April, 2011 Military Aviation News
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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