its inventory May 12. The first production jet, AF-7, was delivered to Edwards AFB May 6.
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05/16/2011
The UN special envoy was on Sunday headed for Libya to urge a ceasefire between Muammar Gaddafi's troops and rebels seeking to topple the strongman, as an anti-regime revolt entered a fourth month.
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05/16/2011
The fierce combat in Libya has unleashed a once-hidden arsenal of portable anti-aircraft missiles that the government fears could easily be siphoned off to terror groups, giving rise to a potential threat to commercial aviation that the U.S. is only beginning to confront, government officials and arms experts said.
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05/16/2011
The much-awaited order for the American C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force will be cleared this month. The IAF's order for 10 aircraft is expected to cost some Rs. 18,000 crore (roughly $4 billion). The Ministry of Defence has given the go-ahead for the purchase of these aircraft from the U.S. through the Foreign Military Sales (government-to-government) route.
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05/16/2011
Australia and the other members of the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) last week completed a major military exercise to plan and conduct a joint military operation for the defence of Malaysia and Singapore. The FPDA countries - Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the UK - conducted Exercise Bersama Shield 2011 from 2-13 May. Participants were challenged to jointly plan and execute tactical missions for 46 combat aircraft and nine warships.
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05/16/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the Swiss Army knife of combat weapons versatility and lethality. At $65 million to $112.5 million per aircraft at its drive-the-car-off-the-lot cost and $382 billion in total program costs, the F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program (see "Figuring F-35 costs" on E2). But at more than twice the price of the newest commercial airliner, the fifth generation fighter may be worth it: more impervious to radar, performing more roles a
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05/15/2011
The South African Air Force has grounded its fleet of 24 BAE Systems Hawk Mk120 lead-in fighter trainers after one experienced an engine surge during a fly-by to celebrate Freedom Day last year. Air Force chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano says the move was precautionary. He added the aircraft, assigned to 85 Combat Flying School at AFB Makhado landed safely.
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05/15/2011
US troops will be deployed in Pakistan if the nation’s nuclear installations come under threat from terrorists out to avenge the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the Sunday Express can reveal.
The plan, which would be activated without President Asif Ali Zardari’s consent, provoked an angry reaction from Pakistan officials last night.
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05/15/2011
At $65 million to $112.5 million per aircraft at its drive-the-car-off-the-lot cost and $382 billion in total program costs, the F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program. But at more than twice the price of the newest commercial airliner, the fifth generation fighter may be worth it: more impervious to radar, performing more roles and replacing more aircraft in the nation's arsenal than any aircraft in history, industry and military officials said. The single-seat, single-engine F-
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05/15/2011
The imposing Art Deco building that dominates the hills above the Bay of Naples has been turned into a war room for Nato's military campaign against another notorious dictator, Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
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05/14/2011
The Swedish Armed Forces have released photographs, which it claims indicates that Muammar Qaddafi still retains several fighter aircraft.
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05/14/2011
Britain’s military says that it is bringing its drone controllers back from the western United States and setting them at an air base in northern England. Air Chief Marshal Stephen Dalton said Friday that the transfer of the controllers from the U.S. to the U.K. would allow “more efficient and effective use of our resources.”
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05/14/2011
India's military has the capability to detect any suspected intrusion by low-flying aerial vehicles, similar to what happened during the recent operation by the U.S. Navy Seals in Abbotabad, Pakistan, according S. Sundaresh, Distinguished Scientist of Defence Research and Development Organisation said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 20th convocation of Sathyabama University here, Mr. Sundaresh, who is also the Chief Controller, Research and Development, Armaments and
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05/14/2011
British Army personnel are taking to the skies over Libya in RAF Sentinel aircraft, helping gather essential intelligence in support of NATO-led operations to protect civilians on the ground below.
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05/14/2011
he Air Force is planning to buy a "light attack and armed reconnaissance" aircraft for use by U.S. and foreign pilots in counter-insurgency warfare. At about $10 million per plane, it's probably the cheapest combat aircraft the service will buy in this century -- which is one reason why few politicians or pundits are paying attention. But the competition to select a winning aircraft raises broader questions about the way the military buys weapons, and in particular whether Pentagon policymakers
(Read More...)
05/13/2011
If the official statements by the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi about the battle for this city were true, then much that was visible around the airport on Thursday did not actually happen or exist. There were no clusters of rebels and machine-gun trucks at the traffic circle by the outdoor bazaar and huge mosque. The empty fighting holes, left in haste on Wednesday by fleeing Qaddafi soldiers, were not empty. The loyalist soldiers there were just especially well-camouflaged.
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05/13/2011
Air Force Fighter Plane Crashes in Gboko - A Nigerian Air Force Fighter Jet F-7Ni at the early hours of Wednesday, crashed at Mbaniongu Mbazaam, near Yandev in Gboko local government area of Benue State. The ill fated jet crash landed near the Yandev Community Secondary School, at kilometer 4, Buruku road, but no casualties were recorded in the accident. In a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer of the Tactical Air Command of the force in Makurdi, Wing Commander Adebayo Makun, the t
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05/13/2011
In the U.S. Army, aviation remains a growth industry, especially the unmanned kind. The service continues to purchase hundreds of drones, ranging from large Predator-like aircraft to backpack size Ravens. Now the Army is seeking yet another big-ticket item: a long-endurance unmanned helicopter that can fly at high altitudes and survive in extreme weather conditions. While the Army owns and operates hundreds of fixed-wing unmanned air vehicles, rotary-wing UAVs have been a tough sell. After many
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05/13/2011
A Canadian Forces detachment of five CF-18 Hornet jet fighters last week completed its deployment to Keflavik, Iceland, in support of the NATO-Iceland Air Policing Program.
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05/13/2011
Fort Wayne’s fighter-jet base is an example of the Air National Guard’s accomplishments and challenges during a budget crunch, the Guard’s top officer said Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Lt. General Harry Wyatt was responding to questions from Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Coats noted that the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne made “a successful conversion” from F-16 jets to A-10 planes last year.
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05/13/2011
India may have ejected American fighters out of the $10.4 billion race to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) but US really has no reason to crib. Decks have now been cleared for the biggest-ever Indo-US defence deal: the $4.1 billion contract for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic airlift aircraft.
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05/13/2011
Boeing received a $23.7 million contract on May 9 to perform Initial Production Fielding Support modifications on 49 CH-47F Chinook helicopters at the Boeing Millville Modification Center. The contract period extends the current work of modifying Chinook aircraft at the Boeing Millville facility for another year, from May 2011 through April 2012.
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05/12/2011
Leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee called on the Pentagon today to re-examine U.S. military basing plans in East Asia, saying billions of dollars may be saved in South Korea, Japan and Guam.
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05/12/2011
The US Navy deployed an unprecedented three aircraft carriers to support Operation Geronimo, and gave very strong air cover to the SEALs who hunted down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan’s Abbotabad city. An analysis of the operation, the deployment pattern, and the possibilities of a clash with Pakistani forces clearly indicate that at least two squadrons of the US Navy’s sophisticated F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets, one or two EA-18 G Electronic Attack Growlers, two aerial refuellers and one E-8C Joint Su
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
The Air Force is planning to buy a "light attack and armed reconnaissance" aircraft for use by U.S. and foreign pilots in counter-insurgency warfare. At about $10 million per plane, it's probably the cheapest combat aircraft the service will buy in this century -- which is one reason why few politicians or pundits are paying attention. But the competition to select a winning aircraft raises broader questions about the way the military buys weapons, and in particular whether Pentagon policymakers
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
Russian Helicopters, which designs and manufactures civil and military rotorcraft, has indefinitely suspended an initial public offering (IPO) in which it expected to raise $500 million in London and Moscow, the company said on Wednesday.
(Read More...)
05/12/2011
Lockheed Martin F-35 Program Flight Test Update, May 11th, 2011 -- Since the last F-35 flight test program update issued March 31, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft have conducted 125 test flights, bringing the total number of flights for the year to 331.
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05/11/2011
"This is turning into the best shop window for competing aircraft for years. More even than in Iraq in 2003," a prominent defense analyst told Reuters. "You are seeing for the first time on an operation the Typhoon and the Rafale up against each other, and both countries want to place an emphasis on exports. France is particularly desperate to sell the Rafale."
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05/11/2011
Bangalore: The maiden flight of the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will take to the skies in July, exactly a year after it rolled out from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL's) Aircraft Research and Design Centre hangar in Bangalore. "We would be conducting the first flight of the LCA Naval Prototype-1 (NP1) – a trainer aircraft -- in July. The aircraft is currently undergoing a series of ground tests, and preparations are on for the flight certification which is mandator
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05/11/2011
The F16 is a 40-year-old single-engine aircraft which has been the mainstay of the Pakistani Air Force while the F18 did not fulfil the IAF's parameters.
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05/11/2011
The Indian Defence Ministry’s announcement that the Russian Mig-35 failed to make the short list for the Indian tender to purchase 126 warplanes under the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) programme was bad news for the Russian Aircraft Building Corporation MIG. But it was not exactly a “bolt from the blue”. The result was expected. Why?
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05/11/2011
A Honeywell Inc. system for providing oxygen to F-22 pilots is being investigated as a possible source for malfunctions that prompted the Air Force to ground its premier fighter jet after reports of five incidents since late April, according to officials. “The inquiry is not solely focused” on Honeywell’s on- board oxygen generating system, Air Combat Command spokeswoman Captain Jennifer Ferrau said in an e-mail. “However, that is one area investigators will look at.”
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05/11/2011
Lockheed Martin has installed its 1000th GKN Aerospace-manufactured nacelle for its C-130J military airlifter on the second of four aircraft destined for the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
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05/11/2011
The first F-35A production aircraft that will be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this year takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on Friday, May 6, with Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti at the controls.
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05/11/2011
Boeing today delivered the first of six C-17 Globemaster III airlifters to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence during a ceremony at the company’s final assembly facility in Long Beach.
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05/10/2011
The maiden test flight in January 2011 of China's J-20 stealth fighter prototype is an important strategic milestone in several different respects, and is part of an ongoing effort by China to develop advanced military technology. The J-20 is the first combat aircraft developed by China that qualifies as "state of the art" by Western measures. It also shows that China has mastered "stealth shaping" technology—the essential prerequisite for developing stealth aircraft.
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05/10/2011
Northrop Grumman will today unveil a small new spy plane that it secretly developed in San Diego and the Mojave Desert to compete in the fast growing market for aircraft that can do everything from stalk terrorists to patrol borders to provide live video of natural disasters.
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05/10/2011
Mr Obama visits Poland at the end of the month and is expected to confirm the stationing of F16 combat aircraft on Polish soil during meetings with Bronislaw Komorowski, his Polish counterpart, and other central and eastern European leaders. Citing diplomatic sources, the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza claimed that 16 US jets will move from their current home at the Aviano air force base in Italy to Lask in central Poland, and will be stationed on a rotational basis from 2013.
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05/10/2011
Details on the Chinese J-20 fighter are scant as the project has been developed under extreme secrecy, but an analysis conducted by the conservative Washington D.C.-based defense policy think tank The Jamestown Foundation based on the little publicly available information concluded that the fighter "will be a high performance stealth aircraft, arguably capable of competing in most cardinal performance parameters... with the United States F-22A Raptor, and superior in most if not all cardinal per
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05/10/2011
US company Alliant Techsystems (ATK) has formally announced that it had been contracted by Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) to convert two CASA/Airbus Military CN-235 twin-engine transport aircraft into light gunships for the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
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05/10/2011
The U.S. Air Force has accepted into its fleet the first of a planned 1,763 production-model Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.
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05/10/2011
Boeing today announced it has completed delivery of six F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircrew and maintenance trainers to the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.
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05/09/2011
It was a band of 25 brothers, Navy SEALs, who took down Osama bin Laden last week — not a Marine battalion or an Army division. As the United States gradually moves away from its major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, what will its future military force look like — more like that SEAL squad working in secret and in tandem with the Central Intelligence Agency?
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05/09/2011
A congressional panel approved a plan Thursday that would cut six backup B-1 bombers but save 200 positions and as much as $40 million in funding at Dyess Air Force Base.
Abilene Rep. Randy Neugebauer said he's still pushing for no cuts to B-1s, considering the planes' heavy use in the Middle East, but retiring aircraft that are on reserve status is a better scenario than earlier plans to take away planes in use for combat and training.
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05/08/2011
The second and final bidding stage—commercial negotiations—of the $10.4 billion, 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender floated by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the Indian Air Force in 2007 has selected two European products (Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale). This entails the exit of two American (F-16 and FA-18), one European (JAS-39 Gripen) and one Russian (MiG-35) system from the race.
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05/08/2011
Radar-evading technology for the mysterious helicopters that carried out the U.S. special operations raid of Osama bin Laden's walled compound in Pakistan was spawned in the early 1990s at the classified Area 51 installation in Southern Nevada, according to sources close to the black projects facility.
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05/08/2011
“Boeing conducted what appeared to be a successful 17-minute first flight and recovery,” said an observer at Edwards. “First turn was shortly after takeoff—just over lakebed. The first two turns were surprisingly tight as commented by those observing near inner runway. Rest of flight other than final approach was too far away to see. Gear down for entire flight. The landing was observed to be Air Force style, flared.”
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05/08/2011
The speed with which US military forces were able to begin combat operations in Libya last month, following the president’s order to intervene in the unfolding civil war, is a tribute to the professionalism and combat readiness of the US armed forces. But it also should give the Americans great pause. Unless the United States has been attacked, military intervention should be a very difficult, sobering decision requiring painstaking reflection.
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05/07/2011
The Obama administration had the best information it was going to have on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. The longtime public enemy No. 1 was holed up in a ritzy area of Pakistan, two hours from the capital, Islamabad, and his neighbors were retired military officials. President Barack Obama had two choices for Operation Geronimo : Send in a Navy SEAL team or send in a bomber and flatten the fortified compound. He chose the former. In light of the result, it was the right decision.
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05/07/2011
.S. Air Force officials have grounded the F-22 Raptor fighter jet over a possible problems with its oxygen system.
The order grounding the jet came in January, but was just becoming public this week, according to a CNN report.
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05/07/2011
Airmen from the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group and Pratt & Whitney mechanics recently completed repairs on the first F117 engine of the newly-obtained workload.
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05/07/2011
EPI Europrop International GmbH (EPI) has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the TP400-D6 engine that powers the A400M military transport aircraft. It is the first large turboprop engine to have been certified by EASA and the first military engine to have been certified by EASA to civil standards from the outset.
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05/06/2011
Russia may remain India's biggest defence supplier for the next two decades but its tardy supply of spares and after-sales service is forcing New Delhi to increasingly tap other countries to maintain Russian-origin aircraft, helicopters and other weapon systems.
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05/06/2011
South Korea is an attractive defense market due to its large economy and justifiable need for military equipment to defend against a North Korean threat. The United States is the main supplier of imported weapons to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces (ROKAF). The ROK bought almost one billion dollars worth of U.S. arms in FY2010.
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05/06/2011
The display of dozens of unmanned-aircraft models at last November’s Zhuhai air show made it clear that China, industrially and militarily, is moving rapidly to catch up—and perhaps ultimately overtake—the West in this burgeoning sector of aerospace.
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05/06/2011
A Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel stealth unmanned aerial system spied on bin Laden the night before the special operations unit raid that successfully killed bin Laden at his mansion compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, according to a report by AUVSI, the professional association that covers the UAS industry.
(Read More...)
05/06/2011
Last year's surge of U.S. and coalition forces into Afghanistan, with the simultaneous growth of Afghan forces, is leading to tangible progress for peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, according to a biannual Defense Department report recently released.
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05/06/2011
What started out as a routine mission for Airmen from the Air Force Reserve Command's 916th Air Refueling Wing turned into an historic 'first in flight' moment recently.
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05/06/2011
Lockheed Martin, Finmeccanica – through its UK company SELEX Systems Integration - and Cobham have signed an agreement to form Fusion Air Traffic Management, which will address Project MARSHALL - formerly known as the Joint Military Air Traffic Services (JMATS) programme.
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05/05/2011
One of the helicopters that carried Seal Team Six to Abbottabad crash landed inside the Bin Laden compound. Though the troops blew up the stricken craft to preserve the secrecy of the technology on board, part of the tail landed outside the walls and survived to show this was no ordinary Blackhawk.
(Read More...)
05/05/2011
BAE Systems said yesterday that it expects to cut more jobs this year as sales of military equipment dip, but the company’s workforce on the Clyde appears to be safe – at least for now.
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05/05/2011
A week after U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 sanctioned air strikes against the regime of Colonel Muammar el-Gaddafi in Libya, U.S. President Barack Obama made clear that it would not be U.S. planes maintaining the No-Fly Zone (NFZ). Rather, the effort to safeguard Libyan civilians would be led primarily by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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05/05/2011
Over the past four years much has been written, debated and proposed about the need for a light attack turboprop aircraft that’s ideally suited for irregular warfare in Afghanistan. Yet here we are four years later without a deployable solution.
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05/05/2011
India Monday said it has individually conveyed to all six vendors in the $10.4 billion tender for 126 combat planes if their aircraft were compliant with the air force's requirements and that there were no complaints so far from any of the four unsuccessful firms, including two from the US.
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05/05/2011
The first day of the UAE's inaugural Unmanned Systems Rodeo (USR), organized by the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), took place at the CERT Technology Park in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
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05/05/2011
The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin are ready to launch the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) spacecraft on Friday, May 6 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch window is 2:14 p.m. EDT to 2:54 p.m. EDT. A live launch broadcast will begin at 1:54 p.m. EDT and will be accessible via the ULA webcast.
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05/04/2011
Russia aims to earn $9.5 billion from arms sales in 2011, a significant part in Latin America, new data after last month's premier arms show in Rio de Janeiro indicated. Russian government leaders and state-run defense manufacturers redoubled efforts to take a larger slice of arms buying by governments on the continent as demand for weapons and equipment soared with commodity exporters earning more and military procurers clamoring for replacement for obsolete inventories.
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05/04/2011
The Middle East market for military aircraft and air-defense systems, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is expected to generate revenues of nearly $63 billion by 2020, a new study says.
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05/04/2011
After the US expressed "disappointment" over the ouster of its two companies from the multi-billion-dollar combat aircraft deal, the IAF on Monday said there was "nothing wrong" in its selection process. "Whether anyone is happy or unhappy, we have done whatever we were asked to do by the Government...If you select one aircraft, it always happens that other side would be dissatisfied. There is nothing wrong with our process. It is a human feeling," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said.
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05/04/2011
India’s recent decision not to purchase American warplanes for its $10 billion-plus fighter aircraft program – the largest single military tender in the country’s history – has stirred debate in defense circles worldwide. India’s defense ministry deemed the two American contenders, Boeing’s F/A-18 Superhornet and Lockheed’s F-16 Superviper, not to fulfill the requirements that it sought in a medium-size multi-role combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/04/2011
Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer has started test flights of its first series-produced Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighter, the company said on Tuesday. The aircraft took off from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur airfield in Russia's Far East, spending one and a half hours in the air testing propulsion and control systems.
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05/04/2011
The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots.
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05/03/2011
A group of Canadian observers will begin a series of inspection flights over Russian territory under the Open Skies Treaty on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. "The flights will be along the route coordinated earlier with Russian specialists, who will be on board of the aircraft monitoring implementation of agreements on the use of technical equipment for the observation," the spokesman said.
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05/03/2011
An intelligence-driven U.S. operation in Pakistan killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden yesterday, President Barack Obama announced in a nationally televised address from the White House late last night. "Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Prsident Obama said. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
A later Time piece puts the total number of helicopters on the mission at four, with two making the assault and two waiting in reserve nearby. It states that "about two dozen" SEALs and CIA "enablers" participated in the raid and speculates that a winged-gunship like an AC-130 might have provided air cover. The helicopters were "most likely … specially-outfitted CH-47 and UH-60 choppers." The U.S. team destroyed its malfunctioning CH-47 at the site of the raid, Time adds.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
Ambitious efforts to modernize Russia’s defense and industrial base undertaken during the Putin administration have been paying off—at least, in some cases. The Russian leadership uses arms sales for economic gain, but also as a tool of influence in the recipient countries. The Russian military-industrial complex, one of the few national industries that maintain some competitive advantage in comparison with the West, is a source of the Kremlin’s cash and prestige. Leftover stockpiles from the So
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation is a key component supplier for the Bell-Boeing-built V-22 Osprey, which recently surpassed 100,000 flying hours during a U.S. Marine Corps combat mission in Afghanistan. Manufactured under a 50-50 strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter and Boeing, the V-22 Osprey is a multirole combat aircraft using tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The Peruvian Air Force will receive next week three Russian combat helicopters intended for military operations against drugs trafficking and terrorism in the South American country, Peru's defense minister said. Last July, the Peruvian Defense Ministry and Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed a contract for the sale of six Mi-171Sh Hip transport and two Mi-35P Hind E attack helicopters to the South American country. The deal is estimated at $107.9 million.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The second F-35C Lightning II carrier variant takes off on its first flight from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Friday, April 29. Lockheed Martin F-35 Test Pilot Bill Gigliotti piloted the jet on its first flight.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The first of four C-130J Super Hercules for the Qatar Emiri Air Force has completed production at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. The picture shows the aircraft leaving the paint hangar. The new Hercules are the longer fuselage or "stretched" variant of the C-130J and deliveries to Qatar will begin later this year.
(Read More...)
05/03/2011
The Boeing Company today announced that it has received contracts totaling $100 million for two types of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on March 17 awarded the company an $8 million contract that represents the first major production order for Laser JDAM kits. The contract is for low-rate initial production of 700 laser sensor kits for the Navy’s direct-attack moving target capability weapons requirement.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
After the advent of nuclear weapons the security environment has changed. There is no global war like WWI and WWII. No direct confrontation between the two super powers in cold war. Deterrence has become the corner stone of strategy. Nuclear deterrence is the core of strategic stability in South Asia. One of the Requirements of deterrence is communication. Communication or signaling implies of demonstration of political will and resolve to use nuclear weapons to the adversary. Therefore nuclear
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
Australian Air Force multi-role F/A-18F Super Hornets will soar through the sky over Malaysia while Navy guided-missile frigates and a Collins class submarine will patrol the South China Sea in a major military exercise commencing today.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
The al-Qaeda leader was killed in a ground operation based on US intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August. Mr Obama said after "a firefight" US forces took possession of his body. Bin Laden was accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001.
(Read More...)
05/02/2011
For network-centric operations to succeed on today’s digital battlefield, efficient, reliable, and real-time communications are crucial to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time. Military antennas are among the most important, if not often overlooked, component of aerospace and defense systems. “The most underappreciated component of a wireless sensor network node is often its antenna,” admits William Y. Chang in Network-Centric Service Oriented Enterprise. The anten
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05/02/2011
A decision by India to eliminate Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin from the highly sought-after $11 billion fighter jet deal competition has cost GE Aviation a much-needed slate of orders for its jet engines. GE Aviation, which has 300 employees at a facility in Vandalia, was expecting a big payday if either U.S. competitors would have been awarded the contract to supply 126 multipurpose fighter planes, according to this article in the Financial Times.
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05/02/2011
Following a raft of technical tests by the IAF, the Manmohan Singh government has shortlisted the Eurofighter consortium's Typhoon and the French-made Dassault Rafale for a multi-billion dollar fourth generation fighter deal. New Delhi will almost certainly come under intense pressure to review its decision.
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05/02/2011
Dutch Special Services have detained an F-16 fighter pilot from the country's Air Force on suspicion of spying for Belarus, Radio Netherlands Worldwide website reported on Friday. The 37-year-old Dutch pilot is accused of passing state secrets to a foreign country.
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04/29/2011
Sometime this year, a Japanese technician will perform the final piece of work on the last F-2 fighter to leave the Nagoya works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. With that, Japan’s 45 years of post-war fighter production will cease and the progressive loss of skills already under way in systems manufacturing will have spread to every stage of building combat aircraft.
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04/29/2011
A trainer jet upgraded to a fighter plane by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) crashed yesterday afternoon near a beach resort in Bagac, Bataan, instantly killing the pilot and rendering his co-pilot unconscious. Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan, commander of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), said the S-211 trainer jet took off from the Clark Freeport in Pampanga.
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04/29/2011
American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky is looking to add to the $3.5bn deal to lead the production for 109 Black Hawk helicopters for Turkey's armed forces.
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04/29/2011
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force celebrated 50 years of C-130 operations at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, today.
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04/29/2011
Lockheed Martin has received an Undefinitized Contract Action from the U.S. Government for the Foreign Military Sale of an additional C 130J to Israel, with funding for advanced procurement items for a third aircraft.
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04/28/2011
France's Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon look set to be on the final shortlist for a $10 billion tender for 126 fighter aircraft for the Indian air force, after Sweden's SAAB was dropped, the Times of India said on Thursday. With the Indian military due to disclose final commercial proposals from the manufacturers later today, it appears that the U.S. Lockheed Martin F-16I and Boeing Super Hornet, Sweden's SAAB Gripen and Russia's MiG-35 are also out of the running. The Indian milita
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04/28/2011
Today defence and security company Saab AB has received information from the Indian Ministry of Defence that Gripen has not been shortlisted for the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme.
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04/28/2011
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden, a big fan of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), gave a speech last week at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Washington. He tried to convince the audience that the use of UAVs opens more possibilities, including an assessment of the consequences of an impending strike, compared to manned vehicles.
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04/28/2011
"For the conduct of air operations for the imposition of the "No Fly Zone", until now Italian Country has provided 12 fighter aircraft per day". It reported the Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa in his statement, that followed the one of Minister Franco Frattini, referring to the Joint Foreign and Defence Committees of the Chamber and Senate. He stated that there are "4 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft type and/or F-16 for tasks of air superiority; 4 aircraft Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat and Recon
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04/28/2011
The pilot of a United Arab Emirates plane taking part in air operations over Libya on Wednesday was forced to eject while landing at an airbase in Italy, the official UAE news agency said. NATO had previously said the pilot of an F-16 fighter enforcing the no-fly zone ejected while nearing the outbound runway of Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily.
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04/28/2011
The NATO-led military operation in Libya does not aim to eliminate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the commander of coalition forces said on Tuesday. The Libyan authorities accused NATO on Monday of trying to "assassinate" Muammar Gaddafi after the coalition dropped at least two guided bombs on Gaddafi's compound in the heart of Tripoli.
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04/28/2011
The US has stepped up its involvement in Libya this week as Washington confirmed that a U.S. Air Force Predator drone took out a rocket launcher used to attack civilians in the battle between Qadhafi forces and civilians in Misrata. NATO confirmed the strike. This is the first use of the unmanned aircraft in Libya since President Obama gave his approval late last week.
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04/28/2011
Lockheed Martin has delivered the second P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade enhancements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
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04/28/2011
The Boeing Vigilare network centric command and control system has passed its last formal operational test. Testing took place at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Williamtown's Eastern Regional Operations Centre (EROC) from March 28 to April 8.
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04/28/2011
Has India downselected Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale for the $ 10 billion MMRCA fighter aircraft procurement project. Informed sources told defenseworld.net that two of the vendors, Eurofighter and Dassault have been invited to the Indian MoD for further discussions on their commercial bids on April 28. The commercial bids are to expire tomorrow.
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04/27/2011
Signalling its impatience over delays in Russian after-sales- support for military equipment, India has for the first time gone shopping worldwide for spares for its vintage fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters, missiles and radars.
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04/27/2011
The U.S. Air Force has assigned ten T-38C jet trainers to an F-22 unit to serve as training aircraft. Since F-22s don't expect to face anything as capable as an F-22 in the near future, anything that can move fast and maneuver like a jet fighter will do as an "opponent" aircraft. The T-38 is very similar, in shape and performance, to the American F-5 (a contemporary of the MiG-21), and does the adversary work for a fraction of the cost of using another F-22.
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04/27/2011
American media outlets are reporting that the bombing of Libyan leader Colonel Gadhafi’s headquarters on Monday was carried out by two Norwegian F16 fighter jets.
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04/27/2011
Aiming at enhancing the striking range of its combat aircraft, the Indian Air Force is planning to procure long-range missiles to hit hostile fighter jets without engaging them in close aerial combat. A request for information (RFI) has been issued by the IAF for long-range stand-off missiles fitted with light warheads which can take out enemy fighters from beyond visual ranges, IAF officials said.
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04/27/2011
The deal to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster-III aircraft from Boeing of the US is a step closer to being clinched. The finance ministry, after initial objections, has sanctioned the money for the acquisition.
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04/27/2011
The aircraft has passed the factory test and now awaits fighting test. The new aircraft is equipped with advanced anti-ship radar, self-guiding missiles, in contrast to gravity controlled bombs that largely populate China's existing 3200 aircraft fleet. When deployed, J15 will signal the dawn of a new ability by China to assert authority over its coastline, the New York Times (NYT) in a report said today.
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04/26/2011
The Botswana military is buying PC-7 MK II turboprop trainer aircraft from Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. of Switzerland.
The contract for five the aircraft is worth about $45.1 million. Pilatus Aircraft said the new trainers, which will replace the Pilatus PC-7 fleet used by the Southern African country since 1990, will be delivered in 2013.
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04/26/2011
The U.S. Air Force today announced it’s launching a competition for 93 new helicopters that would protect U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile sites and evacuate government officials in case if an attack. The Air Force anticipates releasing a draft request for proposals between mid-June and September and final request later this year, officials said in an on-line article posted on a service website.
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04/26/2011
The head of the National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday said China’s first aircraft carrier would likely start training exercises at sea toward the end of this year. Bureau Director Tsai Der-sheng told a meeting of the the legislature’s National Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee that while the aircraft carrier — an old carrier purchased from Ukraine in 1998, which has undergone refurbishing work in Dalian since 2002.
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04/26/2011
A senior Iranian Air Force commander announced on Monday that the Iranian experts have successfully revived the capabilities of the country's strategic Sukhoi-24 aircraft, including its laser missile capabilities.
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04/26/2011
The last remanufactured MH-47G Chinook has been delivered to the U.S. Army by Boeing's Military Aircraft Mobility Division in Pennsylvania. The handover of the 65th Special Operations Aviation aircraft marked the completion of the Service Life Extension Plan that has been in existence for more than 10 years.
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04/26/2011
Turkey’s utility helicopter program has been designed for maximum local industry contribution. As a result Turkish Aerospace Industries, or TAI, the programs’ prime contractor, and other Turkish companies will manufacture 50 percent of the platform in financial terms. This means, half of the $3.5 billion priced tag will remain in Turkey.
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04/26/2011
The J-15 Flying Shark is China’s newest attack jet, a sinuous fighter with the folding wings, shortened tail cone and bulked-up landing gear it needs to serve on China’s first aircraft carrier, which is expected to start sea trials soon. It is indisputable evidence of China’s growing mastery of military technology.
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04/26/2011
Boeing today announced that its GPS Operational Control Segment (OCS) has gained full operational status with the U.S. Air Force 50th Space Wing, Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. OCS keeps the GPS system operational within specified accuracy to provide secure and precise navigation around the world for military, humanitarian and commercial applications.
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04/25/2011
Despite NATO having justified its attacks against Libya with the UN Security Council resolution 1973 allowing the imposition of a no-fly zone in order to protect civilians, it is now warning Libyan citizens to flee in order to avoid its attacks with unmanned military aircraft. In a written statement released by Rear Admiral Russ Harding, Deputy Commander of the military offensive against Libya called Operation Unified Protector, he warned that NATO would continue to use the unmanned Predator air
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04/25/2011
Sikorsky is betting its own money on a radical new helicopter design, a gambit some observers say might become more common in austere budgetary times. The S-97 Raider will have a pusher propeller meant to send it zooming past the roughly 200-mph top speed of conventional rotorcraft — and, the company hopes, win Pentagon contracts. The Connecticut-based company intends to furnish a prototype for testing by U.S. service officials.
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04/25/2011
Photos of a domestic-made shipborne J-15 heavy fighter were released on Sunday afternoon on Internet defense forums, prompting many military observers to coo about China's aircraft carrier capacity. "Heavy shipborne fighters will boost the aircraft carrier fleet's air defense capability and enhance the fleet's strike ability," said Lan Yun, editor of the Modern Ships, a Beijing-based magazine following the latest developments in warships and defense equipment.
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04/25/2011
The announcement was made by Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base, Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli, where he cited increased range and optimized guiding system as two main features of the mid-range Mersad air defense system. "These features make the Mersad defense shield different from the Hawk air-defense system," the General told the FARS news agency.
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04/24/2011
The first time an Army helicopter pilot flew a Bell Helicopter OH-58 Kiowa into harm's way was 1969, during the height of the Vietnam War. It's been nearly 40 years since the Army last received a brand new OH-58 from Bell's Fort Worth factory. And between the Army and Bell, there are plans to keep them flying and fighting until 2030 - and perhaps well beyond. The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the designation given the aircraft when they were last rebuilt beginning in the mid-1980s, has been the workhors
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04/24/2011
Refitted aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious is being prepared to accommodate combat aircraft, prompting further speculation that the government is preparing to perform a U-turn on the mothballing of the Harrier fleet. The Scotsman has learned that the ship's deck, which has been earmarked as a helicopter carrier, has been painted with special paint which would allow for Harriers to fly from it.
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04/24/2011
South Korea has received more of the several dozen AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Targeting pods it had ordered for its F-15K fighter-bombers. The growing threat of war with North Korea has led to the speeding up of orders for many critical items of military equipment. South Korea wants as many of its F-15Ks as possible equipped with the Sniper pod, and the pilots trained in its use. The U.S. Air Force buys Sniper XTP targeting pods for about $2 million each, and currently has over 500 of these pods, which ar
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04/24/2011
An unfortunate scheduling quirk set the Air Show and Dream Cruise on the same Aug. 20-21 weekend, but Hackel saw the misstep as an opportunity to simultaneously promote both events and urge people from throughout Michigan and the Midwest to make plans to attend both events.
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04/23/2011
Libyan rebels said Saturday afternoon that they now fully controlled the key city of Misrata. The United States launched its first Predator drone strike in Libya on Saturday, the Defense Department said in a statement. It did not provide details on the target of the strike, saying only that it occurred in the early afternoon local time in Libya, according to Reuters.
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04/23/2011
It's fairly common for lazy journalists to invoke comparisons with Hollywood movies when discussing complicated scientific issues. But when an internal Ministry of Defence report warns that the increasing usage of unmanned drones in war is part of an "incremental and involuntary journey towards a Terminator-like reality" it makes the world sit up and take notice.
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04/23/2011
The Russian Sukhoi-35 fighter jet will be taking part in a new Brazilian Air Force tender for the purchase of a large batch of multifunctional combat aircraft, a source in the Brazilian defence-industrial complex said to the RIAN news agency.
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04/23/2011
The Pentagon is planning to move a number of armed drone aircraft to its Pacific Command force from where they could be used in part to support Taiwan’s security and guard against a surprise attack by China. Equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance cameras, the Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) would monitor China’s military buildup and North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
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04/23/2011
Air Force and Boeing Company officials met for the KC-46A program post-award conference recently to discuss program specifics, including a technical overview of the program.
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04/23/2011
The first Combat Shadow II for the United States Air Force Special Operations Command has completed its first flight at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Less than one month after a rollout ceremony for the aircraft’s AFSOC customer the MC-130J has begun a series of flight tests prior to delivery to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., in September.
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04/22/2011
RAF Tornados have carried out "deliberate, multiple strikes" aimed at robbing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of command and control over his forces as Nato on Tuesday stepped up bombing raids over Libya.
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04/22/2011
Bulgaria plans to spend up to 2 billion levs ($1.5 billion) on buying and maintaining military equipment by 2020, Defence Minister Anyo Angelov said on Thursday. Bulgaria - a NATO and European Union member - envisages buying fighter aircraft so it can secure its airspace within the alliance's integrated system for anti-missile defence.
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04/22/2011
It may cost as much as $1 trillion to operate the military’s fleet of Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 aircraft for several decades, according to a preliminary Pentagon estimate sent to Congress. The figure is 9.3 percent more than the $915 billion estimate by the Defense Department in its 2009 Selected Acquisition Report to Congress.
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04/22/2011
U.S. President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed Predator drones against troops loyal to embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said. "The president has said that where we have some unique capabilities, he is willing to use those," he said during a Pentagon news conference on Thursday. "And in fact he has approved the use of armed Predators."
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04/22/2011
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Navy celebrated a milestone delivery on April 20 in St. Louis: 500 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and derivative EA-18G Growlers have joined the Navy's tactical aircraft fleet. The Super Hornet Block II is the Navy's frontline strike fighter, deploying leading-edge technology and multirole strike capability around the globe. The EA-18G is now the premier airborne electronic attack platform in the Navy's arsenal and the United States' newest tactical aircraft, providing t
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04/21/2011
US aerospace major Boeing is anticipating Indian defence orders worth $14 billion, with a company official saying its hands are "pretty full" with orders for fighters and choppers for the air force and reconnaissance planes for the navy. Apart from being in contention for the $10.4 billion contract for 126 combat planes for the Indian Air Force (IAF), Boeing is a hot contender in the $650-million tender for 22 attack helicopters and a $700-million bid for 15 heavy-lift cargo helicopters.
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04/21/2011
Norwegian fighter jets reportedly have bombed at least 130 targets in Libya since the UN-backed military intervention began last month, meaning that Norwegian pilots are among those carrying out the most bombing raids over Libya. Norwegian officials, meanwhile, have held talks with representatives of the Libyan opposition fighting the country’s longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.
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04/21/2011
Thanks to the crisis in Libya, terms like "no fly zone," "air defense" and "anti-aircraft missiles" are bombarding the headlines once again with a vengeance. ??Although the UN-sanctioned, US-led (at the onset) mission has been relatively successful in crippling Colonel Gaddafi's anti-aircraft defenses, the Air Force is already examining possible ways of neutralizing threats to military aircraft in future conflicts.
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04/21/2011
Argentina and Brazil launched a new partnership aimed at joint manufacture of a military transport jet as part of Argentine plans to secure a niche in South America's defense industries. Brazil is the senior partner in the deal involving KC-390, a medium-sized transport aircraft that is the brainchild of Brazil's Embraer defense manufacturer, already a contender for a greater share of the global arms market.
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04/21/2011
A U.S. military fighter jet destroyed two of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's surface-to-air missile sites near the Libyan capital of Tripoli April 18, continuing U.S. support of NATO operations there, officials reported.
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04/21/2011
Russia needs to be strong and avoid experiments with "unjustified liberalism" in order to safeguard its sovereignty and prevent outsiders from dictating the country's development, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. In an annual address to parliament - his last as prime minister before legislative elections later this year and presidential elections early next year - Putin painted a glowing picture of his government's performance in 2010, stressing achievements ranging from economi
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04/21/2011
Upgrading the Air Force and air defense systems will be a priority in the development of the Russian armed forces in the near future, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to parliament on Wednesday.
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04/20/2011
Some of Asia’s aerospace industries are starting work on fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Despite huge technological hurdles, these countries could displace Western Europe as a leading centre of fighter jet development, and possibly one day give the United States some real competition in global markets.
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04/20/2011
President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday renewed his call on Washington to sell Taiwan F-16C/D aircraft, while a Coast Guard Administration official announced “rigorous combat training” for coast guard personnel in the South China Sea.
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04/20/2011
China has staged a second test flight of its new stealth fighter jet in its latest display of military strength.
Scores of people watched the prototype J-20 take to the skies at an airfield in Chengdu, in Sichuan province.
They cheered and applauded as it made several passes, waggling its wings ‘to salute the crowd,’ according to one onlooker.
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04/20/2011
Lockheed Martin’s Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar, TRACER, has completed flight testing aboard a Predator B MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial System. TRACER is a dual-band (UHF and VHF) synthetic-aperture radar capable of detecting and geo-locating objects that are buried, camouflaged or concealed under foliage. Classified as a queuing sensor, TRACER processes images in real time, and can immediately down-link captured images to multiple ground stations. Prior to the MQ-9 UAS fl
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04/20/2011
Boeing earlier this month reached the milestone of supporting the Australian Army's 27 Bell 206B-1 Kiowa helicopters for more than 60,000 flight hours. The achievement includes 180 hours of relief efforts following the recent cyclone and flooding in Queensland.
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04/19/2011
A U.S. military fighter jet destroyed two of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s surface-to-air missile sites near the Libyan capital of Tripoli yesterday, continuing U.S. support of NATO operations there, officials reported.
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04/19/2011
Retired Air Force lieutenant general Dave Deptula, a former fighter pilot, air war boss and Air Force intel chief, says politics kept the F-22 on the sidelines. "The F-22 could have established a no-fly zone over Libya without any other airplanes being required to overfly Libya," he says. "That would have obviated the need for any other coalition partner from participating, and therefore was not a desirable option politically."
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04/19/2011
Photos of China's J-20 stealth fighter prototype are all the rage on online military forums, after word emerged that another test flight was completed Sunday when officials in Beijing celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China's aviation industry.
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04/19/2011
Britain's largest military aircraft, which is nearly 60 metres long and has a wingspan of 60 metres, arrived in the country from Madrid to undergo intensive trials, media reports said. This strategic tanker named Voyager will play the dual role of transport aircraft and an air to air tanker for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It can carry up to 290 troops. The aircraft is expected to replace the long-serving VC-10 and Tristar following its intensive testing programme.
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04/19/2011
Unmanned military aircraft running on lithium-ion batteries received a boost for future development with a new a U.S. Air Force contract designed to fund work on longer lasting and cheaper batteries of the mineral compound. Lithium-ion batteries are seen by military industry analysts as a major, stable source of power for operating small to medium-sized machines. Success with the ongoing research will mean that lithium-ion batteries could also run consumer items at lower costs and with greater
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04/19/2011
The Czech Republic is planning to offer Iraq a number of light attack aircraft and help Baghdad to modernize its helicopter fleet, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said. Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas will visit Iraq on May 23-24 to promote closer economic cooperation with Baghdad and sign an agreement on mutual protection of investments.
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04/19/2011
The first Airbus Military A330 MRTT for the United Arab Emirates Air Force has successfully completed its maiden flight following conversion of the aircraft in Madrid.
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04/19/2011
The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) recently received Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Sniper pods for their F-15K aircraft. Delivered to Daegu Air Base, South Korea, these pods will be immediately deployed into full flight operations with the ROKAF F-15K fleet.
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04/19/2011
Lockheed Martin marked the delivery of the first F-35 Lightning II Full Mission Simulator (FMS) system to Eglin Air Force Base’s 33rd Fighter Wing. Preparation and assembly is underway at the base’s F-35 Integrated Training Center (ITC) for training to commence this fall. The Joint Strike Fighter FMS includes a high-fidelity 360-degree visual display system and a reconfigurable cockpit that simulates all three aircraft variants for U.S. and international partner services. The system is the high
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04/19/2011
Boeing announced today that the Commonwealth of Australia has signed an agreement with the U.S. government to acquire a fifth Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter. The Foreign Military Sale allows the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to expand its C-17 fleet as it faces an increased demand for humanitarian and disaster relief missions.
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04/18/2011
The Libyan rebels are complaining that the NATO air support is inadequate. While there were over a hundred fighters and bombers sent into action, by 17 nations (14 of 28 NATO members plus the UAE, Qatar and Sweden), most of the contributing nations have restrictions on how their aircraft could be used. As a result, six of the nations (mostly Britain and France) provide nearly all the actual bombing support to the rebels on the ground. The other nations restrict their aircraft to recon missions,
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04/16/2011
At the last count, around 40 countries had committed themselves to support the Nato mission to protect Libya’s civilian population. But when it comes to the altogether more challenging business of launching air strikes, only a handful are prepared to allow their planes to take part.
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04/16/2011
President Barack Obama’s proposed B-1 bomber cuts could shrink the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base by four aircraft. Abilene Rep. Randy Neugebauer made a case for not cutting B-1s at all during a hearing Thursday morning on Capitol Hill. “It’s the least expensive bomber in the fleet,” the Lubbock Republican told the House Armed Services Committee.
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04/16/2011
Costing £70 million each, they can reach a top speed of around Mach 2 (1,550 mph) making them considerably faster than the RAF’s workhorse Tornado jets, which can fly at just over Mach 1.
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04/16/2011
Pilots of the RAF's top fighter jets - currently in action over Libya - are being grounded as a lack of spare parts means they cannot put in the flying hours to keep their skills up to date, MPs warn.
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04/16/2011
Residents in Southern Nevada and areas of California can expect military aircraft noise to increase today through April 29 while Nellis Air Force Base conducts a Green Flag air combat training exercise.
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04/16/2011
Canadian suppliers are cutting expenses to help make the Joint Strike Fighter warplane more affordable, the head of landing gear company Heroux-Devtek said Friday.
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04/16/2011
The Boeing Company will showcase a wide array of aviation, training, support and technology solutions at the 2011 Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition. This year’s event takes place April 17-20 in Nashville.
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04/15/2011
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday he was hopeful other NATO members would provide more ground attack planes for the Libya mission, even though some have rebuffed calls to do more.
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04/15/2011
The engine of a jet fighter caught fire in the air over an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, but sailors quickly doused the flames after it touched down and the pilot escaped unharmed, the Navy said Thursday. The fire on the USS Carl Vinson on Monday was the second involving an F/A-18C Hornet aboard an aircraft carrier in less than a month. Authorities did not immediately indicate whether the causes might be related.
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04/15/2011
Southern Nevada and Southern California residents will continue to see increased military aircraft activity as the Air Force flies Green Flag West 11-6. Missions, which take place April 15-29 at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., will be flown between 3 p.m. and midnight the first week and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. the second week. The exercise flight path includes areas within the Las Vegas valley, to and from Nellis AFB and the NTC, near Mount Charleston, and north of Pahrump in Nevad
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04/15/2011
NATO has made an appeal for more aircraft as the war against the regime of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appears to have stalled. But the Canadian Forces has yet to indicate whether more CF-18 fighter jets will be joining the campaign. Britain and France have been lobbying NATO members to provide more military resources while NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a foreign ministers' summit the alliance needs more aircraft for the Libyan mission.
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04/15/2011
In a statement, the major Brazilian producer of civil and military aircraft said that Aero would supply rear fuselage sections, crew and parachute doors, emergency doors, hatches and cargo ramps for prototypes of the KC-390 and for future commercial production.
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04/14/2011
Britain used the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet in active combat for the first time, a senior military official said on Wednesday. British Air Vice-Marshal Phil Osborn said the aircraft had been used on Tuesday to bomb targets over Libya, where NATO forces are attacking military assets belonging to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and enforcing a no-fly zone and arms embargo.
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04/14/2011
On the heels of a recent explosion and fire aboard one aircraft carrier, the Navy reports a second fighter jet fire aboard San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson. An F/A-18C Hornet made an emergency landing using one engine on USS Carl Vinson April 11. Once the jet landed on deck, it engulfed into flames.
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04/14/2011
U.S. fighter jets have been flying bombing and strike missions against Libyan air defenses even after control of the operation was handed over to NATO, Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan said Wednesday. The U.S. aircraft assigned to NATO for these roles include six F-16 fighter jets and five EA-18 jets, which are equipped to jam electronic signals but also are capable of firing missiles. They have flown 97 sorties since April 4, and on three occasions U.S. aircraft fired ordnance, according to
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04/14/2011
The budget compromise up for consideration by Congress cuts $2.16 billion from Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and doesn't include money for the jet's alternative engine being developed by General Electric Co. and Rolls Royce Group PLC.
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04/14/2011
A combined team of Afghan air force and coalition members conducted the first dedicated Mi-17 medical evacuation mission April 11 here. The team moved an Afghan National Army officer, who incurred a compound leg fracture, from Camp Bastion back to Kandahar.
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04/14/2011
The Brazilian Defense Ministry will decide by the end of the month whether its contract on the supply of Russian helicopters will be affected by planned massive military budget cuts, a ministry source said. "This year's ministry plan stipulates that the contract on the supply of Russian Mi-35M helicopters should be fulfilled, and we cannot say now which of the projects may be affected by the cuts," the source said.
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04/14/2011
The arms market in Latin America, especially in Brazil, show a great potential for exports of Russian weaponry, a senior Russian defense industry official said. More than 300 types of weaponry are being showcased by Russia at the Latin America Aero and Defense 2011 (LAAD-2011) arms show in Rio de Janeiro on April 12-15.
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04/13/2011
The U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $17.9 million contract to produce Type-3 advanced mission computers (AMC) for the F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G Super Hornet aircraft. General Dynamics has delivered F/A-18 advanced mission computers since 2002. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics.
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04/13/2011
Eight Swedish SAAB JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft joined the NATO operation against Libyan government forces last week. Based in Sicily and backed up with a transport aircraft and 130 support staff, it is the Swedish Air Force’s first airborne combat operation since 1963. The deployment follows the Swedish government’s decision in March to freeze €1 billion of Libyan assets and its refusal to recognise the Libyan embassy.
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04/13/2011
The Republic of China Air Force yesterday used a closed-off motorway as a runway in a rare drill simulating a surprise attack from China that had wiped out its major airbases. In all, six fighter aircraft landed and took off from Freeway No. 1 in an emergency landing and takeoff exercise, under the watchful eye of hundreds of spectators.
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04/13/2011
Indonesia chose South Korea's state-run aircraft maker as the preferred supplier for a set of fighter jets that will be used to train military pilots, South Korean officials said Tuesday, the first time Seoul has been able to export a military jet it developed.
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04/13/2011
Russian Helicopters, which designs and manufactures civil and military helicopters, plan to place Global Depositary Receipts representing existing shares in both London and Russia to raise $500 million in an initial public offering, the firm said on Tuesday.
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04/13/2011
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] completed delivery of the second production C-5M Super Galaxy at a ceremony here Monday with a crew from Dover Air Force Base, Del. The fifth C-5M overall to be delivered to the Air Force, this aircraft will undergo internal paint restoration at Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., before traveling to its home base at Dover.
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04/12/2011
General Electric Co and Britain's Rolls Royce on Tuesday vowed to continue work on a second engine for the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jet despite news that a compromise fiscal 2011 defense budget will not fund the program.
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04/12/2011
India has surpassed its neighbor China to become the world’s largest importer of conventional weapons during the 2006 to 2010 period according to statistics released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). While Asia and Oceania remained to be the major arms recipients over the five-year period – accounting for 43 percent of global conventional weapon imports – India received the largest volume of international arms transfers during the period, seeing a 21 percent surge
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04/12/2011
Korea's first domestically produced supersonic training aircraft, the T-50, made its formal debut to great reviews at the Dubai Air Show on Sunday. Nicknamed the Golden Eagle, the plane performed demonstration fly-bys at the Gulf state's Airport Expo and was also displayed on the ground. Representatives of the Korean government, military and industry pushed to get exports of the T-50 to the UAE rolling. Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan will also do his part by visiting the show and meeting the UAE's
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04/12/2011
The first M-346 advanced fighter trainer aircraft for the Italian Air Force has made its maiden flight last month, the aircraft’s manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi announced. The aircraft, designated T-346A by the Italian Air Force, successfully took to the skies on March 31. The flight lasted for 40 minutes and the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet, covering the planned flight envelope in terms of speed, angle of attack and load factor.
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04/12/2011
The Integrity Committee in the parliament revealed Thursday about evidences and documents that confirm the existence of financial and administrative corruption in the Iraqi Defense Ministry, particularly with regard to contracts to buy military aircraft, stressing on that it will begin investigating these files at the beginning of next week.
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04/12/2011
On 8 April defence minister Hans Hillen announced the official government paper, ‘A Smaller Military in a Troubled World’, which outlined cuts that included: two MBT battalions, 19 F-16 fighter aircraft, one supply ship, four mine detection ships, and some 12,000 personnel.
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04/12/2011
They’re heard before they’re ever seen. Even over the engines of an Airbus A310, a distinct roar causes a vibration a person can feel in their chest, prompting them to look out the window and find that the airplane they’re sitting in is now sharing airspace with an F-16 fighter jet. Close enough to see that, even as they’ve turned to look at the fighter’s helmeted pilot, that pilot has turned to look at them.
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04/12/2011
Special mission versions of the C-130J Super Hercules are becoming a regular sight on the Lockheed Martin flightline.
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04/11/2011
The second batch of F-16 fighters that Chile has purchased from the Netherlands today took off from Volkel air base for their new home. In total, the South American country is buying an additional 18 Dutch combat aircraft of this type.
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04/11/2011
Indian Air Force fighters would soon be equipped with special gadgets for production of oxygen while in the air enabling them to be airborne for longer period and carry extra payload.
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04/11/2011
China and Pakistan have conducted a joint-air exercise called Shaheen-1, which saw the first ever deployment of a Chinese air force contingent to Pakistan. "A contingent of Chinese PLA air force comprising combat aircraft, pilots and technicians arrived at an operational base of the Pakistan air force," the latter service says. "The exercise has been designed to share mutual experiences, hone professional skills, and accrue maximum benefits from the expertise of the two air forces."
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04/11/2011
The revelation that the government is in the process of procuring six Su-30 MK2 fighter jets at $740 million has stirred a lot of controversy. The government says the major reason for the purchase is to guard against external military threats, but the opposition maintains that this is another case of wasteful expenditure. Edris Kiggundu and David Tash Lumu explore both arguments and dig deeper to reveal the characteristics of the fighter jets, their capacity, as well as interesting information a
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04/11/2011
Iran's state news agency reports that an Iranian pilot was killed and his co-pilot injured after their military plane crashed in south of the country. IRNA said Sunday a military delegation has gone to the site of the crash to investigate the reasons behind it.
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04/10/2011
It is yet to be seen whether Cabinet will approve the budget for the Armed forces to buy more weapons before House dissolution, but the value of six new Gripen jet fighters that arrived in Thailand recently also raises interesting questions. Approved by General Surayud Chulanont, the Bt19-billion Swedish-made fleet responds to and reflects Thailand's current needs perfectly, especially when the country's buzzwords are security, unity, sufficiency and education.
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04/10/2011
Conspicuously absent in the skies over Libya is the new American F-22. Despite modifying the F-22 to operate as a fighter-bomber, the F-22 was uniquely unsuited to operate as part of the international force assigned to stop Libya from attacking its own people. That job requires aircraft that can carry lots of smart bombs. Defeating the Libyan Air Force was not a major chore, and was easily handled by less capable (and cheaper to operate) air superiority fighters. Another problem was communicatio
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04/10/2011
India's air force won't accept any last-minute offers from bidders in a 126 medium-multi-role combat aircraft deal expected to be worth around $11 billion. Planes in the running are the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from Boeing, the Rafale by French firm Dassault, the Eurofighter Typhoon from Europe's EADS, Lockheed Martin's F-16, the Russian-made MiG-35 and the Gripen from Swedish firm Saab.
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04/10/2011
BAE Systems tested a new ejection seat that will be deployed on over 3,000 F-35 Lightning II combat jets around the world, using a 600-mph rocket car, a battery of sensors and one lucky mannequin. They captured it on video — but don't blink or you'll miss it.
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04/10/2011
Fighter jets from Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) have destroyed seven tanks near the Libyan cities of Misrata and Ajdabiya, according the UK Ministry of Defense. The RAF’s sorties are part of NATO alliance's enforcement of a no-fly zone, as mandated by the United Nations, over Libya. Britain is using twenty fighter planes in the Libyan campaign.
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04/09/2011
According to the Serbian press, Belgrade wants to upgrade the country’s air force, air defenses and radar force. The Serbian Defence Ministry plans to buy the 4th generation MiG-29M and Su-30, and possibly, the S-300 air defense rocket or the S-400 export version as well as a radar station.
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04/09/2011
The USAF has some of the most capable aircraft in the world within its fleet. Many of the aircraft that it fields in any conflict are older and were designed decades ago; but it also has some very capable next generation aircraft like the F-22 and the F-35 that will be coming online in the next few years.
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04/09/2011
The RAF is converting four of its new Typhoon fast jets so that they can take part in bombing raids in Libya amid concern expressed by rebel leaders that the military campaign against Colonel Gaddafi has stalled.
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04/09/2011
The seven countries that are funding the latest Airbus military transport aircraft have agreed on a profit-sharing formula for its export sales. The contract, which was signed in Seville on Thursday by the countries’ armament directors, marks the final stage in the normalisation of the €31bn ($44bn) A400M project that is already four years late and more than €11bn over budget.
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04/09/2011
Following are latest available details of Western military operations in Libya. The following NATO countries are participating in the alliance's operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Britain, United States. NATO forces have total of 195 aircraft at their disposal.
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04/08/2011
India is sending a Dornier 228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the island nation of Seychelles, to help in dealing with Somali pirates. This aircraft will remain for at least two years. Last year, India had offered to give Seychelles a Dornier 228 and two Chetak helicopters for anti-piracy duty, but tiny Seychelles preferred that India simply operate this equipment on their territory until the Somali piracy threat is gone.
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04/08/2011
A Safety Investigation Board tasked with investigating the A-10 Thunderbolt II crash that occurred April 1 in a field outside Laufeld, Germany, a town north of Wittlich convened here April 5. The team, led by Col. Michael Winters, the 100th Air Refueling Wing vice commander and SIB president, will take investigative control of the crash site and begin the board's inquiry into the cause of the crash.
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04/08/2011
Norwegian F-16 aircraft are ripe for replacement after 31 years of service. Norway's 72 F-16 aircraft were delivered between 1980 and 1984, while two attrition aircraft was delivered in 1989. Acquisition of the four planes is an important step to maintain a satisfactory operational combat aircraft capacity in the transition phase between the F-16 and F-35, says the defense minister Grete Faremo.
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04/08/2011
Officials said Jordan's military was transporting non-combat equipment as part of humanitarian missions in Libya. They said the Jordanian role would continue indefinitely.
On April 5, the Royal Jordanian Air Force transported 10 tons of medical and humanitarian supplies to Libya. Officials said two unidentified air transports arrived in the Libyan city of Benghazi, which has been under rebel control.
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04/08/2011
The Prime Minister is “actively engaged” in a reassessment of Britain’s military capabilities and planned reductions in equipment and manpower, sources have disclosed. The rethink has raised hopes that some of the cuts to military aircraft and ships in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) could be postponed or even reversed. Insiders said it was not too late for a change of mind on the decision to cut the number of RAF Tornados and scrap surveillance planes. Some Royal Navy frigates
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04/08/2011
The Eurofighter consortium wants back into the race to outfit Denmark's armed forces with a new fighter jet. "What we're saying is that while there is no official Danish tender at present, Eurofighter wants to participate in such a competition when the new tender is launched," military news Web site Defensenews.com quoted Eurofighter spokesman Marco Bonelli as saying.
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04/08/2011
Navy officials on Thursday identified the two pilots who were killed when their fighter jet crashed in a field near a Central California air base. Lt. Matthew Ira Lowe, 33, and Lt. Nathan Hollingsworth Williams, 28, died when their F/A-18F Super Hornet went down during a routine training flight Wednesday, officials said. The jet crashed in a grassy field about a half-mile from the Naval Air Station in Lemoore.
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04/08/2011
It would take Russian investigators at least a month to establish the cause of an accident with a Su-27SM Flanker fighter jet that crashed in Russia's Far East on Wednesday, a military source said. The jet crashed during the landing at an airbase near Vladivostok after a routine training flight. The pilot ejected successfully and was hospitalized with minor injuries.
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04/08/2011
Nato said it was investigating the incident, noting that the area where the attack occurred was "unclear and fluid with mechanised weapons travelling in all directions". Meanwhile, a different rebel spokesman said Thursday's fatal air strike was carried out by pro-government forces rather than by Nato. "This was not a Nato air-strike; on the contrary, it was conducted by Gaddafi's brigades using SIAI Marchetti SF-260 planes," Col Ahmad Bani told al-Arabiya television.
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04/07/2011
A British industry team led by BAE Systems has completed the final tests on the ejection or escape system for all variants of the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft. The system has been certified as safe for flight after a series of rigorous tests. The escape system, used in emergency situations, ensures pilots can eject safely and will be fitted to all 3000+ F-35 aircraft which will be flown by armed forces across the globe.
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04/07/2011
Following a successful test run in March 2010 and approval by Air Combat Command officials, the first of several T-38 Talons from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., arrived here April 1 for the beginning of the 1st Operations Group's T-38 Adversary Air Program.
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04/07/2011
A virtual gale of support is blowing through Washington this week to boost Taiwan’s request to buy F-16C/D aircraft. However, despite the pressure, there is no indication that US President Barack Obama’s administration would sell the fighter aircraft anytime soon.
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04/07/2011
Military history was made yesterday as the army unveiled an aircraft, the first to be bought brand new and tailored to its requests.
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04/07/2011
They come to three the Arab countries taking part in the international operation against the regime of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi: after Qatar and United Arab Emirates now also Jordan left an unknown number of military aircraft to assist in the imposition of the no-fly zone declared by NATO on Libya and to protect humanitarian aid flights direct to the Hashemite kingdom from North African country.
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04/07/2011
One of the Conservative government's most expensive and controversial promises is under attack from an unlikely source - a U.S. military expert. Speaking in Ottawa on Tuesday, Winslow Wheeler says Prime Minister Stephen Harper's pledge to purchase 65 F-35 fighter jets for just $9 billion is "hogwash."
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04/07/2011
The world's defence sector must act now to preserve its innovation, specialist skill-set and research and development work, according to a new report out today.
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04/07/2011
Navy F-35 flight test aircraft CF-1 approaches the TC-7 catapult at Naval Air Station Patuxent River March 22. With U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Matt "Opie" Taylor at the controls, CF-1 completed functional checks and performed the first test hookup of the F-35C to the catapult.
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04/07/2011
At this year's Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition, The Boeing Company will display a broad range of proven and emerging maritime and air capabilities to support U.S. Navy readiness . Sea-Air-Space - the world's largest maritime exposition - will take place April 11-13 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.
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04/07/2011
A pilot from the Russian Su-27 Flanker combat aircraft that crashed earlier on Wednesday during a training flight near the city of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East has been hospitalized, a Defense Ministry official said.
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04/07/2011
The two occupants of a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet died when the jet crashed about a half mile from NAS Lemoore in central California Wednesday. The Navy told various media outlets the aircraft was on a routine training mission prior to deployment. The crash happened just after noon. The plane went down in a field but it wasn't immediately stated what phase of flight it was in at the time. There was also no word about whether the the crew tried to eject.
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04/06/2011
The Sudanese government says Israel carried out an air strike on a car near the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast which killed its two passengers.
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04/06/2011
Air Force Special Operations Command officials welcomed the latest variant of the MC-130 at a rollout ceremony held at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., factory recently. The rollout accelerates AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster's priority to recapitalize the fleet by acquiring MC-130J Combat Shadow IIs to replace aircraft that have been flying combat missions for up to 45 years.
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04/06/2011
Nato is running short of attack aircraft for its bombing campaign against Muammar Gaddafi only days after taking command of the Libyan mission from a coalition led by the US, France and Britain.
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04/06/2011
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who is deliberating a multi-billion dollar jet fighter deal, on Tuesday defended the need to spend money on defense at a time when she is making big budget cuts in other areas. Rousseff's comments at a military ceremony in Brasilia are one of the clearest signs to date that she could move forward soon on a deal to buy at least 36 fighter jets from either U.S.-based Boeing (BA.N), France's Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA) or Sweden's Saab SAAB.ST.
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04/06/2011
Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh confirmed on Tuesday that Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) fighter aircraft landed in a European military base two days ago to protect the Jordanian humanitarian aircraft dispatched to Libya.
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04/06/2011
Russia has delivered two Mi-35P Hind E attack helicopters to Peru under a contract to provide the South American country with air power to combat cocaine production and terrorism.
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04/06/2011
The Boeing Company today announced that it delivered F-15K 47 and F-15K 48 to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) at Daegu Air Base on March 15. The two F-15K Slam Eagles departed St. Louis on March 8 and made stops in Palmdale, Calif., Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Anderson Air Force Base, Guam.
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04/05/2011
The first five Denel Aviation Rooivalk Mark 1 combat support helicopters are now in service with 16 Squadron of the South African Air Force following the conclusion of a development and manufacturing programme dating back 27 years to March 1984. The cost of the programme, Project Impose, remains elusive but is said to have been over R8 billion by 2006.
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04/05/2011
U.S. Air Force and Marine attack planes struck targets in Libya on a stretch of Mediterranean coastline near the cities of Sirte and Brega on Monday, the final day of planned U.S. combat missions in the North African nation, U.S. officials said.
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04/05/2011
Boeing, the world's largest aircraft maker, has a "historic window of opportunity" to boost its military business in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific as countries such as the UAE upgrade their defence systems, the company says. The aerospace giant is seeking to increase international defence sales within its overall defence business from 10 per cent last year to 25 per cent by 2013, at a time when it faces incremental growth in the US.
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04/05/2011
Three C-5M Super Galaxy aircrews from here delivered cargo March 23 to 27 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.
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04/05/2011
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II test jets made considerable flight test progress during the first quarter of 2011, conducting 199 test flights versus a plan of 142 flights. Additionally, the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant logged six times more vertical landings in the first quarter than in all of 2010.
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04/05/2011
Britain is considering supplying Libyan rebels with non-lethal equipment, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday. "We are prepared to supply non-lethal equipment which will help with the protection of civilian lives and the delivery of humanitarian aid," Hague told the House of Commons.
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04/04/2011
The competition for the multibillion-dollar contract to supply all-purpose fighter jets to the Indian Air Force is hotting up. America is making some strong moves, Europe is honing its lobbying potential, and Russia, too, is nursing hopes of winning.
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04/04/2011
In an exclusive interview with Business Standard, P Subramanyam, director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is developing the LCA and the AMCA, responded to IAF criticism that the Tejas was not yet a world-class fighter. He said the Tejas Mark-I, still being flight-tested, had been flown to just 85 per cent of its full capability. The Tejas Mark-II - in which a more powerful GE-414 engine will replace the current GE-404 engine -- would perform another 15 per cent better.
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04/04/2011
Instead of watching the A-10s and fighter jets roar above Macomb County skies, people can get an up-close and personal look at the Selfridge Military Air Museum. The museum held its grand opening Saturday afternoon and it will be open on weekends until the end of October, except for when the air show takes place in late August.
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04/04/2011
Sitting aboard the USS Mount Whitney as it navigates the Mediterranean Sea, admiral Samuel J Locklear III waits for his phone to be connected to a press conference at the Pentagon during which he will update reporters on the operation in Libya.
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04/04/2011
Taiwan’s airpower situation is deteriorating and replacement of its tactical aircraft is necessary, justified and not provocative, US Senator Richard Lugar told US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton in a letter dated April 1.
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04/04/2011
The UAE air force worked alongside the country's special forces yesterday to rescue ship from pirates off the coast of Oman.
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04/04/2011
History was made in Afghanistan this week when on Wednesday a team of all-female flight crew took to the skies to provide close air support for coalition and Afghan ground forces, marking the first combat mission flown from Bagram to be planned, maintained and flown entirely by women.
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04/03/2011
"The Ministry of Defence is doing everything in order to solve the question of Croatia’s air space protection by the end of the year," the minister said. Germany has offered to donate several of its F4 Phantom II jets to Croatia as free assistance to a fellow NATO state. Germany plans to get rid of 20 of its F4 jets by next year. Bozinovic did not comment on Germany’s offer.
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04/03/2011
Serbia Army has over a long period of time a problem with the Air Force since majority of jets are older than 20 years. The jets are mainly of MiG-21 type but there are also of MiG-29 type. At the beginning of 2010 Serbian Ministry of Defense sent to the USA requests for information for F-16 and F-18 jets, to Sweden for ‘Gripen’, France for ‘Rafal’, European Consortium for ‘Eurofighter’ and Russia for MiG-29M and Sukhoi 30.
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04/03/2011
At least 13 people are reported to have been killed when a coalition plane flying over Libya fired on a rebel convoy between Brega and Ajdabiya on Friday, the rebels say.
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04/03/2011
GIBRALTAR has been a sore point for Spain since it was muscled away by Britain nearly three centuries ago. One of the most recent examples of these tensions was the new agreement which came into force on February 1 and was published in the Official State Bulletin on Monday. It states that United States military aircraft that have Gibraltar airport as their origin or destination are prohibited from flying over Spanish airspace or make stops in its territory.
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04/03/2011
Two weeks after a dark-of-night barrage of mostly U.S. missiles and bombs opened the international air assault on Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, the American combat role is ending, the ragtag rebels are reeling and the Pentagon is betting its European allies can finish the job.
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04/03/2011
A senior official of Boeing Military Aircraft brushed aside claims that complications had arisen in the proposed $5.8 billion sale of ten C-17 Globemaster-III transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force, and said that the global defence vendor expected the deal to close by mid-2011.
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04/02/2011
The current Libyan air operation may be the last of its kind. What I mean by this is an operation involving fourth-generation aircraft against Soviet-era defenses or single-digit surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). To date, the campaign has been as much an air show as combat operation with an array of fourth-generation fighters including the Rafale, Mirage 2000, Tornado, Typhoon, Harrier, F-16 and F-15E making an appearance. In some cases, such as the Tornado and Harrier, this is likely their victor
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04/02/2011
U.S. aircraft will remain on standby as NATO takes over multilateral operations in Libya and the coalition considers its future role there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate committee yesterday.
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04/02/2011
As India’s military establishment sits on the cusp of a potentially game-changing strategic partnership through a $12-billion air force deal, the man who was at the centre of forging defence ties with both Russia and the US, Ronen Sen, today explained what it takes to leverage arms acquisitions for diplomatic gain. The air force contract for 126 medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) is now at a decisive phase, seven years after the efforts for the acquisition began.
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04/02/2011
Military officials on Thursday were trying to determine what caused the engine of a fighter jet to fail and catch fire as it prepared to take off from an aircraft carrier off the California coast.
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04/02/2011
A US military jet has crashed in western Germany, injuring the pilot who ejected from the jet.
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04/02/2011
The first Iraqi air force instructor pilot to graduate from the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron at Tirkrit Air Base, Iraq, Lt. Col. Hamid Hussein, has flown his first official training mission with an Iraqi student pilot in a Hawker Beechcraft T-6.
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04/01/2011
There are certainly plenty of SAMs in Libya. Video and photographs have shown rebel fighters posing with shoulder-fired surface to air missiles including SA-7s, the same type fired in Kenya.
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04/01/2011
Denmark's military wants the government to restart the country's Fighter Replacement Program (FRP), citing the armed forces' need for a more advanced stealth fighter jet than the Air Force's current stock of F-16s.
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04/01/2011
NATO on Thursday took full command and control of military operations in Libya from the United States, however, the endgame of the military campaigns remains elusive.
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04/01/2011
India's federal government has approved the purchase of four more P-8I long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft from Boeing Co., a senior executive at the U.S. defense contractor said Thursday.
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04/01/2011
Three sailors remained hospitalized Thursday morning after the engine of a Marine Corps fighter jet exploded and the plane caught fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis on Wednesday, a Navy spokesman said.
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03/31/2011
As Libyan rebels fled in headlong retreat from the superior arms and tactics of Muammar Gaddafi's troops on Wednesday, U.S. officials said President Barack Obama had signed a secret order authorizing covert support for the rebels.
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03/31/2011
Advancements in Chinese military capabilities mean Guam has lost its status as a safe haven for American forces in the Western Pacific, a top war strategist says.
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03/31/2011
Many commentators believe the Libya air strikes are a pre-election advert for President Nicolas Sarkozy. Some believe they are also an advert for France's badly-selling Rafale jet fighter.
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03/31/2011
Two years after entering squadron service, the U.S. Navy's EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft has seen combat for the first time in Libya. The EA-18G is equipped with the ALQ-99 radar jamming pod and a a APG-79 phased array (AESA) radar, which also has some jamming capability (with the right software) as well as the ability to fry electronics.
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03/31/2011
The Dutch government decided yesterday evening that the Netherlands will participate in the NATO enforcement of the UN arms embargo against Libya. Its contribution will consist of a minehunter, a KDC-10 tanker aircraft and six F-16 fighter aircraft. The total contribution of the mission will involve approximately 200 Dutch military personnel.
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03/31/2011
When the U.S. military wanted to survey the damage above Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant earlier this month, it sent a Global Hawk pilotless aircraft. Just days later, commanders sent a Global Hawk to assess how effective U.S. strikes in Libya had been. In a Pentagon briefing Friday, Vice Adm. William Gortney confirmed that the Global Hawk, known formally as the RQ-4, was providing "persistent surveillance" of Libyan territory.
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03/31/2011
Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa arrived in London late on Wednesday and told British authorities he was going to resign from his post, the British Foreign Office said.
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03/30/2011
The US Navy has indicated that it would like to have unmanned, robotic spyplane/bombers operating from its aircraft carriers "in the 2018 timeframe", which suggests that flying kill-robots will soon be in the same league as the most powerful manned combat aircraft.
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03/30/2011
While civil aviation traffic has gone down slightly, military traffic in the flight information region handled by Malta Aviation Traffic Services (MATS) has gone up “exponentially”, according to chief operations officer Robert Sant.
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03/30/2011
Enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya required four sorties by NATO aircraft in the past 24 hours, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
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03/30/2011
A lot of self-proclaimed “patriots” seem to love oil as much as they love America. Maybe the military’s use of biofuels can change some minds, as a F-22 Raptor was able to go Mach 1.5 times on 50% camelina oil blend.
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03/30/2011
The only remaining flying Vulcan – the last all-British designed and built military aircraft – flew out of RAF Lyneham for the last time today.
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03/30/2011
Here's an insider's explanation of why the Air Force's hot new F-22 fighter jet is exactly the wrong aircraft for shooting at Qaddafi's forces on the ground in Libya.
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03/30/2011
Lockheed Martin rolled out the first aircraft in a new fleet of MC-130J Combat Shadow IIs for the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command (AFSOC) during a ceremony here today.
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03/30/2011
Boeing today announced that it has been awarded a $31 million follow-on contract from the U.S. Air Force for two more C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits. The agreement, part of a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract awarded in 2010, also includes support for logistics, engineering and installation, as well as spares support equipment.
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03/29/2011
It's even tougher if you do it Bob Haymond's way - on your stomach in the rear of an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker flying at 21,000 feet and 300 miles per hour, while you work the controls of a 40-foot fuel hose as it plunges toward a second military plane flying so close you could spit on it.
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03/29/2011
Romania's Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) on Monday authorized the use of Romanian aerodromes by United States military aircraft, for aerial refueling, as part of the operation to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973.
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03/29/2011
The United States used low-flying combat aircraft against Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's ground troops, the Pentagon said Monday, but denied it was directly supporting the rebels. "We have employed A-10s and AC-130s over the weekend," US Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the US military's Joint Staff, told reporters, without giving specifics about targets.
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03/29/2011
Twelve fighter aircraft of the United Arab Emirates arrived last night in the base of Decimomannu in Sardinia, preceded by an UN A-330/200 aircraft, landed at the "Mario Mameli" of Cagliari, which carried the material logistics to support the jet.
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03/29/2011
“We’re not done. We’re going to build 179 of these, and then we’ll build another 179 for the U.S. Air Force,” he said after a celebration of the company’s tanker win with U.S. Reps. Norm Dicks and Rick Larsen, both D-Wash. “My guess is there are a hundred (orders) out there internationally.”
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03/29/2011
Faulty maintenance procedures were found to have caused the March 9 in-flight failure of the engine generators aboard an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the program office said last week. Those procedures have now been revised, and the entire fleet of F-35s has been cleared to resume flight operations.
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03/29/2011
U.S. and coalition forces have accomplished the no-fly zone aspect of the United Nations mission in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a television interview aired March 28.
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03/29/2011
The U.S. Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems (JAMS) Project Office and Lockheed Martin successfully fired a multipurpose AGM 114R HELLFIRE II “Romeo” missile with a live warhead and penetrated a brick-over-block target in its sixth proof-of-principle (POP) test.
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03/29/2011
The Air National Guard is contributing to Operation Odyssey Dawn with Airmen from 11 air refueling wings supporting the international coalition enforcement of a United Nations authorized no-fly zone, National Guard officials said March 22 here.
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03/28/2011
No foreign troops will be deployed and there will be no NATO presence on the ground in Libya, NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu said Monday.
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03/28/2011
The 28 ambassadors of Nato's policy-making North Atlantic council met in Brussels to agree the rules of engagement for the air campaign aimed at protecting civilians against Gaddafi's onslaught, with Turkey and Germany keen to narrow the scope of the operations and France bristling at any constraints on its more gung-ho approach.
(Read More...)
03/28/2011
Qatar became the first Arab country to fly fighter planes over Libya in support of the coalition-imposed no-fly zone on Friday. The importance of the Qatari contribution, which is set to be followed by the UAE, was recognised by Libya's opposition movement, based in Benghazi.
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03/28/2011
The air force is in the final stages of choosing between two training aircraft, the supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle built by South Korea's Korean Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin Corp. of the United States, and the transonic M-346 produced by Alenia Aermacchi of Italy.
The initial order of 20-30 training jets will mark the first time in 40 years that the Israeli air force will buy jet aircraft not manufactured in the United States.
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03/27/2011
The U.S. Air Force is investigating whether the On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) found on several U.S. Air Force warplanes, including the F-22 Raptor, might be defective.
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03/27/2011
rench fighter planes in Misrata (200 km east of Tripoli) have destroyed "at least" five Galeb fighter planes and two combat helicopters MI-35 of forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, said on Saturday the staff of the French armies.
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03/27/2011
All the missions are run at night and "we have to wear night vision goggles for the duration of the sorties," Thulin said. "It's very dark in Libya, you can see the desert, you can see the towns, but that's about it. It's much darker than I expected to be. It's much darker than our training in northern Italy."
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03/27/2011
Coalition warplanes attacked Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's home town of Sirte in northern Libya early on Sunday, the country's state television reported.
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03/26/2011
A French warplane destroyed one of Moammar Khadafy's military jets in a dramatic display of air power yesterday - the first shoot-down since the US-led coalition imposed a "no-fly" zone over Libya. The Rafale fighter jet spotted the Libyan aircraft breaching the zone as it was approaching an airfield near the embattled town of Misrata - the site of a seesaw battle between pro-Khadafy and rebel forces - and blasted it with an air-to-ground missile as it landed.
(Read More...)
03/26/2011
As British officials this week claimed the defeat of Libyan air defenses, the aircraft prided to have contributed most to that success include the Rafale, Mirage 200, Tornado and F-16. Other aircraft noted to have contributed to successful air runs against the military assets of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi include the F-15, F-18, B-2 and Harrier jump jets.
(Read More...)
03/26/2011
A Qatar fighter pilot, in a strong and symbolic show of military support, became the first from any Arab nation to fly a combat mission over Libya Friday.
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03/26/2011
The international coalition force is planning a ground operation in Libya that could start in late April, a high-ranking Russian intelligence service source said on Friday.
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03/25/2011
A female pilot in Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) has become the first woman to fly a Typhoon fighter aircraft on a combat mission during the current enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya, British media reports said Thursday.
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03/25/2011
Coalition forces continue to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, striking air defense capabilities and regime forces that threaten Libyan civilians, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said here March 24.
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03/25/2011
Britain pushed ahead Friday with preparations to take a key role in an international military operation to enforce the UN Security Council's resolution on Libya, regardless of the ceasefire announced by the regime of Moamer al-Gaddafi, dpa reported.
(Read More...)
03/25/2011
The drive to enlist foreign staff, in part focusing on experienced workers, is another manifestation of Chinese industry’s ability to wield national resources and the lure of market access in its quest for the knowledge it needs to rapidly catch up with Western aerospace leaders.
(Read More...)
03/25/2011
Turkey has postponed the purchase of 100 US-made F-35 warplanes in objection to the American's refusal to share the aircraft's technology.
(Read More...)
03/25/2011
Coalition forces have intensified their attacks in Libya but have been unable to prevent Col Muammar Gaddafi's tanks entering the key town of Misurata, it was reported on Thursday evening.
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03/25/2011
French officials said that a Rafale fighter jet had fired on the Libyan aircraft after a coalition AWACS surveillance plane detected that it was violating the no-fly zone by flying above the city of Misrata, the scene of fierce fighting for more than a week. The missile hit the warplane shortly after it had landed at the city's airport.
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03/25/2011
NATO will take over control of military operations to ensure a no-fly zone in Libya early next week, diplomatic sources in Brussels said on Thursday.
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03/24/2011
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Qatar Armed Forces have signed a contract for three AW139 medium twin helicopters plus a comprehensive logistics support package. These aircraft will be operated by the Qatar Emiri Air Force to perform emergency medical service missions.
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03/24/2011
Aero Vodochody received business worth several million Euros from Swedish company SAAB Aeronautics for production of pylons for Swedish and Thai air forces.
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03/24/2011
Last night the joint task force ‘Odyssey Dawn’, comprising U.S. Navy and Royal Navy surface ships and submarines launched a massive attack on Libya, firing 112 Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missiles. The missiles were fired from U.S. and British attack submarines and U.S. Navy surface ships. An airstrike with Storm Shadow cruise missiles was also launched by RAF Tornado GR4, flying straight from Marham airbase in the U.K., a 3,000 mile return flight. The attack targeted about 20 radar and anti-ai
(Read More...)
03/24/2011
U.S. forces safely recovered the two-man crew of an American fighter jet after it crashed during a mission against a missile site in eastern Libya, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.
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03/24/2011
Miami’s U.S. Attorney announced that four family members were charged in a five-count indictment alleging they illegally attempted to export 22 F-5 jet fighter engines to Iran, violating sanctions.
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03/24/2011
A flotilla of warships has begun patrolling the Mediterranean under Nato command to block attempts by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to replenish his combat forces with arms and mercenaries. But the attempt at a Nato show of unity in policing a UN arms embargo was undermined by a third day of squabbling at alliance headquarters in Brussels over who should be in charge of the air campaign.
(Read More...)
03/23/2011
Naval strike aircraft will be reassigned to the Russian Air Force by the end of 2011, a high-ranking Navy source told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. Naval strike aircraft include Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bombers, MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors, Su-27 Flanker fighter jets, and Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft.
(Read More...)
03/23/2011
The F-15E Strike Eagle fighter was flying just before midnight Tuesday at 22,000 feet over northeastern Libya when its engines pitched out. In the frantic seconds that followed, the plane's pilot and weapon systems officer decided they had no choice but to eject.
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03/23/2011
Canadian jet fighters have flown their first mission in the skies over Libya as part of a coalition effort to rein in Moammar Gadhafi’s crackdown on pro-democracy rebels.
(Read More...)
03/23/2011
Coalition forces enforcing a no-fly zone in Libya to halt the slaughter of citizens by Moammar Gadhafi "have gone to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here March 22.
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03/23/2011
NATO should assume overall command of the international operation in Libya, the EU top diplomat said.
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03/23/2011
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday the significant military fighting going on in Libya now "should recede in the next few days."
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03/23/2011
The new HC-130J personnel recovery aircraft, developed for the United States Air Force Air Combat Command, has completed developmental testing. The final test point was air-to-air refueling and was achieved on March 14. This was the first refueling of an HC-130J, and the first ever boom refueling of a C-130 where the aircraft’s refueling receiver was installed during aircraft production.
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03/22/2011
Two crew members ejected from their U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle when the aircraft experienced equipment malfunction over northeast, Libya, March 21, at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
(Read More...)
03/22/2011
A pair of British F2 Typhoon aircraft took off from southern Italy on their first patrols to enforce the UN-imposed no-fly zone over Libya.
(Read More...)
03/22/2011
The CF-18 Hornet was commissioned in 1980 by the Canadian military, which in 1977 issued a call for tender for the manufacture of 130 to 150 new fighter jets in order to replace its aging fleet.
(Read More...)
03/22/2011
For the aviators flying over Libya and deciding whether to press the button, the three-day-old U.S. military-led mission over Libya can be hard to define.
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03/22/2011
European and U.S. forces have unleashed warplanes and cruise missiles against Libyan targets under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorising military action to protect civilians from leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces. (Adds Qatar, updates Italy, Spain, Denmark, France, Britain)
(Read More...)
03/22/2011
While the attacks on Libya's integrated air and missile defense system have been successful, thousands of anti-aircraft artillery emplacements and portable missile launchers still pose threats to coalition air crews, the director of the Joint Staff said March 21.
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03/21/2011
U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirits, F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16CJ Fighting Falcons launched during the early hours of March 20 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which is centered on protecting Libyan citizens from any further harm from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime.
(Read More...)
03/21/2011
The Swedish government can count on the broad support in parliament to send Jas Gripen aircraft to assist the UN-backed Libyan operation, with only the Sweden Democrats expressing a dissenting opinion.
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03/21/2011
Greece expects four fighter aircraft from Qatar to land at a military base on the island of Crete on Monday or Tuesday, a Defence Ministry official told Reuters.
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03/21/2011
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said earlier in the day Spain would contribute four F-18 fighter jets to carry out air patrol missions and also send an F-100 frigate and a submarine for maritime surveillance to help impose an international arms embargo on the Muammar Gaddafi regime.
(Read More...)
03/21/2011
Russia will not participate in any operations in regard to the no-fly zone in Libya, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
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03/21/2011
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat took a common stand yesterday on the need for prudence in the ongoing Libya uprising while keeping national safety as the country’s top priority.
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03/21/2011
Although US aircraft were not used in the initial raid, they joined in early yesterday and included the B-2 stealth bombers from Missouri. At least 20 air-defence sites were hit, all of them surface-to-air missile batteries posing the gravest risk to coalition aircraft that will be involved in combat patrols over Libya.
(Read More...)
03/20/2011
A defiant Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" after the U.S. and European militaries blasted his forces with airstrikes and over 100 cruise missiles, hitting air defenses and at least two major air bases early Sunday, shaking the Libyan capital with explosions and anti-aircraft fire.
(Read More...)
03/20/2011
Iran takes a unique step forward in the world of military aviation with the announcement of the country's first jet fighter squadron comprised of all Iranian aircraft.
(Read More...)
03/20/2011
A plan to train Saudi air force pilots in Idaho is turning former allies into bitter enemies.
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03/20/2011
PLUMMETING to earth in flames, this is the dramatic moment when a rebel Libyan fighter jet was apparently brought down over Benghazi.
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03/20/2011
"While Canada supports quick action, Canadian fighter jets have just reached the region and will require two days to prepare for any mission," a spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Reuters by email.
(Read More...)
03/19/2011
The French General Staff denied on Sunday media reports that one of its Air Force planes was shot down, saying that all warplanes returned to their bases.
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03/19/2011
President Barack Obama said he’s authorized U.S. armed forces to begin “limited” operations to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya, as U.S. and coalition ships and aircraft hit the North African nation’s air defenses.
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03/19/2011
David Cameron ordered British forces into action against Libya in “Operation Ellamy” after world leaders united to tell the dictator the “time for action” had come.
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03/19/2011
Military action against Libyan forces was under way today as Prime Minister David Cameron declared that "the time for action has come" after dictator Muammar Gaddafi flouted his own ceasefire to mount continued attacks against his own people.
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03/19/2011
Sarkozy said Saturday the international community has a duty to respond to the call of the civilians who are facing a military assault from forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi.
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03/19/2011
NATO said its ambassadors would meet to discuss their
response, while analysts expect an initial strike would target
Libya's military aircraft, air force bases and communication
systems.
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03/19/2011
The first Airbus Military A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport for the Royal Saudi Air Force completed its four hour maiden flight on Wednesday. The aircraft was converted by Iberia as part the partnership between Iberia Maintenance and Airbus Military.
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03/19/2011
The Air Force’s most beloved fighter jet missed out on the last ten years’ worth of warfare. Now that the United Nations has approved a no-fly zone in Libya, the service is indicating the F-22 Raptor will get its first taste of combat.
(Read More...)
03/19/2011
When President Barack Obama travels to Brazil this weekend, one of the many items on his agenda eventually could have an impact on thousands of aerospace workers in St. Louis.
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03/19/2011
Earlier Friday, Cameron told parliament that Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado and Typhoon fighter aircraft would be moved to air bases in the region 'in the coming hours', from where they could be deployed.
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03/18/2011
BRITISH, FRENCH and US military aircraft are preparing to protect the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi after the UN Security Council last night voted to establish a no-fly zone over Libya and “all necessary measures” to protect its citizens from harm at the hands of Col Muammar Gadafy’s forces.
(Read More...)
03/18/2011
Australia will buy a large amphibious warship from Britain and a C-17 wide-body military transport plane from Boeing to expand its fleet, which is currently on earthquake relief operations in Japan, the defence minister said on Thursday.
(Read More...)
03/18/2011
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is logging a deployment-intensive pace in early 2011 following a busy 2010, and the company continues to provide key support to the fleet as the Raptor projects power globally.
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03/18/2011
The United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution on Libya. The resolution imposes a no-fly zone over the African state and authorizes possible military action except for ground forces. It also freezes assets of Libyan oil companies and the country's Central Bank.
(Read More...)
03/17/2011
French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Brazil his government would support Dassault's proposed technology transfer of its new fighter jet as the company seeks an edge in its bid to win a multibillion-dollar Brazilian military contract.
(Read More...)
03/17/2011
MD Helicopters, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ommercial and military helicopters, and The Boeing Company (Boeing) have announced significant progress on a contract to collaborate on the production of the Boeing AH-6i Light Attack/Reconnaissance Helicopter for the worldwide market. Consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement signed in July, 2010, both companies are now finalizing a Long Term Requirements Contract for the Boeing AH-6i.
(Read More...)
03/17/2011
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced on Monday that the U.S. Marine Corps' newest attack helicopter, the AH-1Z Cobra, achieved Initial Operating Capability ahead of schedule in February.
(Read More...)
03/17/2011
Two months after the impressive new Chinese fighter, the J-20, made its first flight, it's been possible to scrutinize the photos, videos and other evidence, and form a better idea of where the Chinese are with their new "stealth fighter."
(Read More...)
03/17/2011
A Yas Air Ilyushin IL-76TD, registration EP-GOL performing a freight flight from Tehran Mehrabad (Iran) to Aleppo (Syria), was intercepted by Turkish F-16 fighter aircraft and diverted to Diyarbakir (Turkey) for a safe landing.
(Read More...)
03/17/2011
Iran unveiled its first home-made multipurpose micro fighter jet in a ceremony attended by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
Right now, helicopters are needed most. With roads, airports, and ports washed away or clogged with debris, the only way to reach many of the affected areas is by helicopter. Yet Japan now has barely 100 military helicopters engaged in relief efforts. The United States should start sending all of its heavy-lift helicopters in Japan and South Korea to northern Japan. Similarly, the Air Force should dramatically ramp up the number of C-17s bringing in supplies to Misawa Air Base, so that supplies
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
Senior U.S. military officials believe that Libyan strongman Muammar el-Qaddafi’s Russian-made attack helicopters -- and not his warplanes -- pose the biggest challenge to the creation of a no-fly zone over the war-torn country, a policy option drawing increasing support in both Arab and Western capitals.
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
The V-22 Osprey, an innovative aircraft that combines the best of both helicopter and airplane, was one of the programs under consideration. In combat conditions, the Osprey could move our Marines in and out of battle safer and faster than any of the helicopter options available then or even on the drawing board. It was clear that for the force of the future, an aircraft with game-changing capabilities was the smart choice. The decision to proceed with this forward-looking program was, and remai
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
Africa's share of international major conventional weapons imports increased from 5% in 2001–2005 to 7% in 2006–10. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) adds the Middle East accounted for 17% of imports over the same period, down from 21% in the years 2001–2005.
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
The world's opinion-makers, in both government and media, seem to have settled on the idea that imposing a "no-fly zone" over Libya would be a good idea for all concerned. Not everyone has jumped on this bandwagon yet, but it seems to be the most popular option under discussion by those advocating "doing something" about the situation in Libya.
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
The much maligned F-35 program recently received a vote of confidence from two of its three major constituencies, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. A revised interservice agreement between the two envisions the procurement of 680 F-35s. The Navy will buy 260 F-35Cs, specifically designed for carrier operations. The Marines will buy a mix: 80 F-35Cs and 340 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35Bs.
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
Seven test versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) have been cleared to resume flight testing, but others remain grounded while investigators work to determine why one aircraft's primary generators failed last week, the program's top official told Congress March 15.
(Read More...)
03/16/2011
India’s defence minister A.K.Antony is reported to be resisting American attempts to use an Indo-U.S. Strategic dialogue as a lobbying point to sell American warplanes in the $10 billion MMRCA deal.
(Read More...)
03/15/2011
The Air Force has received two more F-15K fighter jets from U.S. defense contractor Boeing, bringing the total number of the advanced aircraft in the country to 47, officials said Monday.
(Read More...)
03/15/2011
BAE Systems has signed an agreement with French defence company Dassault to build a self-piloting drone which will be used by both countries' air forces, as part of the Government's plan to cut defence costs by purchasing more kit with other nations.
(Read More...)
03/15/2011
India believes that China now has five airfields in Tibet (Gongar, Pangta, Linchi, Hoping and Gar Gunsa) that are bases for military aircraft. India is also seeing more Chinese warplanes being based full time in Tibet. This was somewhat unexpected, and it's all about thin air.
(Read More...)
03/15/2011
More than half of Americans support U.S. participation in creating a no-fly zone over Libya, but support for unilateral U.S. military action is lower – and a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds substantial skepticism about the aims and outcome of political unrest across the region.
(Read More...)
03/15/2011
Fly-by-wire technology has long been credited for enabling military fighter jets to maneuver through the air. As the advanced computer controls continue to migrate into the commercial airliner and business jet fleets — and more importantly, come down in cost — the digital-only revolution is finally gaining some momentum in rotary-wing aircraft.
(Read More...)
03/15/2011
India occupies the first place on the list of the world's largest importers of weaponry in the past five years, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.
(Read More...)
03/14/2011
Colonel Moammar Gadhafi is curbing the use of ground troops as his commanders fear mass defections, military planners said on Tuesday. Britain's leading military think tank said Col Gaddafi could instead use fighter jets and, in particular, attack helicopters to inflict punishing damage on the rebel forces.
(Read More...)
03/14/2011
The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is designed and developed indigenously by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in four years since the project began in 2006, and is likely to be ready for induction by the Army and Air Force before 2014, according to defense news.
(Read More...)
03/14/2011
The royal is off to a secret US experimental combat weapons base where he will learn how to hunt the Taliban in his attack helicopter.
(Read More...)
03/14/2011
In the last five years Middle Eastern states accounted for 17 per cent of international arms transfers, say researchers at Sweden's SIPRI.
(Read More...)
03/14/2011
India is planning to deploy its 290km range supersonic BrahMos cruise missile on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being developed with Russia.
(Read More...)
03/13/2011
When a U.S. stealth bomber was shot down over Serbia, agents from around the world descended to scavenge parts like these - and in China's case, build their own stealth programme. Live reports on the most expensive leak in the history of military technology.
(Read More...)
03/13/2011
French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Brazil his government would support Dassault's proposed technology transfer of its new fighter jet as the company seeks an edge in its bid to win a multibillion-dollar Brazilian military contract.
(Read More...)
03/13/2011
Arab League foreign ministers voted on Saturday to ask the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya.
(Read More...)
03/12/2011
Lockheed Martin said Friday that aircraft AF-4, one of four F-35A models flying at Edwards Air Force Base in California, "experienced a dual generator failure and oil leak during flight operations on Wednesday. The jet returned safely to base."
(Read More...)
03/12/2011
Argentine judge Marcelo Aguinsky dismissed charges against the U.S. after an American military aircraft was seized in the South American country for allegedly smuggling undeclared items, including weapons and surveillance equipment, local media reported Friday.
(Read More...)
03/12/2011
Speaking on 9 March at parent company EADS's 2010 results presentation, chief executive Louis Gallois confirmed that the controversial aircraft - which has been dogged by delays and political fighting over funding - will finally start rolling off the production line later this year.
(Read More...)
03/11/2011
NATO is considering a range of options, including humanitarian aid and military intervention, but any action should have a clear legal basis, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday.
(Read More...)
03/10/2011
Pakistan is trying to purchase used F-16 fighter jets from the United States to enhance its air capabilities, diplomatic sources told.
(Read More...)
03/10/2011
What are they?
As the name suggests, no-fly zones are geographical areas designated as forbidden to air traffic, and are instituted as a way of preventing rogue regimes from bombing their own people. In order to be effective, a no-fly zone must be patrolled by military aircraft that have the authority to shoot down unauthorized planes.
(Read More...)
03/10/2011
Italian defense giant Finmeccanica, a top international group operating in Turkey's defense and aerospace industries, is proposing a partnership to meet Turkey's future military aircraft requirements, a top company official has said.
(Read More...)
03/10/2011
Boeing today began final assembly of the first U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon production aircraft in the company's Renton factory. The P-8A is the first of six low-rate initial production aircraft that Boeing is building as part of a $1.6 billion contract awarded by the Navy in January.
(Read More...)
03/10/2011
Forecast International has suggested that some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries may be susceptible to “over-buying for a certain kind of threat that is not readily apparent,” referring to Iran in its latest report on Middle East military spending.
(Read More...)
03/09/2011
Japan is looking to join the United States, China and Russia with a stealth fighter that senior Japanese air force officials say can be ready for a prototype test flight in just three years, significantly upping the ante in the intensifying battle for air superiority in the Pacific.
(Read More...)
03/09/2011
Even before Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing learned that the Boeing Co. was awarded a contract to build 179 new aerial refueling tankers, the 101st and the state’s congressional delegation already had started petitioning for the new planes to be stationed in Bangor.
(Read More...)
03/09/2011
U.S. officials are looking at several responses to Libya's conflict, including imposing a no-fly zone over the country.
(Read More...)
03/09/2011
Lockheed Martin recently delivered the ninth and final Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) mission system pallet for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Medium Range Surveillance (MRS) aircraft based at Air Station Miami and Aviation Training Center Mobile.
(Read More...)
03/08/2011
Two months after the impressive new Chinese fighter, the J-20, made its first flight, it's been possible to scrutinize the photos, videos and other evidence, and form a better idea of where the Chinese are with their new "stealth fighter."
(Read More...)
03/08/2011
The ministry of defence has cautioned a senior IAS officer for "accidentally dropping a secret file" related to the $10.4 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft deal.
(Read More...)
03/08/2011
American politicians are debating whether to establish a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent Muammar Qaddafi from bombing rebels. The Pentagon and White House advisors warn that such an operation would be complicated and tantamount to war, while several senators say it could be accomplished with relative ease. How do you set up a no-fly zone?
(Read More...)
03/08/2011
Want your personal helicopter armed? Bell Helicopter is developing an armed commercial helicopter based on its 407 model. It is marketed to a wide range of law enforcement and paramilitary missions worldwide.
(Read More...)
03/08/2011
Dozens of Britain's most respected military leaders, politicians, academic experts and forces families groups have signed a letter in The Independent on Sunday, calling on the Prime Minister to reopen the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), barely five months after it was completed.
(Read More...)
03/08/2011
As part of the United States effort to respond to the evolving humanitarian emergency on the Libya-Tunisia border, the U.S. military has taken action to assist with the return of Egyptian citizens who wish to leave Tunisia and return to their home country.
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03/08/2011
Airbus Military has successfully completed the number of required simulated flight-cycles on a full scale test airframe to achieve civil type certification of the A400M by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
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03/08/2011
AF-7, the second F-35 Lightning II production jet, takes off on its first flight Friday, March 4, from Naval Air Station Fort Worth JointAF-7, the second F-35 Lightning II production jet, takes off on its first flight Friday, March 4, from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.
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03/07/2011
Two of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies based in the United States have begun a fierce battle in Korea over what would be the biggest arms-procurement deal ever in the country.
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03/07/2011
Boeing today announced the successful launch of the second Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) for the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). The OTV was launched on an Atlas V rocket into a low-Earth orbit today at 5:46 p.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41.
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03/06/2011
Research and Markets has announced the addition of WinterGreen Research, Inc.'s new report "Unmanned Aircraft Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2011 to 2017" to their offering.
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03/06/2011
Two C-130 Hercules aircraft arrived in Djerba, Tunisia, March 4, 2011 - less than one day after President Barack Obama directed U.S. military aircraft support to the international aid effort to assist those who've fled fighting in Libya and are stranded in Tunisia.
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03/05/2011
Chicago-based Boeing won the price shootout, underbidding the European defense contractor by $2 billion, EADS North America Chairman Ralph Crosby said Friday. Now comes the hard part: developing and building the flying gas stations on a fixed-price contract with little leeway for cost overruns, analysts said.
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03/05/2011
While Libya is still struck by increasingly intense fighting between Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and those who protest against his regime, countries which had been trading with Libya before the uprising began are also looking at the developments with a crying eye. Besides those countries that partly rely on oil supplies from Libya or suffer from effects on the global markets, this also includes Russia.
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03/05/2011
Mikhail Simonov, the former chief designer at the Sukhoi aircraft design bureau who was known as the father of the Su-27 family of fighter jets, died on Friday aged 81.
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03/04/2011
The South Korean Air Force’s first airborne early warning and control aircraft, the E-737 Peace Eye, has been unveiled at Boeing’s factory in Seattle.
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03/04/2011
Aerospace experts scrutinizing images of the Chinese J-20 fighter that first began appearing on the internet in late December have developed a more nuanced view of the plane's features than what was available in early reports. Although the J-20 resembles the outline of the stealthy F-22 Raptor when viewed head-on in its forward aspect, the plane clearly lacks many of the features that make Raptor the most capable air-to-air combat system in history.
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03/04/2011
Airbus Military has successfully completed the number of required simulated flight-cycles on a full scale test airframe to achieve civil type certification of the A400M by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The test programme is required to simulate flights at least one year ahead of the actual operations performed by the aircraft.
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03/04/2011
President Barack Obama announced today he has approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help Egyptians who have fled to the Tunisian border get back home to Egypt.
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03/04/2011
A second prototype of the Russian fifth-generation T-50 fighter successfully conducted its maiden flight on Thursday, the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer said.
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03/03/2011
China says it needs to upgrade its outmoded forces and that its plans are not a threat to any country, pointing out its defense budget is far lower than the United States.
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03/03/2011
Japan says it scrambled jets after two Chinese military aircraft flew close to disputed islands in the East China Sea.
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03/03/2011
US-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. plans to design and manufacture civilian and military helicopters in India for the local and Asia-Pacific market in four years, the first time a foreign aircraft company will use the country’s aerospace know-how to make choppers for the overseas market.
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03/03/2011
The Marine Corps' top leader is vowing to personally oversee the embattled effort to replace its aircraft with the F-35B fighter jet that's being scrutinized by budget-cutting lawmakers.
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03/03/2011
Lockheed Martin and Bristow Helicopters Australia, an affiliated company of Bristow Group Inc. [NYSE: BRS], today announced a partnership to offer a complete training solution to the Australian Defence Force for its Project Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) requirement.
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03/03/2011
The Boeing Company and Bell Helicopter today applauded the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) announcement that the Bell Boeing-built V-22 Osprey fleet has surpassed 100,000 flight hours. The milestone arrived on Feb. 10 during a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey combat mission in Afghanistan.
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03/02/2011
Augmenting its strike capabilities along the Chinese border in the north-east, Indian Air Force (IAF) today raised a new squadron of its frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the air base here. "102 squadron of Sukhoi-30 multi-role fighter aircraft was raised today at Chabua air base. This is the second Sukhoi squadron to be deployed in the north-eastern region after Tezpur air base," an IAF spokesperson said here.
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03/02/2011
South Korea is accelerating moves to purchase a high-end fleet of stealth fighter jets to counter North Korea’s asymmetrical threats and keep pace with neighboring countries seeking to secure their own radar-evading combat aircraft.
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03/01/2011
India increased annual defence spending by about 11.6 percent on Monday, aiming to overhaul the military to counter the rapidly growing capabilities of giant neighbour China.
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03/01/2011
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced it will display a Hawker 4000 business jet, a King Air 350i turboprop, a Beechcraft Bonanza G36 and its T-6C military trainer, next week, March 1-6, at the 2011 Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition (Avalon) in Geelong, Victoria.
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03/01/2011
British and German military planes swooped into Libya’s desert, rescuing hundreds of oil workers and civilians stranded at remote sites yesterday, as thousands of other foreigners remained stuck in Tripoli by bad weather and red tape.
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03/01/2011
General Atomics and the UAE's International Golden Group are working together to supply the Predator XP unmanned system to meet the surveillance needs of the UAE Government.
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02/28/2011
European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co.’s rejection for a $35 billion U.S. tanker contract threatens its goal to cut reliance on commercial aircraft and may force it to seek acquisitions at home to build up defense operations.
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02/28/2011
Three RAF Hercules aircraft have rescued a further 150 people - including 20 Britons - from the Libyan desert, the defence secretary has said. One plane suffered minor damage after coming under small-arms fire, the Ministry of Defence has since revealed.
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02/28/2011
Sweden is to base a military aircraft - a Hercules C-130 - in Malta to assist in the evacuation of its nationals from Libya, informed sources said.
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02/27/2011
Iran launched a project to produce the latest national fighter, Iran's air force deputy commander, Mohammad Reza Karshaki, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying.
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02/27/2011
Two British military C-130 aircraft swooped into strife-torn Libya on Saturday and evacuated more than 150 foreign nationals from remote camps in the desert, the defence minister said.
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02/27/2011
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Saturday Russia has not dropped its plans to supply Syria with Yakhont missiles.
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02/26/2011
F/A 18 Super Hornet and F-16IN Viper, are among the contenders in the competition to provide Indian Air Force 126 frontline Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft, or MMRCA.
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02/25/2011
The Indian Air Force's Soviet-origin MiG series fighter aircraft inventory is slated for replacement by 2017, it was stated in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, on Wednesday. This would include the upgraded MiG-21 Bis (Bison) fighters, which are still providing yeoman service with the IAF's fighter squadrons.
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02/25/2011
While countries including Australia, Canada, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have all placed orders amounting to hundreds of F-35s, the president and his team of executive salesmen have been pitching hard elsewhere.
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02/25/2011
In a deal that could be worth billions of dollars and determine one of the primary fighter jets in Asia for decades to come, European aircraft makers are trying to get Japan to do something it has never done before — snub America.
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02/25/2011
The Boeing Company has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to build the next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft that will replace 179 of the service’s 400 KC-135 tankers.
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02/25/2011
Lockheed Martin Corporation is expanding its base of potential suppliers for the MH-60R helicopter in Australia, issuing a request for information from potential suppliers of critical pieces of aircraft hardware.
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02/25/2011
Alan “Al” Norman, a veteran Lockheed Martin experimental test pilot, was recently named Chief Test Pilot for the F-35 Lightning II program.
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02/25/2011
Russia's Defense Ministry announced plans on Thursday to buy 100 ships, over 600 aircraft and 1,000 helicopters under a 2011-2020 arms procurement program.
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02/24/2011
The high costs of reconnaissance aircraft threaten to block Japan's plans to strengthen aerial surveillance of Chinese and North Korean military activities.
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02/24/2011
A Libyan military aircraft crashed Wednesday southwest of Benghazi after the crew refused to follow orders to bomb the city, Libya's Quryna newspaper reported.
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02/24/2011
At a ceremony in Thailand February 22, FMV handed over six Gripen fighter aircrafts from the latest C- and D-version to the Royal Thai Air Force.
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02/24/2011
Deliveries of S-300 missile defense systems to Venezuela have been delayed, but will go ahead, an official at Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms export monopoly, said on Tuesday.
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02/24/2011
Lockheed Martin has successfully delivered the 300th Common Cockpit, the nerve center for every multi-mission helicopter in the U.S. Navy fleet, aboard an MH-60S.
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02/24/2011
Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation, and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) recently made aviation history with the Unmanned K-MAX helicopter by successfully completing multiple guided airdrops via sling load at 10,000 ft above sea level.
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02/23/2011
The two Libyan Arab Air Force Dassault Mirage F1 fighters that landed at Malta international airport on 21 February were armed with unguided rocket pods and had not sought permission to arrive in the Mediterranean nation.
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02/23/2011
The company, part of the Textron group, did not have military aircraft to sell before. But now it is back with one main product to offer: the $67-million-per-copy Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
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02/23/2011
Reports are emerging this evening of military aircraft attacking crowds of anti-government protesters in the Libyan capital.
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02/23/2011
Boeing expects new orders for its military aircraft from the Gulf region this year, mainly for its C17 planes, H6-I and Chinook helicopters, a company executive said.
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02/23/2011
Boeing today announced that the U.S. Air Force has exercised a $21.7 million option for the company to continue supporting the B-52 Stratofortress bomber under an Engineering Sustainment Program (ESP) contract that Boeing received in June 2009.
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02/22/2011
Brazil is postponing its decision to buy 36 combat jets because of massive budget cuts, a newspaper reports.
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02/22/2011
Two Libyan Airforce Mirage F1 single seater planes also landed in Malta. They requested to land in Malta due to fuel shortage and landed at 16.32.
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02/22/2011
The US’s strong pitch to sell its fighter aircraft to India for an estimated $12 billion has run into a hurdle with the Indian Air Force telling the government that it does not favour the signing of agreements that risk compromising its operational secrecy.
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02/22/2011
The Obama Administration has acquired an unfortunate reputation for neglecting U.S. allies and not standing up to troublemakers. This year the administration will have a number of chances to improve its image and at the same time enhance U.S. relations with friends and allies. How, you ask? The answer is by actively supporting the sale of U.S. fighter aircraft to India, Japan and Taiwan.
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02/22/2011
The UAE Air Force will receive the first of three new Airbus military transporter planes by the end of the year.
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02/22/2011
Lockheed Martin and Knowledge Point announced a strategic training partnership today to address military, security services and civil training needs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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02/21/2011
Sweden is to base a military aircraft - a Hercules C-130 - in Malta to assist in the evacuation of its nationals from Libya, informed sources said.
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02/21/2011
The Eurofighter Typhoon is continuing to have its credentials placed in the forefront of the region's defence procurement staff through its extensive participation at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) which opened at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) this morning.
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02/21/2011
The UAS will form a key part of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) reconnaissance Squadron, as KADDB is an independent Governmental military-civilian agency existing within the JAF tasked with operating to best commercial practices with predetermined performance targets.
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02/21/2011
The Pentagon's research arm has backed the development of the Nano Hummingbird, an experimental miniature drone that could one day do reconnaissance by landing on a window ledge.
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02/21/2011
ATK announced it has received a contract from the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) of the Kingdom of Jordan to modify two of the country's CASA-235 transport aircraft into highly-capable and cost-effective special mission aircraft, according to the combined modification designs of both KADDB and ATK. Subject to U.S. government export licensing approval, the modified aircraft are expected to be delivered by the late spring of 2013. Terms of the contract were not announced.
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02/20/2011
More than 80 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day with early launches around 11 a.m. and late launches around 7 p.m. The exercise will involve military aircraft from around the United States as well as the U.K. Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force.
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02/19/2011
The Center for Strategic and International Studies asserted that Egypt has failed to maintain its huge F-16 multi-role fighter fleet supplied by the United States. In a report by former Pentagon official Anthony Cordesman, the center said the Air Force has been hampered by crashes of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
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02/19/2011
The acting Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Edwin Batshu, has denied knowledge about reports in the Zimbabwean media that the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is in the process of purchasing sixteen F16 Fighter jets from the United States over the next 12 months.
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02/19/2011
Russia and Kyrgyzstan on Friday set up a joint venture to supply jet fuel to a U.S. military airbase outside the capital, Bishkek.
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02/18/2011
Lockheed Martin Corp. has received a $726.6 million contract modification from the U.S. Air Force for sustainment of the F-22 Raptor fleet.
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02/18/2011
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $34.5 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-12 kits. The majority share contract includes deliveries to both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and is scheduled to begin the second quarter of 2011.
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02/18/2011
Boeing today announced that EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft have been deployed for the first time by the U.S. Navy.
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02/17/2011
The Indian tender for 126 MMRCAs (medium multi-role combat aircraft) to replace its ageing MiG-21s was announced long ago, but only now is the real intrigue unfolding. Competition between two main rivals - the United States' F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Russia's MiG-35 has been stiff.
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02/17/2011
President Barack Obama won a showdown vote Wednesday in the GOP-controlled House to kill a costly alternative engine for the Pentagon's next-generation fighter jet.
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02/16/2011
A major reason France punches above its weight in the defence sector is Dassault Aviation, which will be a major exhibitor at next week's International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, the region's largest defence expo.
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02/16/2011
The Defence Ministry has earmarked a Bt6.9-billion secret budget for the upgrade of six F-16 AB fighter aircraft, including the installation of an air navigation system and maintenance costs.
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02/16/2011
Europe needs to co-operate on building unmanned military aircraft or risk falling behind in the race to develop the next generation of jet fighters that may not even be flown by pilots, industry experts have warned.
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02/16/2011
The commander of the Mil Mi-28 Night Hunter attack helicopter, which crashed in the southern Russian region of Stavropol on Tuesday, died at a military hospital, a Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman said.
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02/16/2011
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $270 million contract for C-130 Aircrew Training Systems (ATS), to provide an affordable and effective academic and simulation training program for C-130 aircrews around the world.
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02/16/2011
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], at this week's U.S. Air Force Association (AFA) Air Warfare Symposium, will highlight a range of proven, low-risk, affordable products and services that will enable the Air Force to continue to dominate in the air, space and cyberspace. The symposium takes place Feb. 17-18 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando, Fla.
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02/15/2011
It's of today the news, released by the British press, about the cuts the would are being implemented, according to plans announced already in October 2010, in defense of the United Kingdom, to reduce the deficit of the Country.
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02/15/2011
The Tata group has boosted its chances of becoming the preferred local partner of US firms bidding to sell medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to India in the world’s largest fighter jet deal.
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02/15/2011
European consortium Eurofighter GmbH, which is offering its Eurofighter Typhoon for India’s multi-million dollar medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal, is planning to develop a naval variant of the fighter aircraft.
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02/15/2011
Lt. Cmdr. Eric “Magic” Buus on Friday became the first United States Navy pilot to fly the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II. The F-35C will operate from the U.S. Navy’s large aircraft carriers by way of catapult launch and arrested landing. The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force also will employ the F-35C.
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02/15/2011
The first Combat Shadow II for the United States Air Force Special Operations Command has completed manufacture at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Following installation of additional special mission equipment, such as the chin-mounted sensor turret, the aircraft will begin flight test.
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02/14/2011
Raytheon Company completed a series of free-flight demonstrations of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) AGM-154-C from an F-16IN fighter aircraft. The tests were part of the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition.
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02/14/2011
Israel’s Derby missile is the weapon of choice for India’s Tejas fighter. A contract will be signed by March with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd to supply the air-to-air missile system to be fitted on some 200 jets, said P.S. Subramanya, director of India’s Aeronautical Development Agency, which is developing the light combat aircraft.
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02/14/2011
Preparing itself for a two-front war scenario, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent a proposal to the Defence Ministry to increase its sanctioned fighter aircraft strength from 39.5 to 45 squadrons.
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02/13/2011
China's first aircraft carrier, a diesel-powered vessel, is expected to be deployed this year or next. A prototype of a new J-20 stealth jet fighter—it appears designed to rival the U.S. F-22—made its first test flight on Jan. 11, just hours before U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates met in Beijing with President Hu to mend frayed relations.
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02/13/2011
Looking ahead to the next 100 years, or even the next decade, Navy aviation may be a tailless airplane, flown by a nonpilot with enlisted stripes on his sleeve.
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02/13/2011
Swedish defence and security company, Saab is displaying and flying three of its multirole fighter aircraft ''Gripen'' during eighth edition of the Aero India International Air Show 2011. Brahmand.com had an exclusive conversation with the Swedish Air Force pilot Martin Björn during the Aero India 2011. Martin has flown many fighter aircraft and is currently attending the airshow to promote Gripen fighter in India.
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02/12/2011
Dassault Aviation SA, maker of Rafale fighter planes and Falcon corporate jets, is discussing the sale of the combat aircraft with eight potential buyers, Chief Executive Officer Charles Edelstenne told French lawmakers.
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02/12/2011
The latest variant of the laser-guided Maverick missile has completed a series of flight tests by U.S. defense company Raytheon.
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02/12/2011
India and Russia have finalised the Russian PAKFA aircraft - a Sukhoi-T50 fighter aircraft - as the base design model for their $6 billion Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme.
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02/12/2011
Boeing today announced that it has successfully completed - ahead of schedule -- its industrial participation (IP) programs for the first five C-17 Globemaster III aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). To date, Boeing has delivered benefits of more than $1 billion to United Kingdom industry for this aircraft program.
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02/12/2011
The Russian-Indian joint development of a fifth generation fighter jet will cost some $6 billion, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) Financial director D. Shivamurti said.
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02/11/2011
The Eurofighter consortium is prepared to offer India a manufacturing role, as the international race intensifies to supply 126 jet fighters worth $11bn to New Delhi.
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02/11/2011
JSC “IRKUT Corporation” demonstrates advanced military and civilian products at the “Aero India – 2011” air show which opens in Bengaluru, India on 9 February.
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02/11/2011
India said Thursday it would begin crucial contract negotiations in the next fortnight for an estimated $12 billion order for 126 fighter jets.
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02/11/2011
The Boeing Company today submitted its final proposal for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-X tanker competition. The proposal offers a fleet of Boeing NewGen Tankers -- 767-based, multi-mission aircraft that deliver superior capabilities to U.S. warfighters and burn 24 percent less fuel than the competing European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) Company’s tanker.
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02/10/2011
There was drama in the skies as Tornado crews were scrambled from RAF Leuchars in a bid to track down two "unidentified" aircraft detected over the North Sea.
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02/10/2011
Bell Helicopter officially dedicated their newest flight hangar at the Military Aircraft Assembly and Delivery Center in Amarillo, TX for work specifically supporting the US Army’s OH-58 Kiowa Warrior program.
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02/10/2011
India is expected to place an estimated $10 billion order for 126 fighter jets during the next fiscal year starting April 1, the biggest such deal globally in the past 15 years.
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02/10/2011
Russia could deliver the first modernized MiG-29 fighter jet to India as early as in 2011, the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said on Wednesday.
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02/10/2011
"We are trying to find a few unique opportunities during each year for some of the more than 73,000 fans we have on our Facebook page to engage with Boeing," said Director of Brand Management & Advertising Jim Newcomb.
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02/09/2011
Russia has offered to equip the Indian Su-30MKI aircraft with the electronically scanned array radar to bring them on par with the most modern fighter aircraft in the world. Currently the technical configuration of the upgraded aircraft with onboard AESA radar is being discussed by Russian and Indian experts.
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02/09/2011
Navy officials and military developers are beaming with smiles of success for they are the proud papas of the newest military marvel: a robotic jet fighter. The X-47B, built by Northrop Grumman, completed its first successful test flight on February 4th at Edwards Air Force Base in California without the assistance of an onboard or remote human pilot.
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02/09/2011
Aero India 2011, Asia's biggest air show, which gets underway at the Yelahanka Air Force base near Bangalore from February 9, will be the largest ever with 29 countries bringing their aerospace products, including fighter jets and transport aircraft.
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02/08/2011
A small Alabama-based firm is gearing up to protest the Army's plan to hand an exclusive helicopter contract to a Russian government agency, saying it can do the job quicker and cheaper if it is allowed to compete.
(Read More...)
02/08/2011
US Defence major Boeing will unveil an advanced version of its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft here at the biennial Aero India show starting Thursday.
(Read More...)
02/08/2011
"The Indian government is slowly expanding its scope to different avenues to acquire different products," says its Chief Executive, Roger Rose.
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02/08/2011
A senior Iranian Air Force commander announced on Monday that the country has succeeded in overhauling its strategic Mig-29 fighter jets inside the country.
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02/08/2011
The Northrop Grumman/U.S. Navy Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program’s X-47B achieved successful first flight at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 4. Lockheed Martin congratulates the U.S. Navy and the Northrop Grumman-led industry team on accomplishing this significant program milestone.
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02/08/2011
The first of 15 MC-130Js currently on order for U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command has completed final assembly at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Following painting and production flight test the aircraft will be delivered this summer.
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02/08/2011
Russia will exhibit over 80 types of weaponry at the upcoming Aero India 2011 air show, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said in a statement.
(Read More...)
02/06/2011
The maker of China's new stealth fighter jet has teamed up with a tiny, unprofitable California company to try to launch bids for U.S. defense contracts, possibly including one to supply Chinese helicopters to replace the aging Marine One fleet used by the president, according to people involved in the partnership.
(Read More...)
02/05/2011
India will hold its largest air show starting February 9 in Bangalore where 30 countries would bring their latest aerospace products including fighter jets and transport and civilian aircraft. The eighth edition of the biennial Aero India being held from February 9 to 13 is expected to surpass all previous editions of the premiere air show in terms of participation and volume, Secretary Defence Production Raj Kumar Singh said here.
(Read More...)
02/05/2011
The Croatian Ministry of Defence has invited representatives from Russian fighter aircraft manufacturers to evaluate whether any of Croatia's fighter planes could be modernized.
(Read More...)
02/05/2011
A two-seater Harrier jet that that helped Britain triumph in the Falklands War, is now being offered for 69,999 pounds on eBay, complete with both cannon and missile storage pods.
(Read More...)
02/05/2011
The Ministry’s press service told APA that according to the statement, SU-25 military aircraft owned by the Air Defense Forces crashed during the exercise at 17.25 on February 3. The front landing gear failed to descend. The crew took all measures for landing, but the landing gear did not descend.
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02/05/2011
The first induction of a military aircraft from the US in around five decades will take place on Saturday with the formal commissioning of the first C-130J 'Super Hercules' military transport plane customised for "special operations".
(Read More...)
02/05/2011
Russia's MiG corporation on Friday carried out the first test fight of a MiG-29 fighter modernized under a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
(Read More...)
02/04/2011
Red Flag 11-2 is a large force exercise requiring many units to work together like a well-oiled machine, and if one piece were taken out, the whole operation would grind to a halt.
(Read More...)
02/04/2011
Bulgaria has approached Western powers over the potential acquisition of fighter jets.
(Read More...)
02/04/2011
Australia is seeking a 10-year Through-Life-Support arrangement from the United States for 24 MH-60R helicopters.
(Read More...)
02/04/2011
Lockheed Martin will present a program briefing and engagement opportunities for members of the media at the Air Force Association’s 27th Annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 17-18.
(Read More...)
02/02/2011
Boeing said Tuesday it would submit a new, "final" bid for a $35 billion contract to supply the US military with 179 aerial refueling tankers, as it tries to beat European rival Airbus.
(Read More...)
02/02/2011
All six participants of a tender to supply 126 light fighter jets to the Indian air force will showcase full flight displays at Aero India 2011 air show, the organizers said.
(Read More...)
02/01/2011
U.S. military commanders are expressing confidence that they can hold their own in the face of faster-than-expected advances by China's military, but looming cost cuts are adding to doubts about the future of American power in the Pacific.
(Read More...)
02/01/2011
Besides the Eurofighter Typhoons and the F16s, two home-grown metal birds— the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy— will be seen at the upcoming Aero India 2011, which will be held at the Air Force Station Yelahanka between February 9 and 13.
(Read More...)
02/01/2011
Israel seems determined to acquire a fleet of Lockheed Martin's costly F-35 stealth fighters despite the plethora of problems plaguing the development of the fifth-generation jet.
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02/01/2011
Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic reached an agreement to carry out joint projects for the modernization of military aircrafts.
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02/01/2011
The Boeing Company delivered the 11th C-40A transport aircraft to the U.S. Navy on Jan. 28 from the company’s Wichita facility. In this photo, the aircraft taxis at the site just prior to delivery.
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01/31/2011
Iraq is reportedly on the verge of signing a $13 billion deal with the Pentagon for advanced weapons systems, including Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter interceptors. But the French are trying to muscle in.
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01/31/2011
The global arms trade runs to billions of dollars, but few such deals attract as much media attention as Brazil's recent tender, for the purchase of 36 combat aircraft which includes an agreement on production of another 84 planes under license.
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01/31/2011
South Korea is seeking to purchase its first stealth fighter jets at an earlier date to replace aging Air Force fighters and to secure capabilities to counter North Korea's increasing provocations, government sources said Sunday.
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01/29/2011
A PAIR of F-16 fighter jets were scrambled Friday to intercept an unresponsive commercial aircraft over the US capital, but returned to base near Washington after regaining communication, officials said.
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01/29/2011
The last Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II assigned to developmental flight testing departs Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on its first flight Thursday.
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01/28/2011
A Chinese test pilot refuted allegations that the country's new J-20 stealth fighter aircraft used copied parts from a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk downed in 1999.
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01/28/2011
Days after Chinese leader Hu Jintao leaves Washington, Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou is again calling on the United States to supply Taiwan with fighter aircraft.
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01/28/2011
Indian authorities have cleared the Tejas fighter jet for operations in a move that gives the green light to the country's first "indigenous" military aircraft, although analysts say that its effective operational introduction is still a few years off.
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01/28/2011
The aircraft is thought to be a GR4 fighter Tornado jet based at RAF Lossiemouth. It is understood that the aircraft caught fire before it plunged into the sea. Another Tornado is also thought to have been flying nearby - jets often fly in pairs when on training exercises.
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01/28/2011
A possible deal to export helicopters to a US military aircraft purchase program is a sign of China's growing ability to produce aircraft according to international standards, experts said.
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01/28/2011
Russian researchers are working on an unmanned spacecraft similar to the U.S. Boeing X-37 Orbital Test Vehicle, Space Troops chief Oleg Ostapenko said on Thursday.
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01/27/2011
The scrapping of the RAF’s £4 billion fleet of Nimrod surveillance aircraft will create a “massive security gap”, the country’s leading military figures have warned.
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01/27/2011
The Airbus Military A330 MRTT has successfully passed fuel to receiver aircraft using the Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) for the first time – meaning that all of the aircraft's refuelling systems have now been demonstrated.
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01/27/2011
The budget committee of the German Parliament on Wednesday approved the continuation of the Airbus A400M military transport program, said Juergen Koppelin, the Free Democratic Party's budget expert.
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01/27/2011
Representatives of Boeing, its suppliers and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence marked the first flight of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) CH-47F (NL) Chinook heavy-lift helicopter in a ceremony Jan. 25 at Summit Aviation in Middletown, Del.
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01/26/2011
All of a sudden it was there, but then like any good stealth aircraft it vanished. Now the “Beast of Kandahar” has resurfaced in new photos, spurring aviation and defense wonks to once again speculate about the function and purpose of such a stealthy-looking unmanned aerial system.
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01/26/2011
The world’s most advanced combat aircraft, the F-22 Raptor, is likely to make a rare appearance outside the US during the upcoming Aero India show in Bangalore next month. This will be the first appearance of the stealth fighter, which is also the only operational fifth generation fighter aircraft in the world, in India and its third participation at an international air show.
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01/26/2011
A strong and resurgent India will be celebrating its 62nd Republic Day tomorrow. This year's parade will highlight the nation's achievements in various fields, the military prowess, scintillating display of air power as also country's rich and diverse cultural heritage.
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01/26/2011
India's defense minister has suggested that New Delhi may award a $10 billion contract for medium multi-role combat aircraft by the end of the year.
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01/26/2011
A Joint Tactical Radio Internet-Protocol (IP) communications network has successfully transmitted data and video to ground-based radios from its first airborne platform. The Lockheed Martin Airborne & Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) team, with support from Boeing, conducted this significant test that provides a new capability to connect joint forces on the battlefield.
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01/26/2011
Boeing on Jan. 21 received a $1.6 billion contract from the U.S. Navy for low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The LRIP 1 contract is for six P-8A aircraft, spares, logistics and training devices.
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01/25/2011
Jan 24 (PTI) Boosting its Special Operationscapabilities, the Indian Air Force will formally induct itsfirst C-130 J ''Hercules'' transport aircraft on February 5.
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01/25/2011
The first aircraft is one of a batch of four that left the Hawker Beechcraft factory in Witchita USA last week for Morocco.
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01/24/2011
The versatile T-38, an aircraft that’s been in the Air Force arsenal since 1956, is taking on yet another role — the aggressor jet in training F-22 Raptor pilots.
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01/24/2011
Ever wondered how to identify if an aircraft around you is a friend or a foe? How to determine its intent? Well, an electronic system that can detect an aircraft's intent is sure to enthuse electronic, computer science and electrical buffs. Such pin-point technologies are now coming from defence PSU Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL), which is all set to showcase Network Centric Warfare (NCW) technologies developed in-house during Aero India 2011.
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01/24/2011
China was able to build its first stealth bomber using technology gleaned from a downed U.S. fighter, it has been claimed.
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01/22/2011
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) made two defense procurement decisions, but deferred the long-pending choice of a new combat aircraft. It bought an unspecified number of Hermes 450 UAV systems from the Brazilian subsidiary of Elbit Systems.
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01/22/2011
Canada’s top soldier is defending a multibillion-dollar deal to buy U.S.-made fighter jets even as the Liberals zero in on the issue as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s potential Achilles’ heel in the next campaign.
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01/22/2011
The Wichita, US-based company is forecasting strong growth in the private aviation sector in the region but sees a special emphasis in special missions such as maritime patrol and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance to commercial applications such as photographic, air ambulance, flight inspection, weather modifications and transportation for government officials.
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01/21/2011
Officials acknowledged that the Iraqi Defense Ministry has suspended or slowed down procurement of combat air and other platforms. They said the move reflected a dwindling procurement budget as well as the underestimation of costs.
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01/21/2011
Flight training giant CAE Inc. said yesterday it has won military simulation equipment contracts from several countries together worth about $140 million.
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01/21/2011
A US congressional committee was told on Wednesday that Taiwan needed more advanced fighter aircraft and diesel submarines to defend itself against a possible attack by China.
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01/21/2011
Airbus Military is investigating the loss of part of a refuelling boom over the Atlantic during testing of a tanker plane being developed for the Royal Australian Air Force.
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01/21/2011
The U.S. military plans to award an exclusive contract to Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport to supply helicopters for Afghanistan's military, speeding a deal that was outlined as part of a "reset" of U.S.-Russia relations.
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01/21/2011
Boeing today announced that it completed full scale static testing of the P-8A Poseidon’s airframe on Jan. 7. The series of tests, which began in May 2009, confirmed the airframe's structural integrity.
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01/21/2011
As part of a transition announced last year, Boeing [NYSE: BA] today confirmed it will deliver 13 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters in 2011 as the company moves to a new production rate of 10 C-17s per year. Boeing will reduce the production program's work force by approximately 1,100 jobs through the end of 2012. The company delivered 14 C-17s in 2010.
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01/20/2011
Lockheed Martin has received two contracts totaling $218 million for the Demonstration Phase of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA) Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program.
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01/20/2011
India's homegrown fighter jet, the Tejas, has finally been cleared for operations but analysts say any celebration of India's entry into an elite club of military hardware producers is premature.
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01/20/2011
Russia's Il-78 Midas and the EU's Airbus A330 MRTT are the only competitors in a re-tender to supply six aerial tankers to the Indian air force (IAF), the India Strategic defense magazine said.
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01/20/2011
Only two years after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ decision to end production of the F-22 Raptor at 187 aircraft, the program may be poised to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. When Gates made his decision, it was on the assumption that other countries - notably Russia and China -- would not develop their own fifth-generation fighters for at least another decade or more.
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01/20/2011
Infrared supercontinuum laser technology could soon help protect military helicopters from heat-seeking missiles designed to home in on IR radiation emitted by a helicopter’s engine. Built with off-the-shelf telecom fiber optics, the laser technology operates in the mid- and longer IR wavelengths.
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01/19/2011
BOLIVIA is set to receive six Chinese-made combat aircraft to be used to fight drug trafficking, the head of the Bolivian Air Force said on Tuesday.
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01/19/2011
The F-35 Lightning II strike fighter has previously undisclosed problems with its handling, avionics, afterburner and helmet-mounted display, according to a report by the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
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01/19/2011
Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday its plans to produce most of the military hardware and spare parts within the Kingdom by transferring foreign technology.
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01/19/2011
The world may be in turmoil, but in the defense business there are signs of a return to normalcy. After dreary decades in which the U.S. military had to live without a presentable threat with which to justify its spending on high-technology weapons, the Chinese stepped up to the plate. With ominous talk gaining currency in Washington of actual cuts in the U.S. defense budget, our Asian friends have suddenly offered a titillating peek from an airfield in Chengdu at their newest warplane, describe
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01/19/2011
Acting on his administration's drive to bolster military cooperation with Japan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested Tokyo consider buying U.S. combat aircraft.
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01/18/2011
Israeli Aerospace Industries has delivered a dozen unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia under a $400 million contract that will eventually allow Moscow to manufacture advanced drones that will significantly enhance its military capabilities.
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01/18/2011
As far as stealth fighters are concerned, the Chinese prototype J-20 is perhaps too eye-attracting. On Dec. 22, 2010, photos of a taxiing test at the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute of the fifth-generation twin-engine fighter aircraft emerged on the Internet and triggered a firestorm in the international media. On Jan. 11, hours before U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing, the prototype was taken for a 20-minute test flight.
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01/18/2011
Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air National Guard are modifying a KC-135 air refueling aircraft for testing of an infrared anti-missile system.
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01/18/2011
New evidence of China's military buildup has spurred interest in sales of the U.S.'s next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, U.S. defense and industry officials said.
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01/18/2011
Aviation companies have set their sight on India to expand their military aircraft businesses in Asia.
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01/17/2011
There is a second-and-a-half delay between the RAF operator pressing his button and the Hellfire rocket erupting from the aircraft he is controlling, circling in the sky above Afghanistan.
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01/17/2011
A helicopter manufacturer from the United States, competing with an Italian rival for a Turkish tender to jointly produce 109 mostly military-utility helicopters worth around $4 billion, sweetened its bid over the weekend.
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01/17/2011
After the Chinese military tested its new stealthy fighter during U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' visit to Beijing, most attention focused on whether or not President Hu Jintao had advance knowledge of the test. The fact that Mr. Hu appeared surprised when Mr. Gates brought it up led to speculation on the relative independence of the PLA and its potential role in next year's change in China's leadership. These are obviously important issues but they should not make us lose sight of the test
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01/17/2011
China's radar–eluding stealth fighter made its first–known test flight Tuesday, marking dramatic progress in the country's efforts to develop cutting–edge military technologies.
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01/17/2011
The US defence giant Lockheed Martin yesterday bought a stake in the UAE's military aircraft repair and maintenance company.
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01/16/2011
China’s newest combat aircraft prototype, the J-20, will require an intense development program if it is going to catch up with fast-moving anti-stealth advances.
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01/16/2011
India ensured its place among an elite group of countries making a fighter jet from scratch when the indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas got initial operational clearance this week. A key part in this success was placed by the avionics and flight control systems that were designed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
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01/16/2011
Looking to significantly reduce weight, improve on-board communications and make it easier to upgrade avionics, the US military is developing prototype photonic gear for use in all aircraft.
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01/16/2011
It seems that in the darker parts of 2010, NASA gave Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Brumman money to ponder what improvements might be made to our current aerial cattle carriers.
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01/16/2011
The Russian Air Force has lifted a ban on the flights of Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers imposed after an An-22 Cock transport plane was destroyed in a crash last December.
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01/04/2011
Russia's Defense Ministry plans to start procuring Ka-52 Alligator helicopters for the national Air Force in 2011, ministry's official spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Sunday.
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01/04/2011
The Russian Air Force will receive up to 100 Sukhoi fighter jets by 2015, the Defense Ministry spokesman said on Sunday.
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01/04/2011
China’s first known stealth aircraft just emerged from a secret development program and was undergoing high-speed taxi tests late last week at Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute’s airfield. Said to be designated J-20, it is larger than most observers expected—pointing to long range and heavy weapon loads.
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