November, 2011 Military Aviation News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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