November 30, 2011 Military Aviation News

U.S. prepares to vacate Pakistan air base

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.

Airbus Military begins final assembly of the first A400M for France

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.

Planning for RAAF Hawk upgrade path approved

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.

Jet commitment keeps carrier strategy alive

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.

F-15s May Out-Maneuver Sequestration Impact

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.

Malaysia's fighter contest intensifies ahead of LIMA air show

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.

Some Syrian Oppositions Groups Want Intervention—Sort Of

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.

Pratt & Whitney Powers Flight of Second Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System for U.S. Navy

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.

Boeing Receives $20 Million Contract to Upgrade F-15C Trainers

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).

Russian Navy drills in Mediterranean ‘unrelated to Syria’

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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