May 22, 2012 Military Aviation News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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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