November, 2012 Military Aviation News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
(Read More...)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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".
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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.
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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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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".
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
(Read More...)
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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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