2012 Military Aviation News
12/31/2012
An Air Force plan to more than triple the area that can be used in training exercises for the Dakotas-based B-1 and B-52 bombers is still undergoing an environmental review nearly a year after the final report was expected. Officials at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, S.D., are in the process of holding phone meetings with Native American tribes throughout the area to talk about sensitive cultural, historic and religious properties on tribal lands.
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12/31/2012
The Defense Ministry has started studies on equipping the Self-Defense Forces with the V-22 Osprey, the U.S. military transport aircraft whose safety record has sparked huge protests in Okinawa Prefecture, sources said. The ministry is expected to demand millions of yen for research and studies on the aircraft in the fiscal 2013 budget plan.
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12/31/2012
The new contracts relate to a variety of the Company's fields of activity and include Unmanned Systems, Electronic Warfare, Electro-Optic Systems, Avionics and Land Systems.
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12/30/2012
U.S. Navy officials have issued an urgent order to equip the service's MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter with the Telephonics Corp. RDR-1700 maritime-surveillance radar system. The Northrop Grumman Corp. MQ-8 Fire Scout is a rotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployed on Navy frigates, littoral combat ships, and other surface combatants for reconnaissance, situational awareness, and precision targeting.
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12/30/2012
The U.S. Army is nearing a decision on whether to open a competition for a new scout helicopter to supplant the current fleet of Kiowa Warriors made by Bell Helicopter. Military officials have been testing different choppers this year, including models from Boeing and EADS, in a "skyoff" acquisition strategy as it weighs whether to move forward with planned upgrades to the Vietnam-era Kiowa or seek a new model.
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12/30/2012
Lockheed Martin Corp was awarded up to $4.9bn in additional funding for its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, the Pentagon announced yesterday, providing a significant end-of-year boost in orders for the largest US defense contractor. The US Defence Department said it had reached agreement with Lockheed on a preliminary contract valued at up to $3.68bn for 31 F-35s in a sixth batch of planes to be built for the US military, with details to be finalised the coming year.
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12/30/2012
With its heavy concentration of military facilities and defense companies, San Diego could be one of the hardest hit regions in the country by the fiscal cliff. The process called sequestration calls for automatic spending cuts of $1.2 trillion over 10 years, split equally between military and domestic programs.
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12/30/2012
The Syrian opposition destroyed 19 Mig fighting jets and 22 helicopters belonging to the regime's air force in 2012, according to survey by the Union of the Syrian Revolution Local Coordination Committees. Eleven planes were destroyed on the ground in opposition raids on various air bases across the country and 30 were shot down in action. A sizeable number, 43, of aircrafts destroyed was registered in the province of Idlib, where the first Mig fighter jet was shot down.
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12/30/2012
Former Kazakhstan Vice-Minister of Defense, Major General Amirbek Togussov supports the suggestion of the Majilis (Lower Chamber of Kazakhstan Parliament) to transfer of the whole military aviation fleet under the jurisdiction of one authority.
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12/30/2012
The end of the fighter pilot, and nearly a century of military fighter planes, is an idea that garners a lot of attention lately and this report out of Nebraska is a prime example why.
Andrew Nelson at the World-Herald writes that all 21 F-16s at the Iowa National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing will be replaced with an unnamed type of pilotless drone.
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12/29/2012
Australia has removed the Wedgetail Boeing 737-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) program from its Projects of Concern list following delivery of all six aircraft and achievement in November of initial operational capability (IOC). The A$3.2 billion ($3.3 billion) Wedgetail program was added to the Projects of Concern list in January 2008 because of schedule delays and system performance issues. A remediation plan was agreed with Boeing in 2011, resetting IOC for 2012.
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12/29/2012
The Novosibirsk aircraft plant of the Sukhoi Holding (NAPO) will increase the output of Sukhoi Su-34 multirole bombers in 2013, a source in the defense sector told Interfax-AVN on Saturday. "In 2013 the Su-34 production at NAPO will be larger than in 2012," the source said. "While setting off batch production of Su-34, NAPO is constantly enlarging their output," he said.
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12/29/2012
Commercial production rising. Defense budgets falling. Economic uncertainties and regional instabilities that could affect both. That is the world the aerospace and defense industry faces entering 2013, and which is examined in detail in the pages that follow. But if there is one theme that recurs frequently through this latest edition of Aviation Week's annual forecast issue, it is China and its growing financial, industrial, political and military influence on aerospace and defense globally.
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12/29/2012
The California Air National Guard in Fresno is not flying its F-16 fighter jets after a pilot crashed during a routine training exercise Thursday night. The F-16 military jet went down in Owens Valley in Inyo County. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft. Pilots at the 144th Fighter Wing are on what's called a "safety stand down" day, meaning all flights are grounded as part of standard procedure following a crash.
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12/29/2012
The U.S. military is scrapping the Afghan Air Force's entire fleet of Italian-made cargo planes, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. U.S. and Afghan officials told the paper that the Afghan military isn't expected to have an independent and fully functioning air force until around 2017, well after the withdrawal of most U.S. and international troops.
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12/29/2012
Russian aircraft maker MiG delivered in December a batch of four MiG-29K/KUB shipborne fighters to the Indian Navy under a contract concluded in 2010, the company said. With the delivery, MiG "has fulfilled all its obligations for 2012 stipulated in the 2010 contract with the Indian Defense Ministry,” the company said in a statement. In March 2010, Russia and India signed a $1.5-billion contract on the supply of 29 additional MiG-29K Fulcrum-D carrier-based fighter jets to New Delhi.
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12/29/2012
The Sukhoi aircraft maker delivered on Friday the first six Su-35S fighter jets to the Russian Air Force, the company said. The acceptance documents were signed by Defense Ministry officials at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft manufacturing plant in Russia’s Far East. “The Sukhoi holding has fulfilled its obligations on the delivery of this type of aircraft under the 2012 state defense order,” the company said in a statement.
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12/28/2012
Unlike most women in Afghanistan, Sourya Saleh knows how to drive — but she's taken the wheel only with her brother beside her, out of respect for tradition. Her friend Masooma Hussaini is still learning. Both young women, though, are experts in a more demanding mode of travel: They've flown 204 hours each as pilots of military helicopters. The first female chopper pilots in Afghanistan since the Soviets trained a woman as a pilot in the 1980s.
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12/28/2012
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At Istres on France’s south coast last week Dassault Aviation carried out the first public flight of its prototype unmanned fighter jet, the Neuron. As a crowd of c
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12/28/2012
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Friday commissioned newly-refurbished ground and air assets including the first ever C-130 cargo plane repaired completely by Filipino airmen.
Commissioned during simple ceremonies in Villamor Airbase in Pasay were the C-130 cargo plane, one Cessna LC-210 weather aircraft, a UH-1H helicopter and 12 M-3 trucks. The maintenance and repair of all these assets cost P579.4 million.
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12/28/2012
The Canadian Forces will need more than 350 people if it wants to create a new squadron for unmanned aircraft but the capability promised by Prime Minister Stephen Harper more than six years ago is still being studied within the military.
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12/28/2012
Ed Gulick, a U.S. Air Force spokesman, said in an emailed statement that the service on Dec. 18 notified Alenia Aermacchi North America, a unit of Italian defense conglomerate Finmeccanica SpA, that a contract to maintain and support 20 refurbished transport planes for the Afghan military wouldn't be renewed when it expires in March because Alenia didn't deliver enough flyable planes.
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12/28/2012
A naval division of China’s Chengdu Military Area Command (MAC) recently conducted a comprehensive double-runway support drill for multiple types of aircraft. Major military powers have all achieved double-runway support, which is a general trend for modern air combat and comprehensive support, said Fang Dianrong, commander of the air force under the Chengdu MAC.
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12/28/2012
Boeing has received a $145 million order from the U.S. Navy for two additional C-40A Clipper transport aircraft, increasing the service's ability to move military personnel and cargo around the world. The modified Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft will be the 13th and 14th C-40As in the Navy's Unique Fleet Essential Airlift Replacement Aircraft Program, which is replacing the Navy Reserve's aging fleet of DC-9-based C-9B Skytrains.
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12/27/2012
The U.S. military has begun a staged, five-year process that will see each of its three main stealth warplane types deployed to bases near China. When the deployments are complete in 2017, Air Force F-22s and B-2s and Marine Corps F-35s could all be within striking range of America’s biggest economic rival at the same time. With Beijing now testing its own radar-evading jet fighters.
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12/27/2012
The Russian Air Force has taken delivery of five new multifunctional Su-34 bombers on Wednesday, according to an official statement. Earlier this year, the Russian MoD and the Sukhoi Corporation signed a contract worth 2.5 billion euros for 92 Su-34 bombers. The aircraft is referred to a 4+ generation aircraft due to its combat readiness after tests completed in 2011.
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12/27/2012
Drones are to be deployed in Zimbabwe soon after they were given the green light for use to track criminals fleeing neighbouring South Africa, ZimEye can reveal. The effect of the permission means as done before the deadly machines could easily be used to track poachers escaping South Africa across the nations borders into Zimbabwe, Mozambique Botswana or Namibia.
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12/27/2012
The Defence Research and Development Organisation's faltering project to develop an indigenous jet engine has sparked to life again. With the Kaveri engine, born from this project, found short on power for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, the ministry of defence has nominated the Kaveri to power the hush-hush Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle, a pilot-less bomber aircraft that the DRDO is developing.
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12/27/2012
“Iknew wherever I was that you thought of me and that if I got in a tight place, you would come — if alive.” This statement was contained in a letter dated March 10, 1864, written by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman to Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. It expresses an ageless ethos among warriors, especially those within the U.S. military. The commitment to come to the aid of fellow Americans in times of duress and danger has always been one of the foundations of America’s fighting forces.
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12/27/2012
It was hardly on the level of the J-20's appearance two years ago, but the advent of the Xian J-20 transport over the Christmas holidays was nonetheless important. If nothing else, it's the third all-new Chinese military aircraft to emerge in two years, a pace of innovation unknown since the Cold War. It is also by far the largest indigenously developed Chinese aircraft.
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12/27/2012
Next year the Russian Air Force will abandon its gray camouflage coloring and use several new color patterns for its warplanes, a source in the Russian defense ministry said on Wednesday. Earlier in the day Izvestia reported that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has reversed the order of his predecessor Anatoly Serdyukov to repaint all warplanes only using different shades of gray.
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12/26/2012
Even without $1.2 trillion in "sequestration" cuts that could begin Jan. 2, the enormous U.S. military budget – which has consistently made up almost half of the country’s annual discretionary spending – is entering a period of austerity unseen in more than a decade. Since late 2011, defense contractors big and small have been planning for the previously announced reduction in defense spending of $487 billion over 10 years. But they could lose an additional $492 billion under sequestration.
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12/26/2012
Is the U.S. getting ready to wage the Cold War again? If one believes the critics, that’s the aim behind a planned $10 billion modernization of the B61 nuclear bomb, the backbone of the Pentagon’s tactical nuclear arsenal. Actually, there are some other reasons for the upgrade: to reinforce global deterrence, to provide options against a range of future threats, and to make the U.S. stronger and safer. Achieving those goals is worth the money.
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12/26/2012
They were the Bravest of rescue operations overseas — a team of four FDNY firefighters flying into combat to tend to wounded troops in Afghanistan. The smoke-eaters of the 101st Rescue Squadron of the New York Air National Guard were deployed to more than 50 missions and saved nearly 100 lives between September and November while stationed at Camp Bastion in the southern part of the war-torn country.
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12/26/2012
The Obama administration appears determined to vacate Afghanistan as fast as possible. If the latest leaks are to be believed, officials are willing to leave as few as 6,000 U.S. troops behind after 2014, concentrated at the Bagram air base and a few other installations around Kabul. The mind boggles at what this would mean in military terms.
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12/26/2012
It was a historic day for India. For the first time a visiting Russian head of State was greeted by booing crowds rather than by the usual, choreographed cheers and waves. Vladimir Putin’s visit comes at a time when India-Russia relations are at their lowest ebb (except for perhaps in the mid-1960s when the Soviets threatened to sell tanks to Pakistan) and Putin had some hard-talking to do in his 18 hours in India.
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12/26/2012
A MiG-21 combat aircraft flown by a Syrian pilot who defected to Jordan in June was found to have been upgraded back in Syria to carry chemical weapons and to fly without a pilot, the Yisrael Hayom daily reported on Tuesday. According to the report, U.S. experts who examined the plane believe Russian engineers helped convert the plane and that Syria has more of them in its air force.
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12/26/2012
A military transport plane has crashed in southern Kazakhstan, killing all 27 people on board. News footage from the scene shows mangled fragments of the aircraft in a swirling blizzard. A crew of seven was on board, along with 20 military personnel. The twin-engined Antonov jet disappeared from radar screens at 7pm as it made its fourth attempt to land at Shymkent, the regional capital of South Kazakhstan.
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12/25/2012
The Obama administration appears determined to vacate Afghanistan as fast as possible. If the latest leaks are to be believed, officials are willing to leave as few as 6,000 U.S. troops behind after 2014, concentrated at the Bagram air base and a few other installations around Kabul. The mind boggles at what this would mean in military terms.
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12/25/2012
India plans to spend about $100 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its largely Soviet-era military equipment, as Asia's third-largest economy looks to match its growing economic clout with military power. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union, India, one of the world's largest arms importers, has shifted towards buying from the West as Russian products were plagued by delivery delays, maintenance problems and a lack of spare parts.
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12/25/2012
The launch of Astra, India’s air-to-air missile, for the third day on Monday from a static launcher on the ground at Chandipur, Odisha, proved to be a success. The flight-trials on December 21 and 22 from fixed launchers were equally successful. On Monday, Astra manoeuvred at 22g (gravitational force) and intercepted an electronic target with 6g. The three triumphs in a row have paved the way for its launch from an aircraft next year.
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12/25/2012
This year China stepped up its game as a military player with new fighter jets and an aircraft carrier, while also taking a more hawkish approach to political disputes with neighboring nations. China celebrated the successful flight of a the new Shenyang J-15 fighter aircraft - also called the Flying Shark - which was completely designed and manufactured in China and is equipped with domestically produced weapons and radar technology as well.
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12/25/2012
Five multi-role Su-34 bombers will be delivered for a second squadron of the Baltimore air base in Voronezh, southwest Russia, on Tuesday. “Today five Sukhoi Su-34 multi-role frontline bombers have flown from the Novosibirsk aircraft factory’s air field. The jets will make a non-stop flight from Novosibirsk to Voronezh, a distance of over 3,000 kilometers,” said Western Military District (WMD) spokesman Col. Andrei Bobrun.
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12/25/2012
NATO will continue chartering Antonov An-124 Ruslan heavy lift transport planes until at least December 31, 2014, Ukraine’s Antonov design bureau said on Monday. The Alliance has been using six An-124-100 planes, provided by Ukraine’s Antonov state company and Russia’s Volga-Dnepr group, to transport heavy equipment across the globe by air since 2006 under the SALIS (Strategic Airlift Interim Solution) program.
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12/25/2012
Russian aerobatic teams the Swifts and the Russian Knights will receive new Su-30SM and Su-35C fighter jets ahead of regular Russian Air Force units, the force’s commander Viktor Bondarev said on Monday. “When we wrap the preliminary troop tests of these two airplanes, they will be supplied [to the teams] on an advance basis,” Bondarev said at a press conference in the Moscow Region.
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12/25/2012
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev on Monday reiterated that Manas international airport, which currently hosts a US airbase, is to be a purely civilian facility after the US base closes. “There will not be a military component at Manas airport: That is my firm position,” he said. Atambayev announced plans in November last year to close the base by 2014, when the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force is to be pulled out of Afghanistan.
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12/24/2012
The third in line to the throne has been serving as the gunner and navigator in an Apache attack helicopter for the Army Air Corps in Afghanistan since September. He is thought to have made his first “kill” a few weeks after arriving.
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12/24/2012
Is the Assad regime near the end of its road in Syria? The television network Al Jazeera is quoting Syrian opposition activists that are claiming that seven people were killed in the Homs area due to the dispersal of gas by the Syrian military. According to the reports, dozens were hurt from inhaling the gas in the Al Bidiya neighborhood in Homs, and suffered from nausea, muscular weakness, blurred vision and breathing difficulties.
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12/24/2012
Last year the large U.S. Air Force UAVs, (MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and RQ-4 Global Hawk) had an accident rate of 3.8 per 100,000 hours. This accident rate is currently lower than that of the F-16, which is currently one of the safest manned fighter aircraft flying. Last year these air force UAVs had 13 "Class A" accidents (one causing over a two million dollars of loss).
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12/24/2012
Ahead of the visit of President Vladimir Putin, India and Russia have signed a deal for working together to develop the air-launched version of the 290-km-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which would be fitted to the Su-30MKI combat aircraft of the IAF.
An agreement was signed between BrahMos Aerospace, Russian Rosoboron export and Sukhoi Design Bureau for developing the air-launched version of the missile here on
Friday, Defence Ministry officials said here.
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12/24/2012
The nomination of Senator John Kerry as the new U.S. secretary of state has been warmly received by China, but the state-run news media on the mainland has sharply attacked the passage of a new military spending bill that is awaiting President Obama’s signature.
Two amendments to the $633 billion bill have drawn particular scorn from Beijing, which has unleashed a series of scathing articles and editorials in the state-run news media.
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12/24/2012
Russian military advisers are manning some of Syria's more sophisticated air defences – something that would complicate any future US-led intervention, the Guardian has learned.
The advisers have been deployed with new surface-to-air systems and upgrades of old systems, which Moscow has supplied to the Assad regime since the Syrian revolution broke out 21 months ago.
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12/24/2012
Last week, the Harper government released a report by audit firm KPMG, which sought to ascertain how much it would cost to procure and operate a fleet of 65 F-35 fighter jets. KPMG calculated the total bill over 42 years, the warplane’s expected lifespan in Canadian service, to be $45.8-billion, which works out to an average annual expense of almost $1.1-billion.
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12/24/2012
Russia and India signed new weapons deals worth billions of dollars Monday as President Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally. Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed cooperation between their countries as officials signed a $1.6 billion deal for India to purchase 42 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and a $1.3 billion contract for the delivery of 71 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters.
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12/24/2012
BAE Systems has bagged a £2.5bn military aircraft contract from Oman, securing jobs of its 6,000 employees which were jeopardised by the debacle of £25bn merger with European defence giant EADS. BAE Systems will manufacture Typhoon and Hawk military aircraft for Oman in a strategic effort to look out for other growing markets.
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12/23/2012
The launch of the Astra missile for the second day on Saturday from Chandipur, Odisha, was deadly in its accuracy. An air-to-air missile, it was launched from a fixed launcher on the ground and homed in on its target — Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft (PTA) flying 15 km away. The warhead exploded within a metre of Lakshya, destroying it.On Friday also, the launch from the ground against an electronic target was successful.
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12/23/2012
Russia's fifth-generation stealth jet fighter, the T-50, will start state flight tests in March 2013, Russia’s Air Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Sunday. Currently three fighter jets are performing test flights at the Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow, the fourth plane is undergoing factory test trials and the fifth plane is in the process of factory approvals, the commander said.
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12/22/2012
Despite the chaos and mess created over the years by our so-called leaders, Pakistan has produced fine individuals who make all of us proud. Among them is none other than Air Commodore M. M. Alam, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighter pilots of all times and arguably the best in the modern jet warfare era.
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12/22/2012
Three Marines are to be honoured next month for their heroics during a rescue mission in Libya in which they recovered a downed Air Force pilot, from a Suffolk air base. Capt Erik Kolle, Capt David Potter and Sgt Daniel Howington are scheduled to receive the Air Medal with combat distinguishing device on January 7.
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12/22/2012
The House (315-107) and Senate (81-14) overwhelmingly passed the conference agreement on the FY2013 Defense Authorization bill this week. The bill now goes to the president. The annual Defense Authorization bill authorizes force levels, programs, and policies (including military pay raises) for DoD budgets. Appropriations bills provide actual funding for DoD.
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12/22/2012
President Benigno Aquino III has vowed to roll out a stronger and more capable Armed Forces of the Philippines with a P75 billion budget for hard power upgrade over the next five years. In what officials described as a “scaled down” celebration of the AFP’s 77th anniversary on Friday, Mr. Aquino said the modernization fund will put an end to jokes about the military being a “poor cowboy” who does not have the means to fight his enemies.
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12/22/2012
US President Barack Obama may soon come under direct congressional pressure to draw up a plan ensuring that Taiwan’s air force can “contribute appropriately” to the defense of the nation. The House of Representatives and Senate are considering the measure as part of the US defense budget for fiscal 2013, which is expected to pass before the Christmas break.
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12/22/2012
As with civil aviation operators, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) must ready its aircraft fleet to comply with fast-approaching mandates to operate in the future global airspace system. Failure to meet those requirements will prevent operators from being able to take advantage of preferential routes and altitudes that will be available to properly equipped aircraft.
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12/22/2012
British defense giant BAE Systems announced a $4.1-billion deal to supply 12 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft and eight Hawk trainer jets to Oman. The deal, which will help sustain thousands of jobs in Britain, is the first major order since BAE Systems failed to merge with European aerospace giant EADS earlier this year.
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12/22/2012
Lockheed Martin announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of CDL Systems Ltd., a software engineering firm that specializes in the development and licensing of vehicle control station software for unmanned systems. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed and are not material to Lockheed Martin.
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12/21/2012
The United States carried out more drone strikes in Afghanistan this year than it has done in all the years put together in Pakistan since it launched the covert air war there eight years ago. With all the attention and hand wringing focused on the operations in Pakistan, it’s remarkable that such a ramp-up just over the border has gone virtually unnoticed.
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12/21/2012
Silhouetted against the towering Marmal mountains outside this northern city, a camouflage helicopter bristling with weaponry swooped low over the brown plains Thursday, representing a new phase in Germany’s military mission in Afghanistan. The delivery of four Tiger helicopters to Afghanistan represents the first attack helicopter deployment in the history of the German army and has been a long time in the making.
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12/21/2012
India on Friday conducted developmental trial of its indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile 'Astra' from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, 15 km from here. The sophisticated missile was test-fired from a launcher in launch pad-2 of the ITR at about 1.25 pm targeting a flying object being supported by a pilotless target air-craft 'Lakshya', defence sources said.
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12/21/2012
During a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, Malik said the US refused to pay Rs72.4 million it owed to Pakistan, maintaining that military aircraft belonged to the state and were, as such, exempted from airspace navigation charges as per international norms. He added that Washington similarly did not charge Pakistan’s C-130 aircraft for using US airspace on several occasions.
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12/21/2012
If safety is an issue, how come more than 20 air forces around the world continue to operate the Russian fighter? In fact, with upgrades this old warhorse is now able to take on more modern combat aircraft.
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12/21/2012
The Canadian military has decided it will rely on the U.S., other allies and private companies for air-to-air refuelling if the government purchases the F-35 because the stealth fighters aren’t compatible with Canada’s current refuelling aircraft. The revelation is buried in an explosive report released last week and means the Canadian military would be reliant on third parties to realize the full benefits of its F-35s — a situation opposition critics and analysts say is completely unacceptable.
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12/21/2012
The Commonwealth of Australia has completed its acquisition of six Boeing [NYSE: BA] 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and related mission systems by accepting the final design of the Wedgetail airborne mission segment. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operates the aircraft, which provide Australia with advanced airborne surveillance, communications and battle management.
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12/21/2012
Boeing on Dec. 19 made an on-site delivery of the first P-8I aircraft to the Indian Navy in Seattle, in accordance with the contract. India will receive this aircraft and two more of its eight contracted P-8Is in 2013. The program is progressing on schedule as Boeing assembles the fourth and fifth P-8Is, which are designed for long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.
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12/21/2012
Russia’s Vnesheconombank (VEB) will provide Indonesia with a total of $399.5 million in credit to finance purchases of aircraft and related equipment from Russia’s state-run arms export company Rosoboronexport. The credit will be provided for a seven-year term, Rosoboronexport said. This is the second credit agreement between VEB and Indonesia’s Finance Ministry in the past two years.
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12/21/2012
The Royal Air Force of Oman has formally agreed a $4.2 billion deal with BAE Systems for Typhoon and Hawk aircraft. The UK based company will deliver 12 Eurofighter Typhoon fightets and eight Hawk 128 class jet trainers to Oman, the company said a statement published this morning. The deliveries will begin in 2017.
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12/20/2012
Critics claim the Osprey is unsafe. Backers praise its flexibility and cite its track record in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Queasy fliers have lost their lunches as it makes the mid-air switch from helicopter to airplane. No matter what you think of this hybrid aircraft, one word fits best: unique.
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12/20/2012
Mauritania is looking to substantially increase its budget for 2013, notably in the defence and national security sector. The 2013 budget draft was presented to Parliament in Nouakchott at the start of December. If approved by Parliament, the defence sector should receive 44.547 billion ouguiyas. Funds would cover the operating budget, equipment for the National Gendarmerie, salaries and equipment, and military healthcare.
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12/20/2012
BAE Systems will sell 12 Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets to Oman in a deal to be announced this week, two people familiar with the talks said. The contract is set to be announced Dec. 21 in Oman, said one person who asked not to be named because the plans are private. The deal is valued at more than $1 billion.
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12/20/2012
Would you tell a killer robot where to park? The rise of the machines is one step closer, and this flight director had better get out of the way. This sleek and stealthy robotic combat drone has just completed its first at-sea trials aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
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12/20/2012
A Hawaii based F-22 fighter scrapped its tail while landing after a Pearl Harbor Day (December 7) flyover. The damage caused will cost about $1.8 to repair. Until quite recently that would have made it a Class A (killing someone or costing a million dollars or more to repair) accident.
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12/20/2012
The Royal Cambodian Air Force will start to take delivery of 12 Chinese-made military helicopters from April next year to be used for “humanitarian” purposes and defending Cambodian airspace, an official said yesterday. Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Soeung Samnang said that the arrival of the Z-9 military utility helicopter was announced during an annual military meeting held in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.
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12/20/2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to conclude deals on the sale of fighter jets and aircraft engines to India next week which could be worth more than $7.5 billion, defence industry sources said on Wednesday. Putin, who visits India on Monday, has his sights set on selling 42 Sukhoi SU-30MKI fighters and on the long-term supply of 970 warplane engines, one of the sources said.
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12/20/2012
Bulgaria wants to choose a supplier of at least eight fighter jets by March in a long-delayed deal estimated at about 700 million levs ($473 million), defence minister Anyo Angelov said on Wednesday. The European Union's poorest state, which joined NATO in 2004 and is a staunch backer of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, needs to bring its ageing Russian-made aircraft up to the standards of the military alliance.
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12/20/2012
The roar of F-16 fighter jets streaking across the sky over Des Moines on training missions will soon be silenced. Under a budget deal set for approval this week, the Iowa National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing will lose the jets. The decision comes after months of wrangling between Iowa's congressional delegation and the Air Force.
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12/20/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry and the Irkut aircraft maker have signed a contract on the delivery of an additional 30 Su-30SM multirole fighter jets to the Russian Air Force by 2016.
The first contract between the Defense Ministry and Irkut for the delivery of 30 Su-30SMs was signed in March. The Russian Air Force received the first two Su-30SM aircraft on November 22.
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12/19/2012
House and Senate negotiators agreed on U.S. defense legislation authorizing about $640.7 billion in the current fiscal year for the Pentagon and related programs at agencies such as the Energy Department. The annual authorization legislation calls for added economic sanctions on Iran, while giving President Barack Obama more time to implement them, lawmakers told reporters yesterday at the Capitol. The administration had said it was too soon to add to the sanctions already in place.
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12/19/2012
Airbus believes it can get a lift from a plane that has been dragging it down. The European aerospace company has spent five years trying to fix engineering problems with its A400M Atlas military transport aircraft, which is roughly four years behind schedule, billions of euros over budget and has become a symbol of the company's troubles in the defense industry.
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12/19/2012
Army scientists and engineers are developing a next generation surveillance aircraft, an ‘intelligence collection, processing, and targeting support system.’ EMARSS will ‘provide persistent multi-intelligence capability to detect, locate, classify/identify, and track surface targets with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.’
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12/19/2012
Originally scheduled for a December 18, 2012 launch on Xbox Live, Ace Combat Assault Horizon has now officially been postponed until sometime in January 2013.
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12/19/2012
In a sharp rebuff to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the ministry of defence ( MoD) has rejected the public sector aerospace company’s proposal to build basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). This comes after the MoD discovered that HAL-built trainers would cost twice as much as proven aircraft procured from the international market.
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12/19/2012
Induction of Brahmos Air version and C-17 Aircraft would form part of the major expansion in the Indian Air Force during next year, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said today The first C-17 Globemaster Aircraft would reach India and the Air Force by June next and would be mainly utilised for strategic lifting and transport ofBSE 0.51 % goods and troops, besides humanitarian relief works, Browne told reporters at Sulur Aircraft Station.
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12/19/2012
A final report into the crash of a Canadian battlefield helicopter outside of Kandahar city in the summer of 2010 has concluded that CH-47 Chinook helicopters need “crash-worthy seating” and restraints for passengers. The helicopter, which was on a routine supply mission and had just departed a nearby base, was reportedly shot down by Taliban ground fire.
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12/19/2012
United States Defense Leon Panetta has stated plans are in motion to deploy the F-35 stealth fighter jet to military bases in Japan. This would be the first overseas deployment of the aircraft, and they are scheduled to be sent to the U.S. Air Force base in Iwakuni by the year 2017. Panetta says the jets will be an important enhancement to the U.S.’s security presence in the Asia-Pacific.
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12/19/2012
Rockwell Collins has received an $18 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop the Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) for military aircraft. The waveform development is aimed at providing warfighters with a higher throughput networking capability to meet the demands to evolving mission requirements, the company said.
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12/19/2012
Belarus and Russia have signed a contract for the delivery of four Yak-130 Mitten jet trainers/light attack aircraft to Belarus in 2015, the Russian aircraft maker said on Tuesday.
The agreement was signed by the Belarusian Defense Ministry and Russia’s Irkut corporation.
Belarus is the first CIS state to buy the aircraft.
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12/18/2012
The Air Force on Monday gave their F-35 training school the go-ahead to officially open its doors to teach pilots how to fly the military’s newest stealth fighter jet. Gen. Edward Rice, who heads the Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command, visited Eglin Monday to give his formal approval.
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12/18/2012
A real life game of chess is being played out in the Pacific between China, the United States and its allies. China is dramatically modernizing its military, especially its navy, and has been engaged in confrontations in recent months with Japan over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea and the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal. Both Japan and the Philippines have defense treaties with the U.S.
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12/18/2012
India has long believed that an advanced and self-sufficient defense sector is essential to its status as an emerging power. Yet, as Richard A. Bitzinger writes, the country remains saddled with a bloated and inefficient defense-industrial base that has contributed little to its great power aspirations.
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12/18/2012
Russian arms exports reached a record $14 billion in 2012, President Vladimir Putin said, and India, Algeria and Vietnam remain the biggest buyers, Kommersant reported on Tuesday. However, the leading buyers were joined by Iraq, which entered into a contract to buy 42 Pantsir-S1 air defense systems and 30 Mi-28NE combat helicopters worth a total of $4.2 billion, or about 30% of all contracts, the paper reported.
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12/18/2012
Two aircraft carriers stationed off the Syrian coast were sent back to the US this week in a move that the Obama administration thought would ease tensions, but angered Turkish officials who hoped for significant US military presence in the region. The USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and its 2,500 marines were recalled after being stationed on the Syrian coast, allegedly in preparation of potential military invasion.
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12/18/2012
Officials at Embraer Defense and Security in Brazil needed an audio system for the Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft to ensure broadcast announcements are heard throughout the aircraft’s cockpit and cabin. They found their solution at Cobham. Cobham won a contract to provide the Passenger Address System (PAS) for the KC-390.
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12/18/2012
The Indian Air Force will install anti-collision technology in all aircraft procured from now on, according to Defence Minister A.K. Antony. “The type of equipment will depend on the role and operational employability of the aircraft,” Antony wrote in a Dec. 17 letter to Parliament.
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12/18/2012
The men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces need the tools to do their jobs. These tools are expensive, and buying them is often a complex process involving numerous federal departments. We must ensure that public money is well spent, military needs are met, and jobs are delivered for Canadian workers.
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12/18/2012
Russia’s leading aircraft engine maker OAO Klimov will soon start testing an advanced engine for attack helicopters, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. The VK-2500 is produced under a special federal program to develop the country’s defense sector and allied industries, he said, adding that it is built using exclusively Russian-manufactured components. “We are completely moving away from imported components,” Rogozin said.
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12/18/2012
Russia’s overseas arms sales exceeded $14 billion this year, outperforming forecasts by more than $500 million, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. The country’s defense industry also sealed export contracts worth another $15 billion in 2012, Putin said in Moscow.
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12/17/2012
A soldier sets out to graduate at the top of his class. He succeeds, and he becomes a drone pilot working with a special unit of the United States Air Force in New Mexico. He kills dozens of people. But then, one day, he realizes that he can’t do it anymore. For more than five years, Brandon Bryant worked in an oblong, windowless container about the size of a trailer, where the air-conditioning was kept at 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) and, for security reasons, the door couldn’t be
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12/17/2012
The Russian answer to the American F-22, the T-50 (or PAK-FA) now has four prototypes in operation. The fourth one made its first flight on December 12th. The T-50 flew for the first time in January 2010. Six more prototypes are on order and, if all goes well the first 60 production models will be ordered in 2015 and be delivered by the end of the decade.
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12/17/2012
Budget problems in the SANDF, massive retrenchment in a specialized staff component of the SAAF and the continued electricity crisis at Air Force Base (AFB) Makhado are causing concerns, also regarding overall combat readiness.A delay in the repair of the extensively damaged high-voltage electricity supply at AFB Makhado is adding to the severe budget problems of the SAND/SAAF.
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12/17/2012
As noted in a recent article in the Citizen and in other publications the U.S. military is laying plans for what it is calling a “sixth generation” aircraft to replace the F-35 as early as 2030.
The U.S. Navy and Air Force are examining such a plane. At a recent meeting at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Gen. Mike Hostage, chief of the U.S. air force’s combat command, provided more details on the plane his organization wants to buy.
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12/17/2012
A surveillance squadron that acts as the "eyes and ears" for long-range strategic missions is among the Israeli Air Force's inner sanctums, accessible to few and guarded by many. The Gulfstream G550, a business jet mainly designed to accommodate corporate executives and private businessmen and heavily reconfigured to carry cutting-edge electronic-intelligence gathering technology, has participated in the IAF's bombing of a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007.
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12/16/2012
Nearly half of Britain’s top-secret military drones deployed in Afghanistan have crashed – many because of pilot error. The alarming loss rate has raised concerns about British forces’ capability to wage a successful war against the Taliban. The Mail on Sunday has discovered that since drones were fully deployed in Afghanistan in 2007, 12 have been lost, costing the British taxpayer more than £30?million.
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12/16/2012
Norway is solidly behind the purchase of the F-35 and doesn’t seem too worried if Canada doesn’t follow through with any acquisition of the plane. The Norwegians issued a statement a few days ago noting that the recent Canadian F-35 audit figures of more than $45 billion were the presentation of total acquisition costs over the lifetime of the aircraft.
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12/16/2012
Canada is considering buying fighter jets other than U.S.-made F-35's because of escalating costs associated with Lockheed Martin's (LMT) troubled Joint Strike Fighter program, the country's defense minister said Wednesday. Defense Minister Peter MacKay said the government needs to ensure a balance between military and taxpayer interests.
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12/16/2012
Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds. A significant number of the air force's combat aircraft are nearly half a century old and have been called on in recent years to help the army fight a domestic Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people.
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12/16/2012
Peru intends to buy a consignment of 24 combat helicopters and eyes Russia as one of its potential suppliers along with France and the United States, Peruvian Defense Minister Pedro Cateriano said. “The purchase of 24 helicopters is currently under the consideration and we have three proposals…, we are considering proposals from France, the United States and Russia,” Cateriano said.
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12/15/2012
South Korea's defence minister has claimed that Pyongyang is getting ready to test a third nuclear device. This week, the North launched another long-range rocket, and satellite images reveal that North Korea has been testing long-range rocket engines. However, even if Pyongyang does carry out tests in 2013, how much of a threat will North Korea pose to its neighbours? Will the latest rocket launch make a qualititative change to the capability of the North Korean People's Army (NKPA)?
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12/15/2012
Short-range missiles fired by Hamas at Israel’s major cities last month and the potential long-range threat of the rocket North Korea launched this week are suddenly sharpening interest in capitals around the world over a new generation of missile defense systems that can defend against hostile neighbors.
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12/15/2012
The Defense Department said on Friday it has finalized a contract for the purchase of a fifth batch of radar-evading F-35 fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp., a deal worth $3.8 billion for 32 of the advanced planes. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the costliest weapons program in U.S. history.
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12/15/2012
More than 10 months after India chose the French Rafale to meet its $15 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) requirement, contract negotiations are mired in issues related to offsets, the transfer of technology and the role of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). The Press Trust of India quoted industry sources as saying that Dassault has requested from the Indian Ministry of Defence the freedom to decide the proportion of work to be done by HAL, versus private Indian companies.
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12/15/2012
Northrop Grumman has delivered two X-47B Unmanned Combat Aircraft Systems (UCAS) to the US Navy, which has begun three weeks of tests aboard the USS Truman – the first aircraft carrier to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. The X-47B is based on the Pegasus X-47A (originally designed in 2001) but features improved landing gear and folding wings for work aboard carriers.
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12/15/2012
Xi Jinping, the new Communist Party chief and civilian commander of the Chinese military, is moving quickly to make strengthening the country’s armed forces a centerpiece of what he calls the “Chinese dream” of national rejuvenation.
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12/15/2012
The Czech military will on Monday resume flying the L-159 subsonic aircraft after one of the planes crashed in November, killing the pilot, a military spokeswoman said Friday. Jana Ruzickova said the investigation of the fatal crash ruled out any technical defect. But the cause of the accident has not been announced yet. The pilot crashed into the ground when routinely training night piloting in Radovesnice, central Bohemia.
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12/15/2012
Sales of U.S. military aircraft will fall by 2.4 percent this year to $58.2 billion, the lowest level since 2006, according to a preliminary estimate of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Sales are expected to decline by another 10 percent next year as budget cuts force the Pentagon to reduce procurement spending, the association said in its year-end review and forecast, released earlier this month.
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12/14/2012
A familiar face will be in command of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team when the squadron returns to headline the air show at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in 2014. Cmdr. Tom Frosch, a native of Clinton Township, took command of the squadron in November. A 1988 graduate of Fraser High School and 1992 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Frosch is a decorated combat veteran, serving in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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12/14/2012
Within only a month, the development of China's aircraft carrier experienced the official delivery of the "Liaoning Ship" to the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the successful taking-off and landing training of the carrier-borne J-15 fighter nicknamed "Flying Shark" on the deck of the aircraft carrier.
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12/14/2012
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today provided an update on planning for Australia’s future Air Combat Capability.
“Australia’s Air Combat Capability is a vital part of our national security framework. The Government will not allow a gap in our Air Combat Capability to occur,” Mr Smith said.
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12/14/2012
Flowing from its 80th anniversary celebrations, the Indian Air Force is getting set to conduct its biggest exercise in a decade, named Livewire, in March 2013. As an adjunct to the effort, the air force combat fleet will be involved in a live firing air power demonstration called Iron Fist to be held in February at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan.
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12/14/2012
The end of the line for the F-16 jet fighter is set to go on receding, the top executive of manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp said on Thursday. "We've been having that conversation for over a decade," Chief Executive Robert Stevens said in an interview. Pressed on his current expectation when it would close, he shot back: "We'll have that conversation for over a decade."
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12/14/2012
The Harper government's promise to restart its plan to replace Canada's CF-18 fighter jets has come under the microscope as opposition parties and analysts say the field remains heavily slanted in favour of the F-35. At issue is the "reset" promised by the government Wednesday is being led by many of the same people who originally recommended sole-sourcing the stealth fighter.
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12/14/2012
Since the recession, American families have taken a hard look at their spending habits. We have less to spend, so there's no room for waste. Instead of buying a new coat every season to keep up with the latest fashion, we buy just one coat that will last. Our federal budget faces the same crunch. With growing deficits, both parties have decided that we need to cut back everywhere. Defense spending potentially faces an unprecedented $1 trillion cut as part of the "fiscal cliff" scenario.
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12/14/2012
Indonesia’s recent defense guidelines have comprehensively outlined the government’s military modernization programs. Although those documents have specified a broad range of arms acquisition plans up to 2024, they still lack a clear vision on the development of a robust logistics support system and capabilities.
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12/14/2012
Boeing today demonstrated affordable unmanned aircraft technology that could be integrated onto Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) MD 500 helicopters to expand the fleet's mission capabilities. A Boeing Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) demonstrator aircraft, a variant of the highly successful MD 500 helicopter, autonomously flew for approximately 25 minutes at the ROKA Aviation School in Nonsan.
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12/13/2012
Japan scrambled fighter jets over contested islands in the East China Sea after a small Chinese propeller plane entered what Tokyo considers its airspace. Coming just three days before general elections in Japan, Thursday's move sharply escalates territorial tensions that have already damaged economic relations between the two neighbors.
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12/13/2012
China has organised a 10-day air war competition in which over a hundred ace fighter pilots were pitted against each other at speeds of 1,800 km per hour and had to take the right decision in barely 10 seconds. The second People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force "Golden Helmet" award took place after the 10-day air war competition came to an end on November 29. Eleven Air Force pilots stood out from the 108 elite and won the award, reported People's Daily.
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12/13/2012
A Chinese-made J-7 fighter-interceptor jet crashed into a civilian residential area earlier this month, injuring four people on the ground. The pilot successfully bailed out seconds before impact near an air force base in Guangdong province Dec. 4. Such news is considered routine in the West. But the Chinese government usually responds by being secretive — except for this incident.
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12/13/2012
Canada's government on Wednesday widened its multi-billion-dollar search for a new fighter jet to models other than the F-35 it has spent 15 years helping the United States and other allies to develop. The largest-ever government procurement in Canadian history has come under fire from opposition parties over its spiralling costs and an apparent lack of transparency and competition in the process.
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12/13/2012
For nearly 70 years, Okinawa has gotten more than its share of America's military - more jets rattling homes, more crimes rattling nerves. It's the only Japanese island invaded by U.S. land forces during World War II. It endured 27 years under U.S. administration, and it continues to host two-thirds of Japan's U.S. bases.
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12/13/2012
Speaking at the F-16 delivery ceremony, Özcan Ertem, TAI’s Aircraft Group head, stressed the F-16's importance and speciality, and that the program was successfully completed ahead of the deadline with the delivery of the 308th F-16 jet, known also as the Fighting Falcon.
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12/13/2012
The U.S. has now formally recognized a new Syrian opposition group as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. But the U.S. has repeatedly declined to provide weapons for rebels fighting President Bashar Assad's army. However, NPR has learned that there are movements behind the scenes. In Jordan, several Syrian sources said that Jordanian authorities, along with their U.S. and British counterparts, have organized training for Syrian rebels on sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons.
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12/13/2012
Key questions remained Wednesday over the Conservative government’s promise to consider all available options to replace Canada’s aging jet fighters after an explosive new report put the full cost of buying, owning, replacing and disposing of 65 F-35 stealth aircraft at almost $46 billion. But it’s not known whether the government is really prepared to walk away from the F-35 if a better alternative is found.
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12/13/2012
Lockheed Martin delivered a C-130J Super Hercules to the Iraqi Air Force at formal ceremonies here today. This is one of the initial three aircraft of a total of six C-130Js ordered by Iraq. The other two of these initial three aircraft departed yesterday for Iraq. The remaining three C-130Js will be delivered in 2013. The Iraqi Air Force will use the airlifters for intra-theater support for its troops and to provide humanitarian relief operations in various locations.
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12/13/2012
Russia's fourth prototype Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighter jet took to the skies for the first time on Wednesday in a 40 minute flight at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur factory in Siberia, Sukhoi said. "The fourth prototype PAK-FA made its first flight today from the Gagarin factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur," Sukhoi said, referring to the aircraft by its project name, an acronym for future fifth-generation tactical fighter.
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12/12/2012
Here's a great pic of the first MV-22 Osprey destined for HMX-1, the Marine helicopter squadron that operates the fleet of Marine One presidential choppers. As you can see, this MV-22 already has presidential green painted on the tail and engine nacelle. The tilt-rotor has freshly arrived at Bell Helicopter's Amarillo, TX, plant from Boeing's factory in Philadelphia, where the Ospreys' fuselages are made.
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12/12/2012
So far - much to its disappointment - only one naval light combat aircraft has been built by the Aeronautical Development Agency. Earlier this year, the then naval chief, Admiral Nirmal Verma, regretted the delay in building the naval version of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Last week, the current naval chief, Admiral D K Joshi, declared the navy wanted the Tejas more urgently than any fighter aircraft from abroad.
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12/12/2012
Five big defense contractors on Tuesday withdrew from the U.S. Air Force's latest attempt to replace its aging fleet of HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, leaving just Sikorsky Aircraft in line for a deal whose valued is capped at $6.84 billion.
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12/12/2012
Key lawmakers expressing concerns about the Obama administration's plan to send 20 F-16 fighter jets to Egypt, where new President Mohamed Morsi's allegiances are as uncertain as his grip on power. Under a foreign aid deal signed in 2010, when Morsi's U.S.-friendly predecessor Hosni Mubarak was in charge, the U.S. is giving the planes to Egypt's air force, which already has more than 200 of the aircraft.
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12/12/2012
Brazil's long-delayed FX-2 fighter competition isn't over yet but Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet is winning friends in the Brazilian air force, news reports said. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-based, multi-role fighter aircraft based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
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12/12/2012
When fighter jets took off from the Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, for the first time late last month, video footage of the airmen’s Top Gun-like gestures went viral on domestic websites. With hundreds of amateur videos offering imitations of the moves, an aircraft carrier style craze is sweeping China, much like the Gangnam Style phenomenon – of Korean pop star Psy – elsewhere.
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12/12/2012
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFMTV on Tuesday that although French Marines are onboard the vessel, it does not mean that France is preparing for a military intervention in Syria. He, however, justified the presence of the French aircraft carrier in waters just outside Syria as part of Paris’ policy to maintain military readiness in the face of any threat. The French minister also said that the vessel is not conducting a military exercise in the region.
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12/12/2012
U.S. and Philippine officials are expected to agree on an increase in the number of U.S. military ships, aircraft and troops rotating through the Philippines, Filipino officials said, as tensions simmer with China over its maritime claims. Senior U.S. and Philippine officials met on Wednesday in Manila to discuss strengthening security and economic ties at a time of growing tension over China's aggressive sovereignty claims over vast stretches of the disputed South China Sea.
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12/12/2012
Russia expressed its “deep regret” over North Korea’s long-range rocket launch on Wednesday and called on Pyongyang to refrain from further action which could increase tension in the region. “This step is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1874, unequivocally banning North Korea from rocket launches with the use of ballistic technologies,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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12/12/2012
The United States Air Force successfully launched an unmanned Atlas V rocket Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying a small robotic military space shuttle, kicking off a month long classified operation. "The focus of the program remains on testing vehicle capabilities and proving the utility and cost-effectiveness of a reusable spacecraft," Air Force spokeswoman Tracy Bunko wrote in an email to Reuters in an apparent attempt to debunk the speculation.
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12/11/2012
Ask any of the 20-odd Indian Air Force test pilots who have flown the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and they will all swear that it is a great fighter to fly. It handles beautifully, screams along at Mach 1.6 (2,000 kilometres per hour) and fires the full range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry. With 2,000 test flights under its belt, it has already proven that it can fly and fight better than most fighters on the IAF inventory.
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12/11/2012
As we approach the "fiscal cliff," strong consideration should be made of cutting funding for the F-35 aircraft program. This fighter jet, which was designed for three branches of the military, is the most expensive weapons system in history and has been replete with technological flaws, cost overruns, missed production schedules, and a huge price tag.
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12/11/2012
The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jet will be a strategic deterrent for the nation because of its "huge leap in capability," a Marine Corps pilot said. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Scott, commander of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., recently told the Pentagon Channel the F-35 will allow Marines to perform missions in high-threat areas, unlike existing aircraft.
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12/11/2012
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has not encountered any faulty Chinese spare parts and equipment in military aircraft made in the US, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Monday. "While the government is aware of media reports regarding possible usage of Chinese counterfeit electronic parts in military aircraft manufactured in the US, no P81 aircraft has so far been delivered to India," he said.
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12/11/2012
Canada canceled its order for 65 F-35 fighter jets last week. The Ottawa Citizen reported on Dec. 6 that the decision was prompted by the upcoming release of an audit revealing that the life-cycle cost of the aircrafts will be much higher than originally forecast.
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12/11/2012
Instability in Egypt, where a newly-elected Islamic government teeters over an angry population, isn't enough to stop the U.S. from sending more than 20 F-16 fighter jets, as part of a $1 billion foreign aid package. The first four jets are to be delivered to Egypt beginning Jan. 22, a source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com.
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12/11/2012
Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds.
(Read More...)
12/11/2012
Boeing delivered the Qatar Emiri Air Force's fourth C-17 Globemaster III today in Long Beach. The delivery reflects Qatar's agreement with the U.S. government to acquire two additional C-17s, which brings the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) fleet of the world's most advanced airlifters to a total of four as the C-17 continues to attract orders worldwide. Qatar received its third airlifter earlier this year.
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12/11/2012
The first three MiG-29UPG fighter jets have been delivered to India under a contract to modernize the fleet of MiG-29 aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF), the MiG aircraft maker said. “The MiG corporation…has started deliveries of upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter jets to the Indian Air Force,” the company said in a statement on Monday.
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12/10/2012
Guam-Marine Corps Aviation hit another significant landmark Saturday with the successful deployment of three MV-22 Ospreys across 1500 nautical miles in just over five hours from Okinawa, Japan to Guam. The aircraft arrived at Andersen Air Force Base at 5:09pm. The aircraft are participating in the Marine Aircraft Group -12 Exercise Forager Fury 2012 (FF12).
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12/10/2012
Like just about everybody connected with the Navy, the folks on the USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN 75) took time this weekend to watch Navy once again get the better of Army in the annual football smackdown. But the TRUMAN crew also is out to sea, hard at work, and they’re testing a new aircraft, the X-47B prototype strike jet. It’s the first time the new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has gotten wet with salty sea spray.
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12/10/2012
The Brazilian air force, awaiting the outcome of the selection process for purchasing 36 fighter jets, is leaning toward the F-18 Super Hornet of the US, which is competing against the French Rafale and the Swedish Gripen, Istoe magazine said.
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12/10/2012
The Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently conducted a comprehensive support drill for multi-types of aircraft on double-runway under information conditions at an airport in southwest China. Nearly 100 fighters of over 10 different types open the curtain of the base-oriented transformation of the combat support mode of the PLA Air Force.
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12/10/2012
The C-130 cargo plane took off from Reagan National Airport with a jolt that nearly stacked its passengers on top of each other. The moment elicited the kind of nervous laughter that only comes from people that don’t do this every day. But this mission was different. There were no combat supplies aboard this flight. Instead there was $50,000 worth of toys to be delivered to families in New Jersey affected by Hurricane Sandy.
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12/10/2012
South Africa's military forces are buckling under the strain of crippling budget and mechanical setbacks. This despite the acquisition of high-technology fighter jets, frigates and submarines in the controversial arms deal that has cost the taxpayer an estimated R70bn in today's terms.
(Read More...)
12/10/2012
Russian military inspectors will carry out surveillance flights over Portugal and Spain starting on Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry has said.
Russian experts will conduct the flights over the Portuguese and Spanish territories in a Tupolev Tu-154 M/LK-1 aircraft between December 10 and 15, a spokesman for the ministry said.
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12/09/2012
The prospect that Canada may drop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) entirely and Italy would trim its planned buy of the stealthy jet as Washington think-tanks urge the Pentagon to cut the program is raising concern that the world’s largest and most expensive defense program could be destabilized.
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12/09/2012
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has allocated an additional Rs 1,500 crore to the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, boosting its projected Rs 14,047 crore budget. The additional amount will be spent on a production line for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ( HAL) to build 20 fighters that Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered for its first Tejas squadron. The IAF has also promised another order for 20 more Tejas for its second squadron.
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12/09/2012
In a major step to increase its range and operational capabilities, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided that all its aircraft and helicopters will have the capability for midair refueling.
Disclosing this, the IAF vice chief, Air Marshal D.C. Kumaria, said at the Fifth National Seminar on Aerospace Technologies (N-SAT) recently that the decision applies to all its current and future acquisitions - whether combat jets, transport aircraft, helicopters or other assets.
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12/08/2012
A former fighter pilot, a number cruncher, an air force commander and a skeptic will oversee Ottawa’s revived search for a new fighter jet as it pulls back from plans to buy the F-35.
Details of the government’s new search will be unveiled next week, likely Monday or Tuesday, along with a dramatically higher price tag if Ottawa went ahead with its purchase of 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 jets.
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12/08/2012
The Russian Air Force is not training sufficient numbers of pilots and other specialists, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday. "The quantity of pilots and other specialists being trained for the air force is insufficient," Shoigu said, adding he would pay special attention to the issue. "We need to take measures to solve this," he said. "I want to stress that optimizing our military training system is one of the Defense Ministry's main tasks."
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12/07/2012
Opposition fighters in Syria have long complained that they are short of weapons and ammunition, especially anti-aircraft systems, and they have pleaded with the international community to supply them with weapons to fight regime aircraft that are bombing cities and residential areas.
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12/07/2012
China's air force has staged one of its largest-ever drills amid heightened tensions with Japan and Beijing's southern neighbors over territorial claims, state media reported Friday.
The air combat exercises involving more than 100 pilots were held over 11 days last month in the vast northwestern region of Xinjiang, according to the website of the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily and other official news outlets.
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12/07/2012
A Eurofighter combat aircraft has released an MBDA Meteor beyond visual-range air-to-air missile for the first time, with the milestone having been achieved over a UK test range on 4 December. Performed by a BAE Systems test pilot using the UK's Typhoon Instrumented Production Aircraft 1, the event included ejecting a telemetry-equipped Meteor test round from a rear-fuselage missile station over the Qinetiq firing range in Aberporth, west Wales.
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12/07/2012
The PLA Navy surprised many foreign observers yet again when an indigenously-produced J-15 fighter became the first known fixed wing aircraft to take off from and land on the aircraft carrier Liaoning since its refitting and commissioning. Yet a critical question remains unanswered: how rapidly and to what extent will the J-15 and other Chinese military aircraft be powered by indigenous engines?
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12/07/2012
It seems the government's plagued plan to buy F-35 fighter jets for the military is dead in the water now that the cost is expected to reach close to $50 billion.
Global News has learned that an independent audit, commissioned by the Conservatives, came up with cost estimates so high the government decided to begin considering other options for replacing its aging fleet of CF-18s. Read it on Global News: It seems the government' s plagued plan to buy F-35 fighter jets for the military is dead
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12/07/2012
The U.S. Navy announced today that the Danish government signed an official letter of offer and acceptance formalizing its intent to buy nine MH-60R SEAHAWK® helicopters and comprehensive logistics support for its Maritime Helicopter Replacement Program. Valued at US $686 million (Kr 4 billion), the aircraft will be procured via the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales program.
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12/07/2012
The Uzbek Senate has approved a deal allowing Britain's Royal Air Force to to use the country's airpsace to move its equipment out of Afghanistan north through Central Asia and Russia. The agreement stops short of allowing RAF aircraft to land on Uzbek territory. If they need to make an emergency landing, the British authorities must notify the Uzbek side about the need to land on the republic’s territory.
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12/06/2012
The US Air Force's current fleet of unmanned aircraft will be irrelevant in the Pacific theater, a top service official says. Over the past 10 years, the US Air Force has built up a still growing fleet of slow moving but persistent General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft. While those aircraft provided US ground forces with unprecedented situational awareness, they are too vulnerable to be used in a high threat environment.
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12/06/2012
Iraq has shut its airspace to four Syrian flights scheduled to pick up attack helicopters that had been repaired in Russia, the spokesman to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Tuesday. Syria has failed several times since June to retrieve the refurbished helicopters from Russia, and the regime of Bashar al-Assad appears to be growing more desperate as fighting intensifies.
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12/06/2012
When an aircraft shaped like a flying bat was lowered gently by crane onto the deck of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the other day, it marked the latest phase in a high-stakes gamble to help sustain America's military presence in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of increasing challenges from China.
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12/06/2012
China's new fighter aircraft J-15 is not a copy of the Russian Su-33 and is in fact superior to it, a state-run Chinese daily said Thursday. On Nov 25, China's carrier-borne J-15 fighter jet successfully underwent a series of tests on the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier. People's Daily said the J-15 is equipped with two high-power engines and a brand-new system of high lift device, takeoff and landing device and arrester hook.
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12/06/2012
US military planners have begun to help organize a multinational proxy force to intervene next year in Mali, the famine-stricken, coup-wracked African country that has become a magnet for Islamist extremists, US officials said Wednesday.
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12/06/2012
The Syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people and is awaiting final orders from President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday. The military has loaded the precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into aerial bombs that could be dropped onto the Syrian people from dozens of fighter-bombers, the officials said.
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12/06/2012
U.S. aerospace and arms companies are poised for 2.8 percent overall sales growth next year to about $224 billion, which would mark their 10th straight year of growth, barring steep Pentagon budget cuts, the industry's chief trade group said on Wednesday.
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12/06/2012
Iraq has shut its airspace to four Syrian flights scheduled to pick up attack helicopters that had been repaired in Russia, the spokesman to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Tuesday. Syria has failed several times since June to retrieve the refurbished helicopters from Russia, and the regime of Bashar al-Assad appears to be growing more desperate as fighting intensifies.
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12/06/2012
A South African military aircraft on an unknown mission to an area near former President Nelson Mandela’s village crashed in a mountain range, officials said Thursday. It was unclear whether there were any survivors. The Douglas C-47TP Dakota, a twin-propeller aircraft, had taken off from Pretoria’s Waterkloof Air Force Base on Wednesday morning, said Brig. Gen. Xolani Mabanga, a military spokesman.
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12/06/2012
India has preferred Boeing Chinook over Russian Mi-26 helicopters in a tender on the delivery of 15 heavy-lift helicopters to the Indian Air Force, the Indian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Both the Russian upgraded Mi-26T2 Halo and the Boeing Chinook CH-47F had qualified in the technical trials and their financial bids, covering the initial acquisition cost as well as the lifecycle costs.
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12/05/2012
Australia has formally accepted the last of its five A330-200-based multi-role tanker transports (MRTTs) from Airbus Military and expects to achieve an initial service milestone with the type later this month. Noting that earlier examples of the locally-designated KC-30A are already involved in "routine refuelling missions" with Boeing F/A-18A/B combat aircraft, the Royal Australian Air Force's commander air lift group, Air Cdre Gary Martin, says.
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12/05/2012
Iran claimed Tuesday it had taken another prize in a growing showdown with Washington over drone surveillance, displaying a purported U.S. unmanned aircraft it said was captured intact. The U.S. Navy, however, said none of its drones in the region was missing. The conflicting accounts could put pressure on both sides for more details on U.S. reconnaissance and Iranian counter-measures.
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12/05/2012
Dozens of Army pilots have conducted a mini-mutiny by going on "strike" and refusing to fly new Darwin-based Tiger attack helicopters after aircrew were hit by cockpit fumes for the third time this year. The latest emergency occurred at the Cultana military training area in South Australia on November 4 after earlier incidents in March and July.
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12/05/2012
Today at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), CAE announced it has won a series of military contracts valued at more than C$70 million. They include a contract from the United States Navy to develop two MH-60R tactical operational flight trainers (TOFTs) for the Royal Australian Navy under a foreign military sale program, a contract from the Australian Defence Force to provide King Air 350 simulator services, and a contract from the RNZAF.
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12/05/2012
Hundreds of Lockheed Martin employees in Georgia who worked on the F-22 fighter jet program are having their jobs relocated to Fort Worth. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, maker of the F-22, the F-16 and the F-35 jets, expects to move about 560 salaried jobs from its Marietta, Ga., facility to the division's headquarters in Texas.
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12/05/2012
Boeing will maintain U.S. Navy aircrew training devices for six aircraft types under a new $56 million contract, setting the stage for the company's expansion into trainer maintenance for militaries worldwide. The five-year contract, which began Dec. 1, involves P-3C, EP-3, P-8A, EA-6B, EA-18G and SH-60B training devices. They are located at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla.; Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., and Kadena Air Base, Japan.
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12/05/2012
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the proposed US ban on deals with Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport would be detrimental to the development of bilateral cooperation. The US Senate unanimously approved last Thursday the Cornyn amendment to the defense budget, which bars the use of American taxpayer funds to purchase goods from Rosoboronexport, including helicopters to be flown in Afghanistan.
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12/05/2012
Russian investigators have closed a criminal case against two former top managers of the MiG corporation accused of providing low-quality equipment for MiG-29 fighters that were rejected by Algeria in 2007, Russia's business daily Kommersant said on Tuesday. Fraud charges were brought against the first deputy director general of the MiG Aircraft Corporation Sergei Tsivilev and his deputy, Oleg Fadeyev, but after a six-year investigation, the statute of limitations period has expired.
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12/04/2012
As a journalist covering the transition for the U.S. Air Force to the stealthy F-35 fighter, I thought it would be useful to understand more fully what the experience of today’s fighter pilots is from the cockpit. Aviation Week has a long history of publishing insightful, technical pilot reports. A pilot, I am not. So, my experience flying in the F-16D won’t be published in the pages of Aviation Week. But, I thought it worth sharing the details and my impressions with our web audience.
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12/04/2012
The Indo-Russian project to jointly design a transport aircraft for militaries of both nations kicked off in Moscow on Monday, where 30 engineers from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) began working with their Russian counterparts from the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on the $600-million project. India and Russia are also collaborating in a $6-billion project to build an advanced fighter called the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft.
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12/04/2012
A Hawk aircraft of Saudi Air Forces crashed during a training mission on Monday, but its pilot survived after using a parachute, Saudi News Agency reported. The accident occurred in less than 24 hours after the crash of a F15 jet of Royal Saudi Air Forces, the reported said quoting an official source at Defense Ministry.
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12/04/2012
A military fighter jet has reportedly crashed in China’s southern city of Shantou in the Guangdong province. The pilot failed to bring the Jian-7 fighter away from residential quarters and baled out, causing the plane to hit Shantou, where it allegedly injured four people. Teams of rescuers and police units have been dispatched to the crash site.
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12/04/2012
A unit from Iran's navy has captured a U.S. drone flying over the Persian Gulf, according to Iranian state media reports Tuesday. The drone, which was collecting data, was captured immediately after entering Iranian airspace, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is cited as saying by the state-run news agency IRNA. The unmanned aerial device was a ScanEagle, Adm. Ali Fadavi, of the Revolutionary Guards, is quoted as saying.
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12/04/2012
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program surpassed 5,000 flight hours last month. This milestone was reached by the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft flying at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and the training aircraft flying at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
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12/04/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the sixth production C-5M Super Galaxy to the Air Force, Friday, Nov. 30, at the Lockheed Martin facilities here. Aircraft 85-0001 is the ninth overall C-5M Super Galaxy for the Air Force and will undergo internal paint restoration at Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
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12/04/2012
Lockheed Martin received a $5.1 million Foreign Military Sale contract from the U.S. Air Force to support integration of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) onto the Finnish Air Force (FiAF) F-18C/D aircraft. The contract is for the first phase of a six-year effort of software development and aircraft integration support. Additional contract awards are expected for remaining phases of integration support, missile procurement and post-production support.
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12/04/2012
This week at the 2012 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Boeing is demonstrating new technology with its Constant Resolution Visual System (CRVS) that allows the system to deliver almost four times the resolution of high definition for more realistic and effective military training.
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12/03/2012
The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command issued the following press release: After five months in the cockpit and numerous discussions with combat-ready pilots and maintainers, the commander of Air Combat Command is ending his tenure as an F-22 pilot, confident that the aircraft is safe to fly and on a path toward unrestricted worldwide operations. Gen. Mike Hostage recently completed his final flight in the F-22 during a tour of U.S. Air Forces Central Command bases.
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12/03/2012
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to conduct the largest air show in Pokhran field firing range in February. The war exercise called ‘I Run Feast’ will showcase the strength of Indian Air Force war planes. President Pranab Mukharjee, defence minister AK Antony and chief minister Ashok Gehlot will witness the war exercise. Apart from the three chiefs of the armed forces and army personnel of over 50 friend countries are expected to attend the air show.
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12/03/2012
A prototype of a European combat drone, the Neuron, made its maiden flight Saturday from a base in the south of France, project leader Dassault Aviation announced. "It inaugurates the next generation of combat aircraft, whether piloted or not, with the ambition of preserving European autonomy in this field," the French defence ministry said in a statement.
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12/03/2012
Syrian forces pounded rebel-held suburbs around Damascus with fighter jets and rockets on Sunday, opposition activists said, killing and wounding dozens in an offensive to push rebels away from the airport and stop them closing in on the capital.
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12/03/2012
Russia's state arms export corporation Rosoboronexport insisted on Monday it had not received any formal notification from the US regarding cancellation of a contract for delivery of Russian military helicopters to Afghanistan. That follows a vote in the Senate last Thursday to ban Rosoboronexport from any further US government contracts, in reponse to Russia continuing to supply weapons to the Assad regime in Syria.
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12/02/2012
Colombia's army has seized a surface-to-air missile from alleged Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas in the conflictive southwestern province of Cauca, a television network said. The SAM missile, whose discovery has not been officially confirmed by the Defense Ministry, was seized two weeks ago in the southwestern town of Morales, Caracol TV reported Friday, showing images of the weapon.
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12/02/2012
The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator successfully completed its inaugural land-based catapult launch here Nov. 29, marking the start of a new era for naval aviation.
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12/02/2012
Captain G, a mild-mannered pilot trained to fly the world’s most advanced fighter plane, spends four out of five workdays in a low-ceilinged office space, surrounded by some of the smartest tech nerds in the IDF. His mission: To help make the F-15I, Israel’s most advanced fighter plane and the model reportedly purchased in order to thwart the distant threats from Iran, a more potent weapon.
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12/02/2012
Air Marshal Ravi Kant Sharma has taken over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Shillong-based Eastern Air Command. A qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot with experience in flying the Light Combat Aircraft, Sharma's appointment comes at a crucial juncture when assets in the Eastern Air Command are undergoing an upgrade.
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12/02/2012
The rise of drone warfare has meant a dramatic cultural shift for the Air Force, whose leadership for decades has been dominated by officers who made their mark flying combat aircraft. Inside a plain beige trailer, a pair of aviators stare intently at a bank of computer screens. Air conditioners hum loudly in the background.
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12/02/2012
The U.S. Air Force drone, on a classified spy mission over the Indian Ocean, was destined for disaster from the start. An inexperienced military contractor, operating by remote control in shorts and a T-shirt from a trailer at Seychelles International Airport, committed blunder after blunder during a six-minute span April 4.
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12/02/2012
Syrian rebels say a former army missile specialist in their ranks used captured shoulder-launched weapons to down two government aircraft in as many days last month. Rebel commanders said that the army helicopter shot down on November 27 and the fighter jet shot down the following day were both hit with Russian-made surface-to-air missiles captured from an army base west of Syria’s second city Aleppo in mid-November.
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12/02/2012
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter got a boost last month when the Pentagon established the first operational squadron of the stealthy, supersonic jet under development by Lockheed Martin.
The rollout in Yuma of the most technologically challenging of three versions in initial production — one for the Marine Corps that lands like a helicopter — may muffle criticism about the Defense Department’s largest and most costly weapons procurement.
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12/01/2012
China has turned down the reports that their latest aircraft 'carrier-borne fighter jet J-15' has been copied from United States technology. Defence Ministry spokesperson Geng Yansheng said China had stuck to independent innovation and had the capacity to build and develop its own aircraft carrier.
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12/01/2012
Even as the F-35, America’s first 5th generation fighter, struggles to achieve liftoff, the U.S. Air Force is starting to plan on how to get the 6th generation of jets off the ground. What capabilities a 6th generation jet will possess remains unclear, but Gen. Mike Hostage, the head of Air Combat Command, dropped some hints at an event hosted this morning by the Center for Strategic and Informational Studies.
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12/01/2012
Today, the nEUROn, Europe's unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) stealth technology demonstrator, successfully completed its maiden flight from the Dassault Aviation company's flight test base in Istres, in collaboration with the flight test personnel of the French defense procurement agency (DGA). The nEUROn was launched in 2005 by the customer, DGA, and involves France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Greece and Switzerland. It defines a future for the aeronautic excellence of Europe.
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12/01/2012
Inside a plain beige trailer, a pair of aviators stare intently at a bank of computer screens. Air conditioners hum loudly in the background. The sensor operator zooms in on an object on the ground more than 14,000 feet below. The pilot moves a joystick, turning a drone that’s miles away and flying at a sluggish 120 mph over the Nevada desert as part of an exercise to find a downed pilot.
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12/01/2012
In the same week, Northrop Grumman's X-47B combat aircraft system demonstrator has arrived on the aircraft carrier deck - by crane - and made its first catapult launch - on land. Air vehicle AV-2 was lifted off a barge and on to the flightdeck of the USS Truman on Monday (Nov 26) to begin a few weeks of deck handling trials, in port and at sea.
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12/01/2012
Syrian rebels are making headway against President Bashar al-Assad. In recent weeks, they have seized several military bases and shot down military aircraft, reportedly with shoulder-fired missiles, but there is no end in sight to the war. More than 40,000 Syrians have been killed, 2.5 million are now displaced and more than 600,000 are refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.
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12/01/2012
Canada's new chief of defence staff has contradicted Defence Minister Peter MacKay by suggesting that other fighter jets do offer some of the stealth capabilities the military needs.
Tom Lawson said during testimony Thursday before the Commons defence committee about the planned $25-billion purchase that most fighter jets offer some degree of stealth capability, including Canada's aging fleet of CF-18s.
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12/01/2012
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin reached an agreement in principle on Friday on the price of a fifth batch of F-35 fighter jets after a year of tense negotiations over how to lower costs. Military officials said they would pay about $3.8 billion for 32 of the next generation of radar-evading planes and additional equipment to manufacture and test them.
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12/01/2012
The US Senate unanimously approved a measure that would effectively end the relationship between the Pentagon and Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state run arms export firm which has provided weapons to the Syrian government.
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11/30/2012
Keeping China’s growing military prowess in mind, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will now be part of India’s proposed mountain strike corps that will be based in Uttarakhand and the North-East.
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11/30/2012
The U.S. Defense Department may fund initial work on a new military helicopter in a year or two to preserve the industry's critical design capabilities for that sector, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said on Wednesday.
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11/30/2012
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has conducted the maiden flight of a Sepecat Jaguar fighter that features upgraded avionics. The upgraded type is designated as the "Darin III". It includes a new mission computer, engine and flight instrument system, a solid date digital video recorder, an improved inertial global positioning system, autopilot, radar and radar warning receiver.
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11/30/2012
Saudi Arabia has signed a 'direct commercial sale' contract with Raytheon for a Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) . The system will be delivered by Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business. The direct sale means the Saudi’s defence ministry will manage the buy and the implementation project themselves. This is in contrast to the Foreign Military Sale process, which routes contract negotiations and management through a selected department of the US military.
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11/30/2012
An HC-130J Combat King II takes off for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. from the Lockheed Martin facilities here today. Aircraft number 5708 is the fifth of 15 HC-130Js to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command. The HC-130J replaces the HC-130P/N as the only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform in the Air Force inventory.
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11/29/2012
Syrian opposition fighters say they shot down three regime military aircraft in the past 24 hours, including a MiG fighter jet. They've posted two videos online to support their claims. One shows a bloodied pilot.
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11/29/2012
China on Thursday dismissed claims that its carrier-based fighter jets plagiarized foreign models and would make Beijing more assertive in tackling maritime disputes with neighbors.
It is at least unprofessional, if not an intentional attack, to claim China copied foreign aircraft carrier technology through a simple comparison since the laws for military development are objective, and the principles of building military equipment, the command and safeguard methods are similar.
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11/29/2012
Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport denied on Wednesday media reports that it had lost tenders on the delivery of heavy-lift helicopters and aerial tankers to the Indian air force. “Rosoboronexport denies media speculation about Russia’s loss in both tenders as these reports are false,” the company said in a statement.
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11/29/2012
Members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) started on Wednesday large-scale drills to test the capabilities of their joint air defense network, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “The exercises involve air defense and air force units from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine,” spokesman Col. Alexei Zolotukhin said.
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11/28/2012
At China’s biennial air show in Zhuhai this month, an imposing fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles was on display — drones bearing a striking resemblance to the American aircraft that have proved so deadly in attacks on insurgents in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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11/28/2012
It’s not enough for Yemen’s skies to fill up with armed U.S. drones. Now the Pentagon wants to buy its Yemeni ally small, piloted spy planes. It’s a sign that the U.S. is upgrading the hardware it gives the Yemeni military, and digging in for a long shadow war.
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11/28/2012
A Chinese-made training airplane crashed during an air force flying exhibition on Tuesday and the military helicopter sent to rescue the pilots also went down, authorities said. The two pilots in the K-8 aircraft successfully ejected before the crash and none of the crew of the Cougar helicopter were injured, authorities said.
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11/28/2012
Lockheed Martin today announced that it has successfully demonstrated a portable, ground-based military laser system in a series of tests against representative airborne targets. Lockheed Martin developed the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system to provide a defense against short-range threats, such as rockets and unmanned aerial systems.
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11/27/2012
Teenagers raised on "Call of Duty" and "Halo" might relish flying a massive Predator drone -- a surprisingly similar activity. Pilots of unmanned military aircraft use a joystick to swoop down into the battlefield, spot enemy troop movements, and snap photos of terror suspects, explained John Hamby, a former military commander who led surveillance missions during the Iraq War.
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11/27/2012
As a result of public outcry, a military exercise that was supposed to be conducted in Japan will now be held on Guam. According to Japanese media, the exercise involves U.S. Osprey transport aircraft. Instead of being held in Okinawa they will be held here, starting this Thursday.
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11/27/2012
One of two Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator aircraft was barged down from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and arrived on Nov. 26 at Norfolk naval base, Va., where it was promptly hoisted aboard the aircraft carrier USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75). This marks the first time one of the stealthy aircraft has been on board a ship.
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11/27/2012
As defence outlays start to shrink after a decade of growth, the US Department of Defense is exploring the increased use of flight-simulation technology to cut back on fuel costs and reduce the wear and tear on its aircraft fleet. But to what extent can simulations really replace live flying? And would that really save money?
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11/27/2012
The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which has remained grounded for more than three months, finally resumed flight-testing last week. Seven flights of the Tejas have taken place since then without mishap.
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11/27/2012
The Kazakh military aircraft fleet has been replenished, the country's Defence Ministry press service reported. 'The Kazakh Air Force military transport aircraft fleet has been replenished by an Antonov family - AN-72cargo jet. The aircraft has been repaired and reequipped at the 325 Aircraft Repair Plant in the city of Taganrog, Russia and was delivered to one of the Kazakh army air bases on Monday', the statement said.
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11/27/2012
Experts estimate that the global military aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) arket is valued at $41.66bn in 2013, as the provision of MRO services becomes increasingly important to support both old and new fixed wing aircraft platforms.
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11/27/2012
Syrian warplanes bombed two rebel bases near the Turkish border on Monday sending hundreds of people fleeing across the frontier. The attacks on the Free Syrian Army positions (FSA) in Atima and nearby Bab al-Hawa came a day before NATO and Ankara were due to start assessing where to station surface-to-air missiles on the Turkish side of the 900-km (560-mile) boundary.
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11/27/2012
China gave high praise on Monday to the head of the Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC), who died while witnessing the first successful deck landing of the new carrier-based Shenyang J-15 fighter jet, Xinhua reported. Luo Yuang, 51, had a sudden heart attack aboard China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, around noon on Sunday, Xinhua said citing the obituary issued by the SAC.
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11/26/2012
Egypt plans to buy 10 Turkish-made drones, according to a report this week by Istanbul’s Sabah newspaper. The decision to purchase the ANKA Medium Altitude Long Endurance unmanned aerial vehicles was made last week, during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Cairo, and followed a 10-week negotiation, Sabah said.
(Read More...)
11/26/2012
Syrian rebels captured a helicopter base just outside Damascus Sunday in what an activist called a "blow to the morale of the regime" near President Bashar Assad's seat of power, while the bombardment of a village near the capital killed at least eight children.
(Read More...)
11/26/2012
Amid the Syrian conflagration and the increasing warfare between the regime and its opponents, a breakthrough of some sort seems improbable given the political and military stalemate that is the status quo. Throughout the protracted conflict, the Assad regime has largely benefited from the opposition’s divide and constant feud.
(Read More...)
11/26/2012
China has become the latest country to possess naval air power after it demonstrated a successful landing of a fighter jet on its first aircraft carrier. Chinese state media confirmed on Sunday that a J-15 fighter jet had performed a successful landing on the Liaoning, a former Soviet aircraft carrier now operating under Chinese flag after extensive refurbishments.
(Read More...)
11/26/2012
India’s monopoly military aircraft manufacturer — Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) — plans to offload 10 percent of its 100 percent government-owned equity in the market to garner resources for expansion and better management.
(Read More...)
11/26/2012
Taiwan's plans to upgrade its 145 Lockheed Martin F-16 combat aircraft and its on-again off-again pursuit of 66 new-build F-16C/Ds have taken a couple of interesting turns in recent months – turns entirely related to the U.S. Air Force's (USAF) own upgrade of about 300 of its newer F-16s.
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11/26/2012
Eight people were injured after a small Russian plane caught fire while crash landing in West Siberia, the regional emergencies center reported on Sunday. The incident occurred at about 12:10 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. GMT) on Sunday when an Antonov An-2 biplane made an emergency landing after a takeoff on the former runway of Yugorsk-2 urban settlement in the Sovetsky district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area.
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11/26/2012
Inspectors from the United States will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. “In the period from November 26 to November 30, as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, US representatives will conduct a surveillance flight on board a US [Boeing] OC-135B observation aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation,” the spokesman said.
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11/25/2012
Syrian opposition fighters have long decried their lack of anti-aircraft weapons and called on the international community to arm them with something that can counter the the Syrian regime's military’s jets and helicopters. Such support has yet to come – and there are few indicators that it will arrive anytime soon.
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11/25/2012
Turkey is trying to broaden defense industry links with Pakistan, but Pakistan’s poor financial situation is hampering efforts. That opens the door to a possible deal with China, experts said, which carries its own set of issues. “Pakistan is one of our closest partners in defense, and they are already buying a lot of equipment from us,” said a senior official responsible for foreign relations at Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM).
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11/25/2012
An Indian Air Force combat aircraft crashed in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Saturday, defense sources said. However, the pilot of the MiG 21 Bison aircraft managed to eject safely as it crashed in the fields near Naliya air base in Kutch in Gujarat, the sources said, adding that the mishap happened when the plane was on a routine sortie. A probe has been ordered into the incident, they said.
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11/24/2012
Last week, the first two United Kingdom pilots started training to fly the F-35. They join an elite rank. Only 30 pilots in the world have been or are in the process of training to fly the new stealth fighter jet, which is still in testing phases. “It’s an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Royal Air Force squadron leader Franki Buchler, one of the two pilots. “I feel very privileged and lucky. I hope I do the aircraft and the Air Force justice.”
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11/24/2012
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION - Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), joined today with other industry partners to celebrate and offer congratulations to the United States Marine Corps for the official stand-up and re-designation of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the world's first operational squadron to fly the F-35B Lightning II aircraft.
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11/24/2012
Amid the recent political shift within Chinese politics, the effort at modernizing and advancing its military has remained unchanged. Minnie Chan of the South China Morning Post reports that to demonstrate this unwavering effort, China today confirmed the first successful carrier landings of its J-15 fighter aboard its first aircraft carrier the Liaoning.
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11/24/2012
The Czech military has grounded its fleet of L-159 fighter jets after one of the planes crashed on its way back from a training session near Kolín in central Bohemia on Thursday. The pilot did not survive the crash. It is the second fatal accident involving the Czech-made military aircraft since they were first introduced in 2003.
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11/24/2012
In a reversal of a decision made earlier this year, Moscow has agreed to sell 24 Sukhoi Su-35BM fighter aircraft to China for an estimated US$1.5 billion, a sale that will further shift the balance of power in the air over the Taiwan Strait. Russia’s Rosoboronexport and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense are said to have reached a preliminary agreement, with details discussed during a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday between Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu and Chinese President Hu
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11/24/2012
US and Japanese officials have agreed to move some exercises involving US Osprey transport aircraft from Okinawa to the Pacific island of Guam, the NHK public broadcaster reported. US military aircraft based in Japan, including four Ospreys from the Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, will take part in a three-week drill starting November 29.
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11/23/2012
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Turkish defense industry will begin producing attack helicopters next year. Erdogan says mass production of Turkey's indigenous T-129 attack helicopters will begin in 2013 as part of the country's program to expand domestic production of military equipment.
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11/23/2012
Danish military officials crisscrossed the U.S. last week in a major step toward restarting competition for the country’s fighter replacement program. On Nov. 12, the delegation visited Boeing’s facility in St. Louis to see the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Nov. 13 and 14 were spent on meetings in Washington before traveling to a Nov. 15 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, where the group got a firsthand look at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.
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11/23/2012
China’s recently flown second stealth fighter is powered by a pair of Russian-supplied Klimov RD-93 turbofans, AIN has learned. A large model of the design, which has been dubbed the J-31 in unofficial reports, was on display at Airshow China in Zhuhai last week, labeled as “an advanced multi-role fighter for the international defense market.” Russian officials at the show described the supply of military turbofans to China in some detail.
(Read More...)
11/23/2012
If one were to classify modern advanced fighters in the order of performance, fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFAs) would clearly lead the pack. They represent a class of their own. However, technologies involved are so advanced and resources required so substantial that so far only the United States has been able to field a state-of-the- art operational fifth generation fighter in its F-22, the Raptor.
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11/23/2012
Czech officials say a military plane has crashed near Prague, killing the pilot, who was the only person onboard. Military spokeswoman Jana Ruzickova says the L-159 crashed Thursday at 5.24 p.m. (1624 GMT) west of Kolin, a town 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the capital, Prague. Ruzickova says the pilot was the only person on board. She declined to give any more details.
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11/23/2012
The Marine Corps is forming the first squadron of pilots to fly the next-generation strike fighter jet, months after lawmakers raised concern that there was a rush to end the testing of the aircraft that has had technical problems. So far, two veteran pilots of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing have been trained to fly the F-35B. They are becoming the first members of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 that will debut Tuesday at a ceremony at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.
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11/23/2012
Two military airplanes on Thursday collided in midair at the Libertador Air Base in Palo Negro, the Venezuelan state of Aragua, killing one of the pilots, a government official said.
Preliminary reports said the collision took place at noon local time while the two planes were practicing for an air show scheduled for November 27. Minister of Communication and Information Ernesto Villegas later confirmed the death of a pilot via Twitter.
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11/23/2012
Six Pantsir-S short-range air defense systems were handed over to air defense units of Russia’s eastern military district, the head of air defense troops of Russia's Air Forces, Viktor Gumenny, said on Friday. He said that all air and air defence forces commands in Russia will be equipped with the new system. The Defense Ministry has so far ordered 100 Pantsir-S units for Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces, which are expected to be delivered in the next few years.
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11/23/2012
Aircraft maker Irkut delivered the first two Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter aircraft to the Russian Air Force on Thursday, the company said. Flight testing of the multirole fighter jet began around two months ago, following the first flight of the Su-30SM on September 21, Irkut said.
(Read More...)
11/22/2012
Military forces of the African Union are ready to enter the north of Mali to suppress Islamist uprisings. The plan of the operation aimed at restoration of legitimate authority must be submitted to the UN by November 27. So far, the West only promised to help with the logistics, but the strong army of Chad that has experience of conducting military actions in the desert and air force is ready to fight immediately.
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11/22/2012
Technical issues continue to affect the Airbus Military A330MRTT Multi-Role Tanker-Transport program, delaying full operational capability with four air forces that are due to receive a total of 28 aircraft ordered to date. A second refueling boom separated from an A330MRTT during a test flight in Spain in September. But the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is likely to clear the new tanker for routine hose-and-drogue refueling of F/A-18A/B Hornet fighters next month.
(Read More...)
11/22/2012
Denmark's Defense Ministry says it will purchase nine Sikorsky Sea Hawk naval combat helicopters for 4 billion kroner ($686 million). Minister Nick Haekkerup said in a statement Wednesday that the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin will be delivered in 2016-2018. The company is a division of Lockheed Martin, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland.
(Read More...)
11/22/2012
China's biennial air shows in Zhuhai offer a rare glimpse into Beijing's efforts to develop capabilities such as unmanned air vehicles, military jet engines and advanced weapons. This year's iteration, held from 13-18 November, was no different, with Chinese aerospace firms revealing some impressive new capabilities and offering tantalising hints about the future.
(Read More...)
11/22/2012
China’s recently flown second stealth fighter is powered by a pair of Russian-supplied Klimov RD-93 turbofans, AIN has learned. A large model of the design, which has been dubbed the J-31 in unofficial reports, was on display at Airshow China in Zhuhai last week, labeled as “an advanced multi-role fighter for the international defense market.” Russian officials at the show described the supply of military turbofans to China in some detail.
(Read More...)
11/22/2012
Russia and China have clinched a preliminary agreement on the delivery of 48 Sukhoi Su-35BM fighter jets to the Chinese air force, sources in Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said on Wednesday. The agreement worth 1.5 billion dollars may add to the Su-35 foraying into international markets even though Russia’s cooperation with China in this field is fraught with substantial risks.
(Read More...)
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11/22/2012
The decks of the Liaoning were filled with saluting sailors rather than fighter aircraft and in the smog it was impossible to see Hu Jintao and other dignitaries at the commissioning ceremony for China's first aircraft carrier. The carrier itself is a retrofitted Ukrainian model and was once earmarked to be a floating casino in Macau. Compared with the 97,000-tonne, nuclear-powered George Washington, the centrepiece of the US Navy's fleet in Asia, the Liaoning is a modest vessel.
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11/21/2012
Zambian President Michael Sata has said the Zambian Air Force (ZAF) urgently needs to be re-equipped to improve its capability. He said it is presently incapable of defending the country and cannot respond to emergencies and disasters.
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11/21/2012
Chile's military is phasing out its remaining CA SA C-212-100 tactical transport aircraft amid local concerns over its safety. A Chilean air force's Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A. C-212 Aviocar 300DF crashed at sea in September 2011 with the loss of all on board - three crew members and 18 passengers who were on an earthquake relief mission. The crash off Robinson Crusoe Island revived calls for the replacement of the aging aircraft.
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11/21/2012
Boeing expects to double revenue from its defense and security business in the Middle East over the next two years as recent turmoil in the region drives up demand for arms. Gulf Arab states and other Middle Eastern countries that witnessed the Arab Spring uprising are "shopping" for new high-tech military equipment as they swap out older weaponry and invest in new capabilities, Jeff Johnson, president of Boeing Middle East said at the Reuters Middle East Investment Summit.
(Read More...)
11/21/2012
During the 2012 China Airshow (Nov. 13-17) in Zhuhai, AVIC unveiled two models of the FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle (Shanying) fighter trainer/attack aircraft. The FTC-2000 is an export variant of the Guizhou JL-9. The two models show that AVIC has made major improvements to the aircraft since 2001 when revelations surfaced that a development program was underway to replace the JJ-7 fighter-trainer.
(Read More...)
11/21/2012
Since the beginning of the partnership between the Department of Defense, NASA and Lockheed Martin, the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System has evolved into an instrument intended to keep civilian and military aircrew members fit to fly and fight another day. More than 25 years later, team members from the 416th Flight Test Squadron continue to test that life-saving technology in order to see it fully integrated and implemented into the Air Force's fourth generation fighters.
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11/21/2012
A mechanized infantry division under the Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) maneuvered long distance to participate in a drill commanded by an early-warning plane of an aviation division under the PLA Air Force in mid-November of 2012.
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11/21/2012
India has inaugurated a new Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) factory in the south Indian city of Kasaragod that will produce avionics for military aircraft and helicopters. "Avionics plays a major role in functioning of modern aircraft and contributes significantly to the value of an aircraft/helicopter," says HAL chairman RK Tyagi.
(Read More...)
11/21/2012
Three Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft were officially delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps during ceremonies at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., today. The three jets are assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 residing with the host Marine Aircraft Group 13.
(Read More...)
11/21/2012
An F-35A Lightning II conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft rapidly expanded its high angle of attack (AOA) test envelope to its 50 degree limit in only four flights during recent flight testing here. F-35A test aircraft are limited to AOAs of 20 degrees until their controllability is proven at a higher AOA limit of 50 degrees.
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11/20/2012
Ten European countries agreed on Monday to work together to boost their military air-to-air refueling capacity, to plug a gap in their defenses that was exposed by last year's Libyan war.
Europe's air forces have had a shortage of tanker aircraft for years. During the Libya campaign, European states relied heavily on the United States for air-to-air refueling, needed to enable fighter planes to stay in the air for longer.
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11/20/2012
Those who bought a Chinese tank or ship or plane in the 1960s or 1970s were most likely putting their troops in double jeopardy — facing an enemy with equipment that was, at best, cheap imitation Soviet junk not even trusted by Russian troops. This is not the case today, as the ninth biennial Airshow China proved to attendees here last week. Russian imitations of aircraft, radar, missiles and other equipment are being supplanted by high-quality made-in-China replacements.
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11/20/2012
With a brief, 10-minute first flight Oct. 31 of its second advanced fifth-generation fighter jet, China is accelerating its airpower challenge. Meeting this challenge will require a greater investment in next-generation technology and better exploitation of current technology. In its new twin-engine J-31 Falcon, the Shenyang Aircraft Co. has produced a medium-weight, and more importantly, simpler and less expensive complement to the Chengdu Aircraft Corp.’s J-20 heavy, low-observable fighter.
(Read More...)
11/20/2012
The Swedish government reportedly may scale back its purchase of Saab-built combat aircraft to as few as 40, raising fears over the future capability of its Air Force. One party spokesman also worries that fewer purchases will put Sweden on the path to have a smaller Air Force than Norway.
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11/20/2012
The Department of National Defense (DND) is planning to acquire two brand new naval helicopters with anti-submarine capabilities to enhance the capabilities of the military. DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said the department is now awaiting the issuance of an acquisition defense memorandum (ADM), which would start the procurement and would signal the project’s implementation.
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11/20/2012
Russia’s high-energy airborne laser system project is back in the frame. Unlike the similar, now-closed US airborne counter-ballistic laser project, the Russian laser station will be assigned for space counter warfare if a space arms race starts. “The project’s primary objective, according to the data presented earlier, is making inoperable adversary space vehicles’ sensors and optical electronic systems by directed laser beam impulse, which is the first stage of the project.
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11/20/2012
The biannual Aero India editions over the last decade were the most sought after destination for the world’s top armament manufacturers to showcase their latest combat aircraft as India was looking to buy 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). Contenders for the $11 billion MMRCA deal used to bring their aircraft to the Air Force Station Yelahanka, the venue of the Aero India, for aircraft displays to woo not just government officials and defence experts, but also celebrities.
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11/20/2012
The U.S. Marine Corps has received its first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that, in theory, is meant for actual combat. But that doesn’t mean the pricey, long-delayed JSF is going to be dropping bombs on enemy targets anytime soon. The Lockheed Martin-built plane’s computerized logistical system, flight software and special helmet still aren’t ready — and it lacks weapons.
(Read More...)
11/19/2012
Some people worry about the use of drones – unmanned aerial vehicles – in warfare. Others are concerned about potential deployment of lethal autonomous robots that are programmed to identify, track, and destroy targets and people without a human decision-maker in the loop. Many fret about cyberconflict.
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11/19/2012
The last five days of fighting in the Gaza Strip have so far cost Israel €50 million-€60 million.
Initial estimates indicate that a week of similar combat would cost €80 million-€90 million. If a ground assault is launched in Gaza, the cost may reach €600 million-€800 million. The cost will depend on the length of the operation, the number of reservists called up and the types of units participating in the operation.
(Read More...)
11/19/2012
The minister of defence insists Canada's military will replace its outdated fighter jets but would not say if Canadian forces are looking at aircraft other than the controversial F-35.
"Clearly everyone understands that equipment requires replacement at some point," Defence Minister Peter MacKay told CTV's Question Period Sunday. "(New jets are needed) just as new ships are needed."
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11/19/2012
An Israeli envoy was in Cairo today for talks on a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as both sides kept up a barrage of attacks. Palestinians in Gaza continued to fire rockets into Israel, and Israeli jets pounded homes and installations of targeted terrorists.
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11/18/2012
Break out the popcorn. Put on some tunes. Check your email once in awhile, especially if you're flying a remotely piloted spy plane in monotonous circles for hours at a time over a terrorist's hideout in Afghanistan. Boredom might be your worst enemy when it comes to paying attention to the target, and a little distraction might result in better performance.
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11/18/2012
Investigators in oversized white hazardous materials suits were combing the site Friday where an F-22 Raptor crashed a day earlier. Air Force officials said a thorough investigation was being conducted in accordance with standard Air Force and Department of Defense policy, but military officials quickly dismissed one theory. Air Combat Command released a statement Friday afternoon saying despite initial media speculation, no indications point to the life support oxygen system.
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11/18/2012
The Defense Department is setting up its first operational squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, the supersonic stealth aircraft intended to replace at least seven types of military aircraft flown by the United States and its allies.
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11/18/2012
Pakistan is secretly racing to develop its own armed drones, frustrated with U.S. refusals to provide the aircraft, but is struggling in its initial tests with a lack of precision munitions and advanced targeting technology. One of the biggest rivals to the U.S. and one of Islamabad's closest allies, China, has offered to help by selling Pakistan armed drones it developed. But industry experts say there is still uncertainty about the capabilities of the Chinese aircraft.
(Read More...)
11/17/2012
Palestinian fighters have downed an Israeli warplane flying over the Gaza Strip as retaliatory rocket attacks from the enclave continue to sound alarms across Israel.
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11/17/2012
Airbus Military has resumed its function and reliability (F&R) testing programme for the A400M Atlas transport, and says it remains on track to deliver its first production example to the French air force during the second quarter of next year. Being performed using development aircraft "Grizzly 5", the F&R process is a vital element of the company's work towards securing full civil certification for the A400M - a milestone targeted for the first quarter of 2013.
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11/17/2012
Moscow and New Delhi have finally come to an agreement over the joint development of a medium-lift military transport aircraft under the MTA programme. The plane should replace the ageing An-12 and An-26 fleet, while becoming an alternative to the American-made ?-130 Hercules recently purchased by the Indian Air Force.
(Read More...)
11/17/2012
China is flexing its muscles as an arms exporter with a growing array of indigenous weaponry, offering something for most budgets in the global arms bazaar and revealing its wider ambitions to strategic rivals and watchful neighbours. As a new leadership was anointed in Beijing and the world looked on to see what direction it might take over the next decade, military officials from Africa to Southeast Asia were shopping for Chinese weapons in the country’s south.
(Read More...)
11/17/2012
Ukraine and China are planning to intensify cooperation in the sphere of the repair and modernization of military aircraft. According to the press service of the state-run company Ukrspecexport, issues related to the development of bilateral cooperation in the sphere were discussed by the sides during China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (namely Airshow China 2012) in Zhuhai.
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11/17/2012
An HC-130J Combat King II takes off for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. from Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facilities here today. Aircraft number 5707 is the third of 15 HC-130Js to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command. The HC-130J replaces the HC-130P/N as the only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform in the Air Force inventory.
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11/17/2012
The Air Force says there are no indications that the pilot of an F-22 that crashed in Florida experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. The single-seat stealth fighter went down Thursday afternoon near Tyndall Air Force Base, just south of Panama City on The Gulf of Mexico.
(Read More...)
11/17/2012
As much as the resources wielded by the Chinese state aerospace industry impress outsiders these days, few could have expected that one of the companies in the sector would want to produce a stealth fighter on its own account.
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11/16/2012
The hallmark of cooperation between Russia and India in the aviation sector is the joint development and manufacturing programme of fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) for the Indian Air Force. According to the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade’s latest estimates made in late October, the countries intend to start serial production of the FGFA in 2020. The plane – an Indian version of the Russian T-50 fighter – will be built at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) production facili
(Read More...)
11/16/2012
The Prime Minister is chairing a meeting of the National Security Council on military, humanitarian and diplomatic options for tackling the bloodshed and refugee crisis in Syria.
The discussion is expected to consider implementing a no-fly zone, supplying anti-aircraft guns to the opposition, and encouraging other countries in the region to provide arms.
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11/16/2012
South Korea’s air force says a pilot on its aerobatic team was killed Thursday when his jet crashed during training. The T-50B aircraft hit a mountain in Hoengseong shortly after taking off, the air force said. The plane is a trainer jet flown by the military’s Black Eagles aerobatic team. Hoengseong is about 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Seoul.
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11/16/2012
Cash-strapped European Union countries, trying to get the most value out of shrinking defense budgets, will soon be able to sell or swap surplus tanks or fighter jets on a new eBay-style electronic marketplace. Website eQuip will provide an online shop window for existing military hardware and in future perhaps for equipment from NATO-led operations in Afghanistan, said an official who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity.
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11/16/2012
On dry land, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy show that they can use a handheld controller to maneuver the drone as if around the tight quarters of an aircraft carrier. How do you drive a jet-powered drone around the deck of an aircraft carrier? If you've ever guided a remote-control toy car around your kitchen floor, you'll have an idea.
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11/16/2012
The US Air Force has removed the majority of operating restrictions previously imposed on its Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter pilots, but is continuing to limit the maximum altitude to which the type can be flown.
(Read More...)
11/16/2012
Pakistan is on the cusp of joining an elite group of countries capable of manufacturing unmanned aircraft capable of killing as well as spying, a senior defence official has claimed.
Publicly, Islamabad, which officially objects to lethal drone strikes carried out by the CIA along its border with Afghanistan, says it is only developing remote-controlled aircraft for surveillance purposes.
(Read More...)
11/16/2012
India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has launched a new factory to manufacture advanced avionics for aircraft and helicopters. The factory, named Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Strategic Electronics Factory, will be inaugurated Nov. 17 by Defence Minister A.K. Antony in his home state of Kerala.
(Read More...)
11/16/2012
The Syrian opposition parties have finally succeeded in unifying themselves in the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF) that was born Nov. 11, after nearly a week of meetings in the Qatari capital of Doha.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
Israeli aircraft and warships struck dozens of targets across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in the opening hours of what military officials in Jerusalem said could be a days-long military operation. The attacks left at least one senior Hamas leader dead and terrorized tens of thousands of Gaza residents in the strip’s densely populated urban centers.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
The program of test flights of the upgraded Russian-Ukrainian An-70 military transport aircraft is running smoothly, Chief Designer of Zaporizhia-based Ivchenko-Progress Design Bureau Ihor Kravchenko has said. "The plane is finishing the program of flight tests of the D-27 engine and propfan. Everything is going as planned. The performances are being confirmed," Kravchenko said at Airshow China-2012 in Zhuhai.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
Self-reliance in the defence field is a cherished goal for all nations - it is also a very elusive goal to achieve, given the technological complexity of modern weapons especially in the field of military aviation. USA, the sole super power, is perhaps the only nation today that has come close to achieving a high degree of self-sufficiency in its weapons requirement for the projection of air power but even they cannot claim to be totally self reliant.
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11/15/2012
Beijing is interested in buying Russia's new Su-35 multirole fighter, according to the President of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Mikhail Pogosyan. "The Chinese are showing interest in this jet. But we have agreements that we disclose information only upon reaching actual agreements. So, I am not going to comment on the pace of negotiations," Pogosyan said at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
The recent maiden flight of China’s second stealth fighter twin engine J-31 Falcon Eagle, which claimed to feature fifth generation combat aircraft technologies, was not a wholly unexpected event. The test flight, which coincided with the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, was perhaps meant to deliver the message that China will leave no stone unturned to be recognised as the second country after the US to simultaneously develop two stealth fighters.
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11/15/2012
Malaysia and Vietnam are interested in buying Russian-made Yak-130 Mitten combat trainers, a source in the Russian delegation at the Air China aerospace show told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. “Malaysia will need new combat trainers in the near future to replace the outdated Italian-made M-339 aircraft,” the source said.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
Russia's future PAK-DA manned bomber project will not have hypersonic speed capability, Russia's bomber force commander said on Wednesday, in an apparent contradiction of claims by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin earlier this year. "PAK-DA, currently under development, will not be hypersonic," Lt. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. The first prototpe PAK-DA is due to enter service around 2020, he added.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
The U.S. Naval Air Systems command awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $30 million contract to integrate new avionics and software on multiple C-130T aircraft as part of its avionics upgrade program.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
Two military aircraft produced by Boeing – the F-15E Eagle and the F/A-18E Super Hornet – now are equipped to train in an environment that puts them at odds against real aircraft and computer-generated enemy threats at the same time.
(Read More...)
11/15/2012
The Syrian opposition parties have finally succeeded in unifying themselves in the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF) that was born Nov. 11, after nearly a week of meetings in the Qatari capital of Doha.
(Read More...)
11/14/2012
The mission is meant to strengthen cooperation between the key NATO allies through regular joint training exercises and rotational deployment of U.S. military aircraft beginning in 2013. The first permanent US air force detachment on Polish soil will be at in Lask air base near Lódz, central Poland. The 10 resident U.S. staff will service four annual aircraft rotations, mainly of F-16 fighter jets and C-130 Hercules transport planes.
(Read More...)
11/14/2012
A team of technical experts is being assembled to help investigate the crash of an Algerian military C295 transport aircraft in France on Friday, which is believed to have killed all six people on board. The accident happened at about 15:45 local time, in the mountainous area of Lozère near the city of Avignon, south France, while the aircraft was being flown from Paris to Algeria. A team from Airbus Military was due to visit the crash scene "to help clarify the circumstances of this accident".
(Read More...)
11/14/2012
China on Tuesday showed off a new military drone and a model of a next-generation fighter plane as it builds up its own defence capabilities and seeks customers for its hardware. Industry giant China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) displayed its "Yi Long" drone, called Wing Loong in English, at the opening of China's premier airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai, state media said.
(Read More...)
11/14/2012
The Czech military may not be able to use some of its aircraft next year because it will lack from 600 million to 1 billion crowns for the necessary repairs, chief-of-staff Petr Pavel told journalists yesterday. "Whether we like it or not, some aircraft will certainly have to be grounded next year," he said. In 2013, the military will probably not be able to use the Russian-made Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters, the Challenger government plane or the Yakovlev Yak-40 transport aircraft.
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11/14/2012
Why is the Syrian Air Force performing so poorly? On October 29th the Syrian Air Force hit a record high for daily air raids; 60 bombing sorties. But with a force of 400 combat aircraft, and about as many pilots, surely the air force could have launched more raids on one day. Over the last two months, the air force has been averaging about 20 air attacks a day.
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11/14/2012
JF-17 Thunder during Zhuhai International Air Show in China has displayed high agility and manoeuvrability which was also visible in the form of ‘white condensed air streaks’ generated from wing roots of the aircraft. The show was inaugurated with an impressive inauguration ceremony Tuesday, said a press release received from China.
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11/14/2012
Pakistan is on the cusp of joining an elite group of countries capable of manufacturing unmanned aircraft capable of killing as well as spying, a senior defence official has claims.
Publicly, Islamabad, which officially objects to lethal drone strikes carried out by the CIA along its border with Afghanistan, says it is only developing remote-controlled aircraft for surveillance purposes.
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11/14/2012
Iraq denied on Tuesday that its decision to suspend a $4.2-billion arms deal with Russia had been taken after consultations with the United States. “We are a sovereign state and we would not give into pressure,” a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told RIA Novosti by telephone from Baghdad. "What's more, there was no pressure from Washington," added the spokesman, Ali Musawi.
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11/14/2012
Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi is to focus on creating reconnaissance and strike unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in the near future, United Aircraft Corporation President Mikhail Pogosyan said at the Zhuhai Airshow China exhibition on Tuesday. Sukhoi, which has historically designed fighter and ground attack aircraft but now also builds some civil aircraft, is part of UAC, a holding covering most of Russia's aircraft industry.
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11/14/2012
Saudi Arabia is close to signing a deal worth more than $6.5 billion with Lockheed Martin as it seeks to modernise its airlift and inflight refuelling capabilities. US Congress is to consider an export application by the American manufacturer for up to 20 C-130J -30 transproters and five KC130J tankers.
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11/13/2012
Qatar's long-running quest to find a new fighter to replace its Mirage 2000s – part of a wider air force modernisation programme – seems to be entering the final phase. The Dassault Rafale, Boeing F-15 and Boeing F/A-18E/F have been slugging it out in the Qatar heat during July, August and September with in-country evaluations taking place.
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11/13/2012
Danish military officials will be visiting Washington this week in a major step toward restarting competition for their fighter replacement program. The delegation will meet with representatives from Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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11/13/2012
On November 2nd the Chinese J-15S naval fighter made its first flight. This is the two-seat version, with the guy in the rear being the weapons system officer (or WSO). Thus the J-15S is similar to the U.S. Air Force F-15E. During the last decade the U.S. Navy has abandoned two-seat fighter aircraft for carrier operations.
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11/13/2012
In the 1950s, the United States built over 9,000 F-86 Sabres, a key fighter aircraft in the US and allied inventories during the early Cold War period. About half as many F-16s were built in the 1970s. Today, the F-35 is touted to be the next front-line fighter for the United States, as well as for America's friends and allies across the world. It is likely that no more than 3,000 will ever be built, a two-thirds reduction in comparison to the F-86.
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11/13/2012
While continuing to search for a new fighter to replace its ageing F/A-18C/D Hornets, Kuwait is pressing ahead with plans to upgrade 39 aircraft. Jon Lake reports. Unlike most Hornet operators, the Kuwait Air Force (Al Quwwat Aj Jawwaiya Al Kuwaitiya) did little to upgrade its aircraft after delivery of 32 F/A-18Cs and eight F/A-18Ds from October 1991.
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11/13/2012
South Korea has sold twenty of their new KT-1 turboprop flight trainers to Peru in a $200 million deal. Actually, ten of these aircraft will be the KA-1 combat version. Four of the twenty aircraft will be built in South Korea and the other 16 assembled in Peru from South Korean made components. The advanced features, and low price, of the KT-1 version make it a very attractive package.
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11/13/2012
Two stalwarts of Italy's century-old aerospace industry were united on 1 January 2012, when the interests of Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia Aermacchi were merged, creating a new entity with almost 12,000 employees. Now operating under the unified name Alenia Aermacchi, the company produces a range of military trainers - including the M-346 Master - and the C-27J Spartan tactical transport.
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11/13/2012
Kyrgyz and US servicemen are rehearsing joint emergency and anti-terror operations in the country’s Batken region, Kyrgyzstan’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. There are several scenarios for action in a hypothetical emergency situation including the provision of first aid and evacuation, the ministry press service said.
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11/13/2012
Russian military inspectors will begin a survey flight this week above Turkey under the international Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. A group of Russian experts will conduct the survey flight over the Turkish territory in an Anotonov An-30B aircraft during the period from November 12 and November 16, a spokesman said.
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11/13/2012
Lockheed Martin delivered the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s sixth Mid-Life Upgraded P-3 Orion on Friday, Nov. 9, about 40 days ahead of schedule. This upgrade was completed in 11 months. “This airplane will join the CBP fleet that has been instrumental, through third quarter this year, in interdicting more than 82,000 pounds of cocaine from crossing U.S. borders,” said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin vice president of P-3 Programs and Greenville Operations.
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11/12/2012
US Defence Security Cooperation Agency unveiled that Saudi Arabia has ordered 20 heavy cargo aircraft and five refuelling planes for USD6.7 billion, Arabian Business reported. The deal, pending the Congress approval, also includes the cost of training, logistical support, parts and associated equipment for the aircraft, according to a statement.
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11/12/2012
India has opened talks with Russia to upgrade its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30s with a new radar and avionics to make the fighters more lethal than what they already are. The upgrades are likely to begin in 2015. However, a debate is currently in progress between the two nations on India getting full access to all software and equipment design of the new systems that will be integrated on the upgraded Sukhois, a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officer told IANS.
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11/11/2012
The re-election of Barack Obama as president of the United States has underpinned the drive of one of Scotland’s largest engineering firms to seek contracts with air forces in emerging markets. Radar and laser sensor specialists Selex Galileo, owned by Italian aerospace conglomerate Finmeccanica, sees its future in military hot spots such as Turkey and India as growth in the West slows, and Obama pledges to focus on priorities other than defence.
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11/11/2012
Navy representatives recently participated in tests for the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) that will drive recommendations for digital messaging implementation and unmanned aircraft integration into the carrier environment.
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11/11/2012
Iraq’s acting Defense Minister Sadun Al-Dulaymi has denied reports that Bagdad is annulling a $4.2 billion arms deal with Russia over concerns about possible corruption, Al-Jazeera reported on Saturday. “The deal is going ahead,” Al-Dulaymi said at a press conference in Baghdad. He also denied there was corruption in the deal adding that the Iraqi government simply failed to submit a report on the arms deal to the anti-corruption committee in due time.
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11/10/2012
A 19-day sea trial of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, starting tomorrow is expected to include take-offs and landings by fighter jets. Earlier reports and photographs that were published by the People's Liberation Army Daily and the website of the Ministry of National Defence showed the ship had successfully completed touch-and-go tests involving a carrier-based fighter aircraft, which military experts said was probably an indigenous J-15, last month.
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11/10/2012
“Geriatric” and “Decrepit” are terms used to describe America’s aging Air Force. An alarming number of planes are nearly a half-century old, have been rendered obsolete, have far surpassed their original service hours, and are continuing to show signs of deterioration.
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11/10/2012
The Pentagon has announced plans to sell $6.7 billion in military aircraft and other equipment to Saudi Arabia. The sale would include 20 C-130 cargo planes and five refueling aircraft. The Pentagon says Saudi Arabia requested the planes. Officials say the sale would contribute to U.S. national security by helping improve the security of a friendly country. They call Saudi Arabia an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
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11/10/2012
The United States launched its first permanent military presence on Polish soil on Friday, an air force detachment to service warplanes, in a move long sought by its NATO ally Warsaw.
President Barack Obama announced plans to station air force personnel at Lask air base near Lodz, central Poland, during a visit last year after Warsaw pressed for what it sees as a security guarantee in the face of a more assertive Russia.
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11/10/2012
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's dominant military and commercial aviation contractor, is hopeful the government will back a multi-billion dollar plan to build a high-performance engine, its chief said on Friday.
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11/10/2012
An Algerian military transport plane flying home from Paris crashed in southeast France on Friday, killing four of the six people aboard, police and fire brigade sources said. They said the other two people were missing after the plane crashed in a mountainous, uninhabited area near the city of Avignon.
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11/10/2012
“Sweden needs 60-80 fighter aircraft to meet the technical and operational threat scenario, “says Armed Forces Supreme Commander Sverker Goranson. The government has asked for a parliamentary mandate to buy 40-60 planes. The armed forces could not provide details of what initiatives are needed and what they would cost if the number of Super-Jas, the so-called E-model of the JAS 39 Gripen, was to reach 60.
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11/09/2012
Two Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. Air Force Predator drone in the Persian Gulf on November 1, the Pentagon disclosed on Thursday. The incident, reported first by CNN, raised fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes. The drone was on routine maritime surveillance in international airspace east of Kuwait, 16 miles off the coast of Iran, U.S. officials said. The Predator was not hit.
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11/09/2012
Airbus Military remains on track to deliver the first production example of its A400M Atlas transport to the French air force during the second quarter of next year, according to a financial update released by parent company EADS on 7 November.
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11/09/2012
Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after a Syrian army helicopter approached the border town of Azmarin and fired down onto rebel lines. The helicopter left shortly after the Turkish planes arrived, but according to one official, two Syrian jets were seen in the distance immediately afterwards.
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11/09/2012
Embraer will present a full range of solutions for the defense industry at the Indo Defence Expo and Forum. This includes state-of-the art radar technologies, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), advanced information and communications systems as well as military aircraft such as the KC-390 medium lift military transport jet that is currently in development, the company’s range of VIP transportation jets, and the A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft.
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11/09/2012
Washington state will fare relatively well in Boeing’s new drive to cut costs in its Defense, Space and Security unit due to the increased relative importance of converting commercial jetliners to military use and the strength of unmanned aircraft development in Washington.
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11/09/2012
Following an agreement between Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, which was signed by the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), the five countries will in the future operate a joint fleet of military transport planes. However, their are no concrete plans at present to do the same with fighter jets.
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11/09/2012
About 50 members of the Chilean Air Force participated in a training exercise with the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing here, Oct. 24-26, 2012, as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The three-day exercise teamed aviators and aircraft maintenance crews from each organization, said Maj. Bryan Carlson, an instructor pilot with the 149th Fighter Wing.
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11/09/2012
The government on Thursday decided to offload 10 per cent stake in aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) in a public offer. The Bangalore-based public sector undertaking is engaged in manufacture of light combat aircraft, fighters, trainers, transport helicopters and aero engines.
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11/09/2012
Days of silence have descended over the potentially controversial current plan by Bulgaria to go ahead with soliciting offers to buy fighter jets without going through a public procurement process; but depending how the plan proceeds, there could be sonic booms in domestic politics and at European level.
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11/08/2012
The U.S. Coast Guard said military aircraft in the Coastal Bend are being targeted by laser pointers. The most recent incident happened just two days ago, sending a crew member to the emergency room. Pilots say the growing problem is dangerous to flight crews.
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11/08/2012
Over the past decade, the skies have become increasingly patrolled by a growing armada of remote-controlled flying robots or drones. Now plans are afoot by international military to use mind-control techniques to operate and fire these airborne weapon systems. Since the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, some aspects of modern warfare have become increasingly automated. This is especially so in aerial-combat operations.
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11/08/2012
Dubai Helishow 2012, the premier civil and military helicopter technology and operations exhibition in the Middle East held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, saw sustained interest and activity focusing on issues of military, homeland security and civil defence in its second day.
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11/08/2012
The government and the Swiss armed forces want to buy a new fighter jet: the Swedish Saab Gripen. However, diverging opinions on the mission of the air force, the type and number of crafts needed, threaten to bring a possible deal down. Experts agree on one thing: It would only be required in order for the Swiss Air Force to carry out its mission of protecting national air space in the event of a terrorist attack.
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11/08/2012
The 10-minute maiden test flight of China’s newest stealth fighter jet, the J-31, sparked intense debate among the world’s weapons and intelligence communities. That’s because little is known about the aircraft, which China boasts is the only other fifth-generation stealth light combat aircraft in the world after the U.S. Air Force F-35.
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11/07/2012
A month after European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. (EAD) buried plans to merge with BAE Systems Plc (BA/), Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders gets a chance to assure investors he can ride out demand swings in civil aviation alone. Enders will announce third-quarter earnings tomorrow that further tilt Europe’s largest aerospace company toward its Airbus civil aircraft business.
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11/07/2012
Serious talk of America's defense budget was largely absent from the final weeks of the presidential campaign, once President Barack Obama likened Gov. Mitt Romney's concerns to an anachronistic focus on "horses and bayonets." But when Mr. Romney lamented that (among other things) the U.S. Air Force has the fewest airplanes it has ever had, he was correct. At its founding in 1947, it had more than 12,300 planes. Today: approximately 5,200.
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11/07/2012
Boeing, which has won a string of competitive victories against other multi-national defense contractors for Indian military business in recent times, has added another contract to its string. Defense News is reporting that Boeing has won a $1.4 billion contract to furnish India with 15 CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters. Boeing had been competing against Russian military contractors who had proposed furnishing India with Mi-26 helicopters.
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11/07/2012
China's increased assertiveness over territorial claims to the South China Sea is leading the Philippines to embark on the biggest military procurement program it has ever undertaken.
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11/07/2012
A former Syrian air force general who was also the country's first astronaut said Tuesday that only about one-third of Syria's fighter pilots are carrying out the daily bombing raids of rebel strongholds because President Bashar Assad's regime cannot count on the loyalty of the rest.
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11/07/2012
Although there has been an ever-increasing demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to help scour hostile ground, the Navy plans to cut nearly a quarter of its highly specialized multi-intelligence aircraft in the next few years. Critics, including Navy officers familiar with the program, warn the cuts will degrade intelligence gathering for not just the Navy, but also land forces that have depended on the planes for combat operations.
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11/07/2012
US aerospace giant Boeing Company has secured a contract valued at US$4bn to modernise the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force's fighter jet fleet, according to the Pentagon. The procurement order covers conversion of 68 existing F15S jets to the new F15S-A configuration.
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11/07/2012
Employees at the Lockheed Martin facility here got the rare opportunity to see an F-35 Lightning II multi-role fighter up close on Nov. 5, as a new U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stopped by on its ferry flight from the Lockheed Martin production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to the U.S. Navy’s test center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
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11/06/2012
French Defense Minister Jean Yves Le Drian arrived in Brazil on Monday to promote the sale of Rafale jet fighters to the South American nation. Brazil wants to modernize its air force with 36 new aircraft, but has delayed a decision on the deal that could be worth as much as $7 billion. Dassault of France, which manufactures the Rafale jets, is competing against Boeing of the United States and Saab of Sweden to sell new aircraft to Brazil.
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11/06/2012
BAE Systems in Britain reports that the fuselage, wings and undercarriage for the first Tranche 3A Typhoon jet fighter have been integrated. The aircraft, ordered by four European countries that are involved in its development, is ready for the next stage of assembly, the company said. "Over the next few months, the fin and foreplanes will be fitted and all the systems will be married-up," BAE Systems said.
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11/06/2012
As worldwide defense spending shows more strength than widely anticipated and the battered civilian aerospace market shakes off its slump, companies with long-time expertise in aircraft electronics will emerge as huge winners.
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11/06/2012
The Integrated Training Center (ITC) here completed its 500th combined sortie for both the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft Friday. Flight operations for the F-35 began on the Emerald Coast March 6. There are currently 22 F-35s at Eglin as the fleet continues to grow supporting the team as it trains instructor pilots and maintainers.
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11/06/2012
Boeing [NYSE: BA] on Nov. 2 delivered the fifth production P-8A Poseidon aircraft to the U.S. Navy. The P-8A is one of 24 low-rate initial production (LRIP) maritime patrol aircraft that Boeing is building for the Navy as part of contracts awarded in 2011 and 2012.
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11/05/2012
Military authorities confirmed Sunday that carrier-based jets have been conducting take-off and landing training on the country's first aircraft carrier Liaoning. According to an official report released by the Ministry of Defense, jets have practiced touch-and-go landings, a maneuver that involves landing on the flight deck of the carrier and taking off again without coming to a stop.
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11/05/2012
British Prime Minister David Cameron will visit the Gulf and Middle East on a three-day diplomacy and trade trip this week, his office said on Monday, adding that selling BAE Systems-built fighter jets would be high on the agenda. Cameron will visit the United Arab Emirates on Monday, and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday before travelling to another destination in the Middle East, in a trip his office said "was to help Britain compete and thrive in the global race".
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11/05/2012
The U.S. Marine Corps is in the process of replacing the six Marine Attack Squadron 211 (VMA-211) AV-8B Harriers destroyed during an insurgent attack Sept. 14 at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. “We are slowly building back up,” Capt. Brett Ackerbauer told the Yuma Sun Saturday afternoon in a hangar at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
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11/05/2012
According to a press release issued on Sunday, the Thunder’s Squadron pilots have completed series of aerobatics training drill program and are fully prepared to steal the show on the eve of 9th Zhuhai Air Show.
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11/05/2012
For decades, the U.S. Air Force has grown accustomed to such superlatives as unrivaled and unbeatable. These days, some of its key combat aircraft are being described with terms like geriatric, or decrepit.
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11/04/2012
Syrian rebels attacked a military airport in the country's north on Saturday in a push to cut off Syria's biggest city Aleppo from the capital Damascus, and secure a strategic north-south corridor. President Bashar al-Assad's forces appear over-stretched with fewer fighters on the ground and have sought to limit rebel advances with far superior firepower, increasingly from the air and especially in the Aleppo and Damascus areas.
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11/04/2012
The Department of Defense has signaled that it wants the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to begin working on the next generation aircraft even though these services are having a hard time obtaining the fifth-generation stealth F-35 due to serious cost overruns and production delays, according to a report from Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.
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11/04/2012
In an announcement from the US Government on Friday it was confirmed that the order covers conversion of 68 existing F15S jets to the new F15S-A configuration. The order was widely reported in June but had been awaiting the approvals from the US Government.
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11/03/2012
In a rare airlift, the Defense Department is flying 17 aircraft from California to New York loaded with power generation equipment and crews to help restore electricity to the millions of homes and businesses devastated by Superstorm Sandy. The Pentagon says the 630 tons of equipment is being provided by Southern California power companies, including Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
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11/03/2012
The U.S. military has told Japan it plans to start training flights for the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft over the main islands later this month, Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto said Friday. Morimoto revealed the prospect during a meeting in Tokyo of all 47 prefectural governors. He said the training will be staged out of the Marine Corps base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Camp Fuji in Gotenba, Shizuoka Prefecture.
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11/03/2012
Britain may deploy its warplanes in the Gulf region amid the mounting tension over a possible war between Israel and Iran and the overall turbulence in the wake of the Arab Spring, according to a British newspaper. The arrival of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets may be announced soon by Prime Minister David Cameron, who has been discussing the issue with rulers of the United Arab Emirates, says The Independent.
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11/03/2012
The UK's armed forces currently operate 335 unmanned air vehicles in support of operations in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has revealed. Responding to a question in the House of Lords on 30 October, parliamentary under-secretary of state Lord Hever detailed the current number of deployed remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) across five types.
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11/03/2012
China’s fighter aircraft development efforts appeared to take another leap forward after local media reported that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) had successfully tested its J-31 stealth fighter prototype this week. Following the test flight of a Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) J-20 prototype less than two years ago, the test of the J-31 suggests China could eventually become only the second country behind the U.S. to develop two stealth fighter programs.
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11/02/2012
Sikorsky Aircraft today announced it has expanded its support of the Colombia Armed Forces BLACK HAWK helicopter fleet by opening an office in Bogota, Colombia. In addition, Sikorsky will open South America's first BLACK HAWK helicopter training center in Melgar, Colombia, in early 2013. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
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11/02/2012
Kenya has been ranked among the countries with the highest defence budgets in Africa, thanks to two decades of a steady increase in military expenditure. It is ranked seventh behind Algeria, South Africa, Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco, having surpassed Tunisia last year.
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11/02/2012
RAC MiG has completed sea trials of its MiG-29K/KUB combat aircraft involving the Indian navy's future aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, with deliveries under New Delhi's 2010 contract on track to start late this year. "All tests on the ship have been completed successfully, and the customer signed the respective protocol. We no longer need a carrier [for trials]," says RAC MiG general director Sergei Korotkov.
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11/02/2012
If a deal is reached between Korea and the United Arab Emirates on the international military flight training center, it would allow Korea to increase exports of aircraft and related equipment, including its home-made supersonic advanced trainers, the T-50 Golden Eagle. All told, the project would increase exports to the UAE by more than 600 million U.S. dollars.
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11/02/2012
Canada has initiated an independent assessment into the acquisition process used to replace its air force fleet of Boeing F/A-18 combat aircraft, which has so far favoured the purchase of Lockheed Martin's F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The Public Works and Government Services Canada body on 26 October issued a request for proposals "to obtain the services of a firm to conduct an independent review of the steps taken up to June 2012 in the acquisition process for the replacement of the CF-18".
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11/02/2012
UK defence secretary Philip Hammond has underscored the importance of the nation's future Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft as a joint asset between the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and revealed the expected extra cost of bringing the latter's second new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier into operational use.
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11/02/2012
The J-31, the second stealth plane to be unveiled by China in less than two years, flew for 11 minutes on Wednesday morning, the state-run Global Times reported, citing an eyewitness.
Photos posted online by Chinese military enthusiasts appeared to show the black-painted combat plane in mid-flight. Images of the aircraft were first leaked online in September.
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11/02/2012
The Lockheed Martin HC-130J Combat King II and the MC-130J Commando II aircraft have been certified as “Effective, Suitable and Mission Capable” by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center. The U.S. Air Force is currently recapitalizing the HC, MC and AC-130 gunship fleets with new C 130J variants.
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11/02/2012
Boeing delivered the sixth Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17 Globemaster III today at the company's final assembly facility in Long Beach. The airlifter will be assigned to No. 36 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane, where it will help meet increased demand for airlift to support military, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations.
(Read More...)
11/01/2012
Lockheed Martin Corp said on Tuesday that it was making progress on resolving technical issues facing the cutting-edge helmet being developed for use by F-35 fighter pilots, and it cited positive initial reports from night flight tests of the system.
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11/01/2012
Russia has asked France to allow the deployment of two Ilyushin Il-38 naval reconnaissance planes at a French base in Djibouti to facilitate its anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday. “We have asked France to host two reconnaissance planes at its air base in Djibouti in addition to three French planes deployed there,” Serdyukov said after a meeting of the Russian-French Security Cooperation Council in Paris.
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11/01/2012
Military investigators are examining flight recorders from an Air Force bomber that crashed during a training exercise in the Chelyabinsk region. Two pilots survived the crash, which took place 70 kilometers from Chelyabinsk on Tuesday, after ejecting themselves from the Sukhoi Su-24, Interfax reported Wednesday. No civilians were injured in the crash.
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11/01/2012
The Philippines could issue requests for proposals (RFPs) for advanced jet trainers, transport aircraft and helicopter modifications within the next 12 months. The Philippines air force has identified several capability gaps that it hopes to fill in the coming years, says an air force spokesman. Budgets have been approved for several acquisitions, but a competitive bidding process must be conducted for each purchase, with request for proposals to be issued before the end of 2013, he adds.
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11/01/2012
A Conference of Gripen User’s Group, held 22 - 26 October at Olomouc, Czech Republic, provided a new impetus to closer exchange of operational information in use of SAAB 39 Gripen (JAS-39) aircraft in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, South Africa and Thailand.
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11/01/2012
Every service member knows being ready at a moment's notice is part of the job. However, not every service member mans a combat alert cell, ready for the call requiring them to launch a fighter aircraft in minutes. For Airmen of the 44th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, that's all part of 24/7 duty executing the alert mission.
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11/01/2012
China's second stealth fighter made its maiden flight on Wednesday, with experts hailing this as a milestone for the country's military aviation industry, especially in design and manufacturing. Coinciding with its provisional designation J-31 and serial number 31001, the fighter took off at 10:32 am on Wednesday and landed 11 minutes later on the runway of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), Liaoning Province, one witness told the Global Times.
(Read More...)
11/01/2012
Boeing has opened the first KC-46 Tanker System Integration Laboratory (SIL) to support testing and reduce risk in the development of the U.S. Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling tanker. "Opening this lab says a lot about Boeing's commitment to executing on this contract," said Maj. Gen. John Thompson, Air Force Tanker Program Executive Officer and KC-46 Program Director. "My congratulations to the entire team."
(Read More...)
11/01/2012
Boeing on Oct. 24 delivered the fourth and final 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), demonstrating the continuing success of the company's partnerships with local industry. "We delivered five weeks ahead of schedule thanks to the hard work, focus and close collaboration among the ROKAF, Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Boeing and our in-country suppliers," said Rick Heerdt.
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
ATK announced Oct. 29 that Airbus Military has selected ATK for a contract in excess of $100 million to produce composite wing cover stringers for use on the A400M Military Transport Aircraft. The A400M is a new generation, four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed by Airbus Military, with its first aircraft delivery planned for the second trimester in 2013. This aircraft is already in full production and Airbus has selected ATK, a demonstrated expert in composite manufacturing.
(Read More...)
10/31/2012
The Egyptian military has released a statement on Tuesday vehemently denying reports that Israeli military planes on Monday had trespassed on Egyptian airspace as "lies and disinformation." "There are instigators who spread disinformation and lies that six Israeli F-35 planes entered Egyptian airspace," said military spokesman Colonel Mohamed Ahmed Ali.
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10/31/2012
Four Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 9:45 a.m. local time (0645 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military. The warplanes flew over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before leaving Lebanese airspace at 10:40 a.m. local time (0740 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.
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10/31/2012
Canada's newly appointed top military officer says it's important to get it right when it comes to replacing the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets -- equipment he said the military will rely on for decades. Lt.-Gen. Tom Lawson was promoted to general on Monday and officially installed as chief of the defence staff, succeeding Gen. Walt Natynczyk, who is retiring after four years in the role. Natynczyk has described his replacement as "a great officer and a gentleman."
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10/31/2012
A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber crashed on Tuesday during a training flight in the Chelyabinsk region when its nose cone came off, the Defense Ministry said. “After an unsuccessful attempt to make an emergency landing, the pilots decided to steer the falling aircraft away from populated areas and ejected safely,” the ministry said in a statement.
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10/31/2012
Flight instructors from Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) recently traded their training posts at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre for Gold Coast beach patrols as part of a unique arrangement between BDA and Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ).
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10/30/2012
The Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s planned acquisition of lead-in fighter jets from South Korea or any friendly state may take longer than expected after it was decided that the multi-billion peso defense procurement will be bid out instead of the government entering into a government-to-government deal.
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10/30/2012
Now that we know horses and bayonets are (mostly) outmoded, a U.K.-based company says its new mobile military app can help American forces take another step toward the future by going more paperless in combat. IFS, a global “enterprise applications company” that already works with the U.S. Army, released Monday its “Flight Log” app specifically for military smartphones. It is designed, according to IFS, to help personnel aboard planes, boats and vehicles record real-time,mission data.
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10/30/2012
China has designed nuclear missiles and blasted astronauts into space, but one vital technology remains out of reach. Despite decades of research and development, China has so far failed to build a reliable, high performance jet engine. This may be about to change. China's aviation sector is striving for a breakthrough that would end its dependence on Russian and Western power plants for military and commercial aircraft.
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10/30/2012
Wargaming, the creator of the award-winning games World of Tanks, World of Warplanes and the upcoming World of Warships, announced today that they are fully underwriting aircraft enthusiast David Cundall's efforts to recover the British Spitfires reportedly buried in Burma at the end of World War II.
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10/30/2012
Iraq recently signed the purchase order for a second batch of 18 American F-16 fighters. At the same time, Iraq has announced the purchase of $4.2 billion in Russian weapons. Most of the details were not released, and there were rumors that Iraq is looking at MiG-29s (which Saddam obtained 24 of in 1987 and were popular because they were a modern fighter and looked impressive). The MiG-29 is a lot cheaper than new F-16s.
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10/30/2012
The Russian Navy will receive the first batch of Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters for Mistral class amphibious assault ships in 2013, Kamov General Designer Sergei Mikheyev said. “The first serial Ka-52K will be assembled in 2013,” Mikheyev said on Monday. “By the time the first Mistral enters service in 2014, we are ready to make as many helicopters as the Defense Ministry will order.”
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10/30/2012
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $26 million foreign military sales contract to modernize the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s national air command, control and communications infrastructure. Lockheed Martin will provide the Kingdom of Jordan with an integrated, real-time air picture across multiple command centers and many remote sites to better protect the country’s airspace.
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10/30/2012
The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded a $74 million contract to the Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between Boeing and Bell Helicopter - Textron, for seven Osprey ground-based trainers, which will reduce fuel usage and aircraft wear-and-tear, maximizing lifecycle cost savings.
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10/29/2012
The Taiwanese army earlier this year took delivery of the first of 30 Apache combat helicopters from the US and next month pilots and crew will begin training on the platform, which recently received a new designation from the US Army. As a result of the significant upgrades made to the AH-64D Block III Apache during its development, the US Army recently decided to re-designate it the E model.
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10/29/2012
Boeing Co., which has boosted its 2012 profit forecast three times as commercial and military aircraft sales rose, said it expects challenges next year that include a tougher defense market and higher pension expense. The projected $3.5 billion in pension expense next year will be about $1 billion more than this year’s, the planemaker said.
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10/29/2012
The fight over who will design the U.S. Air Force’s new combat search-and-rescue helicopter (CSAR) is underway. The Air Force last week issued a request for proposals (RfP) for the project, setting cost and performance parameters that will guide one of the service’s most expensive aircraft acquisitions over in the coming years.
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10/29/2012
Inspectors from the United States and Sweden will conduct inspection flights over Russia and Belarus under the Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. “In the period from October 29 to November 2 a joint group of US and Swedish inspectors will conduct surveillance flights on board a SAAB-340B Swedish surveillance aircraft over the territory of the treaty participants, namely the Russian Federation and Belarus,” a ministry spokesman said.
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10/29/2012
A group of Russian military observers begin on Sunday a four-day inspection mission in the skies of France under the Open Skies Treaty, the Defense Ministry’s press office reported.
“Aboard the An-30B aircraft, a group of Russian inspectors will make a surveillance flight over the territory of France on October 28-31 as part of the Open Skies International Treaty,” the press office said.
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10/28/2012
The Navy isn't taking any chances with a weather system nicknamed Frankenstorm. Nearly 25 ships homeported in Hampton Roads, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, are heading to sea in advance of Hurricane Sandy, the Navy announced Friday. The hurricane, which is moving up the East Coast, could combine with a cold front from the west to create an even larger monster storm, forecasters have said.
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10/27/2012
President Juan Manuel Santos, whose administration is having peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist group, is spending heavily to bolster his country’s military. Santos’ spending aims to acquire better technology, vehicles and equipment but also increase military and police troops, as fighting terrorism, crime and narco-trafficking remains his biggest priority.
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10/27/2012
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and Embraer have reduced contract costs of developing the KC-390 aircraft by about USD 42 million, after a reassessment of the contract held on October 19. This reduction was only possible thanks to the joint efforts of the Coordinating Committee for Combat Aircraft (COPAC) of FAB and Embraer, which, through the Program Executive of the KC-X Project, conducted analyzes and used modern management tools to good effect.
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10/27/2012
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has successfully conducted its largest and most complex missile defense flight test ever, involving the simultaneous engagement of five ballistic missile and cruise missile targets. The test in the western Pacific this week “stressed the performance of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), THAAD, and PATRIOT weapon systems,” the agency said on Thursday.
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10/27/2012
Boeing today marks 50 years since the company delivered its last B-52 Stratofortress to the U.S. Air Force. H-model bomber 61-040 was assigned to Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where it remains in active service.
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10/26/2012
Ukraine and Russia have started state resource tests of the D-27 turbofan engine for the An-70 military transport aircraft, a source in the defense sector has told Interfax-Ukraine. The source said that the tests of D-27 engine are carried out with the participation of representatives of the defense bodies of the two countries, the state research and test center of Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russia's Baranov Central Institute of Aviation Motor Development.
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10/26/2012
Boeing Super Hornet partner GE Aviation recently signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Brazilian companies to become potential suppliers for the program's global supply chain, strengthening the in-country component of Boeing's F/A-18 offering for the Brazilian F-X2 fighter jet competition. It was stated in the press release issued here today.
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10/26/2012
In 2009 Sikorsky Aircraft built the world’s fastest helicopter, the X2, which clocked in at nearly 287 miles per hour and earned a PM Breakthrough Award to boot. Since then, the company has been incorporating the technology into designs for a new helo—the Raider S-97—which it plans to offer it to the U.S. Army in 2015.
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10/26/2012
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike force's visit to Manila is the latest show of American military might partly aimed at countering China's grip in Asia. But it also provides hundreds of Filipino American sailors a chance to briefly soak in the warm embrace of a second home.
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10/26/2012
Colombia is in the process of building its own unmanned aircraft and advanced military radar to combat insurgents and drug trafficking organizations, reported local media Thursday. Colombia is set to increase its investment in drone technology over the coming years, Vice Minister for Defense Yaneth Giha revealed Thursday.
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10/26/2012
Russia’s aircraft making corporation MiG is a loss-making enterprise, parliamentary defense committee head Vladimir Komoyedov said on Thursday. “MiG Corporation has been a loss-making enterprise in recent years. The less than optimal distribution of manufacturing infrastructure causes some concern,” he said.
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10/25/2012
The US Army has finished building the first Bell OH-58F Kiowa Warrior helicopter at its prototype integration facility. The aircraft will now start to be instrumented for its first test flight, which is expected in April. "It truly is a great day for army aviation," says Lt Col Mat Hannah, the service's product manager for the OH-58F.
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10/25/2012
Northrop Grumman produced and delivered the system four months ahead of schedule as part of an ongoing BACN development, operations and maintenance contract to support U.S. Central Command missions.
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10/25/2012
Mauritanian Air Force has received its first Brazilian-made Super Tucano jet fighter under a military deal passed last march with the aircraft manufacturer Embraer, without saying how many planes will be delivered to the African nation. However, some foreign diplomatic and intelligence sources say that Mauritania will be supplied at least three EMB-314 Super Tucano light military planes.
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10/25/2012
Sales at Lockheed Martin, the military aircraft maker, will decline next year even if swingeing government spending cuts are avoided, the company said as it announced a 3.9 per cent rise in third-quarter net earnings. Lockheed said sequestration, which could total about 10 per cent of planned military spending, would have a “material effect” on the company’s earnings next year.
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10/25/2012
China is determined to develop its own high tech military gear. While China is eager to develop advanced military technology locally, it recognizes that this takes time and more effort than nations new to this expect. Thus China is trying to avoid the mistakes Russia made in this area, and having competing designs and developing necessary supporting industries is part of that. All this takes a lot of time and involves lots of little (and some major) failures.
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10/25/2012
“The General Staff has information that the militants, who are fighting against Syrian government troops, are armed with the portable air defence systems of various countries, including the Stinger of U.S. production,” he underlined.
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10/25/2012
Internal documents obtained by CBC News call into question the Harper government's claim that Canadian military equipment is clear of counterfeit Chinese parts discovered in American aircraft, missiles and other weapons. Canada buys a majority of its military equipment from the U.S., but the documents indicate the federal government has no way of knowing if unreliable bogus parts have been bought by the Canadian Forces.
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10/25/2012
The last of four unmanned experimental U.S. military aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound is expected to be tested next year, the program manager said on Wednesday, months after its predecessor broke up during a trial. The third test flight of the craft, known as the Waverider or X-51A, broke apart over the Pacific Ocean seconds into a test flight in August. U.S. Air Force officials said at the time they did not know if or when their fourth aircraft would fly.
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10/24/2012
On the night of August 7, 2008, what military experts and historians say is the world’s first two-sided drone war began. Georgia, convinced Russia was about to annex its separatist region of South Ossetia, made the first move by bombarding and then invading the separatist capital, Tskhinvali. What followed was a destructive five-day war that was to a great extent provoked and fought by drones, waking Russia up to the strategic importance of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.
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10/24/2012
Britain is doubling the number of armed RAF drones flying missions in Afghanistan. And for the first time, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be controlled by airmen at computer screens in the UK. Two ‘pilots’ will operate the robots via satellite from a hi-tech hub at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
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10/24/2012
A statement from National Defence says the head of the air force misspoke when saying the Harper government had yet to direct the air force to look at aircraft other than the contentious F-35 stealth fighter. The newly appointed commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force said in an interview last week with The Canadian Press that he's assigned a staff officer to work with a public works agency overseeing the CF-18 replacement program.
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10/24/2012
The Eurofighter combat aircraft has entered service with the Italian air force's 18 Sqn at Trapani-Birgi air base in Sicily, with the unit having been reformed following the phasing-out of its last Lockheed Martin F-16s in May. Part of the air force's 37th Wing, 18 Sqn will be responsible for defending Italy's national airspace, alongside the service's 4th Wing at Grosseto and 36th Wing at Gioia del Colle.
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10/24/2012
Commercial space ventures are getting most of the buzz, but the U.S. government is still operating strategic spacecraft. The Air Force’s secret X-37B unmanned space plane is scheduled for liftoff next month on a classified mission to Earth’s orbit after its launch this week was scrubbed due to a mechanical failure.
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10/24/2012
Lockheed Martin Corp has won a contract worth $889.5 million to build 13 more C-130J transport planes for the U.S. military, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. The U.S. Defense Department said the agreement modified an existing contract and includes seven MC-130J planes for Air Force Special Operations Command, four HC-130J planes for Air Combat Command, one KC-130J for the Marine Corps and one C-130J for Air Mobility Command.
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10/24/2012
The Israeli and United States armed forces started their largest-ever joint air defense and anti-missile exercise on Sunday, involving thousands of service personnel and the two nation's principal air defense missile systems, the Israeli Army told RIA Novosti.
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10/24/2012
Ever increasing threats and the need for force protection by systems that provide constant situational awareness of one’s surroundings prompted Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] to add a persistent surveillance option to its Dragon series of ISR systems.
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10/24/2012
After multiple ground demonstrations in operational environments, a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] penetrating radar capability that can peer through trees to detect slowly moving troops and ground vehicles is ready for the next step in testing.
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10/24/2012
Lockheed Martin successfully tested its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) dual-mode seeker in high-speed captive flight tests, demonstrating its ability to track ground targets while flying at tactical speeds. The company-funded tests were conducted on a Sabreliner jet at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. The data collected from the tests validated the maximum ranges of the seeker’s millimeter wave and semi-active laser sensor modes against representative targets.
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10/23/2012
More than six months after the auditor general delivered his scathing critique of the F-35 program, the Harper government has yet to direct the air force to look at aircraft other than the contentious stealth fighter. And the Public Works secretariat overseeing the troubled replacement for the existing CF-18 jet fighter fleet is still attempting to define what the government means when it promised to look at "other options."
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10/23/2012
Honeywell announced today that its Spectra Shield® ballistic material will be used to improve armor protection on U.S. Army helicopters. The Protective Group, Inc. (TPG), a leading developer and integrator of lightweight composite armor for military aircraft, is incorporating Spectra Shield material into armor upgrades for U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
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10/23/2012
The UK is to double the number of armed RAF "drones" flying combat and surveillance operations in Afghanistan and, for the first time, the aircraft will be controlled from terminals and screens in Britain. In the new squadron of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), five Reaper drones will be sent to Afghanistan, the Guardian can reveal. It is expected they will begin operations within six weeks.
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10/23/2012
The Pentagon is inviting the aerospace industry to help brainstorm the next era in U.S. air- combat superiority after the F-35 and F-22 fighters are retired, decades from now. Reflecting the rise of drone warfare, an 18-month evaluation will consider both piloted and unmanned aircraft working in tandem with a network of weapons, sensors, electronic warfare and command-and-control capabilities, according to a memo by Frank Kendall.
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10/23/2012
Just one month after China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was commissioned, photographs are appearing on the Internet of the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark fighter jet operating over the ship. The photographs have appeared on Chinese-language military blogs and government-run newspapers. The images show the J-15 flying just above the carrier deck, along with a photograph of a Changhe Z-8 search-and-rescue helicopter taking off from the deck.
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10/23/2012
An F-35A test aircraft, flown by U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Phillips, completed the first aerial weapons release of an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) from a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, Oct. 19. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned the instrumented AIM-120 over the China Lake test range from an internal weapons bay.
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10/23/2012
The tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) has successfully completed certification testing for its advanced Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system at Pratica di Mare Air Force Base in Italy.
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10/23/2012
he first C-5M Super Galaxy production joint acceptance flight with Lockheed Martin and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) occurred Oct. 17, here at the Lockheed Martin facilities. The joint aircrew included: (from left: Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Huff, Flight Engineer, Lt. Col. Robert Griffith, Aircraft Commander, Master Sgt. Garrad Mitchell, Flight Engineer, Lockheed Martin pilot, Butch Johnson, LM Flight Engineer Larry Frias and LM Flight Engineer John Linville.
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10/23/2012
A recent weapons flight test in the Utah desert may change future warfare after the missile successfully defeated electronic targets with little to no collateral damage. Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., successfully tested the Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) during a flight over the Utah Test and Training Range that was monitored from Hill Air Force Base.
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10/22/2012
The US Navy has begun acquiring the sophisticated lightweight air-launched Mk-54 torpedoes from the US weapon maker Raytheon for the Indian Navy. A company spokesperson told India Strategic magazine ( www.indiastrategic.in ) from Tewksbury in the US that the US Navy has placed an order for the torpedoes and associated equipment worth $45.3 million for the Indian and Australian navies. The breakup of numbers and respective costs was not given.
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10/22/2012
A multibillion-dollar project to buy new search-and-rescue aircraft for the Canadian military — once seen as a likely win for Alenia Aermacchi’s C-27J Spartan — has turned into a full-fledged competition, attracting aircraft manufacturers from around the world. The Canadian Forces has reversed its previous decision to operate only one type of aircraft for the new search-and-rescue fleet.
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10/22/2012
A U.S. aircraft carrier group cruised through the disputed South China Sea on Saturday in a show of American power in waters that are fast becoming a focal point of Washington's strategic rivalry with Beijing.
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10/20/2012
Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Saturday will press Syrian officials for a truce, just hours after Lebanese politicians blamed Damascus for the killing of a top security official. But even as Brahimi arrived in the war-torn country Friday, government jets hammered the rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan in the northwest, and fighters there accused the regime of using cluster bombs in the attack, echoing claims by one rights group.
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10/20/2012
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighters against Chinese military aircraft approaching Japanese air space 54 times from July to September, more than three times as often as from April to June, the Defense Ministry said. While Chinese military planes have been increasingly active each year, the recent spike in incidents is apparently due to friction over the Senkaku Islands, located in the East China Sea. The islands, which are administered by Japan, are also claimed by China and Taiwan.
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10/20/2012
France's defense minister announced here Friday that his country will purchase 14 MRTT aerial refueling tanker aircraft from Spain. Jean-Yves Le Drian shared the news with reporters after touring the Airbus Military Conversion Center in the Madrid industrial suburb of Getafe and meeting with Spanish counterpart Pedro Morenes.
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10/20/2012
Chinese pilots are learning how to take-off and land on the country's first aircraft carrier, a media report said on Friday. China's first aircraft carrier was delivered and commissioned to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in September. The carrier, formerly known as the Soviet ship Varyag, was renamed Liaoning and underwent years of refitting to install engines and weapons, as well as a year-long sea trials.
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10/20/2012
The Indian government approved a $1.5-billion deal to buy 200 air-launched variants of the Russian-Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and 10,000 Russian-made Invar anti-tank missiles. The Deccan Herald Indian daily reported the approval for the deal was made on Thursday.
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10/20/2012
The second United Kingdom Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base today for delivery to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Eglin’s eleventh U.S. Marine Corps F-35B ferried to the Emerald Coast with the U.K. jet. The aircraft, known as ZM136 and BF-16, departed at approximately 8:06 a.m. CDT with U.K. Royal Air Force Sqn. Ldr. Jim Schofield and Marine Corps Maj. Adam Levine at the controls, respectively, for the 90-minute ferry flight to Eglin.
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10/19/2012
“As the U.S. begins to implement [the rebalance], Subic will play an important role because it is one of the important facilities that can service its presence in the Pacific.” One would think that this quote is from a US military or government official, but this actually came from the executive director of the Philippine Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement.
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10/19/2012
As many as 140 World War II Spitfire fighter planes - three to four times the number of airworthy models known to exist - are believed to be buried in near-pristine condition in Myanmar. A British-Myanmar partnership says it will begin digging them up by the end of the month.
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10/19/2012
Iraq has signed a contract to buy its second set of 18 F-16 fighters from the United States, part of a deal to purchase 36 of the jets to rebuild its air force, Iraq's acting defence minister said on Thursday. Baghdad signed an initial deal for the first set of 18 jets in September last year valued at roughly $3 billion and those aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by September 2014.
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10/19/2012
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) officials are considering a sale of 28 advanced AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in The Hague, Netherlands to upgrade the organization's fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon jet fighter aircraft.
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10/19/2012
The engines roared overhead as an F-35B fell into formation. Although this is a basic maneuver for the test pilots, the possibilities for combat environments created by these elite aircraft working together are anything but mundane. The F-35, which features three variants to be used by the Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy, is a single-seat aircraft capable of stealthy operations, equipped with an enhanced computer technology system.
(Read More...)
10/19/2012
Over the past decade, China’s military-aviation industry has been gradually transforming its defence, science, technology, and innovation capabilities, and narrowing the once-wide technological gaps with advanced aviation powers. In the fighter aircraft arena alone, it has been developing, testing, and producing a diverse portfolio of new designs – updating and modernising its ‘legacy fighters, developing indigenous modern ‘fourth-generation’ fighters.
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10/19/2012
India is finally giving its Jaguar "strike" fighters some much-needed new teeth with advanced missiles, engines and avionics. Apart from having a maritime strike role as well, the Jaguars have long been identified by IAF as the jets capable of delivering nuclear weapons if required. The IAF on Monday issued a RFP (request for proposal) to M/s Honeywell Aerospace, the US-based manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, to "completely re-engine" 125 Jaguars.
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10/19/2012
About three and a half years ago I wrote that "One might note that with regard to future battlefields the use of contractors is like the use of robots. They promise both greater cost-effectiveness and less loss of life of government soldiers." With the advantage of hindsight it turns out that the use of robots is heavily dependent on the use of contractors. It seems that today's Terminators, such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) - drones -- are heavily dependent on mere mortals.
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10/19/2012
The commander of Russia’s famed Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatics team, Lt. Col. Valery Morozov, has been fired from the air force for taking bribes, a source at the Kubinka Air Show Center said on Thursday. “Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov signed an order discharging Morozov on October 12” for “failure to comply with his contract,” the source said. Morozov confirmed his discharge and said he will appeal it.
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10/18/2012
Russia has begun installing a new state-of-the-art anti-aircraft weapon system in its southern military region with an eye toward targeting Turkey in response to a NATO missile defense shield outpost that was recently established in East Anatolia, daily Hürriyet reported.
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10/18/2012
Military cooperation between the giants is once again on the rise with China accounting for 15 percent of Russian military exports. India remains Russia’s largest market. The slowdown in military and technical cooperation between Russian and China observed in the mid-2000s was followed by an active growth phase. Russian officials have recently said that defence exports to China are now close to $2 billion, which is comparable to the level achieved in the 1990s.
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10/18/2012
SPITFIRE aircraft buried in Burma at the end of the Second World War are to be returned to the UK, after a 15-year search by an aviation enthusiast.
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10/18/2012
The engines roared overhead as an F-35A fell into formation. Although this is a basic maneuver for the test pilots, the possibilities for combat environments created by these elite aircraft working together are anything but mundane. The F-35, which features three variants to be used by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, is a single-seat aircraft capable of stealthy operations, equipped with an enhanced computer technology system.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
iEntertainment Network Inc., the developer of the WarBirds 2012, Combat Simulation Game Series, announces the launch of a KickStarter funding project on www.KickStarter.com, to raise funds for development of a brand new modern aircraft combat simulation game about the US Military's new jet fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter.
(Read More...)
10/18/2012
A F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft completed the first in-flight weapons release of a 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from a 5th Generation fighter, Oct. 16. The flight was conducted by U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric "Doc" Schultz. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned an instrumented GBU-31 over the China Lake test range from the left internal weapons bay.
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10/18/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a $34.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for follow-on production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-10, GBU-12 and GBU-16 guidance kits. With this contract, Lockheed Martin received the majority share of a $56 million paveway II Plus LGB procurement. Production is expected to begin in early 2014. The contract is part of an overall $475 million five-year.
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10/18/2012
Lockheed Martin marked the completion of the first F-35 Lightning II Full Mission Simulators (FMS) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Ariz. The air station will be home to the first operational Marine Corps F-35 squadrons worldwide. Two of six planned Joint Strike Fighter FMS systems have been installed on site. The FMS installation and software completion will allow pilot familiarization and transition scenarios to begin later this year.
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10/17/2012
The Air Force has not had a permanent senior acquisition executive in more than three years. The job of assistant secretary for acquisition remains vacant, and likely will stay that way until a new administration takes charge next year.But that hasn't stopped the Air Force's massive weapons industrial complex from accomplishing a sweeping reorganization over the past year. Twelve major bureaucracies that oversaw weapons programs have been consolidated into five.
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10/17/2012
Northrop Grumman Corporation hosted a special event to honor the 40th anniversary of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) radar, one of the company's longest-running programs and a vital part of the premier air battle command and control aircraft in the world.
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10/17/2012
Turkish tanks are deployed on hilltops overlooking Syria and additional combat aircraft have been moved to bases close to that war-torn country in an escalation that began Oct. 3, when a Syrian artillery round landed in the border town of Akcakale, killing five Turkish civilians.
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10/17/2012
Airbus Military has successfully performed simulated air-to-air refuelling (AAR) of the new generation A400M airlifter from a C-160 Transall tanker of the French Air Force. The two aircraft conducted 20 "dry contacts", in which no fuel is passed, including one lasting 12 minutes - representative of a normal refuelling operation. It is expected that "wet contacts" will take place in the first quarter of next year.
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10/17/2012
Facing Nato member Bulgaria’s continuing shortcoming in fighter jets, Defence Minister Anyu Angelov has revived moves for the country to spend about $400 million on multi-role fighters to take the place of outmoded Soviet-era combat aircraft. The saga of Bulgaria’s attempts to acquire fighter jets dates back more than a decade and has seen several twists and turns in what has been largely a competition between US F16s and Sweden’s Gripen multi-role fighters.
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10/17/2012
A senior Iranian military official claimed Tuesday that Iranian-made surveillance drones have made dozens of apparently undetected flights into Israeli airspace from Lebanon in recent years to probe air defenses and collect reconnaissance data. An Israeli official rejected the account.
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10/17/2012
Israel has known for six years that Hamas is holding anti-aircraft missiles in the Gaza Strip. Last week, the reports were proven true, when a “Strela” shoulder-fired missile was launched at an [Israeli] aircraft during an Air Force operation in the southern Gaza Strip.
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10/17/2012
India is cutting its order for a fifth-generation stealth fighter being developed jointly with Russia by a third, India's Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told India Strategic. India's Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL) is to build the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), a derivative of the Sukhoi T-50, in India. The two nations signed a 50/50 joint venture to build the aircraft in December 2011.
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10/17/2012
Boeing this week begins assembling the first refueling boom for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft in the KC-46 Boom Assembly Center that opened today at Boeing Field in Seattle.
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10/16/2012
Throughout this year, as fighting intensified in Syria and antigovernment fighters grew in numbers and in strength, it had seemed inevitable that they would acquire heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles and turn them against the Syrian military aircraft. This blog had documented the part-by-part appearance in rebel hands of one old heat-seeking system, known as the SA-7. Since midsummer there have been occasional sightings of full systems but none, as far as we know.
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10/16/2012
A Yemeni jet fighter crashed immediately after takeoff during a training mission on Monday, killing its pilot, Yemen's Defense Ministry said. The ministry's online newspaper said the Russian-made MiG-21 aircraft crashed inside al-Annad air base in the southern province of Lahj due to technical failure.
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10/16/2012
In the past, there was a tradition in the U.S. military to paint pin-ups on aircraft. Today, that tradition lives on in Japan. But there's an important difference: they're not cheesecake pin-ups. They're anime girls. The annual festival at the Japanese Self Defense Force's Kisarazu base allowed visitors to check out the aircraft and vehicles.
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10/16/2012
Air Force CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor — a hybrid warplane that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like an airplane — crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing four people on board. When Brig. Gen. Don Harvel, the lead accident investigator, concluded that engine failure might have been to blame for the Osprey’s loss, he was overruled by a superior officer who Harvel says was eager to protect the military’s $36 billion investment in the controversial V-22.
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10/16/2012
Iran has flexed its military might by showing off what it claims is a new "indigenous" reconnaissance drone capable of reaching Israel and launching a series of anti-warship missiles in the Persian Gulf. In what appears to be a reaction to the recent naval exercise in the region by the US and its allies, Iran's elite revolutionary guards have unveiled an unmanned aerial vehicle, called Shahed-129.
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10/16/2012
As the West debates military intervention in Syria, a former Syrian general says a single U.S. aircraft carrier and U.S. combat jets based in neighboring Turkey would be enough to control a 75-mile-deep northern no-fly zone for anti-regime rebels. Retired Brig. Gen. Akil Hashem, a supporter of the Free Syrian Army and a staunch advocate of Western intervention, calls the embattled regime of President Bashar al-Assad "a paper tiger."
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10/16/2012
Turkey has banned all Syrian aircraft from its air space as it takes an increasingly firm stance against President Bashar al-Assad, while Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had made more gains in a key province near the Turkish border.
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10/16/2012
China has begun flight training on its first aircraft carrier, with photographs posted on websites Monday showing navy pilots practicing touch-and-go landing exercises. Military enthusiast websites posted pictures of a J-15 fighter-bomber executing the maneuver, in which the plane makes brief contact with the flight deck before flying on. It wasn’t clear when the pictures were taken, and they did not appear on the Defense Ministry’s website or in official media.
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10/16/2012
The Russian Navy's Northern Fleet is carrying out flight tests and warfare trials of its modified Kamov Ka-27M anti-submarine helicopter from large destroyers, the fleet's spokesman, Captain Vadim Serga, said on Monday. "The modernized Ka-27M (NATO codename Helix) is completing deck landings on a ship as well as trials of its main systems," he said.
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10/16/2012
CAE has won a contract to design and manufacture a KC-130J full-mission simulator for the Kuwait Air Force. The contract was awarded to CAE USA under the United States foreign military sale (FMS) programme. Under terms of the contract, CAE USA will design and manufacture a KC-130J full-mission simulator that will be delivered in 2015 to Al Mubarak Air Base near Kuwait International Airport.
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10/15/2012
New evidence has emerged that the Syrian air force has used cluster munitions in recent days, Human Rights Watch said today. Many of the strikes were near the main highway that runs through Ma'arat al-Nu'man, the site of a major confrontation between government and rebel forces this week.
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10/15/2012
The Israel Air Force (IAF) on Sunday grounded all fighter jet squadrons after a midair near-collision last week capped a series of serious accidents over the last year. IAF chief Maj Gen Amir Eshel imposed the order after two aircraft almost collided on Thursday, Xinhua reported citing Israel Radio. Investigators said the two planes exceeded the mandatory "safety envelope" during manoeuvres.
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10/15/2012
srael’s shooting down of an unmanned pilotless aircraft on Shabbos October 6, 2012 was covered by the international media, albeit lacking some of the details surrounding the event.
At about 10:00 on shabbos morning, the Patriot missile battery detection system in the Haifa area detected the unidentified aircraft over the Mediterranean in the Gaza area, heading into Israel.
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10/15/2012
Turkey’s foreign minister announced on Sunday a ban on all Syrian aircraft entering his country’s airspace, days after the authorities discovered what they said were Russian military munitions on board a passenger plane bound for Damascus. The announcement followed Syria’s ban on Turkish aircraft a day earlier and became the latest volley in an increasingly aggressive dispute between the two neighbors over Syria’s devastating civil war.
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10/15/2012
The Indian Air Force expects to complete 75% of its modernization in another decade and raise four more squadrons of Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighters in the near future. AF chief, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne told journalists that the acquisition process of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) was on track and would be finalized by the March 31, 2013.
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10/15/2012
French observers will conduct inspection flights over Russia and Belarus under the Open Skies Treaty, while Russian inspectors will do the same over the territory of Norway, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. “In the period from October 15 to 20, a French mission will conduct a surveillance flight on board of a C-130H surveillance aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies.
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10/14/2012
The U.S. Air Force is delaying the planned transfer of F-22 fighters from a New Mexico base because of a defense spending freeze. Aircraft and personnel assigned to the 7th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base were scheduled to move to Tyndall Air Force Base next spring, bringing hundreds of jobs to Bay County. But without a final defense appropriation and authorization bill, operations have come to a stalemate.
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10/14/2012
Turkey has scrambled fighter jets to its border with Syria for the first time since warning its neighbour that escalating tensions could lead to war. The Turkish jets fired no shots, but their response to a Syrian aircraft flying close to the frontier on Friday is being interpreted as a sign that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be prepared to enforce a de facto no-fly zone inside Syrian airspace.
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10/13/2012
On Oct. 12, the F-15 Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force celebrates its 10-year anniversary. The members of the unit, many of whom were there at the inception, recalled the major accomplishments and changes they’ve seen after 10 years.
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10/13/2012
Turkey will send more military aircraft and tanks to its border with Syria, local media report, as the rift between the two countries keeps growing after Turkish jet fighters forced a Syrian passenger plane to land in Ankara. The Turkish Air Force will transfer 15 fighter jets to Diyarbakir, near the Syrian border in the south-east of the country, the Hurriyet daily reported on Friday, citing government sources.
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10/13/2012
In the future, the military can expect to have unmanned aerial vehicles that are faster, stealthier and lighter, with longer endurance and can hold heavier payloads. “[There will be] more focus on making systems that are stealthier, so they can’t be detected as easily by the enemies, [and] more autonomous so they can operate more on their own. So, if they lose [a] communication link with the headquarters, they can continue to do their mission.
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10/13/2012
India and Russia gave the green light on Friday to a joint project to develop a Military Transport Aircraft, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (OAK) said after the signing ceremony in New Delhi. “A contract was signed by the client, the joint Indian-Russian MTAL venture, and the contractors, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation Transport Planes (OAK-TS),” OAK said.
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10/13/2012
Iraq has agreed to buy 28 Czech-made military airplanes in a deal worth $1 billion (€775 million), part of a broader effort by Baghdad to rebuild military capabilities destroyed during the U.S.-led invasion of the country, officials said Friday.
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10/13/2012
A Russian amphibious antisubmarine warfare aircraft in service with the Black Sea Fleet crashed on Friday in Ukraine killing three and injuring one crewmember, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Beriyev Be-12 Mail plane crashed during landing at the Kacha airfield, 50 kilometers from the Russian naval base in Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula.
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10/13/2012
Russia's foreign minister said on Friday that a Moscow-Damascus passenger airliner forced to land in Turkey over suspicions it had weapons on board was legally carrying Russian radar parts. Turkish F-16 fighter jets forced down the Syrian Air Airbus A320 some three hours after it had taken off from Moscow's Vnukovo international airport late on Wednesday.
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10/12/2012
A plane intercepted by Turkish fighter jets on its way from Moscow to Damascus was carrying equipment and ammunition destined for the Syrian Defense Ministry, Turkey’s prime minister said Thursday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments follow a fierce denial by Syria that anything illegal had been aboard the Airbus A320 that was forced by Turkey to land in Ankara late Wednesday. Syria, whose relations with neighboring Turkey have plummeted over the Syrian war, branded it an act of piracy.
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10/12/2012
South Korea has awarded three contracts to Lockheed Martin to support its supply chain needs for aircraft operated by its navy and air force. The contracts have an annual ceiling value of $2 million and are funded incrementally by the government, Lockheed Martin said. No details were disclosed on the length of the supply chain support awards.
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10/12/2012
The Royal Thai Air Force now has two new, rather strange-looking, aircraft. At first glance they look like ordinary small passenger planes with turboprop engines. If you take a closer look, however, you will see that each is equipped with a long box-like container on the top of the fuselage. The aircraft, the Saab AEW from Sweden, is an early warning aircraft and the box-like container holds its radar system.
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10/12/2012
In the sky above the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the future of Marine aviation punched through the warm Florida air Oct. 2. F-35B Joint Strike Fighters with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 from Eglin conducted the first air-to-air refuel of an operational aircraft in the program’s history. Previous aerial refueling operations with the F-35 had been conducted with test aircraft.
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10/12/2012
The leader of Lebanese Shia militant movement Hezbollah has said that his group was behind the launch of a drone shot down over Israel last week. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told the movement's al-Manar television network that the drone was made in Iran and had flown over "sensitive sites" in Israel.
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10/12/2012
Sweden has offered eight Saab Gripen fighters to Croatia to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-made MiG-21 combat aircraft, Croatia's defense ministry said Thursday. The offer for a 10-year lease includes a support and training package for Croatian pilots and technicians, plus an unspecified deal with Croatian companies. No financial or other details were released.
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10/12/2012
The Iraqi government intends to buy Czech-made Aero Vodochody L-159 advanced trainer/light-attack jets, Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Thursday in Prague after talks with his Czech counterpart Petr Necas, local TV reported. "Further talks about purchasing the L-159 will take place on Friday between the Iraqi and Czech defense ministries," he said. Talks about an L-159 purchase between Baghdad and Prague have been underway for at least three years.
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10/11/2012
My fascination with weapons technology has grown over the years. Sometimes I can’t believe, my own fascination with planes and the military technology. Where it began? Probably when I was a kid, living in Upland, California, near Mt. Baldy just South of the airport. It was a fun time to be growing up. Occasionally, we would bike on up to the airport to see the planes take off and land.
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10/11/2012
The Russian AN-70 military transport STOL aircraft will undergo three test flights after the completion of works on deep upgrading of its airborne equipment. Within the process of the trials, the new and upgraded systems of the aircraft including engine, propfans, aircraft and wing high-lift devices control systems as well as crew environmental control system were checked.
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10/11/2012
India will begin production of an export variant of Russian plane-maker Sukhoi's T-50 stealth fighter from 2020, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday during a visit to Delhi. "The technical characteristics have been confirmed to our (Russia and India) defense ministries. We propose serial production of the plane should start by 2020," he said, following the meeting of an Indian-Russian intergovernmental commission.
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10/11/2012
Turkey has issued a permission for a Syrian-bound passenger aircraft, which it earlier forced to land in Ankara, to resume its course, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told local television. On Wednesday, Turkish F-16 fighter jets forced down the Airbus A320, which was flying from Moscow to Damascus, over suspicions it has prohibited cargo on board.
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10/11/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has been awarded three new contracts to support the supply chain needs of the Republic of Korea Air Force and Navy. Under the terms of the basic ordering agreements, Lockheed Martin will provide spare material and repair of military hardware for the Republic of Korea’s fleet of F-16s and P-3 military aircraft. The company has also provided these same services for the C-130 for nearly 13 years.
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10/11/2012
Boeing will continue assuring the worldwide availability of C-17 aircraft, which provide vital military and humanitarian airlift capability, through a $2 billion follow-on contract it recently received from the U.S. Department of Defense.
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10/10/2012
Defence ties have clearly been the engine of India-Russia bilateral relationship for over half a century now. The same engine is set to be roaring once again when Russian President Vladimir Putin undertakes a visit to India this month-end. The two countries are going to sign numerous agreements – at least half a dozen, according to knowledgeable sources – and one of these is going to be a $3.77 billion deal for the supply of 40 SU-30MKI Russian fighter aircraft to India.
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10/10/2012
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) received and refueled an MV-22 Osprey, a potential replacement for the C-2 Greyhound, for the first time Oct. 6. The Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165, was the first from (VMM) 165 to make a carrier-based landing and was part of an on-going initiative from the Joint Program Manager Air (PMA) 275 office to increase the number of available platforms.
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10/10/2012
Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo on Tuesday and urged him to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from the densely-populated Ginowan city in the prefecture as early as possible.
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10/10/2012
The European Defence Agency's (EDA's) helicopter training programme has concluded its second multinational exercise this year, with its "Green Blade" manoeuvres having run between 18 September and 5 October in Belgium.
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10/10/2012
Russia will deliver attack helicopters and mobile air-defense systems to Iraq in arms deals worth $4.2 billion signed earlier this year, it was disclosed today during a visit to Moscow by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in which he met his counterpart Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
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10/10/2012
The Office of Naval Research has awarded a $13.5 million contract to an industry team led by Lockheed Martin to explore highly advanced autonomous technologies aboard an unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
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10/10/2012
Boeing and Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD) will broaden their cooperative relationship to include rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and military aircraft maintenance and support through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on Oct. 4.
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10/10/2012
Boeing has named Chris Smith vice president and managing director for its defense business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to further strengthen customer relationships and establish new in-country partnerships. Smith will be based in Riyadh and focus on ensuring that the best of Boeing and industry are brought to support the Kingdom's defense and security needs. He will report to Chris Raymond, vice president of Business Development and Strategy for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS).
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10/09/2012
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne told India Strategic in an interview on IAF’s 80th Anniversary that all these aircraft would be single seaters, the same which the Russian Air Force will have but some components like onboard computers and systems would be different as in the case of SU 30 MKIs.
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10/09/2012
Strategist Edward Luttwak likens warships to “black boxes” during peacetime strategic competition. Without peering inside, outsiders have a hard time judging how well designed, maintained, and operated a ship is. Combat clarifies a ship’s fitness by the most stringent standard possible, but battles are infrequent. The U.S. Navy’s last major fleet engagement, for example, took place at Leyte Gulf in October 1944.
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10/09/2012
Aircraft noise on the flight line aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., is not the only thing heard across the air station. Construction on a new MV-22B "Osprey" hangar, an addition to an existing CH-53E "Super Stallion" hangar and work on taxi ways and aircraft parking areas, known as aprons, are all underway.
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10/09/2012
A Sudanese military transport plane crashed near the country's capital on Sunday morning, killing fifteen people and injuring the seven survivors, a military spokesman said on Monday. It follows a deadly plane crash in the southern region of Sudan in August. The Antonov An-12, which was carrying sixteen service members and six crew members, crashed on Sunday morning while attempting to carry out an emergency landing about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) west of Omdurman.
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10/09/2012
The incursion by an unmanned aircraft into Israeli airspace at the weekend exposed the weakness of Israeli air defenses, an Iranian military official was quoted as saying on Monday.
The Israeli air force shot down a drone on Saturday after it crossed into southern Israel, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from.
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10/08/2012
I am more sanguine than most about how the Japanese Self-Defense Forces stack up against China’s People’s Liberation Army. The SDF would acquit itself well in combat if commanders artfully combined all warfighting implements at their disposal, from ships to aircraft to shore-fired missiles. Tokyo has options; it even has advantages.
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10/08/2012
This is with reference to the press conference by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in which he put forward conditions for signing a strategic pact with Pakistan. Afghanistan has already signed two strategic pacts: one was with India, signed in October 2011, which allows it to provide military training to the Afghan army; and the other was with the US, signed in May 2012, and it binds the US to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan till 2024.
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10/08/2012
Another male bastion, this time in the air, has gone to women. For the first time ever, the Indian Air Force is preparing two of its women pilots for combat roles. Flight Lieutenants Alka Shukla and M P Shumathi were trained at the Yelahanka station in flying twin-engine Mi-8, a utility and medium-size assault helicopter. Both pilots are at their operational units where they will continue with their armament and special heli-operations training.
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10/08/2012
This is the Rudra - one of the modern fighter aircraft produced at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Hal), India's oldest and largest aircraft manufacturer. The helicopter has been fitted with technology including laser rangefinder and thermal vision to enable the detection of targets in all weather conditions.
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10/08/2012
The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile launched from a warship off the western Goa coast, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) reported on Sunday. The BrahMos missile, a joint development of Russian and Indian specialists, was launched from the guided missile frigate INS Teg built by Russia on order from the Indian Navy. “The missile hit the designated target at a distance of 290 km,” the DRDO said.
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10/08/2012
Inspectors from Britain will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. “In the period from October 8 to 12, a British mission will conduct a surveillance flight on board Swedish SAAB OS-100 surveillance aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies,” the spokesman told journalists.
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10/07/2012
For nearly four decades, the F-16 has ruled the skies in the international market for fighter jet sales, a money-making flying machine for Lockheed Martin and its predecessor, General Dynamics. Now a number of nations are planning to spend billions to upgrade their fleets of older F-16s with modern "avionics," digital electronic controls, communications and combat systems.
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10/07/2012
Be careful how you use a laser pointer. Operating the device in a malicious manner could land you in some serious trouble. According to the FBI, laser attacks have reached "epidemic levels." Since 2005, incidents involving laser pointers has risen 1,100 percent and they're predicting that 3,700 incidents would occur by the end of the year.
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10/07/2012
Denmark’s center-left minority coalition has come under renewed fire from rankled industry chiefs, who claim the government has not done enough to help local companies win more systems and component contracts from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development program.
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10/07/2012
The US Marine Corps completed the deployment of 12 Osprey transport aircraft in Okinawa on Saturday amid strong public opposition, NHK TV reported. Three tilt rotor Ospreys arrived at the US Futenma Air Station hours after leaving a US air base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. As nine Ospreys flew to Futenma on Monday and Tuesday, the US Marines now have all of their planned 12 aircraft deployed in Okinawa.
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10/07/2012
The Israeli air force has shot down a small unmanned aircraft after it entered the south of the country, the military has said. Troops are searching for remains of the aircraft in the north of the Negev desert. It is not clear where it came from. Local media quoted officials as saying the aircraft flew in from the west, but not from the Gaza Strip. It was intercepted at around 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
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10/06/2012
U.S. military flight tests have shown how drones could handle midair refueling by themselves, without human pilots. That raises the possibility of automated "flying gas stations" topping off robotic aircraft over future battlefields.
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10/06/2012
The Department of Defense issued the following ministerial media release:
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today welcomed three United States Navy (USN) EA-18G Growler aircraft to RAAF Base Amberley.
In August, the Government announced that it had decided to acquire the Growler electronic warfare capability for the Super Hornet at a cost of around $1.5 billion.
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10/06/2012
The IAF is all set to raise four more squadrons of Su-30 MKI fighter in the near future as it prepares to induct the tenth unit of the aircraft in Punjab along the Pakistan border. Codenamed 'Flying Lancers', the process to set up the new Number-15 squadron will be initiated in December and will be fully operational by middle of the next year, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said.
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10/06/2012
Dassault and Thales announced delivery of the first production Rafale to carry the Thales RBE2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The companies noted that the aircraft, production number C137 for the French Air Force, is the first AESA-equipped European combat aircraft to enter service. The development was completed on time and budget, they added.
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10/06/2012
JSC Irkut Corporation has handed over the first batch of six Yak-130 combat trainers to the Russian Air Force. Pilots of Borisoglebsk training center completed transported the three aircraft from Irkutsk aviation plant to the base aerodrome in Borisoglebsk city. According to the terms of the contract signed in 2011, the Russian AIr Force will recieve 55 Yak-130 combat trainers delivery by 2015.
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10/06/2012
Russian and Central Asian military pilots are carrying out joint exercises to repel missile strikes over Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Russian Defense Ministry Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Deryabin said on Friday. The Clear Sky 2012 military exercises get underway on Friday and run through October 16, with planned scenarios including intercepting cruise missile attack.
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10/06/2012
The U.S. Army has awarded Boeing a five-year Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract for CH-47 Chinook support, an arrangement that reduces customer costs while allowing Boeing to invest in improving products and processes. The $185 million contract covers management of the production, overhaul and distribution of the Army's supply of Chinook helicopter rotor blades.
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10/05/2012
Russia snubbed India as it postponed Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's visit to New Delhi as the dates are clashing with Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani's visit to Moscow starting from October 5.Apparently, Moscow has conveyed to New Delhi that the meeting of annual India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), which was to be held on Thursday.
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10/05/2012
Saab's Gripen F test aircraft touched down in Emmen, Switzerland, on 3 October, as part of a campaign to sell 22 of the new-generation combat aircraft to the nation's air force. Accompanied on its 2h journey from Linköping in Sweden by a twin-seat Gripen D, the next-generation development aircraft will remain in Switzerland for 10 days. During this time it will be shown to personnel from the nation's defence committees and also appear at the Axalp air show on 10-11 October.
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10/05/2012
Pilots, maintainers and analysts from the Republic of Korea Army, Test and Evaluation Group, and the Boeing Company received guided tours and operational briefings from the 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, Sept. 24-25. The South Korean government is currently looking at several attack helicopter platforms for purchase that would improve their ability to meet current and future threats in the Pacific region.
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10/05/2012
Military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation is upping the ante in Malaysia with the hopes of supplying its combat aircraft Rafale to the Government, which considering to retire the ageing fleet of Russian made MIG-29N under the Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme.
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10/05/2012
Six of the RAAF's now retired F-111 strike bombers, affectionately referred to as "pigs", are set to go on display at aircraft museums and historical organisations across Australia. Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said these aircraft, which retired in 2010, would be loaned out to help preserve an important part of Australia's military heritage.
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10/05/2012
Russia’s Irkut aircraft-manufacturing plant delivered the first six Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainers to the Russian Air Force on Thursday, a spokesman for the Western Military District said. “On October 4, the first batch of Yak-130 combat trainers fly from the Irkut plant to the Borisoglebsk airfield [Voronezh region] after an extensive flight testing program,” Col. Andrei Bobrun said.
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10/05/2012
Russia's Defense Ministry on Thursday signed a contract worth about 140 billion rubles ($4 billion) to buy 39 IL-476 transport planes, President Vladimir Putin announced. "This is the first, essentially new plane, that Russia's aviation industry has produced in the past 21 years" President Putin said "I am confident that this plane will enjoy great demand here, and among our possible partners abroad."
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10/04/2012
The Taliban have claimed credit for the downing of a NATO helicopter but international forces denied the allegation. The NATO Boeing CH-47D Chinook twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift military transport helicopter crashed Monday Zabul province in southern Afghanistan. The Taliban stated that, in addition to downing the helicopter, all aboard were killed.
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
Years before F-22 pilots began getting dizzy in the cockpit, before one struggled to breathe as he tried to pull out of a fatal crash, before two more went on television to say the plane was so unsafe they refused to fly it, a small circle of Air Force experts knew something was wrong with the prized stealth fighter jet.
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10/04/2012
The Syrian government's army has been driven out of many areas in this province, a stronghold of the opposition forces arrayed against Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Even so, it would be a mistake to call this a liberated zone. Unable to make much headway on the ground, the Syrian air force is hitting back with increasing ferocity, dropping bombs from planes and helicopters and chasing the civilians who are trying to get out of the war.
(Read More...)
10/04/2012
On Tuesday, two Saudi F-15 fighter planes intercepted “an unidentified aircraft coming from the Horn of Africa [and] flying at a low level,” according to Saudi Arabian Arabic website, Jazan News. The Saudi website didn’t mention its sources and did not provide additional details but said the authorities will treat the matter as “the situation requires.”
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10/04/2012
A Taiwanese pilot died yesterday morning after his Mirage 2000-5F crashed in France. The pilot, identified as Wang Tung-yi was on a training exchange program at the BA 116 airforce base in Luxeuil-les-Bains, Haute-Saone, and his aircraft crashed north of Luxeuil, near the Froideconche community soon after takeoff at 10:05am, French military officials told media.
(Read More...)
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10/04/2012
The Army is refining an initial capabilities document for a new fixed-wing utility aircraft that is designed to replace more than 112 airframes with a common platform. The new platform should be able to perform a range of key mission sets and services, officials said.
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10/03/2012
Dassault and its industry partners on the Rafale combat aircraft have achieved a significant programme milestone with the delivery of the first production example to feature an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Handed over to France's DGA defence procurement agency at Dassault's Merignac assembly site on 2 October, single-seat aircraft C137 will enter French air force service with the Thales RBE2 radar.
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10/03/2012
Concerned over recurring problems in MiG-27 combat aircraft engines, Indian Air Force is planning to phase out these Russian-origin planes by 2017. IAF operates about 80 (four squadrons) of these aircraft in its fleet and due to the recurring problems in their engines, it had to ground all of them after a crash about two years ago.
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10/03/2012
Israel and China have been renewing military ties in recent months after a lengthy chill caused by hefty Israeli arms deals that the United States shot down. The upswing in relations between the defense establishments has raised eyebrows in Washington, which views China's expansion in the Pacific with growing concern. Israel once seemed set to be a major arms supplier to China.
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10/03/2012
In a joint venture between Russia and Ukraine, the An-70 military transport aircraft has been flight tested after two years in development. The An-70 is certain to add to the competition between heavy airlift aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules and A400M aircraft. The An-70 can carry 47 tons for 1350 kilometers while C130J can take up 20 tons and the A400M with 37 tons.
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10/03/2012
Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc., an aerospace/defense services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aircraft maintenance, and other aerospace/defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries, is pleased to announce that it has closed the acquisition of Northrop TF5-1 Corp. ("Northrop"), a military aircraft holding company, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TADF.
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10/03/2012
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has announced that a previously planned order for 26 new military helicopters will be expanded to a roughly 70-aircraft deal. Defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak should launch the new process early this month, clearing the way for technical consultations to start with bidding manufacturers. Contenders are AgustaWestland, Eurocopter with the EC725, PZL Swidnik with the AgustaWestland AW149, and Sikorsky, which is offering the S-70i.
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10/03/2012
The Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) has been working with Défense Conseil International (DCI) and Symbiotics Ltd, to implement a new aircrew pre-selection solution that helps stream potential pilots (fixed and rotary wing) into the QEAF elite flying training programme, whilst improving efficiency of assessment and recruitment programmes.
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10/02/2012
Deputy Royal Malaysian Air Force chief Lt-Gen Datuk Roslan Saad recently tested the nation's next-generation transport aircraft in France. Following the test flight, which took place in Toulouse, the country's second highest ranking military pilot gave the thumbs up to the Airbus Military A400M airlifter, which was recently given the codename Atlas. "It is an enormous pleasure to fly the aircraft that is going to be at the heart of the RMAF's transport capabilities in the future.
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10/02/2012
Minister of National Defence Corneliu Dobritoiu told Agerpres that the 12 multirole combat aircraft Romania is to purchase 'second-hand' from Portugal cost about 120 million euros out of the total of 670 million euros which is the total value of the contract. The difference between the figures goes to logistic support, which 'would have been the same if we had purchased new aircraft,' says the minister.
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10/02/2012
The Eurofighter consortium has moved a step closer to delivering a package of major enhancements for the Typhoon combat aircraft, with test flights having been performed over recent weeks in all four partner nations. Final elements of the P1E(b) upgrade were taken to the air using four instrumented production aircraft, including IPA 7, which was flown by EADS company Cassidian with the modifications in late August.
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10/02/2012
An audit of the Department of Defence’s procurement of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft (JSF) from the United States, has found the project to be progressing slower than expected and costing more, but there were signs it could be improving. In his audit report, Management of Australia’s Air Combat Capability—F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Acquisition, Auditor-General.
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10/02/2012
The United States military sent the first batch of a sophisticated but accident-plagued new aircraft to an air base on Okinawa on Monday, going forward with its planned deployment despite unexpectedly fierce opposition by islanders and warnings that any crash could threaten the huge American military presence on the island.
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10/02/2012
The Russian military will appeal a court ruling that deemed combat jet flights over the city of Chelyabinsk illegal, a spokesman for the Central Military District said on Monday. A regional court earlier on Monday ordered a temporary suspension of flights by Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft from a nearby base, in response to complaints about jet noise when they overfly the city.
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10/02/2012
A regional court in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Monday ordered a temporary suspension of flights by Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft from a nearby base, in response to complaints about jet noise when they overfly the city. “The court has ordered the Defense Ministry and the respective Air Force unit to suspend flights by combat aircraft on the flight path over five residential areas of the city, as these flights are deemed illegal,” the court said in a statement.
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10/02/2012
Inspectors from Turkey and Norway will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. “In the period from October 1 to 5, 2012, a joint group of Turkish and Norwegian inspectors will conduct a surveillance flight on board a CN-235 surveillance aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation under the international Treaty on Open Skies,” a ministry spokesman said.
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10/02/2012
Lockheed Martin received a $218 million contract for three additional HC-130Js for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will increase the U.S. Coast Guard fleet of HC-130Js from six to nine. The contract also includes funding for two mission suites, which are critical in supporting U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operations. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in early 2015.
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10/02/2012
Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract valued up to $1.85 billion by the U.S. Government to initiate the upgrade of 145 Block 20 F-16A/B aircraft for the Republic of China (RoC). This retrofit program will include the addition of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, embedded global positioning, as well as upgrades to the electronic warfare and other avionics systems of Taiwan’s F-16s.
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10/01/2012
For decades, tiny Sweden has developed some of the world’s most innovative and capable fighter aircraft thanks to government investment in native aircraft builder Saab. But as Saab prepares to design the next generation of Gripen fighters, the government appears to be balking at its development cost, estimated to be less than $2 billion.
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10/01/2012
The Department of Defense has honored the partnership between Boeing and Robins Air Force Base that supports the C-17 Globemaster cargo plane. The partnership won the 2012 Secretary of Defense Gerald R. Beck Performance Based Logistics Award in the system level category for global sustainnment of the aircraft, according to a story in Friday’s Robins Rev Up. The C-17 Globemaster III Combined Program Office employs 196 civilians, contractors and military personnel.
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10/01/2012
he indigenous airborne early warning aircraft and the Russian-origin Mi-17 V5 helicopter would be displayed for the first time by IAF at the parade here to mark its 80th anniversary.
"The Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWAC) system aircraft and the Mi-17 V5 would be showcased for the first time at the IAF day parade this year on October 8," IAF officials said here.
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10/01/2012
Cutting edge. That’s how Capt. Michael Whiteford describes the MV-22B Osprey, the plane he pilots in the Marine Corps and the newest aircraft to be added to Marine Corps Aviation.
“It’s something that has never existed before in the history of aviation,” Whiteford said.
Whiteford, the son of a pilot, says he always knew he wanted to fly, but didn’t decide to fly the Osprey until he was in flight school as a Marine.
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10/01/2012
Will the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) being developed in India be equipped with an advanced radar system developed in Israel? The chances for that have increased in the recent days. Sources in India have informed that the Indian Air Force which is acquiring the LCA is interested in having it equipped with an AESA radar. Such a radar has been developed and is being produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries.
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09/30/2012
A Former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence is weighing in on the latest F-35 controversy. Edmonton Centre MP Laurie Hawn is denying a media report that the fighter jet recommendation was missing key information on competing aircraft.
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09/30/2012
A jury on Thursday convicted an employee of a defense contractor for exporting sensitive U.S. military technology to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), stealing military secrets, and making false statements to federal law enforcement, according to a report obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police.
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09/30/2012
The use of drones in warfare is highly controversial. So far Germany has only used unarmed drones but Berlin has now confirmed it was planning to order armed drones starting 2014.
They're remotely piloted and circle over, among other places, the Afghan-Pakistan border areas to spy on terrorists and kill them. The "eye in the sky" as the unmanned aircraft are sometimes called are seen by many as delivering precision strikes without the need for more intrusive military action.
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09/30/2012
Moscow hopes that NATO will be using Russian aircraft for its cargo deliveries to and from Afghanistan via the Ulyanovsk transit base in the Volga area, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said. “There is Volga-Dnepr air carrier company in the Vostochny airport [in Ulyanovsk], which has all types of aircraft capable of safely delivering any kind of cargo to Afghanistan,” Grushko said.
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09/29/2012
On the night of August 12, three Ugandan army Mi-24 helicopter gunships operating under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) umbrella crashed in mysterious circumstances over Mount Kenya. The combat helicopters were en-route to Kismayo to combat the Islamist militants al-Shabaab when the crashes occurred, killing seven crew members and leaving twenty-one injured.
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09/29/2012
Emboldened by the successful export of the Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, the Russian Air Force gave the green signal for the testing of the Sukhoi Su-30 SM at the Irkutsk aircraft factory’s airfield in Siberia. Several thousand kilometres to the West, in the city of Ulyanovsk, the Ilyushin Il-76 MD-90A made its first flight. This is the first Russian made Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft and a significantly more modernised version in comparison to its Soviet predecessors.
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09/29/2012
The U.S. Air Force is expanding pilot training for Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter over objections from the Pentagon’s top weapons tester that the move increases the danger of a “serious mishap.”
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09/29/2012
The U.S. military is facing increased resistance from Japanese people over its plan to deploy the controversial Osprey transport aircraft at a U.S. Marine Corps base in Japan's Okinawa prefecture, despite the Pentagon reaching an agreement with the Japanese government.
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09/29/2012
Poland plans to spend $3 billion on multirole military helicopters for its armed forces in the near future, local paper Rzeczpospolita reported on Friday, with a new competition replacing an earlier tender. The main candidates for the deal are America's Sikorsky offering its S-70 Blackhawk, Franco-German Eurocopter, and AgustaWestland with its AW149.
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09/28/2012
Romania plans to procure 12 used F-16 jet fighter aircraft from Portugal in a five year contract worth $600 million. Corneliu Dobritoiu, Romanian Defense Minister, said, “We shall come up with a decision draft within CSAT. We are competing, with the Bulgarians. Referring to the acquisition, I assure you, all Romania's citizens and the EU partners included, that Romania observes absolutely all EU directives for this acquisition, to the letter”.
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09/28/2012
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates worldwide military spending will reach $1.7 trillion in 2012, an increase of over 12% from 2011. The United States represents over 40% of all global military spending, with planned investments of over $700 billion, followed by China, Russia, the UK, and France.
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09/28/2012
The Super Tucano, a reliable fighter known for its counter-insurgency abilities and low price, will replace the Indonesian Air Force’s grounded fleet of ageing OV-10 Broncos. The Indonesian government bought two packages of eight planes each from Brazilian plane-maker Embraer for 143 million dollars per package, Air Force deputy chief of staff Air Marshall Dede Rusamsi said.
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09/28/2012
U.S. Air Force and Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) engineers began operational testing of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J), which adds radar-jamming capability to the modular, air-launched, and programmable MALD flight vehicle platform.
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09/28/2012
India will mount a homemade active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on the Light Combat Aircraft Mark-2, Indian Air Force sources said. However the LCA is nearly 15 years behind schedule, and the Mark-2 prototype is not expected to fly until 2013. India’s Defence Research and Development Organization is developing the AESA radar for the LCA-Mark-2, sources said. They did not reveal to what extent it will indigenous, but said overseas help will be sought for the radar’s completion.
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09/28/2012
Years before F-22 pilots began getting dizzy in the cockpit, before one struggled to breathe as he tried to pull out of a fatal crash, before two more went on television to say the plane was so unsafe they refused to fly it, a small circle of Air Force experts knew something was wrong with the prized stealth fighter jet.
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09/28/2012
An upgraded Antonov An-70 propfan tactical transport aircraft carried out a test flight on Thursday after a two-year delay, the company's president Dmytro Kyva announced. He said the 32-minute flight at Ukraine's Aviasvit-XXI international airshow had been a success, and called this "the main event of the airshow."
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09/28/2012
Two reserve pilots from the Russian aerobatic team The Swifts stepped down following a recent scandal that cost their commander's job, a source in the group told RIA Novosti on Thursday. One of the pilots resigned in protest of the commander’s discharge, which followed extortion allegations, the source said, while the other quit because the pilots were recently given odd jobs such as guard duty.
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09/28/2012
The 20th Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was delivered today to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to support F-35 pilot and maintainer training taking place on the Emerald Coast. BF-15, piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Mike Rountree, left Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at 10:39 a.m. CDT en route for a 90 minute ferry flight to Eglin.
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09/27/2012
Deputy Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Lieutenant General Datuk Roslan Saad, has given the Airbus Military A400M his thumbs up following his test flight of the new generation airlifter in Toulouse, France, recently. "It was an enormous pleasure to fly the aircraft that it is going to be at the heart of the RMAF´s transport capabilities in future.
(Read More...)
09/27/2012
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress September 21 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Mexico for two C-130J-30 aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $412 million.
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09/27/2012
The newest addition to the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community, the P-8A Poseidon, took flight for its very first detachment by a fleet squadron during a visit to the Boeing facilities in Seattle, Wash. Sept. 14.
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09/27/2012
Shrinking space budgets don't stop the U.S. military from dreaming about space planes or rockets capable of flying back and landing on their own. Reusable launch vehicles capable of soaring into space and returning by flying through Earth's atmosphere like airplanes could potentially save millions on expensive launches that typically cost thousands of dollars per pound — especially if they fly frequently.
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09/27/2012
The UK has spent more than £2bn on buying and developing military drones over the past five years and is poised to commit an extra £2bn for another new unmanned aircraft, according to a report. The figures show how the Ministry of Defence has poured money into buying and researching a variety of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) as armed forces chiefs recognise their potential value in modern warfare.
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09/27/2012
India will raise its eighth squadron of Sukhoi SU-30 MKI frontline combat planes in December this year and it will be based at Sirsa in Haryana, just 150 km from the border with Pakistan and which had acted as a forward airbase during the 1971 war.
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09/27/2012
EADS North America has begun its voluntary flight demonstration (VFD) for the Army's Armed Aerial Scout helicopter program, flying two aircraft at a high-altitude test site for a series of demonstrations that will showcase the superior performance of the company's AAS-72X+ offering.
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09/27/2012
Russian Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev on Wednesday banned all training exercises over motorways at super low altitudes. The reaction comes after video footage was posted on the Internet earlier this month showing a Su-24 warplane flying just a few meters above the M21 highway in southern Russia and then an Mi-8 helicopter gunship doing the same in the Russian Urals region.
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09/27/2012
The Russian Air Force will accept into service in 2013 the new Raduga Kh-101 cruise missile, capable of delivering precision strikes with a conventional warhead at long-distance, an Air Force source told Izvestia on Wednesday. The new missile, currently being flight-tested, will be able to hit targets with an accuracy of just 30 feet (10 meters) at ranges of up to 6,000 miles (10,000 km), giving Long-Range Aviation its first precision-strike long-range weapon, the paper says.
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09/26/2012
The Finnish Air Force is currently outfitting a top-secret surveillance aircraft with a capability of eavesdropping on communications by the armies of neighbouring countries. The new plane is being tested by the Finnish Intelligence Research Establishment, which is not commenting on anything related to the project.
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09/26/2012
The U.S. Air Force is pushing to more than double the life of its stalwart F-15 Eagles with a series of upgrades. "About two and a half years ago, the U.S. Air Force wanted fatigue tests on C models," says Brad Jones, F-15 mission systems director for Boeing, which makes the aircraft. As the F-15 fleet aircraft approached their life expectancies for total flight hours, the Air Force wanted see how far the service could delay fleet retirements, Jones said during a recent briefing with reporters.
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09/26/2012
Pro Flight X65F Control System is the latest Saitek X series controller which enables flight simulators to "force sense" – the stick responds to pressure but does not move, just like in the real world modern fighter jets. Pro Flight X65F Control System enables simulators to rule the sky. The product is custom-made from high grade metal castings and is therefore built to withstand many combat engagements.
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09/26/2012
Alenia Aermacchi has shipped the rear fuselage and left wing for the first Tranche 3A example of the Eurofighter combat aircraft to industrial partner BAE Systems' Warton final assembly site in Lancashire, the UK. Pictured before leaving the Italian company's Caselle plant near Turin in late September, the parts will be mated with UK Royal Air Force Typhoon BS116.
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09/26/2012
Two F-22 Raptor fighter jets intercepted two other planes that had entered restricted airspace over the United Nations General Assembly in separate incidents today, the military said. The two unidentified planes entered temporarily restricted airspace over the international diplomatic headquarters where President Obama spoke and were later intercepted over central New Jersey, according to the North Atlantic Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
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09/26/2012
A second Sukhoi Su-30SM advanced multirole fighter successfully carried out its maiden test flight on Monday, the manufacturer said. The first Su-30SM made its first flight on September 21 as part of a comprehensive testing program for the aircraft that has been upgraded for the Russian Air Force.
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09/26/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry is to base MiG-31 long-range interceptors at the Rogachyovo Arctic base on the island of Novaya Zemlya by the end of the year to defend against attack from the north, Izvestia reported on Tuesday quoting military sources.
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09/26/2012
Lockheed Martin recently conducted two separate DAGR® missile flight tests, successfully firing the missiles from a prototype pedestal launcher and hitting a stationary target. The tests, which took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., demonstrated DAGR’s capability as a ground-based weapon. In each flight test, an inert DAGR missile locked onto the laser spot illuminating the target before launch.
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09/26/2012
Boeing recently received a $22.7 million modification to an existing U.S. Navy contract for more than 2,300 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (Laser JDAM) sensors, starting full-rate production to meet the Navy’s Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (DAMTC) program requirement.
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09/25/2012
Northrop Grumman has received a competitive prototyping contract from the Boeing Company for developing an embedded global positioning/inertial navigation system (EGI) on behalf of the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
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09/25/2012
Iran successfully tested a domestically made anti-aircraft system, its English-language Press TV said on Monday, the latest in a series of military exercises Tehran has trumpeted in the face of hints that its nuclear sites could be attacked. "The mid-range system ... is capable of intercepting targets at a range of 50 km (30 miles) and can fly at an altitude of 75,000 feet," state-run Press TV's website said.
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09/25/2012
On September 21, at the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant – branch of JSC Irkut Corporation (a part of United Aircraft Corporation) Su-30SM fighter, developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau and designed for the Russian Ministry of Defence, performed its maiden flight.
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09/25/2012
The Indian Air Force is planning to buy two second-hand Mirage 2000 combat aircraft to make up for the losses suffered by it in crashes earlier this year. The IAF, which has signed a deal with France for the upgradation of 51 Mirage 2000 aircraft, lost two of these planes in crashes in February and March after which its fleet was reduced to 49.
(Read More...)
09/25/2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged the government to draft a new defense industry modernization program that includes increased private investment and improved social benefits for employees. “This program must be tailored so that enterprises are modernized in parallel with the resolution of these social issues,” Putin said during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
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09/25/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $111 million Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract from the U.S. Army.
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09/25/2012
The U.S. Navy on Sept. 21 awarded Boeing [NYSE: BA] a $1.9 billion contract for 11 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which will take the total fleet to 24 and bolster the service's anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
(Read More...)
09/24/2012
China's first aircraft carrier was handed over Sunday to the navy of the People's Liberation Army, state press said, amid rising tensions over disputed waters in the East and South China Seas. The handover ceremony of the 300-metre (990-foot) ship, a former Soviet carrier called the Varyag, took place in northeast China's port of Dalian after a lengthy refitting by a Chinese shipbuilder, the Global Times reported.
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09/24/2012
More than 130 U.S. military members were invited to demonstrate the air and ground capabilities of American forces as they partnered with the South African air force during the 2012 Africa Aerospace and Defense Exposition here, Sept. 22-23.
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09/24/2012
Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT) ("Elbit Systems") announced today that it was awarded a contract valued at $18.5 million for the establishment of a Mission Training Center (MTC) for fighter aircraft of a Latin American Air Force. The establishment of the MTC will be performed during 2014.
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09/24/2012
Naval expert Li Jie said that China's first aircraft carrier, which is mainly used for experiments and training, will soon enter service, which will mark a significant milestone in China's naval and maritime history. The aircraft carrier will play an important role in China's settlement of islands disputes and defense of its maritime rights and interests.
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09/24/2012
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is considering an offer from Sweden to lease up to 18 JAS39 Gripen fighter jets for its Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme. RMAF chief Tan Sri Rodzali Daud told theSun leasing the Gripens is a cheaper solution considering the huge capital expenditure needed for the procurement of new fighters.
(Read More...)
09/24/2012
A group of Canadian observers will conduct a series of inspection flights over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The flights will be along the route coordinated earlier with Russian specialists, who will be on board of the aircraft monitoring implementation of agreements on the use of technical equipment for the observation,” the statement said.
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09/23/2012
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said the former Soviet republic plans to employ advanced Russian-made fighter jets in as part of attempts to boost its air defense.
“We have a joint air defense system. We talked a lot concerning the air force. I requested support and I have got it. In the near future we will get modern aircraft to put on duty at the border,” RIA Novosti quoted Lukashenko as telling reporters on Friday.
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09/23/2012
Russia is ready to sell Su-30s and other modern fighter jets to African countries, state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Saturday. Delivery contracts with countries such as Uganda, Angola, Ethiopia and others should include personnel training programs and after-sales servicing, Rosoboronexport’s deputy chief Alexander Mikheyev said.
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09/22/2012
China's unveiling of a second low-observable (LO) or stealthy fighter, a Shenyang product possibly designated J-31, followed the same pattern as the revelation of the Chengdu J-20 at the end of 2010: Photos were leaked via the Internet on the eve of a U.S. defense secretary's visit to Beijing. The not-too-subtle message, as the U.S. follows through with its plans to shift air and naval forces to the Pacific region, is that China's own military modernization is not slowing down.
(Read More...)
09/22/2012
Within two days of getting safety clearance of the Japanese government to fly over the country, the first batch of a controversial U.S. military aircraft carried out test flights at an American base in Japan on Friday. Four gray-painted U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft took off from the Marines' Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi prefecture, two each in the morning and afternoon, reports said. No trouble was noticed in the maiden flights, which were on cruise mode.
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09/22/2012
A source close to the BDF says the aircraft were grounded last year because they were considered unsafe for continued use. Among the grounded aircraft are F5 fighter jets and transporters, including the massive C 130 and the Super King Air 200. According to the source, at present, the only aircraft in use are utility helicopters and a small fleet of PC-7 MK2 trainer aircraft that were bought last year.
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09/22/2012
India expects to finalize the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal by March 2013, according to the country's air force chief, N.A.K. Browne. "The negotiations are absolutely on with Dassault Aviation," Browne says. "We hope that at least this financial year [which runs through March 2013], we should be able to finish the negotiations and finalize the deal" for 126 Rafale fighters. After a global competition, the Rafale beat out the other finalist, the Eurofighter Typhoon.
(Read More...)
09/22/2012
The overhauled airfield at the Russian air base in Kyrgyzstan will be able to accommodate Russian strategic bombers in six months, but their deployment in the Central Asian state needs thorough consideration, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. “Technically, we will complete the reconstruction [of the runway at the Kant airbase] in half a year,” Serdyukov told reporters on Friday.
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09/22/2012
The Russian Air Force’s first Su-30SM advanced fighter jet made its first flight on Friday, the manufacturer said. “The flight lasted for two hours and went smoothly,” the Irkut corporation said. The Su-30SM is a specialized version of the thrust-vectoring Su-30MKI for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.
(Read More...)
09/22/2012
Uganda is in talks with Russian state arms export company Rosoboronexport over an option purchase of six more Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter jets, the company's Deputy Director Alexander Mikheyev said on Friday at an arms exhibition in South Africa.
(Read More...)
09/21/2012
Washington has again accused Iran of providing military aid to the Syrian government in its battle against rebel forces and then allowing those same weapons to kill innocent civilians.
The Treasury Department issued a statement Wednesday that Tehran is undertaking "deceptive practices" that allows Damascus to get a hold of ammunition and other equipment "that contribute to the regime's violence against the Syrian people."
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09/21/2012
The U.S. Navy is vowing to keep commercial sea lanes open in the international waters off Iran, despite a view among a small number of critics that Washington’s military muscle may inadvertently stoke tensions with Tehran in the event of a crisis.
(Read More...)
09/21/2012
Indonesia has taken delivery of two Airbus Military C295 transport aircraft ordered in February this year. The aircraft are the first of nine to be delivered to the Indonesian Ministry of Defence under the terms of a contract signed by Airbus Military and PT Dirgantara Indonesia.
(Read More...)
09/21/2012
The government is set to give the Indian Air Force (IAF) more firepower and capabilities during its 80th anniversary year: New combat and heavy-lift helicopters. Authoritative sources told India Strategic (www.indiastrategic.in) that the financial bid for the Boeing Apache AH-64D had been opened mid-September while that of the two helicopters in the heavy-lift competition - the Boeing Chinook CH-47F and the Russian Mi-26 - should be opened before September-end or so.
(Read More...)
09/21/2012
The manufacturing deal has come as a direct result of a parnership between Abu Dhabi’s Tawazun Holding, the strategic investment firm focused on defence and specialised manufacturing, and the dynamics division of Denel, South Africa’s largest defence manufacturer.
(Read More...)
09/20/2012
A Turkish F-4 Phantom warplane which crashed into the Mediterranean on June 22 was shot down by a Syrian air defense missile even though the missile did not directly hit the plane, a report by a military prosecutor said today.
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09/20/2012
A controversial U.S. military aircraft has been granted permission to begin flight operations at an American base in Japan after the Japanese government declared it safe to fly in the country, saying it has found no basis for thinking the transport aircraft is dangerous.
(Read More...)
09/20/2012
Hawker Beechcraft, hoping to bolster its case for the $355 million U.S. Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) contract, has completed a weapons assessment that involved the launch of laser-guided rockets and bombs. The Phase III weapons assessment, at Eglin AFB, Fla., involved more than 265 bombs and rockets and 3,000 rounds from AT-6 .50-caliber guns.
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09/20/2012
The upgrade of UK Ministry of Defence Puma aircraft took a further major step forward when Eurocopter handed over its first Puma Mk2 aircraft to MOD. This upgrade will significantly enhance the aircraft’s performance, mission capability and safety. The first modified aircraft will fly from Oxford into QinetiQ’s Boscombe Down facility where it will support trials.
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09/20/2012
After more than 40 years of service, the Marine Corps retired the aging CH-53D heavy lift helicopter after it completed its final combat operation in Afghanistan last month. The CH-53D Sea Stallion supported the Marine Air Ground Task Force commander by providing assault support transport of heavy equipment, combat troops, and supplies, day or night under all weather conditions during expeditionary, joint, or combined operations.
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09/20/2012
Ahead of high-profile talks in China by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, there was a high-impact leak. Photos emerged of a second Chinese stealth fighter jet — one that had been rumored but never seen before. The J31, as analysts call it, shows how fast China is moving.
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09/20/2012
Russia will set up an aerospace "super-holding" company consisting of missile makers NPO Mashinostroyenie and Tactical Missiles Corporation to develop hypersonic weapon technology, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday. "Initially, we are talking about a big 'super-holding' based on Tactical Missiles Corporation and NPO Mashinostroyenie," said Rogozin, who oversees Russia's military-industrial complex.
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09/20/2012
Some 19 Russian defense companies led by state-owned hi-tech conglomerate Rostechnologii will showcase their products at an arms show in South Africa this week. The Africa Aerospace & Defense arms show is held on September 19-23 at the Waterkloof airbase near Pretoria.
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09/20/2012
Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces will receive the second batch of Pantsir-S air defense systems by November this year, the Defense Ministry said. Pantsir-S is a short-to-medium range combined surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft artillery system designed to protect point and area targets. The Russian military took delivery of the first batch (more than 10 units) in 2011.
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09/19/2012
The Chinese military has leaked first photos of a brand new lightweight fighter with external characteristics that allow the jet fifth-generation attribution. Some pictures suggest it could be used on future Chinese aircraft carriers. Shenyang Aircraft Industry Group (SAC), one of the leading aircraft design and manufacturing corporations of China’s aviation industry, has rolled out a prototype that might eventually become Chinese analogue to America’s F-35.
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09/19/2012
The signing of the Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter aircraft contract propels India to joint developer of the world’s most advanced stealth aircraft. Two significant developments have stirred up the world of military aviation this year. In March, the U.S. Air Force revealed it had started work to field a new Long Range Strike Bomber by the 2020s. This will be first new American strategic bomber to be built after the Cold War.
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09/19/2012
Irkut is to accelerate its delivery schedule under a Russian air force order for 30 Sukhoi Su-30SM strike aircraft, with its first examples now to be handed over before the end of this year. Moscow signed a production deal for the two-seat Su-30SM in March, when Irkut announced that the type would be handed over between 2013 and 2015.
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09/19/2012
Northrop Grumman Corporation and AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, announced that they have signed a comprehensive teaming agreement to respond to anticipated requests for both the new U.S. Air Force Combat Rescue Helicopter and the U.S. Navy’s recently announced program to develop a new “Marine One” presidential helicopter. A U.S.-built helicopter based on the AW101 platform will be offered by Northrop Grumman to meet these requirements.
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09/19/2012
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced the award of the Combat Tempered Platform Demonstration (CTPD) contract from the U.S. Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD). This program will build upon and improve the BLACK HAWK platform's already high operational durability and survivability by developing and integrating a suite of advanced new technologies and establishing their benefits before transitioning them to the platform and eventual use by the nation's soldiers.
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09/19/2012
The F-35 fighter was designed to be the next generation of single engine fighters with new features such as stealth technology, maneuverability at a 50 degree angle of attack and helmet mounted displays. It is intended to replace the aging fleet of F-16s, F/A-18s and AV-8s.
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09/19/2012
A large-scale exercise was carried out along the costal areas to test the command area's capabilities in amphibious operations. Another drill was performed in a mountainous region involving self-propelled artillery vehicles, main battle tanks and attack helicopters, Nanfang Daily reported.
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09/19/2012
Boeing last month linked one of its advanced fighter cockpit simulators in St. Louis with a simulator more than 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) away in Porto Alegre, Brazil, demonstrating the effectiveness of sharing advanced situational awareness and training technologies between the United States and Brazil.
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09/18/2012
When the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets become operational, the pilots will be able to look into the bubble-shaped visors on their helmets and see through the plane, so to speak, thanks to cameras on the aircraft that will give them a 360-degree view.
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09/18/2012
Colombia has signed a contract with Airbus Military for the acquisition of an additional C295 aircraft in a tactical transport configuration. Delivery is scheduled for February 2013. The aircraft will be operated by the Colombian Air Force on military transport and humanitarian aid missions.
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09/18/2012
Production of America’s fifth generation jet fighter appears to be on the rise as Europe grapples with the prospect of not much else new being available, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin. The Europeans are relying primarily on three types of combat aircraft: the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain; the Dassault Rafale built in France and the Swedish Saab Gripen.
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09/18/2012
The deputy director of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program said Monday that he has "reasonable confidence" in the combat jet but still has concerns about hardware and software. Speaking publicly for the first time about the program he joined five weeks ago, Maj. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan said contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. is making progress in producing the aircraft but more rigorous testing is needed to see if it is combat ready.
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09/18/2012
Russia and South Africa are discussing the possibility of joint development of defense-related products, Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday. “There is a great potential [for joint projects] in the area of radar equipment and rocket engines,” Rosoboronexport said in a statement.
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09/17/2012
The United States, along with more than 27 other countries from four different continents, began Sunday the largest ever military exercise aimed at practicing how to find and destroy sea mines in the waters of the Middle East. “This is about exercising capabilities that we want to exercise with our partners in the region,” said Pentagon spokesman George Littler this week.” Earlier this summer Little stressed that this training was not aimed at delivering a message to Iran.
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09/17/2012
Merging Britain's BAE Systems with EADS to create a global aerospace and defense giant would be a significant boost to European leaders' ambitions for a more efficient defense industry. The European Union has long sought to foster more cross-national cooperation on defense projects in Europe to plug holes left by shrinking military budgets and to eliminate wasteful duplication of effort.
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09/17/2012
“With regards to the field of aerial training and simulators, we are bringing a new development to the market,” claim Hellerstein and Shmuely. “One of our largest innovations is embedded systems utilized in aerial training. In an ordinary air exercise, you can’t bring twelve aircraft to simulate the enemy. However, with the embedded simulator, the aircraft can ‘think’ that it is surrounded by enemy aircraft.
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09/17/2012
When China turned to Russia for supplies of advanced weapons through the 1990s, it kick-started Beijing's military build-up with an immediate boost in firepower. It also demonstrated the failure of its domestic defense sector which was still turning out obsolete 1950s vintage equipment for the People's Liberation Army from a sprawling network of state-owned arms makers.
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09/17/2012
The Taliban's weekend assault on a major coalition base was one of the most determined and effective in the Afghan war, according to details released Sunday, resulting in the biggest single-day loss of U.S. combat aircraft since the Vietnam War. The coordinated Taliban attack destroyed six Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jump-jets and "significantly" damaged two others, as well as some hangars, the coalition said.
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09/16/2012
An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Persian Gulf in the belief that Israel is considering a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s covert nuclear weapons programme.
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09/15/2012
The U.S. Navy announced a host of changes to the USS George Washington’s carrier air wing Friday, in what amounts to at least the third significant Navy airframe upgrade in the Asia-Pacific region this year. The HSL-51 Warlords squadron at Naval Air Facility Atsugi will swap their SH-60B and SH-60F Seahawk helicopters for newer MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawks, officials from Commander Naval Forces Japan said Friday.
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09/15/2012
Swiss manufacturer Pilatus has little trouble selling its training aircraft to the world’s air forces despite operating in a shrinking market short on appeal for other constructors. A success that owes much to the technology it has developed over the years. Based in Stans, canton Nidwalden, Pilatus saw its sales jump substantially in 2011. It took in SFr781 million ($832 million) last year, up 14 per cent on 2010.
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09/15/2012
For months, Syrian opposition forces fighting government troops have been calling - with very little success - for foreign military intervention. But Western defense experts are debating whether the establishment of a no-fly zone over Syria might get more international support. Analysts said it is essential to first define the parameters and goals of a no-fly zone - an airspace in which certain aircraft, especially military ones, are forbidden to fly.
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09/14/2012
Germany's historic deployment of eight Eurofighter combat aircraft to Alaska earlier this year achieved its key objective of proving the Luftwaffe's ability to participate in a complex multinational air-to-air operation alongside its allies, the service says. "We can do that job. We are NATO Response Force-ready," says Lt Col Marc Grüne, the German air force's project officer for the Red Flag Alaska deployment to Eielson AFB.
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09/14/2012
European helicopter manufacturing and service companies have recently signed agreements to strengthen and expand their business portfolios. In Poland, Britain's Sikorsky Aerospace Services and PZL Mielec, the Polish manufacturer of Sikorsky Aircraft's S-70i Black Hawk helicopter, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wojskowe Centralne Biuro Konstrukcyjno - Technologiczne on the possible supply of ground support equipment to sustain an S-70i fleet Poland.
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09/14/2012
Marines with Detachment A, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, primarily spend their day patrolling the skies of Afghanistan as an in-flight gas station for other aircraft. However, a five-man crew successfully completed a slightly different mission, Sept. 6. The KC-130J team spent the morning escorting four MV-22 Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 from Helmand province, Afghanistan, to the USS Iwo Jima in the Arabian Sea.
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09/14/2012
Fiscal restraint is en vogue and increasingly the cover many are using to push other agendas. Republicans spent a week in Tampa monitoring America’s mounting national debt at their recent convention. Democrats included a call for “tough” spending cuts, especially to the military, as part of their official party platform. The document indicates “outdated Cold War-era systems” should be favored for the chopping block.
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09/14/2012
ST. LOUIS: Boeing renewed its campaign to bash Lockheed Martin's F-35 and promote its F-18 fighters today, as the president of Boeing Military Aircraft slammed the Joint Strike Fighter while noting declining defense budgets here and abroad. "The F-35 continues to delay and delay," Christopher Chadwick told a group of reporters at Boeing's defense headquarters here. "Yes, the F-35 has all-aspect stealth, but that is used in a relatively small part of the combat envelope."
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09/14/2012
Northrop Grumman has received a contract for delivering the hybrid global positioning system (GPS) and inertial reference system to be used in Embraer Defense and Security KC-390 medium-lift military transport aircraft. As per the contract, Northrop Grumman LITEF, which is the company's German navigation systems subsidiary, will supply the fibre-optic, gyro-compass LCR-100 Attitude and Heading Reference System.
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09/14/2012
More than 300 aircraft from about 50 different nations are on display this week at the Berlin Air Show, commonly know as ILA 2012. More than 50 U.S. military personnel are representing the Department of Defense at the show, which kicked off Tuesday. The Berlin Air Show is considered to be one of the premier air shows in the world and the U.S. military has five different types of aircraft on display this year.
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09/14/2012
Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan will conduct joint command-and-staff air defense drills on October 5-16, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said on Thursday. The Chistoye Nebo (Clear Sky) 2012 exercise will be held in Kyrgyz, Tajik and Kazakh airspace and involve the interception of cruise missiles. Russia will be represented by a group of experts from Air Force staff and MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors and an A-50 Mainstay AWACS plane deployed at the Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan.
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09/14/2012
The first of three C-130J Super Hercules for Oman departed the Lockheed Martin facility here yesterday en route to Oman.
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09/14/2012
BAE Systems and EADS have told the London Stock Exchange that they are in talks over a possible merger that would create the world's largest aerospace and defence company. A merger would create a combined annual turnover business of more than $95 billion with almost 75% being in aerospace – it would also give EADS a solid position in the lucrative US market.
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09/13/2012
British defense contractor BAE said today that it was talking to EADS, the parent of aircraft maker Airbus, about a possible merger. Earlier today, Bloomberg News reported that the two companies were looking at a possible merger. In a statement, BAE Systems plc said its shareholders would own a 40 percent stake in the merged business, while shareholders of European Aeronautics Defense & Space Co. would own 60 percent.
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09/13/2012
The use by Bashar al-Assad’s armed forces of ever-deadlier weapons to crush the 18-month Syrian uprising at the expense of greater civilian casualties is a sign of the regime’s weakness, military and Middle East analysts say.Syria’s government has become more reliant on heavy weaponry including attack aircraft, helicopter gunships, artillery and tanks even as lightly armed rebels win and hold ground in the biggest cities - Aleppo, the business center, and suburbs of the capital, Damascus.
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09/13/2012
Correspondents from a half-dozen defense industry publications visited NAS Jacksonville Aug. 31 as part of a Boeing media tour that included the P-8A Poseidon Integrated Training Center (ITC). VP-30 Commanding Officer Capt. Mark Stevens welcomed the group and briefed them on the P-3/P-8 transition that’s taking place at various facilities aboard the installation.
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09/13/2012
RAC MiG is boosting production activities to meet increased demand for its MiG-29 series of combat aircraft, with the design bureau also close to completing a series of aircraft carrier-based trials for India. Following its receipt of major orders to supply the Indian and Russian navies with its MiG-29K deck fighter and MiG-29KUB trainer, MiG's production partners will complete 24 aircraft in 2012, up from 11 last year.
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09/13/2012
Airbus Military is preparing to push A400M troop-transporter sales to India and other countries as the aircraft maker ramps up the pursuit of overseas customers to turn a profit on Europe’s largest defense program. Airbus is putting more efforts into exports after delays in completing the development program held back those activities for several months, Domingo Urena-Raso, the head of Airbus Military, said in an interview in Berlin yesterday.
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09/13/2012
Deployment of the controversial U.S. Osprey military aircraft at an American airbase in Japan's Okinawa island is likely to be delayed in the context of increasing public concern over its safety.
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09/13/2012
Two Russian Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic bombers have successfully completed a routine patrol mission over the Barents, North and Norwegian seas, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers based at the Engels Airbase [in Saratov Region] carried out patrols over neutral waters in the Barents, Northern and Norwegian seas on September 11-12 in line with the plan of strategic deterrent," spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said.
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09/12/2012
Airbus Military said a refueling tanker due for delivery this month to the United Arab Emirates lost a boom in mid flight over Spain yesterday. The aircraft was performing a test flight when the boom detached at about 7:30 p.m. and landed in a forest in the province of Caceres, in central Spain. The boom was later recovered by police, and the fallen part hasn’t damaged any property, spokeswoman Maggie Bergsma said today.
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09/12/2012
Most of the civilians already have left this city of about 30,000, and many of those who remained could be seen Saturday piling trucks with their belongings. Abu al Dahour is the closest city to a military airport that bears the same name. Now it’s become the setting for a strategic confrontation that rebels hope will undercut the military’s dominance of the air.
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09/12/2012
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract to supply the hybrid global positioning system (GPS) and inertial reference system for the Embraer Defense and Security KC-390 medium-lift military transport aircraft.
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09/12/2012
An Air Force tactical fighter group, which was selected as a model military unit, showcased its combat readiness and flight skills Tuesday at an air base. Pilots of the 28th Tactical Fighter Group, flying Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDFs), performed a series of maneuvers such as short landing
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09/12/2012
Europe's combat aircraft industry faces an uncertain future. While it still has several types of fighter aircraft in production, there is no new European-developed manned combat aircraft currently in prospect and the outlook for the development and production of unmanned air systems is also unclear.
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09/12/2012
The Kyrgyz parliament has started hearings on the revision of agreements determining the status and maintenance of Russian military facilities located on the territory of the Central Asian state. Moscow and Bishkek signed in August a new deal, which extends the presence of Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan for another 15 years. Their status is currently regulated by five intergovernmental agreements.
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09/11/2012
The Taliban said today it was determined to kill Prince Harry, serving in Afghanistan four years after his previous deployment was cut short over security concerns. A militia spokesman said the group had a "high-value plan" to attack the third-in-line to the throne in the southern province of Helmand, one of the toughest battlefields in the 10-year war.
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09/11/2012
India is quietly practising airdrops of paratroopers in high-altitude areas near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to bolster operational readiness. The combat drills are a part of the overall plan to strategically counter China's massive build-up of military infrastructure all along the unresolved border.
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09/11/2012
Japan’s Kyodo News Service recently reported that Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) projects that the cost for the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) will be 50 percent greater than in the current year. The fifth-generation stealth fighters Japan has agreed to buy during Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) may total as much as $196.9 million per aircraft instead of the current year cost of $128.6 million per plane.
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09/11/2012
Indonesia could be another source of patrol aircraft for the Philippines as part of the Armed Forces' modernization program, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Monday.
"Indonesia is in the shortlist. We have Indonesia, some are European countries," DND spokesman Peter Paul Galvez told reporters. A military source said the Philippines is specifically eyeing Indonesia's CN-235 medium-range twin-engined transport plane and Italy's Alenia C-27J Spartan aircraft.
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09/11/2012
Air Force officials begin their F-35A Lightning II Operational Utility Evaluation Sept. 10, an instrumental step in beginning Joint Strike Fighter pilot and maintenance training for the service. Two 33rd Fighter Wing pilots at Eglin AFB, Fla., along with two Air Force test pilots, will conduct the review expected to last approximately 65 days.
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09/11/2012
An aerial attack in Yemen killed eleven civilians, including three women and three children, in the town of Radda last week. The atrocity, one of a growing number of deadly strikes carried out either by US drone aircraft or by the Yemeni armed forces operating under US direction, also injured several other civilians in the area.
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09/11/2012
Boeing and the U.S. Navy on Sept. 6 successfully flight tested a new mission computer that will expand the performance of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The new Type 4 Advanced Mission Computer (AMC) increases computing power and accelerates image and mission processing functions.
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09/10/2012
Should the U.S. actually take Benjamin Netanyahu’s advice and attack Iran, don’t expect a few sorties flown by a couple of fighter jocks. Setting back Iran’s nuclear efforts will need to be an all-out effort, with squadrons of bombers and fighter jets, teams of commandos, rings of interceptor missiles and whole Navy carrier strike groups — plus enough drones, surveillance gear, tanker aircraft and logistical support to make such a massive mission go.
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09/10/2012
In 2009, the Indian Army carried out top-secret war games — codenamed Divine Matrix — aimed at analysing China’s threat to the country. The conclusion: China could attack India by 2017, and there was a possibility of Pakistan stirring the pot by trying to trouble India at the same time.
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09/10/2012
There was a fair amount of fretting within air force ranks about the impact last year’s bombing campaign in Libya was having on Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets and the country’s ability to keep pilots in the cockpits, newly released documents reveal. The multi-role fighters were called upon to enforce a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone, which eventually led to the ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
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09/10/2012
Tens of thousands of people rallied on Japan's southern island of Okinawa today against the deployment of US Osprey military aircraft after a series of accidents elsewhere involving the planes. Protesters demanded the United States and Japan immediately scrap plans to deploy 12 MV-22 Ospreys at the Futenma US base on Okinawa and shut down the Futenma base in the crowded city of Ginowan.
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09/10/2012
A group of Russian military observers begin on Monday a six-day inspection mission in the skies of Latvia and Estonia under the Open Skies Treaty, the Defense Ministry’s press office reported. The flights will be conducted on September 10-15 from the Latvia’s Riga and Estonia’s Tartu airports. The maximum flight range will total about 1,600 km (some 1,000 miles) under the agreed flight routes.
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09/09/2012
According to the report, Europe’s ability to develop advanced, next generation aircraft has been severely eroded and collective funding decisions are necessary to revive the industry. The study was commissioned by the Future Air Systems for Europe (FAS4Europe) and the European Defence Agency (EDA).
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09/09/2012
An upgraded version of the Predator MQ-9 Reaper, the U.S. military's premier unmanned aerial vehicle, has successfully completed its first flight. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. said Friday its Block 1-plus Predator took to the air in early summer in California and performed without problem.
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09/08/2012
Turkey has expressed interest in Lockheed Martin's three F-35 fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter variants. Ankara is close to a decision on ordering a second pair of the stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II aircraft following production of the first two F-35s for the Turkish air force, a senior Turkish procurement official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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09/07/2012
Latest market surveys indicate an interest of different air forces in a light air-to-surface guided weapon for pin-point engagement of small, lightly armoured targets. Missions of this type have previously been relying on weapons originally developed and procured for precise engagement of large, hardened targets. Engagement of smaller mobile targets requires new armament tailored to specific use.
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09/07/2012
The BAE Systems Support Solutions segment in Rockville, Md., will upgrade avionics and electronic systems on more than 130 Lockheed Martin F-16 jet fighter aircraft for the Republic of Korea under terms of a contract to be awarded through the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Foreign Military Sales program.
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09/07/2012
The system for protecting aircraft against shoulder-fired missiles which jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) was not installed onboard passenger airplanes, but it is being installed in growing numbers on board VIP and military mission aircraft.
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09/07/2012
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it delivered a Global 6000 aircraft to the US Air Force last Thursday, in a ceremony conducted at a Bombardier facility in Connecticut. This aircraft is the fourth Bombardier Global aircraft to be added to the existing US Air Force inventory with E-11A Military Designation. The intention is to equip this new addition with the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node or BACN, in time for deployment next summer.
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09/07/2012
A Russian Air Force MiG-29 fighter crashed on Thursday near Chita, in Siberia, the Defense Ministry said. “The plane crashed near Domna airport, 27 kilometers from Chita,” ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said. The pilot’s body was found by a rescue team, he said, adding that a Defense Ministry commission is on its way to the scene to establish the causes of the crash.
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09/07/2012
Russia on Thursday signed a $600 mln contract with China for the delivery of 52 Mi-171? (Hip) transport helicopters. The contract was signed by Russia’s Rosoboronexport and China’s Poly Technologies, Inc. The first eight helicopters will be delivered before the end of the current year and contract deliveries are to be completed in 2014, the Russian Helicopters holding said.
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09/07/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $152 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) sustainment support over a five-year period, beginning in September 2012.
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09/06/2012
The first of six C-130J Super Hercules for the Iraqi Air Force recently completed its first flight here. The Iraqi Air Force intends to use the C-130J for intra-theater support of its troops and humanitarian relief operations in various locations. These new transport aircraft will provide Iraq with the ability to operate seamlessly with U.S., NATO and coalition forces. The first C-130J for Iraq is scheduled for delivery later this year.
(Read More...)
09/06/2012
Ukraine is planning to upgrade and repair 86 combat aircraft and helicopters in 2012-2017, says the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant-General Yuriy Baidak. The press service of the Defense Ministry reported on Monday that according to Baidak, 12 MiG-29s, Su-27s and L-39s had currently been upgraded, taken into service, and that they were undergoing trials in tactical aviation units.
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09/06/2012
The terrorist group consisting mainly of foreign mercenaries , backed by the United States, calling itself the “Free Syrian Army (FSA) has recently threatened to start attacks on civilian aircrafts using Damascus and Aleppo airports”, according to Hamsayeh.Net. This comes amid reports that the FSA has acquired U.S. made Stinger missiles.
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09/06/2012
While the U.S. and Europe mull what steps, if any, to take in intervening against President Assad’s brutal crackdown on Syria’s opposition movement, it seems as though the Free Syrian Army has ramped up efforts to take control of the country’s airspace. Word comes via Twitter (so it should be taken with a grain of salt) that the Free Syrian Army has successfully shot down one of that country’s MiGs in the northern suburb of Hama, a city in the west of the country and only 30 miles from Homs.
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09/06/2012
The first C-130J Super Hercules for the Sultanate of Oman was formally accepted at ceremonies, Aug. 30, at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta facility. This is the first of three C-130Js on order for Oman and is scheduled for delivery later this year. The new C-130J will be used to support internal country operations where its ability to operate out of remote austere airstrips will be invaluable.
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09/05/2012
Irreversible engine failure caused the crash of an unmanned MQ-1B Predator aircraft on April 14, according to a military accident investigation board report released on Tuesday. The plane crashed into an unpopulated mountainside in Afghanistan.
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09/05/2012
The Turkish newspaper, the Hürriyet Daily News, is reporting that Turkey is expected to purchase a second pair of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to be delivered in 2016. The first pair is set for delivery in 2015, the newspaper notes.
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09/05/2012
A Nashua-based defense contractor will be getting another large contract as part of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet project, described as the largest Department of Defense program in history. BAE Systems is scheduled to receive 15 percent, approximately $30 million, of a $206 million contract awarded to Lockheed Martin Corp., according to a Department of Defense report dated Aug. 28.
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09/05/2012
Airbus Military may resume a pivotal test phase for the A400M troop transporter next month after making fixes to the engines that have halted progress. The first gearbox to undergo modification was fitted with a new plate, reassembled, and tested over the weekend, and is now joining the engine again, said Nick Britton, a spokesman for engine consortium partner Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc. (RR/)
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09/05/2012
While the Republic of Iraq anticipates an initial delivery of F-16 Fighting Falcons in September 2014, the pilots who will fly them have embarked on a historic partnership with the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in the US, to learn how to fly the multipurpose fighter.
(Read More...)
09/05/2012
Diamond Aircraft's DA42 Guardian equipped with a radio detection system is being launched at the ILA show in Berlin next week. Equipped with a COMINT system from Rohde & Schwarz the DA42 remote sensing platform reliably detects, identifies and locates radio signals and is being flagged as the perfect solution for border guard, maritime rescue or military missions.
(Read More...)
09/04/2012
Exactly 30 years ago a potent new combat aircraft appeared in the skies over Russia. Without firing a shot in anger, the MiG-31 achieved what Soviet air defence had been attempting for years – send the SR-71 spy plane into early retirement.
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09/04/2012
The slowdown in economy is now forcing the finance ministry to cut down on the defence budget mid-way through the financial year. In several meetings held last week, finance ministry babus have told their counterparts in the defence ministry that there will be ‘no funds’ for big-ticket defence procurement plans if the economy does not improve by September end.
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09/04/2012
The crash of an F/A-18C jet at Naval Air Station Fallon in which a San Diego-based Marine pilot safely ejected over the weekend was under investigation. The crash near the western Nevada "TOPGUN'' airfield occurred about 3:15 p.m. during training, and the pilot was released from a local hospital after being checked out, the U-T San Diego reported.
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09/04/2012
When a pilot in a Eurofighter Typhoon jet glances down, he doesn't see a steel-grey floor. Instead he sees clouds, and maybe sheep and cows in green fields below. If he were to spot an enemy down there, or anywhere near the aircraft, he would not need to point the plane towards the target. He would simply look at it - through the solid hull of the plane - make sure that a tiny symbol displayed on his helmet's visor was aligned with the object, press a button and fire.
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09/04/2012
The planes Canada needs, Aug. 30. I read with interest Brian Preston's letter, in which he suggests we can't afford to buy the fighter aircraft our experts recommend we buy. Like his old man, I flew Spitfires in the Second World War, 70 years or so ago, and also survived.
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09/04/2012
Russia has delivered the next batch of Mi-35M Hind E attack helicopters to Brazil and will complete the contract by the end of the year, a military trade think tank said on Monday. A total of 12 helicopters are to be delivered under a 2008 contract worth $150 million. “The latest three machines were delivered on August 29,” said Igor Korotchenko, head of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Global Arms Trade.
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09/04/2012
Boeing has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean province of Gyeongsangbuk-do and the city of Yeongcheon to establish an avionics Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in the region that will service avionics components for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) fleet of F-15K Slam Eagles.
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09/03/2012
“I can talk to the airplane with voice-activated commands to tell it what I want to do,” he said. “I was able today, when we were out doing some basic aircraft handling and radar familiarization work, to fly for about 10 minutes without actually touching the stick.”
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09/03/2012
Most discussions of the role of the U.S. Navy in the new defense strategy have focused either on combatants such as nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, Aegis air and missile defense capable destroyers, cruisers and nuclear attack submarines or on airborne systems such as the F-35, P-8, or Global Hawk high-altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial system. Often overlooked, but of increasing importance, are the ships and aircraft that provide at-sea logistics support to the Navy.
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09/03/2012
The Philippine Navy (PN), coast guard and maritime police will hold the Coast Watch System Capability Exercise from Sept. 3 to 7 in the southern Philippines, the military announced today. Codenamed CWSCAPEX 2012, the exercise will hold its Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Fleet Training Exercise (FTX) at the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) area of responsibility (AOR).
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09/03/2012
Thwarted by aerial attacks, Syrian rebels appear to have begun systemically targeting government air bases and aircraft, while trying to capture antiaircraft missiles that can shoot down helicopters and fighter jets. An opposition group reported Saturday that insurgents had captured an air defense base in eastern Syria, close to the Iraqi border, and that battles were raging near a military airport in the area.
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09/03/2012
Four A-29 Super Tucano fighter planes arrived at East Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Base on Saturday in the first wave of new “counter-insurgency” turboprop fighters purchased as part of the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) push to modernize its fleet.
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09/03/2012
Last December an old, rarely used word–spoofing, –meaning to hoax or to fool others–entered worldwide aviation vocabularies virtually overnight. Simultaneously it brought a new and disturbing strategic escalation to military tactics and a potential, albeit probably lesser, threat to civil aircraft operations.
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09/03/2012
Airbus Military has today reconfirmed that it will deliver the first four new generation A400M airlifters to customers in 2013 as planned, following the development of solutions to the recent engine issue, which prevented the A400M from participating in the Farnborough Air Show flying display.
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09/01/2012
Indian Air Force has taken pilot-friendly policy steps to enhance its crew’s all-round health and competence in combat, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal D.C. Kumaria said here on Friday. These include revising the rules relating to return of sick air crew, medically reducing ill-effects of long-haul sorties and improving nutrition and psychological health among pilots.
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09/01/2012
Safety, airworthiness and responsive support of all the non-standard rotary wing platforms are the core functions of the Army’s Non-Standard Rotary Wing Aircraft Project Management Office. Since its inception in January 2010, the Army’s Non-Standard Rotary Wing Aircraft project management office has grown in its scope of responsibilities and number of non-standard platforms that it manages.
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09/01/2012
Airbus Military is set to push back development milestones on the A400M military transport after falling behind with certification because of defects on the turbo-propeller engines, people familiar with the plan said. Airbus may announce an updated schedule as early as today, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t yet public. Airbus is able to set a new timetable after resolving the issue that grounded the aircraft for two months, two of the people said.
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09/01/2012
The military may be shifting its focus to the Pacific, but even with that new direction and Hawaii’s strategic location, the Pentagon has no plans to base F-35 Joint Strike Fighters here.
One source familiar with all the aircraft-related work at Marine Corps Base Hawaii told me they heard the base could get the aircraft. But the Marines at the Pentagon said there are no plans to put the aircraft in Hawaii.
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08/31/2012
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) claimed on Thursday that it had shot down a government MiG-23 fighter jet in the northwestern Idlib Province, Al Arabiya TV reported. A video, “exclusively obtained” by the TV channel, shows the aircraft falling from the sky and billowing smoke. Two pilots, who safely ejected, are also seen descending by parachutes.
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08/31/2012
Nine Indian air force personnel were killed on Thursday when two Russian-designed military helicopters apparently collided in mid-air, the military and police said. Air force spokesman Wing Commander Gerard Galway said the two Mi-17 helicopters were "flying in close formation" over a firing range in the western state of Gujarat when they crashed. "It is likely it was a mid-air collision," Galway told AFP, confirming that all nine on board the two aircraft had died.
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08/31/2012
A hypersonic vehicle meant to deploy satellites into orbit is based in part of the Su-27 series of Russian military aircraft, documents reveal. Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports that it obtained documents from the space design bureau of research agency NPO Molniya that reveal plans for a hypersonic booster called Hammer.
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08/31/2012
Airbus Military has delivered to Vietnam the first of three C212-400 maritime patrol aircraft ordered by the Vietnam Marine Police. The aircraft, manufactured in Seville, Spain was handed over at Gia Lam (Hanoi) at the end of a 10-day ferry flight from Skavsta, Sweden following installation of its mission system. It was formally delivered last year prior to the conversion work in Sweden.
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08/31/2012
Plans to deliver the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets to Nellis Air Force Base early next year hinge on uncertain defense budget cuts and potential layoffs at the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. Three dozen of the stealthy warplanes are supposed to be based in Southern Nevada.
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08/31/2012
Northrop Grumman Corp, maker of the B-2 spy plane and the Global Hawk unmanned drone, will demonstrate a smaller, cheaper surveillance plane this week it hopes will be attractive to budget conscious U.S. law agencies and foreign countries. The new Air Claw system marks Northrop's latest effort to expand its overseas revenues and move into new non-military markets at home given the expected decline in U.S. military spending after a decade of sharp growth.
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08/31/2012
Uzbekistan has said it will not host any foreign military bases or other military objects on its soil, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said on Thursday before the Senate. "There will be no foreign military bases or [military] objects in Uzbekistan," Kamilov said, adding that there would be no "operative groups" allowed either in the Central Asian country.
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08/31/2012
Boeing has begun a five-year fatigue test on the wing of a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber to validate the predicted life of the bomber fleet, currently forecasted to be 2050. The test also will reveal potential areas of concern for which Boeing and the Air Force can develop maintenance and repair plans.
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08/31/2012
A winged version of the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) that will triple the weapon's glide range to more than 40 miles is a step closer to production after completing wind tunnel tests at a U.S. facility in June. Developed in partnership with the Commonwealth of Australia, the 500-pound JDAM Extended Range (JDAM-ER) features a modular add-on wing kit that will unfold in flight. The kit can also be coupled with other modular enhancements, such as laser sensors.
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08/30/2012
The Swedish and Swiss governments have signed a framework agreement to cooperate on the Saab Gripen E/F, with their air forces to potentially acquire up to a combined 82 of the new-generation combat aircraft. Signed in late August, the pact is the result of discussions conducted between the nations since Switzerland selected the Gripen E/F last November for a planned 22-aircraft deal to replace its Northrop F-5 fighters.
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08/30/2012
The U.S. Navy's defenses were built to counter large, powerful targets—not small, asymmetrical ones such as a flotilla of small, explosive-laden boats. A new system by defense contractor Raytheon aims to spot those boats from above and target them with small bombs able to attack moving targets.
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08/30/2012
The Indian military is close to purchasing a major American combat-weapon system for the first time in decades. Despite a history that might suggest otherwise, India is betting on American reliability as an arms supplier. India has bought a considerable amount of military equipment from the United States in the last decade, but very few of its purchases were combat-weapons systems.
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08/30/2012
FARS is reporting that a senior Iranian air defense commander underlined that the country's Armed Forces are “fully capable of repelling enemy threats, adding that Iranian air defense units are closely monitoring US bases in the region round the clock.” "At present, we are monitoring all military bases around Iran 24 hours a day.
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08/30/2012
The commander of Russia’s famed Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatics team is suspected of illegally selling team emblems, the Lifenews.ru portal reported on Tuesday. Valery Morozov is believed to have forced a Moscow region businessman to pay him 5,000 rubles (about $160) a month for the right to use the team logo on t-shirts and other items he sold.
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08/30/2012
Boeing has received an $85 million Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract for continued support of U.S. Air Force F-15 mechanically scanned and Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars. The new PBL contract replaces three previous support contracts with one overarching agreement.
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08/30/2012
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) is set to receive three of the 24 Block 52 configuration of the F-16C/D aircraft which will form a central part of its modern fleet of fighters. The Kingdom of Morocco purchased the aircraft in 2008 and is acquiring the tailored Block 52 configuration of the F-16C/D aircraft to meet the specific requirements of the RMAF. The sale included the aircraft, mission equipment, support equipment and a spares and technical support package.
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08/29/2012
The high-tech, state-of-the-art Sentinel R1 aircraft of No 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron and Shadow R1 aircraft of 14 Squadron have each clocked up 10,000 hours on Operation HERRICK. While based in Britain aircraft from both units have been permanently patrolling the skies above Afghanistan since 2009 gathering vital intelligence on insurgent activities.
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08/29/2012
Bolivia announced it is finalizing a new law that will allow the security forces to intercept drug trafficking flights, although such "shoot-down" strategies have been implemented in Bolivia before and didn't do much to radically change the dynamics of the drug trade. On August 27, the Bolivian Ministry of Defense announced that it was finalizing two new initiatives that will allow the government to intercept and shoot down planes suspected of drug trafficking.
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08/29/2012
Since the 1950s, engineers worldwide have been trying to create the ideal airplane that possesses the ability to perform short takeoffs and vertical landings while maintain speed and missile capabilities. The first generation of these aircraft only achieved advanced speed over previous airplanes, while the second reached supersonic speed and the ability to carry missiles.
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08/29/2012
An Israeli reconnaissance plane crossed into Lebanese airspace over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military. The remote-controlled aircraft made surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before it left Lebanese airspace at 2:15 p.m. local time (1115 GMT) while flying over the village of al-Naqoura, which is situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut.
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08/29/2012
When Japanese activists scrambled ashore on a disputed island chain in the East China Sea this month, one of China's most hawkish military commentators proposed an uncharacteristically mild response. Retired Major General Luo Yuan suggested naming China's new aircraft carrier Diaoyu, after the Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea. It would demonstrate China's sovereignty over the islands known as the Senkakus in Japanese, he said.
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08/28/2012
Neil Armstrong, former US Navy and NASA test pilot who became the first person to walk on the moon, has died at the age of 82. In addition to the Apollo 11 flight that made him famous throughout the world, Armstrong was a noted aeronautical engineer, recognized within the test pilot community for his airborne achievements.
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08/28/2012
Indonesia is taking advantage of a scramble by major powers to boost their influence in the Asia Pacific to build its defense capabilities, analysts said. After Russia sold Sukhoi jet fighters to Indonesia and Jakarta announced plans to jointly produce C-705 antiship missiles with Beijing, Washington says it will sell air-to-surface guided missiles to equip Indonesia’s growing fleet of US-built F-16 fighter aircraft.
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08/28/2012
Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) budget program director Mark Thomson says the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets will provide the RAAF with combat capability from the retirement of the F-111 until the arrival of the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). On Friday, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said 12 of the 24 Super Hornets would be equipped as Growlers, giving the RAAF a very advanced electronic warfare capability of a kind the US only fielded in 2009.
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08/28/2012
India’s indigenously developed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is likely to win its final operational service clearance, following testing as part of an air exercise in February. The single-seat, single-engine supersonic fighter will be put to the test during the “Iron Feast” exercise to be held in Pokhran in the western Indian state of Rajasthan.
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08/28/2012
Rebels shot down a Syrian army helicopter on Monday while it was bombarding the Damascus neighborhood of Jobar, as heavy fighting broke out in the district between rebels and troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, witnesses said. Syrian state television said in a news flash a helicopter had crashed in Damascus, but offered no further details.
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08/28/2012
Russia’s servicemen will join efforts with their U.S. and Canadian colleagues during the Vigilant Eagle 2012 military drills to repel a hypothetical terrorist attack on a passenger airliner, the Russian Eastern Military District’s press service reported on Monday. “The Vigilant Eagle 2012 exercises will be held on August 27-29.
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08/28/2012
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin repeated his appeal on Monday for Russia to develop a hypersonic aircraft for its PAK-DA long-range bomber requirement. "I think we need to go down the route of hypersonic technology and we are moving in that direction and are not falling behind the Americans," he said on Rossiya 24 TV. "We will use this technology when developing a new bomber."
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08/28/2012
Boeing and Team Apache suppliers worldwide are applauding the news that the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter fleet has surpassed 3.5 million flight hours. The Army's aviation program office said that the milestone of endurance and reliability was reached in June as Apache crews flew combat missions in Afghanistan, participated in exercises in South Korea, and trained with the new AH-64D Apache Block III. Apaches began operating in 1984.
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08/27/2012
Problems that have imperiled pilots of the famed F-22 Raptor fighter jet are being fixed, a senior Air Force leader said this month. Not everyone, however, is reassured. Count Joanna Tinsley among the nonbelievers. In July 2008, her husband, veteran F-22 pilot Brig. Gen. Thomas "Pugs" Tinsley, committed suicide. Tinsley, who was 45, commanded Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.
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08/27/2012
Addressing questions raised over the process of selecting Rafale fighter planes, Government is going ahead with the procurement of 126 French combat aircraft and effort is being made to complete the deal within this financial year. Contract negotiations for the multi-billion dollar deal will resume soon, Government sources told PTI here.
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08/27/2012
First fully modified aircraft for indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems landed on Indian soil at Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), Bangalore, a DRDO laboratory) at HAL airport on yesterday. Aircraft was received by enthusiastic crowd from CABS, its work centers, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and IAF members. The aircraft and the flight crew was received by Dr Christopher, Program Director and Dr K Tamil Mani, Chief Executive, CEMILAC. The aircraf
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08/27/2012
Leaders of the Mexican air force has taken deliver of the first four of six Beechcraft T-6C+ military trainer aircraft ordered from the Hawker-Beechcraft Defense Co. in Wichita, Kan. The remaining two aircraft are to be delivered by next month. The T-6C+, an enhanced version of the T-6 military trainer aircraft, can carry external stores and deliver practice weapons for training, It will replace the Mexican air force aging PC-7 fleet.
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08/27/2012
How often do three helicopters crash at a go? Soroti Flying School, 2kms northeast of Soroti town in eastern Uganda, was on the morning of August 12, a bee-hive of frenetic activity as army pilots jumped onto waiting helicopters while their top brass waved excitedly and gave interviews and photo-ops to excited journalists.
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08/25/2012
Russian Defense Ministry rejected on Friday the accusations about the alleged violation of Finnish airspace by aircraft of this nation and for that referred to the parameters of its control structures. On the eve, the combat air force of the Russian Military District of the West did not make any flight in that area, noted the spokesman of the unit, Colonel Andrei Baburin.
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08/25/2012
Engineers at the Raytheon Co. Missile Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz., are making plans to upgrade the U.S. military's AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile to extend the weapon's range and address existing obsolescence issues.
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08/25/2012
The 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., took to the skies of Australia's Northern Territory Aug. 2 to 18 as the lone U.S. Air Force unit flying in Exercise Pitch Black 12. With more than 2,200 personnel and up to 100 participating military aircraft, Exercise Pitch Black 12 is the Royal Australian Air Force's largest and most complex air exercise.
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08/25/2012
President Barack Obama's administration has proposed to sell air-to-surface guided missiles and related gear to equip Indonesia's growing fleet of U.S.-built F-16 fighter aircraft. The sale, valued at $25 million, would be the latest U.S. move to boost security ties with friends and allies in a region stirred by China's growing military clout and territorial assertiveness.
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08/25/2012
U.S. company Cirrus Aircraft reports its SR20 and SR22 single-engine aircraft are to be used in training pilots of the French armed forces. Cirrus Aircraft, a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. Ltd, said the planes were selected by Cassidian Aviation Training Services of France in a public tender for the French air force and navy.
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08/25/2012
Russian military aircraft has allegedly violated the air space of Finland. The incident occurred in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, Finland’s frontier service reported on Friday. Border guards have begun to investigate the incident.
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08/25/2012
Warships, warplanes as well as S-400 missile defense systems will be deployed to protect the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum during a summit in Russia's Far East next month, an official said on Friday. The summit will be held in the port city of Vladivostok on September 2-9.
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08/25/2012
The United States is concerned with the issue of safety of chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria and views it as one of the areas of importance in dealing with the conflict-hit country, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said. Speaking to journalists in Washington, Panetta said that one of the serious concerns is the “whole threat of chemical and biological weapons. There are sites in Syria. We're concerned about the security of those sites.”
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08/24/2012
Australia will upgrade half of its frontline warplanes with sophisticated American jammers to become the first nation outside of the United States to use the system, the country's defense minister said on Thursday. Australia is a close U.S. ally and last year agreed to host 2,500 U.S. Marines in the northern city of Darwin under President Barack Obama's "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific.
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08/24/2012
Syrian military planes crossed into Iraqi airspace on Thursday in order to carry out air strikes against the border town of Albu Kamal, which is held by rebel forces, Iraqi officials said. "Syrian combat aircraft crossed into Iraqi airspace at about 8:00 am (0500 GMT) for about 15 minutes, and targeted Albu Kamal in Syrian territory," a lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi border guards said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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08/24/2012
The much-awaited indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will now be put to test in the forthcoming air exercise "Iron Feast", to be held in February next year in Pokhran of Jaisalmer. The Tejas will display its capabilities in the exercise, where its lethality, endurance and precision will be tested, Air Marshal Anjan Kumar Gogoi, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South-Western Air command, said at a press conference here.
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08/24/2012
Russia's United Aircraft Corporation is interested in the creation of a major international alliance of aircraft-makers including companies from a range of countries, its president Mikhail Pogosyan said on Thursday. UAC wants to move from participation in joint projects on an individual basis to creation of a united alliance for integration into the world aerospace industry, he said.
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08/24/2012
A buzz of rotors from the mountainside heralded the appearance of a fleet of four Z-9WZ helicopters, state-of-the-art Chinese military aircraft. Without disrupting its formation, the fleet ascended abruptly at a 90-degree angle, turned sharply, descended to within a hairbreadth of the ground and flaunted their hovering capability.
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08/23/2012
Lockheed Martin is cutting about 550 jobs at its Marietta plant as it slows production of its primary aircraft line. The move, announced Wednesday but already underway, is a blow to the sprawling Marietta plant and poses concerns about the future of the company's C-130 Hercules cargo plane. The program's production line in Marietta is the longest continuously operating military aircraft production line in history.
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08/23/2012
A senior Russian official has hinted that India could cancel the results of the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender and refloat it. A report in the The Hindu newspaper quoted Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Dzirkaln as saying that India and France had failed to reach agreement on crucial issues including technology transfer and financial terms.
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08/23/2012
Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 “Snipers” out of Yuma, Ariz., visited Cherry Point, Aug. 7-16, for the first time in nearly 18 years to conduct training with Marine Attack Squadron 223. VMFT-401’s primary mission is to train military pilots in air-to-air combat utilizing the F-5N Tiger II tactical fighter and attack aircraft.
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08/23/2012
CAE today announced that it has won a series of military contracts valued at more than C$55 million. They include a contract from Airbus Military to develop a C295 full-flight simulator (FFS) for the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), a contract from BAE Systems to provide maintenance and support services for the Indian Air Force's Hawk training devices, and contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence to upgrade C-130J and Lynx simulators.
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08/22/2012
Two insurgent rockets struck the vast Bagram airfield early Tuesday (local time) with one causing damage to the C-17 used by General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, who left the base using another plane, his spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said. Shrapnel from the rocket struck the door of the plane while it was parked on the runway, with two American maintenance crew suffering minor injuries in the attack, Colonel Lapan said.
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08/22/2012
Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc., an aerospace/defense services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aircraft maintenance, and other aerospace/defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries, is pleased to announce that it has signed a letter of intent (the "LOI") to acquire, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TADF, 100% of Northrop TF5-1 Corp. ("Northrop"), a military aircraft holding company.
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08/22/2012
Kazan Aviation Production Association (Russia, Tatarstan) hopes that the assembly of An-70 military transport aircraft at the plant will contribute to the revival of its production and ensure personnel recovery.
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08/22/2012
Test flights of U.S. MV-22 Osprey military aircraft, initially planned for later this month, won't start until early September at the soonest, according to government sources. More time is required to verify the causes of two recent crashes involving the tilt-rotor transport aircraft, the sources said Tuesday.
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08/22/2012
Military drones are only slightly cheaper than manned warplanes, and data indicates the remotely piloted aircraft also are more prone to mishaps, a new report says. The Pentagon has since the onset of the post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan wars substantially ramped up its use of drone aircraft. Recently, Obama administration officials have acknowledged a U.S. drone mission in Yemen, the newest major front in the struggle against al Qaeda.
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08/22/2012
Russian Helicopters’ Ulan Ude factory will build Mi-171E multipurpose helicopters under a recent contract with China, a high-ranking defense industry source said on Tuesday. Moscow and Beijing signed a contract in late July on the delivery of 55 Mi-171E helicopters to China. The cost of one unit in its basic configuration is estimated at $10-12 million.
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08/22/2012
Russian fighter maker Sukhoi's T-50 fifth-generation stealth fighter has completed initial approach trials to a flight refuelling aircraft, the company said on Tuesday. The second prototype, T-50-2 is currently conducting a range of flight trials to test the new plane's flight envelope in subsonic and supersonic regimes and in different configurations. The aircraft, T-50-2, made approaches to an Il-78 tanker in company with a Su-25UB trainer/strike aircraft.
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08/21/2012
Data link systems and ISR suites for use on King Air 350ER aircraft are being sought from the United States by Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said sale of the 10 Link-16 capable data link systems and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, along with associated equipment, is worth an estimated $257 million.
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08/21/2012
Egypt is set to put tanks and aircraft on duty in Sinai for the first time since its 1973 war with Israel in a bid to tighten security in the region. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv has installed its Iron Dome anti-rocket system near the Egyptian border. The plan was first voiced by President Morsi after an August 5 attack blamed on Islamist militants that killed 16 Egyptian border guards.
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08/21/2012
India is getting ready to order 22 heavy-duty Apache helicopters for around $1.4 billion, in what will be yet another big defence deal to be bagged by the US. The US has already made military sales worth over $8 billion to India over the last few years, despite it having lost out to France in the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to supply 126 fighters to IAF, which is in the final commercial negotiations stage.
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08/21/2012
George Hickman, one of the original Tuskegee airmen and a longtime usher at University of Washington and Seattle Seahawks games, has died at age 88. His wife, Doris, confirmed Monday that he died early Sunday morning in Seattle. Hickman was one of the country’s first black military pilots and ground crew members who fought in World War II.
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08/21/2012
The Marine Corps has flown its last mission using Vietnam-era CH-53D heavy lift helicopters. Pilots with Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, under the direction of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station command, made the last flight over the skies of Helmand province in Afghanistan on Thursday. The squadron started using the model in 1969. The twin-engine helicopters are being phased out in favor other versions of the CH-53 that have three engines.
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08/21/2012
Russia and Ukraine signed on Monday a protocol on amendments to an agreement on the rent of facilities on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula for training of Russian carrier pilots. In line with a 1997 bilateral agreement, Russia occasionally uses the Nitka Naval Pilot Training Center in Ukraine as the only training facility for its carrier pilots.
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08/20/2012
Air Vice Marshal Arvind Walia (Retd), Sikorsky’s Regional Executive for India and South Asia, told India Strategic that the Tatas had already supplied 15 airframes to the US company, which is fitting them with Cockpit, engines, systems and rotors. These completed helicopters are then ready for supply to global customers.
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08/20/2012
The initial version of a fighter plane, being jointly developed by India and Russia and tipped to be one of the most-advanced in the world, will be unveiled in India in 2014. The Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with stealth features is slated to be inducted in the Indian Air Force by 2022.
(Read More...)
08/18/2012
The U.S. Navy is stepping up its ocean surveillance capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, with new manned aircraft arriving within the next year and preparations for next-generation drones beginning as soon as October 2013.
(Read More...)
08/18/2012
The late Steve Jobs said it best: "Most of the time, people don't know what they want until you show it to them." Well, after taking a tour of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft factory in Ft. Worth, Texas, I believe yet another advancement in aviation is about to grace Yuma’s presence that will make us wonder for many years to come how it came to be.
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08/18/2012
A Taiwanese military spokesman denied media reports that Taiwan is pursuing a reduced order for F-16C/D jet fighters after being refused the purchase last year. The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said there is no truth that Taiwan recently proposed to the United States that it buy 24 F-16C/D aircraft instead of the 66 it originally sought to purchase.
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08/18/2012
There are those who call it a “strike,” while others refer to it as an “operation.” What exactly it will entail no one really knows, although most assessments stress that there will be surprises – and lots of them. Either way, when Israel decides to launch an attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities it will be looking to inflict as much damage as possible with the aim of preventing Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear program for years to come.
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08/18/2012
Germany’s top court ruled yesterday that the military may conduct combat operations within the country’s borders in case of a terror attack of “catastrophic proportions”, ending a post-war taboo. The Federal Constitutional Court said the Bundeswehr armed forces could deploy under strict conditions in case of an assault with the potential for scores of casualties, in a decision largely welcomed by the government.
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08/18/2012
Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro helps streamline the use of navigational information for airlines, fractional business jet operators and military fleet programs. Jeppesen says its FliteDeck Pro also enables significant weight savings and reduced fuel burn through regulatory authorization to remove paper content from the operation and improved safety through increased situational awareness.
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08/17/2012
A group of Chinese female pilots have recently made their first solo flights in the J-10 combat aircraft, becoming the first female air force pilots capable of flying the multirole aircraft - the country's most advanced fighter jet. The five female pilots completed solo flights and missions navigating the J-10 on July 29 and 30, the PLA Daily reported on Wednesday.
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08/17/2012
Residents of the Comox Valley are familiar with various military aircraft passing overhead and perhaps wonder what roles they play in Canada’s air defence or rescue capability. Recently I had the opportunity to observe one aspect of their role. I was permitted to fly on one of the CC 130 Hercules tankers out of Winnipeg Squadron 435, used to refuel other aircraft while in flight, as part of the biannual RIMPAC Exercise 2012 in Hawaii.
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08/17/2012
The Canadian Forces is planning to spend $755 million on a new fleet of aircraft for its Snowbirds aerobatics team, according to documents obtained by the Citizen. The Snowbirds will need new planes by 2020 and the Royal Canadian Air Force is now examining various options.
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08/17/2012
Syrian rebels are redoubling their efforts to acquire portable anti-aircraft missiles following government airstrikes on cities and towns in the north of the country.In the latest such strike, a Syrian Air Force jet bombed the rebel-held town of Azaz near the Turkish border, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 100.Rebel commanders and activists say their buyers are now scouring the arms black markets in the region to get the shoulder-fired missiles that can counter the government.
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08/17/2012
A Russian Army Mil Mi-28N, one of the force's newest machines, crashed on Thursday at its base in Mozdok, North Ossetia. The two-man crew was not injured according to preliminary information. "An Mi-28N made a heavy landing while on a training flight," a source in the Southern Military District said. "The crew was not hurt and neither was anyone on the ground. The cause is being investigated."
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08/17/2012
As Boeing marks the 50th anniversary of delivering the first H-47 Chinook military helicopter, the company is nearing completion of a $130 million renovation of its production line near Philadelphia that will help it meet global demand for the latest model, the CH-47F.
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08/16/2012
A single CN-235-300M medium-range twin-turboprop transport aircraft destined for the Yemen Arab Republic Air Force has been undergoing flight-testing at Airbus Military's facility at Seville San Pablo airport. Jon Lake reports.
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08/16/2012
Not words you want to hear from a man in a flightsuit, controlling a plane on which you're flying. That is, unless it's Wayne Hanna, who spends his work days in American Airlines aircraft maintenance and his free days as a KC-10 Extender Flight Engineer with the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
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08/16/2012
An unmanned experimental aircraft failed during an attempt to fly at six times the speed of sound in the latest setback for hypersonic flight. The X-51A Waverider was designed to reach Mach 6, or 3,600 mph, after being dropped by a B-52 bomber off the Southern California coast on Tuesday. Engineers hoped it would sustain its top speed for five minutes, twice as long as an X-51A has gone before.
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08/16/2012
Kenyan emergency teams searched for a third day Wednesday for five personnel still unaccounted for after three Ugandan military helicopters crashed at the weekend, officials said. "Search and rescue operations are underway and our teams are on the mountain," said Simon Gitau, a senior warden with the Kenya Wildlife Service, which is assisting in the rescue operations.
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08/16/2012
In the 100 years since the Romanov family established the Russian air force, it has served in both war and peace and survived both the creation and collapse of the Soviet Union. The Russian air force is 100 years old. In 1912, Grand Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov declared: “The Russian air force should be stronger than that of our neighbors.
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08/16/2012
A new C-130J Super Hercules for the Sultanate of Oman successfully conducted a test flight last week at Lockheed Martin's Marietta facility in the US. It is the first of three C-130Js on order for Oman and is scheduled for delivery later this year. Oman currently operates a fleet of three C-130Hs purchased in the early 1980s.
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08/15/2012
It is reported that Taiwan has more than halved the number of F-16 fighter planes it requests from the United States government, from sixty-six down to twenty-four. The China Times based in Taipei quotes a supposedly authoritative military source on the matter.
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08/15/2012
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) debuted the fighter aircraft (F-15SG) and Gulfstream 550 airborne early warning aircraft (G550-AEW) at the biennial multilateral air combat exercise in Darwin, Australia. Codenamed Exercise Pitch Black, the exercise is being held from July 27 to Aug 16. It is attended by around 2,500 personnel and 100 aircraft.
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08/15/2012
Poland is planning to replace its obsolete Soviet-built Sukhoi Su-22 strike aircraft with an unmanned strike aircraft (UCAV) system, Deputy Defense Minister Waldemar Skrzypczak told TVN24 television on Tuesday. "We are looking at possibly swapping some of our Su-22 fleet for long-range pilotless systems with high strike capability," Skrzypczak said on the Poland and World program. Skrzypczak has responsibility for defense procurement.
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08/14/2012
Flight tests with actual combat employment of the Su-35S super-maneuverable multi-purpose fighter aircraft are currently being held under the State Joint Tests (SJT) program at the National Flight Test Center of the Russian Air Force. The resulting technical and accuracy characteristics of the surveillance-aiming systems and combat modes are largely consistent with the stated technical specifications.
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08/14/2012
One Ugandan military helicopter made an emergency landing and two others came down hard and went missing while being deployed to strengthen peacekeeping troops in Somalia, a Ugandan military spokesman said Monday.
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08/14/2012
A superfast jet that could fly from L.A. to New York City in less than an hour may be one step closer to reality after a key test this week. The X-51A WaveRider, an unmanned aircraft that could reach speeds up to Mach 6 will be launched from the wing of a B-52 bomber high above the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
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08/14/2012
A Japanese government mission left for the United States on Monday to verify the safety of the Osprey transport aircraft in response to mounting public concerns in Japan over the deployment of the controversial military aircraft. The team headed by Parliamentary Vice-Defense Minister Hideo Jinpu is to be briefed by U.S. officials on the crash of an MV-22 Osprey in Morocco in April.
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08/14/2012
Syrian rebels have claimed to have shot down a military fighter jet in eastern Syria near Iraqi border, but the Syrian state media says it crashed due to "technical problems." Video footage uploaded online by the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Monday shows an aircraft that looks like Syrian air force's Russian-built MiG-23 fighter jet bursting into flames amidst the sound of gunfire, reports say.
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08/14/2012
A NATO civilian worker arrested last week on suspicion of espionage in western Germany has been linked to Russian intelligence, The Times reported on Monday. The 60-year-old NATO employee at the Ramstein Air Force Base, whose name was given only as Manfred K., was offered over $10 million by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) for access to classified information, the paper said citing a German journalist.
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08/13/2012
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress Aug. 6 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for follow-on support and services for the Royal Saudi Air Force at an estimated cost of $850 million.
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08/13/2012
German customs have seized two shipments of military airplane engines from Russia on the grounds that they violate the country's stringent arms trading rules, a news report said Sunday. Customs stopped the shipment of four turboprop engines for Tu-142 reconnaissance aircraft destined for India and a shipment of MiG-29 fighter jet engines en route to Algeria because they lacked the necessary permits, the weekly news magazine Spiegel reported.
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08/13/2012
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) completed painting its first T-34C Turbomentor Trainer aircraft for a California-based detachment aligned under Commander, Strike Fighter Wing Pacific (CSFWP) July 31. FRCSE painters completed the aircraft’s unique paint scheme by applying primer and a white topcoat with blue and black markings to protect the airframe from water intrusion and corrosion.
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08/13/2012
Su-family combat aircraft have been exported since 1964. More than 2,500 Su-7, Su-17, Su-20, Su-22, Su-24, Su-25, Su-27, Su-30 aircraft and their modifications were delivered to the Air Force of more than 30 countries for all these years.
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08/12/2012
Addressing a crowd of people today at an air show at Zhukovsky just outside Moscow marking the air force's 100th anniversary, President elect Vladimir Putin, said the military will receive more than “600 new combat planes and 1,000 helicopters by 2020.” "I'm sure, each of us will feel pride for the country, for the people who build such aircraft and pilot them," he said smiling.
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08/11/2012
US military sales to Pakistan since 2001, including in-process supply of F-16 combat aircraft, are collectively worth about $5.4 billion, accordingly to a newly-released report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Major US arms sales and grants to Pakistan since 2001 have included not only items related to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, but also a host of big ticket platforms more suited to conventional warfare.
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08/11/2012
Becoming a fighter pilot is still a hotly coveted goal at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. But slowly, a culture change is taking hold. Initially snubbed as second-class pilot-wannabes, the airmen who remotely control America's arsenal of lethal drones are gaining stature and securing a permanent place in the Air Force.
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08/11/2012
The Russian Air Force will receive some 180 brand new planes and helicopters by the end of the year, the Air Force Commander in Chief Major General Viktor Bondarev said. The country’s air force has already received several new Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback warplanes and will get another 12, along with Kamov Ka-52 Alligator and Mil Mi-28 Havoc helicopters, as well as trainer jets including 15 Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten aircraft, Bondarev said in an interview.
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08/11/2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend on Saturday a spectacular air show near Moscow marking the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force, the Kremlin’s press service said.
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08/11/2012
An investigation by Turkish authorities found no evidence that the Turkish reconnaissance aircraft that crashed on June 22 was shot down by Syrian air defense, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on Friday.
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08/10/2012
Chile is seeking U.S. government information for possible purchase of additional Black Hawk helicopters for the Chilean air force, industry sources said. Chile has been aiming to modernize its armed forces but has been hamstrung by budgetary constraints and divergent opinions within the military establishment on options available to the country and the competitive edge of rivals to U.S. suppliers.
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08/10/2012
The embattled F-35 fighter program, amid a myriad technical problems, quietly keeps racking up wins as Pentagon officials try to protect America's lone active tactical jet program from big cuts.
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08/10/2012
Becoming a fighter pilot is still a hotly coveted goal at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. But slowly, a culture change is taking hold. Initially snubbed as second-class pilot-wannabes, the airmen who remotely control America's arsenal of lethal drones are gaining stature and securing a permanent place in the Air Force.
(Read More...)
08/10/2012
Draken International in Lakeland, Fla. has been selected as the winning bidder for nine Aermacchi MB-339 tactical jet trainer aircraft from the New Zealand government. The fleet will complement the company's already expansive and highly capable fleet of fighter aircraft, with capabilities in all mission sets including air to air and air to ground.
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08/10/2012
Indonesia will buy no more Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia, opting instead for U.S. F-16s, Air Marshal Eris Herryanto told Flightglobal aviation news portal on Thursday. The Indonesian Air Force has 10 Su-30 and Su-27s with six additional fighters on the way. Money is being made available to accelerate the refurbishment of its existing fleet of 15 Lockheed Martin C-130s, as well as buy four C-130Hs from Australia and upgrade them, and purchase more Indonesia Aerospace CN-295 transports.
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08/09/2012
Draken International has signed an agreement with the New Zealand government to purchase eight Douglas A-4K Skyhawk strike fighters formerly used by the Royal new Zealand Air Force. Draken has already received the necessary approval from the US State Department and expects to have the aircraft operational by the first quarter of 2013. In the 1990s these planes formed the New Zealand strike force. They flew until 2001, when the unit was disbanded and its aircraft put for sale.
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08/09/2012
As the role UAVs in the US military expands, the demands placed on these unmanned platforms grow as well. One of the most important new abilities these autonomous fliers must have is the ability to land atop a thin strip of tarmac rolling on the high seas. And that's just what the new Northrop Grumman X-47B will do.
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08/09/2012
India, which has emerged as a major importer of American military hardware, is verifying reports about "faulty spare parts made in China" being used in defence equipment sold by the US to other countries. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, defence minister A K Antony said the entire issue of Chinese spare parts being used in US weaponry was being examined. "There have been media reports in this regard which are being verified," he said.
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08/09/2012
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency reports that Saudi Arabia has requested follow-on support and services for its military aircraft. The deal, if approved by Congress, would include support and services for aircraft, engines and weapons; publications and technical documentation; airlift and aerial refueling; support equipment; and spare and repair parts.
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08/09/2012
Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft maker has started tests of a new onboard radar system for its 5th generation T-50 fighter jet, the company said on Wednesday. The new X-band active phased array radar has been installed on the third prototype of the T-50 fighter and showed a stable and effective performance comparable with the most advanced existing radar systems.
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08/09/2012
Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft company is carrying out state acceptance trials of its Su-35 advanced fighter jet at the Russian Air Force’s flight test center, the company said on Wednesday. The aircraft has already undertaken more than 650 flights as part of the trials. The Air Force will accept another six Su-35s before the end of the year.
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08/09/2012
A new C-130J Super Hercules for the Sultanate of Oman conducts a test flight at the Lockheed Martin facility here. This is the first of three C-130Js on order for Oman and is scheduled for delivery later this year. Oman currently operates a fleet of three C-130Hs purchased in the early 1980s. The new C-130J will be used to support internal country operations where its ability to operate out of remote austere airstrips will be invaluable.
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08/09/2012
Boeing has delivered production units of a smaller, lighter version of its Tactical Compact Communications Relay (TCCR), which allows a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to function as a tactical, range-extending communications repeater for military handheld radios.
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08/09/2012
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has ordered 193 F110-GE-129E engines to power 84 new twin-engine Boeing F-15SA aircraft. With the order the RSAF becomes the largest operator of F110 engines other than the U.S. government. This follows earlier RSAF orders for 156 engines to power 71 re-engined F-15S aircraft.
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08/08/2012
The suspicious military aircraft which penetrated Kuwait's airspace recently and flew low near the border area was seen by border security personnel at the Al-Squihah center contrary to earlier reports which had said the aircraft was detected by the radar of the General Administration for Border Security, reports Al-Shahed daily.
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08/08/2012
The United Nations has counted 64 reports of foreign fighter jets, helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicles operating in Somalia over the last year, most of which violated the 1992 arms embargo against Somalia. In its Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, the United Nations said that it had received a growing number of reports of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over Somalia.
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08/08/2012
The Republic of Korea has selected BAE Systems to upgrade the avionics and electronic systems for its fleet of F-16 aircraft. The Korean Government will deliver a Letter of Request (LOR) for BAE Systems' U.S.-based Support Solutions business to be the sole source systems integration contractor for upgrading more than 130 F-16s. The work will be contracted through the U.S. Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales program.
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08/08/2012
It appears that Canada is getting involved in the drone arms race. According to a report in the Ottawa Citizen, the Harper government recently approved a military 'request to aerospace firms' to provide details about the types of drones now available in the marketplace. The 'request' pointed out the need for the unmanned aircraft to operate in the Arctic. The aircraft should also be able to carry precision-guided munitions, the government said.
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08/08/2012
Two F-15 fighter jets intercepted two small airplanes that strayed into President Barack Obama's airspace during a campaign visit to Connecticut and New York on Monday, military officials said. One of the pilots was questioned by local law enforcement.
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08/08/2012
The legislation, introduced by Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Bill Nelson of Florida, would transfer surplus aircraft from the U.S. Department of Defense to the U.S. Forest Service for use in fighting wildland fires. Saying federal officials lack adequate air power to fight fires from the sky, Riverside County Supervisors Bob Buster and Jeff Stone, are urging the U.S. Senate to support legislation to convert excess military air tankers to help fight wildfires nationwide.
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08/08/2012
Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies’ new, lightweight, Perceptor™ dual-sensor gimbal packs the capability of a large camera system in a small, compact package designed to provide high-quality video surveillance for small and micro unmanned aircraft systems.
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08/08/2012
A modified Boeing Blended Wing Body research aircraft – designated the X-48C – flew for the first time today at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The remotely piloted X-48C aircraft took off at 7:56 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time and climbed to an altitude of 5,500 feet before landing 9 minutes later.
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08/07/2012
Serial production of a new fifth generation frontline aircraft will start in Russia after 2015, Air Force Commander, Major-General Viktor Bondarev said. Compared to previous generations of the frontline aircraft, the new one will be a combination of as fighter and attack plane. It will be provided with new an active phased array radar system and new avionics.The latter will include an "electronic pilot", which will reduce the workload on the pilot to allow him to concentrate on his combat task.
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08/07/2012
India will buff up its combat edge next year with the induction of a new set of warfighting capabilities sourced from the US under contracts totaling more than $6.2 billion (Rs 34,720 crore).
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08/07/2012
Embraer Defense and Security has today delivered four light attack and tactical training A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to Indonesia’s Air Force at a ceremony held in its facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil. Indonesia is the first operator of Super Tucano in the Asia-Pacific region. These four A-29 Super Tucano are from the initial batch of eight aircraft purchased by the Indonesian Air Force (IAF) in 2010.
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08/07/2012
Hercules C-130 transport planes operated by the Air Force can be refitted as tanker aircraft, which can beef up the country’s air defenses in the event of war, military officials said recently. Although the Air Force has no tanker aircrafts, the C-130 is spacious enough to be turned into a tanker aircraft if it is equipped with refueling equipment such as oil tanks and hoses, the officials said.
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08/07/2012
The US is helping the Philippines to modernise and improve its military capability in the face of a growing confrontation with China over supremacy in the South China Sea. The Americans have already agreed to transfer two naval vessels to an underpowered Philippine navy, and deployment of fighter jets, a coastal radar system and even increased numbers of American troops on the ground in the Philippines are under discussion.
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08/07/2012
Boeing and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) have demonstrated that an operator on the ground, using only a laptop and a military radio, can command an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) "swarm." Despite limited flight training, the operator was able to connect with autonomous UAVs, task them and obtain information without using a ground control station.
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08/06/2012
Of Taiwan's military aircraft, the C-130 transport plane can be refitted as a tanker aircraft, which can beef up the country's air defenses in the event of war, military officials said recently. Although the Air Force has no tanker aircraft, the C-130 is spacious enough to be turned into a tanker aircraft if it is equipped with refueling equipment such as oil tanks and hoses, the officials told CNA.
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08/06/2012
FARS news agency reported on an effort by Iran to overhaul and upgrades it’s tactical MiG29 fighter jets. Which the article says is necessary to maintain combat readiness in the face of a probable "pre-emptive U.S. military strike" against both civilians and military targets.
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08/06/2012
The United States military, the world’s most technologically advanced force, paradoxically fields some of the oldest weapons’ platforms on the planet. At least five aircraft, still in US military service, are already more than 50 years old. And, they are set to serve for three to four decades more.
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08/06/2012
Two F-16 fighter jets intercepted a small airplane near Washington, D.C. Saturday after the pilot failed to respond to radio communications, military officials said on Sunday. The aircraft was later allowed to proceed when contact was established.
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08/06/2012
Russia’s Baltic Fleet battleships and combat aircraft will take part in large-scale tactical drills in the country’s westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad on August 8 to land marines in rough terrain, the press office of the Western Military District reported. The drills will be held at the Baltic Fleet’s Khmelyovka firing range ahead of the celebration of the Russian Air Force centennial on August 12 and will involve 500 servicemen, warships, support vessels, combat aircraft and gunships.
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08/05/2012
The U.S. Air Force is training more drone “pilots” than those who will be at the controls of traditional aircraft, according to the Air Force chief of staff. To date, there are reportedly around 1,300 people controlling the Air Force’s arsenal of Reaper, Predator, and Global Hawk drones, and the Pentagon plans to add about 2,500 pilots and support crew by 2014, according to an article in published August 3 by The Times of London.
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08/05/2012
Even after 28,000 hours of flight time in Iraq and Afghanistan, the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft had to undergo yet another test flight today to prove its safety and reliability to the Japanese and bolster U.S. strategic planning for the Pacific.
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08/05/2012
Two F-16 fighters were scrambled in the Washington metropolitan area Saturday after a small plane that ignored attempts at radio contact, was detected in flight, the US military said. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said the fighters intercepted the Beechcraft King Air airplane near the national capital region at approximately 7:00 pm (1100 GMT).
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08/05/2012
Air Chief NAK Browne today said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has identified a 'design flaw' with the Russian-made supersonic fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30 though nothing is wrong with its 'airworthiness'. "We have identified a Fly-By-Wire problem with the aircraft. It is a design issue and we have taken it up with the designing agency," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function held to mark Golden Jubilee celebrations of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune.
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08/04/2012
Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned combat aircraft system demonstrator (UCAS-D) is about to begin ground maneuver trials at NAS Patuxtent River, Md., to evaluate deck handling procedures as it moves toward a landing on an aircraft carrier in 2013. The X-47B made its first flight from Pax on July 29, when air vehicle (AV) 2 completed a 36-min. flight over Chesapeake Bay, reaching 7,500 ft. altitude and 180 kt. airspeed.
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08/04/2012
An RAF fighter jet tasked with defending the Olympics against terror attacks was scrambled after an aircraft lost contact with aviation authorities, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The Typhoon was sent to intercept the aircraft after air traffic controllers lost contact. But the jet was able to return to its base at RAF Northolt, west London, shortly after taking off when communication was re-established with the pilot.
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08/04/2012
A Marine Corps F-18 fighter flying from Honolulu back to Iwakuni, Japan, made a precautionary landing on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge early today after experiencing a mechanical problem, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. The fighter, which had been taking part in Rim of the Pacific war games in Hawaii, landed safely at Henderson Airfield on Midway’s Sand Island, the federal agency said.
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08/04/2012
Taiwan's Navy will take delivery of two U.S.-built P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft next year, according to local media reports. The military's plan to build a hangar at an air base in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan to accommodate the advanced anti-submarine aircraft, however, has remained on the drawing board, the reports said.
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08/04/2012
When President Obama called on the U.S. military to shift its focus to Asia earlier this year, Andrew Marshall, a 91-year-old futurist, had a vision of what to do. Marshall's small office in the Pentagon has spent the past two decades planning for a war against an angry, aggressive and heavily armed China.
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08/03/2012
A UK-led campaign to sell 12 Typhoon combat aircraft to Oman could succeed in securing a deal before year-end, according to Eurofighter partner company BAE Systems. "The Royal Air Force of Oman is currently reviewing the Group's commercial response for 12 Typhoon Tranche 3 aircraft, plus associated support and training facilities," the UK company said in its half-year results statement on 2 August. "Contract negotiations have commenced, with contract award possible in late 2012."
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08/03/2012
A white paper published by Japan’s defence ministry has shed light on Tokyo’s views of military aviation developments in China and its decision earlier this year to select the Lockheed Martin F-35A for its 42-aircraft F-X requirement.
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08/03/2012
Navy officials unveiled their new drone strike fighter this week, the UFO-like X-47B. This remote-controlled vehicle will ultimately be flying missions from the deck of an aircraft carrier at sea. This first demonstrator model, now undergoing trials at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, isn't armed with weapons yet, but officials say it will have that capability.
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08/03/2012
As the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force approaches us, an increasing number of celebrations are being planned. The most prominent Russian Military Analysts recently took part in a round table conference in Moscow devoted to the potential development of a new bomber for the Russian Air Force. However, while analysing the need for “aircraft of the future”, the specialists have differed in their views.
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08/03/2012
The United States has provided over $25 billion in direct overt aid and military reimbursements to Pakistan since 9/11 according to updates released by the US Congress Research Service to a report released in April this year. Of this, nearly $17 billion has been under various security related programs and over $8 billion for economic support programs.
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08/03/2012
Russia could deploy a "sixth-generation" pilotless strategic bomber aircraft after 2040, Long-Range Aviation Commander Lt . Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev said on Thursday. "That could be around 2040-2050," Zhikharev said. Russia's Tupolev design bureau is currently developing a new-generation strategic bomber aircraft, PAK DA, due to be in service around 2025. The new aircraft will replace the existing fleet of Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers.
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08/03/2012
The Russian Air Force will take delivery of up to 400 modernized Mi-8 battlefield support helicopters by 2020, service spokesman Col.Vladimir Drik said on Thursday. “By the end of the year, up to 50 of the latest Mi-8 models will operate, and by 2020 the air force plans to have more than 400 new Mi-8s,” he said.
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08/03/2012
Boeing and a dozen of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet suppliers highlighted opportunities available to Brazilian industry at conferences on July 31 in Porto Alegre and Aug. 1 in São José dos Campos. A wide-ranging industrial participation program is part of Boeing's Super Hornet offering in Brazil’s F-X2 fighter competition.
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08/03/2012
Boeing will spotlight several unmanned systems that meet a variety of customer needs during the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems North America 2012 conference and exhibition. This year's event takes place Aug. 6-9 in Las Vegas.
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08/03/2012
Lebanon's defence force has called on the US Government to allow the sale of six Huey II helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support. US Congress has been notified of the request by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) which says the contract would be worth around $63 million to manufacturer Bell Helicopters
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08/02/2012
A German Luftwaffe fighter pilot who participated in the recent Red Flag war games in Alaska is claiming that the Eurofighter Typhoon was able to get the better of the U.S. Air Force's vaunted and super-expensive F-22 Raptor fighter in simulated close-range combat. "We had a Raptor salad for lunch," one German pilot allegedly said.
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08/02/2012
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced today that Luke AFB has been chosen as the location of the Air Force's F-35A Lightning II pilot training center. The base will receive 72 aircraft for a total of three fighter squadrons. "This is a great day for Luke," said Brig. Gen. JD Harris, 56th Fighter Wing commander. "Our selection for F-35 training ensures the long-term viability of our mission of training the world's greatest fighter pilots, which we've been doing at Luke for seven decades."
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08/02/2012
Two near misses involving military aircraft occurred over Scotland during Europe's largest military exercise, it has emerged. A Tornado GR4 jet and a Merlin helicopter were involved in the first incident over Skye and a Tornado and a C130 plane in the other over Moray.
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08/02/2012
The U.S. Air Force's premier air-to-air combat aircraft was just getting back to normal flight operations following an investigation into hypoxia-like (oxygen-deprivation) symptoms among pilots when it got more bad news: The F-22 Raptor is facing new questions over its vaunted air-combat capabilities.
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08/02/2012
Iran will withdraw its $4-billion lawsuit against Russia if it delivers S-300 air-defense systems to the Islamic republic, the Iranian ambassador to Russia said on Wednesday. Iran sued Russia’s state-run arms corporation Rosoboronexport in the international arbitration court in Geneva last April.
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08/01/2012
The Czech Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces will enter negotiations for continued leasing of Saab 39 Gripen aircraft. The Czech military flies 14 of the Swedish company's fighter aircraft under an agreement signed in 2004. A Swedish news report said the Czechs were balking over the cost requested to continue the arrangement.
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08/01/2012
The military dismissed conjecture that Beijing is preparing for war to defend national territory in the South China Sea, saying the PLA opposes any armed intervention in the region. Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng was speaking on Tuesday at a news conference on the eve of the 85th anniversary of the PLA.
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08/01/2012
Why have US military pilots been passing out at the controls of their F-22 fighter jets? That has been the mystery vexing Pentagon officials for more than a year. On Tuesday, they announced the results of a wide-ranging investigation into dangerous malfunctions surrounding the most expensive fighter jet in military history.
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08/01/2012
A new era of Anglo-French co-operation in military combat aircraft technology has been underpinned by a bilateral contract placed with Rolls-Royce and Snecma by the UK Ministry of Defence.
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08/01/2012
Syrian combat aircraft and artillery pounded Aleppo late into the night as the army battled for control of the country's biggest city, where rebel fighters said troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had been forced to retreat.
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08/01/2012
For the second time this year, the U.S. Marine Corps has approved the deployment extension of K-MAX Cargo UAS, the first unmanned helicopter to deliver cargo and resupply troops in a combat zone. By supplying forward operating bases with K-MAX instead of ground convoy or manned aircraft, the Marine Corps has reduced the threat posed to personnel by improvised explosive devices by thousands of hours.
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08/01/2012
Boeing today in Long Beach integrated the forward, center and aft fuselages and the wing assembly of India's first C-17 Globemaster III during the airlifter's "major join" ceremony. Embassy, senior Indian Air Force and local elected officials drove ceremonial rivets into the aircraft as they celebrated the achievement of this key program milestone.
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07/31/2012
Northrop Grumman’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator has successfully completed its first flight from Naval Air Station Patuxent (Pax) River. The unmanned aircraft launched from Pax River and flew for 35 minutes, and reached an altitude of 7,500 feet at a speed of 180 knots before landing back at Pax River.
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07/31/2012
The United States has spent nearly $80 billion to develop the most advanced stealth fighter jet in history, the F-22 Raptor, but the Air Force recently found out firsthand that while the planes own the skies at modern long-range air combat, it is “evenly matched” with cheaper, foreign jets when it comes to old-school dogfighting.
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07/31/2012
Strapped into the cockpit of an F-16 jet fighter, Air Force Col. Scott Brenton has dropped bombs over Bosnia, screamed over the desert in Iraq and strafed Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. But on a recent morning, Brenton flew his combat mission from a leather easy chair in a low-slung cinder block building on the edge of Syracuse.
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07/31/2012
There was at least one thing on which all the participants of the round table, which was held in the Rosbalt information agency, have agreed upon: Russia should continue maintaining the existing fleet of strategic aircraft in a proper condition and continue to upgrade them. The resources for the Tupolev Tu-95MS, Tu-160, and Tu-22?3 allow these aircrafts to remain in service for many years. In these conditions, the improvement of their equipment and weapons is one of the key tasks.
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07/31/2012
Eurocopter has delivered two NH90s to France’s DGA for their deployment by the French Army and Navy. The ceremony celebrating this dual delivery was held at Marignane, the manufacturer’s headquarters, and was attended by the DGA, Dominique Maudet, Eurocopter Group’s Executive Officer for France & Vice President of Global Business and Services, and a number of representatives from France’s armed forces.
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07/31/2012
China would be keen to sell an indigenously developed combat helicopter to India, a senior officer of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aviation regiment said on Tuesday. Z-9WZ, designed and manufactured in China, was part of a show organised for foreign and local media that included displays and maneuvers by the helicopters on Tuesday.
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07/31/2012
In mid-June, 150 German airmen and eight twin-engine, non-stealthy Typhoons arrived at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska for an American-led Red Flag exercise involving more than 100 aircraft from Germany, the U.S. Air Force and Army, NATO, Japan, Australia and Poland. Eight times during the two-week war game, individual German Typhoons flew against single F-22s in basic fighter maneuvers meant to simulate a close-range dogfight.
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07/31/2012
The UAE will get the benefits of a new technology development in the Eurofighter Typhoon if it selects the aircraft for its multi-role combat type, the European partnership said today. On behalf of the four core nations in the Eurofighter programme, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, a Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) to Eurofighter GmbH for the development of an Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (E-Scan).
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07/30/2012
Inside a spotless hangar here, technicians work on three gleaming new Boeing 737s, painted in the drab grey favoured by the world’s navies. While two of these are marked with the US Navy logo, the third bears markings unusual for this hangar: the Indian Navy’s Devanagari logo: ‘Nau Sena’ (Navy).
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07/30/2012
From his computer console here in the Syracuse suburbs, Col. D. Scott Brenton remotely flies a Reaper drone that beams back hundreds of hours of live video of insurgents, his intended targets, going about their daily lives 7,000 miles away in Afghanistan. Sometimes he and his team watch the same family compound for weeks.
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07/30/2012
Critics say the move to unmanned aircraft blurs battlefield boundaries and makes it too easy to drop a bomb. The transition also is creating a major cultural shift for the Air National Guard.
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07/30/2012
A group of U.S. inspectors will make a one-week surveillance flight over Russia and Belarus in line with the international Open Skies Treaty beginning on Monday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. “In line with the implementation of the Open Skies Treaty, a U.S. mission will make an observatory flight over the Russian and Belarusian territories between July 30 and August 4 on board of an OC-135B aircraft,” the spokesman said.
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07/30/2012
The Indian army has successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a spokesman for BrahMos Aerospace, which produces the missile, said on Sunday. “The test launch aimed to check the work of some new systems installed on the missile,” the spokesman said. The missile was launched from the Chandipur missile test range in the eastern province of Orissa.
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07/29/2012
For more than a decade, US fighter pilots have become accustomed to "owning the sky" in wars against insurgents who have no warplanes or air defenses. But in the desert outside Las Vegas, the US Air Force is trying to get back to basics, reminding pilots how to fly against a sophisticated enemy with fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles and satellite jammers.
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07/29/2012
The U.S. Coast Guard took delivery this week of its 14th HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft from prime contractor EADS North America. The Ocean Sentry is based on the Airbus Military CN235 tactical airlifter, more than 250 of which are currently in operation by 27 countries.
(Read More...)
07/29/2012
Last month, some college students were challenged by the Department of Homeland Security to try to hack into a drone flying over White Sands. They did it. So what does that mean for security especially in the military? Air Force officials offered some answers and a rare inside look at their remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) training program at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo.
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07/29/2012
Military helicopters pounded a rebel-held district of Aleppo on Saturday and armoured units positioned themselves for an onslaught that could determine the fate of Syria's biggest city, opposition sources said. Turkey, once a friend but now a fierce critic of the Syrian government, joined growing diplomatic pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, calling for international steps to deal with the military build-up.
(Read More...)
07/29/2012
Japanese and U.S. officials will continue to try to allay the concerns of Japanese people over the safety of the U.S. Osprey military aircraft being deployed in American bases in Japan.
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07/29/2012
Servicemen may be evacuated from the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, if it comes under attack, Navy chief Vice Adm. Viktor Chirkov said on Saturday. “I am not the one to issue orders: We have the defense minister [for that],” he said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy Radio. “If we have to evacuate the personnel that is currently deployed there, we certainly will.”
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07/28/2012
A series of malfunctions led the Israel Air Force over the weekend to suspend midair refueling exercises as well as training flights for its fleet of older-model F-16s. On Friday, during a routine midair training flight, the hose disconnected from an F-16I - the IAF's most-advanced combat aircraft - causing light damage. The IAF decided to suspend the exercise and to land both the F-16 and the Boeing 707 refueling tanker.
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07/28/2012
Even amid mounting fears of a massacre in Syria's largest city, the United States must continue applying economic and diplomatic pressure before considering military intervention, America's highest-ranking military official said Friday.
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07/28/2012
The crash landing of the AV-8B Harrier aircraft near Felicity, Calif. Wednesday was caused by an unspecified mechanical failure, military officials stated. The site of the crash landing is still cordoned off by military and law enforcement personnel because two 500-pound bombs attached to the harrier that did not detonate upon impact still pose a danger to the public.
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07/28/2012
America's allies are extremely interested in buying U.S.-made military drone aircraft, positioning American firms well for an expected explosion of unmanned plane sales. In his global travels, Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro says he detects "an intense interest" among U.S. allies to purchase military drones.
(Read More...)
07/28/2012
A high-ranking source in the Russian Navy Command on Friday denied media reports that a flotilla of Russian warships will remain in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis. “It’s too early to speak about the permanent presence of a naval flotilla in the Mediterranean… there’s no need for it so far,” the source said.
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07/27/2012
After two years of preparation, Colombia's Air Force participated in major military maneuvers with the United States for the first time in simulated air battles over a Nevada desert. "Not only is it a dream come true to be flying with the best air force, but it is also very important for us because we can learn a lot (...) and we can advance our integration with a very modern air force," said Colombian Brigadier General Carlos Bueno.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
An AV-8B Harrier fighter jet carrying live ordnance crashed Wednesday near here, making this at least the seventh Harrier to crash in eastern Imperial County since 1996. The pilot involved in Wednesday’s crash ejected safely, a Marine Corps Air Station Yuma official said.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
Despite Malacañang’s efforts to downplay the ongoing conflict in the South China Sea, Beijing on Thursday continued its aggressive stance on the issue following a statement from a high-ranking military officer asking the Chinese government to put up “maritime and air spaces” there.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
Turkey will spend up to $8 billion in defense purchases as its exports will reach $2 billion in 2016, four years from now, according to a major estimation by the procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM). The present figures are around half of that.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
Michigan’s Army and Air National Guard have two installations located in Northern Michigan that are leading the way into combat readiness. The Michigan Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Center and Michigan Army National Guard’s Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center have become center stage for one of the largest military training operations in Michigan’s military history.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
The growing military links with Indonesia will be on show this week after the arrival yesterday of an Indonesian Air Force Su-30 fighter. The Indonesian fighters will participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2012, also involving aircraft from Australia, the US, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand, operating from Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
A squadron of U.S. F-16 fighter jets in Japan has been grounded for safety checks after one of their aircraft crashed in the Pacific, military officials said Thursday.
(Read More...)
07/27/2012
Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) recently completed F-15E platform integration with a successful all-up round (AUR) flight test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
(Read More...)
07/26/2012
The Air Force has awarded Lockheed-Martin Corp. a $199.3 million contract to provide 18 F-16 fighter aircraft, with technical and equipment support, to the government of Iraq through the U.S. foreign military sales program.
(Read More...)
07/26/2012
Shindand Air Base has an 8,000-foot runway, a gleaming new headquarters complex and a cadre of motivated Afghan pilot candidates. Because of the way Washington operates, however, it lacks warplanes. The budding Afghan air force was supposed to receive $355 million worth of planes custom-made for fighting guerrillas well ahead of the U.S. withdrawal in 2014.
(Read More...)
07/26/2012
Japan has set up a panel of experts to make its own assessment on the safety of the U.S. military's Osprey transport aircraft brought to the country on Monday. Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto presided over the first meeting of the panel, headed by Defense Ministry's Deputy Director-General for Policy Tetsuro Kuroe, on Wednesday.
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07/26/2012
Britain's controversial Olympic security procedures swung into action when a fighter jet was scrambled to intercept an aircraft that had entered restricted airspace. The Typhoon jet was ordered to intercept the aircraft after it failed to contact air traffic controllers, the Ministry of Defence said. Communications were then restored and the fighter jet told to stand down.
(Read More...)
07/26/2012
The Boeing Company has selected L-3 Communications MAS of Mirabel and General Dynamics Canada of Ottawa for two In-Service Support Program contracts for Canadian Forces CH-147F Chinook helicopters.
(Read More...)
07/25/2012
Combat Pilot from Mad Catz is a new flight simulation, multiplayer game that looks pretty rockin'! I have to say that the game is definitely one I'll give a go at home with my own sons.
I can't say that I'm a huge flight sim fan, but one of our resident gamers here at Fox took a look at the trailer and was very enthusiastic about giving it a go. This is a PC only sim and does require a membership fee. The fee is $49.95 for the first month, then $11.99 a month thereafter.
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07/25/2012
The Air Force will gradually lift flight restrictions for the F-22 Raptor, expressing "very high confidence" that investigators have found what is causing oxygen-supply problems with the plane, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday. The first problem is a faulty valve on a high-pressure vest that Raptor pilots have worn during high-altitude missions. The valve caused the vest to inflate at the wrong time, which restricted a pilot's breathing.
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07/25/2012
India has approved a $2.4 billion contest to acquire 56 transports to replace the air force's Hindustan Aeronautics-built Hawker Siddeley HS 748s, setting the stage for a possible showdown between the Airbus Military C295 and Alenia Aermacchi C-27J. The planned acquisition was approved on 23 July by India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), says the country's defence ministry. Headed by defence minister AK Antony, the DAC oversees the military's entire acquisition process.
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07/25/2012
The skies over Somalia have become so congested with drones that the unmanned aircraft pose a danger to air traffic and potentially violate a long-standing arms embargo against the war-torn country, according to United Nations officials.
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07/25/2012
It is claimed the jets have targeted the northern city of Aleppo as opposition fighters attempt to seize control of Syria's second city and commercial hub. The conflict has intensified with the regime unleashing warplanes and helicopter gunships to "drop bombs" in a bid to wrestle back control of neighbourhoods in Aleppo and the capital Damascus.
(Read More...)
07/25/2012
The arrival of the U.S. military's accident-prone Osprey V-22 aircraft in Japan on Monday sparked widespread protests from Japanese officials and citizens concerned about the plane's safety record and the government's plans to deploy the aircraft at U.S. bases in the south of Japan.
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07/25/2012
North Korea has placed several dozen combat helicopters near its sea border with South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday citing South Korean government sources. North Korea has deployed around 50 upgraded Russian-made helicopters on Baeknyeong Island in the West Sea since May.
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07/25/2012
The first MC-130J Commando II that will be converted to become an AC-130J Gunship is being built at the Lockheed Martin C-130 production facility here. The AC-130J will be equipped with a Precision Strike Package creating the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command’s newest gunship. Sixteen AC-130Js are planned with an Initial Operating Capability scheduled for 2015.
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07/25/2012
Boeing [NYSE: BA] has awarded contracts totaling nearly US$1.85 million to Australian companies Lovitt Technologies Australia and Ferra Engineering to manufacture parts and assemblies for the P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft. “Boeing continues to capture opportunities for value and growth through partnering with Australian suppliers,” said Ian Thomas, president of Boeing Australia & South Pacific.
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07/25/2012
Pilatus Aircraft has announced that the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) has awarded a contract to Pilatus for the procurement of a complete PC-21 Training System, consisting of a fleet of 24 PC-21 trainer aircraft, a suite of Ground Based Training System assets and an extensive logistics support and maintenance package.
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07/22/2012
The UK is the first country outside the US to receive these aircraft, and Mr Hammond announced that the MOD intends to order a fourth Lightning II aircraft next year to add to the three already on contract. The RAF and Royal Navy will conduct flight trials of the jets which will operate from land bases and from the sea.
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07/22/2012
Many countries that are partnering with the United States in the F-35 joint strike fighter program will have a role to play in the aircraft’s assembly, but the U.S. government will not decide which country does what, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said here today.
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07/22/2012
Twelve military personnel including six cadets were killed in a Brunei air force helicopter crash while flying home after jungle training, a spokesman said yesterday. The crash occurred Friday in Kuala Belait in the oil-rich sultanate on the island of Borneo.
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07/22/2012
Carrying five crew members, a U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon crashed in the Persian Gulf nation of Oman, approximately 60 miles southwest of Muscat on Thursday. Three crew members were injured and two previously reported as missing have been confirmed dead.
The aircraft and crew were conducting heavy lift support operations in the area. The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron (HM) 15, based in Norfolk, Va.
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07/21/2012
The Navy is one year away from landing its first unmanned jet aircraft aboard a carrier after completing the most recent round of surrogate tests aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).
In early July, members from the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) carrier integration team engaged in extensive software testing aboard Truman to validate the concept of autonomous UAV operations around an aircraft carrier and prepare for the X-47B unmanned aircraft’s arrival on a carrier next year.
(Read More...)
07/21/2012
The first of the UK's next generation stealth combat aircraft has yesterday been handed over to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). At a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond formally accepted the first of the jets, which will be known as Lightning II.
The aircraft are short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
(Read More...)
07/21/2012
DENEL, the state-owned arms company, was renegotiating the country’s purchase of Airbus A400M carriers after the collapse of an earlier contract for the aircraft, which were intended to play a crucial role in SA’s contribution to peacekeeping efforts in Africa, Denel Saab Aerostructures CEO Ismail Dockrat said yesterday.
(Read More...)
07/21/2012
Israel and Italy Thursday signed a $750 million agreement to provide the Italian Air Force with two early warning aircraft. The contract includes ground control stations and a "comprehensive logistical support package", Xinhua quoted the government-run Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) as saying.
(Read More...)
07/21/2012
A Russian cargo ship carrying a batch of Mi-25 attack helicopters and air defense systems for Syria has offloaded the aircraft in the Russian port of Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region, a security source said on Friday. "The ship has unloaded," the source said. "These helicopters are now on the shore. A decision from Rosoboronexport on what to do with them is expected shortly."
(Read More...)
07/20/2012
Boeing on June 29 received a firm-fixed-price contract from U.S. Naval Air Systems Command for the production of nearly 90 Harpoon Block II missiles and associated hardware for the U.S. and four foreign militaries. The $145.1 million contract also includes exercise and test variants of the Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER). The first missile deliveries are scheduled for this August and contract work is expected to run through December 2013.
(Read More...)
07/19/2012
The United Kingdom accepted the first international Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft in a ceremony today with senior representatives of the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense. The Right Honourable Philip Hammond, U.K. Secretary of State for Defence, and Mr. Frank Kendall, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, represented their governments.
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07/19/2012
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., and the U.S. Army today celebrated the delivery of the 500th H-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter. The deliveries to date comprise 400 UH-60M utility and 100 HH-60M MEDEVAC aircraft, the latter used exclusively as an air ambulance by the U.S. Army to rush wounded soldiers to field hospitals. Also included in the 500 are 73 UH-60M aircraft sold by the Army to six foreign militaries via the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales program.
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07/19/2012
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft represents the "future of tactical aviation" for U.S. and British forces, as Britain prepares to take delivery of its first test aircraft on Thursday in Fort Worth. The scheduled delivery at the Lockheed Martin plant in west Fort Worth shows there has been considerable progress made in the F-35 program, particularly in the past year, according to a report by Reuters new service.
(Read More...)
07/19/2012
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday he is interested in buying Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighter jets from Russia to enhance his country’s defense capabilities. “I have already sent a statement to the government of Russia that we are ready to consider buying in the next few years Su-35 fighters to modernize and enhance our defense powers,” Venezuela’s national radio quoted Chavez as saying.
(Read More...)
07/19/2012
Russian aircraft maker Irkut is planning a sensor-package upgrade program for the Yak-130 advanced jet trainer, including the installation of radar and electro-optical systems, Irkut head Alexei Fedorov said on Wednesday. "We plan to 'grow' the capabilities of this aircraft, fitting a radar and electro-optical, thermal and laser systems," Fedorov said. The upgrades are primarily to enable the aircraft to be used for advanced weapon training, he said, as well as combat roles.
(Read More...)
07/19/2012
The second Boeing P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy completed its initial flight on July 12, taking off from Renton Field at 3:29 p.m. and landing two hours and 14 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle. The P-8I, a derivative of the Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 commercial airplane, is the second of eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft Boeing is building for India.
(Read More...)
07/17/2012
On July 11, a Colombian Air Force plane disappeared while on a mission in the Pacific province of Cauca, after taking off from the city of Cali earlier that afternoon. The wreckage was eventually found in the municipality of Jambalo, some 20 kilometers from Toribio, where fighting between the security forces and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been raging for days.
(Read More...)
07/17/2012
With prices rising and schedules slipping for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing says it is seeing a resurgent interest in the F-18 in U.S. foreign markets. The company is especially keen on potential international sales, says Mike Gibbons, vice president of F/A-18 & EA-18 programs for Boeing Military Aircraft. The company can leverage its global footprint to offer better deals to international customers.
(Read More...)
07/17/2012
The government has said it is confident there will not be a second U-turn on the type of fighter planes to be used on the navy's new aircraft carrier. In May, the coalition said it was changing from its proposed "catapult and trap" planes to jump jets. But newspaper reports say problems with the US-led Joint Strike Fighter project could force another change on the UK.
(Read More...)
07/17/2012
America has announced the deployment of a US carrier group to the Gulf as it moved to strengthen its forces surrounding Iran while simultaneously embarking on an diplomatic offensive to reassure Israel of its resolve in the Middle East.
(Read More...)
07/17/2012
This report is the result of ICD Research / Strategic Defence Intelligence's extensive market and company research covering the global military aviation MRO industry. It provides detailed analysis of both historic and forecast global industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of the leading companies in the industry, and key news.
(Read More...)
07/17/2012
The Indian Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the Vikramaditya, has headed into the Barents Sea for second-stage sea trials, as part of its refit by Russia's Sevmash shipyard, Captain Vadim Serga of Russia's Northern Fleet information service said on Monday.
(Read More...)
07/15/2012
To escape the government he served until it gave him an order he could not obey, Capt. Akhmed Trad, a pilot in Syria’s air force, needed a plan: how to spirit himself over a border quickly, and leave no family behind.
(Read More...)
07/15/2012
A Philippine military aircraft confirmed Saturday that a Chinese naval frigate remains stranded in disputed waters of the South China Sea, a military spokesman said. The Chinese frigate and smaller craft were sighted by a Philippine Islander plane.
(Read More...)
07/15/2012
U.S. navy Capt. Rick Labranche streaks across the horizon at 1,000 kilometres an hour in his F-18 Hornet strike fighter. It has been 12 minutes since a catapult slung Labranche’s plane from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and Labranche is preparing to drop a pair of 225-kilogram bombs into the Indian Ocean’s two-metre swells.
(Read More...)
07/15/2012
If there was ever a one-stop shop for your aviation needs it was the Russian stands at last week's Farnborough International Airshow just outside London. From fighter jets and trainers to narrow-body airliners, executive helicopters to helicopter gunships, a resurgent Russian aerospace industry was out in force to catch the eyes - and the orders - of plane-buying air forces and airlines from around the world.
(Read More...)
07/14/2012
The Washington Free Beacon reports: Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone near the Pacific coast in early July 2012 and the combat aircraft were met by U.S. interceptor warplanes, most likely F-16’s, scrambled by NORAD at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. This was twice now that Russia has dispatched “nuclear-capable bombers into the 322 kilometer zone surrounding U.S. territory in the past two weeks.”
(Read More...)
07/14/2012
Although the U.S. military is touting the safety of its MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft, media representatives wanting a demonstration ride first had to sign an unsettling form. We were asked to sign an agreement stating that we were fully aware of the risk of serious injury and death, and to provide an emergency contact number. Just in case. With this less than reassuring start, reporters were allowed to ride an MV-22 on July 12.
(Read More...)
07/14/2012
Airbus Military and MBDA have successfully completed the first flight of the C295 maritime patrol aircraft with an instrumented Marte MK2/S anti-ship inert missile installed under the wing. The flight was the first of a series of trials planned in a joint Airbus Military – MBDA collaboration to validate the aerodynamic integration of Marte on the C295. Subsequent flights will include handling qualities tests and aircraft flight performance tests.
(Read More...)
07/14/2012
The issue of Russian S-300 air-defense system delivery to Iran could still be resolved, an Iranian lawmaker said on Friday. Mohammad-Reza Mohseni-Sani said he hoped Moscow will finally fulfill its contractual obligation by delivering the system to Tehran and that Iran expects Russia will not support “unjust” UN Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The delivery of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran is not against the UN sanctions imposed on the country, he added.
(Read More...)
07/14/2012
The General Staff of Turkey’s Armed Forces on Friday backed down from its previous claim that its fighter jet was downed last month by Syrian forces. “The actual cause of the incident will be established after the plane wreckage is raised from the seabed,” the General Staff said in a statement. "No traces of explosives or flammable products were found on the debris recovered from the sea."
(Read More...)
07/13/2012
The U.S. military aims to fly a full-scale rocket plane at 20 times the speed of sound by 2016, officials announced last week. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, laid out its plan to develop and test-fly the hypersonic vehicle in a press release issued Friday (July 6). The so-called X-plane would travel at Mach 20 — roughly 13,000 mph (20,900 kph) — allowing the military to reach any spot on the globe in less than an hour.
(Read More...)
07/13/2012
An emergency landing by a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey seems likely to further inflame opposition to deployment of the helicopter-plane hybrids to Japan, even though no one was injured. Marine Corps officials said the incident Monday afternoon came during a routine training flight. The crew landed the tilt-rotor aircraft as a "precautionary" measure at Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina, about 50 miles from its home base at Marine Corps Air Station New River.
(Read More...)
07/13/2012
The U.S. Air Force appears to be planning for a post-C-17 world with a new contract that would focus on maintaining the current fleet. Air Force officials say they plan to award Boeing Co. with a $500 million contract for post-production work of the Long Beach-assembled C-17 Globemaster III military cargo plane.
(Read More...)
07/13/2012
The Thales Group has announced two new military contracts -- one from the British Ministry of Defense and the other from Australia. The first award is a multimillion-dollar award from Britain to supply the first full-flight simulator for Airbus Military's A400M transport aircraft, which will be flown by the Royal Air Force. Thales, an Airbus partner, is the main supplier of the A400M's cockpit display systems.
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07/13/2012
Boeing Co. and Eurofighter are among aerospace companies revising their strategies to win military exports as shrinking weapons budgets in their home markets increase the importance of overseas contracts.
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07/13/2012
Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc, expects substantial growth in its commercial business in 2012 and sees stable orders in its military business despite cuts in U.S. military spending.
John Garrison, Bell's president and chief executive, said on Thursday he was upbeat about the outlook given strong commercial demand and continued work on three large U.S. military aircraft programs, which would provide stable orders.
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07/13/2012
Guerrilla group FARC claimed it has shot down a Colombian Air Force Super Tucano aircraft over the southwestern Cauca department on Wednesday evening. According to Colombian radio station Caracol, the aircraft was shot down over the Jambolo municipality during a military offensive against FARC rebels in the area. Both of the two crew members are believed to have died in the crash.
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07/13/2012
Boeing's new aircraft and innovative technologies attracted customers, partners, government officials and media at the 2012 Farnborough International Airshow. The show saw the first flying display of the innovative 787 Dreamliner in Qatar Airways livery and the new Enduring Awareness Pavilion, a display of advanced command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.
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07/13/2012
The Boeing Company has received the first 10 new fuselages designed specifically for the AH-64D Apache Block III attack helicopter from long-time supplier Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). This milestone paves the way for delivery of the first Apache Block III aircraft with new fuselages next year.
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07/13/2012
The Airbus Military A400M final assembly line in Seville (Spain) has begun working on the first A400M for the Turkish Air Force. The integration of the wings and central wing-box for this aircraft, known as MSN9, began in mid-May while the integration of the nose and the fuselage started by the end of June.
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07/12/2012
Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer has seen unprecedented success with its Super Tucano trainer plane which also doubles as an attack aircraft. In the last eight years, Embraer has sold 160 Super Tucano aircraft to 10 countries worth an estimated $2.25 billion making it the most successful aircraft of its type in the world today.
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07/12/2012
The US agency responsible for developing military technology has announced plans to design and build a hypersonic rocket launch aircraft by 2016. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) claims the vehicle, developed as part of the Integrated Hypersonics program, will have the capacity to be "anywhere in the world in under an hour". This is down to the proposed onboard booster rocket, which will be employed for some extra speed - and flare.
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07/12/2012
The Syrian Air Force has conducted military exercises involving fighter and attack aircraft, state-run Sana news agency reported. The drills were conducted Tuesday. Sana said they simulated "real battle conditions", and continued a series of military exercises which began during last weekend.
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07/12/2012
More than 25 countries have expressed interest in Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, including Singapore, which is still evaluating its options, and South Korea, which is due to pick a winner in its fighter competition by year's end, top Lockheed officials said on Wednesday.
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07/12/2012
Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) announced Jul. 9 that its worldwide fleet of Beechcraft T-6 military trainer aircraft exceeded 2 million flight hours in June.
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07/12/2012
The U.S. Navy’s top commander has publicly questioned the long-term benefits of stealth technology like that employed in the F-35 jet fighter, suggesting drones and other alternatives are the way of the future. The comments from Admiral Jonathan Greenert stand in sharp contrast to repeated Conservative government and Defence Department assertions about the overwhelming need for stealth in whatever aircraft replaces Canada’s CF-18s.
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07/12/2012
Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation and the Defense Ministry will prepare a framework agreement regulating Russia’s participation in international airshows.
The decision was made following a scandal over required paperwork and visa travel issues that prevented the Russian Knights aerobatic display team from participating in the ongoing Farnborough 2012 airshow near London.
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07/12/2012
Boeing's first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy began its official flight test program July 7, taking off from Boeing Field in Seattle at 9:15 a.m. and landing three hours and 49 minutes later after demonstrating flying qualities and handling characteristics. The flight went as planned with all test objectives met.
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07/12/2012
Airbus Military has obtained civil certification of the C295 transport in a move which responds to the evolving requirements of agencies and operators conducting humanitarian and other 'civic' operations. The new certification is awarded by Spain’s civil aviation authority AESA (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea) confirms the C295’s compliance with the enhanced regulatory environment in this sector of the market.
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07/11/2012
On July 5, 2012, the French combat aircraft detachment, comprising a hundred airmen and three Mirage 2000D tactical fighters, conducted its last mission in Afghanistan before being withdrawn in the coming days. At 9:45 in the morning, the two Mirage 2000Ds flew on an escort mission in support of a coalition convoy in Farah province in western Afghanistan. The mission took place as planned, and the aircraft returned to base at around 14:00.
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07/11/2012
The Indonesian air force ordered eight A-29 Super Tucano high-performance military turboprop aircraft for light attack and tactical training from South American aircraft manufacturer Embraer S.A. in São José Dos Campos, Brazil. Embraer made the announcement Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England.
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07/11/2012
Several countries are competing to become the first foreign buyer of the U.S. military's V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, which flies like a plane but takes off and lands like a helicopter, according to the Marine Corps colonel who runs the program. Colonel Greg Masiello said officials from more than 12 countries, including eight air chiefs, got demonstration flights at the Farnborough International Airshow this week.
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07/11/2012
Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program accrued the highest number of test points in a single month during June, an accomplishment indicative of the program’s ongoing maturation. Additionally, for the 18th consecutive month the F-35 test program remained ahead of plan. As of June 30, the F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation multirole fighter had conducted 595 test flights in 2012 versus a plan of 445 and accrued 4,830 test points against a plan of 3,901.
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07/11/2012
With the delivery of four Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft since June 29, an important milestone was achieved as the Department of Defense now possesses more operational-coded F-35s than test aircraft. A total of nine F-35s have been delivered for the year, giving the DOD a total of 30 aircraft fleet-wide. Of these, 16 are operational aircraft and 14 are test planes.
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07/11/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $23 million contract from the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) to provide additional Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP) for their F-16 fleet. In addition to the new Sniper pod deliveries, the contract also includes upgrades to the RAFO’s existing pods and support.
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07/11/2012
Embraer and Boeing today at the Farnborough Airshow announced an agreement that further enhances the collaboration between the two companies and brings additional capabilities to Embraer's A-29 Super Tucano through new weapons integration developments to meet future customer requirements.
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07/11/2012
The Boeing Company and Elbit Systems today at the Farnborough Airshow signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the marketing and sales of Elbit Systems' Hermes 450 and 900 unmanned airborne system (UAS) product lines in the United States and select international countries.
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07/11/2012
Boeing today announced that it is offering a medium-sized Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) to the global market. MSA builds on technologies developed for Boeing's larger Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms to provide a highly capable, low-risk and cost-effective ISR solution.
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07/11/2012
Raytheon's AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder air-to-air missile has been ordered by Morocco for integration with its 24 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.
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07/10/2012
British Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled a major sales push for the Eurofighter Typhoon armed with new weapons systems, with the Persian Gulf states of the United Arab Emirates and Oman as key targets. The Typhoon is built by the German and Spanish arms of European aerospace giant EADS, BAE Systems, Britain's leading defense contractor, and Italy's Finmeccanica.
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07/10/2012
Open-sea testing of the new Indian Navy aircraft carrier Vikramaditya and her primary weapons, in the form of MiG-29K/KUB deck fighters, means that the MiGs won’t be making appearance here at the 2012 Farnborough International Airshow. The ship has been bought from Russia to replace the former British-built HMS Hermes, which India acquired in 1986 and renamed Viraat.
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07/10/2012
Production of Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engines that power Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter is set to peak this year at 50 units before flattening out in the coming years as the U.S. defers deliveries of the new aircraft. According to Pratt & Whitney Military Engines president Bennett Croswell, the engine maker won’t have to substantially reduce its production rates in response to the slowdown, it will defer plans it had hatched to ramp up output that would have compensated for reduced rates of produ
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07/10/2012
The RAF's next generation military transport aircraft has officially been named Atlas at the Royal International Air Tattoo, which is taking place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The aircraft, which has until now been known as the A400M, will replace the RAF's existing C-130 Hercules fleet and, along with the Voyager and C-17, will provide the UK military's future air transport force.
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07/10/2012
Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) will launch its new Cockpit 4000 NexGen technology demonstrator at the Farnborough Air Show. The Cockpit 4000 NexGen avionics suite is a configurable, fully integrated glass cockpit solution featuring a Large Area Display (LAD) with touchscreen technology. It is designed to enhance mission effectiveness and provide cross-platform training flexibility for advanced military trainers, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and light attack aircraft.
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07/10/2012
United Technologies Corp on Monday announced that its Sikorsky Aircraft unit had signed a five-year, $8.5 billion contract to build 653 H-60 Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters for the U.S. Army and Navy. The contract includes options for up to 263 more aircraft that would increase the value of the contract to $11.7 billion if exercised. Actual production quantities will be determined year-by-year based on funding allocations set by Congress and Pentagon acquisition priorities, the company said.
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07/10/2012
Lockheed Martin has signed an agreement authorizing Marshall Aerospace to become the world’s first commercial company to install C-130 Center Wing Boxes (CWB). Marshall Aerospace is also the first C-130J Heavy Maintenance Centre (HMC) in the world.
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07/10/2012
The initial ground shelter for a vigilant “Dragon Shield” has been delivered to the Finnish Air Force by Lockheed Martin. The ground system will support a CASA C-295 aircraft that Lockheed Martin is modifying to accommodate an advanced surveillance system for the Finnish Air Command.
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07/10/2012
Oman has selected the General Electric F110-GE-129D for the 12 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50 fighters it ordered last year. Deliveries are due to begin next year. The order was for ten single seat and a pair of two-seaters. The Oman force already operates F-16s with a further 12 in service.
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07/09/2012
Rise in temperature triggering snow melt in the mountains have revived hopes of locating the wreckage of the plane that reportedly exploded in air during nocturnal combat exercise. Two planes had left Adampur air base in Jalandhar on October 18, last year. While one came back safely, the other plane went missing.
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07/08/2012
Raytheon Company successfully demonstrated a wireless method of integrating its combat-proven Enhanced Paveway™ II precision-guided bomb on the French Navy RAFALE aircraft. Called WiPAK®, the avionics kit enables integration of Paveway on a variety of aircraft without any modifications to aircraft wiring or changes to the flight and stores management software.
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07/08/2012
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has another high-tech project in the works, according to an agency press release. The same agency whose stealth technology in the 1970s and 1980s led to the world’s most advanced radar-evading aircraft will once again flex its muscles to give a strategic national security advantage to the United States. DARPA says that to restore a military advantage to the U.S. it will need invest in hypersonic technologies.
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07/08/2012
South Korea’s primary defense acquisition agency, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), announced that evaluations would begin next week to select the winning bid in the competition for a $7.3 billion contract for 60 advanced fighter aircraft. Previously submitted bids from three defense contractors were found to be lacking relevant details and were resubmitted, at South Korea’s request, on 5 July.
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07/08/2012
Irkut is pursuing its ambition of capturing a 10-percent share in the world market for narrowbody airliners by funding its new MC-21 twinjet largely from funds earned from fighter sales. The Russian airframer now claims a 15-percent share of Russia’s overall military exports by value.
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07/08/2012
Geopolitical shifts including regime-change in Libya, the stiffening of international sanctions against Iran and violent unrest in Syria, are among the trends compelling Russian military export agency Rosoboronexport to keep looking for new clients worldwide. This is, to a large degree, one of its primary motives for exhibiting at the Farnborough International Airshow.
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07/07/2012
Malaysia is considering five competing bids, including a reported RM12 billion deal with UK-based BAE Systems, to replace its 10 Russian-made MiG fighter jets delivered 17 years ago.
BAE was reported in March to be “bullish” about securing the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) replacement deal, but Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi today said, “Everyone says they are bullish.”
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07/07/2012
Hirokazu Nakaima, governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, has been making headlines this summer for his persistent calls to cancel the United States' planned deployment of 24 MV-22 Osprey aircraft to its Futenma base due to concerns over the aircraft’s safety record.
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07/07/2012
The Italian Defense Ministry is buying a high-resolution optical reconnaissance satellite from Israel as part of an offset package agreed to in exchange for the Israeli Defense Ministry’s purchase of Italian trainer aircraft, according to industry officials.
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07/07/2012
Not long ago, a thick cloud of rumors settled on the new, much-talked-about IDF [Israel Defense Forces] acquisition of 20 F-35's, a fighter plane known as the Stealth produced by the American Lockheed Martin Company. There were rumors regarding production slowdowns and delays of the F-35, known as the “fifth generation fighter plane” (in contrast to the Israeli fourth-generation F-16's). The fear is that they will reach Israel very late — too late to serve the IDF in coping with future challenge
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07/07/2012
Air Combat Command's senior airman completed F-22 Raptor pilot qualification recently, reinforcing his personal stake in the Air Force's efforts to identify the root cause of unexplained physiological incidents involving a small number of Raptor crews.
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07/07/2012
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Friday vowed to meet his agency’s goal to approve the contracts of 138 military modernization projects by the end of the month. Speaking during the 65th anniversary of the Air Force here, Gazmin said the Armed Forces’ upgrade program is “in full swing” and that efforts are underway to equip troops.
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07/07/2012
Poland was in the news in Europe and Asia this week for acquisition of aircraft and delivery of others. Spain-based Airbus Military reported that the Polish air force had signed a contract for five C295 transports. The Ministry of Defense of Brunei Darussalam, meanwhile, reported that PZL Mielec, the Polish subsidiary of Sikorsky, had completed the construction of several S-70i baseline Black Hawk helicopters that the country had ordered.
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07/07/2012
It's America versus Europe again in the latest battle for a giant, multibillion-dollar international order for fighter jets. South Korea is looking to replace some of its older warplanes with more modern machines, and has selected Boeing (NYSE: BA), Lockheed Martin and EADS (Paris: EAD) Eurofighter as finalists, the Korea Times reported.
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07/07/2012
The Canadian arm of the aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney closed a six-year U.S. government probe last week by admitting that it helped China produce its first modern attack helicopter, a serious violation of U.S. export laws that drew a multimillion dollar fine.
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07/07/2012
The titans of the global aerospace industry will converge Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow, ready to talk shop and wow the crowds with impressive flying displays of the latest in civil and military aircraft. But inside the sprawling maze of corporate chalets and exhibition halls in Hampshire, England, the pace of deal making at the show — the world’s biggest aviation bazaar — is likely to be more subdued than in recent years.
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07/06/2012
Taiwan will send back a proposal by the United States to overhaul the country's aging F-16 A/B jet fighters to seal the arms sales deal by the end of next week, Taiwan's military said Thursday. The Ministry of National Defense has recently completed its review of the letter detailing a retrofit package for Taiwan's 145 F-16A/B fighters, and will send back a reply to the U.S. by mid-July, the military told CNA.
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07/06/2012
The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighter-bomber and the U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft are among the aircraft scheduled to make flight demonstrations during the Farnborough International Airshow from 9 to 13 July in Farnborough, England.
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07/06/2012
Russia's Aviastar aircraft plant has completed the first flying prototype of the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft and sent it off for test-flights, the plant's general director, Sergei Dementyev, said on Thursday. The plant has built two of the modernized aircraft, he said.
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07/06/2012
The Russian Knights, one of the world’s best aerobatic teams, missed on Thursday the planned deadline for their departure to the British airshow in Farnborough over the lack of Russian bureaucratic paperwork, a source from the team said. The move could be an implicit answer to Britain stalling on visas for Russian participants of the show in punishment for Russia supporting the Syrian government, Russian media reported earlier.
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07/06/2012
Newsagency Reuters has reported that the Airbus A400M has pulled out of the flying display at next week's Farnborough Airshow due to continued engine problems. The move repeats a decision at last year's Paris Airshow, but is not expected to disrupt plans to deliver it to its first customer, France, around the end of the year.
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07/05/2012
The United States is moving ahead with plans to deploy its first Osprey military transport aircraft to Japan, despite strong opposition from residents over safety issues following two recent crashes, officials said Wednesday. The first 12 Ospreys left San Diego on a ship bound for Japan on Sunday. They will be assembled at a Marine base in the city of Iwakuni before being deployed to the southern island of Okinawa, which has a large and often sensitive U.S. military presence.
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07/05/2012
Taiwan's Air Force will formally commission three search-and-rescue helicopters purchased from Europe to beef up its disaster response capabilities at a ceremony July 10, the military said recently. The advanced EC-225 Super Puma helicopters, which Eurocopter delivered to Taiwan's military last November, will be the first Europe-made choppers to be incorporated into the Air Force's rescue squadron.
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07/05/2012
The bodies of two Turkish pilots of a jet downed by Syria in the Mediterranean Sea were found on Wednesday, the Hurriyet daily reported. Pilot Cpt. Gokhan Ertan and pilot Lt. Hasan Huseyin Aksoy had been missing since their RF-4 plane was shot down by Syria on June 22.
The bodies were located at a depth of 1,260 meters.
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07/05/2012
Samara-based AVIACOR aircraft maker will build six Antonov An-140-100 light transport planes under a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry by the end of 2012, the regional government said on Wednesday. The An-140-100 was developed by Russia's Antonov design bureau as a replacement for the An-24 and An-26 series aircraft. It can carry up to 6 metric tons of cargo to a range of over 2,000 kilometers, and can be used for patrol, military transport and spec-ops missions.
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07/05/2012
Russia’s Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten trainer/light attack aircraft will be showcased for the first time at the Farnborough International Air Show as part of a large Russian exhibit. About 55 Russian companies, including 19 defense industry firms, will take part in the airshow near London on July 9-15 to exhibit the latest achievements in the Russian aircraft industry.
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07/04/2012
The atmosphere in the Dubai air show briefing room in November 2011 was electric. Journalists occupied every seat and photographers squeezed into the back of the room. Also present were a dozen senior Pakistan air force officials, who were forced to stand along one wall, as well as several Chinese executives in business suits.
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07/04/2012
Two RAF Tornado jets crashed Tuesday on Scotland's coast, leaving two British airmen missing after two others were plucked from the sea by helicopter. It was not clear if the jets crashed into each other. The search for the two missing airmen and the wreckage was continuing, British officials said.
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07/04/2012
In response to a flight of three Syrian military helicopters near Turkish border, a Turkish 2XF-16 military aircraft carried out a control flight over territory of Turkish Province of Hatay, which borders with Syria, the Sabah newspaper quotes Turkish General Staff's website as reporting on Tuesday.
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07/04/2012
The German air force's Fighter Wing 74 (JG74) brought eight of its Eurofighter combat aircraft to a Red Flag-Alaska exercise at Eielson AFB in Alaska during June, representing its first ever such deployment.
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07/04/2012
Despite a cooling off in relations between Russia and NATO countries, neither party has refused taking part in joint military programs. One such program is the regular aerial combat training exercise of the US Air Force and its allies, called “Red Flag”. The next exercise is scheduled for October 2012.
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07/04/2012
The United States has quietly moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf to deter the Iranian military from any possible attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz and to increase the number of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran if the standoff over its nuclear program escalates.
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07/03/2012
Among a broad range of topics to be addressed by Indonesian and Australian leaders in Darwin this week, the two nations will discuss the Australian government’s plan to grant military aircraft and cooperation on disaster mitigation and transnational crime. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he would discuss the grant for Hercules C-130 military transport planes at a meeting to be held on Monday afternoon.
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07/03/2012
Aircraft maker Airbus said Monday Poland has ordered five Airbus Military C295 aircraft, increasing its fleet to 16 aircraft.
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07/03/2012
We are now seeing Russian and Chinese "stealth" aircraft appear, at least in prototype form. The Chinese have prototypes of the J-20 large fighter bomber, which looks as if it may enter service with the Chinese Air Force in 2018. In a recently published report on Chinese military power, the US Department of Defense wrote that the J-20 shows "China's ambition to produce a fighter aircraft that incorporates stealth attributes, advanced avionics and supercruise capable engines.
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07/03/2012
The Philippines may ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the South China Sea to help monitor the disputed waters, President Benigno Aquino told Reuters on Monday, a move that could worsen tensions with its giant neighbor China. The two countries only recently stepped back from a months-long standoff at the Scarborough Shoal, a horseshoe shaped reef near the Philippines in waters they both claim - the latest round of naval brinkmanship over the resource-rich sea.
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07/03/2012
Eurocopter continues its U.S. tour of the X3 high-speed hybrid helicopter today in Huntsville, Ala., where the aircraft will perform the first of several flight demonstrations for military leaders and aviators in several locations across the country. The X3 will demonstrate its unique flight characteristics, which include a cruise speed of 200 knots, high rates of climb and executing high-speed maneuvers that are not routine for conventional rotary-wing aircraft.
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07/03/2012
Russia exported over $6.5 billion worth of military equipment in the first half of 2012, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. “Exports of Russian weaponry exceeded $6.5 billion, registering a 14% increase year-on-year,” Putin said at a meeting of the Committee on Military-Industrial Cooperation. Putin said Russian annual arms exports doubled over six years from $6 billion in 2005 to over $13 billion in 2011.
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07/03/2012
The Russian Air Force may receive its first PAK DA next generation long-range bomber about 2020 instead of 2025 as initially planned, Russia’s acting deputy Air Force commander, Major General Alexander Chernyayev, has said. “I think the first models of the Prospective Air Complex for Long Range Aviation (PAK DA) will be supplied to the Air Force approximately by 2020,” Chernyayev said in an interview published on the Russian Defense Ministry website late last week.
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07/02/2012
Despite concerns about U.S.-made drones ending up in enemy hands, American military contractors are lobbying the government to loosen export restrictions and open up foreign markets to the unmanned aircraft that have reshaped modern warfare. Companies such as Northrop Grumman Corp.and other arms makers are eager to tap a growing foreign appetite for high-tech — and relatively cheap — drones, already being sold on the world market by countries such as Israel and China.
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07/02/2012
With the threat of a mass protest, the governor of Okinawa on Sunday rejected a US plan to deploy Osprey military aircraft on the sub-tropic Japanese island chain amid safety concerns.
"We have no choice but to reject it if they forcibly bring in something which is questioned over its safety," Okinawa governor Hirokazu Nakaima told Japanese Defence Minister Satoshi Morimoto, according to Japanese media.
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07/02/2012
Turkey's armed forces command said on Sunday it had scrambled a total of six F-16 fighter jets in three separate incidents responding to Syrian military helicopters approaching the border on Saturday, but there was no violation of Turkish airspace.
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07/02/2012
“This weapon is perfect for close-quarters combat, house to house,” the Russian arms dealer explains, gently passing a silencer-equipped assault rifle, the AK-104, to the official from Syria, who brings the gun’s sight level with his eye and aims it across pavilion C3 of Russia‘s semi-annual arms bazaar.
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07/02/2012
Estonia is worried over defense spending cuts by NATO member states, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said on Wednesday. “Allied spending, required to maintain NATO’s defense capability, is a matter of trust in the organization,” Ilves told Knud Bartels,chairman of NATO 's Military Committee, on a two day visit in Tallinn.
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07/01/2012
The Indian Air Force will spend over Rs 2,900 crore for acquiring 75 trainer aircraft from the Swiss manufacturer, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. The move is to replace the ageing Kiran aircraft. Stating this, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said the deal, finalised two months ago, involves purchase of 75 Pilatus PC-7 aircraft. It will help in imparting better training to the IAF cadets, he told newspersons at the Dundigal Air Force Station today.
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07/01/2012
India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has completed weapons trials in preparation for its operational clearance before the end of this year. The single-seat, single-engine supersonic fighter also underwent flight trials in the western desert state of Rajasthan, a defense ministry official says.
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07/01/2012
For all the buzz about the U.S.’ disappointment after New Delhi ejected Washington from the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender competition, it would appear that 2012 is the year of intensified efforts by the Pentagon to deepen its defence ties with India.
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07/01/2012
With heated talk of foreign military intervention in Syria rising, it makes sense to take time for a calm comparison of the forces arrayed against one another in the Middle East. After all, the process of determining the future of the country is drawing interest from numerous, heavily armed powers, both within the region and without.
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07/01/2012
The U.S. military is preparing for the maiden flight of a football-field-size airship laden with surveillance gear designed to do the work of a dozen drones—and destined for Afghanistan.
The experimental craft, known as the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle, or LEMV, is designed to loiter over combat zones for weeks at a time, outfitted with high-tech sensors that can intercept phone calls, shoot full-motion video or track the movement of insurgents.
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07/01/2012
A new long-range missile for Russia’s formidable S-400 air defense system will soon enter service, chief-of-staff of Russia’s Air and Missile Defense Command Maj. Gen. Andrei Demin said on Thursday. “A long-range missile for S-400 has passed all trials and will soon be delivered to air defense units,” Demin told RIA Novosti without specifying the model.
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06/29/2012
Canadian air force officials are examining options to buy a new jet trainer aircraft to replace its aging fleet of BAE Systems-built CT-155 Hawk aircraft. The official Canadian position on the planned purchase remains unclear but the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is looking at an upgrade with the option to allocate the existing Hawks elsewhere in the Canadian armed forces.
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06/29/2012
"Combat ready" Chinese naval and aerial patrols have been deployed to the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea to protect Beijing's interests, the Chinese Defense Ministry said Thursday. Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said China will "resolutely oppose any militarily provocative behavior" from other countries also claiming ownership of the Spratlys.
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06/29/2012
United Technologies Corp o n T hursday admitted selling China software that helped Beijing develop its first modern military attack helicopter, one of hundreds of export control violations over nearly two decades.
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06/29/2012
A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27UB fighter jet crashed in the Petrozavodsk district of Russia's northeast Karelia Republic on Thursday morning, although the pilots ejected safely according to Russia's Defense Ministry. "The plane went down in the region of the village of Besovets," a local law enforcement source said.
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06/29/2012
The first consignment of three Mil Mi-25 helicopter gunships for Syria has been overhauled and will be delivered to the customer within the contracted time, a senior arms official said on Thursday. The contract for the repair of the helicopters was signed by Russia and Syria in 2008, Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation director Alexander Fomin said.
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06/27/2012
Russia’s main weapons producer has allegedly suspended its contract with Syria to supply S-300 long-range missile systems. Russia’s ‘Vedomosti’ daily published the report, citing unnamed sources within the military-industrial complex. The very fact of the contract’s existence was not known until it was revealed in an annual report made only last week and published online by the makers of the S-300 systems, Almaz-Antey.
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06/27/2012
Recent crashes involving the U.S. military's latest transport aircraft are fueling an uproar in Japan that could threaten plans to deploy them to Okinawa by the end of the year. Following an uproar in Okinawa and in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, another city likely to host the MV-22 Osprey, U.S. officials briefed Japanese government representatives in Washington on Friday, emphasizing the aircraft's safety and capability.
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06/27/2012
From 27 June to 1 July, the Rossiya Transportation & Exhibition Complex in Zhukovsky, near Moscow, will be hosting the 2nd International Forum "Engineering Technologies 2012". The Forum’s program encompasses the OboronExpo International Exhibition of Weapons and Military Equipment.
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06/27/2012
Ten minutes into Lieutenant Colonel Matt J. Martin's first mission as a Predator drone pilot, he marked a target in Baghdad for a "Spooky" gunship. And then it opened fire. "Death from above. Poor bastards down there in the windows never knew what hit them," he wrote in a 2010 book. As he stood up to stretch in a trailer at Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, he remembered that his wife had asked him to buy some milk on his way home.
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06/27/2012
Despite the total chaos after USSR collapse the military-industrial complex remains an important sector of Ukrainian economy. And for the last years it has been improving its performance. However, there are still problems and the defense industry does its best to solve them.
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06/27/2012
The Boeing Company and Embraer today announced an agreement to collaborate on the KC-390 aircraft program. Under this agreement, Boeing and Embraer will share some specific technical knowledge and evaluate markets where they may join their sales efforts for medium-lift military transport opportunities.
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06/26/2012
With new territorial challenges facing the Philippines and an antiquated military force riddled with inefficiencies, the Philippine’s ABS-CBN news released a report on 20 June that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has decided to acquire twelve South Korean TA-50 trainer/fighter jets.
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06/26/2012
The Danish Ministry of Defence announced that it has selected Northrop Grumman’s LITENING G4 targeting system for its F-16 fighter aircraft. First deliveries are expected in August 2013. The Litening G4 pods will be supplied with datalinks and full logistics support package.
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06/26/2012
For anyone who is a computer gamer, it’s a familiar story. Advances in software development provide real advantages but inevitably you need the latest hardware if you want to play the games at blistering speeds. Well it’s pretty much the same with today’s combat aircraft – operational flight programmes are becoming more capable as functionality is added but you need some pretty powerful kit to play it on.
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06/26/2012
Turkey on Monday accused Syria of firing at one of its search and rescue aircraft while searching for a Turkish warplane shot down by Syrian forces last week, making the second such confrontation between the two nations in less than a week.
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06/26/2012
North Korea today called the use of its flag during U.S.-South Korean military drills last week a serious provocation and evidence of U.S. hostility that justifies the growth of Pyongyang's nuclear arms program. The statement from an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesman came on the 62nd anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically at war.
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06/26/2012
The civil war in Syria has now escalated to crisis status as of last Friday. Syria shot down a Turkish warplane over the Mediterranean. Ankara ominously warned the trigger-happy Syrians they would “respond decisively” to the knee-jerk incident This action opens a whole new chapter in the growing conflict creating an international dimension to the 16-month revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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06/26/2012
The foreign ministers of 27 EU members states condemned on Monday Syria’s shooting down of a Turkish military plane and urged a thorough investigation into the incident. “The European Union notes that this is a matter which needs to be investigated thoroughly and urgently,” the EU Council of Ministers said in a statement. Syria downed a Turkish F-4 Phantom jet on June 22, saying that it had violated Syria’s airspace.
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06/26/2012
An innovative Airborne Multi-Intelligence Laboratory (AML) developed by Lockheed Martin for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) is now being used by the Italian Air Force in a live operational environment. Lockheed Martin signed a use agreement with the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide the AML aircraft, three ground intelligence processing systems as well as flight crew and maintenance personnel for the plane. This agreement is for one year.
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06/26/2012
Boeing recently completed wind tunnel tests on the Silent Eagle Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB). The tests, conducted at the company's St. Louis facility, validated the aerodynamics of the CWB design. CWBs are integral to the adaptable configuration and balanced survivability of the Silent Eagle.
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06/25/2012
Turkey on Sunday charged that Syria shot down a Turkish F4 Phantom jet Friday over international waters without any warning and called for a meeting of its NATO allies. Both the United States and Britain denounced Syria in response to the new details, and NATO set a meeting for meeting for Tuesday under its treaty, which allows any party can to call for consultations if it feels its territory or security is threatened. The meeting, however, falls well short of asking for military support.
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06/24/2012
Turkey was weighing its response Saturday to the shooting down by Syria of one of its planes, an incident that sent tensions soaring between two neighbors already at odds over the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
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06/24/2012
A Russian Federation Tupolev TU-154M aircraft will conduct observation flights over Canada between June 26 and 28 in accordance with the Treaty on Open Skies, an agreement that allows aerial observation flights over the territories of 34 countries to promote openness and the transparency of military forces and activities.
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06/24/2012
Last month China sent its first aircraft carrier Shi Lang to sea for trials. At 66,000-tons, the reconfigured former Soviet ship is a significant new player in a building South Asia arms race that has drawn the attention of both the US and Canada. Now India has followed suit. Its refurbished aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya began long-delayed sea trials June 8, leaving Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia for the White Sea.
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06/23/2012
Syria shot down a Turkish warplane over the Mediterranean on Friday and Ankara warned it would respond decisively to the incident that threatened a new international dimension to the 16-month revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria said the Turkish aircraft was flying low, well inside Syrian territorial waters when it was shot down.
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06/23/2012
Recent crashes involving the U.S. military's latest transport aircraft are fueling an uproar in Japan that could threaten plans to deploy them to the southern island of Okinawa by the end of the year. Following an uproar on Okinawa and in another city likely to host the Osprey aircraft, U.S. officials were to brief Japanese government representatives in Washington on Friday.
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06/23/2012
Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the 100th modified CH-47F Chinook helicopter to the U.S. Army today in a ceremony at the company's modification center in Millville. "The Boeing Millville team is proud to have delivered 100 modified Chinooks to the Army on time, using efficient, cost-saving processes," said Peri Widener, Boeing vice president of Rotorcraft Support.
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06/22/2012
Turkey's government has called an emergency security meeting amid reports that one of its fighter jets was shot down by Syrian security forces. The Turkish military lost contact with an F-4 Phantom over the Mediterranean Sea, south-west of Hatay province.
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06/22/2012
Norway on Friday ordered the first two fighter jets of an expected combined order of 52 from Lockheed Martin's troubled Joint Strike Fighter program as it embarked on a 2008 plan to replace its aging fleet of F-16 combat aircraft. Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement that the F-35A Lightning II jets are expected to arrive in 2015, with a further 50 aircraft expected to follow two years later at a total cost of 60 billion kroner ($10 billion).
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06/22/2012
A Syrian air force pilot flew his MiG-21 fighter plane over the border to Jordan and was granted political asylum on Thursday, the first defection with a military aircraft since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. olonel Hassan Hamada landed at the King Hussein military air base 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Amman and immediately asked for sanctuary, Jordanian officials told Reuters.
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06/22/2012
Spurred by recent battlefield gains, the Pentagon is making plans to send U.S. military aircraft to Yemen for the first time to help move government troops and supplies more quickly into battle against Islamic militants, U.S. officials said.
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06/22/2012
Senior Defense Department officials will brief a Japanese delegation at the Pentagon tomorrow on recent incidents involving U.S. MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey aircraft variants, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today. “This is a tangible demonstration of how seriously the Department of Defense takes the issue and inquiries made by the government of Japan on this matter,” Little said.
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06/22/2012
An Indonesian air force plane slammed into a military housing complex and ignited a huge fireball Thursday while trying to land in Jakarta, killing all seven people aboard as well as two toddlers and their nanny in a home. The pilot, co-pilot and five trainees aboard the Fokker F-27 were on a routine training flight when it crashed into houses in a neighborhood about 1.5 kilometers (nearly a mile) from the runway where it was trying to land, Indonesian military spokesmen said.
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06/21/2012
The Syrian air force is one of the largest in the Middle East, with 30,000 members and composed of aircraft provided first by the Soviet Union and, later, by Russia. They include MiG-21 interceptors, MiG-23 ground assault aircraft and the more modern MiG-29 combat aircraft. They also have a fleet of Sukhoi fighter jets.
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06/21/2012
The Air Force will acquire 12 fighter jets and six other fixed-wing aircraft by next year. Defense Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez told The STAR the jet fighters would be acquired from suppliers based in South Korea, Italy, United Kingdom and Russia. Each jet costs about P1.2 billion, he added.
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06/21/2012
Boeing delivered the sixth United Arab Emirates (UAE) C-17 Globemaster III to the UAE Air Force and Air Defence earlier this month at the company's final assembly facility in Long Beach. The delivery completes an agreement announced on Jan. 6, 2010, for six advanced airlifters to modernize the UAE's transport capabilities. Boeing delivered four C-17s to the UAE in 2011 and a fifth aircraft in May.
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06/20/2012
The Kenyan military has denied that the United States is using its territory or airspace to conduct surveillance flights over Africa, but confirmed the presence of US troops at the Manda Bay naval base. Last week the Washington Post ran a story on US spy flights in Africa and stated that the US military had plans to establish a surveillance base in Kenya, as well as South Sudan.
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06/20/2012
A C-17 lifted out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, one afternoon last month packed with crates of servicemembers’ household goods up front and explosive munitions stacked on the cargo ramp in back. From there they could be jettisoned in a hurry if a fire broke out.
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06/20/2012
The U.S. and South Korean militaries will mark the 62nd anniversary of the start of the Korean War with a bang. Many, in fact. More than 2,000 U.S. and South Korean servicemembers — along with an array of fighter jets, attack helicopters and tanks — are scheduled to participate Friday in what is being called the largest one-day, joint live-fire exercise they have ever conducted.
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06/20/2012
The upcoming centennial jubilee of the Russian Air Force is going to be one of the most magnificent events this summer, with a solemn celebration hosted by the city of Zhukovsky in August 2012. The show is expected to attract flocks of aviation pundits, journalists and spectators. Still, this anniversary is also a good day to venture a look into the near future of the Russian military aviation.
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06/20/2012
The U.S. Air Force plans to cut back on the number of Hawker Beechcraft's MC-12 spy planes it wants to operate after the drawdown from Afghanistan and Iraq, official data indicated. There was no immediate comment from Hawker Beechcraft on its future marketing plans for the MC-12. The MC-12 Liberty aircraft is the newest intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft used by SAF in Project Liberty, which includes operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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06/20/2012
The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region as Iraq adjusts to the withdrawal of American combat forces and the world nervously eyes Iran, according to a congressional report.
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06/20/2012
Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday he was in favor of development of the PAK DA long-range bomber for the country's air force, just hours after saying the project was unnecessary, in apparent contravention of President Putin's call last week for domestic aerospace industry to develop just such an aircraft.
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06/20/2012
The Russian Air Force's Central Military District will receive its first ten modernized MiG-31BM interceptors this year, the District's press service said on Monday. "The air forces of the Central Military District will take delivery of 10 MiG-31BM fighter-interceptors and two Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters this year," a Central Military District representative said.
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06/20/2012
The “landmark” 18,000 square metre workshop was officially opened by HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the deputy minister of defence, last week. The new facility provides space for the Saudi joint venture company to provide new advanced technologies and technical services alongside the maintenance of some of the world’s most modern military engines.
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06/20/2012
Airbus Military has successfully demonstrated the loading of NH Industries NH90 and Eurocopter EC725 helicopters onto the A400M new generation airlifter.
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06/18/2012
Hawker Beechcraft’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing includes a plan called “Project Flight,” which assesses what the company could look like as it emerges from reorganization. The document, among the materials provided by Hawker Beechcraft as an exhibit when the company filed for bankruptcy last month, outlines three options, each one eliminating all or some business jet models.
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06/18/2012
From next year onwards, IAF will kick off a major upgrade in its entire training programme for rookie pilots who go on to fly expensive top-notch fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. Better initiation into the intricacies of combat flying, inherently dangerous in contrast to civil aviation, is critical for new pilots since over 39% of the 1,010 crashes recorded by IAF since 1970 have been attributed to ``human error (aircrew)''.
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06/18/2012
U.S. Navy researchers are looking to military communications experts at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to investigate design approaches and technologies for a new military tactical data link that offers improved throughput, anti-jam capability, and low probability of intercept.
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06/18/2012
Over the next two to three years, the Philippine Air Force expects to be more able to defend the country's territory with the acquisition of an array of aircraft ranging from utility helicopters to long-range patrol aircraft. Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Okol, PAF spokesman told GMA News Online via phone interview that the acquisitions are parts of a capability upgrade program designed to “strengthen territorial defense.”
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06/17/2012
After conducting an internal investigation, bringing in senior staff and briefing members of Congress, the U.S. Air Force expects this month to restart a contentious competition to purchase single-engine turboprop attack aircraft for Afghanistan that pits the Brazilian company Embraer and its A-29 Super Tucano against Wichita, Kan.,-based Hawker Beechcraft and its AT-6.
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06/17/2012
Boeing today announced the successful de-orbit and landing of the second X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) for the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The X-37B landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:48 a.m. Pacific time today, concluding a 469-day experimental test mission. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on March 5, 2011.
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06/16/2012
Researchers from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are helping convert an aircraft used to train pilots into one with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and light attack capabilities. The new aircraft would provide a less expensive alternative to legacy warbirds like the A-10 and F-16 and could be used by foreign military allies as well as U.S. homeland security agencies.
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06/16/2012
Norway placed its first firm order for Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on Friday in a big victory for a program troubled by cost overruns, production delays and order cuts. Norway formally ordered two aircraft and expects to order another 50 for a total procurement cost of $10 billion, the largest ever public purchase, Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide told a news conference.
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06/16/2012
The Philippine government will buy military aircraft and equipment from Italy. The purchase of Italian military equipment was announced by Malacañang after President Benigno S. Aquino III met with Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola yesterday. The meeting sought to forge “strong defense cooperation between the two countries,” according to a Palace press statement.
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06/16/2012
The Belarusian Defense Ministry has suspended flights by military combat aircraft following the recent crash of a Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot attack plane, local news agency BELTA reported.
The Soviet-era ground attack jet crashed in Belarus during a low-level training flight on Tuesday killing the pilot, who prevented the aircraft from crashing into a village, BELTA said.
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06/16/2012
Russia must start development of a long-range bomber aircraft, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at a meeting on defense orders. "We have to develop work on the new PAK-DA long-range bomber aircraft for Long-Range Aviation. I know how expensive and complex this is. We have talked about this many times with ministers, and with the head of the General Staff. The task is not easy from a scientific-technical standpoint, but we need to start work," Putin said.
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06/16/2012
Russia must develop a range of military unmanned air vehicles (UAV) including strike and reconnaissance types, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during a visit to an air force base. "We need a program for unmanned aircraft. Experts say this is a most important area of development in aviation," he said. "We need a range of all types, including automated strike aircraft, reconnaissance and other types," Putin said.
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06/16/2012
Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is to introduce a fourth Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighter into its test and development program this year, the company's President Mikhail Pogosyan said on Thursday. "We are now testing three aircraft. A fourth will be brought in this year," he said.
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06/16/2012
The Boeing Company has selected Elbit Systems to provide a low-profile head-up display (LPHUD) that will be part of the Advanced Cockpit System for Boeing fighter jets. The LPHUD decision presents additional opportunities for Elbit Systems to develop advanced cockpit avionics capabilities at its Brazilian subsidiary AEL Sistemas.
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06/16/2012
Boeing and the U.S. Navy have successfully completed an in-flight demonstration of a satellite communications (SATCOM) system that, if implemented, will enable F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircrews to conduct two-way, secure voice and data communications with other SATCOM-enabled aircraft, ships, ground forces and command centers.
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06/13/2012
Another one of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) aircraft was lost to crashes today, when a Dassault Mirage 5 fighter jet went down near the town of Othal, in the Hub district of Balochistan province. According to the PAF officials, the aircraft, which took off from the port city of Karachi, was on a routine training mission. Both the pilot and the trainee successfully ejected to safety, but the aircraft was completely damaged, beyond repair.
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06/13/2012
Coolheaded discussions are needed on the deployment of new military aircraft in Okinawa Prefecture. Attention must be paid not only to the safety aspects but also to the need for strengthening combat readiness of U.S. forces in Japan.
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06/13/2012
Afghan President Hamid Karzai took a defiant stand on Tuesday against NATO on airstrikes, saying the military coalition can no longer fire on homes from aircraft in any circumstance -- even in defense of Afghan and foreign forces. Karzai said that's what he and the U.S.-led coalition agreed following last week's airstrike in eastern Afghanistan's Logar province that killed 18 civilians.
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06/13/2012
Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] today announced a Centennial Flight Contest to be held in conjunction with the 2012 Farnborough International Airshow. The contest invites Lockheed Martin’s Twitter and Facebook followers to share personal stories related to aviation history for a chance to claim a seat aboard a historic Lockheed Super Constellation flight at Farnborough, United Kingdom, on Tuesday, July 10.
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06/13/2012
The U.S. Third Army has teamed with the Kuwaiti military for a joint medical evacuation exercise at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait according to the US magazine, Rotor and Wing,
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06/11/2012
The Michigan Air National Guard has landed in Estonia. Operating as part of Saber Strike 2012, a multi-national exercise based in Estonia and Latvia, the Michigan ANG has landed KC-135 Stratotanker and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft at Amari Air Base, Estonia. It is believed to be the first time that A-10s have landed in Estonia.
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06/10/2012
The delivery of six more Saab aircraft from Sweden has been delayed, a Royal Thai Air Force source said yesterday. The delivery of the six Saab 340 AEW airborne early warning aircraft was set for last Tuesday at Don Muang military air base with the ceremony to welcome them scheduled for last Wednesday at Wing 7 in Surat Thani.
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06/10/2012
The appeal of running exotic supercars against military aircraft never seems to get stale, and in recent years we’ve seen the Spyker F1, the Bugatti Veyron and the Lamborghini Reventon throw down against various fighter aircraft. We've even seen Top Gear USA pit a Dodge Viper against an attack helicopter, though not in an outright drag race.
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06/10/2012
For European defence aeronautical company Airbus Military, the focus regarding South Africa is now on the light/medium aircraft category, for both transport and mari- time patrol. This was confirmed recently, in Toulouse, France, by Airbus Military CEO Domingo Ureña. He also affirmed that his company and South Africa had agreed to draw a line under the country’s cancellation of the A400M military airlift aircraft and look forward, not back. The two sides had different views on the cancellation.
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06/10/2012
Israel's military leaders are expected to give the green light to buying more of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighters to equip a second squadron when they meet this month to finalize the military's procurement plan. The contract for as many as 20 of the fifth-generation stealth fighters is "one of the key elements" in the multiyear program, known as "Oz" -- Hebrew for "strength" -- The Jerusalem Post reported Friday.
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06/10/2012
The history of Russian-Chinese relations are full of turnarounds and mutual distrust, even disdain at times A century of unequal treaties between the two countries, resulting in Russia’s encroachment on China’s sovereignty and ideological tensions dating back to the 1960s, have left deep marks on the consciences of policymakers on both sides.
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06/10/2012
On May 30 the two officials most in charge of the U.S.'s formidible global military machine, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, visited Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii to launch multi-nation tours of the Asia-Pacific region and formally commence the announced shift of American military concentration and assets to the area.
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06/10/2012
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday reiterated plans to develop a new, fifth-generation strategic bomber. “Alongside a fifth-generation fighter there are also plans to develop an advanced long-range aviation complex. I am talking about a new strategic bomber,” he said. Maintenance and modernization of the existing strategic bombers is not enough, he added.
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06/09/2012
On June 7 and 8 Minister of National Defence Rasa Jukneviciene with the Baltic counterparts Minister of Defence of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu and Defence Minister of Latvia Artis Pabriks will gather in Amari, Estonia, to discuss defence cooperation of the Baltic States as well as fundamental NATO and regional security points.
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06/09/2012
About 150 Michigan Air National Guard personnel are deploying to Estonia for a training exercise. It was announced Wednesday the airmen will be overseas for two weeks in support of Saber Strike 2012.
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06/09/2012
Bell Helicopters has delivered the first OH-58D Kiowa wartime replacement helicopter to the US Army. "We just finished the general maintenance test flight [and] acceptance flight approximately 1h ago," says a maintenance test pilot. "There are a few small issues to be fixed [but] it's very, very smooth flying."
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06/09/2012
Australian Department of Defence issued the following departmental media release:
The Royal Australian Air Force's Wedgetail aircraft is participating in the most advanced international air combat training activity, Exercise Red Flag in Alaska. Red Flag Alaska, led by the United States Pacific Air Forces Command is a large force employment exercise designed to replicate a high-end combat environment. The two week long exercise officially commenced on Thursday June 7.
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06/09/2012
The Ugandan Air Force has taken delivery of another two Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighters from Russia, completing the delivery of six aircraft ordered last year. The first two aircraft were delivered in July last year, followed by another two in October. On May 30 a ‘military diplomatic source’ told Russia’s Interfax news agency that the final two Su-30MKs had been delivered to Uganda.
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06/09/2012
The Indian Navy's Russian-built aircraft carrier Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) began sea trials early on Friday morning in the White Sea - four years after it was originally due to take to sea again. The ship was refitted at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia. It was originally scheduled to begin sea trials, which will last 120 days, on May 25.
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06/09/2012
A long-running dispute between the Russian military and defense industry over procurement of new weaponry may enter a new phase as Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has questioned the need to develop a new strategic bomber, the Izvestia daily said on Wednesday. Russia announced plans in 2009 to develop a fifth-generation strategic bomber, which will feature new airframe and elements of stealth technology, by 2025.
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06/09/2012
The Boeing Company has accepted delivery of the first Aluminum Launch Support Structure (ALSS) produced by Danish Aerotech A/S for ship-based deployment of the Harpoon weapon system. The Karup-based supplier received the contract, valued at nearly US$1.5 million, two years ago.
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06/09/2012
Boeing is being awarded a $66,814,404 military sales contract for the installation of Group A and B radar system improvement kits for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) fleet of five Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
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06/06/2012
he Air Force is not calling a “ground incident” involving an F-22 Raptor last week a “crash.”
The F-22 was in a “touch-and-go” practice session at about 5 p.m. Thursday when it was put out of commission. The “ground incident” put the plane on the sidelines and benched the pilot, officials said. “Everything around this is in freeze frame right now,” said Herman Bell, chief of Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs.
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06/06/2012
As Japan seeks to become an exporter of military aircraft, the government is careful to stress that its equipment should be used only for peaceful missions. At the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue here June 1-3, Shu Watanabe, Japan’s senior vice minister of defense, pitched the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft, which is designed for search-and-rescue (SAR) work. “The US-2 plays an important role in rescue operations in Japan.
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06/06/2012
An air projection for plateau camping training conducted by the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was unveiled at 05:00 on May 29, 2012 at an airport in the hinterland of central China. A total of 5 military and civil airplanes were mobilized for this air projection mission from the hinterland of central China to the snow-covered plateau.
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06/06/2012
The tail markings on the warplanes flying overhead in Fairbanks starting Thursday might be unfamiliar. Military aircraft from South Korea, Japan, Poland, Germany and the states of Washington and South Carolina will be stationed at Eielson Air Force Base with Alaska forces in the first Red Flag-Alaska exercise of the year. The exercise begins Thursday and runs through June 22.
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06/06/2012
Last Saturday U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced in Singapore that by 2020 the U.S. will be deploying “six aircraft carriers, a majority of our cruisers, destroyers, combat ships and submarines” in the Asia-Pacific region. This armada will constitute 60% of U.S. naval power, a “rebalancing ” from the current 50% of naval resources currently committed to the region.
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06/06/2012
Proclaiming its fate to be strongly tied to Asia, the United States unveiled on Saturday detailed plans to build and strengthen its military presence in the region. Time will tell whether the growing US presence becomes a positive force for the peace, development and prosperity of Asia, or simply heightens the tensions in a region already convoluted by an arms race.
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06/06/2012
The military is hunting for seven strategically placed nations willing to host a network of Canadian bases aimed at cutting costs and boosting response times to future wars, disasters and humanitarian crises. Two of those bases — in Germany and Kuwait — have already materialized, but the full extent of the plan to create overseas beachheads for military planes, ships and equipment has not been previously acknowledged.
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06/06/2012
The Indian Air Force (IAF) purchase of 126 Rafale fighters has made global headlines, and the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) could be another jaw-dropper. But Indian military aviation could see an even more prominent growth area in helicopters, where the defence services are poised to induct well over 1,000 rotary wing aircraft in the coming decade, the majority of them developed and built in the country.
(Read More...)
06/05/2012
B-1B Lancers are currently undergoing their most advanced hardware and software upgrades to date as part of the Sustainment-Block 16 program. Sustainment-Block 16 upgrades include a fully integrated data link in the aft station and vertical situation display upgrade in the front station as well as updates to navigation, radar and diagnostic systems.
(Read More...)
06/05/2012
South Korea announced its shortlist of contractors in competition for a multi-billion competition to supply 36 attack helicopters on 29 May. The attack helicopters will be used to strengthen the South’s ability to contend with Pyongyang’s fast gunboats often deployed in the Yellow Sea.
(Read More...)
06/05/2012
Canada’s military focus appears to be turning increasingly westward, as evidenced by Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s attendance at a major Asia-Pacific security forum over the weekend and the announcement 1,400 Canadian military personnel will be participating in a major exercise later this month.
(Read More...)
06/05/2012
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] on May 2 delivered the sixth and final Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
(Read More...)
06/05/2012
Boeing's Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system (UAS) completed its first autonomous flight June 1 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The 28-minute flight began at 6:22 a.m. Pacific time as the liquid-hydrogen powered aircraft lifted off its launch cart. Phantom Eye climbed to an altitude of 4,080 feet and reached a cruising speed of 62 knots. After touching down, the vehicle sustained some damage when the landing gear dug into the lakebed and broke.
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06/04/2012
An email from Air Power Australia earlier today links to a series of You Tubes of China’s Chengdu J-20 fifth generation stealth jet which raises a whole set of questions for defence experts to consider.
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06/04/2012
The Philippines will be looking to non-U.S. sources for combat aircraft, and officials want to equip two squadrons to enhance the nation’s war-fighting capabilities, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin. One of the primary concerns is China, which is encroaching in areas of the South China Sea that Philippines officials claim as being their territory.
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06/04/2012
Hawker Beechcraft filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 on May 3, and if activity at the recent European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition is any indication, the Wichita aircraft manufacturer may be down, but it is definitely not out.
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06/04/2012
Details of the potent military Australia would need to fight a possible war with China were contained in a secret "force structure review" prepared with the Rudd government's 2009 defence white paper, analysts say.
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06/04/2012
The F-16 move is not the only Air Force policy that has Alaska’s senators on the defensive.
In addition to opposing the Air Force’s plans to move Eielson Air Force Bases’ F-16 fighter planes to Anchorage, U.S. Sens. Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski are second-guessing the way the military deploys a new aircraft, the KC-46A.
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06/04/2012
A U.S. drone strike today killed 10 suspected militants in Pakistan as they 'offered condolences' to the family of a commander who died in an attack 24 hours earlier. Four missiles were fired at the tribal village of Mana Raghzai in South Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan, intelligence officials reported.
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06/04/2012
The Pentagon will shift more Navy warships to the Asia-Pacific region over the next several years and by 2020, about 60% of the fleet will be assigned there as part of a new strategy to increase U.S. presence in Asia, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Saturday. While noting it may take years to complete the transition, Panetta assured his audience at a security conference in Singapore that U.S. budget problems and cutbacks would not get in the way of changes.
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06/04/2012
The Government of Canada today announced that over 1,400 Canadian sailors, soldiers, and airmen and airwomen will participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 combined and joint exercise taking place near the Hawaiian Islands from June 29 to August 3. RIMPAC is the world's largest multi-national exercise and is designed to prepare military forces from Pacific Rim nations to work together in missions ranging from providing humanitarian aid to full-combat operations.
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06/04/2012
Governments and companies around the world should stop signing new contracts with arms suppliers such as the Russian firm Rosoboronexport that are providing weapons to the Syrian government. In light of compelling evidence that the Syrian army is responsible for crimes against humanity against Syria?s people, the Russian state-owned arms trading company?s continued dealings with Syria place the company at risk of complicity in these crimes.
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06/03/2012
After more than 46 years of heartbreaking uncertainty, the remains of a U.S. Air Force colonel who served in Vietnam are coming home to America. Col. Derrell Jeffords, a Florence native, was 40 when the AC-47D aircraft he commanded and piloted disappeared on Christmas Eve 1965. A mayday signal was sent from the plane, known as “Spooky,” which was carrying six men over southern Laos while on a combat strike mission.
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06/03/2012
AUSTRALIA has thrown its support behind a ''rebalancing'' of American military might in the Pacific region, which promises to deepen strategic rivalries with China. Defence Minister Stephen Smith yesterday spoke of the ''positive impact'' of the United States on regional security, just hours before the US presented its most detailed plan of how it will bulk up military might into the Pacific region while making budget cuts elsewhere.
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06/03/2012
U.S. Defence Secretary Leon E. Panetta, seeking to persuade a sceptical audience of Asian officials that the United States is committed to enhancing its military presence in the region despite coming budget constraints, unveiled here on Saturday the most detailed inventory to date of planned new weapons for the region. The Navy, Mr. Panetta said, would reconfigure its forces from a 50-50 split between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific to 60 per cent of the Navy's assets assigned to the Pacific
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06/02/2012
A regional court ordered an expert appraisal in a lawsuit filed by Chelayabinsk residents to stop Su-24 bombers from flying over the city. The residents allege that the noise exceeds permissible levels, the court reports on Friday. Experts will establish the noise level and the health hazards for the local population.
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06/02/2012
Southern Nevada residents may notice increased military aircraft activity as the United States Air Force Weapons School begins its Mission Employment phase. Ninety aircraft from both the Air Force and Navy will participate in the two-week-long event, held on the Nevada Test and Training Range. 90 students from 23 separate combat specialties will take part in the exercise.
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06/01/2012
Kenya has renewed its long-stalled offensive against al-Qaida's affiliate in Somalia, just days after the Kenyan government blamed the Somali Islamists for an apparent terrorist attack in downtown Nairobi.For the second day in a row, Kenyan naval forces on Wednesday bombarded the Somali seaport of Kismayo, a key stronghold of Somalia's al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgents, while ground troops attacked Afmadhow, a major town that Kenya says it must capture before advancing by land against Kismao.
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06/01/2012
Internal federal documents show crashes by unmanned aerial vehicles are increasing the number of accident investigations undertaken by the military's flight-safety branch. The latest annual fleet airworthiness review, obtained by The Canadian Press under the access-to-information law, paints a compelling portrait of how military aviation is being changed by drones.
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06/01/2012
The First Lebanon War might not be known for its helicopters but it was the first time the Israel Air Force used attack helicopters in combat, providing results and helping to establish a doctrine that is still studied as a new conflict looms on the horizon. The Israel Air Force’s history with attack helicopters dates back to before the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Brig.-Gen. (res.) Nehemia Dagan, a decorated helicopter pilot.
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06/01/2012
Thailand's defence capability has been boosted significantly with the recent purchase of the JAS 39 Gripen military fighter jet from Saab of Sweden. This small, agile aircraft can take off and land on highways, while carrying the latest technologies and weaponry, providing a potent deterrent in times of peace and a highly effective air combat capability in times of conflict.
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06/01/2012
Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC -0.17% recently hosted the U.S. military at its 11th LITENING Users' Conference to share operational experiences with the targeting pod and identify priorities for capability upgrades. The Northrop Grumman LITENING family of targeting pods is a self-contained, multisensor system with built-in connectivity to land forces.
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06/01/2012
Russia's Military Transport Aviation (VTA) is to receive 60 Antonov An-70 propfan tactical transport aircraft by 2020, the service's commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Kachalkin said on Thursday. "From 2014, we will start to get the Ilyushin Il-76-MD90A (Il-476) and also the modernized Il-76MD. We are also counting on getting the new An-70," he said.
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06/01/2012
Lockheed Martin submitted its proposal today to the U.S. Air Force for the KC-46 Aircrew Training System, a program that will prepare pilots, boom operators and other on-board personnel for air refueling, cargo transport and medical evacuation. The KC-46 Aircrew Training System supports the Air Force’s strategy for global mobility. Aircrews will refuel fixed-wing receiver-capable aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and coalition forces.
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05/31/2012
President Barack Obama's administration appears set to notify the U.S. Congress of plans to arm a fleet of Italian MQ-9 Reaper drones, a step that may spur a wider spread of remotely piloted hunter-killer aircraft. The administration could move ahead within two weeks on the proposal to let Italy join Britain in deploying U.S. drones with weapons such as laser-guided bombs and Hellfire missiles, American officials said.
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05/31/2012
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd of India and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation-Transport Aircraft are jointly building a new military transport. The agreement to build the multirole jet aircraft was signed this week by the representatives of HAL, UAC-TC and Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd, their joint venture company with Russia's Rosoboronexport.
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05/31/2012
Northrop Grumman officials conducted a briefing at CANSEC 2012 on Wednesday for journalists on its proposal to offer the Harper government a fleet of Global Hawks. Northrop Grumman has dubbed the aircraft the Polar Hawk and is pushing the angle of the unmanned aircraft as being ideal for surveillance in the North. Murray Brewster of Canadian Press has more details.
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05/31/2012
The Air Force showcased its flight skills in a rehearsal Wednesday in Hsinchu, as a preview for an air show to be held Saturday in the northern city. Highlights of the rehearsal at the Hsinchu air base included a 30-minute performance by the Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team flying seven AT-3 jet trainers in a series of spectacular aerial stunts.
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05/31/2012
The Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in Mesa, Ariz. will be producing Apache AH-64D attack helicopters for the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program in a $97.3 million dollar contract awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, Ala. on Tuesday. The Boeing AH-64D Longbow Block III is the latest version of the Apache combat helicopter, and is designed with a stronger engine, improved helicopter avionics, better computer-networking capability.
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05/31/2012
Minister of Defense Corneliu Dobritoiu told Agerpres, after a meeting with the reserve military that a team of specialists will go to the Netherlands and Portugal to assess the technical condition of some F-16 type aircraft that Romania might procure for the Army. 'We will assess the jets, to see if they are technically up to our requirements, their upgrading needs, the cost and if we can afford them, or not. The assessments are made in Portugal and the Netherlands', Dobritoiu said.
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05/31/2012
An India-built electronic sub-assembly will be part of the US Navy's combat planes, a statement said Wednesday as Indian companies step up efforts to be part of the global defence supply chain. The sub-assembly provides the cockpit flood lighting compatible with the aircraft's night vision imaging system (NVIS).
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05/31/2012
Selected air units of Russia’s Western military district will start this year preparations to return to abandoned Arctic airfields, the commander of the district’s aviation Maj. Gen. Igor Makushev said on Wednesday. Military airfields in the Arctic were used extensively in the Soviet era, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 they have been generally mothballed.
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05/31/2012
Boeing on May 3 delivered to the U.S. Navy the first EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft with a cockpit subassembly produced by Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The subassembly provides cockpit floodlighting compatible with the aircraft's Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS).
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05/30/2012
Despite recent reports, the U.S. remains ahead of the Russians when it comes to the next generation of naval warfare — namely, hosting sporting events on aircraft carriers.
English-language all-Russian-news site RT.com reported Monday that the Major Hockey League, which is actually a minor hockey league (those wacky Russians) to the big-time KHL, is planning to hold a game on a flattop anchored in the Gulf of Finland.
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05/30/2012
THE military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) market will mushroom over the decade through 2020, according to international consultancy Frost & Sullivan, with its value forecast to grow by 60 per cent to US$7.3 billion. The Asia-Pacific is expected to lead this surge, propelled by regional force modernisation programmes and supported by sustained economic growth.
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05/30/2012
Japan may become the fourth country after the U.S., Russia and China to possessits own fighter of the fifth generation. The new fighter, relatively small in size and weight, will become the first battle plane, constructed without assistancein Japan over the past seven decades. In the beginning of May, Japan placed an order for the delivery of the first four F-35 fighters made in the United States.
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05/30/2012
Airbus Military is growing its product line with new developments, such as gunships and airborne early warning aircraft, and is improving its existing offerings, such as the C295, as it adapts to changing market conditions. Airbus Military, at its annual Trade Media Briefing in Spain, attended by defenceWeb, said that the military market for transport, special mission and tanker aircraft is a very irregular one with plenty of ups and downs and is compounded by shrinking military budgets.
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05/30/2012
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will manufacture a Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA) with a Russian partner primarily for the Indian and Russian air forces, the state-run defence behemoth said on Tuesday. 'The twin-engine aircraft in 15-20 tone class will be designed, co-developed and manufactured for cargo/troop transportation; para-drop/air drop of supplies, including low altitude parachute extraction system,' HAL chairman R.K. Tyagi said in a statement here.
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05/30/2012
Guam - A C-130 military cargo aircraft landed at North Field just before noon today [Wednesday]. It was the first time since after World War II in 1947 that a U.S. military plane landed on the airfield. The landing at North Field, the Saipan Tribune reports, is considered one of the highlights in the ongoing Exercise Geiger Fury 2012 on Tinian, with 150 to 175 personnel from Marine Aircraft Group-12 out of Iwakuni, Japan participating.
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05/30/2012
China hopes to sell up to 300 Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder fighters in Africa and the Middle East over the next five years. This target was revealed by a spokesman from China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), the country's military aircraft export agency, in an email to Flightglobal.
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05/30/2012
While addressing West Point’s newest graduates last weekend, Vice President Joseph R. Biden praised the gathered cadets as “leaders of your generation” and “the key to whatever challenges the world has in store.” For full disclosure’s sake, Mr. Biden should have added: “For the foreseeable future, however, the advanced weapons and military systems you’ll use in training and in combat will remain shot through with unreliable counterfeit electronics parts.
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05/30/2012
Taipei, May 29 (CNA) F-35 stealth fighters are the new-generation combat aircraft that best serve Taiwan's air defense needs, a military official said Tuesday, the latest hint that the government may not be as keen to acquire advanced F-16 C/D fighters as once thought. The F-35s, with their short takeoff capability, would bolster the country's defense capabilities, as airports are likely to be destroyed by enemy forces in the event of war.
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05/29/2012
It's a familiar scene - military aircraft and personnel in the desert - only in this case, it's part of a war game in southern Jordan involving thousands of troops from all over the world.
Forces from 18 countries including the U.S., Jordan, Lebanon and Italy are participating in the exercise. Dubbed "Eager Lion" the scenarios give troops a chance to learn how to carry out attacks on ground targets in coordination with artillery and air power.
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05/29/2012
They are floating airfields that can deploy a nation's military might across the world's oceans.
In May 1912, the first plane took off from a moving warship, the HMS Hibernia, temporarily adapted for the purpose. The idea of dedicated floating platforms had been mooted in 1909, but it wasn't until 1918 that the HMS Argus became the first proper carrier.
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05/29/2012
Today’s strategic environment provides boundless space for the both the international and regional actors to understand, share and cooperate with each other in order to protect and secure their own national interest and maintain strategic stability within their own region. Every nation in the international affairs has its own strategic significance against another in terms of its strategic location for economic and military means.
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05/29/2012
A helicopter crash killed two NATO service members in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, and a third died in an insurgent attack in the south, the U.S.-led coalition said. The deaths raised the number of NATO troops who have been killed in Afghanistan this year to 172. NATO is aiming to withdraw its combat forces by the end of 2014 and turn security responsibility over to the Afghans.
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05/29/2012
India is slowly but surely bolstering its military presence in the crucial Andaman and Nicobar Islands in keeping with the overall policy to counter China's strategic moves in the Indian Ocean region as well as ensure security of the sea lanes converging towards the Malacca Strait.
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05/28/2012
Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System testbed aircraft, equipped with a new JT-8D propulsion system, has successfully completed flight testing and moved one step closer to receiving its Military Airworthiness Certification.
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05/28/2012
We can best honor those who have given their lives for this nation in combat by making sure our military might is proportional to what America needs. The United States spends more on our military than do China, Russia, Britain, France, Japan, and Germany put together.
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05/27/2012
A public hearing has been set for June 5 on a proposal to add a new fighter jet to the Burlington Air Guard Station in Vermont, which conducts missions in western Maine airspace.
The Air Force last week scheduled the hearing at University of Maine at Farmington after facing complaints from Mainers about why initial hearings on the plan were scheduled to take place only in Vermont.
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05/27/2012
The United States decision to deploy littoral combat ships in Singapore signals a maritime focus in its pivot to the Asia-Pacific. It reaffirms U.S. commitment to support Southeast Asian allies and partners amid China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the region.
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05/27/2012
The China Post news staff--Attack warplanes and land-to-air missiles are being deployed to a Chinese air base with an operational radius reaching both Taipei and the disputed islands in the South China Sea as tension in the region continues to mount, a report said yesterday. The hardware being deployed includes China's Jian 10 and Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighters, unpiloted attack planes, and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
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05/26/2012
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne has taken an hour-long sortie in a Rafale fighter aircraft which has been selected by India for its multi-billion dollar deal to procure 126 jets. On a four-day visit to France, the IAF chief flew the fighter jet at the St. Dizier Airbase and was accompanied by the Rafale squadron Commander Squadron Leader Kubiak Thierry.
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05/26/2012
South Korea government, through the military acquisition programme's spokesperson, announced that the choice regarding the suppliers of fighters aircraft and the helicopters for its air force will be communicated in October. The purchase will involve on the whole 60 fighters, 35 attack helicopters and 8 helicopters for the navy.
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05/26/2012
The cost of fitting out 12 of the RAAF's Super Hornet fighter-bombers with sophisticated electronic warfare equipment appears to have blown out from the original $300 million to $1.73 billion -- slightly more than the Gillard government's budget surplus for the coming year.
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05/26/2012
Despite dire warnings about U.S. military funding cuts, one prominent Washington think tank says fewer dollars give the Pentagon a chance to make sweeping changes to sustain America's warring dominance. The Defense Department is implementing a $450 billion reduction to planned spending over the next decade, and could be forced to take out close to $500 billion more over the same span if Congress fails to pass a $1.2 trillion debt-paring deal this year.
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05/26/2012
Introducing me at a meeting of Singapore’s India Club (for Indian citizens only), Prasenjit Basu, its economist president, recalled that more than 10 years ago my book on India’s relations with the United States of America was called Waiting for America. “We are still waiting for America”, he concluded. It was a perceptive comment. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
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05/26/2012
Air dominance is essential to virtually every operation the U.S. military conducts. It is an essential component of the U.S. military’s “DNA.” Budget cuts, shrinking force structure, poor investments in modernization, technological innovation and a growing anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) threat are combining to call into question the Department of Defense’s ability to maintain air dominance in future conflicts. Without air dominance, the U.S. military’s concepts of operations will unravel.
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05/26/2012
Northrop Grumman's 300-foot long, 70-foot tall, remotely piloted Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) airship is scheduled to fly for the first time in early June at Lakehurst, New Jersey. The maiden flight could take place anytime between June 6 and 10, weather permitting, and will be followed by a trip to Florida where it will be outfitted with surveillance gear.
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05/25/2012
Bangladesh is asking for the refurbishment, overhaul and modification of four C-130E aircraft through the Foreign Military Sale program. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the contract sought by Bangladesh includes spare parts, equipment and training services and is worth about $180 million.
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05/25/2012
The effort to preserve Selfridge Air National Guard Base’s A-10 aircraft gained some altitude Thursday when the Senate Armed Services Committee embraced a provision that would block budget cuts to the Air National Guard. Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his committee had unanimously approved an annual defense bill that rejects proposals to eliminate Air National Guard aircraft and personnel across the nation, including proposed cuts at Michigan bases.
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05/25/2012
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a defense bill that would maintain the production lines of the F-18 in St. Louis, nix a new base-closing round, and block an AF plan to shut down air guard units, including one at Jefferson Barracks. While the Senate defense bill’s $631 billion price tag for fiscal 2013 is about $4 billion less than the House-passed version, the provisions of the two bills with direct impact in Missouri and Illinois appeared to be similar.
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05/25/2012
The Pilatus aircraft manufacturer has confirmed a deal to export 75 PC-7 MkII military training aircraft to India worth $523 million (SFr500 million) - the biggest-ever contract for the turboprop trainer in the Stans-based firm’s history. The company also confirmed on Thursday that it is in the final stages of a major contract with Saudi Arabia for 55 PC-21 propeller-driven trainers via a deal with the British defence contractor BAE Systems PLC.
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05/25/2012
First Lt. Zerbin Singleton qualified as the Marine Corps’ last CH-46 Sea Knight pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron 164 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 23. The MV-22B Osprey is replacing the Sea Knight, making the accomplishment of Singleton particularly noteworthy. Several local news stations came out to record the event.
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05/25/2012
A U.S. drone strike on suspected Islamist militants in northwest Pakistan killed 10 people on Thursday, Pakistani intelligence officials said, an attack likely to raise tensions in a standoff with Washington over NATO supply routes to Afghanistan. The pilotless drone aircraft attacked a compound in a village in North Waziristan, a day after a similar attack killed four suspected militants in the same region.
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05/25/2012
After a prolonged chill, security ties between Israel and China are warming up. With Israel offering much-needed technical expertise and China representing a huge new market and influential voice in the international debate over Iran's nuclear program, the two nations have stepped up military cooperation as they patch up a rift caused by a pair of failed arms deals scuttled by the U.S.
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05/25/2012
The military's reserve components remain ready and capable despite budget cuts and their transition from a strategic to operational force, senior National Guard and Reserve officials told the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee here May 23.
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05/24/2012
Airbus Military expects to sell 70 light and medium military aircraft to Africa over the next decade, as it shifts it focus to the African continent and other emerging markets. Ghana, Cameroon and Gabon are some of the nations that are in the midst of buying new aircraft or are about to sign, whilst South Africa is a leading potential customer for the C295.
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05/24/2012
1,800 cases of fake ICs in US military aircraft were discovered last year, says the US Senate Armed Services Committee, and 70% of those could be traced back to China. After China come the UK and Canada as the biggest sources of fake chips. Counterfeit parts were found in SH-60B helicopters used by the Navy, in C-130J and C-27J cargo planes and in the Navy's P-8A Poseidon plane.
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05/24/2012
An F-35B Lightning II made its first flight at Eglin Air Force Base today, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the Marine Corps' fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd Fighter Wing.
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05/24/2012
First, it was the NDA regime which was in a hurry to christen it 'Tejas' , with the then PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, doing the honours in 2003. Now, it's the UPA II government's turn to declare that the indigenous fighter has already been "inducted'' .
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05/24/2012
The signature sound of the tandem-rotored Chinook was multiplied by four as Sortie 2 took to the early morning air over Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga. The new helicopters had been flown to the airfield just a couple of weeks earlier in mid-March from the Boeing production facility in Philadelphia. And though new, the helicopters were far from shiny; their mid-toned, flat green paint was well-designed to offer concealment against terrains in theater operations.
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05/24/2012
At least seven people were injured after a Russian military plane caught fire as it was landing at an airport east of Prague on Wednesday, an emergency official said. Earlier reports said 19 people were injured after the Antonov An-30 aircraft with 23 servicemen on board - 14 Russians and nine Czechs - skidded off the runway while landing at the Caslav Military Airport.
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05/24/2012
Sea trials of the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier being overhauled for the Indian navy at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia have been postponed until the beginning of June, the shipyard said on Wednesday. The purchase of the Soviet-built Admiral Gorshkov was agreed in 2005 but delivery to India has been long delayed. The cost of refurbishing the aircraft carrier, to be renamed INS Vikramaditya, has since gone up from $947 million to $2.3 billion.
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05/24/2012
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has received a $368 million Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) contract to develop a design that modernizes the flight deck and avionics of the U.S. and NATO E-3 707 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft fleet.
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05/24/2012
BAE Systems has today been awarded a contract for £1.6 billion to support the future aircrew training requirements of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). The agreement was reached between the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UK, under the Saudi British Defence Co-operation Programme.
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05/23/2012
A US investigation that found suspect counterfeit electronic parts in military aircraft will have repercussions for India with two programmes that the Air Force contracted coming under the scanner. A year-long investigation by the US Senate has pointed to suspected bogus parts — amounting to over a million — in C 130 J transport aircraft as well as the test aircraft of the P 8 Poseiden series of maritime surveillance planes.
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05/23/2012
Bell Helicopter makes aircraft that are the backbone of flight operations for the Marine Corps, Army and Air Force. One of those aircraft, the V-22 Osprey, looks and flies like no other. The tilt-rotor aircraft flies like a plane, but can take off, land, and hover like a helicopter. The unconventional Osprey is used in military operations around the world. That journey beings at the Advanced Composite Center on Bell’s sprawling plant one complex in Fort Worth.
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05/23/2012
The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) aircrews have started training on full-motion simulators for the MC-130J version of the Lockheed Martin Hercules tactical transport aircraft at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.
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05/23/2012
President Barack Obama's administration is inclined to sell armed drones to Turkey but has to convince Congress first, Turkey's president told reporters after a meeting with the U.S. leader. Washington, which is providing technical and intelligence to Ankara in its fight against autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels, deployed four Predator drones from Iraq to Turkey last year.
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05/23/2012
During the round table discussion regarding the current state and the process of re-equipment and the prospects of the Russian Air Force Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, presented his report on the prospects of producing military aviation equipment for export and the use by the Russian Air Force.
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05/23/2012
The U.S. Army's fleet of 219 UH-72A Lakota helicopters surpassed the 100,000 flight hour milestone during operations on May 10. The 100,000 flight hour aircraft, configured for Opposing Force training missions, was flown by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Lacrosse and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christopher Ezell of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Falcon Observer/Controller-Trainer Team in Hohenfels, Germany, during a multinational training exercise.
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05/23/2012
Poland has warned Moscow against interfering in NATO’s plans concerning the deployment of a missile shield in Europe as Russia is not a member of the military alliance, a high-ranking Polish official said on Tuesday. On Sunday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the “first step” in the European missile defense system.
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05/23/2012
The Russian Air Force will take delivery of at least thirty Ansat trainer helicopters by 2020, the service's spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday. "The Sokol aerodrome at the Syzransky Flight Training School will get six Ansat- U helicopters this year, and over 30 by 2020," Drik said.
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05/23/2012
Boeing delivered a fifth C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence earlier this month. The UAE accepted delivery of four C-17s in 2011 and has one more airlifter on order for delivery later this year.
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05/22/2012
The U.S. military is testing high-tech "battle kites" as a method of lifting communications and surveillance equipment above isolated bases in Afghanistan. The battle kites aren't designed to get involved in dog fights. They are built to fly over forward operating bases that are too small to support the large aerostat blimps familiar to troops at larger facilities such as Kandahar Air Field.
(Read More...)
05/22/2012
A new report from the Senate Armed Service Committee estimates that over a million counterfeit electronic parts from China are currently being used in U.S. military aircraft, according to Defense News. The Senate report, released May 21, says the discovery jeopardizes the safety of American servicemembers as well as U.S. national security.
(Read More...)
05/22/2012
When military aviators of the future look back at the beginnings of the F-35 program, they may see the names of two Florida National Guard pilots listed among the first to fly the Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter jet. Lt. Col. Randal Efferson and Maj. Jay Spohn are the only Guard pilots currently assigned to the 33rd Operations Group at Eglin Air Force Base, and they’ll soon be taking to the skies to master the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
(Read More...)
05/22/2012
Russia's air force will acquire a new ground attack aircraft similar in concept to the Sukhoi Su-25, but has dropped plans to field an armed version of the Yakovlev Yak-130 jet/combat trainer. "This new type of ground attack aircraft has been included in the state arms procurement programme," says Col Gen Alexander Zelin, an aide to Russian defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov and until May the commander of its air force. "It will be put in service by 2020."
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05/22/2012
The U.S. Defense Department’s 2012 Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China report details China’s growing military capabilities, and points to areas of cooperation between the United States and China, a senior DOD official said here May 18.
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05/22/2012
Peru is going ahead with a $266 million upgrade of its fast aging combat aircraft while it considers how to keep its air force up to speed with changing technologies and modern warfare requirements. Peru faces no external threat, but President Ollanta Humala is under increasing pressure to be more proactive in the government's crackdown on Shining Path guerrilla groups that caused a Cabinet crisis earlier this month with resignations by Defense Minister and Interior Minister.
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05/22/2012
Ahead of finalising a multi-billion contract with French firm Dassault Aviation for 126 Rafale combat planes, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, left for France Monday on a four-day official visit to explore ways to expand bilateral military relations.
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05/22/2012
Moscow recapitulated its position on European missile defense Monday, saying it will reserve the right to retaliate unless it receives legal guarantees that a NATO missile defense will not be directed at it. “In response to our strong demand to provide the Russian Federation legal guarantees that the system will not be aimed at Russia we have received no guarantees,” said Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council.
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05/22/2012
Boeing delivered the third Peace Eye 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) on May 16. The aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule to ROKAF Base Gimhae, the main operating base for the Peace Eye fleet. Peace Eye No. 3 is the second aircraft in the fleet to be modified into an AEW&C configuration by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) at its facility in Sacheon.
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05/22/2012
The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) today signed a contract with Airbus Military for the acquisition of eight C295 aircraft, five of them configured as tactical transports and three as maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). They will be delivered from next year.
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05/21/2012
For the first time in history, B-1 aircrews from Ellsworth employed laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions against moving targets during a Weapon System Evaluation Program exercise May 14 to 16. Aircrews from the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" and 34th BS "Thunderbirds" employed six GBU-54 laser JDAMs against targets on the Utah Test and Training Range as part of the Air Force's air to ground WSEP known as Combat Hammer.
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05/21/2012
The House late Thursday approved more than a dozen amendments to the 2013 National Defense Authorization act (NDAA) by voice vote, including language from Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) that would authorize the sale of 66 F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan.
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05/21/2012
American servicemen and women are being urged to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF) amid US military budget cuts. The ADF is inviting former foreign military personnel to apply for jobs it claims cannot be filled by Australians. The scheme is attracting huge interest overseas with officers tempted by the higher pay and the offer to pay moving costs.
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05/21/2012
Engineers at the Raytheon Co. Missile Systems segment in Tucson, Ariz., are moving ahead with a project to deploy a small missile called Griffin on unmanned aerial vehicles, ground vehicles, surface ships, and utility aircraft with an $85 million U.S. Air Force contract awarded Friday for Raytheon to build 22 all-up Griffin missiles and 43 telemetry rounds for Griffin tests.
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05/21/2012
The Pentagon has determined China soon will commission its first aircraft carrier, placing it in an elite club of seafaring nations and raising concerns about Beijing's growing global ambitions. In its annual congressionally-mandated report on China's military build-up, the Pentagon states the Peoples' Liberation Army Navy will this year place its Russian-built Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier into its fleet.
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05/21/2012
A civilian piloting a military-contracted jet was killed when his aircraft crashed into a Southern California farm field as he completed a training exercise, authorities said. The privately owned Hawker Hunter jet trainer went down Friday near Naval Base Ventura County, fire department spokesman Steve Swindle said. The pilot was the only person aboard. The high-performance military-style aircraft, contracted to play the enemy in training exercises.
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05/21/2012
For the first time in its history, the Philippines is looking to non-USA sources for combat aircraft to strengthen the nation’s warfighting capabilities. The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) is reported to be in the market to purchase as many as two squadrons of combat aircraft and, according to DND representatives, has already entered into negotiations with non-USA manufacturers.
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05/21/2012
A Russian-made Mil Mi-17 helicopter has crashed in Venezuela, killing four out of the five people on board, the Globovision television channel said, quoting the country’s defense authorities. The aircraft crashed during a training flight near the northern city of San Felipe on Friday. According to preliminary data, the helicopter lost its tail rotor before the crash.
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05/19/2012
NEW DELHI: India is ready to seal more arms deals and further boost defence cooperation with the US but remains unwilling to ink the foundational military pacts being pushed by Washington for years. This, in essence, is the message US defence secretary Leon Panetta will get when he comes visiting here next month. Panetta, who will hold talks with PM Manmohan Singh, defence minister A K Antony and national security advisor Shivshankar Menon among others.
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05/19/2012
In the year 2015, somewhere over the tribal territories of Pakistan, an American MQ-9 Reaper drone patrols a complex "kill zone"—an area of terrorist activity in which large numbers of civilians are also present. But on this mission, the drone isn't piloted from afar. It's on its own.
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05/19/2012
Washington ignoring a White House veto threat, the Republican-controlled House approved a $642 billion defense budget Friday that breaks a deficit-cutting deal with President Barack Obama and restricts his authority in an election-year challenge to the Democratic commander in chief.
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05/19/2012
China may have started work on it first domestically built aircraft carrier and is likely to produce a number of carriers over the next decade as part of an aggressive effort to modernize its military, the Pentagon said Friday. In its annual report to Congress appraising China's military strength, the Pentagon also cited concern about China's targeting of U.S. and other foreign computer networks as a means of collecting strategic intelligence.
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05/19/2012
Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the United Kingdom's eighth C-17 Globemaster III to the Royal Air Force (RAF) today during a ceremony at the company's final assembly facility in Long Beach. "I'm honored and delighted to deliver the Royal Air Force's newest C-17 to join the fleet at Number 99 Squadron, where our seven C-17s are in constant demand flying missions in support of Defence and other government agencies' requirements.
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05/18/2012
B-1 Lancer aircrews from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., employed laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions against moving targets during a weapon system evaluation program exercise May 14 through 16. Aircrews from the 37th Bomb Squadron and 34th BS employed six GBU-54 laser JDAMs against targets on the Utah Test and Training Range near Hill Air Force Base, Utah, as part of the Air Force's air to ground WSEP, known as Combat Hammer.
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05/18/2012
The Russian Air Force will receive the first batch of prototypes of its fifth-generation T-50 fighter for performance testing in 2013, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said on Thursday. The T-50, developed under the PAK FA program (Future Aviation System for Tactical Air Force) at the Sukhoi experimental design bureau, is Russia's first new major warplane designed since the fall of the Soviet Union.
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05/18/2012
Russia may install foreign manufactured weapon systems on combat helicopters exported to other countries, acting deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday. Foreign partners may be brought in to help master modern, advanced technology - engines, avionics, cockpits and weapons, he said at an international helicopter industry exhibition in Moscow.
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05/18/2012
No decision has been made to withdraw the Russian airbase from the town of Kant, Kyrgyzstan, an aide to the Russian defense minister said on Thursday. “The Air Force main command has not planned any changes in the air component of our base in Kant,” Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said, adding that the base’s organizational and personnel structure will remain as is.
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05/18/2012
No decision has been made to withdraw the Russian airbase from the town of Kant, Kyrgyzstan, an aide to the Russian defense minister said on Thursday. “The Air Force main command has not planned any changes in the air component of our base in Kant,” Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said, adding that the base’s organizational and personnel structure will remain as is.
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05/18/2012
The Russian Air Force will start receiving new ground attack aircraft based on the Sukhoi Su-25SM Frogfoot combat jets by 2020, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said on Thursday. “This new type of a ground attack aircraft has been included in the state arms procurement program,” Zelin, who is an aide to the defense minister, told a news conference in Voronezh (central Russia). “It will be put in service with the Air Force by 2020.”
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05/18/2012
Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) plans to set up a standalone division to produce military transport aircraft, Acting Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday at the fifth Heli Russi international helicopter exhibition in Moscow.
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05/18/2012
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will hold on Friday large-scale military air drills in the sky over Chicago to ensure security ahead of the 2012-NATO summit, NORAD said in a statement. “Providing the air defense for special security events like this year’s NATO Summit is a part of our day-to-day mission,” said Lt. Gen. Sid Clarke, Continental U.S. NORAD Region commander.
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05/18/2012
Russian Helicopters today presented the new model of the medium multi-role Ka-62 at the 5th international helicopter exhibition HeliRussia 2012. Dmitry Petrov, CEO of Russian Helicopters said: "We are delighted to present the new model of the medium multi-role Ka-62 to the Russian aviation market. The new model combines all of the traditional qualities that generations of purchasers have come to expect from Russian-made helicopters, and is reliable and easy to operate.
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05/18/2012
The fifth edition of the International Helicopter Technology & Operations Exhibition, known as Dubai Helishow 2012, will take place on November 6-8, organisers the Domus Group announced today. The show will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, at its new venue the Grand Stand, Meydan Hotel, Meydan Racecourse, Dubai.
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05/17/2012
The “Fighting Saints” of Fighter Squadron Composite (VFC) 13 are currently supporting the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group’s Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) from the NAS Jacksonville flight line. COMPTUEX is a series of graded exercise scenarios intended to evaluate and prepare the strike group for its upcoming deployment. For COMPTUEX, the carrier and its strike group of support ships are somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida.
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05/17/2012
The US Air Force has concluded that the short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) Lockheed Martin F-35B- model aircraft cannot generate enough sorties to meet its needs; therefore the service will not consider replacing the Fairchild Republic A-10 Warthog close air support jet with that variant. Meanwhile, the USAF and the US Navy are hoping to more closely integrate their forces as part of the US Department of Defense's (DoD) new AirSea battle concept.
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05/17/2012
With major force changes to unfold across Europe, including a drawdown of about 7,000 U.S. forces there, U.S. European Command remains committed to its mission of ensuring a ready force prepared to respond if called upon, officials said. About 80,000 military forces based in Europe remain the command's No. 1 tool - both for maintaining U.S. influence across the theater and, when called upon, for projecting power within and beyond it, the Eucom commander, told Congress.
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05/17/2012
The Ghana Air Force has received its second and final Airbus Military C295 transport aircraft. The first C-295 was delivered in November last year as part of the Air Force’s modernisation drive, which will also see it gain four Mi-17 helicopters in the coming months. Ghana’s second C295 was seen landing in Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands on April 24, and arrived in Ghana the following day. It is based in the capital Accra while the first is based in Tamale.
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05/17/2012
The second copy of China’s stealth fighter prototype has just flown at a research facility in the city of Chengdu. The first flight of the J-20 Mighty Dragon with the nose number 2002 doubles Beijing’s stealth test fleet at a time when America’s latest jet fighters are hobbled by cost overruns, labor disputes and lethal design flaws. But it’s far from certain how much, and how fast, the new Chinese jet will alter the military balance.
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05/17/2012
During the round table discussion regarding the current state and the process of re-equipment and the prospects of the Russian Air Force Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, presented his report on the prospects of producing military aviation equipment for export and the use by the Russian Air Force.
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05/17/2012
With a photo of a raging lion over their shoulders, senior U.S. and Jordanian generals opened a massive military exercise dubbed "Eager Lion." The kickoff came with adamant statements that the 12,000 troops from 19 countries now in Jordan were here only for the training - and it all has nothing to do with the violence now raging across Jordan's northern border inside Syria.
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05/17/2012
The Mil Mi-28NE Havoc (Night Hunter) attack helicopter and 49 other military exhibits will be displayed by 14 Russian organizations at the 5th International Helicopter Industry Exhibition (HeliRussia 2012) in Moscow, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation reported. The exhibition will be held on May 17-19 at the Crocus Expo exhibition center in the Russian capital’s northwest. Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry is its organizer.
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05/17/2012
Russia may buy a large new consignment of unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel and 24 command and control systems worth around $50 million in the foreseeable future, a high ranking source in the Russian defense industry said on Wednesday. Israel Aerospace Industries previously delivered to Russia two Bird Eye-400, eight I-View Mk150 and two Searcher Mk.2 UAVs, totaling $53 million.
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05/17/2012
Russia is to put up for sale a batch of 18 Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter aircraft, rejected by India on concerns about their engines and returned to Russia in 2003, a defense official said on Wednesday. "The 18 Su-30s previously used by India and then returned, are in an aviation repair plant in Belarus and are on sale to potential buyers," said Alexander Fomin, deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.
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05/16/2012
After winding along a narrow mountain ridge, a caravan of 38 men and mules paused on the Turkish-Iraqi border. Then they heard the propellers overhead. Minutes later, Turkish military aircraft dropped bombs that killed all but four of the men. Instead it killed civilians smuggling gasoline, a tragic blunder in Turkey's nearly three-decade campaign against the guerrillas. The strike in late December was meant to knock out Kurdish separatist fighters.
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05/16/2012
EADS North America has delivered the fourth and final Airbus Military CN235-300 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to be supplied to the Mexican Navy under a U.S. Coast Guard managed foreign military sales agreement. The Coast Guard employs the CN235-300 in the HC-144A Ocean Sentry configuration for a range of missions, including search and rescue, disaster relief and drug interdiction.
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05/16/2012
A European naval force operating off east Africa bombarded Somalia for the first time today.
European Union Naval Force (EUNF) said maritime aircraft and helicopters took part in attacks along the coastline of the Galmudug region. No casualties were reported in the raid but pirate commander Bile Hussein said Handulle village was hit and speed boats, fuel depots and an arms store were destroyed.
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05/16/2012
America's Third War is escalating quickly in the skies over Yemen. Despite previous rebuffs from the White House, last month the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and the CIA--which both run parallel drone campaigns in Yemen--were granted broad authority to conduct "signature strikes" against anonymous suspected militants, who are determined to support al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based on the observed "patterns of suspicious behavior" from multiple intelligence sources.
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05/16/2012
Military exercise conducted by Malaysia and Thailand will be expanded to include other enforcement agencies and Asean members. Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said the move would enhance the cooperation on resolving common border issues. "Besides matters of common border security, one of the main theme of the joint exercise would be on coordination of humanitarian and disaster management," he told reporters at the 28th High Level Committee Thailand-Malaysia meeting here.
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05/16/2012
India has received $4.2 billion in offset contracts from defence aerospace programmes since the introduction of its 30% defence offset programme in 2005. Boeing was the largest contributor with $1.7 billion, defence minister AK Antony said in response to a question in Parliament. New Delhi received offsets worth $4.3 billion from 17 contracts in total and the aerospace sector was the biggest contributor with 15 contracts.
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05/16/2012
Unmanned aircraft have become an integral part of modern armies. Almost every day we receive information about drone attacks. Not only Al-Qaeda gunmen, but also civilians end up as their victims. The wide use of drones by the US military in the «war against terror» gave birth to the term «Obama’s drone policy». However, the combat capabilities of unmanned aircraft are costly. NATO’s plan of creating a united group of reconnaissance drones could cost three billion Euros within 20 years.
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05/16/2012
The House panel that controls military expenditures proposed a net increase of $874 million for weapons over the Pentagon’s budget plans for the year starting Oct. 1. The largest amounts that the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee added in producing a $102.4 billion procurement request were $562.4 million to buy 11 additional Boeing Co. (BA) (BA) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets and $447 million to buy seven more Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) (LMT) C-130J transport planes.
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05/16/2012
The twelfth Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II destined for the training fleet at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was ferried today. U.S. Marine Corps pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk piloted the aircraft, known as BF-11, which departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas at 10:02 a.m. CDT for an approximate 90-minute flight to Florida’s Emerald Coast.
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05/15/2012
Speaking to FNA in Iran's Northeastern province of Khorassan Razavi, Vahidi said that the new aircraft can play a key role in protecting the countries' airspace. The minister announced that production the new fighter jets and their delivery to the Air Force is done exactly on the drawn timetable.
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05/15/2012
Britain will no longer be able to fight and project power overseas in ways that military commanders had hoped to do, it was admitted yesterday, as the Government outlined plans to eliminate a £38bn hole in the defence budget. Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, said the MoD had now scaled back spending across a range of defence equipment projects and could balance his department's books over the next 10 years.
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05/15/2012
The British government has changed its mind again on some of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets that it intends to purchase. Unlike Canada, the British aren't considering delaying orders or reducing the number of jets they ordered this time around. Rather, the British government is now announcing that it will switch back to the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing version of the fighter rather than the F-35C carrier-based version.
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05/15/2012
As an architect of strategic partnership between India and Russia, President Vladimir Putin has been the driving force behind closer military-technical cooperation between the two countries. Ever since he became the Russian president after the transfer of power by Boris Yeltsin over a decade ago, bilateral defence ties have steadily climbed new heights.
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05/15/2012
The U.S. is the world's largest aerospace and defense market, and also home to the world's largest military budget. The growth of the Aerospace and Defense industry depends largely on the spending outlook of government departments, with the U.S. defense budget being the primary driver. The industry largely depends on U.S. government contracts.
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05/15/2012
Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Monday commissioned a CASA C-295, a new multi-purpose military aircraft, and four buses into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). The twin-turboprop transport aircraft, manufactured by Air Bus Military of Spain, for which the Deustche Bank Socied Anonima of Spain arranged funding, can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance as well as search and rescue missions, medical evacuations, and peace support operations.
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05/15/2012
During a recent visit to Edwards Air force base, Calif., the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command spent time with B-52 Stratofortress combined test force officials to preview the combat capability enhancements made to the B-52H. Modernizing and sustaining the nation's long-range strike aviation capability is a top priority for the command, Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski, said.
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05/15/2012
Tensions in the South China Sea—most recently with the Philippines—and Beijing’s unease about Washington’s renewed strategic focus on Asia are likely to strengthen calls from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for more modern fighters and strike aircraft. Russia has historically supplied the high performance military jet engines that power these craft.
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05/15/2012
The Pentagon plans to have the F-35 fighter jet replace most of the combat aircraft fleet of the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps by the end of the decade. The single-engine fighter is considered a fifth-generation aircraft because of its advanced software and stealthy attributes aimed at evading radar in hostile territory.
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05/14/2012
The panicked voice came into Ambition's air traffic control room — one of the aircraft carrier's young pilots was in trouble. "Dude, my nose is down," the pilot shouted as he struggled to regain control over his X12 experimental Triad aircraft.
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05/14/2012
Helicopter designers are accustomed to measuring their successes on the basis of speed, vibration levels and the distances that can be travelled. But a more visceral rating appeals to Doug Shidler, a programme manager at Sikorsky Aircraft in the US. He wants to build faster craft to utilise more of the “golden hour”, the 60 minutes after an accident when a victim’s fate is often decided.
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05/14/2012
Elements of the Marine Aircraft Group -12 (MAG-12) will be participating in two simultaneous exercises May 14 to June 8; Geiger Fury 2012 (GF12) and an Aviation Training Relocation (ATR). Training will be conducted at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and both West and North Fields on the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Island of Tinian.
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05/14/2012
The Domus Group, a leading international exhibition specialist, announced today the dates of the awaited 5th edition of the International Helicopter Technology '&' Operations Exhibition, known as Dubai Helishow 2012- the Middle East's one and only elite trade exhibition for all key players in the helicopter industry.
(Read More...)
05/14/2012
From the UK’s Minstry of Defense:
Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir David Richards has written in today’s Daily Telegraph why the MOD’s decision to use the short take-off and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter to deliver the UK’s Carrier Strike capability is the right one. Here follows the full article.
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05/14/2012
During a recent visit to Edwards AFB, Calif., the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command spent time with B-52 Combined Test Force officials to preview the combat capability enhancements made to the B-52H Stratofortress. Modernizing and sustaining the nation’s long range strike aviation capability is a top priority for the command, Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski said, who recently noted the B-52 has served and delivered decisive effects in many recent U.S. conflicts to include OIF.
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05/14/2012
The Polish Ministry of National Defense is embarking on the acquisition of a new transport helicopter for the Polish military, at an estimated budget of US$1 billion. This multi-phase helicopter procurement will be divided into several stages, the first will include the acquisition 26 aircraft for the Army, Navy and Air Force through 2017. The Air Force will also receive three helicopters configured for Combat SAR (CSAR).
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05/13/2012
A FORMER Maritzburg schoolboy, who was rejected when he tried to join the South African Air Force in 1995, has been awarded a coveted medal for bravery and skill during combat as a pilot in Britain's Royal Air Force.
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05/13/2012
China’s assertive behavior is breathing life into America’s historically tumultuous relationship with the Philippines. With Washington turning its attention more to the Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. and the Philippines last week held the first joint meeting of their top diplomats and defense chiefs. The U.S. increased military aid and resolved to help its ally on maritime security.
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05/13/2012
During his political campaign, Putin says he will spend billions to build up Russia’s military as a safeguard against the current international uncertainty. This one issue appears to find agreement among all Russians. According to the Washington Post, Putin promises Russian military buildup.
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05/12/2012
The South Korean military is on a shopping spree this year. And the biggest deal of all – approximately 60 new fighter jets – is nearing the bidding deadline. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration is aiming to sign contracts on about 14 trillion won ($12.2 billion) worth of new equipment and weapons this year. It’s a record amount and a priority for President Lee Myung-bak during his last year in office.
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05/12/2012
The "Pomor" 2012 edition started today May 11 2012. The drill involves Russia and Norway fast fleets and a large combat aircraft and combat helicopter air fleet. The five-day exercises will be held in the Barents and Norwegian seas. It should be noted that the Russian-Norwegian agreement on delimiting the sea border and cooperation in the Barent Sea and the Arctic Ocean came into force only in July 2011 after more than 40 years of negotiations.
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05/12/2012
Israel's security establishment will continue to develop hardware and tactics to contend with developing threats on the other side. But without agreement on a long-term strategy at the political level, it will be hard to sustain a defense.
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05/12/2012
The Air Force's outgoing chief, Gen. Norton Schwartz, had to clean up a mess left by Gen. Michael Moseley when the service lost track of six nuclear warheads. The Air Force has since gotten its nuclear house in order, but Welsh will take the baton at a time when the Air Force is in the middle of a budgetary food fight between its active component, Congress and its Guard and Reserves.
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05/12/2012
The South African Air Force yesterday held its live fire Air Capability Demonstration at the Roodewal bombing range outside Polokwane, successfully demonstrating its various abilities. The Air Force is busy preparing for Exercise Savannah Thunder, which will use many of the same aircraft deployed for the Demonstration.
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05/12/2012
Although American warriors have returned from Iraq and many are re- turning from Afghanistan, our nation still faces serious and continuing security threats. The return - and painful loss - of U.S. combat troops should serve as a reminder that as a nation, we have a solemn duty to provide our military professionals with the best tools available to accomplish their missions at the lowest possible loss of life. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter falls squarely into that category.
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05/12/2012
The Munich crisis was the occasion when the Western powers agreed to Adolf Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. Neville Chamberlain, Britain's prime minister, hailed the Munich Agreement as securing "peace in our time". It is an infamous moment in the 20th century, a moment that symbolised the guilty slumber of fecklessness in the 1930s, and the near-criminal neglect of defence capabilities among the Allied nations.
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05/12/2012
American research into hypersonic weapons, which the U.S. aims to complete by 2015, represents an especially serious threat to Russia, acting Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday. "This breakthrough decision by the U.S. opens up for them the prospect of a transition from a demonstrator prototype to creation of a multirole hypersonic missile by 2015-2018," Rogozin said during a visit to the Raduga "Bereznyak" state-owned missile design bureau at Dubna in the Moscow Region.
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05/11/2012
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that its joint venture with Rockwell Collins, Vision Systems International, LLC (VSI), a leader in advanced Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) technology, has received a new contract with a total value of more than $32 million for the delivery of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) to The Boeing Company, for the U.S. Navy and Air Force and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to include: Finland, Australia, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland.
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05/11/2012
Six Austrian Eurofighter Typhoons are playing a major role in the “Amadeus12” exercise that began on 7th May and runs until May 16th in the region of Allentsteig, Lower Austria. The exercise, which will be the biggest for Austria in 2012, involves around 2,300 soldiers and 51 different types of aircraft.
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05/11/2012
A defense funding bill that would delay efforts to end a program at Oklahoma City's Boeing plant to upgrade the cockpits of U.S. Air Force C-130 transport planes was approved Thursday by the U.S. House Armed Services Committee. The committee voted 56-5 for the National Defense Authorization Act, sending the bill to the full House where it was expected to be considered next week.
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05/11/2012
The Indian government on Thursday cleared the purchase of 75 Swiss Pilatus aircraft to train new air force pilots who had faced a shortage of trainers, an official said. The delivery of the trainer aircraft, costing around $560 million, is expected to begin by mid-2013, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
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05/11/2012
Two European aerospace companies will be busy separately producing aircraft and aircraft structures for military programs for months to come. GKN Aerospace of Britain says it has started production of precision-machined titanium structures for BAE Systems, a principal subcontractor to Lockheed Martin, for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
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05/11/2012
Airbus Military is studying possible new variants of its CN-235 and C-295 medium transports adapted for tasks including combat support and battlefield surveillance, along with performance enhancements for the latter type.
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05/11/2012
In an embarrassing policy change driven by pressure on its defense budget, Britain said Thursday that it was changing the type of fighter jet it intended to buy so it could avoid making expensive alterations to a new aircraft carrier. The decision threatens one stated objective of British defense policy because it could complicate the prospects for military cooperation with allies including France and the United States.
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05/11/2012
Two Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) production aircraft were ferried to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., today, marking the 24th and 25th F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense. The 5th Generation multirole fighter jets were delivered to the United States Marine Corps and are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing.
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05/11/2012
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force completed the first manned flight of the QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) on May 4 at Cecil Field in Jacksonville. The QF-16 took off at 3:05 p.m. Eastern time and climbed to an altitude of 41,000 feet during its 66-minute flight. The Air Force awarded a multi-year contract to Boeing in March 2010 that represented Phase I of the initial engineering, manufacturing and development of the QF-16, with options to buy up to 126 FSATs.
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05/10/2012
US Navy combat aircraft could one day be able to swallow the UV rays that highlight their presence on radar screens, if the Pentagon's plans to get such technology developed come to fruition. The Pentagon's called on defence manufacturers to come up with a system that can deal with ultra violet energy in broadly the same way that present-day stealth aircraft scatter radar waves.
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05/10/2012
Sweden's premier defense and security company, Saab, is strengthening its relationship with a Brazilian integrator of aero-structures. Saab, that maker of the Gripen jet fighter that has partnered in the past with the company Akaer, said it is now financially investing in the company. The investment is equivalent to a 15 percent stake in Akaer, whose advisory board will now include the Swedish company.
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05/10/2012
Daytona Beach International Airport could become one of the Federal Aviation Administration's testing sites for unmanned drones. Though the drones are different than the military aircraft that are armed and used overseas, Channel 9’s Bianca Castro talked to an expert about the potential safety risks.
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05/10/2012
The military will beef up its assets with the expected delivery of additional ships and aircraft, including helicopters this year. This was revealed on Wednesday by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, who was quick to add that the procurement has nothing to do with the current row with China over the Scarborough Shoal.
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05/10/2012
Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy affirmed yesterday that the F-35 joint strike fighter remains the centerpiece of the tactical aircraft program and will play a large part in the services' ongoing modernization plans.
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05/10/2012
The Ministry of Defence is to abandon plans to buy the preferred fighter for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, in an embarrassing a U-turn for David Cameron. The prime minister personally endorsed the decision to equip the over-budget carriers with "cats and traps" so they could catapult and recover a version of the F-35 joint strike fighter (JSF) from their decks.
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05/10/2012
The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday soundly rejected the Pentagon's call for military base closings to cut costs as lawmakers worked on a defense budget that adds billions to President Barack Obama's spending proposal. The committee fleshed out a blueprint that calls for a base defense budget of $554 billion, including nuclear weapons spending, plus $88 billion for the war in Afghanistan and counterterrorism efforts.
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05/10/2012
Brazil’s Embraer and US rival Hawker Beechcraft are set to rejoin hostilities in their fight over a politically charged contract to provide the US Air Force with light attack aircraft. Embraer, the world’s third largest commercial aircraft builder, said late Tuesday that it was preparing to file a new bid to win back the contract to supply the aircraft for use in Afghanistan, which it won last year only to see it abruptly cancelled earlier this year.
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05/10/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] last week inducted into its facilities here the first C-5B Galaxy from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., to become a C-5M Super Galaxy. This aircraft is the twelfth to enter the Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program production line. Throughout its career, this aircraft has supported the warfighter’s operations across the globe.
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05/10/2012
Two unmanned K-MAX helicopters have delivered more than one million pounds in less than four months in support of the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan and will remain in theater until September on a deployment extension. The aircraft, a joint effort by Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace [NYSE: KAMN], is the first unmanned helicopter to deliver cargo and resupply troops in a combat zone.
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05/09/2012
A defense spending bill proposed Monday in the U.S. House would block the Air Force from eliminating F-16 aircraft at the 132nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines until a cost-benefit analysis can be completed. U.S. Rep. Tom Latham said the legislation would freeze the proposed retirement of Air Force aircraft, including the Iowa Air National Guard’s F-16s.
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05/09/2012
The U.S. Air Force is updating plans for its combat search and rescue (CSAR) needs that will determine whether current fleet-sizing assumptions for the Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk and eventual replacement Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) still reflect operational requirements.
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05/09/2012
The United States does not intend to change the terms of its contract or cancel agreements with Russia on the delivery and maintenance of helicopters for Afghanistan’s armed forces, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Monday. At Monday’s press briefing, journalists asked Toner to comment on letters human rights organizations sent to Congress and the U.S. Department of the Treasury demanding that deals allegedly worth $1 billion with Russia be canceled because Russia supplies arms to S
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05/09/2012
The Royal Canadian Air Force formally accepted the 17th Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] CC-130J Super Hercules in ceremonies here today, completing the order placed in December 2007. The aircraft will be flown to Canadian Forces Base Trenton later this week.
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05/09/2012
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II flight test program continues to make progress during the first four months of 2012. In March, the program completed 123 test flights totaling 223 flight hours, setting a record for the most System Development and Demonstration (SDD) flights and flight hours for a single month.
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05/09/2012
Lockheed Martin’s Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) successfully tracked and engaged a moving target in a recent demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. “DAGR hit a moving target from 3.5 kilometers,” said Hady Mourad, DAGR program director in Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business. “Defeating high-value targets on the move is a critical capability, and demonstrating this ability is a significant milestone for the precision-strike DAGR.”
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05/09/2012
The Boeing KC-46 Tanker program has completed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) with the U.S. Air Force, a key milestone in the development of the next-generation aerial refueling tanker. The review, which began March 21 and ended April 27, demonstrated that the preliminary design of the KC-46A Tanker meets system requirements and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design. Boeing remains on plan to deliver 18 combat-ready KC-46A Tankers by 2017.
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05/09/2012
Three Cobham business units are to provide critical components for six MD530F training helicopters bound for Shindand Air Base in Afghanistan, the company said today. Via its partner, EDMO Distributors, Cobham Aerospace Communications will supply four N301A audio controllers; Cobham Antenna Systems will provide VHF communications, VOR/LOC/GS V-Dipole, DME, and Navigation Splitter Antennas.
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05/08/2012
Senior military officers may be considering abandoning a long-stalled bid to procure F-16C/D aircraft from the US because of rising costs and could instead reserve budgets for an eventual F-35B bid, reports said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense maintains that the air force remains committed to acquiring 66 F-16C/Ds, but the rising costs associated with the package — now estimated at US$10 billion, from an initial US$8 billion, according to local reports.
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05/08/2012
Thales has been awarded a contract by Embraer Defence and Security to provide the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the GPS of the KC-390 military transport aircraft. Thales HPIRS (High Performance Inertial Reference System) is a real breakthrough in inertial navigation, as it combines the advantages of a civil certified product with the performances expected by military aircraft.
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05/08/2012
The European Aviation Safety Agency has given Airbus Military of Spain initial type certification for the A400M airlifted. The certification, officially called the Restricted Type Certification, is critical for the aircraft to later receive full civil certification and military operating clearance.
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05/08/2012
3D Engineering Solutions Used Reverse Engineering, 3D Laser Scanning, Structured Light Scanning, and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Best Practices to Recreate Military Aircraft Components, Including Parts for Britain’s Harrier Jump Jets Sold to U.S.
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05/08/2012
uch is being said about the Chinese military dramatically improving its combat capability to keep United States forces at arm's length. Anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) is the magic slogan, meaning that the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) new shore-based artillery, aircraft and naval assets could deny a rapid deployment by United States forces into the Pacific in the event of a conflict, since the US would face heavy losses. But exactly how concerned is the US?
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05/08/2012
Air Mobility Command is working jointly with other U.S. military services to improve emergency care for service members critically injured in combat by employing newly-developed Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Teams. These are three-member teams, each comprised of a highly-trained emergency medicine physician and two certified registered nurse anesthetists or critical care nurses, now providing point-of-injury care and treatment during tactical evacuation of severely-injured troops in Afghanis
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05/08/2012
The unmanned aerial vehicle industry is expected to bring in billions for domestic drone makers over the next few years. Where are the robotic aircraft manufacturers sending their stealth spy plans though? They aren’t saying. The American Independent reports that Texas’ Vanguard Defense Industries, a US Defense Department contractor that outfits the Pentagon with unmanned aerial drones, has inked agreements with several overseas governments.
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05/08/2012
Boeing announced today the launch of its first official app for iPad, 'Milestones in Innovation', now available on the App Store. The app brings nine decades of aviation innovation to iPad through beautiful imagery and an interactive timeline.
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05/08/2012
The aerospace and defence (A&D) industry experienced a record year in 2011 on the strength of a surging commercial aviation market, according to the Aerospace and Defence 2011 year in review and 2012 forecast report from PwC. In 2011, the Top 100 A&D companies reported $677 billion in revenue, a 5% increase compared to the previous year, and $60 billion in operating profit, an increase of 2% from 2010.
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05/08/2012
L-3 WESCAM a major player in the design and manufacture of stabilized, multi-spectral airborne imaging systems is set to sign a service centre agreement with King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) in Jordan. The Bureau will open a Wescam authorised service center (WASC) in Amman. The deal will be formally signed on Wednesday at the SOFEX trade show in Amman.
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05/07/2012
Australia has issued a request for tender (RFT) related to its fleet of 71 Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft. The contract will cover deep maintenance for 55 single-seat A-model combat aircraft and 16 twin-seat trainers, says Australian minister for defence materiel Jason Clare. The package also covers operational flight trainers, computer-based training systems, maintenance training systems, and testing and ground equipment unique to the Hornet.
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05/07/2012
The U.S. Navy has agreed to come on board India’s much delayed Naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program and will audit tests and provide feedbacks to the Indian team. The U.S. will join the Russians and the Europeans who were earlier roped in to realize the LCA project which has been delayed by over 15 years.
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05/07/2012
A U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter crashed Thursday during a routine training mission in the Middle East, but investigators have ruled out insurgent activity as a cause, the military said. Both crew members ejected safely. The Air Force said that the crash happened in southwest Asia, a broad term that includes the Persian Gulf region.
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05/07/2012
The U.S. Air Force is restarting its stalled competition for as much as $1 billion to buy 20 light- attack aircraft for the Afghanistan military. A revised request for proposals will be issued and contains only “minor changes,” Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Cassidy said today in an e-mailed statement. A new award will be made early next year, with first aircraft deliveries expected 18 months later, she said.
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05/07/2012
BAE Systems is close to sealing a 500 million pounds ($808 million) deal to sell up to 30 Hawk trainer aircraft to Saudi Arabia, the Sunday Times reported. The sale would provide some welcome relief for the defence giant, which is battling against shrinking defence budgets in Europe and America. Saudi Arabia has ordered 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from BAE and needs the Hawks to train its pilots.
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05/07/2012
China has apparently copied the Russian Su-30MK2, and is operating it as the J-16, claiming that the aircraft is of Chinese design. More unauthorized pictures of the J-16 are showing up, via Chinese with cell phone cameras and Internet access. It's pretty clear that the J-16 is a copy of the Su-30MK2. Russia and China jointly developed the two seat version of the Su-30, as the Su-30MKK in the late 1990s, and, a decade ago, an upgraded version the Su-MK2.
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05/07/2012
Moviegoers can easily recognize flights of fancy when they see the "Avengers" assemble aboard the flying "Helicarrier" aircraft carrier in Hollywood's latest superhero blockbuster. But could the U.S. Navy ever build the fantastical military marvel if it wanted a flying air base?
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05/07/2012
Questions emerged at the weekend as to whether Taiwan could afford both a multibillion-dollar upgrade program for its F-16A/B combat aircraft and new F-16C/Ds, amid claims that the price for the upgrade had been inflated since the deal was announced last year. The air force received a Letter of Answer from the US last week on the US$5.3 billion upgrade package for its 145 F-16A/Bs and is now reviewing the prices of the items on the list, Air Force Command Headquarters said yesterday.
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05/07/2012
India recently revealed that it had bought nearly a thousand MiG combat aircraft in the last half century, and lost most of them to accidents (along with nearly 200 pilots and people on the ground). While India was something of an extreme case in this area (other users don't fly their MiGs as much), it's been typical of MiG aircraft.
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05/06/2012
No one can say the Air Force didn’t get its money’s worth out of an aircraft with the tail number 61-2358. The “61” in that number is the year the plane was built. In a ceremony at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., on Tuesday, Air Force officials said goodbye to the little aircraft that could.
After more than 50 years of service, the plane was the last C-130E to be retired, according to a release. Retired planes ordinarily go to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, more commonly called “the boneyar
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05/06/2012
The news that the US is basing Raptors also known as F-22 A stealth combat aircraft at Al Dafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates is being roundly condemned by Iran as yet another provocative and indication of war. "We consider such (military) presence in the region as to be useless and harmful and more aimed at creating a psychological ploy and an insecure atmosphere in the region," Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said. "We don't see it useful”, he added.
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05/06/2012
Russia is planning a new aerospace university to produce a new generation of professionals for the aviation and space industries, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday. "We have plans connected with the creation of a modern aerospace university, where we will produce a broad range of specialists, for aviation, and also the rocket and space industries," he said during a visit to the Khrunichev rocket factory north of Moscow.
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05/06/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered another C-130J Super Hercules to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, today. This aircraft was the 19th of 28 C-130Js being delivered to Dyess. Maj. Gen. Scott M. Hanson, commander, Carl A. Spaatz Center for Officer Education, and commandant, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., accepted delivery of the aircraft and flew it to Dyess.
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05/06/2012
Russian Helicopters has delivered to the Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM) of the Republic of Kazakhstan two modified coaxial Ka-32A11BC rescue helicopters. The delivery of the Ka-32A11BC helicopters marks the quick and successful execution of a contract signed on 15 August 2011.
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05/05/2012
The European Union is trying to bring the defense programs of its 27 member nations into synchronicity before the budget boom is lowered on military spending. This harmonization has been a goal for several years, but now it has assumed greater urgency in a time of both greater limitations and more diverse missions.
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05/05/2012
Eurocopter's dedication to meeting the operational requirements of governments, armed forces and special mission operators across the Arab world with its broad helicopter product line will be highlighted at Jordan's Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (SOFEX).
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05/05/2012
Bruce Quick, attorney for the first American arrested using an unmanned drone says his client was subject to "guerrilla-like police tactics." Quick tells U.S. News that Lakota, N.D., resident Rodney Brossart should not have been arrested and that authorities had no legal right to use the drone to aid in his capture. "The whole thing is full of constitutional violations," Quick told U.S. News. "The drone use is a secondary concern."
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05/04/2012
The second Kazakh international exhibition of arms and military-technical property KADEX-2012 opened in Astana on Thursday, the press service of the Kazakh Defence Ministry told Trend. The opening ceremony was attended by supreme commander of the armed forces of the country - President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.
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05/04/2012
National Defence is touting F-35 fighter jets as a key tool against overseas threats for decades to come, stating the military can’t pick an aircraft based solely on Canada’s domestic needs. But government insiders, opposition critics and military experts are arguing that National Defence needs to reopen the debate over mandatory requirements for the new fighter jets.
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05/04/2012
Already one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s most-experienced providers of solutions for defeating military threats, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) will now team with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to thwart another type of enemy — cyber criminals.
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05/03/2012
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress April 30 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Singapore of a possible sale of follow-on support and services for Singapore’s Continental United States (CONUS) detachment PEACE CARVIN V (F-15SG) based at Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB) for a five-year period. The estimated cost is $435 million.
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05/03/2012
At least that’s the word from Air Force Major Dave Blair – himself an MQ-1 Predator instructor pilot – in the latest issue of Air & Space Power Journal. As technology changes warfare, he argues, the military needs to change, too. The Air Force isn’t welcoming its growing workforce of remotely-piloted aircraft – RPA – personnel.
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05/03/2012
As it continues downsizing under tightening Defense Department budgets, the Air Force will give priority to operations and maintenance to make sure that “what remains will be ready and available to act,” its chief of staff said. Gen. Norton Schwartz also told an audience at the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank, that Air Force operations and tactics are clearly better after two major conflicts and counterterrorism efforts.
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05/03/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] leadership delivered today the 195th and last F-22 Raptor to U.S. Air Force leadership in a ceremony at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site here. With this delivery, the U.S. Air Force now possesses the world’s only 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft fleet in the world.
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05/03/2012
A group of Turkish and U.S. inspectors will make a joint observation flight over Russia in line with the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday. The inspection will be carried out on May 2-5 on board a Casa CN-235 transport aircraft. “The aircraft and equipment on its board have undergone the necessary international certification procedure that Russian representatives also took part in,” the ministry said in a statement.
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05/02/2012
Pratt & Whitney has awarded Rolls-Royce a $315 million contract to produce LiftSystem equipment for 17 F135-powered short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B combat aircraft. Announced on 1 May, the propulsion system order covers the delivery of LiftFans, roll posts and three-bearing swivel modules this year for 17 aircraft included in Lockheed Martin's fourth low-rate initial production (LRIP) deal for the Joint Strike Fighter.
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05/02/2012
NATO's ability to conduct multi-national combat training could be transformed if a 24-aircraft system being proposed by a Dutch-based company takes off. The integrated opposing force (IOPFOR) concept now being promoted by ECA Program would see a new fleet of privately-owned and operated lightweight fighters provide an aggressor training service for Alliance nations.
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05/02/2012
Canada’s military is determined to purchase the F-35 fighter jet rather than a cheaper or more reliable alternative despite a recent flood of criticism and controversy surrounding the U.S. aircraft. That was the word from the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps, who was testifying Tuesday at a House of Commons committee along with a panel of defiant senior government officials who have come under fire for their handling of the program.
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05/02/2012
President Barack Obama, speaking early Wednesday in Afghanistan at the tail end of a surprise visit there, discussed how the war will end and promised a steady drawdown of U.S. troops. Obama committed to pulling 23,000 troops out of the country by the end of summer and sticking to the 2014 deadline to turn security fully over to the Afghan government. He said that NATO will set a goal this month for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations next year.
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05/02/2012
US military bases continue to form a strategic envelope around Iran, although the American withdrawal from Iraq at the end of 2011 may have changed the regional balance somewhat towards Iran's favour. While US forces are scaling back in many parts of the globe due to budget cuts - and have begun a gradual depature from Afghanistan to be completed by 2014 - their international presence remains vast.
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05/02/2012
A Colombian Air Force helicopter crashed in the northern region of the country on late Monday afternoon, killing all thirteen people on board, defense officials said on Tuesday. The cause was not immediately known. The accident happened at around 4:30 p.m. local time when the Bell 212 helicopter, which was assigned to Air Combat Command Number 3, crashed into a horse stable at the 'Buenavista' ranch in Sabanagrande, a town in Colombia's Atlantico department.
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05/02/2012
Indian Air Force will chip in with its front-line Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft to provide air support to army troops practising their combat skills during the culmination stage of summer training exercise 'Shoorveer' in the deserts of Rajasthan later this week. "The IAF will fly Su-30 fighter aircraft and Mi-35 attack helicopters as part of 'Exercise With Troops' during the ongoing summer exercise.
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05/02/2012
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $156 million contract to provide new training devices to accommodate the growing pipeline of C-130J aircrews and maintainers. Lockheed Martin will develop 24 new training devices and provide program management and engineering services under the U.S. Air Force’s C-130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training System II, referred to as JMATS II.
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05/02/2012
Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the first launch of a Shadow Hawk precision-guided weapon recently from a Shadow 200 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), achieving a direct hit on the target. Shadow Hawk is an 11-pound class, 2.75-inch diameter, 27-inch long drop-glide weapon. It is terminally guided by a semi-active laser seeker, providing better than one meter precision.
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05/02/2012
Boeing has completed the first delivery of its tactical cross-domain technology, eXMeritus HardwareWall, to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) for integration into the Ground Control Station (GCS) of the Predator/Reaper Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV). The delivery is part of a contract from GA-ASI that includes additional deliveries of HardwareWall and associated information assurance and engineering support.
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05/01/2012
Iran's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, has warned that the basing of the US F-22 Raptor strike aircraft in the United Arab Emirates is "detrimental to regional security."
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05/01/2012
Pentagon chief Leon Panetta sought to reassure Italy's defense minister over the troubled F-35 fighter program in talks Monday, pledging to hold down costs of the radar-evading warplane, officials said. During Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola's meeting with Panetta in Washington, the rising price tag for the plane came up "but both leaders expressed a commitment to the program," a US official told AFP.
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05/01/2012
U.S. military operations are winding down in Iraq, which means the Iraqi Army needs new equipment to maintain security in the country. Redstone Arsenal's Foreign Military Sales group is expected to deliver a total of 30 armed reconnaissance helicopters to the Iraqi Army by the end of 2012. They routinely sell equipment to countries all over the world, but officials said this project is different.
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05/01/2012
British military chiefs defended plans on Monday to put missile batteries on top of apartment blocks to help protect London from a 9/11-style attack during this summer's Olympic Games, after appalled residents said it could make them a target. With 88 days to go before the Games start, soldiers will start testing missile defenses this week at six sites around the Olympic park as part of a training exercise in the run-up to Britain's biggest peacetime security operation.
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05/01/2012
AeroVironment, Inc. announced it received a firm fixed-price order valued at $3,653,519 on March 15, 2012 from the United States Marine Corps through an existing U.S. Army contract. The order includes RQ-11B Raven(R) small unmanned aircraft systems and initial spares packages. The systems and spares were scheduled for delivery before April 17, 2012.
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05/01/2012
Predator drones sanitize killing on the cheap compared to manned aircraft and ground troops. Teams of remote warriors work far from, and at times, closer to battlefields. Drone pilots operate computer keyboards and multiple monitors. Sensor staff work with them. They handle TV and infrared cameras, as well as other high-tech drone sensors. Faceless enemies nearby or half a world away are attacked. Virtual war kills like sport.
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05/01/2012
The U.S. campaign of drone strikes to kill militants in other countries is legal under international law, President Barack Obama's counterterrorism adviser insisted on Monday in a rare public admission and justification of the controversial tactic. John Brennan's speech, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the U.S. killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan.
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05/01/2012
Lockheed Martin completed delivery of the 79th and final C-5 Galaxy aircraft of the current Avionics Modernization Program at a ceremony at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on April 27. “We are very proud of our AMP team,” said Greg Ulmer, vice president of the C-5 program, “This delivery continues the ever-growing legacy of the C-5 Galaxy and the critical role it plays in supporting the warfighter across the globe for many years to come.”
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04/30/2012
In the backdrop of the menace posed by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, India today said it was determined to work with Seychelles to ensure a secure environment for the benefit of the two countries. President Pratibha Patil, who arrived here to a warm welcome for a two-day state visit, said "India and Seychelles share the waters of the Indian ocean".
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04/30/2012
This is a story of buried treasure, a map with X marking the spot and the race to recover untold riches. The treasure in this case is of the winged variety, some 60 Spitfires fighter aircraft, maybe more, quite possibly in pristine condition, never flown in anger, interred in Burma at the end of the Second World War. There are only three dozen Spits in flying condition around the world, commanding prices of $2 million or more. So this is big money.
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04/30/2012
Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations has defended his country's right to use air strikes against South Sudanese troops who Khartoum says are inside Sudanese territory. Dafallah ElHaj Ali Osman, however, stopped short of saying whether Sudan had carried out the air strikes over the past few weeks that Juba claims Khartoum had launched on its territories.
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04/30/2012
A prominent Iranian lawmaker says the reported basing of America's most sophisticated stealth jet fighters in the United Arab Emirates is a U.S.-Israel plot to create regional instability. The U.S. Air Force has moved several F-22 stealth combat aircraft to a base in the United Arab Emirates, 300 km (186) miles from the Iranian border, according to a report by the Aviation Report magazine on Saturday.
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04/30/2012
Two White House announcements last week illustrate the larger story. Some 9,000 U.S. Marines will leave Okinawa, with 2,500 of them to head to Australia on six-month rotations and most of the rest to be based in Guam and Hawaii. And in a letter to Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, White House official Robert Nabors promised that the Administration will give "serious consideration" to selling 66 new F-16 fighters to Taiwan.
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04/29/2012
he Centre recently turned down an air force request to participate in the war games with the US navy in the Bay of Bengal that concluded last week. The seven-day Malabar 2012 exercise involved the American and Indian navies. The Centre’s move followed a quiet policy decision in the defence ministry to scale down — but not stop — the friendly military engagements with the US armed forces, which have gathered pace and increased in complexity over the past decade.
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04/28/2012
The United States risks losing its current competitive edge in the unmanned aircraft market unless Washington acts soon to ease tough restrictions on their export for commercial use, the chief executive of Northrop Grumman Corp said on Friday. Wes Bush, chairman and chief executive of the leading U.S. unmanned vehicle maker, lauded the Pentagon's recommendation last week to ease export restrictions on satellite technology.
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04/28/2012
Domestic military base closings are out. The Global Hawk drone is back in. The Pentagon wanted another round of base closings in this deficit-cutting era. The Readiness Subcommittee said no, with Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., calling the notion “flawed.” The Pentagon wanted to retire 18 of the Air Force’s Global Hawk drones from the Block 30 program. The Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee rejected that idea.
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04/28/2012
The U.S. Air Force is reviewing its plans for combat search and rescue (CSAR), to determine whether current fleet-sizing assumptions for the HH-60G and replacement Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) still reflect operational needs. The baseline demand for the service has been for 148 rotorcraft, with a recognition that available funding only allows for 112 to be operated. An update of the core function master plan, due for completion in the fall.
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04/28/2012
Hoping to get a bigger slice in the pie of massive Indian defence modernisation efforts, the US has said the level of its willingness to share defence technologies with India has never been higher than it is now. "The level of our willingness to share technology with India has never been higher," Andrew Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, said.
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04/28/2012
From May 3 to 6, 2012, Astana, Kazakhstan, will be hosting the Second International Exhibition of Weapons System and Military Equipment (KADEX-2012). The organizers are the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazspetsexport Republican State Enterprise, Kazakhstan Engineering National Company, Kazahvzryvprom enterprise and JSC Kazakhstan GIS Center.
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04/28/2012
McDonnell Douglas essentially hand-built the first C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane for U.S. Air Force developmental testing and evaluation. The airplane, designated T-1, first flew on Sept. 15, 1991, six years before McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing, and was expected to last about five years. On Wednesday, it finally made its last flight, into retirement at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, in Dayton, Ohio.
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04/28/2012
The Obama administration will give “serious consideration” to selling Taiwan new Lockheed Martin Corp. F-16 fighter jets, a White House official said, creating a potential new flashpoint with China ahead of next week’s high- level meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials. A jet sale “warrants serious consideration given the growing military threat to Taiwan.
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04/28/2012
New military options and expanding trade and investment opportunities are likely the main issues to be discussed when the foreign and defense secretaries of the Philippines and the United States hold their first ever meeting here on April 30. The Filipinos are expected to submit a list of military hardware they need for a credible maritime defense while the US, to counter China’s military, will seek bilateral arrangements including rotating more troops in the Philippines.
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04/28/2012
The dog year, the mythical unit of time based on the theory that man’s best friend ages seven times faster than a human, can now be replaced by the Tejas year. The naval version of the Tejas, India’s indigenous fighter aircraft, took flight for the first time today. The 22-minute sortie — just a toddler step in the air — was more than 20 years in the making and its conception-to-sky life can be measured by the career progression of the chief test pilot.
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04/28/2012
Russia will display its much hyped fifth-generation fighter prototype, the T-50, at an air show in August, according to a document posted on the official legal information portal http://pravo.gov.ru on Friday. The jet, as well as other warplanes, including the Tupolev Tu-95MS, a modification of the Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber, will be shown at a festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Russia’s Air Force.
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04/27/2012
A Bulgarian military aircraft MiG-29 crashed during a training flight near the southern city of Plovdiv without casualties. The plane caught fire shortly after takeoff from the Graf Ignatievo air force base, the Defense Ministry in Sofia said in a statement today. Its two pilots were instructed to direct the aircraft toward an unpopulated area and eject. The MiG-29 fell between the villages of Tsarimir and Goliam Chardak and there are no civilian casualties, the ministry said.
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04/27/2012
The 41-year-old Taiwanese woman, having already arranged to smuggle a kilo of 93.7 percent pure crystal methamphetamine into the United States, was ready to move on to something bigger, authorities say. "I got a message for you: A guy want(s) to buy a plane," Huan Ling Chang allegedly said in September during a phone conversation being secretly recorded by the FBI. "It’s, uh, early warning aircraft," she added a beat later, authorities say.
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04/27/2012
U.S. pilots from the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons based out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, have been given a rare opportunity to train and share experiences with Bulgarian air force MiG-21 and MiG-29 pilots during their deployment to Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, in support of Thracian Star 2012.
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04/27/2012
As tensions between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv continue to mount over Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons technologies, the U.S. has quietly begun a deployment of its premier stealthy fighter, the twin-engine F-22, to the United Arab Emirates. Multiple Lockheed Martin aircraft will operate out of Al Dhafra Air Base there, industry sources say. This is the same base from which U.S. U-2s and Global Hawk UAVs have been launched since shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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04/27/2012
The US is ready to transfer military technology to Brazil to be able to count the South American country as a strategic ally, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here Wednesday.
Panetta, in a speech before military officers at Brazil's Superior War College in Rio de Janeiro, committed himself to exerting every effort to facilitate the technology transfer to the giant South American nation.
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04/27/2012
Eurocopter’s participation at the KADEX-2012 exhibition will underscore its helicopter product line capabilities to meet Kazakhstan’s military, government and public protection mission requirements, while also spotlighting the company’s commitment to industrial partnerships in the country.
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04/27/2012
What is really new with Smart Defence?Doing things in a smart way was not something we started last year! The Nordic Defence Cooperation, our long-standing work with other Allies in the European Participating Air Forces F-16 cooperation and our participation in the development of common NATO capabilities were Smart Defence long before this term was introduced.
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04/27/2012
The backyard of my house in the piney woods of southern Chesterfield County is shaped like a half moon surrounded by very tall and skinny loblollies and gum trees. It faces north and can be a good place for aircraft watching. I live maybe 20 miles as the crow flies from Ft. Pickett, a Virginia National Guard base that is used by military and law enforcement agencies such as Navy SEALs, the Marines, Air Force and Army Special Forces, Canadians, Secret Service, the FBI and Virginia State Police.
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04/27/2012
he Boeing Company and its Dutch partner the Rotary Wing Training Center (RWTC) officially opened a state-of-the-art CH-47 Chinook helicopter maintenance training facility near Royal Netherlands Air Force base Gilze-Rijen on April 25. The RWTC is a subsidiary of the Netherlands' World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA).
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04/26/2012
Ruslan International, which manages Volga Dnepr’s and Antonov Airlines’ combined Antonov An-124 fleets, has completed a series 15 cargo flights to Entebbe, Uganda, on behalf of the Japanese peacekeeping contingent of the United Nations Mission in Sudan. The flights contained power generators, non-combat vehicles, communication equipment and other supplies for the Japan Ground Self Defense Force.
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04/26/2012
BAE Systems today announced a $367M contract to deliver 70 Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS)/Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) to upgrade F-15S fighter jets in support of the Royal Saudi Air Force. “BAE Systems looks forward to providing the Royal Saudi Air Force with this superior electronic capability,” said John Nyilis, product line director at BAE Systems.
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04/26/2012
I grew up knowing the Navy’s EA-6B Prowler very well — my father flew them for about 20 years. The aircraft was made tough, but all planes need to be replaced sooner or later. Recently, the Navy has started the transition from the EA-6B Prowler to the FA-18 based EA-18G Growler. Reader Alex Jossi had the opportunity to do some photography of the new Growler and was willing to write up a story on the aircraft. Here is his story in his own words.
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04/26/2012
Brazil will get US advanced technology transfer if it buys Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to upgrade its air force, visiting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here Wednesday. The F/A-18 Super Hornet is up against the Rafale fighter, made by French firm Dassault Aviation, and Swedish manufacturer Saab's Gripen for Brazil's contract for 36 multi-role combat aircraft valued at between $4 billion and $7 billion.
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04/26/2012
The flight is slated for 10 am. But it will fly with some unresolved problems. The maiden flight, however, does not mean the team LCA has overcome all the technical glitches that had forced it to miss several deadlines in the past. The Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC), sometime last week, gave its clearance for High Speed Taxi Trial (HSTT) and flight.
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04/26/2012
Ukraine is close to signing one of its biggest ever defense deals for air-to-air missiles with India, according to Russian media reports. Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the deal for R-27 missiles, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is in the final stages and is waiting for approval from the Ukrainian leadership. The Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) missile is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar to U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow.
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04/25/2012
U.S. Rep. Sander Levin says he's hopeful that a Pentagon decision to add 24 C-130 air transport planes will offset sharp job cuts planned at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recommended Tuesday that the military budget the Air National Guard planes and the 2,200 personnel needed to support them.
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04/25/2012
Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter have received a Navy contract to produce the first of a possible fleet of unmanned helicopters. Northrop announced Tuesday that it has a $262 million contract to convert eight Bell commercial helicopters into unmanned aircraft for military use.
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04/25/2012
In combat zones, National Guard units generally take their orders from active duty commanders. Not so in Washington. For two months, the Air National Guard, with the help of governors from every state, has been battling the active duty Air Force over proposed budget cuts that would have trimmed the Guard’s force by more than 5,000 people and more than 200 aircraft.
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04/25/2012
Sudanese war planes bombed a market in the capital of South Sudan's oil-producing Unity State on Monday, residents and officials said, an attack the southern army called a declaration of war. Sudan denied carrying out any air raids but its President Omar Hassan al-Bashir ramped up the political tension by ruling out a return to negotiations with the South, saying its government only understood "the language of the gun".
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04/25/2012
Israel, the US, and some European powers have alleged that Iran aims to build nuclear weapons to complement its conventional arms, but Tehran says its current programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes. Regardless, Western powers generally agree that Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon and is at least many, many months away from having a deliverable warhead - if the development of one is indeed its goal.
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04/25/2012
The exercise, codenamed Operation Chimichanga, was held at the US military’s Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex near Eilson Air Force Base, Alaska, and involved a variety of combat aircraft and bombers, including F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, B-1 bombers, E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and KC-135 Stratotankers air-refueling aircraft.
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04/25/2012
The Boeing Company delivered a second set of P-8A Poseidon training devices to the U.S. Navy on March 29 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla. The devices consist of an Operational Flight Trainer (OFT), a Weapons Tactics Trainer (WTT) and four Electronic Classrooms. "The P-8A Weapons Tactics Trainer is a new innovation for Boeing," said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president for Training Systems and Government Services.
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04/25/2012
On Saturday, Apr. 21, a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35A Lightning II conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the program’s first in-flight refueling mission while configured with external weapons at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. George Schwartz piloted the test aircraft, known as AF-4, with two external inert AIM-9X weapons and four external stores.
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04/25/2012
Russia signed a deal with Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday agreeing the rent Russia will pay for using military facilities in that country. The deal was signed following a meeting between Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his counterparts from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Beijing on Tuesday, Serdyukov’s spokeswoman Lt. Col. Irina Kovalchuk said.
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04/25/2012
The first prototype of TAI-modernized T38 jet trainer aircraft has been delivered to the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) following a special handover ceremony at TAI's facilities. Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), as a prime contractor, was awarded a contract by the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) to design, develop and implement an avionics upgrade for the TurAF under the T-38 Avionics Modernization (ARI) Program.
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04/24/2012
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, has made public its best guess about what might have caused its unmanned arrowhead-shaped Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV-2) to suddenly lose contact and crash in the Pacific just a few minutes after slicing through the sky at Mach 20 last August: it was going so fast its skin peeled off.
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04/24/2012
Rolls-Royce, the turbine and engine maker, has signed a contract worth up to $598m to supply engines for the US Marine Corps and Air Force’s V-22 tilt rotor aircraft. Under the terms of the contract UK Rolls-Royce will deliver 70 of the 268 AE 1107C engines in the first year, with the rest of the batch being part of an optional addition over four more years.
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04/24/2012
Boeing must perform on the new KC-46 tanker programme, the US Air Force is warning the company as the aircraft enters its preliminary design review (PDR). Otherwise the service could walk away. "We could buy more KC-46s or - make no mistake about it - if Boeing doesn't perform, we'll just start another competition," says Maj Gen Christopher Bogdan, the USAF's KC-46 programme executive officer.
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04/24/2012
AgustaWestland company, is pleased to announce the new generation AW149 military helicopter’s outstanding capabilities have officially been presented to a number of national and local dignitaries at Warsaw-Babice Airport.
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04/24/2012
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday dismissed Tehran's claims that it has recovered data from a U.S. spy drone that went down in Iran late last year. Panetta declined to provide any details, but said that "based on my experience ... I would seriously question their ability to do what they say they have done."
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04/24/2012
In an awesome show of strength, The Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's 4th Fighter Wing launched 70 F-15E Strike Eagles in a training mission to destroy more than 1,000 targets on bombing ranges across North Carolina. The exercise marks the 67th anniversary of the unit's predecessor gaining the milestone of a thousand 'kills' during World War II.
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04/24/2012
Sudanese war planes bombed a market in the capital of South Sudan's oil-producing Unity State on Monday, residents and officials said, an attack the southern army called a declaration of war. Sudan denied carrying out any air raids but its President Omar Hassan al-Bashir ramped up the political tension by ruling out a return to negotiations with the South, saying its government only understood "the language of the gun".
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04/24/2012
Russia’s defense electronics are up to 12 years behind foreign analogs, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. “The technical level of electronics used in the development and manufacture of military hardware and equipment…is five to 12 years behind that in other countries,” he said. Microelectronics production in Russia is low scale and loss making, and needs government support, he said.
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04/24/2012
The Turkish Air Force has begun training for the acceptance of its new fleet of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems from US manufacturer Boeing. The Seattle-based company has launched a training programme specifically designed to meet the individual requirements of the Turkish programme which will see the first aircraft – based on the 737 platform – being handed over later this year.
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04/23/2012
Israeli forces are carrying out more special operations beyond the country's borders and will be ready to attack Iran's nuclear sites if ordered, the chief-of-staff said in an interview on Sunday. In an extract from an interview with the top-selling Yediot Aharanot daily, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz said that 2012 would be a critical year in efforts to halt what Israel and much of the international community believe is an Iranian nuclear arms programme.
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04/23/2012
Brazil’s Embraer has threatened to pull out of the retendering of a politically charged light attack aircraft contract with the US Air Force if the product requirements are changed significantly. The Brazilian aircraft maker and its US partner Sierra Nevada won the contract last year but it was abruptly cancelled in February after the US Air Force said its staff had botched the documentation for the deal.
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04/23/2012
The U.S. and Afghanistan reached a deal Sunday on a long-delayed strategic partnership agreement that ensures Americans will provide military and financial support to the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond 2014, the deadline for most foreign forces to withdraw. The pact is key to the U.S. exit strategy in Afghanistan because it establishes guidelines for any American forces who remain after the withdrawal deadline and for financial help to the impoverished country and its security force
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04/23/2012
Iran's military has started to build a copy of a U.S. surveillance drone captured last year after breaking the software encryption, Iranian media reported on Sunday. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, said engineers were in the final stages of decoding data from the Sentinel aircraft, which came down in December near the Afghan border, Mehr news agency reported.
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04/23/2012
Parliamentarians will return to House of Commons on Monday ready to do battle over whether Canadians were misled when it came to the troubled F-35 stealth fighter program. Wading through the gamut of conflicting statements, political spin and daily back-and-forth has muddied the waters to the point where few Canadians can tell truth from fiction. Here’s what you need to know to follow the debate:
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04/23/2012
Commenting on India’s military preparedness, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) PV Naik on Saturday said, “The situation is serious but not alarming.” Naik was delivering a lecture on ‘The Armed Forces and the Media’ at Patrakar Sangh as part of the Ja Sa Karandikar Memorial Lecture. He said, “Military modernisation is a continuous process. It is like a sine curve. We are currently at the cusp of the sine curve. But that does not mean we are not prepared.
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04/22/2012
The Nato aircraft changing their flying levels without taking orders from the traffic control department during the monsoon season, is creating issues for the other traffic flying on different levels and thus making the airspace near Afghan border area more vulnerable to any collision.
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04/22/2012
The radar-evading F-35 fighter jet, a nearly $400 billion weapons program under development for more than a decade, is facing its worst turbulence since Washington decided to buy it in 2001 — when it was billed as the most affordable, lethal and survivable military aircraft ever built for the U.S. and its allies.
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04/22/2012
China is sending a group of 16 ships, including destroyers, frigates, and a hospital ship. Russia is sending 4 ships, including the cruiser Varyag and three air defense destroyers now moving south from Vladivostok to join the Chinese after navigating through the Sea of Japan. Another Varyag, though, might steal the spotlight from the assembled fleet. It is the Chinese aircraft carrier of the same name, the first carrier in the People's Liberation Army Navy.
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04/22/2012
The failed mid-April launch of a long-range North Korean rocket, billed as a satellite launch but widely seen as the test of a ballistic missile, was the latest reminder of how the Pacific region remains one of the world’s most volatile. It’s also a key focus of the Obama administration’s new national defense strategy.
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04/22/2012
The Daily Telegraph has seen a Ministry of Defence document setting out secret contingency planning for future military operations in Afghanistan, the Falklands, Saudi Arabia and Africa.
The highly-classified report shows that planners have grave doubts about the capabilities of the jump jets ministers now want to buy for the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers which are still under-construction.
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04/22/2012
As the dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over oil transportation dues deteriorates into full-fledged war, The Independent reports of an intense rhetoric that could see Kenya and Uganda sucked in. Following separation, most of the oil fields fell in South Sudan’s territory but Sudan remains the owner of refineries and pipelines and the South’s oil is exported through the north.
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04/22/2012
IT might be big business in the developed and industrialised countries but the defence industry is flexing its muscle with greater intent when it comes to displaying, developing and selling their wares to countries in Asia. That was aptly displayed at the recent Defence Services Asia (DSA) expo, where 850 companies from 45 countries participated in the four-day event, showing the variety of arsenal from handguns to jetfighters.
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04/22/2012
For the first time, two Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II carrier variant test aircraft launched together and conducted formation flying at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., Wednesday. The test aircraft, known as CF-1 and CF-2, were piloted by Navy Cdr. Eric Buus and Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Taylor, respectively. The mission tested flying qualities of the aircraft while taking off, landing and flying in formation for more than one hour.
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04/22/2012
Russia will test fly its first domestically-produced strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in 2014, First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov said on Friday. In February, Army General Nikolay Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said the drone would be first test flied in late 2012, a revision of the initial 2015 timeframe.
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04/22/2012
A Russian naval task group arrived at the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Saturday for joint exercises with the Chinese navy, a captain said. "Each vessel was welcomed individually," Captain Roman Martov told RIA Novosti. The naval squadron, including the Varyag missile cruiser, three Udaloy class destroyers and three fleet support ships, will join 16 Chinese surface ships for drills in the Yellow Sea between Aril 22 and 27.
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04/20/2012
Eaton Corporation will provide significant content on 84 new Boeing F-15SA fighter aircraft for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) in a purchase agreement announced between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US Government. The deal also includes upgrades to the SA configuration for 70 F-15S fighter jets in the RSAF fleet.
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04/20/2012
Members of the public accounts committee gathered in Ottawa Thursday for a special meeting to discuss the auditor general's report on Canada's contentious F-35 purchase plans. But opposition members faced roadblocks in launching a comprehensive probe as the majority Conservatives used their power in the all-party committee to postpone discussion of who would appear until next week.
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04/20/2012
The increased pace of counterterrorism strikes in Yemen by U.S. drones and aircraft is a result of what U.S. military and intelligence officials describe as improved intelligence about the leadership of the al Qaeda movement in that country.
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04/20/2012
The Airbus Military A400M, the new generation airlifter for the 21st Century, is today flying over Thailand for the very first time as it takes part in the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Royal Thai Air Force – “The Centennial of the RTAF Founding Fathers’ Aviation”. The visit is part of the first Asia Pacific Tour the A400M is making, visiting Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, then Chiang Mai and finally Bangkok, before returning to Europe.
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04/20/2012
A Black Hawk helicopter crashed Thursday in southern Afghanistan, likely killing all four of its crew members -- all of them Americans -- a U.S. military official said. The crash occurred in bad weather, though the official said, "We cannot yet rule out enemy action."
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04/20/2012
The visit will be the first by a high-level official of Pentagon to India after bilateral defence ties came under stress last year following New Delhi’s decision to drop two US contenders from the fray of a contract for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft for the Indian Air Force. Panetta will hold talks with Defence Minister A K Antony. While the dates for his visit are yet to be finalised.
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04/20/2012
Lockheed Martin delivered another C-130J Super Hercules to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas yesterday. This aircraft was the 18th C-130J delivered to Dyess by Lockheed Martin. Colonel Gerald Goodfellow, Vice Commander of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess accepted delivery of the aircraft.
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04/20/2012
Russia and Malaysia have signed a $35-million contract on the delivery of RVV-AE air-to-air missiles for the Malaysian air force, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Thursday. The deal was inked at the Defense Services Asia-2012 arms show currently under way in Malaysia.
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04/19/2012
The Airbus Military A400M aircraft which the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is set to receive from January 2015 has a higher capacity and travels faster, RMAF air operations commander Gen Datuk Seri Ackbal Abdul Samad said. Compared to the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which the RMAF currently owns, the travel speed of the A400M is between 400 and 420 knots per hour, which is nearly 50 per cent faster than the C-130, he said.
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04/19/2012
The radar-evading F-35 fighter jet, a nearly $400-billion weapons program under development for more than a decade, is facing its worst turbulence since Washington decided to buy it in 2001 — when it was billed as the most affordable, lethal and survivable military aircraft ever built for the U.S. and its allies.
(Read More...)
04/19/2012
How do you hide an aeroplane behind a bird? Very skilfully. Lt Col William B. O’Connor (ret) flew the F-117 Nighthawk during the Bosnia Conflict, and in Stealth Fighter, he explains the history, operation and soul America’s most advanced stealth jet.
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04/19/2012
The Boeing Company has begun an extensive maintenance training program for Turkey's Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) program at a Boeing facility near Seattle. Classroom training for 10 Turkish Air Force personnel and two Turkish Airlines employees is being conducted by instructors from Boeing Defence Australia and Boeing Training and Flight Services.
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04/19/2012
Russia has decided to join a tender on the delivery of six light fighter jets to the Philippines with its new Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainer, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday. “We are taking part in the Philippine tender with the Yak-130 aircraft,” deputy general director of Rosoboronexport, Viktor Komardin, said at the Defense Services Asia-2012 arms show in Malaysia.
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04/18/2012
A military aircraft museum at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base has started a project to restore an F-89 Scorpion, officials said Tuesday. The Michigan Air National Guard used the jet in the 1950s and '60s. Officials said the project may be the only one of its kind in the country and possibly the world. Once completed, the aircraft will be the only known restored F-89 in the "C" model configuration.
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04/18/2012
The Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter recently arrived in Malaysia at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Subang Airbase as part of its Asia tour, where a welcome ceremony took place today in the presence of the Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The visit, the first time that the A400M will be seen in Asia, will give the Malaysian Government and Air Force a chance to see the A400M at first hand. The Malaysian Government has ordered four of the new aircraft which has as its la
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04/18/2012
Denmark has borrowed several unmanned aircraft from the Dutch armed forces. Because of spare parts supply problems within the Danish army, Denmark has been given two so-called Raven systems - each consisting of three unmanned aircraft and a ground station - from the Netherlands. The systems will be borrowed for half a year, when the Danish supply problems are expected to be resolved.
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04/18/2012
Fighting in a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan has raised fears the two countries could resume full-blown war. Here is a look at the two countries' military capabilities according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies report, "Military Balance 2012":
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04/18/2012
India's air force could outsource some of its MRO requirements to privately-owned companies in the country. This comes as defence procurement begins to lean toward western suppliers, with a large number of contracts in the pipeline, amid frustration with the level of support available for the Russian aircraft that are the mainstay of the air force.
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04/18/2012
On Friday, the Navy quietly released a “market survey” asking the big defense contractors for their “candidate[s]” for “strike fighter aircraft” in the decades to come. Which is a little weird, considering the Pentagon is currently spending a trillion dollars on just such an aircraft: the troubled Joint Strike Fighter.
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04/18/2012
There's something I'm not buying about the F-35 "stealth" joint-strike fighter. Besides the government's dishonest bloviating and the opposition's peacenik whimpering, I mean. I just can't understand a plane meant to dominate aerial combat for five decades in a world of blinding technological change. I do understand the need for air power. And for "interoperability" with our American ally, the free world's only remaining military hope, even under Barack Obama.
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04/18/2012
The Boeing Company received a $12.5 million contract from U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on March 12 for 1,116 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (Laser JDAM) sensors. This is NAVAIR's third Low Rate Initial Production order for its Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (DAMTC). It follows an $8.3 million NAVAIR order for 700 laser sensors on Jan. 31 that allows the U.S. Air Force to maintain its Laser JDAM combat inventory levels.
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04/18/2012
Russia’s military expenditures in 2011 totaled $71.9 billion, which made the country the world’s third largest military spender, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank said in a report published on Tuesday. Last year, Russia increased its military spending by 9.3 percent, according to figures released by the SIPRI.
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04/18/2012
Negotiations on the sale of Russian advanced Su-35 Flanker-E fighters to China have been put on hold over Beijing’s refusal to buy a large consignment, Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Tuesday. “We have been promoting the Su-35 fighter on the Chinese market,” Rosoboronexport deputy chief Viktor Komardin said.
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04/17/2012
The recent crash in Morocco of an MV-22 Osprey that killed two Marines will have no affect on operations or the planned expansion of the tilt-rotor aircraft fleet, said Marine Col. Greg Masiello, V-22 Joint Program Manager. The Osprey remains the “safest, most survivable aircraft we have out there," Masiello told reporters April 16 at the Navy League’s Annual Sea, Air and Space conference. “Our operations currently remain unchanged.”
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04/17/2012
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has again chosen Irish air space to undertake flight testing of one of its new aircraft. The company’s first military transport aircraft, the A400M Grizzly, spent several hours operating off the west coast yesterday. The four-engine turbo-prop transporter, or airlifter, is specifically designed to meet the needs of European Nato nations, as well as the requirements of international air forces.
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04/17/2012
One day in late November, an unmanned aerial vehicle lifted off from Shindand Air Base in western Afghanistan, heading 75 miles toward the border with Iran. The drone's mission: to spy on Tehran's nuclear program, as well as any insurgent activities the Iranians might be supporting in Afghanistan. With an estimated price tag of $6 million, the drone was the product of more than 15 years of research and development, starting with a shadowy project called DarkStar overseen by Lockheed Martin.
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04/17/2012
Military intelligence analysts could learn a thing or two from the people who produce popular reality TV shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” according to an Air Force report. The Air Force asked RAND’s Project Air Force team to research reality TV show and closed-circuit TV productions to figure out ways to better analyze data collected by the service’s unmanned aircraft fleet.
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04/17/2012
I've been a long time fan of the Ace Combat series, but it has been showing weakness of late. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation felt to me like the finale of the current form of business this arcade flight combat simulator had to offer. Time has definitely come for something new to liven up the formula, to appeal to the new breed of military gamers. Tom Clancy has been trying to steal the crown of air combat away with their HawX series.
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04/17/2012
Inspired by neighbor Brazil's resurgent arms industry, Argentina is hoping to revive its defense manufacturing with the successful launch of production of Pampa combat and training aircraft. Initially the production will meet domestic demand for the aircraft in Argentina's air force and the navy but government planners are looking ahead to Argentina entering defense export markets, analysts said.
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04/17/2012
Unmanned aircraft are nothing new. What is very new is the use of these aircraft for logistical support in a combat zone. The K-Max Helicopter made its first flight in December of 2011 and is currently being used by the Marines to move supplies. The K-Max is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Kaman Corp (KAMN). According to Kaman's website the K-Max is capable of carrying a payload of 6,000 pounds and can operate for over 12 hours a day.
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04/17/2012
BK-1, the United Kingdom’s first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II production aircraft, flew its inaugural flight Friday. Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti took the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet through a series of functional flight checks during a sortie that lasted 45 minutes. The jet will complete a series of company and government checkout flights prior to its acceptance by the U.K. Ministry of Defence.
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04/17/2012
About 40 strategic bombers will participate in five-day drills in Russia’s Maritime Territory near the Japanese border, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Monday.
The long-range aviation exercise, which started earlier in the day, includes aerial bombing and launches of airborne cruise missiles at the Litovka test range, he said. Other training missions will include aerial patrol and midair refueling.
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04/16/2012
Lockheed Martin Corp on Friday won a US$259mil contract adding two more F-35 fighter jets to a fifth batch of jets being purchased by the US military, boosting the size of that order to 32 jets, the Pentagon and Lockheed officials said.
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04/16/2012
THE Royal Malaysian Air Force got a look at its future military transport capabilities yesterday when an Airbus A400M aircraft landed at the Subang air base for the first time. The plane - Grizzly 4 - is one of five developmental A400M aircraft and is on a tour of customer countries. It will be in Malaysia, its first Asian stop, for four days.
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04/16/2012
A massive military exercise involving troops from across Europe and North America is set to get under way. Joint Warrior will see warships, submarines and aircraft take to the west coast of Scotland for a two-week training exercise. The exercise is held twice a year to prepare forces from the UK, US, Denmark, Norway, France, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands for events and active service.
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04/16/2012
With reports of China and Russia trying to slip into the Pentagon’s information networks on a daily basis, U.S. security experts now rank the military threat from cyberspace just behind terrorism and nuclear proliferation. In that atmosphere, the people whose domain has been the cubicle and the computer room are getting a chance to be recognized as “warriors,” on par with those who shoot guns and fly fighter jets.
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04/16/2012
Along with the ICBM, it was one of the defining pieces of military technology during the Cold War: the B-52 bomber. Those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s knew the B-52 Stratofortress as a central figure in the anxiety that flowed from the protracted staring match between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. On the one hand, it was reassuring to know that the Strategic Air Command was ready at a moment's notice to scramble its B-52s to counter any potential nuclear attack.
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04/15/2012
Thales UK is to sell its fixed-wing aircraft simulator production business and an aircrew training centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The company said all 400 West Sussex staff employed in civil aircraft training and simulation work would be transferred to L-3 Communications. The sale is expected to be completed during the summer. Consultation has started with the staff affected. Thales UK employs 2,500 people in Crawley, including the 400 staff in the business being sold.
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04/15/2012
Singapore's latest early warning surveillance jets were declared battle-ready on Friday, in a move that strengthens the Republic's air defences. The four Gulfstream 550s (G550s) - the same business planes used by the rich and famous - were converted for military purposes and will help combatants to spot and destroy enemy targets more quickly. They replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force's ageing E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, which had been in service since 1987.
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04/15/2012
A U.S. military aircraft crash that killed two Marines Wednesday will give new ammunition to critics of the V-22 Osprey, but the incident alone should not doom the controversial program. The Marines were killed and two others hurt when a V-22 tilt rotor aircraft went down in southern Morocco, where 1,200 U.S. troops are participating in African Lion, an annual exercise with local forces. Marine Corps officials are investigating the crash, and the cause it not yet known.
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04/15/2012
The media feeding frenzy sparked by the auditor general's devastating report on the F-35 has focused on the politicians, from the prime minister to the ministers of National Defence and Public Works. Rightly so. Also in the crosshairs has been the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Walter Natynczyk, with many journalists calling for his head.
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04/15/2012
Despite widespread praise in Western capitals for NATO’s leadership of the air campaign in Libya, a confidential NATO assessment paints a sobering portrait of the alliance’s ability to carry out such campaigns without significant support from the United States.
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04/14/2012
It has been decided to equip current fighter models with available thrust-vectoring engines. The first batch of upgraded fighters will be handed over to the Air Force by late 2020. It is also planned that all new T-50 fighters will have become operational by then.
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04/14/2012
The U.S. Air Force will restart its stalled $1 billion competition to buy light attack aircraft for the Afghanistan military, it said today. The military will issue a draft request for proposals April 17 and a final version April 30, the service said in an e-mailed statement. A new award is scheduled for early 2013. The Air Force on Feb. 28 canceled a disputed $1 billion contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. after determining the documentation used to make the award was flawed.
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04/14/2012
The storm system headed to the valley hit northern California hard Thursday night with lots of rain and lightning. In fact, a United Airlines flight with 200 passengers on board was hit by a lightning strike just after takeoff in San Francisco over the ocean. "It happens a lot more frequently than people really realize," said SkyFOX Pilot Rick Crabbs.
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04/14/2012
Special operations forces have a dedicated fleet of tricked-out helicopters at their disposal, but as their workload grows, they are increasingly reliant on conventional aircraft to get their jobs done. A high operational tempo in Afghanistan has married conventional and special operations forces like never before, forcing a heightened level of cooperation at all levels, from commanding generals to aircraft pilots and crews.
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04/14/2012
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and its Super Hornet industry partners toured the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais March 20-22 to assess the aerospace capabilities of local companies and to identify opportunities for work with Boeing and its worldwide supply chain. Representatives from Boeing, General Electric, GKN Aerospace, Hamilton Sundstrand, Northrop Grumman, Parker Aerospace, and Woodward participated in the review.
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04/14/2012
Russian warships will be continuously deployed for patrol duty off the Syrian coast in the Mediterranean, a high-ranking source in the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. “A decision has been made to deploy Russian warships near the Syrian shores on a permanent basis,” the source said. The Russian Kashin-class guided-missile destroyer Smetlivy is currently deployed near the Syrian coast.
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04/13/2012
Air Force Master Sgt. Johnny White lies facedown in the tail of the KC-135 aerial refueling tanker in mid-flight. Below him, a glass window offers a stunning view of the Michigan Thumb area. White’s view becomes partially blocked as an A-10 Thunderbolt II slowly nudges its way under his plane’s tail.
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04/13/2012
Such is India’s idiosyncratic procurement system that, in the run-up to the award of the $12 billion Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft program, the joke was that the only thing worse than losing would be winning. For Dassault, that reality is not that far off. After its Rafale offer beat out the Eurofighter Typhoon in January as the low-cost bidder for the MMRCA program, there has been much talk about the fate of the project, but very little action.
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04/13/2012
Emergency services across swaths of England were inundated with calls from worried residents amid reports of a mysterious “loud bang” which turned out to be a sonic boom from two RAF Typhoon jets.
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04/13/2012
The private sector has a number of techniques, called best practices, which they routinely employ to reduce costs and boost performance. A number of these have to do with supply chain management. One of the key reasons that the globalized economy works and companies such as Walmart makes a profit while providing tens of millions of Americans with inexpensive products is because of modern supply chain management techniques.
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04/13/2012
China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) has officially handed over 8 K-8P fighter jet trainers to the Zambian government.
Speaking at the handover ceremony held at Zambia Air Force Mumbwa Air Base today, CATIC President Liu Jianhai said Zambia Air Force (ZAF) is an excellent and trustable force as it has shown strict and professional operation and maintenance of big fleet. Mr. Liu Jianhai said the handover ceremony of 8 K-8P Aircraft marked a new milestone of coo
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04/13/2012
The Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter for the 21st Century, is to visit Asia between April 14 and 20. Malaysia, an A400M customer, is the first and longest stop of its three-nation Asia tour, with the aircraft staying there from 14 – 17 April. The tour continues with visits to Jakarta, Indonesia, and Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand, before returning to Europe.
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04/13/2012
India's new revised defence-offset guidelines will be applied to all defence contracts awarded after 1 January 2011. They reinforce the nation's focus on augmenting capacity for research and development, fostering the development of internationally-competitive enterprises and also give a boost to the civil aviation and homeland security sectors.
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04/13/2012
A menacing Russian warplane entering UK airspace during the Cold War would have sent Royal Air Force supersonic fighter jets scrambling to intercept it. Britain's Top Gun pilots were on constant standby to take on Soviet aircraft in dogfights for control of the skies over Northern Europe.
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04/13/2012
The tragic MV-22 Osprey crash in Morocco that killed two Marines this week is likely to reopen the debate about the controversial aircraft's safety. The Osprey earned its bad reputation during its development, when 30 Marines died in three crashes, including 19 in a single 2000 accident in Arizona, and its detractors no doubt will point to this crash as further evidence of its untrustworthiness.
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04/13/2012
North Korea’s rocket, launched on Friday, appears to have broken apart minutes after blastoff, CNN quoted U.S. officials as saying. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency on Friday cited South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seook as saying that the reclusive communist state has launched the Unha-3 long-range rocket. Two U.S. officials confirmed the launch, CNN reported. There have been no reports of any injuries or damage inflicted by falling debris, CNN said.
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04/12/2012
South Korea is in the process of selecting a fighter jet to replace the older models in the Air Force’s arsenal. Worth more than 8 trillion won ($7 billion), the FX-III project is the largest single defense acquisition program the country has conducted. Under the program, 60 new fighters will be purchased to replace older models such as the F-4 and the F-5.
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04/12/2012
The U.S. Coast Guard has exercised a $78.5 million contract option to purchase the service’s 16th and 17th HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The HC-144A is based on the Airbus Military CN235 tactical airlifter, more than 250 of which are currently in operation by 27 countries.
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04/12/2012
"We're fully aware of the team it takes to put these aircraft into the hands of our international partners," said Jeffrey Young, director of the Security Assistance Management Directorate at the recent delivery ceremony. Produced in the United States at the company's Philadelphia, Pa. facility, AgustaWestland configured the AW139s for the Egyptian Air Force's search and rescue missions.
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04/12/2012
Two Russian anti-submarine aircraft have flown over a Japanese destroyer preparing to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it passes over Japan's territory, a Japanese TV channel reported on Wednesday, citing the country's Defense Ministry. According to the ministry, the Il-38 planes were seen on Tuesday off the south-west coast of the largest Japanese island of Honshu, where the destroyer is currently based.
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04/12/2012
Defence minister A K Antony said on Wednesday that allegations raised by Mysura Reddy, a former TDP member in Rajya Sabha, against the purchase of medium multi-role combat aircraft from French firm Rafale are being looked into. A final decision will be taken only after the probe is completed, he told reporters here.
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04/12/2012
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, today announced that another CH-146 Griffon helicopter will be established at 5 Wing Goose Bay. With this addition, three Griffon helicopters will now provide utility helicopter capability at 5 Wing.
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04/12/2012
Two U.S. Marines were killed and two severely injured in the crash of a hybrid aircraft in Morocco on Wednesday, officials said. The Marines were taking part in joint U.S.-Moroccan military excercises located in the south of the country based in Agadir, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Rodney Ford in Rabat, who gave the toll.
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04/11/2012
After remaining grounded for over a month after two crashes in close succession, the Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters are expected to take to the skies by end-April. Air chief marshal (ACM) N A K Browne, on the sidelines of IAF annual commanders' conference on Tuesday, said the Mirage-2000 fleet was undergoing systematic technical checks and would resume flying operations by month-end.
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04/11/2012
Eligible pilots, combat systems officers and engineers have an opportunity to join the ranks of airpower pioneers like Jimmy Doolittle and Chuck Yeager, but they have to apply for U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School to do so.
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04/11/2012
On Apr. 8, 2012, the first Voyager aircraft took to the skies for her maiden flight under the command of an AirTanker crew, to signal the commencement of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) service to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft, a version of the Airbus Military A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft, took off from RAF Brize Norton for a training sortie around the United Kingdom to allow the AirTanker crew to familiarise themselves with the aircraft.
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04/11/2012
A contract has been signed Apr. 5 between Eurocopter and PT Dirgantara Indonesia/Indonesian Aerospace for the supply of six EC725. To be received in 2014, Indonesian Aerospace will customize and deliver these combat search and rescue configured helicopters to the Indonesian Air Force under a contract signed with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence last month.
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04/11/2012
The Army's helicopter fleet is tired. It's flown six times harder over the past ten years than any Army leader expected in the hot, dusty climates of Iraq and Afghanistan. That's why service leaders have started scraping the paint off select helicopters to find hidden cracks. Army maintainers found one helicopter riddled with over 300 cracks in its airframe after removing the paint.
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04/11/2012
Stick or twist? That is the choice facing UK defence secretary Philip Hammond, who is poised to announce a decision on the future of the nation's carrier strike ambitions and choice of embarked combat aircraft. The main issue to be decided is whether to keep faith with a decision made in late 2010 to switch allegiance from Lockheed's short take-off and vertical landing F-35B to the manufacturer's C-model carrier variant.
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04/11/2012
Kenya increased spending on military equipment last year with the importation of eight war ships and six armoured vehicles, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) shows. Kenya’s overall military spend rose to Sh52.2 billion ($594 million) in 2010 from Sh47.5 billion ($580 million) in 2009. The figures are adjusted for inflation and are based on a mean annual exchange rate of Sh88 to the dollar.
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04/11/2012
The Pentagon plans to increase its fleet of armed and long-haul surveillance drones by at least 45 percent over the next 10 years. The U.S. military’s inventory of unmanned aerial vehicles, will grow to 645 aircraft in fiscal 2022 from about 445 in fiscal 2013, including versions of Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) (NOC)’s RQ-4 Global Hawk and General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predators.
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04/11/2012
“Will Minister Antony resign?” More than any other, this is the one question that I have been asked by Americans in recent weeks about the defence minister who has been in the news for the better part of this year. Most of the people asking this question have some connection with the military-industrial complex in the United States of America or the country’s defence and strategic community.
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04/11/2012
Georgia conducted a test flight of its first domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on Tuesday, the Georgian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili observed the “successful” test flight, which took place at a military base near the capital of Tbilisi “amid complex terrain and climate conditions,” the statement said.
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04/10/2012
The Chinese military has added sea-based unmanned aircraft to its rapidly growing arsenal, with the first of those aircraft already deployed. The People's Liberation Navy (PLN) has begun fielding unmanned surveillance aircraft aboard its fleet of warships, according to recent news reports. Foreign intelligence agencies have already confirmed the existence of one Chinese-built maritime aerial drone aboard PLN ships, United Press International reported Monday.
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04/10/2012
As independent analysts everywhere accused the government of fantasy, a serious charge when the nation’s defences are in question, again we must ask if the charge is too harsh. To this the analysts reply that the hub of the SDSR’s thinking is the acquisition at some time in the future of two aircraft carriers equipped, at some further time in the future, with squadrons of the F-35B or F-35C Joint Strike Fighters.
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04/10/2012
The USS Enterprise has been sent to the Persian Gulf, the US Navy said Monday as tensions rise over Iran’s nuclear program. It will be the fourth time in the last decade the US has had two aircraft carriers on simultaneous missions in the area. The deployment of the second aircraft is "routine and not specific to any threat," stated Commander Amy Derrick-Frost of the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet. The Enterprise and its strike group entered the fleet’s area of responsibility on April 3.
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04/10/2012
It was 50 years ago this summer and fall that the last of the 744 B-52s built, an H-model that is still flying out of Minot Air Force Base, N.D., rolled off the assembly line and was accepted into the fleet. October also marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when all of the old Strategic Air Command’s bombers, including Barksdale’s B-52s, were put on 100 percent alert status for a full month.
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04/10/2012
One of the hottest topics in the defense and diplomatic worlds is the Obama administration's "rebalancing" of U.S. interests toward Asia. The new focus is a slate of military and geopolitical strategies meant as a hedge against China, and to a lesser extent its client, North Korea. But what does it mean for the armed forces when the White House focuses its gaze on a new part of the world, and a new foe?
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04/10/2012
No country would dare attack Iran, a top officer in the country's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Monday, adding that Iranian forces planned to engage in more military drills in order to preserve their combat vigilance.
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04/10/2012
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has summoned the chiefs of the three armed services to testify before it, an unprecedented move made after top military officials told the members that India may not be able to meet a two-front war.
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04/10/2012
Boeing has received a $55.3 million production contract from the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the B-1 Lancer navigation system. The upgrade will replace the original navigation hardware with a new ring laser gyro system. "We are no longer using a spinning mass gyro," said Rick Greenwell, B-1 program director for Boeing.
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04/10/2012
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Monday he will attend Tuesday’s test of Georgia’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). “Tomorrow I will test our first drone, which has been designed to the highest technological specifications,” Saakashvili said. “More Georgian technology will follow.”
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04/10/2012
One of the Soviet Union's greatest test pilots, Pyotr Ostapenko, who helped develop MiG fighter planes for over thirty years, died aged 83 on Sunday, MiG said. "One of our country's oldest test pilots passed away on April 8," MiG said. "All his life Pyotr Maksimovich Ostapenko was inseparably connected with national and world aviation. His contribution as a test pilot to the development of world aviation was priceless."
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04/09/2012
A Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) pilot died on Sunday an hour after a training aircraft crashed into a paddy field at Madhupur in Tangail district. 'Sharif' passed away while undergoing treatment at Combined Military Hospital at Ghatail cantonment in the district, said additional police superintendent of the district MA Masud.
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04/09/2012
China’s navy has begun using unmanned aerial vehicles as part of its blue-water operations. At least one type has been photographed by foreign reconnaissance aircraft, and other variants have been reported. Not only has China been displaying an assortment of models at air shows, it also is incorporating advanced U.S. unmanned vehicle technology into current and future systems.
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04/09/2012
Robert Arrighi was already concerned about defense-budget cuts last summer when the Obama administration issued a stop-work order for the alternate engine for the F-35 joint strike fighter plane. Mr. Arrighi's Long Island City, Queens, company, Kerns Manufacturing, was planning to work on the joint General Electric and Rolls-Royce project. He had hopes of hiring 50 people and bringing in an additional $12 million a year in revenue.
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04/09/2012
In early March, China released its defence budget for 2012, which broke the symbolic US$100 billion barrier for the first time. In fact, Chinese military expenditures will total US$106.4 billion (S$134 billion), an increase of 11.2 percent over 2011 – and this does not include possible hidden spending, which could add billions of dollars per year to the Chinese defence budget.
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04/09/2012
U.S. Air Force pilot Patrick Burke’s day started in the cockpit of a B-1B bomber near the Persian Gulf and proceeded across nine time zones as he ferried the aircraft home to South Dakota. Every four hours during the 19-hour flight, Burke swallowed a tablet of Dexedrine, the prescribed amphetamine known as “go pills.” After landing, he went out for dinner and drinks with a fellow crewman. They were driving back to Ellsworth Air Force Base when Burke began striking his friend in the head.
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04/09/2012
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Flying Corps. It was the product of a handful of brave and far-sighted individuals, reports James Holland.
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04/08/2012
An Israeli pre-emptive strike against Iran’s nuclear program will probably begin with a rain of Jericho missiles obliterating the heavy water plant in Arak and destroying four small nuclear research reactors at the Nuclear Technology Center in Isfahan.
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04/08/2012
As the war in Afghanistan supposedly winds down the drone war and missions by special forces will ramp up. Wars with large contingents of troops on the ground are not only expensive but often politically damaging. Better to keep the empire expanding and supposedly safe using high tech weapons and elite forces often acting in secret.
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04/08/2012
Zooming along at 170 mph in a fighter jet carrying thousands of pounds of volatile fuel, two Navy pilots faced nothing but bad choices when their aircraft malfunctioned over Virginia Beach, Va., the state's most populated city. "Catastrophic engine system failure right after takeoff, which is always the most critical phase of flying, leaves very, very few options," said aviation safety expert and decorated pilot J.F. Joseph.
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04/08/2012
36 F-16 fighter planes approved by Pentaqon for Baghdad last year are comparable to those in IAF inventories; Iraq is considered a possible strategic threat to Israel for the first time since 2003 US invasion. Israel is increasingly concerned with the military build-up in Iraq amid intelligence reports that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is solidifying its presence in the country, according to a senior IDF officer.
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04/08/2012
A group of Russian military observers begin on Sunday a nine-day inspection mission in the skies of the United States under the Open Skies Treaty. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russia’s Tupolev Tu-154 LK-1 will take off on Sunday from the Travis Air Force Base, located in California, while the maximum range of the flight will total 4,250 kilometers (2,640 miles).
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04/07/2012
Eurofighter signed a new, five-year support contract with NETMA, the NATO management agency that represents the four European partner nations in the combat aircraft program. As before, the Eurofighter industrial partners will deliver support to the individual air forces. Alenia values its part of the deal, to support the Italian air force, at more than $660 million. BAE Systems says its contract to support the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is worth $708.5 million.
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04/07/2012
A potential $4.3 billion deal between the Boeing's defense unit and the Brazilian government that has bounced on and off the table for years is back in play. And a Boeing Co. official said this week that the company expects to learn by June if it finished atop the process that has pitted aerospace makers from three nations in a bid to supply state-of-the-art fighter jets to the Brazilian Air Force.
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04/07/2012
The Homeland Security Department is vetting surveillance blimps as possible additions to its Southwest border fleet of unmanned aircraft, DHS officials said. To more quickly capture illegal entrants, drug smugglers and gunrunners, DHS Customs and Border Protection increasingly is embracing robotic technologies once relegated to battlefields.
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04/07/2012
The F-35 jet has been the whipping boy for auditors and politicians all week, but it remains the darling of Canada’s aerospace industry. Industry veterans are shrugging off the vitriol of “scandal” and “fiasco” by remaining focused on the $12 billion they say the troubled program can bring to Canada. “It’s a state of the art platform,” says Maryse Harvey, an official at Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC).
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04/07/2012
A cold, isolated outpost high in the mountains of Afghanistan was running low on fuel, which provides all the power and heating for forces there. Within six hours, the fuel tank would be empty, with no way to keep warm as temperatures drop below freezing.
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04/07/2012
Defence Department officials have been kept in the dark on a $369-million program to upgrade maritime patrol planes while a $2.8-billion dollar modernization effort for the navy’s frigates could be running into trouble. Two newly released reports from Defence Department auditors have raised concerns about military equipment programs being handled by the same organizations that had overseen the troubled plan to purchase of the F-35 stealth fighter.
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04/07/2012
A U.S. Navy F/A-18D Superhornet has crashed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, destroying a number of homes, although so far no fatalities have been reported. Both pilots ejected after dumping at least some of the malfunctioning jet’s fuel. Six people, including both pilots, were injured, three seriously, when the plane crashed into an apartment building not far from its airbase, local officials said.
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04/06/2012
Boeing's military aircraft program continues to offer opportunities for the company. The Chicago-based defense contractor currently produces the C-17 strategic transport for use by the U.S. Air Force and the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter and attack aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps and is well over a year into the development of the new KC-46A aerial tanker.
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04/06/2012
Cockpit controls on Embraer's KC-390 military transports for the Brazilian air force will feature active side sticks from Britain's BAE Systems. "We are very pleased that Embraer Defense and Security and the Brazilian air force have selected our fifth generation active side stick," said Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of Commercial Aircraft Solutions for BAE Systems.
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04/06/2012
Navy personnel are busy preparing to teach the next generation of Sailors how to work with and fly the newest military aircraft, the F-35C Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter, as Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101) readies for their stand-up ceremony May 1 on Eglin Air Force Base.
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04/06/2012
Sukhoi's Su-35S stealth fighter, being built for the Russian air force, has completed a 500th test flight for evaluation of equipment and maneuverability. The multi-role aircraft reached the maximum ground-level speed of 869 miles per hour, speed at altitude of 1,491 mph and an altitude of about 59,000 feet, the company said.
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04/06/2012
In advance of the President of Brazil's visit to the United States, U.S Senator Claire McCaskill has reached out to the nation's leader to express her support for the sale of the Boeing F/A-18-largely produced in St. Louis-to Brazil's military, and to praise the strong working relationship between the two nations. In a letter to President Dilma Vana Rouseff, McCaskill reiterated the United States' and Brazil's mutual security interests.
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04/06/2012
The Air Force has such a glut of data – photos and videos and such – captured by its fleet of drone aircraft that it can’t keep up with analyzing the information, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said Thursday. Because of the lack people and machinery to make sense of the information, the Air Force will cut back on how many of the drone aircraft it buys, Donley told a group of defense writers in Washington. National Defense magazine was among the publications attending the interview.
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04/06/2012
Singapore and the United States reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence ties between the two countries, as Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen met US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta yesterday. They also discussed a wide range of defence and security issues - including a proposal for the US to deploy up to four littoral combat ships to Singapore.
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04/06/2012
The Boeing Company and the U.S. Navy have successfully completed a flight test of the prototype Distributed Targeting System-Networked (DTS-N) on a Super Hornet. The system is designed to enhance the F/A-18E/F fighter jet’s targeting capabilities. The test took place in late 2011 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Advanced Weapons Lab in China Lake, Calif., and was conducted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-31.
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04/05/2012
Even on military flights, regular manned aircraft need to stop regularly so the crew can rest, bathe and unwind. But an unmanned drone can keep flying until it runs low on fuel, so the U.S. military drew up plans for nuclear powered drones that could stay airborne for months at a time.
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04/05/2012
The top U.S. military officer is pushing to expand the Pentagon's advisory role in Colombia's fight against insurgents and narcotics traffickers, but made clear he is wary of rushing to supply the country with drones and other hardware Bogota says it wants to accelerate the campaign.
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04/05/2012
NATO has signed a five-year contract with Germany's Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH for support of Typhoon aircraft flown by four countries. The countries covered under the contract from the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency are Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH is the holding company for the three-company consortium that builds the aircraft. The consortium includes EADS, Alenia Aermacchi and BAE Systems.
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04/05/2012
The pieces of a new strategic kaleidoscope in the Asia-Pacific region are starting to fall into place as allies and security partners of the United States seek to deter China from using or threatening force to achieve its expansive aims, particularly in the South China Sea, which forms the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.
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04/05/2012
It is understood that part of the pact could lead to the more regular deployment of a Royal Navy hunter killer submarine in the region joining America's build up in the region. Stronger ties could lead to Japan investing in several major defence projects in including the purchase of more than a dozen of the British-designed Future Combat Ships at £300 million each and a large order for Merlin helicopters.
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04/05/2012
AT A meeting of South-East Asian nations in 2010, China’s foreign minister Yang Jiechi, facing a barrage of complaints about his country’s behaviour in the region, blurted out the sort of thing polite leaders usually prefer to leave unsaid. “China is a big country,” he pointed out, “and other countries are small countries and that is just a fact.” Indeed it is, and China is big not merely in terms of territory and population, but also military might.
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04/05/2012
Gen. Raymond Johns, commander of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, accepted delivery of another C-130J Super Hercules for Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. Johns praised the increased capabilities of the C-130J for resupply of the warfighter in forward operating locations, aeromedical evacuations, Antarctic support and humanitarian relief.
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04/05/2012
Russia's Interior Ministry has said it plans to spend up to 120 million rubles ($4 million) to buy eight unmanned aerial vehicles. The ministry would also require vans and radios to operate the drones, according to a tender document posted on the government purchasing agency website zakupki.gov.ru on Tuesday.
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04/04/2012
The first F-35 Lightning II for The Netherlands rolled out of the F-35 production facility on April 1. This is the latest step in the production process leading to its eventual assignment to Eglin AFB, Fla., later this summer. The Netherlands will use the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers.
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04/04/2012
The Belarusian State Military-Industrial Committee is planning to develop a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability, the committee’s chairman Sergei Gurulev said. “We are considering a wide range of UAVs with VTOL capability – from mini-sized to medium and heavy class UAVs,” Gurulev said in an interview with “VPK.Belarus” publication.
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04/04/2012
Brazil, which is close to awarding a lucrative jet fighter contract, said Tuesday that it would insist on technology transfer in its defense agreements. "In all its alliances, Brazil will put on the table the demand for technology transfer," Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante told foreign correspondents. "We no longer intend to have the passive attitude we used to have throughout our history," he added.
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04/04/2012
American Eurocopter unveiled a helicopter if plans to build at its Columbus manufacturing facility. On Monday, company officials introduced the Armed Aerial Scout 72X plus combat helicopter during a presentation in Nashville. The company says the aircraft is an armed version of the UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopter currently being built in Columbus.
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04/04/2012
The Army plans to stick with its current helicopter inventory over the next two decades, opting to wait until 2030 at the earliest to revolutionize a fleet flown hard around Iraq and Afghanistan. Army helicopters will receive upgrades over the next two decades, as they always have, but the austere budget environment has forced the Army to try and keep its current fleet in the air for as long as it can.
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04/04/2012
The ministry of defence (MoD) is the final authority on defence purchases. The department of defence production oversees purchases. The department is vested with the overall responsibility for growth of indigenous defence industry as well as framing of policies.
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04/04/2012
Boeing delivered the final two F-15K Slam Eagles to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) on April 2 at Daegu Air Base. All ROKAF F-15Ks were delivered on cost and on schedule. "Boeing is proud to have worked with the ROKAF to ensure that their F-15Ks included all the capability and power necessary to defend their homeland through 2040 and beyond," said Roger Besancenez, F-15 Program vice president for Boeing.
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04/04/2012
Lockheed Martin commemorated the 4,500th F-16 Fighting Falcon delivery today with a ceremony for employees, customers, former executives and elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Kay Granger and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.
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04/04/2012
Azerbaijan denies reports that Israel is to set up military bases aimed at Iran on its territory, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on Tuesday. In late March, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry denied a media report saying it granted Israel access to air bases near the Iranian border. "This information is absurd and groundless,” ministry spokesman Teymur Abdullayev said.
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04/04/2012
Russia's military-transport aviation will use civilian An-124 Ruslan Condor heavy-lift transport aircraft owned by large carriers, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. “Orders will be placed for dozens of aircraft - 60-70 Ruslans,” he said. It was not immediately clear whether the military will pay for the use of cargo aircraft or simply commandeer them in the interest of “national defense.”
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04/04/2012
Russia’s Defense Ministry has issued a technical specification for development of a strike unmanned air vehicle (UAV), Izvestia daily said on Monday quoting a high-level source. Tranzas company will build the UAV's on-board electronics as well as its navigation and control systems. The airframe, which will weigh about five tons, will be produced by the Kazan-based Sokol design bureau.
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04/02/2012
Admiral Sir John Woodward said the Prime Minister would be powerless to respond if an invasion of the South Atlantic islands should happen again.
On the 30th anniversary of Argentina he joined other senior veterans in criticising the reduction in British aircraft carrier capability.
Admiral Woodward also warned Mr Cameron against changing his mind over the type of jet to buy for the carriers under construction. Conventional Joint Strike Fighters had been ordered but the Prime Minister is now e
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04/02/2012
A surveillance aircraft operated by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command flew over southeastern Yemen on the evening of March 9, tracking a mid-level Al Qaeda commander as he drove to his mountain hideout.
American missiles soon rained down. The Al Qaeda commander was killed, along with 22 other suspected militants, most of them believed to be young recruits receiving military training, U.S. officials said.
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04/02/2012
Brazil is in the "final chapters" of making a decision to award a lucrative jet fighter deal, the defence minister Celso Amorim said on Saturday. Amorim indicated that the decision could be expected within a few months.
Swedish manufacturer Saab's Gripen jet fighter is up against the Rafale fighter, made by French firm Dassault Aviation and US aviation giant Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet for a tender from Brazil to supply 36 multi-role combat aircraft.
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04/02/2012
The Harper government will commit to re-evaluating the F-35 fighter jet program Tuesday, in response to a scathing Auditor-General’s report that is expected to charge Department of National Defence officials with misleading Parliament.
The government will respond to the report from new Auditor-General, Michael Ferguson, by launching a multi-pronged action plan that includes a freeze on spending on the F-35 at $9-billion and committing to annual updates to Parliament on the progress of the pro
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04/02/2012
Drones have become the favorite weapon system of the Obama administration, currently in use in several countries around the world by both intelligence services and the military. Be it for spying or killing, drones keep pilots safe thousands of miles away as they spend sometimes days in the air. Now imagine if drones could spend months in the air.
Just as nuclear energy is used to keep submarines and ships at sea for months on end, plans have been drawn up to give drones a similar capability i
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04/02/2012
Raytheon Company's Small Tactical Munition Phase II scored a direct hit on a target during the weapon's first guided flight test.
"STM Phase II is ideally suited to weaponize Shadow-class unmanned aircraft systems and counterinsurgency aircraft because STM is a mature, precise and affordable weapon," said Dr. Thomas R. Bussing, vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "STM gives warfighters flexibility because it enables them to engage moving and
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04/01/2012
Sailor-suited Russian models touted their nation's submarines. Indian officers posed for pictures atop foreign-made armor-plated vehicles.
And working the room at New Delhi's aging exhibition center were French, British and U.S. arms merchants from global-defense giants, elbowing one another aside in the search for a deal at Defexpo India 2012, the country's biggest-ever weapons trade show.
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03/31/2012
More than 1,200 distinguished visitors filled the Patrol Squadron 30 hangar at Naval Air Station Jacksonville March 28 to celebrate the first fleet delivery of the P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft.
"In the same year that our maritime patrol and reconnaissance force (MPRF) is celebrating 50 years of service for the P-3 Orion, we're also celebrating the fleet introduction of P-8 Poseidon," said Capt. Mark Stevens, VP-30 commanding officer and master of ceremonies.
In his remarks, Vice Chief
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03/31/2012
The military services expect to unveil performance specifications this summer for a new joint vertical-lift aircraft, Maj. Gen. William T. Crosby told congressmen.
Crosby, director of the Army’s Program Executive Office Aviation, testified Tuesday afternoon to the House Armed Services Committee, subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces at a hearing on rotorcraft modernization programs. His counterparts from the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force also testified.
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03/31/2012
Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos has developed an anti-aircraft carrier variant of the 290-km supersonic cruise missile.
"We have achieved the capability to attack aircraft carriers using the supersonic vertical diving variant of the missile and after demonstrating the capability recently with high precision, we will now offer this to the Indian Navy," BrahMos chief A Sivathanu Pillai said here today.
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03/29/2012
Sudan sent military aircraft over a key South Sudanese city Tuesday as part of a two-day bombing campaign that has targeted South Sudanese military positions along the two nations' disputed border. No explosives fell from the aircraft, a pair of Russian-made Antonov cargo planes that Sudan has long used to drop bombs on opposing forces, as they "hovered" above Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan's Unity state.
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03/29/2012
Having missed many deadlines for its maiden flight, the naval prototype of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-NP1) is finally expected to fly this week. The LCA-NP1, the country’s first indigenous effort to build a carrier borne naval fighter aircraft, was scheduled to be flight-tested last year. However, technical problems led to postponements a couple of times. “We are looking at scheduling the flight anytime now. Final trials are currently on,” said DRDO sources.
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03/29/2012
The Gillard Government has confirmed it is considering allowing US military surveillance drones to be based on Australian soil. Defence Minister Stephen Smith says a base on the strategically important Cocos Islands is a long-term prospect. But it's a prospect that's winning support from key Australian military experts.
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03/29/2012
Azerbaijan purchased a variety of weaponry, including aerial drones and an advanced anti-missile capable radar, from Israel under a $1.6 bln contract signed in 2011, the APA news agency said on Tuesday, citing data provided by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). According to the SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Baku bought an unknown number of Gabriel anti-ship missiles, five Heron and five Searcher UAV’s, a Barak-8 air defense system with 75 missiles.
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03/29/2012
Boeing today announced that the UK Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement for the acquisition of one C-17 Globemaster III, bringing the Royal Air Force (RAF) fleet of the world’s most advanced airlifters to a total of eight. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the eighth C-17 later this year.
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03/29/2012
Boeing delivered the last of the Chilean Air Force’s three KC-135E Stratotankers on March 9 after all the aircraft completed Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) in San Antonio. The final aircraft arrived at Boeing’s San Antonio facility in June for the maintenance work, which included a variety of depot-level inspections, repairs, maintenance, modification and repainting.
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03/28/2012
Senior leaders from Air Force Reserve Command assembled here March 26-27 during the 2012 Senior Leader Conference to discuss the future of the command.
The theme of this year's conference was "Full Operational Capability: Full Spectrum Combat Capability with Unparalleled Efficiency" and how the Air Force Reserve fits into the big picture of the total force.
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03/28/2012
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer said on Wednesday it booked $180 million in orders for its Super Tucano light attack fighters for border monitoring and counter-insurgency missions in Burkina Faso, Angola and Mauritania.
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03/28/2012
Before the launch of a top-secret spy satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, a fleet of small drones will be doing some spying of their own.
In yet another use of robotic aircraft, RQ-11 Raven drones equipped with high-powered video cameras will fly around the craggy launch site northwest of Santa Barbara, scouring the ground below to ensure that the area is clear for blastoff.
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03/28/2012
The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) scoping out the possibility of buying a full-motion simulator for its fleet of Polish-built PZL M-28 Skytruck light transport aircraft.
A Request for Information (RfI) issued by the USAF is designed to help the service in "assessing the viability of procuring an M-28A Weapons System Trainer," the document reads. The USAF asks potential contractor to respond by 30 April.
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03/27/2012
Embraer said it expects a cancelled US Air Force contract for light attack aircraft to be re-tendered “within weeks” in a deal seen as crucial to the defence ambitions of the Brazilian aircraft producer. Embraer’s bid to sell 20 of its Super Tucano to the US for use in Afghanistan comes as the world’s third largest commercial jet maker is looking to grow its defence sales by nearly 10 per cent this year.
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03/27/2012
AUSTRALIA'S Cocos Islands territory could be used as a staging point for spy flights by United States military drones over the South China Sea, according to an US newspaper report.
Citing US and Australian sources, The Washington Post said the Pentagon was eyeing the Indian Ocean territory's coral atolls as an ideal site to launch Global Hawk surveillance drones, as well as manned surveillance flights.
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03/27/2012
The severe budget austerity gripping much of Europe does not augur well for air forces looking to achieve leaps in capability for the next decade. It is somewhat a matter of luck, then, that foreign demand is effectively pushing stingy treasuries to provide funding to field upgrades. The list of European militaries likely to benefit from these export-driven enhancements is long and includes the Swedish, French, British and German air forces.
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03/27/2012
Business leaders, elected officials and others in Michigan are joining forces to persuade Air Force brass to pull back the throttle on their plan to cut hundreds of Air National Guard personnel in Macomb County, Battle Creek and Alpena. The planned cuts have done the seemingly unthinkable.
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03/27/2012
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer has selected AdaCore's GNAT Pro avionics software as part of its strategy to upgrade Brazilian Air Force AMX combat aircraft. GNAT Pro, a commercial-grade open source software written in Ada computer programming language, has seen its usage expand from aviation to other means of transport and public and private sector systems.
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03/27/2012
Europe's ability to develop next-generation combat aircraft has been dangerously eroded, and will reach "a point of no return" unless collaborative funding decisions are made soon, a new industry study warns. Commissioned by the European Defence Agency (EDA), the Future Air Systems for Europe (FAS4Europe) group study says "the situation for future air systems is severe, with some important industrial capabilities and technologies already at risk".
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03/27/2012
The message is embarrassing but clear: with India failing to get its act together to build a strong defence-industrial base (DIB) unlike China, it will continue to be the world's largest arms importer in the foreseeable future. So, gleeful global armament giants are again lining up to hard-sell their aircraft, helicopters, drones, submarines, howitzers, futuristic infantry combat vehicles, missiles, assault rifles and carbines at India's biennial arms jamboree here.
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03/27/2012
The first night refueling in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 program was completed Thursday at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Piloted by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt, AF-4, an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant, rendezvoused with an Air Force KC-135 tanker and successfully received fuel through the F-35’s boom receptacle.
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03/27/2012
Airbus Military has successfully completed receiver qualification of the two primary aircraft-types that the UAE Air Force will refuel from the three A330 MRTT multi role tanker transports that it currently has on order.
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03/26/2012
It may seem difficult to believe, but the United States can fly an unarmed military reconnaissance aircraft anywhere over Russia and 32 other nations, with only 24 hours notice of the intended flight plan. The Russian Federation has a reciprocal right to conduct aerial photography flights over the United States and other treaty members. Over 840 of these reconnaissance missions have been flown over Europe, Russia and North America since 2002 under the auspices of the Open Skies Treaty.
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03/26/2012
Congress and the Pentagon are in favor of commissioning stealthy new bombers at $55 billion apiece. But it's not clear why we need so many expensive features. When the Obama administration dispatched three B-2 bombers from a Missouri air base on March 19 last year to cross the ocean and reach Libya, it put roughly $9 billion worth of America's most prized military assets into the air.
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03/26/2012
There have been a number of articles lately about the U.S. developing a new unmanned aerial vehicle in secret. Dave Majumdar, at Air Force Times, recently had an article about how the U.S. Air Force’s decision to postpone development of a next generation unmanned combat aircraft suggests that service might be developing something else in the “black world.”
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03/26/2012
A recent study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicates India was the biggest arms importer in the period 2007-11, accounting for 10 percent in the weapons volume. China, which in 2006 and 2007 was the world’s top arms importer, has now dropped to fourth place. Globally the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons was 24 percent higher during 2007-11, as compared to the 2002-06.
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03/26/2012
Boeing will showcase a comprehensive portfolio of products and services at Defexpo India 2012, including the C-17 Globemaster III, P-8I, AH-64D Apache, CH-47F Chinook, V-22 Osprey, ScanEagle and 737 Airborne Early Warning & Control. Defexpo takes place March 29 to April 1 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
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03/25/2012
A decision on the choice of the Royal Navy's new combat jet has been delayed yet again following disagreements between senior officers and defence ministers. The Government is poised to perform an about-turn on its choice of plane to fly from two new aircraft carriers that will enter service in 2020.
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03/25/2012
The US Air Force has begun to deploy Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors upgraded with enhanced air-to-ground strike capabilities to the operational fleet, starting with the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. "The 525th Fighter Squadron was the first Combat Air Forces squadron to receive an [Increment] 3.1 modified aircraft," says squadron commander Lt Col Paul "Max" Moga.
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03/25/2012
With the guts of a Boeing 767 commercial airplane, the new KC-46A air refueling tanker, under development by the Air Force, will present a significant advancement in refueling technology when it rolls off the assembly line in four or five years.
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03/25/2012
Media coverage of President Barack Obama’s high-profile visit to Australia and plan to boost U.S. presence in Asia may mask America’s shrinking global footprint. The combination of concern over China and the U.S. debt crisis could set Washington on a course to becoming a mere regional power in the Asia Pacific.
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03/24/2012
The U.S. Air Force has released a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the combat rescue helicopter (CRH) program, a successor to the ill-fated CSAR-X competition to replace the service’s Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk search-and-rescue helicopters. The CRH will be a scaled-back version of the $15 billion CSAR-X program. The Pentagon settled on Boeing’s HH-47 Chinook in 2006 for the program but ultimately cancelled the order in 2009 after successive protests, amended proposals and delays.
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03/24/2012
Iran is providing a broad array of assistance to Syrian President Bashar Assad to help him suppress anti-government protests, from high-tech surveillance technology to guns and ammunition, U.S. and European security officials say. Tehran's technical assistance to Assad's security forces includes electronic surveillance systems, technology designed to disrupt efforts by protesters to communicate via social media, and Iranian-made drone aircraft for overhead surveillance, the officials said.
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03/24/2012
The US Navy has intervened over the adaptation of a British aircraft carrier for a new generation of fighter jets, to assure ministers that the cost will be less than half the Ministry of Defence’s estimate. Converting HMS Prince of Wales so that it can be used by the Joint Strike Fighter will require significantly less than the £2 billion quoted by officials, the assistant secretary of the US Navy, Sean J Stackley, insisted.
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03/24/2012
The Sukhoi Company will show off its multi-purpose Su-35 fighter of the 4++ generation at the upcoming on March 27 17th International Aerospace Exhibition FIDAE 2012 in Santiago, Chile. A model airplane will be presented on the stand of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which includes the Sukhoi holding company.
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03/24/2012
China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) conducted a first-of-its-kind live-fire air attack drill on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, state media reported on Thursday. The PLAAF's J-10 fighters conducted ground attack training in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), testing its capabilities at the 3,500-metre-high plateau amid freezing temperatures, the PLA Daily reported.
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03/24/2012
On Friday the 23rd of March, 2012, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence released the new White Paper for the Norwegian Defence Sector. The paper builds on the significant improvements made over the course of the previous years while ensuring that the Norwegian Armed Forces remain capable of meeting both current and future operational requirements.
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03/24/2012
Russia’s Defense Ministry has ordered 30 heavy Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter planes. Given that the same model has been exported to India for more than 10 years, this choice seems both logical and pragmatic. The Defense Ministry and the Irkut Corporation, an affiliate of the United Aircraft Corporation, have signed a supply contract for 30 Su-30SM multirole fighter aircraft, a Defense Ministry spokesman told journalists Thursday, March 22.
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03/24/2012
Selex Galileo has added new modes to the long-selling Grifo fire control radar and has also designed a pod-mounted version. Angelo Aprile, the company’s head of capability in Italy, told the Military Flight Training conference in London organized by Defence IQ that more than 450 “advanced but affordable” Grifo systems have been sold worldwide. Applications include the F-5E/F, Mirage III, L-159, F-7 (Chinese-built MiG-21bis) and Sikorsky HH-60 helicopter.
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03/23/2012
Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and President of the IRKUT Corporation Alexey Fedorov, have signed a contract on Su-30SM multirole fighters delivery for the Russian Armed Forces. Under the contract, the IRKUT Corporation will supply to the Defence Ministry 30 aircraft of this type by 2015.
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03/23/2012
The actions of a Missouri senator effectively have killed any chances of a new round of domestic military base closures next year. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday she will kill any plan to set in motion another Base Realignment and Closure round in 2013.
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03/23/2012
France's Dassault Aviation on Thursday posted a 10 percent rise in net profit to USD 536 million and expressed confidence about foreign sales of its Rafale fighter plane. "Concerning military aircraft, there are decisive opportunities ... concerning the Rafale and drones," the company said in presenting its 2011 results.
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03/23/2012
Analysts at Forecast International are predicting a downturn in the military helicopter market that will last for several years. The consulting company, which is based in Newtown, Connecticut, says that 4,384 medium- to heavy-lift military rotorcraft worth $104 billion will be built during the next 10 years.
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03/23/2012
Indian officials are preoccupied by China’s growing military power. They would do better to fix their own incoherent defense establishment. Modern India is economically and strategically buoyant, and has every reason to feel confident as the 21st century progresses. So it’s strange to think that this same confident place is developing an inferiority complex over China’s military power.
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03/23/2012
Some modernization programs may be delayed, but not reduced or cancelled due to a tightening of the budget, senior Army leaders told senators Wednesday. Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno testified Wednesday morning to the Senate Appropriations Committee, subcommittee on Defense regarding the service's fiscal year 2013 budget request.
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03/23/2012
The projects are part of the European Union's efforts to pool and share military resources as the debt crisis and a US strategic pivot towards Asia forces Europe's armed forces to band together. The ministers, who met in Brussels, emphasized in a statement "the urgent political necessity to retain and develop the military capabilities for sustaining and enhancing" their common security policy.
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03/23/2012
The U.S. military is investigating whether an attack helicopter pilot was “showing off” when he made a low pass over a remote Afghan outpost and then slammed violently into the ground, according to a defense official. The dramatic crash was captured on amateur eyewitness video, which recently surfaced online.
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03/23/2012
Proposals for the development of weaponry based on futuristic concepts will be ready by December this year to be included in the next state arms procurement program, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Thursday. “The development of weaponry based on new physics principles; direct-energy weapons, geophysical weapons, wave-energy weapons, genetic weapons, psychotronic weapons, etc..
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03/22/2012
For the third time in the last six months the Israeli Air Force has hosted foreign fighter pilots for tactical training. Israeli fighter pilots are considered the best trained in the world, and Israel maintains a special training program, complete with pilots trained and equipped to operate as likely foes would, to train their own pilots. The latest nation to send fighters and pilots for training is Poland, flying F-16s in for that purpose.
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03/22/2012
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC , a global power systems company, said Thursday it has received recent contracts exceeding $275 million to provide support services for the U.S. Armed Services.
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03/22/2012
India has replaced China as the world’s largest arms buyer, accounting for 10 percent of all arms purchases during the past five years, a Swedish research group said. India purchased some $12.7 billion in arms, 80 percent of that from Russia, during 2007-2011, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). China’s arms purchases during that time were $6.3 billion, 78 percent of which came from Russia.
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03/22/2012
The past few years have made it abundantly clear that the mid-term future of airpower is not what a lot of people planned. Large-scale procurement of the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has slipped into the 2020s. The aircraft types in service today—which made their first flights as much as 40 years ago—will be the world’s frontline fleets through the rest of this decade, and will make up the majority of fighting forces well into the 2020s.
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03/22/2012
The U.S. Pacific Air Forces issued the following news release: Four squadrons of F-18s from the Naval Air Facility at Atsugi Japan, along with approximately 550 military aircrew personnel, are at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) until April 10 for the Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program (SFARP). The fighter squadrons deploy to the island biannually for air-to-air and air-to-ground training to maintain the proficiency and readiness of the air wing.
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03/22/2012
Here we go again. Another federal budget battle is under way. On Tuesday, the Ohio Air National Guard’s 179th Airlift Wing based at Mansfield hosted an event for media around the state, along with members of the Ohio Congressional delegation. The purpose was to acquaint the visitors with the U.S. Air Force’s budget-cutting proposal, which includes eliminating the C-27J cargo planes.
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03/22/2012
Since China announced another big rise in its military spending earlier this month, Chinese officials in Beijing and diplomats posted in Asia-Pacific countries have been trying to spread an orchestrated message to the region: Don't be alarmed. China is in a bind. Its declared defense budget, already the second highest in the world after the United States, will increase by 11.2 percent this year to $106.4 billion, after a 12.7 percent hike in 2011.
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03/22/2012
China has conducted a massive military exercise in the high altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, close to the disputed borders with India, during which it has for the first time tested the multi-role J-10 fighter jets. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force have conducted ground attack training over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the “first operation of its kind”, official media here reported.
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03/22/2012
Russia's Defense Ministry has signed an order with aircraft-maker Irkut for 30 Su-30SM multirole fighter aircraft, a military spokesman said on Thursday. "According to the contract, the company will deliver 30 of these aircraft to the Russian Defense Ministry by 2015," he said. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
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03/21/2012
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed into a South Korean rice paddy Wednesday, about 150 miles south of Seoul, near Kunsan Air Base.
The fighter jet crashed after the pilot safely ejected, and no injuries were reported, according to a 51st Fighter Wing news release.
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03/21/2012
The Air Force is replacing handles that engage the F-22 Raptor fighter jet's emergency oxygen system after pilots reported feeling lightheaded and the death of a captain whose $143 million aircraft took a nosedive into a mountain range in Alaska. Capt. Jeffrey Haney was killed in November 2010 during a night mission about 100 miles north of Anchorage.
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03/21/2012
The deal for procuring six mid-air refueller aircraft for the Air Force has entered its last phase with the IAF completing the field trials of the planes on offer. Airbus Military, one of the contenders of the deal, on Wednesday said the winter trials of the aircraft were concluded by the end of the last year during which the IAF checked the planes against all its specific requirements.
(Read More...)
03/21/2012
As the British defence sector prepares to submit what could be one of the most significant deals in defence contracting with the UAE Air force, the British government is stepping up efforts to court its Gulf partners.
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03/21/2012
The U.S. Central Command plans to bolster military capabilities against Iran by fielding new laser target-trackers for machine guns, enhanced sensors for underwater vehicles, improved protection against drone attacks and upgrades of U-2 spy planes. The Tampa, Florida-based command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, also wants to shift $5.5 million in previously approved funds to buy Gatling guns for Navy coastal patrol craft, according to budget documents.
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03/21/2012
Korean Air on Tuesday made its first delivery of a rewired U.S. fighter plane from its Busan Tech Center under a $400 million order it won from the U.S. Air Force last September. Under the deal, Korean Air will work on 60 F-15 fighters stationed in the Pacific region by 2016, replacing their tail wings and re-wiring them in line with the U.S. military’s project to improve its combat strength. Korean Air will also carry out maintenance work.
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03/21/2012
The Philippines is allowing US drones to conduct reconnaissance flights over its territory but strikes from the unmanned planes are banned, President Benigno Aquino said Tuesday. "For reconnaissance," Aquino told AFP in an interview when asked if US drones were operating in the southern Philippines where hundreds of American troops have been helping to contain an Islamic militant threat for a decade.
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03/21/2012
Drone crews protect U.S. ground troops by watching over them 24 hours a day from high above. Sitting before video screens thousands of miles from their remote-controlled aircraft, the crews scan for enemy ambushes and possible roadside bombs, while also monitoring what the military calls "patterns of life." Only rarely do drone crews fire on the enemy. The rest of the time, they sit and watch. For hours on end. Day after day.
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03/21/2012
A new cruise missile has entered service with the Russian Air Force’s strategic long-range arms division, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Tuesday. He did not provide any details, only saying it was an air-launched long range missile. AF chief Col Gen Alexander Zelin previously said the new cruise missile was developed by the Taktitcheskoye Raketnoye Vooruzhenie (Tactical Missile) defense corporation and that its specifications were secret.
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03/21/2012
Russia has offered to pay $2 million a year for the use of a training airbase in Ukraine’s Crimea, up from $700,000, the Kommersant-Ukraina newspaper reported on Tuesday. Ukraine said last April that India and China were showing interest in the training facility, after which Russia offered to pay more in rent.
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03/21/2012
“The people of Boeing extend our deepest sympathies to the McDonnell family, and join them in mourning Sandy’s passing. Sandy’s commitment to his colleagues and customers, his country, and his community during his 40-year career and throughout his lifetime, was extraordinary,” said Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney.
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03/20/2012
Officials announced a popular name change for the MC130J here March 9 that honors the Air Commando legacy and capitalizes on the versatility of the aircraft. "Air Force Special Operation Command MC-130Js will be equipped to fly various missions and will be called Commando II," said Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, the AFSOC commander, in the memorandum requesting the change. "This name best reflects the multi-mission role of the aircraft and the units that will fly them."
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03/20/2012
A classified war simulation held this month to assess the repercussions of an Israeli attack on Iran forecasts that the strike would lead to a wider regional war, which could draw in the United States and leave hundreds of Americans dead, according to American officials.
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03/20/2012
Bingen-based Insitu Inc. has signed a contract to supply its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft to the Netherlands to fly surveillance missions for the nation’s Ministry of Defense. The Netherlands’ military has been using a different unmanned system, which will soon be replaced by the ScanEagle, said Jill Vacek, a spokeswoman for Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co. She would not disclose the number of aircraft ordered or the dollar amount of the Netherlands’ contract.
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03/20/2012
David Cameron will perform a humiliating U-turn over the warplanes that will fly from the Royal Navy’s planned new aircraft carriers. Military chiefs have advised him to axe plans to buy the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter after the cost of converting the carriers to fly them trebled to £2billion.
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03/20/2012
Anatolian Falcon 2012, a bilateral training exercise between the Turkish and U.S. air forces, ended here March 16. The exercise was designed to strengthen military interoperability between the two nations and test the air forces' abilities to conduct a variety of air missions to include interdiction, attack, air superiority, defense suppression, airlift, air refueling and reconnaissance.
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03/20/2012
Syria has supplied Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah militia with advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft missile systems and is training operators how to use them, Israel’s Haaretz daily reported citing a high-ranking military source. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is worried that Syrian deliveries of huge quantities of surface-to-air missiles could change the balance of power in the region and jeopardize Israel’s aerial supremacy.
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03/20/2012
India has not paid sufficient attention to its defence and security needs. Faced with deteriorating finances, acute fiscal distress, huge shortfall in tax collection and disinvestment, as well as miscalculation of subsidies, the government had decided on an unusual step: cutting the defence budget for this fiscal. The Centre proposed a cut of ‘a few thousand crores’ in the defence budget of 2011-12.
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03/20/2012
India has topped a rating of the world's largest heavy arms importers, released on Monday by the independent Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), researching into conflicts, arms control and disarmament. According to the report, India, the largest arms recipient, accounted for 10 percent of global arms imports between 2007 and 2011.
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03/19/2012
AUSTRALIAN Defence Force heavy-lift and amphibious capability has been boosted with the purchase of a sixth C-17 Globemaster cargo plane at a cost of $280 million and an off-shore support ship for $130 million. The additional C-17 purchase will bring to six the number of Globemasters available to the Royal Australian Air Force for military deployment support or disaster relief, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said.
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03/19/2012
China, the world’s top weapons importer for much of the past decade, fell to fourth from second on an annual list from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute as it produces more arms at home. China received 5 percent of the volume of international transfers of “major conventional weapons” from 2007 to 2011, Sipri said in a report released today.
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03/19/2012
Military helicopter experts at the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in Mesa, Ariz., are moving forward with the Apache Block III attack helicopter program with a $187 million contract Friday from the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., for development, integration and testing requirements on the Apache Block III program.
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03/19/2012
Air Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt took over as the new chief of the air staff of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) at a ceremony held here at the Air Headquarters on Monday. Born in 1955, Air Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt received his early education at PAF Public School, Sargodha. Subsequently, he joined Pakistan Air Force and graduated from PAF Academy, Risalpur in March, 1977.
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03/19/2012
Syria imported nearly six times more weapons in 2007-2011 than in the previous five-year period, with Russia accounting for 72 percent of the arms supplies to President Bashar Assad's regime, an international research institute said Monday.
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03/19/2012
Recently, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that it was changing its Procurement decision on the Joint Strike Fighter, the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II, from the STOVL F-35B to the CV F-35C, with a planned order of 50 aircraft. It was deemed that the extra payload and range capability of the F-35C, coupled with the larger deck size of the new carrier provided a cost-effective procurement compared with the F-35B.
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03/19/2012
One year ago, on March 19, 2011, Western leaders, alarmed by the disaster unfolding in Libya, voted in the U.N. Security Council to intervene militarily with "all necessary means," arguing that they could not stand by and watch civilians get massacred. As a result of the U.N. resolution, NATO launched a bombing campaign, led by Britain, France and the U.S., and flew about 10,000 bombing sorties over Libya, helping to obliterate Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year dictatorship in just seven months.
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03/18/2012
Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) finally awarded the Russian Aircraft Corporation a firm order for 24 MiG-29 carrier-capable fighters. MiG will deliver 20 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four MiG-29KUB two-seaters between 2013 and 2015. The Russian Navy stated its intention to introduce the MiG-29K two years ago, but the order was not confirmed until now. Currently, Russia’s sole carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, is equipped with Sukhoi Su-33 fighters modified from the original Su-27 design.
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03/18/2012
It’s true that the fly boys of Thunder over Utah widen our eyes as they streak across our skies, it’s true that we are awestruck and entertained, and it is true that thousands coming into town to enjoy the show ought bring a weekend boost to our local economy. But when you stop and listen to more than the roar of those jets, you find that these fly boys and the fine crewmen that accompany them are here on a mission, a mission that echoes from their proud calling.
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03/18/2012
An expert on Communist China says the United States could be making a grave mistake by cutting back on defense spending while China is doing just the opposite. Beijing recently announced a new defense budget of approximately $106 billion, which equates to an 11.2-percent increase. Cheng says this increase coupled with last years 12.7 percent increase means that China is now spending more on its military than all other Asian nations combined.
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03/18/2012
A top U.S. Air Force official on Friday disputed the conclusions of an Ohio Air Guard captain that have caught the attention of the Pentagon and Congress - its assertion that the service inflated the lifecycle costs of its C-27J Spartan in order to justify killing the aircraft. Congress has repeatedly questioned service leaders about the analysis done to justify the cuts made to the Air Guard in the service’s 2013 budget submission.
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03/18/2012
The Canadian Forces hope to save $90 million a year by pulling out of NATO programs operating unmanned aerial vehicles as well as airborne early warning planes, according to documents obtained by the Citizen. Defence Minister Peter MacKay gave U.S. officials a heads-up last year about the withdrawal, pointing out that it will free up 142 Canadians assigned to NATO for new jobs, the documents show.
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03/18/2012
Drone crews protect U.S. ground troops by watching over them 24 hours a day from high above. Sitting before video screens thousands of miles from their remote-controlled aircraft, the crews scan for enemy ambushes and possible roadside bombs, while also monitoring what the military calls "patterns of life." Only rarely do drone crews fire on the enemy. The rest of the time, they sit and watch. For hours on end. Day after day. It can get monotonous and, yes, boring. It can also be gut-wrenchin.
(Read More...)
03/17/2012
As China starts to put together a modern, integrated air force, which could reach 1,000 fighters by 2020, it is developing the components of a future force of stealthier combat aircraft, new bombers and unmanned, hypersonic and possibly space-based combat platforms. These could emerge as soon as the early 2020s.
(Read More...)
03/17/2012
Australia's first Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, the forerunner of as many as 100 advanced combat aircraft, is set to start down the production line in the next few weeks. Air Vice Marshal Kym Osley, head of defence's new air combat capability program, rejected criticism of the JSF by organisations such as Air Power Australia (APA) on grounds they had not seen all the classified US data on the aircraft's performance.
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03/17/2012
Rescuers have found the wreckage of a Norwegian military plane that crashed with five people on board during an exercise in northern Sweden. Rescue spokesman Mathias Hansson told The Associated Press that parts of the C-130 cargo aircraft were found early Saturday scattered over a glacier on mount Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain.
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03/17/2012
Biplanes once ruled the skies in the pioneering days of aviation and World War I. Now the old aircraft design could make a comeback in the silent supersonic jets of tomorrow. A newer version of the biplane could reach supersonic cruising speeds without causing ear-splitting sonic booms, according to computer simulations by MIT and Stanford University researchers. They built upon the design of German engineer Adolf Busemann, who originally envisioned triangular wings connected at their tips.
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03/17/2012
With a primary source of funding for commercial satellite capacity drying up, the U.S. Department of Defense must find an alternative means to feed the tremendous appetite for bandwidth generated by unmanned aircraft, according to a U.S. Air Force official. For the past decade or so, the Pentagon has relied heavily on Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) accounts funded by wartime supplemental appropriations bills to pay for commercial satellite services.
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03/17/2012
The U.S. military has awarded contracts for UAVs to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services potentially worth nearly $1.5 billion. The main beneficiary appears to be AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, which proposed the Australian-built Aerosonde small unmanned aircraft system.
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03/17/2012
Filled with military deals harvested over the past few years, the Indian defense pie is getting bigger and sweeter, on land and in the air. But the country faces major hurdles in making those plans real. First, the good news: Over the next five years, India plans to renovate or replace its Soviet-era kit with $50 billion in new equipment, making Asia’s third largest economy a lucrative market for foreign companies such as Boeing and Dassault.
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03/17/2012
A Turkish military helicopter has crashed into a house near the Afghan capital, killing 12 Turkish soldiers on board and two young girls on the ground, Turkish and Afghan officials say. The helicopter, a Sikorsky, was on a mission for US-led NATO forces when it went down near Kabul on Friday, the Turkish military said in a statement. 'Twelve of our military personnel on board were martyred,' it said.
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03/17/2012
Modernization of the over 13-lakh strong armed forces will continue in a steady albeit sluggish manner, with the defence outlay being hiked to Rs 1,93,408 crore (around $39 billion) to cater for some major fighter, aircraft, helicopter and howitzer deals to be inked in the coming fiscal.
(Read More...)
03/17/2012
Iranian experts managed to produce a new type of drone which is capable of carrying out military and border patrol missions. The new remote-controlled aircraft, called Shaparak (Butterfly), has a maximum operational radius of 50 kilometers (31 miles), and a maximum flight ceiling of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), Reza Danandeh Hakamabad, the aeronautics engineer in charge of the project, said on Friday.
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03/16/2012
Advanced anti-aircraft missiles which belonged to former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi have fallen into the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah, according to a new report. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department.
Speaking to Aviation Week, which first broke this story, about the Russian made hardware, the Israeli official said,“They are in the Gaza Strip. I don’t know in what numbers. They also are in Lebanon.”
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03/16/2012
MIT says it is trying to make design changes to military drones that will enable the aircraft to recognize the hand gestures of flight crew assigned to guide them on to the deck of aircraft carriers. The Navy has long-term plans to add robotic drones to carrier air wings, and Northrop Grumman's San Diego operation has has been doing work on a prototype of the plane known as the X-47B.
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03/16/2012
Search crews were looking for a Norwegian military aircraft that went missing over Swedish mountains Thursday, officials said. The Hercules airplane from the Norwegian Air Force was taking part in a military exercise when it lost radio contact with authorities, said Per Froberg, a spokesman for Sweden's air navigation services. There were five people on board.
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03/16/2012
U.S. Air Force officials confirmed Wednesday they are considering a counterproposal to a plan for cutting 5,100 jobs in the Air National Guard, including 152 at the Fort Wayne base.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said he and the chiefs of the National Guard Bureau and the Air National Guard have been reviewing suggestions on base realignments offered two weeks ago by President Obama’s Council of Governors.
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03/16/2012
China’s Defence Budget 2012 announced in the first week of March 2012 significantly draws global and regional attention in that China has shot through its defence expenditure over the $ 100 billion mark, making China’s military expenditure at the global level, second only to that of the United States, even though there exists a wide differential between the two.
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03/16/2012
With several defence deals including the one to procure 126 combat aircraft for the IAF expected to be clinched this year, the Defence Budget was today substantially hiked by more than 17 per cent to Rs 1,93,407 crore from last year's Rs 1,64,415 crore. Of the total outlay, over Rs 79,500 crore would be spent on procuring modern weapons systems and military hardware.
(Read More...)
03/16/2012
Moscow and Sofia signed a deal to repair and modernize Soviet-era helicopters in Bulgaria, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said on Thursday. The agreement “to organize repairs and modernization of Mi-17 (Mi-8) and Mi-35 (Mi-24) helicopters and its modifications” was signed in Bulgaria’s defense ministry on March 9.
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03/16/2012
The final Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took to the skies for its first test flight here yesterday with company test pilot, Bret Luedke at the controls. Raptor 4195 has a May delivery date and will join other F-22s in the U.S. Air Force’s 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
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03/16/2012
Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has been awarded a three-year contract to perform aircraft surface finishing services for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft fleet. The contract, worth approximately AUS$20 million, involves preparing, remediating and painting AP-3C Orion, C-130H Hercules, F/A-18 Hornet, and Hawk-127 aircraft across multiple locations in Australia and New Zealand.
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03/16/2012
Boeing has completed delivery of the U.S. Navy's first aircraft acquired through the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) III contract, ahead of schedule. Aircraft G-57, an EA-18G Growler, was the first of 148 F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs that the Navy will purchase through the contract. The aircraft was delivered to the Navy on Jan. 26 and arrived at its home base at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on Jan. 30.
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03/15/2012
The widow of an Air Force pilot who died in an F-22 Raptor crash has sued the makers of the fighter, claiming that malfunctions in the aircraft’s oxygen generation system killed her husband. Anna Haney filed suit Monday against Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell International and Pratt & Whitney in Cook County Court, Ill. Her husband, Capt. Jeff Haney, crashed his F-22 in November 2010 in Alaska, where he was stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
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03/15/2012
Canada is actively rethinking a multibillion-dollar purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet or reducing numbers to keep within its present budget, senior officials said. The F-35 has seen its development costs balloon out of control over the past decade, critics said, and the result is a price which is almost double the original figure.
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03/15/2012
Today President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron reaffirmed their commitment to continue close cooperation on defense as the United States and United Kingdom build their Armed Forces for the future. The U.S. and UK share an unprecedented defense relationship that has helped secure our shared interests and values since the World Wars of the last century.
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03/15/2012
According to the Indian Press Information Bureau, the following information was given March 14, 2012, by the Indian Minister of Defence, Shri AK Antony, and Minister of State for Defence, Shri MM Pallam Raju, in written replies to members of the Parliament of India.
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03/15/2012
After the North Korean leader made his first visit to the tense demilitarised border and Pyongyang agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons programme, United States and South Korean aircraft joined forces in this huge display of F-16 Fighting Falcons. As these pictures from Kunsan Air Base show, hundreds of the jet fighters stretched as far as the eye could see.
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03/15/2012
The Marine Corps said on Wednesday it would cut four infantry battalions and 12 flying squadrons over the next five years as it shrinks by 20,000 personnel to meet budget constraints and peacetime needs after more than a decade of war.
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03/15/2012
Above a small base in southern Afghanistan, a spy blimp captured video of the perpetrator of Sunday’s massacre surrendering to base forces. The question now becomes what other aspects of the killings, which left 16 Afghan civilians dead, are detailed in that video — or in any other footage that may have been shot by the U.S. military’s innumerable surveillance sensors in the region.
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03/15/2012
Technology has become more important than ever in the defense of our country. From drone aircraft to something as small as a smartphone, new technology encompasses nearly every part of military life.
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03/15/2012
An Afghan civilian stole a military pickup truck, rammed through a fence, and crashed into a ditch by a runway around the time that a plane carrying Defense Secretary Leon Panetta landed at an airfield in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, US officials said. Panetta was unharmed and carried on with his visit as planned. Pentagon officials said they could not immediately confirm that the crash was an attempt to attack Panetta or that it was linked to his visit.
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03/14/2012
U.S. Navy aviation experts are asking the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis to repair and upgrade the U.S. Marine Corps fleet of ageing AV-8B Harrier jump jets under terms of a $30.9 million contract awarded late last week. Boeing will repair various parts supporting the AV-8 vertical-and-short-takeoff-and-landing (VSTOL) attack jets as part of the contract, which was awarded by Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSSUP) Weapon Systems Support segment in Philadelphia.
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03/14/2012
The point man on the F-35 stealth fighter purchase says the Conservative government has not ruled out abandoning the troubled project. "We have not, as yet, discounted the possibility, of course, of backing out of any of the program," Julian Fantino, associate defence minister, told the House of Commons defence committee Tuesday.
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03/14/2012
NATO's intervention in Libya one year ago helped to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and created the conditions for Libya's citizens to end Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi's dictatorship. The military operation highlighted important improvements in European leadership since the Bosnian debacle in the 1990s, but the conditions underlying the Libya mission's success cannot be counted upon to exist again in the future.
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03/14/2012
Russian media and military pundits have been heatedly discussing a second project of a cutting-edge fifth generation fighter that may join the Russian air force. A strong argument in favour of this backup project is competition, although such duplication of effort isn’t always a good thing.
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03/14/2012
The Obama administration has assured the American public that any cuts to defense spending would be part of a reasonably balanced package of reductions, would help reduce record budget deficits, and will be "reversible" if future contingencies require it.
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03/14/2012
Turkey and the United States began a joint military exercise, Anatolian Falcon 2012, in the Central Anatolian city of Konya last week as tensions escalate in Iran and Syria. The combat exercise began March 5 and will continue until March 15, according to a statement released by the Press Operations Center of the US Department of Defense. The point of the 11-day air combat exercise is to increase the interoperability of the two states' air forces.
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03/14/2012
March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- For the second time in its 10-year history auctioning surplus and scrap property for the Department of Defense, Government Liquidation will be selling a record-amount of scrap metal made up of decommissioned military aircraft including F-111 Aardvarks, C-5 Galaxies, F-15 Eagles, C-130 Hercules, S-3 Vikings and A-4 Skyhawks.
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03/14/2012
Russia has no plans to resume the sale of S-300 air defense systems to Iran, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Tuesday. “All restrictions imposed by the UN Security Council will be observed,” the deputy minister said. “I assure you that [the restrictions] are strictly observed and Russia is not acting in breach of sanctions.”
The $800-million contract to supply Iran with the missile system was signed at the end of 2007.
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03/14/2012
Cancelling a contract with Russia state arms exporter Rosoboronexport on the delivery of military helicopters would put the U.S. program of sustaining security in Afghanistan at risk, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said during a briefing on Tuesday.
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03/13/2012
The operational needs of the Israeli air force are increasing constantly, while in parallel its resources are becoming more and more limited. This problem seems international, as is the solution initiated for the Israeli service by Elbit Systems.
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03/13/2012
The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal [MRCA], worth at least 18 billion dollars is turning into a controversy. The whispers of unhappiness that were audible for the past month about the government’s decision to award the contract to the French firm Dassault for its bid for Rafale aircraft, are distinctly getting louder. A first-rate controversy threatens to cast a shadow on this ‘mother of all arms deals’ and may refuse to go away till the 2014 general election.
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03/13/2012
The South Korean Coast Guard has taken delivery of its fourth and final Dirgantara Indonesia/Airbus Military CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). The first two aircraft were delivered in May 2011 and the third in December 2011, said Dirgantara Indonesia in a statement.
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03/13/2012
With the US military facing lean times, the US Air Force's Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is not immune from procurement pressure, despite its importance in providing the combat pilots of the future. Not surprisingly, more expensive bills, such as replacing the command's fleet of 508 ageing Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainers, are also receiving sharper scrutiny by Rice and his superiors in the air force chief of staff's office.
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03/13/2012
One of the variants of India’s new fighter aircraft is running into some problems. The Guardian newspaper is reporting that the naval version of India’s first indigenous fighter — the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-Navy) — has not been able to obtain the certification needed to make its debut flight because of structural issues.
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03/13/2012
The U.S. Department of Defense should drop a $900 million contract with Russian arms sales company Rosoboronexport to supply helicopters to Afghanistan's forces, if Moscow continues to arm the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, 17 senators have said in a statement sent to Pentagon head Leon Panetta, the Foreign Policy Journal reports.
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03/13/2012
Two pilots died after a Kamov Ka-52 (Hokum B) attack helicopter crashed during a training flight near Torzhok in Russia’s Tver Region on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said. “A rescue group found the helicopter some 10 kilometers west of Torzhok air field at 08.45 am Moscow Time” he said. One pilot died immediately in the crash, and the second died in hospital shortly after.
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03/13/2012
The Russian Air Force will receive the first six Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighter jets by the end of 2012, spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Monday. “Su-35 is in the final stages of flight testing at the Akhtubinsk testing and pilot training center [Volga Region],” Drik said. “The first six series-production Su-35s will be delivered to the Air Force by the end of 2012.”
(Read More...)
03/13/2012
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) Post Production Support (PPS) contract from the U.S. Air Force.
(Read More...)
03/13/2012
Boeing and the U.S. Army have successfully completed a series of tests on the company’s Adaptive Vehicle Management System (AVMS), an advanced rotorcraft flight control system. AVMS, which has been in development for two years, delivers enhanced maneuverability and safety while reducing aircrew workload and overall operating costs.
(Read More...)
03/12/2012
Approximately 550 military aircrew personnel and four squadrons of F-18s (VFA-102, VFA-115, VFA195 and VFA-27) from the Naval Air Facility at Atsugi, Japan, are on Guam this week for the Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program. The training excercise begins TODAY, March 12 and runs through April 10.
(Read More...)
03/12/2012
The Chinese government has just announced its plan to boost defense spending by 11.2 percent this year (The Jakarta Post, March 4). China may be reacting to the increasing US military presence in Asia-Pacific region, particularly after President Barack Obama last November revealed a plan to establish a new Marine Corps base in the Northern Territory of Australia, to be manned by 2,500 troops.
(Read More...)
03/12/2012
Yemeni military officials said Sunday that U.S. aircraft carried out four airstrikes in a southern province where al-Qaida-linked militants control several key towns. Two military officials said the airstrikes targeted Khanfar Mountain near the town of Jaar in Abyan province, where al-Qaida is in control. There was no comment from U.S. officials.
(Read More...)
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03/12/2012
SMILE, you're on camera. That's what holidaymakers on North Stradbroke Island will be saying if a plan takes off to get tiny unmanned planes to patrol beaches. It is hoped Australian surf lifesavers will add the robotic "eye in the sky" aircraft, called Unmanned Aircraft Systems, to their arsenal of rescue equipment in May.
(Read More...)
03/12/2012
Despite growing calls for the United States to help stop the bloodshed in Syria, senior Pentagon officials are stepping up their warnings that military intervention would be a daunting and protracted operation, requiring at least weeks of exclusively American airstrikes, with the potential for killing vast numbers of civilians and plunging the country closer to civil war.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
Dassault Aviation SA (AM) is confident that an accord to supply at least 126 Rafale combat planes to India will cross all hurdles as the French company intensifies negotiations to clinch the first-ever export deal for the jet. Dassault and India are now in final talks to conclude details of the contract, after the Rafale was given preference over the competing Eurofighter jet last month, Chief Executive Officer Charles Edelstenne said in an interview in Paris.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
The British engineering firm is ready to pay £800m ($1.3bn) for the business, according to the Sunday Times. Volvo Aero makes aircraft engines and their components, including the jet engine used in the Saab Gripen combat jet. GKN's aerospace business is the firm's second biggest division. It makes parts for civilian and combat aircraft as well as helicopters.
Last year it had sales of £1.5bn, up 4%.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
China’s new aircraft carrier has begun its first sea trials. The carrier was originally left for scrap but was later bought by a company with ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Military sources were quoted as saying that the trial “would not take a long time.” The carrier left its shipyard at Dalian Port in Liaoning Province on Wednesday morning.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
The military is rethinking its planned acquisition of F-16 fighter jets from the United States owing to various reasons, foremost of which are the maintenance and cost. This was disclosed by Maj. Gen. Lauro Catalino de la Cruz, Air Force commander, during the turnover of four W-3A Sokol Combat utility helicopters to the Air Force in Clark Field, Pampanga, over the weekend.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
The South Korean and U.S. militaries are considering deploying a high-powered surveillance plane to bolster their watch over North Korea during the second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul later this month, a senior military source said Sunday. The March 26-27 summit will bring together U.S. President Barack Obama and dozens of world leaders amid increased hostile rhetoric from North Korea. Pyongyang has branded the gathering as an "intolerable grave provocation" against it.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
Fears that some of the world’s most sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons that disappeared from government warehouses in Libya would end up in the hands of stateless insurgent are being realized. At least some of the roughly 480 high-performance SA-24 “Grinch” shoulder-launched missiles that disappeared during the Libyan uprising have reappeared in the hands of insurgents on the borders of Israel, say senior Israeli officials.
(Read More...)
03/11/2012
Military spending of President Benigno Aquino's government has outstripped that of previous administrations, a palace official revealed. Herminio Coloma, the Presidential Communications Secretary, said procurements for the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) modernisation programme have reached 28 billion pesos (Dh2.41 billion) in 18 months under the Aquino administration when compared to 33 billion pesos under various administrations in the past 15 years.
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03/11/2012
China's increased military spending, by 11% this year and 12.7% last year, is matched by its growing assertiveness in pressing territorial claims. A classic example is the South China Sea where Beijing contends that India's exploratory drilling with Vietnam is a breach of its sovereignty. Should India be worried? The 1962 defeat is still as fresh as yesterday. There is also the long-running border dispute over Arunachal Pradesh.
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03/11/2012
Guard members who operate the A-10 Thunderbolt II at Selfridge Air National Guard Base shouldn't focus on the possibility of the aircraft being eliminated from the base in 2013, according to the new commander of the 107th Fighter Squadron.
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03/11/2012
Glancing at the tail number of a long, gray tanker aircraft, Col. Laen D. August remarked, "I'm a pretty old fellow, but that airplane is at least a year older than I am because I was born in 1963." One week ago today, August was looking at a Cold War-era KC-135 Stratotanker on the ramp at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base for the base's largest launch of tanker aircraft in 20 years.
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03/10/2012
The country’s indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA), Tejas LSP-7, made its maiden flight on Friday. The Limited Series Production-7 aircraft took off from the HAL airport at 4.27 pm and flew for 28 minutes. The LSP-7 aircraft, along with LSP-8, will be offered to the Indian Air Force for user evaluation trials (UET).
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03/10/2012
During last week’s meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, a request was made by the Israelis for American “bunker buster” bombs and refueling planes, according to Reuters. Both types of equipment would enhance the abilities of Israel’s military to effectively strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
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03/10/2012
Top U.S. officials all the way up to President Barack Obama are predicting the Syrian regime's days are numbered, but recent U.S. intelligence reports suggest that the Syrian leader commands a formidable army that is unlikely to turn on him, an inner circle that has stayed loyal and a Syrian elite that still supports his rule.
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03/10/2012
The Marine Corps has deployed two remotely piloted helicopters to Afghanistan, each of which can airlift 6,000 pounds, and the Army has tested an unmanned ground vehicle that can carry a half-ton load, top service officials told members of the House Armed Services Committee Thursday.
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03/10/2012
The top U.S. Air Force weapons buyer said on Friday he believed the paperwork problem that prompted him to cancel a $355 million contract for 20 planes to be sold to Afghanistan was an "isolated situation." David Van Buren, acting assistant secretary for acquisition, said an investigation was still under way, but he did not believe the case revealed a systemic problem with the Air Force acquisition process.
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03/09/2012
An F-16 fighter jet assigned to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska made an emergency landing while performing a training mission in support of Exercise Cope North 2012 in the U.S. territory of Saipan, Feb. 21. Upon landing, the aircraft slid off the end of the runway, coming to rest approximately 380 feet into the grass.
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03/09/2012
Three months after the Air Force placed blame squarely on an F-22 fighter pilot who died when he crashed in the service's most expensive plane after his oxygen system failed in mid-air, a top Air Force official is apparently backtracking - saying that the pilot was not blamed and that he did the best he could in the situation he was in.
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03/09/2012
Military radar experts at the Northrop Grumman Corp. Aerospace Systems segment in El Segundo, Calif., and partner Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems segment in El Segundo, Calif., will develop and install an advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground radar system for the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk Block 40 high-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under terms of a $24.5 million contract announced Wednesday.
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03/09/2012
The Harper government's plan to buy new fixed-wing search and rescue planes has been delayed yet again, The Canadian Press has learned. The Defence Department is not going to issue a tender call to replace nearly 50-year-old C-115 Buffalos and C-130 Hercules transports until the spring of 2013.
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03/09/2012
A US military attack on Iran would do more damage than a strike carried out by Israeli forces, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday in an interview. The United States and Israel disagree about the imminence of the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program, and Panetta’s comments underscored the US administration’s stance that Israel should hold off on any unilateral action.
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03/09/2012
Airbus Military has offered Australia a sixth A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft, giving Canberra until mid-2012 to make a decision. The unsolicited offer involves an aircraft, MSN 871, that was previously involved in the US Air Force's KC-X tanker competition, said Airbus in an email to Flightglobal. After years of controversy, the Boeing 767-based KC-46A emerged as the ultimate winner of the KC-X competition in 2011.
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03/09/2012
China's first aircraft carrier is likely to be commissioned on August 1 and deployed in the disputed South China Sea, boosting its blue water aspirations. "The military authority plans to let the aircraft carrier be commissioned this year," Deputy Commander of Chinese navy Xu Hongmeng said.
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03/09/2012
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the first of ten Italian Air Force’s HH-139A medium twin engine helicopters has entered operational service. A ceremony held at Cervia Air Base marked this achievement. These helicopters will supplement ageing HH-212 and HH-3F helicopters in the role of search and rescue operations across the nation.
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03/09/2012
The Turkish and U.S. air forces continue to combine their air assets and share tactics in large-force employments during Exercise Anatolian Falcon 2012 here March 5-16. During LFE exercises, units oftentimes take advantage of the high number of aircraft participating to test mass communication efforts, but the 480th Fighter Squadron pilots from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, are sharing suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses tactics with their Turkish counterparts.
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03/09/2012
As the Marine Corps cuts about 10 percent of its forces in the next few years, it is adding personnel to its four drone squadrons and may create a fifth. A new occupation specialty will lead to the first dedicated Marine officer corps for unmanned systems, to work in conjunction with full-time drone operators from the enlisted ranks.
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03/08/2012
The first batch of the country's indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) "Tejas" was likely to be handed over to the Indian Air Force by next year, a senior Aeronautical Development Agency official said today. "As far as LCA is concerned, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is the prime agency. Last year they have started production.
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03/08/2012
The Air Force's latest budget proposal would eliminate the 917th Fighter Group, a unit of 409 part-time reservists and 171 full-time technicians, at Barksdale Air Force Base. The cuts would take effect by the end of next year on the unit's 50th anniversary.
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03/08/2012
Prague, March 7 (CTK) - Iraq military continues to be interested in the purchase of Czech-made L-159 subsonic fighter planes, Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said after a cabinet meeting today. Necas said aircraft makers from other countries are of course competing for the contract on the delivery of fighter planes for Iraq, too.
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03/08/2012
Two military aircraft were involved in a "near miss" at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, according to a report. Details of the incident which happened last September, have been published by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB). The Merlin helicopter and Hawk training came within within half a mile (0.8km) of each other horizontally, but were only 100ft (30m) apart vertically.
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03/08/2012
U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is reportedly considering an urgent request by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for GBU-28 bunker buster bombs and tanker aircraft that would be used in any Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Israeli air force's lack of the systems is widely seen as a major impediment to Netanyahu ordering airstrikes aimed at slowing the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which Netanyahu sees as an existential threat to his tiny country.
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03/08/2012
Four brand new choppers for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be turned over on Friday by a Polish manufacturer to the Philippine government, Malacañang said Thursday. The four new aircraft signals the near completion of the initial phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan aimed at making the air force more equipped in performing its mandate, it said in a statement.
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03/08/2012
USAF Clarifies Investigation of LAS Contract Award Focused on Internal Issues. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) today called on the United States Air Force (USAF) to move expeditiously to select an aircraft for its Light Air Support (LAS) Program.
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03/08/2012
The nation's top military leader said Wednesday that U.S. was considering "all possible additional steps" including "potential military options" in Syria, but stressed the administration was focused on "diplomatic and political approaches rather than a military intervention."
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03/08/2012
Military spending by Asian countries, led by China, is rising fast and for the first time is likely this year to outstrip Europe, where governments are cutting their defence budgets, according to a leading London-based thinktank.
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03/08/2012
As the Russian air group in South Sudan ends its mission all the equipment will be withdrawn within a week, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Vladimir Drik said on Wednesday. All Russian soldiers and helicopters will leave the African country by the end of this week, he added. The move follows a Russian presidential decree after the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) ended on July 11, 2011.
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03/07/2012
An aircraft company with an Arkansas connection could get another shot at a multimillion-dollar Air Force contract. Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley indicated today that the Air Force is preparing to rebid a $355 million contract for a light-attack aircraft for the Afghan military that it canceled just a week ago.
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03/07/2012
U.S. aircraft maker Boeing, and electronics company Elbit Systems of America have signed a memorandum of understanding for technology investment in Brazil. The MOU will cover the development of advanced avionics. Boeing subsidiary AEL Sistemas is involved in the project.
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03/07/2012
A civilian pilot flying for Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., was killed Tuesday morning when his F-21 Kfir jet crashed near the west gate of Naval Air Station Fallon, six miles east of the city limits. Spokesman Matt Bannon of ATAC, which is based in Newport News, Va., said the pilot's name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
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03/07/2012
The Turkish and U.S. air forces continue to successfully integrate their capabilities during Anatolian Falcon 2012 here March 6. The first four missions of the two-week exercise are through, and the two NATO allies are learning to better communicate with each other and combine their strengths.
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03/07/2012
Eglin Air Force Base’s 33rd Fighter Wing is flying its first local F-35 Lightning II sortie this morning. The single-craft exercise was set to begin at 10 a.m. and expected to last about an hour, according to Eglin spokeswoman Lois Walsh. As the world’s first multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35 is known for its superior range, cutting-edge avionics and next-generation sensor fusion, according to a news release from Eglin.
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03/07/2012
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, other Members of the Committee, it is an honor to appear before the committee today. That is especially true for a Congressional Budget Office alum like myself who remembers well working for senators Domenici and Sasser and others some two decades ago, when the Cold War ended and we were collectively trying to reduce defense budgets responsibly.
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03/07/2012
It seemed like a promising step for America’s next stealth fighter: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter passed a key Pentagon test of its combat capability. But it turns out that the family of jets cleared the mid-February exam only because its proctor agreed to inflate its grade. In essence, the military helped the F-35 cheat on its midterms.
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03/07/2012
Global sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest defense contractors increased in 2010 to $411.1 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The increase reflects a decade-long trend of growing military spending. Since 2002, total arms sales among the 100 largest arms manufacturers have increased 60 percent.
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03/07/2012
The Air Force today asked Congress today to eliminate 492 positions with the Des Moines-based 132nd, a 39 percent reduction in staffing, according to members of Iowa’s congressional delegation who received briefings from Pentagon officials.
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03/07/2012
Boeing on March 4 officially delivered the first production P-8A Poseidon aircraft to the U.S. Navy in Seattle. The P-8A is the first of 13 anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft Boeing will deliver as part of a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract awarded in 2011.
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03/06/2012
India's medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition has all the hallmarks of a classic Indian love story, Bollywood-style. In the late 1990s the Indian air force loved its French Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft, and in 2001 said it favoured buying 126 more. But India dithered, Dassault decided to pitch the Rafale instead, and in 2004 New Delhi decided to tender, with five other suitors emerging to woo its air force.
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03/06/2012
Amidst growing concern and criticism about the rising cost and delays, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program received a welcome vote of confidence last week from the United States and eight other nations during an international meeting sponsored by Canada. The attendees made it known that they fully support the continued development of the controversial aircraft.
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03/06/2012
The Boeing Company has selected Elbit Systems to provide advanced avionics systems for its fighter aircraft, including the upgraded versions of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15SE Silent Eagle. Both are currently competing in several modern fighter tenders in Asia and Latin America. Elbit Systems Large Area Display (formerly known as Cockpit NG) was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show 2010.
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03/06/2012
Hollywood is going back to "Top Gun" school with its upcoming sequel to the 1986 film, but hotshot pilot Maverick won't be flying any killer robot drones. Instead, Tom Cruise is set to return in the starring role as a test pilot for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter — a plane that could well be the last manned fighter aircraft made in the West.
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03/06/2012
STATE-OF-THE-ART air assets will soon fly the country’s skies, a boost to the country’s defense against external threats, as a number of projects have been lined up for acquisition.
Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Miguel Ernesto G. Okol in a press release yesterday said that "more advanced aircraft are expected in Phases 2 and 3 where PAF related components are grouped into what it calls ‘Horizon Programs,’ with Horizon 2 expected to begin in the 2012 to 2016 time frame."
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03/06/2012
Arizona Sen. John McCain called for American-led airstrikes on President Bashar Assad's forces in Syria. McCain says the goal of the U.S.-led air strikes should be to establish and defend safe havens for delivering humanitarian and military aid in Syria. "Providing military assistance to the Free Syrian Army and other opposition groups is necessary, but at this late hour, that alone will not be sufficient to stop the slaughter and save innocent lives," McCain said. "The only realistic way to do
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03/06/2012
Japan recently made its first public announcement that it may cancel its big order for Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter planes if the company adds to the pre-decided price or extends the delivery period of these planes. The cancellation can potentially wipe out more than $5 billion that Lockheed is expected to earn from the deal.
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03/06/2012
Russia and China may soon sign a $4-bln contract on the delivery of 48 Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets to the Chinese air force, Russia’s Kommersant business daily said on Tuesday. “The sides have practically agreed on the delivery of 48 Su-35 multirole fighters, worth $4 billion, to China,” Kommersant said citing a source in the Russian defense industry.
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03/05/2012
First it was the United States that got annoyed, and now it is Britain's turn to ask some tough questions about its India policy. Ever since the French Rafale fighter was declared the lowest bidder in the multibillion dollar contract to provide a new generation fighter for the Indian Air Force, a debate has been raging in the United Kingdom as to what went wrong with Prime Minister David Cameron's charm offensive in wooing India.
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03/05/2012
An Indian Air Force (IAF), Mirage 2000 combat jet crashed in Rajasthan on Monday but the pilot ejected to safety, an officer said. "The crash occurred around 12.45 pm. The pilot ejected to safety," the officer said. This is the second Mirage 2000 crash in 10 days. A trainer version of the jet had crashed in Madhya Pradesh on Feb 24, but both pilots, one of whom was an air marshal, had managed to eject in time.
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03/05/2012
Military chief Adm. Agus Suhartono has denied that middlemen were involved in an aircraft purchase deal that critics contend was overpriced by $50 million, but the issue continues to generate controversy. “I don’t believe the allegations about the involvement of middlemen are true,” Agus said on Saturday in Bogor. “The veracity of the report has to be rechecked.”
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03/05/2012
China’s always-controversial defense budget announcement will attract particular notice this year. While the U.S. implements potentially dramatic cuts to its defense spending growth, China is robustly increasing its military spending, which is officially set to grow at a clip of 11.2% to 670.2 billion RMB ($106.4 billion) in 2012.
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03/05/2012
Australia's Quickstep Holdings says it has been awarded the tender to build part of the C-130J Hercules military transport aircraft. The Perth-based company said on Monday it would be the sole supplier of the wing flaps on Lockheed Martin's C-130J. Quickstep managing director Philippe Odouard said in a statement the wing flaps would be built at Bankstown Airport in Sydney's west and could create 60 jobs.
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03/05/2012
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in Moscow has signed a contract with Sukhoi Co. JSC in Moscow to build the latest production lot of 32 Su-34 jet fighter-bombers for the Russian air force, Sukhoi officials announced. The Su-34, which NATO calls the Fullback, is being designed to replace the Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer and the Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire bombers as Russia's front-line jet strike fighter.
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03/05/2012
Preparing to meet military threats from China, the Indian Air Force has been conducting a major war exercise in the northeast, in coordination with the army, to test their combat potential. "The Indian Air Force's (IAF) Shillong-based Eastern Air Command commenced the exercise codenamed 'Pralay' (Apocalypse) on Feb 29,"a air force officer said.
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03/05/2012
A "mysterious" blast ripped through a Yemeni military plane at an air force base near Sanaa international airport on Sunday without causing any casualties, an airport technician told AFP. "An Antonov aircraft blew up in mysterious circumstances while it was on the tarmac at Dulaimi air force base," the technician said, adding that no one was reported hurt in the explosion.
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03/05/2012
Sikorsky's Executive Vice President for India and South Asia, Air Vice Marshal Arvind Jeet Singh Walia (retd), told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) that at present the offer was to make a naval variant of the famous Black Hawk, designated MH-70B Sea Hawk, if the Indian Navy opts to buy this aircraft.
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03/05/2012
The Russian Navy's Northern Fleet has accepted into service a modernized Ilyushin Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft, which will also carry out electronic intelligence (ELINT) duties, the Northern Fleet's press spokesman Captain Vadim Serga said on Monday.
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03/04/2012
The head of Air Education and Training Command has approved test pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to begin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter flight operations next week, sources said Friday.
Eglin’s two qualified test pilots, Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Smith and Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, will take to the air on Tuesday, weather permitting. The decision was made by Air Force Gen. Edward Rice, commander of Air Education and Training Command.
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03/04/2012
Marine Electric Systems, a South Hackensack-based maker of parts for aircraft carriers and other military equipment, had a problem. The company had to find a way to defend itself against a shrinking defense budget. It found a solution by building what could be described as a better non-bulb light. It has retooled to sell light panels that use light-emitting diodes — LEDs — to illuminate construction sites, mining operations and other places calling for high-powered lighting.
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03/04/2012
A raft of helicopter makers such as Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter and AgustaWestland are hovering over the civil market in India. But they are also eyeing a bigger prize: military deals. The Indian armed forces are upgrading their ageing fleet and that means big orders and big money, running into billions of dollars, for these companies.
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03/04/2012
China's official defence spending will rise by 11.2% in 2012, pushing it above $100bn (£65bn) for the first time, the government has announced. Beijing's defence budget has risen each year for two decades to become the world's second-biggest, behind the US. It is developing an aircraft carrier, a stealth fighter jet, and missiles that can shoot down satellites.
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03/04/2012
On March 2, 1951, against all the odds that happened in the world simultaneously, Sri Lanka got its safety wings fixed. It was the establishment of a native air force to protect the sovereignty of the country which was then known as Ceylon.
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03/04/2012
Are too many projects spoiling the broth for defence enterprise Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd? On a day its new Chairman from outside the organisation took charge four months after the previous one retired, the junior Defence Minister clearly said HAL was not meeting critical aircraft delivery schedules of its primary customer - the Air Force - as it had far too many projects on its plate.
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03/03/2012
India will begin phasing out its dreaded MiG-21 fighter jets - nicknamed "the flying coffin" - in 2014, Defense Minister A.K. Antony told a parliamentary committee. Pilots, former pilots and families of pilots who have died in MiG-21 crashes have been pressing the government for years to scrap the aircraft. India purchased 946 of the aircraft, many of them made in India, in the past 45 years.
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03/03/2012
The Air Force is the world's most advanced air and space force and, with the integration of fifth generation aircraft, is gaining new tactical advantages that transcend beyond just stealth into areas such as enhanced maneuverability, multi-role capabilities and fused sensor and avionics systems that can communicate with other weapons systems.
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03/03/2012
Air Mobility Command, which provides transport and refueling services to the US military using cargo planes and other military aircraft, announced on Friday that the US Air Force will be buying as many as 18,000 iPads worth over $9 million to be used as electronic flight bags by its pilots. Apple’s tablets will replace the bulky paper-based flight bags traditionally used by its pilots.
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03/03/2012
When President Obama addresses the annual conference of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) next week, he will be given an important opportunity to set the record straight on his administration's handling of U.S.-Israel relations. The president's outreach to the Arab and Muslim world, as well as his policy and personal differences with Prime Minister Netanyahu, have led to charges that he is either insufficiently "pro-Israel" or downright "anti-Israel."
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03/03/2012
The MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle isn't cheaper to buy than some manned military aircraft it's frequently compared with; the UAV is from two to six times more costly, Winslow Wheeler writes in Time Magazine's Battleland blog. Media reports cite a per-unit cost from $4 million to $5 million for the Reaper, but they're wrong, writes Wheeler, the director of the Straus Military Reform Project of the Center for Defense Information in Washington.
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03/03/2012
U.S. Air Force aviation experts needed helmet-mounted targeting systems for the U.S. Navy, as well as for air forces in Pakistan, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and Finland. They found their solution from the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis.
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03/03/2012
The Indian Air Force has been conducting a major war exercise in the northeast part of the country in coordination with the army to test their combat potential, reported a local daily Friday in Guwahati, state capital of Assam. "The Indian Air Force's (IAF) Shillong-based Eastern Air Command commenced the exercise codenamed 'Pralay' (Apocalypse) on Feb. 29," an air force officer was quoted as saying.
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03/03/2012
Russia’s modernized Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A aircraft, also known as the Il-476, will conduct its maiden flight by the end of June, Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar aircraft maker said on Friday.
The Il-476 is an extensively modified variant of the Il-76 freighter, with new engines, reinforced wing, modernized cockpit, and heavier payload. The aircraft will be primarily built for the Russian Armed Forces and Emergencies Ministry.
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03/02/2012
The Indian government has allocated its navy funds to buy an additional nine mid-range reconnaissance airplanes for nearly $1 billion. The new aircraft will assist in maintaining India's Indian Ocean security and supplement the Indian navy's earlier order of P-8I Poseidon long-range reconnaissance airplanes from U.S. defense manufacturer Boeing.
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03/02/2012
Boeing has won a $300 million performance-based logistics support contract with the South Korean military to maintain the air force's F-15K Slam Eagle fighter jets. The five-year deal will ensure long-term viability of the Boeing F-15K aircraft, of which South Korea is believed to have around 60.
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03/02/2012
Sweden's military says it needs up to 80 new Gripen fighter jets to replace its indigenous aging fleet of fighter aircraft. The Swedish Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it needs 60-80 planes because the upgrade program for the fighter jet system isn't to begin until 2020 and will take about 10 years.
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03/02/2012
As a sleek black U-2 roared back from a mission, Pontiac muscle cars zoomed along the runway to help it touch down using a low-tech method dating back more than half a century to when this Cold War-era aircraft was cutting-edge. "It's notorious for being hard to land," the pilot said after climbing out of the cockpit.
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03/02/2012
Airbus Military has signed a firm contract with Kazspetsexport, a State Company belonging to the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan, to supply two C295 military transport aircraft plus the related service support package for spare parts and ground support equipment. The aircraft will be operated by the Air Forces of Kazakhstan in support of their transport missions throughout the nation’s vast territory.
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03/02/2012
The United States is still interested in the Brazilian-made Super Tucano light aircraft, a top State Department official said Thursday, days after the U.S. Air Force said it was rescinding a $354 million contract for such aircraft. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the U.S. "is in the midst of some internal processes" related to the deal for 20 light air-support aircraft by Brazil's Embraer.
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03/02/2012
On the last Sunday of February, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin once again reiterated the need for breakthrough ideas for building new weapons. A shortage of cutting-edge military equipment is believed to be one of the main problems faced by the Russian Armed Forces. However, fascination with new technologies could prove to be as dangerous.
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03/02/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a deal for 92 Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers from the Sukhoi aircraft maker, the ministry said on Thursday. The deal under which the warplanes are to be delivered by 2020 was signed by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Sukhoi General Director Igor Ozar.
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03/01/2012
USAF reverses its contract for the turbo-engined Embraer Super Tucano, a twin-seated fighter aircraft for ground attack. The decision re-opened the competitive tender for LAS (Light Air Support), or rather an aircraft for close light support, a role assigned for years, since Korea to Vietnam, to the A-1 "Skyraider".
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03/01/2012
The Rafale deal has the potential to either make or break the country's future in aerospace manufacturing. India's defence procurement orders are a game for the patient. For over five years, a bunch of companies with ambition to grab a chunk of offsets that would accrue to our fledgling aerospace industry have awaited the decision on the multi-role fighter aircraft. The suspense ended when French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation's fighter plane Rafale was chosen as the preferred bidder.
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03/01/2012
President Barack Obama unveiled the new national security strategy on Jan. 5 that directs the military to focus on potential adversaries in Asia and the Pacific. The military shift to the Asia-Pacific is carrying out the Defense Department’s Air-Sea Battle concept, which was laid out in the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)—a strategy to “defeat aggression in anti-access environments” and to “deter, defend against, and defeat aggression by potentially hostile nation-states.”
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03/01/2012
The MV-22 Osprey is a new aircraft with a long story. NASA, the Army and numerous corporations worked to create an aircraft that could land like a helicopter and fly like a plane since the 1970’s. In September 2007, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 became the first Marine squadron to deploy to combat with this capability.
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03/01/2012
As Afghan National Security Forces begin to take the lead in providing security for their people, coalition forces have moved forward into a mentoring role while conducting joint combat missions. In Regional Command-South, the Kandahar Air Wing, or KAW, took its first steps toward conducting independent operations. On Feb. 21, KAW executed its first air assault operation in Kandahar Province to disrupt and counter Taliban efforts.
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03/01/2012
Boeing has received an $11.4 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Air Force. The first delivery order under this contract is worth $4.6 million and will provide parts to be used to complete installation of 25mm Ammunition Storage and Handling Systems (ASHS) on four AC-130U gunships. The contract also includes spares to support sustainment of the ASHS. The Boeing Fort Walton Beach facility will build the components for delivery to Robins Air Force Base, G
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03/01/2012
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev confused Russian military facilities when he demanded that Russia pay off a $15-million debt for leasing an air base in the former Soviet republic, Kommersant daily reported on Thursday. Atambayev told Kommersant earlier there was "no need" for the base at Kant. He accused Russia of walking out on its obligations and said the base did nothing but flatter the "vanity of Russian generals."
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03/01/2012
Japan may cancel its order to buy 42 U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II stealth combat aircraft if prices grow or delivery is delayed, the Kyodo News Agency said on Wednesday. “If the U.S. side makes an unrealistic proposal, we will cancel the purchase or consider [buying] other types of aircraft,” the agency quoted Japanese Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka as saying.
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03/01/2012
Russia’s new radar in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad will go into operation in 2014, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday. The Voronezh-DM facility was unveiled in November to counter the perceived threat from a U.S.-NATO missile defense system in Europe. “This is a new radar station, which is now on trial duty and will be put on full alert in two years,” he said.
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03/01/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a contract with aircraft maker MiG for the delivery of 20 MiG-29K and four MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter aircraft, MiG said on Wednesday.
"Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and MiG General Director Sergei Korotkov have signed the contract for the delivery of MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighters," MiG said in a statement. MiG wil deliver the aircraft from 2013-2015.
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02/29/2012
The U.S. Air Force is making progress on a new long-range bomber, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said at a trade conference in Florida last week. “There’s a competition,” Donley said, according to DoDBuzz.
“The program is underway, the requirements, the cost parameters have been set by the Secretary of Defense and we’re executing in that direction…we’ve identified the target delivery for the mid ‘20s.”
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02/29/2012
America’s newest stealth fighters have a major problem: their pilots can’t breathe, due to some sort of malfunction in the planes’ oxygen-generation systems. For months, the Air Force has been studying the problem, which temporarily grounded the entire fleet of F-22 Raptors and may have contributed to a pilot’s death. Today, the Air Force admitted they still don’t know exactly what’s causing the issue.
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02/29/2012
When Lt.-Gen. Juancho Sabban received an urgent phone call from an oil company saying two Chinese vessels were threatening to ram its survey ship, the Philippine commander’s message was clear: don’t move, we will come to the rescue. Within hours, a Philippine surveillance plane, patrol ships and light attack aircraft arrived in the disputed area of Reed Bank in the South China Sea. By then the Chinese boats had left after chasing away the survey ship, Veritas Voyager, hired by U.K.-based Forum
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02/29/2012
The world’s top suppliers of military hardware and combat support services scored sales of $411.1 billion in 2010, and 60 percent of that business went to U.S. companies, according to a study published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
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02/29/2012
Because of Reaper’s nature, unit-cost estimates can be tricky. Various media reports cite a per-unit cost from $4 million to $5 million. They are quite incorrect.
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02/29/2012
The US Air Force has canceled a $355 million contract for a light attack aircraft made by Brazil's Embraer, saying it would open an investigation after protests from a rival US aerospace firm, officials said Tuesday. The contract for 20 Embraer AT-29 Super Tucano aircraft was awarded in December as part of plans to arm the Afghan military amid a NATO troop drawdown.
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02/29/2012
The crew of a Su-30 fighter that crashed earlier on Tuesday in Russia’s Far East reported an engine fire before the crash, a spokesman for the Main Military Investigative Directorate said.
The Su-30MK2 fighter jet crashed 130 km northeast of Komsomolsk-na-Amure during a post-construction test flight. Both pilots ejected safely, although one of them was hurt on landing.
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02/29/2012
Russia has partially resumed flights of Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers after one of them crashed in Russia’s Urals, Defense Ministry spokesman Col Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday.
“After tests, unit commanders… will receive permission to resume flights of this type of aircraft,” he said. All Su-24s were grounded after one of them crashed in the woods of the Kurgan region during a routine flight on February 13. Both pilots ejected safely.
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02/28/2012
Nations around the world are still buying anti-aircraft missiles and fighter plans, no matter the social turmoil or declining economic output their country’s are facing. The total arms sales including sales of military services of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s annual top 100 international defense contractors maintained their upward trend in 2010, although at just a 1% gain in real terms.
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02/28/2012
The Boeing B-1 bomber aircraft has completed its 10,000th combat mission. The heavy bomber entered service with the U.S. Air Force on June 29, 1985, and has been in nearly continuous combat for the past 10 years. The milestone mission took off from a base in Southwest Asia and was flown in support of operations over Afghanistan before returning to base.
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02/28/2012
Two crew members ejected safely after their Su-30 fighter jet crashed 130 km northeast of Komsomolsk-na-Amure during a test flight on Tuesday, according to sources in the regional administration. "Both crew members ejected safely but one was hurt on landing," a regional administration source said. The aircraft belonged to the Komsomolsk-na-Amure factory where Su-30s are manufactured.
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02/28/2012
Russia has modernized two radars in Syria and Lebanon that could threaten U.S. or Israel’s ability to launch a surprise attack against Syria and Iran, Israeli DEBKAfile portal said on Monday. The range of the Jabal Al Harrah electronic and surveillance station south of Damascus has been increased to cover all parts of Israel and Jordan, the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Saudi Arabia.
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02/27/2012
Azerbaijan has agreed to buy $1.6 billion in weapons from Israel, a massive deal that is likely Azerbaijan's largest single arms purchase ever. The deal will include drones, anti-aircraft and missile defense systems, Israeli officials have told news agencies. The deal would be almost equal to Azerbaijan's stated 2012 defense budget of $1.7 billion (though will certainly be spread out over many years).
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02/27/2012
The best fighter pilots from the Air Force, Marines and Navy arrived in the Florida Panhandle last year to learn to fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive, most advanced weapons program in U.S. history. They are still waiting.
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02/27/2012
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Florida (Reuters) - The U.S. government is eyeing Israel, Canada and the United Arab Emirates as possible initial foreign buyers of the V-22 Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a top U.S. Marine Corps official told Reuters.
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02/27/2012
Facing the likelihood of tight budgets for years, the Army and the Defense Department may not have much money anytime soon to develop helicopter technology. That's not stopping Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. from forging ahead and spending tens of millions of dollars to try to reinvent the helicopter for the military.
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02/27/2012
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has called for a Russian air base in the country to be closed, saying neither Russia or Kyrgyzstan need it. The Kant air base does nothing except "flatter the vanity of Russian generals," Atambayev said in an interview to Kommersant newspaper, adding Russia has not paid for the lease for four years.
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02/27/2012
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent international institute researching into conflicts, arms control and disarmament, named U.S. Lockheed Martin the biggest arms vendor in 2010, with sales totalling $35.7 billion.
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02/27/2012
The Kremlin confirmed on Saturday that Russia would fully pay off its $15-million debt to Kyrgyzstan for leasing military facilities there. Earlier in the day, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, currently on a visit to Moscow, said in a radio interview that Russia was ready to pay off its debts for the lease of the Kant air base and several smaller military facilities “within ten days.”
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02/26/2012
Boeing and US goverment to demand EU be punished with sanctions over Airbus subsidies
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02/26/2012
Britain’s Armed Forces may be unable to afford all the new fighter jets they want as American defence cuts and European austerity measures push up the aircraft’s price.
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02/24/2012
While Air Force investigators couldn't say conclusively what caused an F-15C Eagle fighter jet to crash in rural Southern Nevada, they noted six factors in a report released Friday that might have played a role in the Oct. 24 accident.
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02/24/2012
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress Feb. 16 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Japan to provide regeneration, overhaul, modifications and support for 6 KC-130R aircraft and associated engines for an estimated cost of $170 million.
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02/24/2012
Turkey is planning to purchase 100 multi-purpose F-35 fighter jets worth $16 billion, Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said, reported the daily Milliyet. The first two of the military aircraft will be delivered by 2015, he said. The decision to order two F-35s was made last month.
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02/24/2012
Boeing is highlighting its production and delivery of combat aircraft to the U.S. Navy under a multiyear procurement contract. From 2007 through 2011, the company delivered to the Navy a total of 257 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growler electronic attack planes - all ahead of schedule and within budget.
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02/24/2012
As defence aviation experts (and losing competitors) debate India’s selection of the Dassault Rafale, our decision makers should utilize the final phase of medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) negotiations to bolster India’s aerospace manufacturing and services infrastructure. This will entail fresh thinking and policy reform.
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02/24/2012
Russia's United Aircraft Corporation expects to sustain the annual production of between 70 and 90 fixed-wing combat aircraft for the next few years, in line with its performance in 2011. Military sales accounted for 80% of the 102 aircraft produced last year, said company president Mikhail Pogosyan.
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02/24/2012
The gloves are coming off. International fighter competitions are rarely gentlemanly affairs, but with U.S. and European defense spending in decline, the pressure to succeed overseas has aircraft makers and equipment suppliers becoming more aggressive in the push to secure crucial foreign orders.
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02/24/2012
A royal Air Force (RAF) squadron leader became the United Kingdom's first military test pilot to fly the F-35C, the carrier variant of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, Feb. 21. As an international program, the F-35 has eight cooperative partners working with the United States; the United Kingdom was the first country to join the program in January 2001. The UK is planning to purchase the carrier variant to enter service as the joint combat aircraft (JCA).
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02/24/2012
The Boeing Company has received a Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract from the Republic of Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to ensure the long-term, affordable sustainment of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) fleet of F-15K fighter jets. The five-year contract, valued at approximately US$300 million, also brings new opportunities to local industry. Hyundai Glovis will provide in-country logistics handling and supply chain distribution activities.
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02/24/2012
Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program continues to build on its 2011 flight test success. For 2012, the baseline F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) flight test plan calls for the accumulation of 1,001 test flights and 7,873 test points. However, growth in test point requirements throughout the year is anticipated, and the plan will be adjusted as needed.
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02/23/2012
Recent indications and military movements from the Gulf region point to worsening hostilities between Iran and Israel, which by default involve Israel's ally, the United States. A senior U.S. official, who wished to remain anonymous, had recently said that Israel is considering a military strike against Iran seriously, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers haven't decided whether to attack or not.
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02/23/2012
Canadian military investigators are trying to determine whether an RCAF Hercules aircraft damaged extensively by fire and forced to land in Florida Tuesday will ever fly again, the Toronto Star has learned. The multi-million dollar plane, which was on a training exercise, was ablaze when it landed at the U.S. Naval Air Station Key West, forcing the crew to scramble to safety while an emergency crew at the airbase doused the blaze. Damage was reported as extensive.
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02/23/2012
In 2011, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms exporting agency, fetched $13.2 billion from its arms and military equipment sales, which exceeded the initial goal by $1.6 billion. Russia is the world’s second biggest arms exporter. By 2012, experts predict its turnover to surge even higher, surpassing the $14 billion mark.
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02/23/2012
The governments of Britain and France are moving forward with plans to acquire a range of unmanned aerial vehicles. Of special short-term interest are medium-altitude, long-endurance vehicles and later unmanned combat aircraft systems.
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02/23/2012
Boeing today announced that it has completed delivery of 257 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the U.S. Navy. Each aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule and within the contract budget.
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02/23/2012
After successfully completing operational demonstrations, Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] penetrating radar capable of detecting objects that are buried, camouflaged or concealed under dense foliage was deployed to support U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Lockheed Martin’s Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar, TRACER, will support SOUTHCOM missions in counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
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02/23/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry will modernize two airfields in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Commander of the Baltic Fleet Vice Adm. Viktor Chirkov said on Wednesday.
“We are planning to increase the length of the runway to 3,500 meters at the airfield in Chkalovsk so that it would be able to receive any kind of aircraft, including Boeings and Airbuses,” Chirkov said. The reconstruction will take about two years.
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02/23/2012
The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to buy at least 45 light multipurpose helicopters from a foreign manufacturer, Vedomosti daily said on Wednesday. The paper cited a defense industry source as saying that a contract worth over 6 billion rubles ($201 mln) for the purchase of fifteen AS350 and thirty AS355 Ecureil helicopters made by Eurocopter is in the works.
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02/22/2012
On Feb. 16, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz announced that Kadena's 67th Fighter Squadron earned the Raytheon Trophy for 2011. The annual award, originally started by the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1953, is now sponsored by Raytheon Systems Corporation and is given to the top air superiority or air defense squadron in the Air Force.On Feb. 16, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz announced that Kadena's 67th Fighter Squadron earned the Raytheon Trophy for 2011.
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02/22/2012
India is planning to develop sophisticated state-of-the-art next generation electronic warfare (EW) systems which would be mounted on to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft and satellites to see deep into the enemy territories.
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02/22/2012
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) recently achieved a first shot success from a fixed-wing aircraft, BAE Systems announced today. The semi-active laser guided version of the U.S. military's Hydra rocket successfully hit within inches of the center of its laser spot target after it was fired off a Hawker Beechcraft AT-6C from a range of three miles.
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02/22/2012
The Indo-Russian fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) is superior than the similar Chinese and American rival fighter jets which include the J 20 Black Eagle and the F-22 Raptor, a top Russian military commander has claimed.
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02/22/2012
U.S. drone makers like Boeing Co. have dominated the rapidly growing market for unmanned aerial vehicles, and they're expected to hold sway in coming years. But Europe may provide competitors in the next decade. Last week, Britain and France reached a military cooperation deal that included a joint combat drone program.
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02/22/2012
Pakistan said the P3C aircraft, modified with the latest avionics, are designed to improve surveillance in the North Arabian Sea, one of the world’s most important shipping routes deeply troubled by Somali piracy. “The two aircraft have been delivered to the Pakistan navy. These aircraft have been provided under the foreign military funding programme,” a spokesman for the US embassy in Islamabad, told AFP.
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02/21/2012
Aurora Flight Sciences has been selected to work on a U.S. military project for an unmanned version of the A-10 close support aircraft. Its selection as a team member in the Persistent Close Air Support program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency was made by Raytheon, which is leading the effort. Aurora, with extensive experience in robotic aerial vehicles, will be responsible for developing the demonstrator aircraft.
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02/21/2012
Boeing Co., Sikorsky, Eurocopter and Bell, the top four helicopter makers, are focused on Asia as 1,000 orders from states spanning India to Korea are set to make it the fastest growing military-chopper market by 2015. Tenders in half a dozen nations should produce sales worth $10 US billion over the next three years, Norbert Ducrot, executive vice president for the Asia-Pacific region at Eurocopter, the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of rotorcraft, said in an interview.
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02/21/2012
Russia needs to launch a major military buildup to prepare for life in a dangerous world where international law is breaking down, the West feels free to intervene in sovereign countries, and rivals could invade Russia to seize its rich trove of natural resources, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned.
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02/21/2012
On Feb. 16, the first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., further expanding the program’s flight test envelope. The weapons load for this mission involved carrying two air-to-air AIM-9X missiles on the outboard wing stations.
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02/21/2012
The deliveries of new close air support aircraft to the Russian Air Force will start by 2020, Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. “The Air Force units will start receiving this aircraft by 2020,” Drik said on Monday. “It will gradually replace highly-reliable Su-25SM Frogfoot attack planes.”
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02/21/2012
Iran launched on Monday four-day air defense drills to train protection of important national facilities, primarily nuclear facilities, Iran’s Fars news agency reported. The exercise in the south of Iran involves various missile systems, radars and aircraft. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) ground forces also launched military exercise, code-named Valfajr, on Sunday in the desert area of central Iran and in the central province of Yazd.
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02/21/2012
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to procure 71 more Mi-17 V5 helicopters, including 12 for the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Business Standard daily reported on Monday. These would be in addition to the 80 already ordered from Russia. Of the 71 helicopters to be ordered, 59 would be provided to the IAF for replacing its old Mi-8 and Mi-17IV choppers and six would go to the Border Security Force.
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02/21/2012
The Kyrgyz president reiterated on Monday that the United States must withdraw all its troops from the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan when the current lease agreement expires in the summer of 2014.
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02/21/2012
The UAE's aerobatics display team, Al Fursan, is to take its place among the world's top military performers when it makes a debut appearance at the UK's Royal International Air Tattoo in July.
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02/20/2012
The Greek and Turkish air forces are two of NATO’s strongest and most experienced. The chronic antagonism between the two neighboring states has meant that their pilots have received significant training as they have for decades often engaged in dogfights over the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
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02/20/2012
During a routine flight, a U.S. military aircraft crashed approximately six miles from the Djibouti International Airport, Djibouti, February 18, 2012. All four U.S. military personnel on board died. The accident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. local. U.S. military personnel were dispatched to the scene to provide immediate response assistance and secure the crash site.
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02/20/2012
Until recently, unmanned aircraft like Predator drones have been developed for the battlefield, acting as the eyes, ears and muscle of the U.S. military in hostile territory. Drones have also been deployed inside the United States, but in a more limited way.
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02/20/2012
U.S. Navy aircraft specialists needed several sizes of advanced multi-purpose displays for the avionics systems of the Navy Lot 35 F/A-18F jet fighter-bomber and EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft. They found their solution from the Honeywell Inc. Defense & Space Electronic Systems segment in Albuquerque, N.M.
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02/20/2012
Will Canada get the full fleet of 65 new F-35A “stealth” fighter jets that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government promised when it agreed to spend $9 billion to refit the air force with the latest in radar-defying planes? That’s the minimum number of high-end aircraft the air force says it needs.
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02/20/2012
With the arms build-up by India and China, and America’s pivot policy, Malaysia is taking precautionary steps.
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02/20/2012
The Canadian military has dropped a plan to fly supersonic aircraft over Labrador because it has been unable to attract allied forces that want to carry out air combat training, a source tells CBC News. The military hasn’t spoken publicly about why an application it had filed with the province's department of the environment has been withdrawn.
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02/20/2012
Boeing Co. (BA), Sikorsky, Eurocopter and Bell (TEXTRON), the top four helicopter makers, are focused on Asia as 1,000 orders from states spanning India to Korea are set to make it the fastest growing military-chopper market by 2015.
(Read More...)
02/20/2012
The current standoff between arms makers and the Defense Ministry over the pricing and quality of weaponry for the Russian military may continue to disrupt state defense orders in 2012, missile designer Yury Solomonov said on Thursday. “The efforts of the defense industry have not yet been synchronized with the efforts of the Defense Ministry and the government,” Solomonov said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.
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02/19/2012
The Pentagon’s plan to eliminate a squadron of fighter jets at a Detroit-area base makes no economic sense and would cost more than 550 jobs, according to the director of the Michigan National Guard. The U.S. Air Force is planning mission changes at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, north of Detroit, and a base in Battle Creek to rein in military spending.
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02/18/2012
US has deployed a large number of drones over Syria to monitor Syrian military attack on the opposition forces and civilians, NBC News reported. Quoting Pentagon officials, the TV channel said that the operation of unmanned aircraft over the Syrian skies was not a harbinger of a US military intervention in the country but to gather evidence that can be used to "make the case for a widespread international response."
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02/18/2012
Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, the adjutant general of Michigan’s Army and Air National Guard, is seeking to maintain the current levels of personnel, aircraft and mission assignments in Michigan – possibly seeking to grow those numbers – even in the face of overall declines in the nation’s military spending. A strong militia makes for a strong America, Michigan’s top soldier said today. And Vadnais aims to keep it that way.
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02/18/2012
BAE Systems has won a contract from Northrop Grumman - Aerospace Systems to provide Electronic Support Measure (ESM) systems for use on all 20 B-2 Spirit bombers. This ESM upgrade will be a complete replacement of the current aging AN/APR-50 system. With this award, BAE Systems will now be providing Electronic Warfare systems on all three of the U.S. Air Force's Low Observable platforms; the F-22, F-35 and B-2 aircraft.
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02/18/2012
Michigan's top military man shared his battle plan with the troops Friday morning. Despite past mission changes, Guard members thought their future was secure. Even though they knew they would lose their current mission, the C-21 aircraft on the tarmac at the W.K. Kellogg Airport, they had another one lined up -- the C-27 cargo plane.
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02/18/2012
Israel has decided to purchase 30 Italian-made trainer aircraft in its $1 billion procurement project, snubbing South Korea’s efforts to sell its homegrown planes overseas. Israeli defense officials told the media on Thursday that their government had reached a preliminary deal to buy the M-346 military training planes built by the Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi.
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02/18/2012
India today virtually ruled out a rethink on its decision in the multi-billion dollar combat aircraft deal saying it has already started negotiating the contract with French firm Dassault Aviation in this regard. On January 31, India had announced that the French Rafale fighter jet has emerged as the lowest bidder in the deal for procuring 126 combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) edging out its European rival EADS consortium's Eurofighter Typhoon.
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02/18/2012
Air travel in the world’s fourth most populous nation is poised for expansion, and airlines have a healthy appetite for new aircraft. On the military side, Indonesia’s defense forces have a long list of equipment they plan to purchase in the coming years, and—unlike their colleagues in some other Asian countries—they appear to be relatively successful at getting budgets approved.
(Read More...)
02/18/2012
Britain and France upped military cooperation Friday to include a joint combat drone program, aircraft carrier, and combined monitoring of nuclear weapons arsenals — all of which could cut defense costs on both sides of the Channel. British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy set aside their disputes over the eurozone’s debt crisis to agree to a raft of deals at talks in Paris.
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02/18/2012
The Indian Air Force has put into service the first batch of 80 Mi-17V-5 tactical transport helicopters under a $1.3 billion deal, Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Friday. Under the 2008 deal, India has already taken delivery of about 20 Russian helicopters, built by the Kazan Helicopter Plant. The remaining helicopters are to be delivered and adopted for service in 2014. The Mi-17V-5, a utility helicopter, can carry up to 36 passengers or four tons or cargo.
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02/17/2012
Airbus Military has signed today a firm contract with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) to supply nine C295 military transport aircraft for delivery to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. The contract between PT DI and the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia was signed simultaneously, witnessed by Minister of Defense, Prof. Dr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and the Chief of Armed Forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, at a ceremony at the Singapore Airshow. The Indonesian designation of the aircraft will be CN295.
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02/17/2012
Red Flag Exercises are set to start again at Nellis Air Force Base. The combat training exercises will be from February 27 through March 16. People in southern Nevada will see more military aircraft in the skies because of the exercises. It is organized by Nellis but is hosted in the Nevada Test and Training Range which is north of the city.
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02/17/2012
As the Indonesian air force works on its plan to field around 150-160 combat aircraft in 12 squadrons, it is starting to consider how to replace its fleet of F-5s. Current plans represent merely a “minimum essential force,” with the actual air force needs being much greater to provide the full range of military capability for a country the size of Indonesia, ACM Imam Sufaat, the service’s chief of staff, tells Aviation Week during the Singapore air show.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
U.S. Air Force and Navy combat aircraft pilots needed helmet-mounted military night vision cueing and display systems for fighter pilots operating high-performance aircraft at night. They found their solution from Vision Systems International LLC in San Jose, Calif.
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
The Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that it has selected Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master as the next advanced combat trainer for the Israel Air Force. The decision is expected to lead to a crisis with South Korea, which had pushed hard to win the $1 billion deal. Seoul has claimed that Israel favored Italy throughout the competition and that the tender was not conducted according to “international standards.”
(Read More...)
02/17/2012
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on Feb. 15 celebrated the rollout of the first re-winged A-10 Thunderbolt II in a ceremony at Hill Air Force Base. Boeing is under contract with the Air Force to deliver 233 wing sets through 2018.
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02/17/2012
The 250th C-130J Super Hercules built at the Lockheed Martin facility here was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, today. This is the 15th C-130J delivered to the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess since 2010 and the second of 11 aircraft to be delivered to the base in 2012. Dyess will have the distinction of being home to the largest C-130J fleet in the world when it receives its 28th Super Hercules aircraft in 2013.
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02/17/2012
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution strongly urging Russia to immediately stop selling arms and military equipment to Damascus. The resolution called on Russia to join the international consensus and enable the UN Security Council to help resolve the country’s months-long conflict. The Parliament stressed that as a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia needs to take its responsibility for international peace and security seriously.
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02/17/2012
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the future fighter must possess all technical characteristics of a fifth-generation fighter, including elements of stealth technology, supersonic cruising speed, highly-integrated avionics, electronics and fire-control systems.
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02/17/2012
Russian aircraft manufacturers must develop at least two competitive prototypes of a fifth-generation fighter jet, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday. “Two variants of the future fighter jet must be developed to encourage competition,” Rogozin said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.
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02/16/2012
Lockheed Martin unveiled a new version of the F-16 today at the Singapore Airshow. The F-16V will feature enhancements including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an upgraded mission computer and architecture, and improvements to the cockpit – all capabilities identified by the U.S. Air Force and several international customers for future improvements.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Russian Helicopters is here at the Singapore Airshow (Booth No. U87) promoting its Mi-34C1 light helicopter, along with other models in its stable. Flight testing is under way and production is scheduled to start this year. The company expects to see strong interest in the type for missions such as pilot training, police and power line surveillance work.
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02/16/2012
Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino on Wednesday dismissed as "speculation" reports the government is planning to purchase armed drones as the F-35 program continues to encounter delays and cost overruns. But with U.S. and industry officials admitting this week the stealth fighters will cost more than expected and the Conservative government indicating its plan to buy the jets is coming off the rails, a debate is bubbling over whether Canada should hold out for drones.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) today announced that it is exploring ways to mitigate delays in meeting the April 2013 delivery schedule for the first aircraft called for under United States Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) contract. SNC was awarded that contract in late December, but due to a lawsuit filed by the disqualified competitor for the contract, has been prevented from initiating work.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
French ministers and arms industry executives are still struggling to contain their delight over Dassault’s surprise victory in the $15bn-$20bn Indian fighter jet contest. A final contract for 126 new combat aircraft is not yet signed, explaining the reluctance to crow too loudly. But the choice of Dassault’s Rafale, over the rival Eurofighter, as the preferred bid by India’s air force has done wonders for France’s flagging industrial morale.
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
Four of eight Sokol combat utility helicopters from Swidnik of Poland have arrived, an official said Wednesday. “The brand-new choppers arrived last night in Clark Air Base in Pampanga,” said Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans Maj. Gen. Roy Deveraturda. “A group of technicians and pilots from the Air Force are conducting inspection and assessment and, if satisfied, they will immediately assemble them.”
(Read More...)
02/16/2012
The U.S. Army precisely engaged targets using the Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) Griffin B missile as part of a test to protect forward operating bases (FOBs) and small combat outposts.
"Griffin enables ground forces to protect their locations by precisely engaging targets in a 360-degree radius," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems product line. "Griffin gives warfighters a combat-proven capability that is ready today, fully developed and in production."
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02/16/2012
All three services of the Malaysian armed forces have received significant cuts to their procurement budget requests for 2012. The political context for this is the build up to a general election, which must be held by 2013. With defense spending being a contentious issue in Malaysia and the need to reduce state spending, the current government has opted for sizable cutbacks.
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02/16/2012
The military says the nearly 7,500 robotic aircraft it has accrued for use overseas need to come home at some point. But the FAA doesn't allow drones in U.S. airspace without a special certificate.
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02/15/2012
Italy will cut investment in Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 stealth fighter plane as part of an overall reduction in military spending, Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola said on Tuesday.
"The F-35 was revised like all the other weapons programmes," Di Paola said after a Cabinet meeting that approved the military spending plan.
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02/15/2012
Switzerland’s defense minister and military commanders have defended the government’s decision to buy Swedish fighter jets, even though a secret air force report had recommended two rival offers. Defense Minister Ueli Maurer told reporters in Bern, the Swiss capital, and in a statement that the Swedish-made Gripen is the best long-term financial choice, despite the Swiss Air Force’s recommendation to buy other planes.
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02/15/2012
Brazil hopes the current economic downturn will give it an edge over competing suppliers and help secure a cheaper deal for its purchase of up to 36 fighter jets. Brazil is looking to replace obsolete fighter aircraft, including French Mirage jets, at the high end of its air force inventory as part of the so-called FX-2 fighter competition.
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02/15/2012
Cubic Defense Applications, Inc., a defense systems business of Cubic Corporation CUB -0.12% , has received a new contract valued at more than $11 million. Cubic and its principal subcontractor, DRS Training and Control Systems LLC, a unit of DRS Defense Solutions LLC, will provide the P5 Tactical Combat Training System (P5TCTS) to the Royal Australian Air Force for use in training F/A-18F Super Hornet crews.
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02/15/2012
Unmanned aircraft have been billed as the ultimate in efficiency, a model for the Pentagon’s vision of substituting technology for labor. But don’t be fooled, Pentagon officials warn. Unmanned aerial vehicles are great for spying over enemy territory, but they are a huge drain on human resources. In fact, a combat air patrol that relies on UAVs demands more operators and support staff than if it were conducted by conventional aircraft with a pilot in the cockpit.
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02/15/2012
MPs from a parliamentary committee that oversees defence matters are to visit the Falklands next month in a move that is likely to heighten tensions between Britain and Argentina over the islands. Members of the defence select committee are expected to visit military installations on the islands, where a garrison of more than 1,000 troops is stationed at Mount Pleasant Complex, 35 miles (56km) from the capital, Stanley.
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02/15/2012
Russia has postponed indefinitely all flights of Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers after one of them crashed in Russia’s Urals, a source in the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The Su-24 combat aircraft crashed in the woods of the Kurgan region during a routine flight on Monday. Both pilots ejected safely. “The Air Force commander has cancelled all flights of this type of aircraft until the cause of the crash is established,” the source said but did not specify how long it could take.
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02/15/2012
Pratt & Whitney used the Singapore Airshow today to announce a $19.2 million material management programme (MMP) contract with three, one-year options from the United States Air Force in support of F100-PW-220E engines powering the Royal Jordanian Air Force fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.
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02/15/2012
Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) today announced its AT-6 Light Attack aircraft has successfully employed laser-guided rockets during recent test sorties at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
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02/14/2012
The number of Russia's Sukhoi T-50 5th generation fighters involved in test flights will be increased to 14 from three by 2015, Russian Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told RIA Novosti on Monday. “There are three fighters already in tests, another three are expected to be tested in the nearest future. The entire number of aircraft planned for test flights is 14,” Zelin said.
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02/14/2012
After more than two decades, Raytheon Company RTN -0.64% has formally restarted production of the laser-guided Maverick missile, with the first weapon expected to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force in late 2012. Production began following a rigorous U.S. Air Force and Navy Developmental Testing/Operational Testing program that culminated in a production contract in late 2011.
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02/14/2012
India’s big-ticket military acquisitions are expected to aggressively push schedules for the transfer of production to the country’s ambitious aerospace and defense industry. But the technology that India expects to be transferred through co-development work generated by offset agreements is raising concerns among vendors about possible violations of intellectual property rights.
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02/14/2012
Defense department officials and the chiefs of the military services have been reassuring anyone who will listen that the Pentagon has its act together when it comes to implementing the new defense strategy and creating a “leaner and more flexible” force structure. There will be cuts that are painful, they all say, but they are being implemented in a manner designed to ensure no loss of capability even as the overall size of the military shrinks.
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02/14/2012
David Cameron and the French president Nicolas Sarkozy are to meet in Paris on Friday to discuss a possible increase in help to Syrian rebels, including giving them military advice.
The meeting, held in the context of the annual Anglo-French summit, will occur the day after Sarkozy is expected formally to declare his intention to run for a second term as French president.
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02/14/2012
After over a decade of waiting, India has decided in the "mother" of defense deals, with France's Dassault Rafale fighter jets winning the multi-billion contract for 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft). The value of the contract could be anywhere between US$12 billion and $16 billion, though some estimates have pegged it at much larger $20 billion. It is clear that this is one of the world's largest military aviation deals.
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02/14/2012
Boeing Co., maker of the F-18 and F-15 fighter jets, said it’s “very confident” of winning a $7 billion South Korean order for combat planes as it boosts focus on Asia amid shrinking military spending at home. “If you look at the budget situation in Europe and the U.S., we have to make some grounds somewhere,” Joe Song, director, Asia Pacific International Business Development of Boeing defense, said in an interview in Singapore yesterday. “The focus is Asia and the Middle East right now.”
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02/14/2012
The Pentagon’s proposed $525 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 would seek the most savings on weapons by reducing purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the military’s costliest program. The Defense Department would cut $1.6 billion from the F-35 program by eliminating 13 planned aircraft, part of $18 billion in weapons cuts proposed in the budget that President Barack Obama sent to Congress today for the year beginning Oct. 1.
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02/14/2012
It took a medevac unit 59 minutes to get U.S. Army Spec. Chazray Clark to a hospital in southern Afghanistan after receiving a call that a roadside bombing severed three of his limbs. Clark did not survive. "I need something, please. It hurts," Clark, a 24-year-old combat engineer from Detroit, can be heard saying on a videotape as he waited in the dark for the helicopter.
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02/14/2012
The first Lockheed Martin built Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) satellite is now delivering critical infrared data to users. The spacecraft is currently undergoing its rigorous operational certification process.
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02/13/2012
The budget President Obama delivers to Congress this week will spend about 8 billion dollars less on the Defense Department. That's going to directly affect two Michigan Air National Guard Bases. Battle Creek and Selfridge Air National Guard Base officials learned earlier this month that the president’s proposed defense cuts would effect them. Selfridge would lose specialized fighter aircraft and Battle Creek will not become the home of some cargo planes.
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02/13/2012
The Pentagon’s increasing demand for unmanned aircraft bodes well for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as President Barack Obama prepares to make public his funding plans for the smaller, more agile military he envisions for the future. These are white-knuckle days for any military installation, as Obama prepares to authorize a new round of evaluating which U.S. bases can be closed and which missions might be moved for consolidation into other bases.
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02/13/2012
The MOU marks another step in our commitment to support BLACK HAWK aircraft operated by the Mexican military and Federal Police," said Steve Estill, Sikorsky Vice President for Mexico. "This agreement will establish a working relationship with ASESA in preparation for expected growth in Mexico, which could include helicopter assembly, maintenance, repair and overhaul work.
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02/13/2012
In a country where defence policy has traditionally not been a key aspect of overall foreign policy, seeing a former powerful Foreign Minister assume the Ministry of Defence is certain to raise some eyebrows. And so it happened when, in August 2011, President Dilma Rousseff chose Celso Amorim, the architect of Brazil's foreign policy under the Lula administration, to replace Nelson Jobim after the latter had openly questioned the capacity of several of his fellow cabinet members.
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02/13/2012
Turkey is planning to launch its unmanned planes by the summer in the hopes of using them against the outlawed Kurdsitan Workers Party (PKK). The plane’s A version is ready, but a B version is still pending.
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02/13/2012
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a manufacturer of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, announced the successful flight of a second multi-mission jet-powered Predator C Avenger aircraft.
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02/13/2012
The naval build-up by Beijing and a Pentagon shift in seaborne firepower towards Asia are creating an arena for rivalries.
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02/12/2012
The only thing left before India signs the estimated $800 million deal with GE Aviation for 99 GE-F414 engines now, is the clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
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02/12/2012
A total of five Russian military aircraft flew near Japanese territory on Wednesday, prompting the Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets, Japanese Defense Ministry officials said Thursday.
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02/12/2012
The last three of 18 new and upgraded F-16 fighter jets from the United States arrived in Pakistan, a report by the Indo-Asian News Service said. One F-16 D Block 52 and two F-16 Block 15 Mid-Life Upgrade aircraft arrived from the United States at Pakistan's air force base Shahbaz, the air force said in a statement. The D Block aircraft is new but the Block 15 aircraft had been sent back to the United States for improvements, the Indo-Asian report said.
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02/12/2012
The Pentagon's fiscal 2013 budget plan calls for spending of $178.8 billion to develop and buy new warships, fighter jets and other major weapons, a 7.5 percent drop from the level initially projected for the coming year, according to a detailed budget document obtained by Reuters.
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02/11/2012
Italy seems certain to scale back its major investment in Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, heightening uncertainty over the troubled stealth jet's future. Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola has said repeatedly since January that the country's originally planned order of the 131 supersonic warplanes by 2018 was being "reviewed" because military spending cuts were necessary as part of Prime Minister Mario Monti's austerity plan to shore up public accounts.
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02/11/2012
Airbus Military could be one of the main beneficiaries of the Singapore air force’s next round of procurements. Singapore has at the top of its procurement list aerial refueling tankers, strategic airlifters and anti-submarine warfare fixed-wing aircraft, purchases that will see that the island continues to be, for the next few years at least, the biggest spender on new defense equipment in Southeast Asia.
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02/11/2012
The U.S. strategic tilt toward the Asia Pacific region plays to Raytheon Co.’s strength in active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a key technology being used and sought by countries in the region to enhance the capabilities of their legacy fourth-generation fighters.
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02/11/2012
South Korea’s military joined the annual Thai-US joint military exercise for the first time this week as the maneuvers kicked off in Thailand's eastern seaboard province of Chonburi. The 10-day joint drill, code named Cobra Gold 2012, is scheduled to end on Feb 17.
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02/11/2012
UAC takes part in the Singapore Air Show 2012 international exhibition. UAC civil aviation is presented by SSJ100 and MC-21 aircraft. UAC military aviation is represented by Su-35 and Yak-130 aircraft. Be-200 amphibious aircraft and MC-21 cabin and cockpit mockup will be available on static display.
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02/11/2012
The Air Force training underway for hundreds of personnel in southern New Mexico is helping keep U.S. forces safe across the world. Holloman Air Force base is the primary training base for some of the newest aircraft in the military. The MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper at Holloman represent advances in technology and one of the newest career fields in the air force.
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02/11/2012
The selection process for IAF’s medium, multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) which ended last week with the selection of the Dassault Rafale, was an exceptional procurement process — free of scams and characterised by professionalism
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02/11/2012
Russia’s arms exports may reach a record $14 billion in 2012, a Russian think-tank said on Friday. Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport sold $10.7 billion worth of weaponry in 2011 under contracts with 57 countries, but this number could be readjusted to $12 bln with the addition of direct sales of spare parts by Russian arms producers.
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02/11/2012
The Turkish air force has halted flights with its Cessna T-37 jet trainers to perform technical checks on the type, Flightglobal.com has reported.The decision follows two fatal accidents in the last six months.
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02/10/2012
China’s surging defense budget, the world’s second-biggest, is helping spur military spending across Asia, offering U.S. and European suppliers a chance to offset slowing demand at home. Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. fighters will be on display at next week’s Singapore Airshow as the two biggest U.S. defense contractors prepare to compete with Eurofighter and Saab AB for a $7 billion South Korean order. The contest follows similar competitions in Japan and India.
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02/10/2012
The cost of Britain’s biggest military programmes has soared by £500million in a year because ‘wasteful’ defence chiefs failed to ‘live within their means’. A withering Commons report today finds that 15 crucial procurement projects are £6.1billion - or 11.4 per cent - over budget.
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02/10/2012
McCain, Graham, and Lieberman issued a we-are-all-Syrians statement tonight insisting that no options should be off the table and that we should think carefully about arming the rebels.
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02/10/2012
Russia and China, two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council described as key arms suppliers to the embattled regime in Syria, are now accused of supplying weapons and fuelling an ongoing conflict in another military hotspot: Sudan.
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02/10/2012
At a conference about the development of drones for use in combat, Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) was interrupted Wednesday by an anti-drone protester as he was giving a speech. Standing onstage in front of a crowd of more than 500 people, McKeon was talking at the Assn. for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's annual program review conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
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02/10/2012
It was the "substantially higher cost" of acquiring and operating the Eurofighter Typhoon that led to its ejection from the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to supply 126 fighters to IAF.
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02/10/2012
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wants to “rebalance our global and presence to emphasize where we think the potential problems will be in the world” with the goal of producing a leaner, more rapidly deployable military. Translation: Shrink land forces and rely more on the Navy.
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02/10/2012
The United States is seeking more access to Philippines ports and airfields to re-fuel and service its warships and planes, diplomatic and military sources said on Thursday, expanding its presence at a time of tension with China in the South China Sea.
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02/10/2012
India’s Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna was in Beijing this week, inaugurating his nation’s new $10 million embassy and meeting with his Chinese counterpart as well as a range of high-ranking Communist party officials. The biggest headline to emerge from the visit was invariably about the two countries’ commitment to reach $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2015.
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02/10/2012
Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force had to scramble fighter jets in response to flights by Russian military aircraft near Japanese airspace on Wednesday, Kyodo news agency said on Thursday citing the Defense Ministry. According to the ministry, a total of five Russian planes, including two Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers, two Su-24 Fencer reconnaissance planes and an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft skirted Japanese territory on Wednesday.
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02/09/2012
A passenger plane landing at an island airport got caught-up in RAF war games involving 14 military aircraft. A report into the 'needless incident' today heavily criticised military planners and said the exercise should have been aborted once it was clear a passenger plane was about to land.
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02/09/2012
The Indiana Air National Guard's top official hasn't accepted Air Force plans to move A-10 fighter jets away from Fort Wayne's Air Guard base and replace them with light reconnaissance aircraft.
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02/09/2012
Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain will buy a new Boeing C-17 military aircraft to help move troops around. Cameron's announcement followed a critical report by U.K. lawmakers warning that Britain would struggle to mount a Libya-style mission in the future as sweeping defense cuts come into force. The prime minister says evacuating civilians from Libya brought home the importance of transport aircraft for the Ministry of Defense and Royal Air Force.
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02/09/2012
As the Air Force looks to trim more than $8 billion, Congressman Tim Murphy (R- PA 18) is battling a third attempt to close the Pittsburgh 911 Airlift Wing. He’s sponsoring a House Bill that stipulates that the Air Force has to keep C-130 aircraft at the Pittsburgh base, and cannot move them elsewhere.
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02/09/2012
How often do you get a do-over in Washington? Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell is taking his; having watched the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty fail its partners in 1995, he is now helping to lead its revival.
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02/09/2012
A parliamentary defense committee has questioned if Britain will still have the ability to conduct future operations on the scale of the Libya campaign after the strategic defense and security review has been fully implemented.
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02/09/2012
India has decided to buy 126 fighter jets from France, taken delivery of a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia and prepared for its first aircraft carrier in recent weeks as it modernizes its military to match China's. India and China have had tensions since a 1962 border war, and New Delhi has watched with dismay in recent years as Beijing has increased its influence in the Indian Ocean.
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02/09/2012
Prince Harry could return to combat duties in Afghanistan within the year following an announcement on Thursday that he has successfully completed an intensive training course to fly the army's Apache attack helicopter. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the prince – Captain Wales to his colleagues in the military – has qualified to fly the aircraft, which is one of the most sophisticated in the armed forces.
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02/09/2012
Russia used its satellites to help the Syrian government fight growing insurgency in the country, pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Russian officials provided the regime of President Bashar al-Assad with satellite photos showing the location of the bases and main forces of the Free Syrian Army, the most prominent militant rebel group, the London-based newspaper said on Wednesday.
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02/08/2012
While the news coming out of the Middle East over the past year has focused upon the percolations of restless societies, two aspects remain consistent amidst the region’s sea of political unrest: strong levels of investment in security forces and the appetite for defense-related acquisitions. The market for arms sales in the Middle East continues to be robust, notwithstanding the relative shift in security focus from external to internal concerns.
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02/08/2012
The annual Munich Security Conference is regularly the scene for the complaints of American official and semiofficial participants deploring Europe’s failure “to pull its weight” in defense, “free-riding” on American efforts, and failing to spend more money on trans-Atlantic arms purchases. Instead they spend money on their own-make arms and military aircraft, such as the French Rafale and EADS’ Eurofighter, which they sell to such overseas markets as India that might otherwise buy American.
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02/08/2012
Boeing was awarded a US$1 781 413 Foreign Military Sales contract on February 2, concluding a three year negotiation process. However, the contract’s value represents only a fraction of the amount that India is expected to pay for its ten C-17s. In April 2010 the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale to India, and quoted the value of potential sale as amounting to US$5.8 billion.
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02/08/2012
In an unusual bilateral tie-up, India has agreed to share with Brazil some of its experiences of carrying out an open tender evaluation to select a fighter for the over $10 billion MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) contract. Brazil is presently in the process of selecting a fighter for its air force.
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02/08/2012
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced that the U. S. Army's OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter fleet have accumulated 2 million flight hours. Over 750,000 of these flight hours have been flown in combat.
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02/08/2012
Electronic sensors that will be used on F-35 aircraft have been deployed in a major U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps amphibious exercise. Northrop Grumman said the AN/AAQ-37 active electronically scanned array radar and AN/AAQ-37 infrared distributed aperture system were fitted on its BAC1-11 test aircraft for Bold Alligator 2012 to provide F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter sensor capability in air-to-air and air-to-ground reconnaissance missions for participating forces.
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02/08/2012
The Russian Air Force will receive more than 10 modernized Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers by 2020, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. According to official data, Russia has at least 16 Tu-160 aircraft in service. There are plans to increase their number to 30. “The Tu-160 in service with the Air Force are already undergoing modernization,” Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. “We are planning to receive more than 10 aircraft of this type.”
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02/08/2012
Investigators have solved the murder of Idris Faizullin, a businessman and retired plane designer who worked on the Su-27 fighter jet. The Investigative Committee did not identify the five suspects it reported detaining, saying only that they were unemployed. But Lifenews.ru tabloid claimed the group was headed by Andrei Leletko, an officer with the Federal Security Service (FSB).
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02/07/2012
India plans to spend about $100 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its largely Soviet-era military equipment, as Asia's third largest economy looks to match its military power with its economic clout.
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02/07/2012
In a fresh sign of thaw in Pakistan-United States strained relations, the US on Monday delivered three F-16 aircraft to Pakistan, which included a new fighter plane and two that were returned after being refurbished. “One F-16 D Block 52 and two F-16 Block 15 MLU (Mid Life Upgrade) aircraft arrived from USA at PAF Shahbaz Base. The arrival of last F-16 D Block 52 aircraft marked the completion of delivery of 18 aircraft of this category,” said a PAF spokesman in a statement.
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02/07/2012
Global Aviation Holdings Inc., the biggest charter-flight company for U.S. military troops, plans to reorganize by getting rid of more than half of its aircraft, citing the end of flying missions to Iraq and Afghanistan. Of 30 aircraft leases, the company would like to reject 16 “excess aircraft” to save about $40 million a year. The leases are for aircraft made by General Electric Co., Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, according to papers filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in B
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02/07/2012
The leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee suggested on Monday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta rushed a decision to develop the Marine Corps version of the next-generation strike fighter jet despite new technical problems with the troubled program.
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02/07/2012
Since the release of the new defense strategy, much has been made of the shift to the Asia-Pacific region, its abandonment of the so-called two Major Theater Wars (MTWs) construct and the force structure reductions. The Administration will need to flesh out these ideas, explaining how it will implement the shift and why prospective adversaries will be deterred given the change from two to one MTWs and the associated force structure reductions.
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02/07/2012
Filipino law maker Luz Ilagan on Monday called for a probe into what she dubbed as the extensive and intensive intrusion of the US military in AFP operations. AFP refers to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The solon she will be filing a resolution within the week as she expressed her concern following various reports on the use of US spy planes, predator drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in recent military operations in the Philippines.
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02/07/2012
The two week event is the US Air Force’s largest and most important air combat training exercise. Held up to four times per year, more than 145,000 aircrew members and 440,000 military personnel have participated in Red Flag during its 37 year history.
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02/07/2012
Make no mistake: we’re entering a new world of military planning. Admittedly, the latest proposed Pentagon budget manages to preserve just about every costly toy-cum-boondoggle from the good old days when MiGs still roamed the skies, including an uncut nuclear arsenal.
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02/07/2012
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a five-year competitive contract to provide technical support of the Distributed Mission Operations Center (DMOC) located at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a $94 million ceiling value.
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02/07/2012
Northrop Grumman's Litening G4 advanced targeting pod has embarked on its first combat deployment with the Air National Guard on A-10 and F-16 Block 30 aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
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02/06/2012
Last year, a group of Indian journalists were taken on a tour of BAE System's Warton Aerodrome on Britain's northwest coast, where Eurofighter Typhoons for British and Saudi contracts were being assembled.
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02/06/2012
Woe is the diplomat who uses the wrong word, no matter its veracity. Over the past year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Undersecretary of the Army Joseph Westphal separately have used the word "insurgency" to describe the Mexican government's fight against indigenous criminal cartels.
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02/06/2012
Today’s active-duty force, a legacy of the Cold War, is simply too large for the nation’s needs, a tremendous waste of dollars. In restructuring, however, we simply cannot afford to apply the same business model used over the past 60 years and expect different results. Getting it right will require a new approach.
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02/06/2012
When Pratibha Patil travelled to Europe last October, she and others in her entourage had a pleasant surprise in the sky. At one point along the air space that the President’s flight was using, half a squadron of Eurofighters appeared on both sides of her Air India plane.
In the graceful style of these sleek war machines, they escorted the presidential aircraft to its safe landing at Patil’s next destination. Even so, those manning the Eurofighters could not resist showing off.
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02/05/2012
How much of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s spiraling cost in recent years can be traced to China’s cybertheft of technology and the subsequent need to reduce the fifth-generation aircraft’s vulnerability to detection and electronic attack? That is a central question that budget planners are asking, and their queries appear to have validity. Moreover, senior Pentagon and industry officials say other classified weapon programs are suffering from the same problem.
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02/05/2012
The U.S. Air Force on Friday announced that Duluth’s 148th Fighter Wing will become one of only six active associate units in the country - meaning active-duty personnel will train and work with guardsmen at the base. The announcement all but erases concerns that the base will be targeted for cuts after the Defense Department said it will seek to trim total defense spending by $33 billion next year and $487 billion over 10 years.
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02/05/2012
Fort Wayne’s Air National Guard base would lose its nearly 20-plane fighter squadron but gain half as many manned surveillance aircraft under plans announced Friday. The commander of the 122nd Fighter Wing said the Air Force is recommending that the A-10 jets the base has flown in recent years be retired and replaced with MC-12 turboprop planes.
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02/05/2012
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reassured European allies on Saturday that Washington remains committed to their security despite an austerity drive, as NATO pushed for new ways for alliance members to maintain capabilities at lower cost. The declarations came amid declining defence budgets and growing U.S. discontent over Europe's low spending and diminishing capabilities, which add to the United States' defence burden.
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02/05/2012
The Indian military finds itself in the midst of a renaissance driven by induction of top-of-the-line weapon systems it had been lusting after for years. At a time when the western world is feeling the sharp edge of cuts in military spending, New Delhi is pumping billions of dollars into fighting machines such as stealth jets, aircraft carriers, nuke-powered submarines, submarine hunters and special operations aircraft.
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02/04/2012
Aircraft manufacturers at the Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) Defense, Space & Security segment in Long Beach, Calif., will build 10 C-17 Globemaster III military cargo jets for the Indian Air Force in New Delhi, India, under terms of a $1.8 billion contract modification announced Thursday from the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft sale is part of the Foreign Military Sales program.
(Read More...)
02/04/2012
For all its high-tech stealth and record price tag, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter embodies the droll military motto, "Hurry up and wait." Conceived in the heady post-Cold War 1990s, the futuristic fifth-generation jet fighter was to be a technological marvel built in a rush and paid for with "peace dividend" dollars. But now with the economic crash, the fighter is billions over budget and years behind schedule.
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02/04/2012
Bangalore, (IANS) Discounting US intelligence reports of a limited armed conflict between India and China, a senior Indian Air Force officer Friday ruled out any war in the near future but said Indian forces were fully prepared to protect the country’s strategic interests. “I don’t see any war in the near future.
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02/04/2012
Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ALCSG) assets responded to a distressed Iranian fishing dhow in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 31. At 12:37 p.m. local time, an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, assigned to the Golden Falcons of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 and embarked on aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), spotted the disabled Iranian fishing dhow M/V Sohaila with nine crew members aboard.
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02/04/2012
Misinformation and Legal Wrangling Delaying Mission-Critical A-29 Super Tucano for American Warfighters in Afghanistan Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the winner of the U.S. Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) competition, today issued a point-by-point rebuttal of misinformation being spread by the disqualified contender for the contract.
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02/04/2012
Big decisions on warplane purchases by Japan and India have intensified competition in the multi-billion-dollar global market, with Western defense firms scrambling for orders in Asia and the Middle East as their home-country budgets shrivel.
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02/04/2012
India plans to spend about $100 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its largely Soviet-era military equipment, as Asia's third largest economy looks to match its military power with its economic clout.
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02/04/2012
Estonia will be part of NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) project, the country’s Defense Ministry said. The North Atlantic Council decided on February 2 to collectively cover the costs for operating the AGS network as a NATO-owned and operated capability.
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02/03/2012
Two Boeing Chinook CH-47D helicopters formerly used by the U.S. Army have been delivered to Australia and will enter operation this year. With the aircraft's acquisition by the Australian military, the total number of the country's Chinook fleet will be seven. One of the helicopters received is replacing and aircraft lost last year during operations by Australian forces in Afghanistan.
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02/03/2012
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Greek Cyprus this month in what will be the first ever visit by an Israeli leader to the neighboring Mediterranean island. And, according to UPI, Nicosia is currently studying an Israeli request to station military aircraft in its territory.
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02/03/2012
The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it plans a $2.8 billion upgrade of about 350 of its aging F-16 multi-role fighter planes to help offset slower purchases of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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02/03/2012
Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp., San Francisco, Calif., is being awarded a $359,700,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2103) for nuclear propulsion work at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
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02/03/2012
Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim, arrives next Saturday (04/02) in New Delhi, the capital of India, for a series of meetings with officials and visits to military installations in the Asian country. The trip aims to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.
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02/03/2012
The United States plans to end its combat mission in Afghanistan as early as mid-2013 and shift to a training role, more than a year before most American troops are due to withdraw, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday.
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02/03/2012
Military Space Review talks about Serial Three Su-35S Flanker-E multipurpose jet fighter, which has been successfully tested for the first time at the end of January. India is a potential export customer of the aircraft.
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02/02/2012
The Pentagon will eliminate 24 V-22 Osprey aircraft built by Boeing Co. (BA) and Textron Inc. from its five-year budget plan, saving $1.75 billion through 2017, according to two U.S. officials. The planned reduction to 98 planes from 122 will be reflected in a final, multi-year contract that’s under negotiation between the Navy and companies, according to one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn’t been announced.
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02/02/2012
Greece is bankrupt but their military is shopping for arms. In 2010 Greece spent a greater share of its income on arms than any other Nato country except the US. In the meantime, Greece is seeking a deal with private lenders and the EU "by the end of the week" its prime minister said today, as Athens races to avoid a financial meltdown ahead of debt repayments due in March.
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02/02/2012
The Global Hawk, a reconnaissance aircraft that does not carry missiles, broke records for unmanned aerial vehicles a decade ago. Now military belt tightening may cut the number of planes the Air Force will purchase.
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02/02/2012
Vice President Joe Biden is in Fort Worth today for two private fundraising events for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Given that Tarrant County ranks second only to Orange County, Calif., for its deep-red Republican hue, there probably wasn't a need to book the convention center.
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02/02/2012
Prague - The Czech Republic will keep supersonic aircraft even after 2015 when the lease of the Swedish Jas-39 Gripen fighters expires, the government decided today, Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) confirmed after the cabinet's meeting.
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02/02/2012
This month's Singapore air show falls on the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore to Japan in the Second World War. While Asia is an unimaginably different place now, Singapore's leaders have never forgotten the speed with which Singapore fell - or the three years of brutal occupation that followed.
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02/02/2012
Government officials at all levels received a shock this week when it was reported that the fighter squadron that flies A-10 aircraft out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township may be eliminated under the new, downsized Pentagon budget. If the reduction receives congressional approval, it would apparently end the Air National Guard’s 107th Fighter Squadron, which consists of 630 military personnel, 250 of whom are full-time airmen. Most are pilots and maintenance mechanics.
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02/02/2012
U.S. and other international forces in Afghanistan aim to end their combat role next year and switch to training and advising Afghan forces through 2014, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday.
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02/02/2012
Boeing today announced that it has started production of the new Distributed Targeting System (DTS) for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter. DTS provides enhanced targeting capability for the Super Hornet. It is part of the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Network Centric Warfare Upgrades program and the F/A-18E/F Flight Plan, which will ensure that the Super Hornet remains ahead of emerging threats in coming decades.
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02/01/2012
After an exhaustive technical and commercial evaluation spread over five long years, India on Tuesday selected French jet Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon for the gigantic almost $20 billion MMRCA ( medium multi-role combat aircraft) programme to supply 126 fighters to IAF - the largest such "open-tender" military aviation deal in the world.
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02/01/2012
The Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM) has negotiated an extension of the JAS 39 Gripen agreement with Hungary. The new agreement is extended until 2026. The agreement was signed today in Stockholm by FXM Director-General Ulf Hammarström and Director-General Gyula Keszthelyi of Hungary’s Armament and Quartermaster Office.
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02/01/2012
Members of the Alaska delegation and others in Congress are vowing to resist a recommendation from the Pentagon to close military bases around the country. Alaska Democratic Sen. Mark Begich said it doesn't make sense to start a round of domestic base closures at this point. He said he has been calling for the Department of Defense to close bases overseas, some of which "are designed from a World War II model."
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02/01/2012
In November, when lawmakers were discussing the U.S. defense budget, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a dire warning: In a letter to Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, he wrote that a threatened deep reduction – about $1 trillion over the next decade – would create “an unacceptable risk in future combat operations.” It would, he said, leave America with the smallest Army since the eve of World War II, the smallest number of ships since World War I, and the smallest Air Force in its hi
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02/01/2012
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was awarded a $23.6 million contract by Lockheed Martin Corp. for production of more than two dozen GAU-22/A gun systems for the F-35 Lightning II.
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02/01/2012
Defence chiefs praised thousands of employees at BAE Systems for the success of the Typhoon Eurofighter during its first operation. Peter Luff, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, thanked BAE Systems’ military aircraft and marine engineers for their ‘tremendous support’ during Operation Ellamy in Libya.
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02/01/2012
European Union nations must increasingly pool their military resources, especially as individual members keep trimming their budgets and the U.S reshapes its military strategy to focus on regions beyond Europe, the bloc’s top defense officials said Tuesday.
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02/01/2012
India had selected Dassault Aviation of France as its preferred bidder in a $10 billion contest to supply its air force with a new fleet of advanced combat aircraft, the French government said Tuesday. Dassault edged out a European consortium for the coveted contract with one of the world’s biggest arms importers.
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02/01/2012
Russia will complete development of advanced tactical air-launched missile systems for the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter within the next two years, the head of the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV), Boris Obnosov, told RIA Novosti. “The development of Kh-35UE (AS-20 Kayak), Kh-38ME, Kh-58UShKE (AS-11 Kilter), and RVV-MD (AA-11 Archer) class missiles will be completed in 2012-2013,” Obnosov said, adding the missiles were currently being tested.
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02/01/2012
About 30 Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from Russia's Long Range Aviation fleet will be modernized by 2020, Russian Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday.
"We plan to upgrade about 30 strategic bombers to the M3M standard,” Drik said. Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic bomber that Russia uses mainly to patrol the skies over its southern borders, Central Asia and the Black Sea region.
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01/31/2012
The A-10 Thunderbolt II provides the type of close-air support that ground-pounders love and the Taliban dread. Although the A-10s are workhorses in the war on terrorism, the Air Force in its new budget request is planning to get rid of five squadrons. As part of the Defense Department’s efforts to trim close to $500 billion in spending over the next decade, defense officials said Friday that the service intends to cut five A-10 tactical squadrons and two other squadrons as well.
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01/31/2012
Switzerland's defence ministry has not received a second offer from aircraft maker Dassault that is cheaper than the type of fighter jet it is planning to buy, a spokeswoman said on Monday. "No official offer has been received here until now," a spokeswoman for the defense ministry said.
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01/31/2012
With instability in the Sahel-Saharan region, fears are growing about the fallout from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) potential acquisition of portable surface-to-missiles from Libya.
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01/31/2012
Fifteen new Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters, some of which are participating in the flight testing so critical to moving the troubled Joint Strike Fighter program forward, have been grounded owing to improper loading of parachutes in their ejection seats.
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01/31/2012
As the Obama administration prepares to present a budget to Congress that includes $487 billion in military cuts over the next 10 years, some experts are warning that the downsized defense that is planned could severely jeopardize the nation’s security posture.
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01/31/2012
Boeing [NYSE: BA] has selected three Canadian firms to receive the first group of work packages for in-service support of 15 Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters, designated CH-147F for the Canadian Forces. Following an open competition, Boeing chose the following suppliers.
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01/31/2012
Lockheed Martin and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) today announced the launching of a partnership to research and promote science, technology and innovation, continuing a 45 year relationship between Lockheed Martin and the Kingdom.
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01/31/2012
Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules program has reached yet another historic milestone with the delivery of its 2400th aircraft. The aircraft is an MC-130J Combat Shadow II assigned to U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command and will be operated by the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
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01/31/2012
Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers have successfully completed a routine patrol mission over the Arctic Ocean, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. The mission - the first so far this year - began on the night of January 27-28 and lasted more than 16 hours. The bombers were refueled in mid-air from an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker.
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01/31/2012
Russia's main military aircraft maker has decided not to take part in South Korea’s largest-ever arms tender, for a new fighter aircraft, The Korea Times said on Monday citing the country’s military procurement authorities. The winner of the FX-III tender will sign a $7.3-billion deal to supply 60 advanced fighter jets with stealth capability for South Korea’s Air Force.
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01/30/2012
The risk of the world being engulfed in a new and dangerous war is increasing. In recent weeks, Iran has come under greater pressure over its nuclear programme, and the chances of this leading to military conflict have escalated.
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01/30/2012
French aircraft maker Dassault has made a new offer to Switzerland for its Rafale fighter jets after the government decided in November to buy Sweden's Gripen planes instead, a report said Sunday. Dassault has sent a letter to parliament -- which has yet to approve the November decision - offering 18 Rafale planes for 2.7 billion Swiss francs (2.24 billion euros, 2.96 billion dollars), reported Le Matin Dimanche, which said it had seen the letter.
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01/30/2012
A month after the last American troops left Iraq, the State Department is operating a small fleet of surveillance drones here to help protect the United States Embassy and consulates, as well as American personnel. Senior Iraqi officials expressed outrage at the program, saying the unarmed aircraft are an affront to Iraqi sovereignty.
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01/30/2012
Military avionics designers at the Lockheed Martin Corp. Mission Systems and Sensors Division (MS2) segment in Owego, N.Y., needed a real-time operating system (RTOS) and software-engineering tools for the United Kingdom Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) radar surveillance aircraft. They found their solution from LynuxWorks Inc. in San Jose, Calif.
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01/30/2012
An Eitan-type Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Israel's largest drone, crashed near Moshav Yesodot on Sunday. No injuries were reported. An initial investigation suggests that the aircraft exceeded its flight restrictions. The damage is currently estimated at nearly $ 5 million. The investigation showed the incident was apparently the result of both a human error and a technical malfunction. The drone apparently crashed after one of its wings fell off, according to the initial investigation.
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01/30/2012
The U.S. military will operate its U2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft in South Korea through 2020 by delaying its retirement by more than five years, scrapping its plan to replace the U2 with the high-altitude Global Hawk. The U2 has been used by U.S. forces in South Korea for the surveillance of North Korea.
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01/29/2012
The Czech Republic has given a May 31 deadline for the delivery of four Spanish-made military transport planes or it will back out of the purchase of the aircraft that have been plagued by technical problems, Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra said. The Czech army returned the CASA C-295 M planes, built by EADS-Casa, last year after they failed tests.
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01/29/2012
Wars have come and gone. But for more than half a century, the CIA and U.S. military have relied on a skinny sinister-looking black jet to go deep behind enemy lines for vital intelligence-gathering missions. The high-flying U-2 spy plane was first designed during the Eisenhower administration to breach the iron curtain and, as engineers said, snap "picture postcards for Ike" of hidden military strongholds in the Soviet Union.
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01/29/2012
The Philippines is considering a U.S. proposal to deploy surveillance aircraft on a temporary, rotating basis to enhance its ability to guard disputed areas in the South China Sea, the Philippine defense minister said on Friday. Ongoing talks in Washington on security ties between the two allies include plans to deploy more littoral combat ships and spy aircraft, said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.
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01/29/2012
The Navy’s new drone being tested near Chesapeake Bay stretches the boundaries of technology: It’s designed to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, one of aviation’s most difficult maneuvers. What’s even more remarkable is that it will do that not just without a pilot in the cockpit, but without a pilot at all.
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01/29/2012
Detractors say the F-35 stealth fighter, the costliest military plane ever, is destined to go down as one of the biggest follies in aviation history. But it may have found a savior: deep-pocketed U.S. allies hungry to add its super high-tech capabilities to their arsenal.
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01/29/2012
Russia’s Federal Border Guard Service is planning to build a center for the production of flarecraft to improve protection of the country’s maritime borders. Russian media cited a government source on Friday saying that the center will be built at the former Avangard shipyard in the northern city of Petrozavodsk.
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01/29/2012
Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) announced today that Jim Maslowski, president, will retire from his positions with Hawker Beechcraft on Jan. 31.. Upon retirement, Maslowski will continue as a consultant to HBDC and its business development efforts with the title of vice chairman.
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01/27/2012
The United States is to increase its fleet of unmanned drones by nearly a third and rely more on small, specially trained ground units as part of a slimmed down military. As part of massive cuts to its budget, the army plans to shed 80,000 soldiers over the next few years, defence secretary Leon Panetta announced yesterday.
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01/27/2012
Researchers say a drone aircraft being tested by the U.S. Navy that could conduct a combat mission without human involvement raises troubling ethical questions. The drone, designed to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, operates not only with no pilot in the cockpit but with no pilot at all, raising the specter of a pre-programmed semi-independently operating machine capable of wreaking mayhem on its own.
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01/27/2012
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) military aircraft purchases continued to roll along on Wednesday, with a U.S. Navy order of 15 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet carrier-based jet fighter-bombers under terms of a $687.5 million contract modification. Wednesday's order brings this week's DOD combat aircraft orders to 25 in three separate deals collectively worth nearly $2.2 billion.
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01/27/2012
Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) and Thales Australia today named the Eurocopter EC135 as the preferred platform for their bid on the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Project AIR 9000 Phase 7 – Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS).
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01/27/2012
All of Russia’s military airfields will be upgraded and modernized by 2020, Defense Ministry spokesman Col Vladimir Drik said on Thursday. That includes airbases, flight test and training centers, army aviation sites, and other facilities, he said.
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01/26/2012
Hawker Beechcraft today issued the following statement in response to President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address. "The actions of the current administration do not align with the comments made by President Obama in his State of the Union address. He made very convincing statements that he wants to protect American manufacturing jobs and called for more highly skilled jobs in the U.S. and for more products to be made in America.
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01/26/2012
Two decades after evicting U.S. forces from their biggest base in the Pacific, the Philippines is in talks with the Obama administration about expanding the American military presence in the island nation, the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at China.
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01/26/2012
The Air Force wants to save money by scrapping plans to replace the Cold War-era U-2 spy plane with the high-tech Global Hawk reconnaissance drone, a defense analyst said Tuesday. Loren Thompson wrote in his blog that the Air Force plans to sacrifice the most common variant of the Global Hawk — the Block 30 — as a “bill payer” in its 2013 budget request, retiring those already in use and halting further production by defense giant Northrup Grumman.
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01/26/2012
Last night, President Obama opened his State of the Union address by referencing the sacrifices and courage of America’s military personnel as they return home from combat. The President’s rhetoric was moving, but unfortunately, words are simply words and have not been fully backed up with action that supports America’s heroes.
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01/26/2012
The Navy is testing an autonomous plane that will land on an aircraft carrier. The prospect of heavily armed aircraft screaming through the skies without direct human control is unnerving to many.
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01/26/2012
The Pentagon plans to expand its global network of drones and special-operations bases in a fundamental realignment meant to project U.S. power even as it cuts back to eliminate at least eight brigades while reducing the size of the active duty Army from 570,000 to 490,000, cuts that are likely to hit armored and heavy infantry units the hardest. But drone and special-operations deployments would continue to grow as they have in recent years.
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01/26/2012
Ukraine’s 2012 military spending will increase by around 30 percent, to about $2 billion or 1.1 percent of GDP, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s financial department said on Wednesday. The ministry expects to spend about $120 million for purchases and modernization of military equipment, as well as scientific and military design projects, including the production of L-39 Albatros jet trainers and MiG-29 fighter jets. Ukraine’s existing fleet of MiG-29, L-39 and Su-25 close air support aircrafts
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01/25/2012
The Navy is testing a system that promises to significantly increase the endurance and range of carrier-based unmanned aircraft. As part of the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, the Navy and industry partner Northrop Grumman have been developing Autonomous Aerial Refueling (AAR) technologies to refuel unmanned aircraft in flight.
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01/25/2012
Continuing with their sparkling achievements, IAF women pilots have now begun to go where no women has gone before. They are flying military cargo aircraft sorties to forbidding high-altitude forward areas like Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and Leh. "Since December, some women IAF pilots are flying sorties of AN-32 medium-lift aircraft to DBO, the highest advanced landing ground (makeshift airstrip) in the world at 16,500-feet, and IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft to Leh," said a senior officer.
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01/25/2012
Fifth-generation fighter aircraft are key to America maintaining domain dominance in the years ahead, Air Force officials said here today. Lt. Gen. Christopher D. Miller, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs, and Maj. Gen. Noel T. “Tom” Jones, the service’s director for operation capability requirements, said the technology – exemplified in the F-22 and F-35 – assumes greater importance in combating growing anti-access, area-denial capabilities.
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01/25/2012
Aircraft manufacturers at the Boeing Co. Commercial Airplanes segment in Long Beach, Calif., will build five C-17 Globemaster III military cargo jets for the U.S. Air Force under terms of a $693.4 million contract modification announced Monday from the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
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01/25/2012
The U.S. is maintaining a sizable ground, air and sea force in the Persian Gulf, underscoring the need to protect oil-producing states after deposing Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein and exiting a democratic Iraq in December.
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01/25/2012
North Korea’s air force or navy fare little better. Most aircraft currently operated have obsolete avionics and limited weapon system capabilities Pilots are allowed fewer than twenty flight hours per year due to high fuel costs.
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01/25/2012
South Korea has sweetened the pot in a bid to secure a hotly contested $1 billion contract for its T-50 Golden Eagle jet trainer for Israel's air force by offering to buy Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Iron Dome counter-rocket system.
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01/25/2012
Two bilateral command post exercises with Japan kicked off yesterday and today, reflecting the growing strategic importance of the Asia-Pacific region as outlined in the new defense strategy guidance President Barack Obama announced earlier this month. Japanese and U.S. military forces launched Keen Edge 12 yesterday at Yokota, Japan. The biennial exercise continues through Jan. 27.
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01/25/2012
The Russian Air Force is testing and will soon deploy an advanced tactical air-to-air missile that will greatly enhance its operational effectiveness, the service's commander Col Gen Alexander Zelin said on Tuesday. The missile will be carried by MiG-31BM Foxhound supersonic interceptors/fighters and will subsequently be used by other warplanes, he said.
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01/24/2012
Saudi Arabia has faced challenges introducing the Eurofighter Typhoon into service, not least in establishing local production – which has yet to start. But, as Jon Lake reports, despite this the Royal Saudi Air Force is pushing hard to adopt new capabilities and is believed to have been driving the pace of the development of new air-to-ground capabilities for the tranche 2 aeroplane.
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01/24/2012
Pakistan Army on Monday rejected the investigation report by US Central Command (Centcom) on the Salala incident, involving aerial strikes by US aircraft and helicopters resulting in the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers and injuries to 13 others. In a statement issued here, ISPR said, "Pakistan does not agree with several portions and findings of the Investigation Report as these are factually not correct.
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01/24/2012
Europe's second-largest defence contractor BAE Sytems has named Dean McCumiskey as its new chief executive and managing director of its India operations with effect from March 2012, the British company announced on Monday. McCurmiskey, who is currently the Group chief information officer, will replace Andrew Gallagher, who will be returning to the UK as the company's Director of Audit, according to a company-released press statement.
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01/24/2012
The Czech Ministry of Defense is hoping talks on Jan. 23 – 24 with Iraqi government and military representatives will produce a breakthrough for a Czech offer of twenty L-159 fighter planes produced by Aero Vodochody. The manufacturer, which is heading talks on the Czech side, is less concerned about the deal going through: last year it received Kc 25.2 million for simply storing the planes, the daily Lidové noviny (LN) reported on Monday.
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01/24/2012
The Boeing Company received a $126 million contract from the U.S. Air Force on Nov. 30 for approximately 5,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits. Deliveries will begin in June 2013 and continue through May 2014. This is Boeing's third major U.S. Air Force contract within a year for conventional JDAM kits. Boeing received an $88 million contract for nearly 3,500 kits in January 2011 and a $92 million contract for an additional 4,000 kits in March.
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01/24/2012
Lockheed Martin delivered the fourth P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modifications to U.S. Customs and Border Protection two months ahead of schedule on Jan. 20. The MLU installation and phase depot maintenance (PDM) were accomplished in record time of 11 months at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville facility.
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01/24/2012
Russia and Syria have signed a $550-million contract on the delivery of 36 Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainer, the Kommersant daily quoted on Monday a source close to Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport as saying. Under the deal struck in late December, the jets are to be supplied to Syria once Damascus makes a prepayment, the source said.
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01/24/2012
It was at Farnborough airshow in 2008 the Omani first expressed an interest in the Eurofighter aircraft and in April 2010 the then UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced a deal had been done. There is no clear confirmation on numbers although it is believed it could be around 20 aircraft in the requirement.
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01/24/2012
Alliant Techsystems is to delever a second Combat Caravan to Lebanon next year following an order from the US Air Force. The American company recently delivered a third AC-208B to the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission in Kirkuk.
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01/23/2012
U.S. Navy aircraft specialists needed common fiber optic test kits for Navy aviation systems. They found their solution from military electro-optics designers at Clear Align in Eagleville, Pa. Navy officials awarded Clear Align a contract to develop what company officials say is the first common fiber optic test kits naval aviation.
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01/23/2012
A U.S. aircraft carrier sailed through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf without incident on Sunday, a day after Iran backed away from an earlier threat to take action if an American carrier returned to the strategic waterway.
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01/22/2012
The Government will spend US$ 6 million (around Rs. 684 million) to overhaul three Chinese-built combat aircraft as part of modernization plans for the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
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01/22/2012
Australia's military has grounded its fleet of Black Hawk helicopters after fractured bolts were found during a routine inspection, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
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01/22/2012
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told sailors aboard the country’s oldest aircraft carrier that the U.S. is committed to maintaining a fleet of 11 of the formidable warships despite budget pressures, in part to project sea power against Iran.
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01/22/2012
The Canadian government is welcoming a decision by the U.S. military to renew its support for the development of the F-35, Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino said Saturday.
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01/22/2012
IN democracies like ours, there have always been deep bonds between the public and its wars. Citizens have historically participated in decisions to take military action, through their elected representatives, helping to ensure broad support for wars and a willingness to share the costs, both human and economic, of enduring them.
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01/22/2012
More than 30 MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptor aircraft are on round-the-clock high-alert duty every day protecting the Russian airspace from airborne threats, Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. “They [the MiG-31s] scramble every time they receive warnings of a potential violation of the Russian airspace, including the appearance of foreign weather balloons in the stratosphere,”Drik said on Saturday .
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01/22/2012
The Russian Air Force took delivery of the first Antonov An-140-100 passenger/transport plane on Friday, Defense Ministry spokesman Col Vladimir Drik said. “The plane’s delivery is the first step toward the implementation of a program to expand the AF transport aviation fleet,” he said, adding that another two aircraft will soon be delivered to the force.
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01/22/2012
The wing is also planning to provide one of the unique highlights of the flying display, when some of its F-15s and F-16s will escort a Gulf Air Airbus A330. Though the Royal Bahraini Air Force’s three-squadron fast jet force is one of the smallest in the region, and though its aircraft are among the oldest, the wing has an enviable reputation for professionalism, capability and competence.
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01/21/2012
Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi has flight tested its Serial Three Su-35S Flanker-E multipurpose jet fighter for the first time. During the test Tuesday, which lasted more than two hours, the aircraft's propulsion and control systems were put through their paces and "proved to be flawless," the company said.
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01/21/2012
The Pentagon will propose canceling a potential $6.8 billion Army missile program that pits Lockheed Martin Corp. against Raytheon Co., a Northrop Grumman Corp. weather satellite, and an Air Force light-attack aircraft, according to a government official.
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01/21/2012
A medium-lift transport being developed for the Brazilian air force will carry an auxiliary power unit by U.S. company Hamilton Sundstrand's Power Systems. The APU to be supplied to Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer for the KC-390 is a militarized version of a commercial Hamilton Sundstrand product.
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01/21/2012
The military saluted one of the group's few survivors today at Arlington National Cemetery. Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, a member of the storied group also known as the "Tuskegee Airmen," was laid to rest at age 90, exactly three years after the nation's first black president was inaugurated, an event for which many of the "Red Tails" feel they laid the groundwork.
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01/21/2012
The U.S. military is committed to developing the Marine Corps version of the next-generation strike fighter jet, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday, but he warned that the program is "not out of the woods yet."
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01/21/2012
When the Saudi Ministry of Defence was asked to send an aircraft to BIAS, it naturally chose an example of its latest fighter – the Eurofighter Typhoon. It was flown into the show by one of the Third Squadron’s senior pilots, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Almaki.
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01/21/2012
Bahrain was the first export customer for the UH-60M Black Hawk, currently the most advanced variant in the UH-60/S-70 family, and is proudly displaying one of its new helicopters at BIAS.
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01/21/2012
Russia has returned a prepayment it received for S-300 surface-to-air missile systems it ultimately refused to deliver to Iran but has paid no penalty, Russian Technologies chief Sergei Chemezov said on Friday. “The prepayment to the manufacturer was returned to the Iranians because the delivery was not made in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution,” he said.
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01/21/2012
Aviastar SP, one of Russia's largest aircraft-building enterprises, is to build 10 super-heavy Antonov An-124 and dozens of Ilyushin Il-476 cargo aircraft by 2020, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday at a meeting of the United Aircraft Corporation on military aviation.
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01/20/2012
A NATO helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing six members of the international military force, the U.S.-led coalition said. The coalition said in a release early Friday morning that there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash in southern Afghanistan.
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01/20/2012
The Russian Air Force began flight testing of a modernized version of the A-50U airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft. The aircraft was improved with new on-board computers, satellite communications, and an improved radar system installed in its rotodome.
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01/20/2012
Israeli defense companies stand to gain from billions of dollars in contracts with South Korea which recently increased its defense budget to $30 billion a year, Korea’s ambassador to Israel Ilsoo Kim said on Thursday.
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01/20/2012
The United States says its military forces in the Persian Gulf region are prepared to deal with any threat from Iran. Top Iranian officials have said they might close the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would disrupt world oil supplies.
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01/20/2012
U.S. and Philippine marines plan to hold combat drills at an oil rig in the South China Sea to bolster the defense of such sensitive facilities in a bold move that may provoke protests from China, which claims waters in or near the location.
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01/20/2012
Piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann, BF-7 departs Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at 2:07 p.m. CST on its 90 minute ferry flight to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. With the delivery of BF-7, a F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, Eglin is now the home of the largest F-35 fleet in the Department of Defense (DoD).
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01/20/2012
The first night flight in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Program was completed Wednesday at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Piloted by Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Mark Ward, AF-6, an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, launched at 5:05 p.m. PST and landed after sunset at 6:22 p.m.
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01/20/2012
The Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerial display team will perform a new program at the 2012 Bahrain Air Show and it will be the team’s first foreign performance in four years, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Thursday.
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01/20/2012
The UAEAF&AD decided to form its own formation team after witnessing the success of the Saudi Hawks and the long-established Royal Jordanian Falcons teams.
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01/19/2012
As the US shifts its focus to Asia, Alexander Neill, head of the Asia Security Programme at the Royal United Services Institute, sets out the Chinese military advances challenging the regional balance.
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01/19/2012
A U.S. video game maker says it wants a court to rule it can use images of modern weapons and aircraft without paying licensing fees to their manufacturers.
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01/19/2012
GE Aviation has been selected by Sikorsky Aircraft as a member of a newly-formed team that is building a next-generation helicopter for evaluation by the U.S. military.
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01/19/2012
Russia’s Defense Ministry has begun preparations for the Caucasus 2012 strategic command-and-staff exercise (SCSE). According to the ministry’s official announcement, this year’s exercise will be held on a larger scale and more in line with the current military and political situation than the one held in 2011.
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01/19/2012
The challenge of forging a modern, technically proficient air force in a country at war is an immense but essential element in the West's exit strategy. The target date for having an Afghan Air Force able to operate fully independently, with about 8,000 trained personnel and 145 aircraft, is 2016.
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01/19/2012
Dassault's Rafale and Eurofighter's Typhoon briefly sat side-by-side in the static display here at the show, with a US Navy Boeing Super Hornet close by. The Typhoon was later moved to a less controversial location, near the Royal Bahraini Air Force F-16.
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01/18/2012
The global market for helicopter machinery is one of the biggest in both the civil and military segments, and customers are very demanding. A striking example of the fierce competition in this market is the Indian defence ministry’s recent international tender for 22 attack helicopters.
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01/18/2012
Preparations for the Bahrain International Air Show 2012 began with the Russian Knights touching down at the Shaikh Isa Airbase at Sakhir in their blue-coloured Sukhoi combat aircraft, followed by the Russian transport aircraft.
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01/18/2012
Unmanned aerial vehicles have become a potent portion of the U.S. Air Force inventory and an indispensable weapon in the global war on terror. But a budget crunch and turf wars with old-guard pilots could threaten progress made during 10 years of combat, experts said.
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01/18/2012
On Jan 9/12, Hawker Beechcraft announced that it had sold 6 new T-6C+ military trainers to the Mexican Air Force (FAM), with deliveries to begin to “an advanced training base in Mexico’s northern region” in early 2012. This is almost certainly Santa Gertrudis, in Chihuahua.
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01/18/2012
The Navy expects to invest a growing share of its aviation research dollars in unmanned aircraft as it seeks to extend the reach and endurance of its carrier-based air wings. The science behind unpiloted flying is well understood by now, after years of progressively more frequent deployments of drones by the U.S. military.
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01/18/2012
A modernized A-50U airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force on Tuesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Col Vladimir Drik said.
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01/18/2012
Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer started test flights of its third series-produced Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighter on Tuesday, the company said. The aircraft took off from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur airfield in Russia's Far East, spending more than two hours in the air testing propulsion and control systems.
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01/18/2012
A Russian aircraft carrier which is being refurbished for the Indian Navy will begin sea trials in May for the first time in two decades and is to be handed over to India by December 2012, a shipyard official said on Tuesday.
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01/17/2012
South Korea has ordered twenty locally made FA-50 fighter-bombers, for $30 million each. The aircraft will be equipped with South Korean, American and Israeli electronics. The single engine, single seat aircraft is intended to eventually replace South Korea's aging fleet of 150 F-5 fighters.
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01/17/2012
Brazilian Aircraft maker Embraer saw a 28% growth in sales of its E-jet line alone, delivering 204 jets and leaving a backlog of 249 firm orders worth more than US$15 Billion.
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01/17/2012
A design flaw in the US Marine Corps version of the F-35 Lightning II, which prevents it from landing on an aircraft carrier, could see the highly advanced vehicle grounded indefinitely.
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01/17/2012
The administration appears to be doing what it thinks will avert one. Military force is playing a quiet and relatively minor role. There has been more “messaging” about force in the last few weeks than actual force activity.
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01/17/2012
The U.S. military has developed the best system in the world for dealing with combat casualties. As medical technology has advanced, new methods of treatment have been developed, and the speed and efficiency of transport from the battlefield to essential medical services has greatly increased chances for combat wounded to survive.
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01/17/2012
The Russian Air Force is to acquire up to 30 Kamov Ka-226 light helicopters for courier and communications duties by 2020, Defense Ministry spokesman Vladimir Drik said on Monday. “By the end of January the (Torzhok) center will get four light Ka-226 helicopters. By 2020 we plan to buy 30 of them,” he said.
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01/16/2012
In the Afghanistan government's continued effort to independently battle counterinsurgency, a new tool will be added to their arsenal designed to allow versatility, reconnaissance and precision weapons placement to the growing Afghan air force. Announced Dec. 30, the U.S. Air Force has approved a contract worth more than $350 million that will provide the Afghan air force with at least 20 A-29 Super Tucano light air support aircraft, ground training devices and all associated maintenance.
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01/16/2012
The winner of the multi billion dollar deal to procure 126 combat planes for the Indian Air Force is expected to be announced in the next ten days. European EADS Eurofighter and Desault Rafale are in the final race for the Air Force global tender for the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The process to determine the L1 (lowest bidder) is under progress and is expected to be decided in another ten days, top IAF sources said here today.
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01/16/2012
The Obama Administration recently released a military strategic guidance document, which calls for a strategic “pivot” from the Middle East to East Asia. This bold move replaces President George W. Bush’s “long war” against violent Islamic extremism with a new, ongoing effort to shape China’s military rise.
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01/16/2012
BAE Systems, Inc. and L-3 Communications today announced that L-3 Link Simulation & Training, a division of L-3 Communications, is joining the Hawk Advanced Jet Training System (AJTS) team as an exclusive partner to compete for the U.S. Air Force’s T-X program. As a principal supplier to BAE Systems, Inc., L-3 Link will lead the design and integration of the Hawk AJTS Ground Based Training System (GBTS) for the United States Air Force.
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01/16/2012
The Pentagon said on Friday that Iran's "destabilizing behavior" was a factor in its planning in the Middle East but sought to discourage speculation the U.S. military was quietly building up forces in the region to counter any perceived threat. The number of U.S. forces in Kuwait has grown to about 15,000 in recent weeks, including two combat brigades, as troops have withdrawn from Iraq following the end of the war there.
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01/16/2012
Was it an accident that on January 11, 2012 in the Seyed Khandan neighborhood
of northern Tehran an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed when a bomb was attached
to his car by two passing motorcyclists? The fact that this attack was operationally similar to an attack on an Iranian nuclear scientist a year earlier suggests that it was not an accident but an intentional killing with a message.
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01/15/2012
A French Mirage and a Saudi F-15 collided in the kingdom's northern region of Tabuk without causing casualties, state news agency SPA quoted a military official as saying on Saturday. "During a joint exercise on air engagement a French Mirage aircraft belonging to the French armed forces collided with a Saudi armed forces' F-15," said the statement.
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01/14/2012
U.S. defense leaders are increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran, over U.S. objections, and have stepped up contingency planning to safeguard U.S. facilities in the region in case of a conflict.
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01/14/2012
Ronkonkoma-based East/West Industries has been tapped by a Connecticut helicopter design firm to join a team tasked with building the U.S. military’s next-generation helicopter. Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., recently selected East/West to join the team, bringing East/West’s patented, lightweight, energy-attenuating troop seats to the new aircraft, currently dubbed the S-97 Raider.
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01/14/2012
Dyess Air Force Base is a premier B-1 and C-130 base, but the military is intent on expanding its fleet of unmanned aircraft remotely piloted from the ground. The base's role in a military future featuring more UAVs is uncertain, but these "remotely piloted aircraft" — the Air Force's latest moniker for them — only are expected to become more important.
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01/14/2012
The military helicopter modernization, upgrade & retrofit market will reach a value of $3.98 billion in 2012, according to a report released by Visiongain, a market research company in London. The strains of recent operations combine with tighter budgets, and a need to maintain a qualitative advantage drive the upgrade and retrofit of existing helicopter platforms, the company said.
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01/14/2012
James Butcher was a 20-year-old lance corporal who had been in Vietnam only a couple of months, but that was long enough to realize that the scene in front of him — a Marine, sitting alone, waiting for his flight at the Phu Bai Air terminal in 1967 — was a powerful image of solitude and quiet that war so rarely affords.
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01/14/2012
The Marine Corps V-22 Osprey’s safety, combat effectiveness and reliability have improved in the past year, according to the Pentagon’s test office. New aircraft software evaluated in tests from August through early November “performed largely as expected,” the test office found. The improvement gives Osprey pilots greater capability to track, monitor and communicate from their cockpit with U.S. ground forces and to avoid bad weather.
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01/14/2012
A resolution to be even more expeditionary will be met this year, now that Marines here received their first two F-35B Lightning II variants of DoD's fifth generation fighter Jan. 11.
At the 33rd Fighter Wing, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 is the home for the new aircraft where its "Warlords," pilots and maintainers, reside with a team of other professionals in preparation to deploy out anywhere in the world for the nation's defense.
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01/14/2012
Jordan's Captain Bassmah Bani Ahmad, the Arab world's first female aerobatic pilot, former instructor with Ayla aviation academy and chief pilot at the Royal Aero Sports Club, yesterday became a real Royal Jordanian pilot without being involved with the airline as she married His Royal Highness Prince Hamzah Al Hussain.
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01/13/2012
For foreign military sales (“FMS”), The Boeing Company (BA) has received a contract for the delivery of 14 CH-47F Chinook helicopters worth $370 million from the U.S. Army. Per the FMS contract, the U.S Army will deliver these to Australia and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”).
(Read More...)
01/13/2012
On Jan. 7, the politically unstable Syria received a special visitor – Russia's only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov. The aircraft carrier's visit to Syria during such a sensitive period immediately sparked various reactions.
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01/13/2012
The Netherlands has asked Denmark and Norway to join it in acquiring and maintaining future F-35 fighter jets, Dutch Minister Hans Hillen said Thursday after meetings at the Pentagon. The move was an example "of how far the Netherlands is prepared to go in cooperating with other countries in order to keep up NATO military capabilities," Hillens said at an address to the Atlantic Council during a brief US visit.
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01/13/2012
Nearly one in three US warplanes is a drone, with robots accounting for 31 per cent of all military aircraft, according to a congressional report. The Congressional Research Service paper, obtained by Wired, said the US military had 7,494 drones and 10,767 traditional manned aircraft.
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01/13/2012
To accomplish the new mission sets for the 21st century, the United States needs a smaller, quicker, more agile military, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today. That is the basis behind the recently released strategy review that will set the stage for the fiscal 2013 Defense Department budget request.
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01/13/2012
Top level overview of the global military aircraft market. A breakdown of the regional spending patterns for military aircraft over the forecast period 2011 through 2021. A breakdown of the military aircraft market by segment forecasted from 2011 through 2021. Insights on the armed forces modernization and defense spending pattern by region. Extensive analysis on the emerging technological and market trends in the military aircraft market
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01/13/2012
India Today reported on January 4, that a secret report prepared by the government's joint intelligence committee has confirmed India's worst fears - China is planning a military base in Pakistan. The paper said that the report, based on inputs from the (Indian Intelligence agency) Research and Analysis Wing, is meant for the Prime Minister, members of the cabinet committee on security and the national security adviser.
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01/13/2012
Sheppard Air Force Base is a premier pilot-training base with one of the busiest airfields in the Air Force, but the military is intent on expanding its fleet of unmanned aircraft remotely piloted from the ground. Almost all pilots trained at Sheppard go on to fly manned aircraft. Flying a UAV was considered a huge step down from being at the controls of a manned aircraft not long ago in Air Force culture.
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01/13/2012
The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 System Development and Demonstration 2011 flight test program resulted in the completion of more test flights and test points than in any year.
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01/13/2012
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed “total dismay” at a video appearing to show U.S. Marines urinating on the bloodied corpses of several Taliban fighters. The 40-second footage, which was posted on YouTube and other websites, features four men in combat gear standing over the three corpses with their genitals exposed as they relieve themselves. The men can be heard joking.
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01/12/2012
The United States has offered the air-to-air version of its famous Stinger missile to India as part of the weapons package proposed for the 22 attack helicopter deal of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The surface-to-air version of the Stinger missile is widely credited for the collapse of Russian helicopter fleet in Afghan war in 1980s and was also used by Pakistani troops to bring down an IAF Mi-17 helicopter during the Kargil war in 1999.
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01/12/2012
Sailors from VP-16 paid a visit to Diosdado Macapagal Airport near Manila, Philippines to participate in an exercise designed to build ties with the Philippine military Dec. 31-Jan. 4.
“War Eagles” aircrew flew several flights in cooperation with the Philippine Navy.
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01/12/2012
The man who goes in and out of Greece's Defence Ministry has the ministry’s wish list in his head: up to 60 fighter aircraft of the Eurofighter class, for perhaps €3.9 billion. French frigates for over €4 billion, patrol boats for €400 million.
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01/12/2012
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will receive 18 F-16 block 52 aircraft from Lockheed Martin later this month as part of a contract for the sale of 36 F-16C/D block 50/52 aircraft announced in June 2005. Lockheed Martin had been awarded a contract for 12 F-16C and six F-16D block 52 aircraft in December 2006.
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01/12/2012
The U.S. military said on Wednesday that a new aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the Arabian Sea and that another was on its way to the region, but denied any link to recent tensions with Iran and portrayed the movements as routine.
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01/12/2012
Brazil's Eurocopter EC725 Super Cougar production program is set to go into full swing this year after a deal worth more than $1 billion that saw off competition from rival U.S. and Russian manufacturers. Brazil launched its extensive military modernization program a few years ago with the express aim of becoming a major hub for international technology transfers and a regional exporter of defense hardware and integrated software.
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01/12/2012
The Boeing Company has received a U.S. Army contract valued at approximately $370 million for 14 CH-47F Chinook helicopters to support Foreign Military Sales efforts. The aircraft will be delivered to the U.S. Army beginning in 2014; all but one are intended for Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
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01/12/2012
The first two Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] production model F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft were delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps today. The two jets are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla.
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01/12/2012
Russia will fulfill a contract to deliver 21 helicopters to Afghanistan in the first half of the year, the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service said on Wednesday. Last May, the United States signed a $367.5 million contract with Russia to buy 21 Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters for the Afghan army. By December 30, 2011, nine helicopters were delivered to Afghanistan. They are currently being assembly and tested for flightworthiness.
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01/11/2012
January 10, 2011, was supposed to be a big day for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme as it was on this day that the aircraft—under development for more than two decades—was to get the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC), signalling that it has crossed the first hurdle to join Indian Air Force (IAF). However, on that day, the aircraft was given only partial clearance (IOC-1) for failing to meet the IAF’s requirement. A year after, it is stuck with the IOC-1 tag.
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01/11/2012
Hawker Beechcraft announced Monday the first sale of its new Beechcraft T-6C+ military trainer to the Mexican Air Force (FAM). The T-6C+, an enhanced version of the T-6 military trainer aircraft, is capable of carrying external stores and delivering practice weapons for training purposes. The first two of six contracted FAM T-6C+ aircraft will be delivered to an advanced training base in Mexico's northern region in early 2012. The new T-6C+ trainers will replace the FAM’s aging PC-7 fleet.
(Read More...)
01/11/2012
New Canadian military search-and-rescue aircraft should be based in Gander for safety's sake, say officials in the central Newfoundland town. Reports indicate the federal cabinet approved a $3.7-billion plan to purchase new fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft for the military just before Christmas, after almost a decade of bureaucratic wrangling.
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01/11/2012
A $1.5 billion contract to buy 10 so-called "battlefield airlifters" will be signed in the first half of this year, and, according to insiders, it will be a sole-source deal under US foreign military sales laws to obtain the Alenia C-27J Spartan. The US has quoted about $950 million under a foreign military sales deal for 10 planes that are due in RAAF service by 2014.
(Read More...)
01/11/2012
Japan has announced that it will purchase 42 F-35 stealth fighter jets. The planes, which have experienced production delays and cost overruns, have also been selected by the Conservative government to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 fighters, starting (the government hopes) by 2017, when the CF-18s will reach the end of their expected usefulness.
(Read More...)
01/11/2012
In 2011, mobility Airmen delivering airdrops reached a new annual record with 75,956,235 pounds of cargo delivered. That's nearly 16 million more pounds delivered than the previous record set in 2010 of 60,400,000. At more than 75.9 million pounds - that's the equivalent of standing on a mountain top and watching 553 Army M1 Abrams tanks - or even 11,868 Chevrolet Silverado trucks - floating down from the sky with parachutes to a landing zone.
(Read More...)
01/11/2012
A Russian naval task force, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, has left the Syrian port of Tartus after a three-day visit, Russia’s Northern Fleet said in a statement on Tuesday. The task force called on the Syrian port on Sunday amid ongoing bloody protests in Syria against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
(Read More...)
01/11/2012
The Russian Air Force has completed flight tests of the modernized Sukhoi Su-25UBM ground attack-trainer aircraft, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday. “Air Force commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin signed off on the completion of flight tests for the Su-25UBM at the end of December 2011,” Drik said.
(Read More...)
01/11/2012
Indonesia has signed a $470 million contract with Russia to buy six Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters for the Indonesian Air Force, The Jakarta Post daily has reported. The deal was confirmed by Russian defense-industry and diplomatic sources, but the Sukhoi aircraft maker and arms exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment. Deliveries will start after 2013.
(Read More...)
01/10/2012
Here are some details about the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil export route, which Iran has threatened to block if it faces sanctions on crude exports.
(Read More...)
01/10/2012
The United States' expanded military presence in Asia is based on a miscalculation of Beijing's intent to modernise its military defences, China said on Monday, taking a tempered stance in its first official response to Washington's plan. The United States unveiled a defence strategy last week to boost capacity in Asia, an attempt to counter China's growing ability to check U.S. power in the region, that comes with a pledged reduction in the overall size of U.S. forces.
(Read More...)
01/10/2012
France plans to buy airborne refueling tankers made by the military arm of Airbus, and there are no obstacles in the way of sales of French-made Rafale multirole combat jets to India, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil, Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said Monday.
(Read More...)
01/10/2012
Oklahoma City-based defense contractor DRG has been awarded the Air Combat Command Fighter F-15C, F-15E, F-16 and F-22A Contract Aircrew Training contract with the U.S. Air Force. The five-year prime contract is in excess of $50 million. The company will hire at least an additional 45 employees. By March 1, the company will have nearly 600 employees.
(Read More...)
01/10/2012
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $24 million contract to upgrade weapons systems trainers used in the C-130 Aircrew Training System (ATS) II. The C-130 ATS II program provides a comprehensive academic and simulation training program for C-130 aircrews worldwide. The visual system and imagery databases in the weapons systems simulators will be updated to provide the most advanced and realistic training. The improvements are scheduled to take place through 2014.
(Read More...)
01/09/2012
The group of Russian military ships that set sail for violence-grippled Syria has reached its destination on Sunday, report agencies. The fleet, reported to include carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, has arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoting official agency SANA. SANA has reported that the ships will stay in Tartus for six days as a sign of support for the Syrian people.
(Read More...)
01/09/2012
The republic of Seychelles has come in news with the stationing of the Chinese troops in Mahe. The archipelago nation is located at a strategic location as it lies in the path of major shipping lines. This has raised a pertinent question as to what has provoked China to station troops in Seychelles. Is piracy the only reason for this or there are other ulterior motives behind the stationing of the troops?
(Read More...)
01/09/2012
The U.S. Navy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) known as the F-35C is at serious risk of never being able to land aboard an aircraft carrier. This also poses a risk to the U.K. aircraft carrier program which is supposed to use the F-35C at the end of the decade.
(Read More...)
01/09/2012
Air Force investigators who probed the June 28 crash of an F-16C fighter jet that killed Capt. Eric Ziegler should have focused more on the life-support garment he was wearing when he blacked out over the Nellis training range moments before the crash, according to a lawyer for a company that makes the anti-G suits.
(Read More...)
01/08/2012
With the New Year barely underway, South Korea is once again demonstrating a determination to build a formidable military force capable of dealing with potential enemies. The government has signed a $600 million deal with Korea Aerospace Industries (KIA) for 20 FA-50 fighter/attack aircraft based on the highly regarded T-50 advanced jet trainer.
(Read More...)
01/08/2012
British Defence Minister Philip Hammond has voiced concern about possible cuts or delays in the US F-35 fighter program as London plans to equip a future aircraft carrier with the stealthy aircraft. In a visit to the US capital, Hammond said he wanted to hear from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the potential effect of a new US military strategy and budget plan on the future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
(Read More...)
01/08/2012
The U.S. military is testing a revolutionary new drone for its arsenal, a pilotless helicopter intended to fly cargo missions to remote outposts where frequent roadside bombs threaten access by road convoys. Surveillance drones for monitoring enemy activity and armed versions for launching airstrikes have become a trademark of America's wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
(Read More...)
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01/07/2012
Asia's largest helicopter, built by China and weighing about 13 tonnes, on Thursday received the stamp of approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of the country. The move means that the massive helicopter - AC313 - is officially approved to enter the market, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
(Read More...)
01/07/2012
Turkey has officially decided to purchase Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fignter jets. As a member of the international F-35 consortium, this was the country’s first official expression of commitment in buying the aircraft. The top decisive body of Turkish defense has also chosen Bell Helicopter as the next generation light copter for police
(Read More...)
01/07/2012
Washington’s new strategy for a “leaner” military that goes in line with its belt-tightening efforts is drawing keen attention here as it could affect the troop level and their operations in a contingency on the Korean Peninsula. Its moves to abandon a long-held strategy to have the ability to fight and win two wars at once have also caused concerns that the U.S. may not be able to mobilize massive ground troops in the event of a war here should it engage in another.
(Read More...)
01/07/2012
Among the possible cuts to defense spending, are those to the F-35 program, which has suffered extreme cost overruns. Alternative jets continue to be effective and diminishing the size of the F-35 program could help control costs without compromising American air superiority.
(Read More...)
01/07/2012
Electronic combat experts at the ITT Exelis Electronic Systems division in Clifton, N.J., have installed and tested an advanced self-defense airborne electronic warfare system on an international F-16 jet fighter aircraft. The company did not name the specific country for which its engineers performed the tests. The ITT Exelis ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEWS) completed several F-16 sorties against several different kinds of radar threats, company officials
(Read More...)
01/07/2012
Australia plans to buy as many as 100 of the revolutionary F-35 Lightning II aircraft, and over the past decade estimates of its likely cost have grown from about $50 million each to close to $120m. The US has assured Australia's ambassador to Washington, Kim Beazley, its latest defence cuts will not affect its promised continued focus on the Asia-Pacific and increased presence in Australia.
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01/07/2012
Boeing and Warner Robins Air Logistics Center on Jan. 3 marked delivery of the first C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) aircraft modified by Warner Robins. The aircraft is the fourth to be delivered to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; the first three were modified by Boeing. The C-130 AMP cockpit upgrade simplifies and standardizes the multiple C-130 configurations operated by the U.S. Air Force.
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01/06/2012
President Barack Obama's military strategy calls for development of a new long-range stealth bomber even as the Pentagon seeks about $490 billion in reductions in the next decade. The bomber is part of the administration's goal to have weapons that are able to reach areas far from bases and where "our access and freedom to operate are challenged," according to Obama's updated defense strategy released today.
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01/06/2012
The Czech Republic and several other Eastern European countries have all expressed interest in buying “almost new” Eurofighter military aircraft from Germany, Financial Times Deutschland, the local version of the UK business daily, reported on Thursday, with Berlin looking to offload eight planes, which, if new, would cost some €60 million to €80 million each.
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01/06/2012
Now China is engaged in a major military buildup. Part of its plan is to force U.S. carriers to stay farther away from its shores, Chinese military analysts say. So the U.S. is adjusting its own game plan. Without either nation saying so, both are quietly engaged in a tit-for-tat military-technology race.
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01/06/2012
The US today said the last batch of new F-16 jets purchased by Pakistan is scheduled to start arriving in the country later this month and contended that there had been no stoppage in its programme to supply the combat aircraft to Islamabad. A statement issued by the US Embassy described reports in a section of the media about a stoppage in the US-Pakistan F-16 programme as "not accurate".
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01/06/2012
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma began building for the future in 2011, in preparation for the arrival of the new vertical takeoff F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, which will begin arriving in phases starting in September 2012. It was also another busy year for deployments, with all four of the air station's squadrons either deployed to Afghanistan or serving overseas with various Marine Expeditionary Units. In all, about 900 Marines were deployed last year.
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01/06/2012
The U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled on Thursday a new defense strategy that seeks to cut the country’s armed forces as a part of major cuts to the U.S. defense budget by almost $500 billion, RIA Novosti reported. "Our military will be leaner but the world must know – the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with Armed Forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats," Obama told a press conference at the Pentagon.
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01/06/2012
IAF has 51 Mirage aircraft acquired from France beginning 1985, and the Government cleared a $ 2.4 deal in July 2011 with the French firms Dassault and Thales to modernize them with newer generation avionics, Electronic Warfare (EW) suites, and advanced beyond visual range (BVR) capability. The weapons package was separate, and has been cleared now.
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01/05/2012
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division has revealed a conceptual next-generation fighter design that offers the first hints of an ambitious, long-term technology strategy for the new class of tactical aircraft that will emerge after 2030. The concept - published in a 2012 calendar distributed to journalists - indicates the company will continue to seek new breakthroughs in performance despite the risk-averse culture of today's weapons buyers in the US military.
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01/05/2012
Bulgaria will not purchase new military aircraft in times of crisis and unless the problems in the education and culture sectors are solved. The statement was made Wednesday by Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov. Speaking in the Black Sea city of Burgas, where he inspected and officially opened the renovated building of the city's theater, Borisov said there are a number of theater buildings in the country, which have not been repaired in the last 60 years.
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01/05/2012
The U.S., Air Force has stopped work on the recently awarded Embraer S.A. contract that could be eventually worth up to nearly $1 billion to build aircraft in Jacksonville because of a legal action requested by former contract competitor Hawker Beechcraft.
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01/05/2012
India has missed the aviation bus by refusing to invest in research and development. That the decks have been cleared for the Indian air force’s deal for trainer jets is good news in the ‘short term’. But strategically speaking, this is bad news for the country. Why? Because no nation can dream of being a superpower by depending wholly on imported military hardware. Such dependence gives leverage to foreign arms producers that can armtwist consumers like India during a crisis.
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01/05/2012
As U.S. defense officials start getting used to the idea of dramatic cuts to military spending, major contractors like Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) are bracing for mandatory reductions of $600 billion in defense and national security budgets.
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01/05/2012
A recent offer by the Seychelles to refuel and replenish Chinese naval ships on anti-piracy patrols in the northwest Indian Ocean was seen as the latest sign of China's expanding naval power. But it obscured an even more significant development: U.S. deployment of a mini-air force of long-range, remotely-piloted aircraft from a network of airfields in the Seychelles, the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to track and if necessary attack suspected terrorists on land and pirates at sea.
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01/05/2012
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has concluded that the Army has to shrink even below current targets, dropping to 490,000 soldiers over the next decade, but that the United States should not cut any of its 11 aircraft carriers, according to Pentagon officials and military analysts briefed on the secretary’s budget proposals.
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01/05/2012
The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Northrop Grumman Corporation [NYSE: NOC], received a $181 million contract from the U.S. Army for AH-64D Apache Block III LONGBOW systems. The contract includes the first international purchase of the Block III LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) by Taiwan, which will receive 15 Block III LONGBOW FCR systems.
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01/04/2012
About 350 school children and elders from Kandahar Province visited the Afghan Air Force Kandahar Air Wing January 1st during its third annual open house, where they had the opportunity to become familiar with the aircraft they often see or hear overhead.
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01/04/2012
The chief of the National Guard Bureau joined the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Dec. 31, to formally sit alongside the four service chiefs for the first time in the Guard's history. The change became official when President Barack Obama signed the Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision institutionalizing the Guard's seat.
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01/04/2012
Defence Minister Norbert Darabos has hit back after a fellow Social Democrat (SPÖ) suggested to sell Austria’s Eurofighter jet fleet. SPÖ General Secretary Günther Kräuter said on Sunday Austria could get rid of its 15 fighter aircraft due to non-existent war concerns. Kräuter argued the alpine country was under higher financial and economic risk these days. He said selling the "expensive" 15 jets might help the SPÖ-People’s Party (ÖVP) coalition to lower the state debt.
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01/04/2012
A US aircraft carrier currently deployed in the Middle East should "not return" to its base in the Gulf, the head of Iran's armed forces declared today, adding ominously there would be no repeat warning. We advise and insist that this warship not return to its former base in the Persian Gulf," Brigadier General Ataollah Salehi told reporters, according to the armed forces website.
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01/04/2012
As a Japanese weapon, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries F-2 fighter was built in Japan—and only for Japan. In 2011 the government, taking delivery of the last of 94 F-2s, looked at how much it would cost to build more. The answer: ¥15 billion ($193 million) apiece, more than the marginal price that any country has paid for any fighter from a mature production line.
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01/04/2012
Defense Ministry Dir.-Gen. Udi Shani will leave Thursday morning for South Korea in a final round of talks ahead of an Israeli decision over an ongoing tender for the Israel Air Force's next trainer aircraft. Shani will meet top Korean defense officials in Seoul in an effort to nail down the level of industrial cooperation Israeli defense industries can expect to receive from Korea if the IAF selects Korean Aerospace Industries' (KAI) T50 Golden Eagle.
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01/04/2012
The collapse of the Soviet Union and its daunting military machine spelled the beginning of a process of decay for Russia's armed forces. Now, major reforms are underway to put the military back on track. Russia has revealed details of ambitious plans to spend over US $600 billion on upgrading its army over the next 10 years.
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01/04/2012
Just before the New Year, the U.S. Air Force finally selected a new Light Air Support plane for ground attack in counterinsurgency, picking the Brazilian Super Tucano over the American AT-6– whose manufacturer, Wichita, Kan.-based Hawker Beechcraft, is filing suit over the decision.
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01/04/2012
The recently announced $29.4 billion sale of F-15SA fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia is just one part of a broader U.S.-Saudi military sales and defense cooperation effort that’s central to regional security, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
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01/04/2012
The Pentagon has committed to $450 billion in reduced spending over the next 10 years, but may have to come up with a total of $1 trillion in cuts if Congress follows through with deeper reductions. Make your own plan to reduce the budget by choosing some of the most common, interesting or provocative cuts that have been proposed by various parties.
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01/03/2012
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $485,000,000 not-to-exceed cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract. A total of $131,500,000 is being obligated at time of award.
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01/03/2012
The Air Force has awarded a $355.1 million contract to buy aircraft that will be used for flight training, surveillance and combat operations. The contractor, Sierra Nevada Corp., is to deliver 20 of the Light Support Aircraft and related equipment including ground stations by April 30, 2014, the Defense Department announced. The planes are single-engine turboprop aircraft to be used for pilot training, surveillance, air interdiction and close air support.
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01/03/2012
The Chinese Academy of Sciences projected in 2008 that China will be able to match the U.S. in terms of military power after 2050 at the earliest, while it will take a further 20 or 30 years to finally catch up - making it difficult for China to overtake the U.S. in this area within this century.
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01/03/2012
The fourth Airbus Military A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport for the Royal Australian Air Force has been formally handed over to the service, leaving just one aircraft of its order still to be delivered.
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01/03/2012
U.S. Air Force officials announced the next chapter in a partnership with the Royal Saudi Air Force as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently signed a $29.4 billion Foreign Military Sales Letter of Offer and Acceptance solidifying their plans to purchase 84 F-15SA fighter aircraft and upgrade their current fleet of 70 F-15S aircraft to the SA configuration.
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01/03/2012
National Guard leaders are making their case to expand their force while the rest of the Defense Department is tightening the purse strings, causing a rift between active-duty and reserve leaders. Negotiations over shrinking resources have grown tense as Guard leaders — especially those in the Air Force — worry that active-duty leaders have unjustifiably targeted Guard accounts.
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01/03/2012
In what could be the biggest change in a decade in a relationship that has been a mainstay of U.S. military and counterterrorism policy since the 9/11 terror attacks, the United States and Pakistan are lowering expectations for what the two nations will do together and planning for a period of more limited contact.
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01/03/2012
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is set this week to reveal his strategy that will guide the Pentagon in cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from its budget, and with it the Obama administration's vision of the military that the United States needs to meet 21st-century threats, according to senior officials.
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01/02/2012
Modern warfare has entered a new era. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can fly thousands of miles, conduct surveillance or target and kill individuals with precision. Unfortunately, this precision does not prevent collateral damage, the military term for unintended civilian deaths. Military experts predict this will be the pattern for future military conflicts.
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01/02/2012
A new helicopter is coming to the Block. The 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, is the first unit in the Army to have their entire fleet of Apache helicopters replaced with the comprehensively upgraded Apache (AH-64D) Block III beginning in February.
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01/02/2012
The Russian Air Force will receive over 60 modernized MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor aircraft by 2020, the Defense Ministry said. A modernization contract was signed by the ministry and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation in December last year. “We are planning to upgrade more than 60 MiG-31 interceptors to the MiG-31BM version by 2020,” Air Force spokesman Vladimir Drik said last week.
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01/01/2012
India and Pakistan officially exchanged on Sunday lists of nuclear installations and facilities in accordance with the agreement on nuclear security in the region, according to Indian and Pakistani TV channels.
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