2013 Military Aviation News
12/31/2013
Approaching from the Hawaii coast, the mosquito-shaped helicopter buzzed around the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie twice before swooping toward the landing pad. The U.S. Navy crew on the deck crouched, the helmeted faces betraying more than routine concern as the aircraft, flown by a pilot who had never before alighted upon a ship, hovered just off the tarmac and then set down with a thud.
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12/31/2013
Recently photos from China showed what appeared to be an American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter landing at a Chinese military base. This mystery helicopter was promptly dubbed “Copy Hawk” for the Chinese eagerness to copy foreign military gear. While China has never had any Black Hawks, they did manage to buy 24 S-70s, the civilian version of the UH-60, 30 years ago (before the Tiananmen Square massacre and subsequent arms embargo).
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12/31/2013
The Lebanese army fired on Syrian aircraft that violated the country's airspace Monday, the first time Lebanon has done so since Syria's uprising broke out nearly three years ago, security officials said. The move suggests Beirut is trying to enforce greater respect for its borders in the hopes of slowing the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon, where it has exacerbated sectarian tensions and prompted shadowy groups to conduct attacks that have killed dozens this year.
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12/31/2013
At the end of November China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, formed a battle group to undertake ocean-based maneuvers in the South China Sea for the first time. Military expert Cao Weidong told the CCTV in an interview that during the training the Liaoning would assess its performance in three combat areas: air and missile defense, anti-ship offense, and anti-submarine offense.
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12/31/2013
The United States Air Force is almost finished testing a top-secret stealth drone at its Area 51 installation in Arizona, according to a report by Aviation Week. The Northrup Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-built drone, named the RQ-180, will primarily be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and is seen as the direct replacement for the Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) SR-71 “Blackbird,” which was retired in 1998.
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12/31/2013
What’s that strange bird flying overhead? Why, it’s a gray-breasted Dronus Predatorus, and it must be hungry, because it looks like it’s searching for prey. I know this thanks to my handy Drone Survival Guide poster, which describes itself as a 21st Century birdwatching guide. “Our ancestors could spot natural predators from far by their silhouettes,” say the Dutch graphic artist who wrote it. “Are we equally aware of the predators in the present-day?”
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12/31/2013
Air Marshal Arup Raha, an ace fighter pilot, will on Tuesday take over as the Air Force chief succeeding incumbent Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne. Eastern Air Command chief Air Marshal RK Sharma will succeed Raha as the Vice Chief of Air Staff. Born on December 26, 1954, 59 year-old Raha is expected to have a tenure of three years as the Chief of Air Staff.
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12/31/2013
A bombing range in the Pinelands in southern New Jersey and airspace over the Atlantic Ocean could be part of a nationwide effort to develop guidelines for using unmanned aerial drones in civilian life. The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday picked a proposal using those test sites, developed by Rutgers University, Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, as one of six projects around the country that will oversee “critical research.”
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12/31/2013
The political battles over chronic deficit spending in the United States has led to sharp and often unexpected cuts in the military budget over the last few years. This has forced the U.S. Air force to make major cuts in the hours combat pilots fly for training. The latest cut reduces many pilots to 120 hours a year. That’s about half of what it was a decade ago. There is concern that this will threaten the domination of the air the United States has had since World War II.
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12/30/2013
A year after escaping a round of job cuts, Michigan’s largest military base faces a possible loss of personnel under a U.S. Air Force plan to eliminate an air-to-ground attack fighter. After next year, the Air Force plans to remove the A-10 Thunderbolt, also known as the “Warthog,” from its inventory due to budget cuts.
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12/30/2013
Russia grounded all its 122 MiG-31 fighters after one of them crashed (because both of its engines failed) in the Far East (outside Vladivostok) on December 14th. The two man crew managed to glide to an unpopulated area where they ejected and came safely to the ground. The aircraft was a total loss. This incident was doubly disturbing because this was its first flight after a major overhaul.
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12/30/2013
The United States’ planned military pivot to the Pacific was largely clouded by fiscal uncertainty as Congress and the Department of Defense wrestled with budget cuts throughout 2013. Even as aircraft and a new warship moved to the region this year, the department’s top leaders warned a full shift will never be possible if lawmakers allow the defense budget to be slashed by a half-trillion dollars over the coming decade.
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12/30/2013
The Chinese campaign of conquering real, or imagined, nearby “lost territories” by winning many little victories in battles none of the victims is willing to go to war over continues. This campaign is quite active in the South China Sea, North Korea and along the Indian border. China has, in the last few years, taken control of sizable chunks of India and large swaths of the South China Sea one tiny piece at a time.
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12/30/2013
On December 20, the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) was cleared to enter operational service with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Now Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) faces the daunting transition from handcrafting Tejas prototypes into factory-assembling the 200-fighter Tejas fleet that Defence Minister A K Antony has envisioned.
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12/30/2013
France has begun operating one of its new RQ-9 Reaper UAVs in Mali. Earlier in 2013 France decided to buy two RQ-9s and by the middle of the year had upped the order to a dozen. This was apparently with the understanding that one or two would be available for French use in Mali before the end of the year.
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12/29/2013
U.S. Army Black Hawk UH-60 helicopters are widely used transport aircraft for the U.S. Military. first introduced in 1979 they have been used in very major conflict since then. Today they are equipped with advanced avionics and electronics, such as global positioning systems. With that being said the helicopter has had numerous safety problems in the past some attributable to their age.
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12/29/2013
When U.S. Vice President Joe Biden travelled to Asia last week, his message to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was simple: start talking. While tensions have ratcheted up in the fight over a cluster of islands in the East China Sea, experts worry things could get far worse. In fact, the most optimistic outcome for the year ahead is that the two old foes settle into an uncomfortable Cold War.
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12/29/2013
A joint venture of two companies based in North America has bagged the deal to supply 21 UH-1 combat utility helicopters to the Philippine Air Force. The joint venture of American firm Rice Aircraft Services Inc. and Canadian company Eagle Copters Ltd. won the contract for the supply and delivery of Huey helicopters, the workhorse of the military’s operations.
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12/29/2013
Achieving yet another milestone, India’s indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) completed 500 sorties in a year after attaining initial operational clearance last week. According to a defence ministry release issued on Saturday, 500 sorties by Tejas completed on Friday, are the highest by the aircraft in a calendar year. The highest number of sorties attained earlier in a calendar year was below 300.
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12/29/2013
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Saturday said the government expected the first of the 12 Korean FA-50 lead in fighter jets to be delivered in June 2015. Gazmin made this statement after the defense department recommended that President Benigno Aquino III allow the payment of the 52-percent down payment for the P18.9-billion fighter jets. “We recommended the approval of the DP (down payment) and progress billing,” he said.
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12/29/2013
The Russian armed forces will start getting advanced Buk-M3 air defense missile systems in 2016, the Air Defense Force's chief said on Saturday. “We are now in the midst of planned rearmament to replace Buk-M1 with Buk-M2. We expect to receive Buk-M3s starting from 2016,” Maj. Gen. Alexander Leonov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
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12/29/2013
The armed forces of Nepal have signed a deal with Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport to buy two Mil Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters, the Himalayan Times has reported. The agreement was signed on December 19. The country’s government, which had earlier allocated more than $30 million for purchasing helicopters for the armed forces, approved the deal earlier this week.
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12/29/2013
The US Air Force will patrol the airspace over the Baltic states for four months starting from January, Lithuanian media reported Friday, citing the country’s military. Four US F-15C Eagle fighter jets will replace the current Belgian F-16AM Fighting Falcons on a rotation basis.
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12/28/2013
Democratic and Republican senators are demanding that China rescind its new air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea and the sharp tone risks antagonizing Beijing, The Hill newspaper reported.
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12/28/2013
The $552 billion 2014 military defense budget signed by President Barack Obama will continue to fund high-tech cyber and unmanned aircraft operations. The budget, which grants central Cyber Command $68 million in operational costs alongside more money for research and individual unit operations, instructs agencies to work towards controlling the proliferation of "cyber weapons."
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12/28/2013
After China announced an air defense zone in November, the U.S. demonstrated its displeasure by deliberately entering the air space with an unannounced incursion by a pair of B-52 bombers. As with that dramatic gesture, new Chinese figures suggest the air zone did not deter activity by foreign militaries.
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12/28/2013
The Thunderbirds, grounded last spring by sequester-driven budget cuts, will be back in the air in 2014. The Thunderbirds schedule will begin New Year’s Day with a flyover at the Rose Bowl Parade in Los Angeles, followed by a year of airshows and flyovers across the country. In December, the team announced a schedule of 66 demonstrations at 34 locations this year, its 61st season.
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12/28/2013
The governor of Okinawa approved a land reclamation project that will move a U.S. military base out of a crowded city center after 17 years of wrangling, removing a thorn in U.S.-Japan relations.
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12/28/2013
The Russian Air Force (Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily [VVS]) is to clear its MiG-31 'Foxhound' combat aircraft to resume flight operations after they were temporarily grounded following a crash in the far east of the country, state media reported on 26 December. The grounding order is to be lifted on 30 December, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported VVS spokesman Colonel Igor Klimov as saying.
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12/28/2013
The induction of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas into the Indian Air Force will be a ‘game changer’ for the country’s air defence preparedness, says Avinash Chander, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister. “Though delayed, the India developed fighter aircraft has emerged as a ‘contemporary aircraft’, as good or in a way better than the competitors in its class,” Avinash Chander told Business Line.
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12/28/2013
Textron Inc., the manufacturer of Cessna aircraft, will boost its lineup of propeller-driven aircraft after reaching a deal to buy Beechcraft Corp. for $1.4 billion, as it seeks to counter a slump in business-jet sales. The Providence, Rhode Island-based company will purchase all outstanding equity interests in Beech Holdings LLC, the parent of Beechcraft, it said in a statement yesterday.
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12/28/2013
Australia will deploy two military aircraft to South Sudan for United Nations efforts to restore peace to the world's youngest nation. Australia's Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss announced on Thursday that Australia had agreed to a UN request for support to transport personnel and equipment to the war-torn country.
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12/27/2013
Chinese state media is once again bragging about Beijing’s military prowess, touting the fact that China’s new H-6K strategic bomber can attack U.S. military bases in South Korea as well as the Japanese mainland using long range nuclear cruise missiles. The report features on the prominent pro-Communist Party news website Want China Times.
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12/27/2013
A Russian cargo plane has crashed into a military base, killing all nine crew members.
No casualties were reported among base personnel in the Thursday crash on the outskirts of the Siberian city of Irkutsk. The Emergencies Ministry and the Investigative Committee said the nine crew members on the An-12, a four-engine turboprop, were killed. No cause was immediately determined.
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12/27/2013
Wichita workers on Textron AirLand’s secret multi-mission tactical military jet, the Scorpion, never called the project by its real name until it became public in September. And they rarely used its code name – SCV12-1. “It was too much of a tongue twister,” said Dale Tutt, the Scorpion’s chief engineer. “Most of the time we just called it ‘the project.’ Internally, we all knew what we were working on.”
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12/27/2013
The United States is supplying Iraq with arms and surveillance technology to combat al-Qaeda-backed insurgents amid worsening violence, the New York Times reported Thursday, two years after the last American combat troops left the country.
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12/27/2013
They were put on alert during the most recent anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. If the call came, the Air Force’s newest aeromedical evacuation team members would head for the designated C-130 or C-17 waiting on the Ramstein tarmac, grabbing duffel bags of surgical tools and other equipment from a warehouse and embarking on a race against time and distance.
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12/27/2013
A day-old truce in a besieged rebel-held town near Damascus broke down Thursday as Syrian warplanes bombed the divided northern city of Aleppo for a 12th straight day, activists said. By Wednesday, the Aleppo air blitz that began on Dec. 15 had killed at least 422 people, mostly civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group relying on activists and other sources inside the war-torn country.
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12/27/2013
According to reports by DefenseNews and DefenseTalk, Pakistan launched production of the Block-II JF-17 combat aircraft at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex near Islamabad. The Diplomat reported earlier this year that Pakistan expected to begin exporting the JF-17 in 2014; the beginning of production last week is set to keep it on track to meet that deadline.
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12/27/2013
Australia will deploy two military aircraft to South Sudan for United Nations efforts to restore peace to the world's youngest nation. Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss announced on Thursday that Australia had agreed to a UN request for support to transport personnel and equipment to the war-torn country.
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12/26/2013
Secret U.S. missile and electro-optics technology was transferred to China recently by Israel, prompting anger from the U.S. and causing a senior Israeli defense official to resign. The head of defense exports for the Israeli Defense Ministry resigned after a U.S. investigation concluded that technology, including a miniature refrigeration system manufactured by Ricor and used for missiles and in electro-optic equipment, was sent to China, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.
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12/26/2013
A little more than a year after Macomb County and regional leaders beat back an attempt to substantially cut the number of A-10 aircraft stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base – the Air Force is again gunning for the odd-looking planes known as “Warthogs” – this time pushing to eliminate the entire U.S. fleet. The Air Force hopes to retire all 326 A-10 Thunderbolts, including the 18 planes stationed at the Harrison Township base.
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12/26/2013
Australia will provide two military aircraft to move United Nations forces into South Sudan and possibly help with evacuations, but is yet to consider providing any other assistance. The acting prime minister, Warren Truss, made the announcement as he reaffirmed calls for Australians to try to access commercial flights to leave the country after fighting broke out in Africa’s newest country.
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12/26/2013
Preparing to supply 126 Rafale combat aircraft to India, French firm Dassault Aviation is carrying out gap analysis of aerospace PSU HAL's fighter plane production capabilities to recommend upgrades. Dassault Aviation and HAL have to work together to produce 108 Rafale fighter planes in India as part of the contract to supply 126 Medium-Multi-role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) to the Indian Air Force.
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12/26/2013
The Russian air force is planning to order an additional batch of new Yak-130 combat trainers because demand for the aircraft is growing, the air force’s top commander said Wednesday. The current contract with Russia’s Irkut aircraft corporation stipulates the delivery of 55 Yak-130s to the air force. A total of 42 aircraft have been delivered so far.
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12/25/2013
Syrian warplanes have killed at least 15 people in Aleppo, raising the death toll to over 360 during the past 10 days of bombings, activists said. The opposition says it will not attend the Geneva-2 peace talks if the regime continues to launch air raids.
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12/25/2013
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe minces no words about his intention to revise the country’s pacifist constitution, while boosting military forces amid growing tensions with China over disputed islands in the East China Sea. “It is my career goal. For what purpose did I become a politician? I definitely want to carry through with it,” the premier told public broadcaster NHK on Sunday.
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12/25/2013
Greek Patriot air defense units “harassed” four Turkish F-4 military aircrafts by putting them under radar-lock while they were flying in international airspace over the Aegean Sea, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on their website Dec. 24. Military sources told daily Hürriyet the Greek military used Patriots defense units for the first time against Turkish military aircraft, as they previously resorted to military planes.
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12/25/2013
The Israeli military says it has carried out an air strike in the Gaza Strip in response to the deadly shooting of an Israeli civilian who was working along the border fence.
The shooting prompted Israel to warn it would respond “forcefully”.
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12/25/2013
A Chinese military utility helicopter roughly equivalent to the Sikorsky H-60 made its first flight on Dec. 23, state media report. The helicopter, with the unconfirmed designation Z-20, is a 10-metric-ton (22,000 lb.) aircraft suitable for operation from high-altitude fields, China Central Television says. For almost three decades, China has relied on 24 UH-60 Black Hawks bought in the 1980s for such operations.
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12/25/2013
The U.S. Air Force has signed a contract with Pratt & Whitney to have the aerospace company provide maintenance and repair of F119 jet engines through the end of next year. The contract was announced Monday by members of Connecticut’s legislative delegation in Washington. The deal, which is worth $231.46 million, is an extension of an existing contract between the Air Force and the company, which makes and maintains jet engine.
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12/25/2013
Three U.S. aircraft from Hurlburt field were attacked while performing a mission in South Sudan on Saturday, according to a news release from U.S. Africa Command. Three CV-22 Ospreys, tiltrotor aircraft that can function as both airplanes and helicopters, were hit by small arms fire while attempting to evacuate U.S. citizens from the town of Bor, the release said.
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12/25/2013
Aerospace and defense engineers and executives, like the militaries they serve, face adversaries. Certainly, these enemies are of a different nature than those faced by warfighters, but their effect can be just as incapacitating and severe. Military officials facing tight budgets are opting to extend the life of currently fielded aerospace and defense platforms on the ground, at sea, and in the air. In some cases, lifespans are even being doubled.
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12/25/2013
A reaction force of 150 Marines is poised to enter South Sudan to help protect US Embassy personnel and, if needed, to evacuate the roughly 100 Americans who remain in the country, Pentagon officials say. The hope is that the US troops can help beef up security amid growing fears of civil war breaking out in the country.
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12/25/2013
The Swedish government is working on a joint strategy with Saab to extend the Gripen-E combat fighter offer to Brazil to include a radically up-scaled industrial dimension that would see Brazil become the primary production base for future Gripen-E sales to South America and Africa through a joint venture development and profit sharing partnership with Embraer.
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12/24/2013
Paris has turned its sights to potential defense markets in the Gulf in the hope of selling its Rafale fighter jets. This follows the failure of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault, which builds the Rafale, to secure a multi-billion-dollar contract to sell the aircraft to Brazil. French President Francois Hollande, who visited Brazil recently, said in Brussels on Friday that he had expected the outcome “for several months,” but that he hoped the Rafale would be bought by other countries.
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12/24/2013
The U.S. was moving regional troops and aircraft closer to South Sudan as a precaution should they be needed for more evacuations of diplomatic and aid personnel, Pentagon officials said Monday. Army Gen. David Rodriguez, head of the Africa Command (AFRICOM), had ordered the "repositioning of forces in the region to give himself maximum flexibility" to respond as the crisis in Sudan threatens to spiral into civil war, said Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.
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12/24/2013
The J-10B — the upgrade version of China's J-10 fighter — recently entered service with the People's Liberation Army, with its designer Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group already developing the more advanced J-10C, reports the Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television.
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12/24/2013
In his book 'Australian security in the Asian century', Dr Sanu Kainikara outlines what can only be termed a 'challenging' security environment for this nation in coming decades. A regional arms race, growing demand for resources, and the pressures of exploding population levels will all contribute. It is therefore no wonder that the Australian Defence Force is undertaking comprehensive upgrades, designed to retain a strong tactical advantage. A big part of this is the adoption of 'fifth generat
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12/24/2013
BAE Systems has secured a $1bn (£611m) contract to upgrade South Korea's fleet of F16 fighter jets, in a fillip for the UK arms manufacturer after it lost out on a much more lucrative deal with the United Arab Emirates.
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12/24/2013
Lockheed Martin delivered its 16th C-5M Super Galaxy to the U.S. Air Force from its facilities here today. U.S. Air Force aircrews ferried aircraft tail number 87-0036 to Dover Air Force Base, Del. It is the fourth C-5M delivery in 32 days and the sixth for 2013.
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12/23/2013
Syrian aircraft pummeled opposition areas in the northern city of Aleppo Sunday, killing at least 32 people and extending the government’s furious aerial bombardment of the rebel-held half of the divided city to an eighth consecutive day.
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12/23/2013
As Defence Watch readers know Brazil recently selected the Gripen fighter jet built by Saab as its new military aircraft. The contract is worth $4.5 billion. Brazil’s air force was told of the government’s decision by President Dilma Rousseff just 24 hours before the public announcement last week.
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12/23/2013
Three US military aircraft attempting to evacuate American citizens from a remote region of South Sudan came under fire as gun battles raged between the country's military and rebel militia. Four US service personnel were wounded in the attack. The aircraft were hit on Saturday while preparing to land in Bor, the capital of Jonglei state – scene of some of the nation's worst violence over the past week.
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12/23/2013
On April 12 2011, a Typhoon fighter jet loitering just south of Libya’s embattled city of Misurata released two laser-guided bombs on to two T72 tanks belonging to forces loyal to Muammer Gaddafi. It was the first time a Eurofighter Typhoon flown by the Royal Air Force had fired on ground targets in combat.
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12/23/2013
Following Washington’s move to increase its military footprint in Asia, China has declared it is building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of a size to compete with the mightiest in the US naval fleet. Chinese website qianzhan.com, citing top sources in the People's Liberation Army, said China’s first domestically produced aircraft carrier should be launched by 2020.
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12/22/2013
President Barack Obama was briefed by his national security team on Saturday after four U.S. military service members were wounded when their aircraft were fired upon during a mission to evacuate American citizens from chaotic South Sudan.
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12/22/2013
The strategic Sukhoi Su-24 fighter-bombers along with F-4 Phantom combat planes of the IRIAF accomplished all the tasks they were set to do during the second day of the main phase of large-scale wargames, codenamed Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 4 (Devotees of Velayat Airspace 4), on Saturday morning, spokesman for the air maneuvers, General Hossein Chitforoush, said on December 21.
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12/22/2013
Brazil's decision to buy Swedish fighter jets instead of F/A-18 Super Hornets from Boeing eliminates its most promising foreign-sales prospect just as the U.S. company faces critical decisions about extending the jet's production line past 2016. The loss of the $4.5 billion contract for 36 planes is the latest blow to Boeing's defense division, whose F-15 fighter jet last month lost a potential 60-plane order from South Korea to Lockheed Martin Corp's next-generation F-35 fighter.
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12/22/2013
Gunfire hit three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that on Saturday became a battleground between the country’s military and renegade troops, officials said. Four U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in the same region where small-arms fire downed a U.N. helicopter the day before.
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12/22/2013
Russia’s Aviakor aircraft plant on Saturday announced plans to begin assembly of An-140 light cargo planes for the Russian military in 2017. “We are working design changes at present. The first plane for the customer - the Russian Defense Ministry – should be delivered in 2017,” said Alexei Gusev, general director of Aviakor.
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12/21/2013
A little more than a year after Macomb County and regional leaders beat back an attempt to substantially cut the number of A-10 aircraft stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, the Air Force is again gunning for the odd-looking planes known as “Warthogs” – this time pushing to eliminate the entire U.S. fleet.
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12/21/2013
he U.S. Defense Department and top suppliers on the $392 billion F-35 fighter program are developing a plan to drive down the cost of the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, the head of enginemaker Pratt & Whitney told Reuters. The project uses an "innovative" new mechanism to encourage companies to invest their own funds to lower production costs, Dave Hess, president of Pratt & Whitney, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.
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12/21/2013
Japan's Cabinet has approved a national security strategy that would boost spending on military equipment, officials said. The strategy, that includes the revised National Defense Program Guidelines and a Mid-term Defense Program, could start the export of weapons from Japan for the first time since the second world war.
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12/21/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry and the United Aircraft Corporation will sign a contract on the development of the Il-112V light transport plane next year, a deputy defense minister said Friday. The development of the twin turboprop aircraft, designed to carry six tons of cargo to a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), was canceled in 2011 under former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, but his successor Sergei Shoigu reportedly approved the revival of the Il-112 program earlier this year.
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12/21/2013
The British company – which leads the activities of the European consortium in the Middle East region – also said that negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the price for 72 of the fighters remain stalled. Shares in the company dropped on the London Stock Exchange on the news.
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12/20/2013
Pakistan rolled out its 50th JF-17 Thunder Block I multi-role combat aircraft Wednesday and will now begin construction of the next batch of 50 which will be of the Block II standard.
The 50th example of the Sino-Pakistani fighter was rolled out during a ceremony at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in the town of Kamra not far from the capital Islamabad. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, and Chinese dignitaries were in attendance.
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12/20/2013
BAE Systems suffered a bruising setback after Britain’s negotiations to supply 60 Typhoon fighter jets to the UAE collapsed and pricing talks on a separate deal with Saudi Arabia stalled. It is a double blow for Britain and Europe’s biggest defence company which had hoped a win in the UAE would solidify its position as one of the biggest suppliers of combat aircraft to the Gulf region. BAE already has contracts for Typhoons with Saudi Arabia and Oman, and is in talks with Bahrain.
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12/20/2013
World's lightest and India developed supersonic fighter Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is battle-ready for testing by its air force pilots three decades after it was conceived, designed and developed with cost overruns and inordinate delays. "The home-grown aircraft is ready for flight tests by Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots to assess its air prowess and strike power," state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) director PS Subramanian told ahead of its IOC on Friday at New Delhi.
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12/20/2013
After a decade of discussion, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff announced Wednesday the acquisition of 36 Gripen NG fighter jets, from Sweden’s Saab (STO:SAAB-B), for the FX-2 program of the Brazilian Air Force. Defense Minister Celso Amorim and Gen. Juniti Saito, the air force's chief of staff, said at a press conference after the official announcement that the planes will be delivered in 4 years. The total cost of the deal will be $4.5 billion.
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12/20/2013
Alright folks, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mk-I is all set to achieve Initial Operational Clearance-2 on December 20. Forget the critics, this combat jet is now all set to be flown by serving pilots of the Indian Air force (IAF) who are going to miss the Mig-21 FL a lot less once they get their hands on this baby.
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12/20/2013
In cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-2 aft and leading edge flaps as part of a restoration plan to replenish Japan’s F-2 fleet. Eighteen Japanese F-2B fighter aircraft based at Matsushima Air Base were destroyed during a tsunami that hit the nation in March 2011.
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12/20/2013
Boeing delivered the 500th Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) to the U.S. Air Force this month, completing the contract for the low-collateral-damage weapon 100 percent on time and on cost. “This Direct Attack FLM team not only delivered to our customer with remarkable efficiency, but also provided an important tool to protect the lives of U.S. and coalition forces around the world,” said Gary Rodenberg, Small Diameter Bomb program manager for Boeing.
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12/20/2013
It could take Russia about three years to complete the development of a fifth-generation attack helicopter and start testing its prototype, a defense industry official said Wednesday.
The Mi-28NM, a modernized version of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that is being upgraded to standards of a fifth-generation aircraft, has been in development since 2008.
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12/20/2013
The Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC), led by the UAE Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre, aims to make sure the UAE and its allies can operate together effectively to support security in the Gulf. Following the exercise the commander of the RAF’s 83 Expeditionary Air Group praised the UAE’s ‘first-class’ training.
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12/19/2013
Japan plans to beef up its military with a wide-range of new arsenal to deal with Chinese national security threats. The island nation plans to spend roughly $232 billion over the next five years on hardware it believes is capable of securing disputed islands in the South China Sea. The list of purchases includes “anti-missile destroyers, submarines, 52 amphibious vehicles, surveillance drones, U.S. fighter planes and 17 Boeing Osprey aircraft, capable of vertical take-off,” the BBC reported.
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12/19/2013
An overconfident pilot who got less than half the sleep he needed before a night training mission was responsible for causing a midair F-16 collision over the summer that forced the other pilot to eject over the Atlantic Ocean, according to a U.S. Air Force report released Wednesday.
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12/19/2013
Dateline August 2012: U.S. Air Force makes decision to establish an F-35 pilot training center at Luke Air Force Base following a three-year process that included an extensive environmental impact analysis. Dateline June 2013: U.S. Air Force chooses Luke AFB as the primary training site for the F-35A, and is the location for 72 additional F-35 Lightning II aircraft, bringing the eventual total number of the aircraft to be based at Luke to 144; six squadrons of 24 F-35A aircraft each.
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12/19/2013
The United Kingdom is testing a new collision warning system (CWS) for its fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, it was disclosed on 15 December. Answering questions in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond said that the system will be rolled out across the fleet depending on the results of the current test programme. He did not, however, say when this might happen.
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12/19/2013
High over Afghanistan, a two-man team of U.S. naval aviators found itself in trouble April 8 after an aerial refueling mishap damaged the right engine of their supersonic F/A-18F Super Hornet. Turbulence ripped the fighter away from an Air Force KC-135's refueling hose, leaving a piece of the tanker's refueling apparatus attached to the Super Hornet and causing the fighter to suck airborne fuel through its right engine.
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12/19/2013
The Government constantly reviews the security environment and ensures that the IAF is fully equipped to meet the security challenges. The IAF is in the process of modernizing its fleet by procuring various aircrafts including the Sukhoi-30 MKI and the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft. In addition, existing fleets of aircraft such as Mirage-2000, Jaguar and MiG-29 are being upgraded as per requirements.
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12/19/2013
Saab SAAB ABs's win of a coveted contract in Brazil gives a significant lift to the Swedish defense group's strategy of offering value for money as it competes for the world's defense-procurement dollars. Brazil ended a lengthy process to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets by selecting the latest "E" version of Saab's JAS Gripen jet fighter in a deal worth $4.5 billion. Boeing Co. and France's Dassault Aviation competed on winning the contract, which calls for 36 fighter jets.
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12/19/2013
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday hailed the induction of Pakistan Air Force's 50th JF-17 fighter aircraft, built with Chinese help, as a move towards "self-reliance" and said the country's defence strategy is being devised on modern lines.
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12/19/2013
The C-130J Super Hercules program reached another significant milestone with the delivery of its 300th aircraft, which was ferried today by a U.S. Air Force crew from the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here.
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12/19/2013
Russia is upgrading its short-range Pantsir-S air defense systems with an improved capability to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Wednesday. “The modernization of these unique systems aimed at increasing their effectiveness against UAVs has already started,” Col. Igor Klimov said.
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12/18/2013
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would brief Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the proposed measures for enhancing defence production exports, during his scheduled visit to a key PAF facility today (Wednesday). The PM would be visiting Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra to receive the relevant briefings on the contemplated exports of the PAF aircraft, especially the JF-17 Thunder, sources in PAF informed The Nation on Tuesday.
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12/18/2013
After many false starts, Europe looks ready to back plans for a drone development programme aimed at cutting its reliance on U.S. and Israeli rivals and bolstering its position in the industry. European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday will throw their weight behind a drive to build a next-generation European surveillance drone by 2020 to 2025, according to a draft communiqué seen by Reuters.
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12/18/2013
The 2013 sale of 22 Swedish JAS 39E Gripen jet fighters to Switzerland was the last act in a very contentious competition between the Gripen, the French Rafale, and the Anglo-German (mainly) Eurofighter. Most of the secret evaluations of the three fighters were recently leaked to the media and provided some interesting insights on all three aircraft. The Gripen won the competition not because it was the best fighter but because it was OK on all counts and it was the cheapest.
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12/18/2013
Various units from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps came together to exercise their ability to conduct combat operations across the Pacific by participating in a nonstop operations surge Dec. 10 to Dec. 13 on Guam and the nearby island of Tinian.
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12/18/2013
For the first time, agencies involved in designing and developing light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas will display to the country what a pilot can do in its cockpit while the aircraft is in the sky. Dedicating the aircraft to the nation, National Flight Testing Centre (NFTC) pilots will take it to the skies during an official flypast this Friday, marking the second Initial Operational Clearance (IOC-2) of Tejas.
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12/18/2013
Before the sun rises, the sound of an F-16 Fighting Falcon can be heard taking off, breaking the dull silence of the morning as they participate in a two week close air support training exercise with various squadrons and units.
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12/18/2013
A helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan has killed six US soldiers, the deadliest day for American troops in the country since March. There was no fighting reported in the area where the aircraft came down, Nato said in a brief statement, and Afghan officials including the provincial governor and police chief said the chopper had suffered a mechanical fault.
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12/18/2013
Well before the Joint Strike Fighter has flown one combat mission, the Air Force is already talking about the next generation of fighter aircraft that will succeed it. Despite the budget crunch that has paralyzed most military modernization programs, Air Force leaders are talking about developing the sixth generation fighter jet as well as a new cargo plane that would replace the C-130 and C-17.
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12/18/2013
Iran believes its contract to buy S-300 missile defense systems from Russia is legitimate and expects it to be fulfilled, Iran’s ambassador to Russia said Tuesday. Mehdi Sanai said the systems “are defensive, so no international laws, norms and rules are violated.” Sanai said that he had discussed the issue with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the latter’s visit to Iran, and noted Moscow’s “good will in its resolution.”
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12/17/2013
A MiG-31 'Foxhound' combat aircraft operated by the Russian Air Force (Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily - VVS) crashed in the Far Eastern Primorye region on 14 December, national media disclosed. The twin-seat interceptor came down some 26 km from the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airbase near Vladivostok, RIA Novosti reported. Both crew members are said to have ejected safely.
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12/17/2013
Cassidian, EADS’ military division soon to be transformed into Airbus Defense and Space) celebrated last week the delivery of the 400s Typhoons jet fighter to the customer – the German Luftwaffe. On December 4th the 400th Typhoon that received the marking ‘31+06’ at the company’s Military Air Systems Center at Manching, near Munich was the 112 Typhoon delivered to the German Air Force.
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12/17/2013
The four diminutive cargo planes parked on the National Guard air base in this Rust Belt town last year never would have been selected for a recruiting poster. Lacking the grace of a fighter or the girth of a freighter, the newly built twin-prop aircraft were the minivans of combat aviation — unsexy, utilitarian haulers of people and gear. But that didn’t matter to pilots and ground crews here. They loved the planes, as did troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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12/17/2013
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel toured the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf last week reassuring them the United States is not abandoning them while seeking a rapprochement with Iran, their main rival, and one way to do that is make available advanced weapons systems that have long been withheld.
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12/17/2013
Japan will boost its military spending in coming years, buying early-warning planes, beach-assault vehicles and troop-carrying aircraft, while seeking closer ties with Asian partners to counter a more militarily assertive China.
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12/17/2013
The Air Force will spend more money to boost combat readiness if Congress passes a budget to reduce the impact of sequestration, but the military branch is still exploring how additional dollars might impact spending, the service branch's top leaders said Friday. Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh briefed reporters on the state of the military service in an annual address.
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12/17/2013
The plan to export Czech-made L-159 fighter jets to Iraq has definitively failed, daily Hospodárské noviny (HN) writes today, adding that Iraq signed a contract for the purchase of 24 FA-50 combat aircraft from South Korea earlier this month. The Czech Aero Vodochody aircraft maker negotiated about the possible sale of L-159s worth about $1 billion for several years.
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12/17/2013
A batch of Su-34 fighter jets was delivered to Russia’s military Monday in the final consignment under a 2008 deal with the Defense Ministry for Sukhoi aircraft maker to deliver 32 of the two-seat bombers. The aircraft, also known by the NATO codename Fullback, were handed over at the Novosibirsk aircraft plant, which is part of the Sukhoi holding company.
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12/17/2013
Russia’s Air Force has grounded all MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor jets while investigators establish the cause of a crash of one of the planes, RIA Novosti has learned. The temporary suspension was imposed after a MiG-31 crashed near the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airbase outside Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East on Saturday, an Air Force source said. The two-man crew guided the aircraft to a deserted area before ejecting to safety and they were released from hospital Monday.
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12/16/2013
On November 25th Pakistan announced that it had put the two locally made UAVs designs (Burraq and Shahpar) into service. Pakistan has used some foreign (mostly Chinese) made UAVs in the last decade, without much success. These two new models are means to give the Pakistani military something they can use on a regular basis. While the basic technology of recon UAVs is widely available, the ability to build and maintain reliable UAVs is another matter.
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12/16/2013
The US Army has successfully used a vehicle-mounted laser to shoot down numerous mortar rounds and drone aircraft for the first time. Taking place over the course of several weeks, the test involved destroying more than 90 incoming mortar rounds and multiple drones. Eventually, the Army hopes to test an even more advanced laser system that could shoot down more dangerous weapons, such as incoming cruise missiles.
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12/16/2013
India is yearsbehind the Chinese military withthe Communist neighbour currentlyoutnumbering the country’scombat power by a 3:1ratio, a defence ministry documenthas revealed.India hopes to bridge the gap inthe next 15 years by improvingits fighting capacity with newstealth jets, aircraft carriers,nuclear-powered submarines,warships and land-based strikeformations.
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12/16/2013
China’s declaration of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea on November 23 confounded many observers, including veteran China-watchers. The move alarmed China’s neighbors and was met with a rapid U.S. response, which involved flying two unarmed B-52s through the zone as a form of calibrated defiance.
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12/16/2013
Yemen's parliament on Sunday called for a stop to drone attacks in a symbolic vote that reflected growing public anxiety about Washington's use of the unmanned aircraft to combat al-Qaeda in the impoverished country. Motions passed by the Yemeni parliament are not binding and can be struck down by the president, and are seen as no more than recommendations to the government.
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12/16/2013
U.S. Air Force bomber experts are surveying industry to find companies with the expertise to upgrade power control and distribution systems aboard the B-52H jet bomber to apply MIL-STD-1760 power to the B-52H's bomb-bay and underwing weapons.
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12/16/2013
Three decades after the project started, India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is all set for initial operational clearance and production, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander said Sunday. The DRDO got permission to start the programme to design and develop an indigenous Light Combat Aircraft way back in 1983.
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12/16/2013
Enhancing the Army Special Forces' capabilities to airdrop combat vehicles and heavy equipment, DRDO has developed a a heavy system which can drop loads up to 16 tonnes from the IL-76 transport aircraft using parachutes.
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12/16/2013
On December 11th India retired its 124 remaining MiG-21FL jet fighters. This is the first phase of India retiring all of its MiG-21s. There were originally twice as many MiG-21FLs, which was the first MiG and first supersonic jet in Indian service. These aircraft arrived in the 1960s and 70s and until their retirement were used for training new fighter pilots. The MiG-21FL trainers and will be replaced by the new Indian designed and made Tejas light fighter.
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12/16/2013
The second consignment of Russian weapons and military equipment, to be delivered to Iraq under the deal signed in 2012, will arrive later than previously announced, a senior Iraqi lawmaker said on Sunday. Last year, Iraq signed a $4.3 billion deal with Moscow to buy Russian weapons and military equipment, including around 40 Mi-35 and Mi-28NE attack helicopters. Iraq took collection of the first four Mi-35 helicopter gunships this fall.
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12/15/2013
A Chinese air force pilot was killed when a fighter plane crashed during night training in east China's Zhejiang Province, the defence ministry announced on Friday. The Jian-8 plane crashed in Anji County in Zhejiang Province on last night, leaving the pilot dead, the ministry said in a statement on its website.
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12/15/2013
MP Yuriy Syrotiuk (the Svoboda faction) said that two Russian IL-76 military transport aircraft are staying in Hostomel in Kyiv region with unknown purposes. "It’s known for sure that two Russian military aircraft are staying in Hostomel. It's unknown whom and what they brought to Kyiv, but they are staying there," Syrotiuk told a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday.
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12/15/2013
Operational Clearance (IOC) later this month. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, said the '4plus generation' LCA designated as 'Tejas', is all set to be inducted in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the project for Mark II, designed to be more powerful and capable, will commence soon. After long delays and several cost overruns, Tejas, which will replace aged fighter aircraft MIG 21, will be inducted on December 20 in Bangalore by Defence Minister A.K. Antony.
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12/15/2013
Typhoon has lost the bid offering 60 aircraft for the Government of South Korea. The Koreans initially favored the newest version of the Boeing F-15, known as the ‘Silent Eagle’, but later reverted to opt buying only 40 of the F-35A stealth fighter from Lockheed Martin. Given this precondition, EADS is currently offering the Koreans a mix of two jet fighters – namely, buying 40 Eurofighter Typhoons and 20 F-35s for their next-generation fighter procurement project.
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12/15/2013
Canada is rejecting a Vatican call for the United Nations to take a closer look at the ethics and legality of drone warfare, The Catholic Register has learned. The Holy See made its first statement ever about weaponized drones and other automated weapons systems at a United Nations arms control meeting in Geneva Nov. 14.
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12/15/2013
And yet, Illustrious' retirement sets the stage for a new age in aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. That same year, Britain aims to launch the lead vessel of a new class of carriers, the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The new Queen will be a technological marvel, equipped with a new "highly mechanized weapon handling system" that can be operated, in a pinch, by as few as a dozen sailors. The entire vessel, twice the size of the carrier it is replacing, will boast a crew of only 679 souls.
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12/15/2013
Two Russian Air Force crew members ejected to safety when their MiG-31 interceptor crashed on Saturday in the Far Eastern Primorye region, local authorities said. The aircraft went down 26 kilometers from the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airbase near Vladivostok, after taking off at 5:07 a.m. Moscow time from the Knevichy airfield.
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12/14/2013
Britain's high-profile drive to sell Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets in the Persian Gulf seems to be running into trouble, with the United Arab Emirates reportedly having second thoughts about acquiring as many as 60 of the aircraft. If Emirates' planned $10 billion procurement to replace its aging Dassault Aviation Mirage 2000-9 jets to counter regional rival Iran is still on, that could boost the prospects of the Typhoon's main rival, Dassault's Rafale multirole fighter.
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12/14/2013
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has offered SE Asian countries almost $20bn in aid and loans, in what is being seen as an effort to combat Chinese expansion. The announcement came at a summit in Tokyo, weeks after China's declaration of a new air defence zone overlapping areas claimed by Japan and South Korea.
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12/14/2013
Japan's Self-Defense Forces will acquire 17 of the U.S. military's controversial Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft over five years from next April, a source close to the issue said Friday. Japan will also purchase three surveillance drones and 52 amphibious vehicles to enhance its capability to defend remote islands, the source said.
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12/14/2013
An Indian Defence Ministry document has revealed that it will take nearly 15 years for the South Asian country to improve its fighting capacity to China’s level as the communist neighbour is currently outnumbering India’s combat power by a 3:1 ratio.
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12/14/2013
The first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet destined for Luke Air Force Base rolled out of a Lockheed Martin assembly plant here Friday amid cheers and whoops from military and political leaders, and a blaring rendition of rock legend AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Dozens more of the twin-tailed planes will follow.
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12/14/2013
A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials. The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens, which recently took part in disaster relief operations in the Philippines, was confronted by Chinese warships in the South China Sea near Beijing’s new aircraft carrier Liaoning, according to officials familiar with the incident.
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12/14/2013
At a ceremony attended by more than 2,000 employees and guests, Lockheed Martin celebrated the production of its 100th F-35 Lightning II. Defense leaders Gen. Robin Rand, Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Brig. Gen. Michael Rothstein, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz., joined the employees who build the F-35 for the celebration.
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12/14/2013
The 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., received another C-130J Super Hercules that was ferried from the Lockheed Martin plant here by a U.S. Air Force crew, Dec. 12, 2013.
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12/14/2013
Greek armed forces test-fired a Russian-made S-300 air defense system on Friday, for the first time since it was bought 14 years ago. Greece is the only NATO member that has an S-300 in service. The system was initially purchased by Cyprus in the mid-1990s, and was later transferred to the Greek island of Crete following objections from Turkey.
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12/13/2013
This morning, Textron AirLand successfully completed the first flight of the Scorpion, the company's new tactical twinjet, which was announced earlier this year. The Scorpion took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, and flew for 1.4 hours.
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12/13/2013
The Indian Air Force is negotiating with French aviation major Dassault Aviation's Rafale for 126 medium fighter jets in a multi-billion dollar deal, Chief of Air Staff of IAF, Air Chief Marshall N A K Browne today said. The deal suffered a "setback" due to the death of an official, who handled the negotiation, in September. Now a new Joint Secretary has joined last week to take the negotiations forward, Browne told reporters here.
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12/13/2013
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Singapore's Defense Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen met today at the Pentagon and reaffirmed their countries’ longstanding defense relationship. Minister Ng is in the United States to witness the Singapore Armed Forces' Exercise Forging Sabre and the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Peace Carvin II F-16 detachment.
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12/13/2013
Ukraine has served as a back channel for China to circumvent Russia’s intellectual property rights protections. In recent years, debt-ridden Kiev sold to Beijing hundreds of Russian-made aircraft engines to equip China’s JL-trainers and J-10 and J-11 combat aircraft — themselves knockoffs of Russia’s Sukoi fighter jets.
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12/13/2013
The MiG-21 FL fighter jet from Indian Air Force (IAF), which had changed the course of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh due to its accuracy, flew into the annals of history yesterday. “I have the greatest professional regard for MiG-21. The agility of MiG-21 cannot be matched by any of the present day fighters,” the Hindustan Times quoted Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne as saying while bidding farewell to one of the first variants of MiG-21 combat aircraft.
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12/13/2013
Artyom Ivanovich Mikoyan, the outstanding Soviet aircraft designer, created aircraft that set 55 world records. Here’s a look at five of the most interesting designs produced by the MiG Experimental Design Bureau.
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12/13/2013
The indigenously developed light combat aircraft 'Tejas' would officially replace the MiG-21 FL fighter jet, Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said on Thursday. "One major phase has passed over and now we look toward the new induction into the force. The LCA will replace the MiG-21," Browne told reporters at the headquarter of Eastern Air Command here.
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12/13/2013
Iraq signed a $1.1 billion deal Thursday to buy 24 multi-role light fighters from South Korea, officials said, in what will be the Asian nation's biggest arms export. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said it would deliver the T-50IQ, a variant of its T-50 supersonic aircraft, to Baghdad between 2015 and 2016, under the terms of the deal signed in Seoul.
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12/13/2013
President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday against foreign powers seeking to secure a military advantage over Russia and said any attempts to destroy the existing global strategic balance would be futile. Speaking in his annual State of the Nation address, Putin dismissed arguments that the proposed European missile shield is defensive only and described it as having a strategically offensive potential.
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12/13/2013
Russia could quadruple its annual arms sales to $50 billion by 2020 in a race for the top spot on the global arms exporters list, a senior government official said Thursday. “Not counting inflation, I think we could reach $50 billion [in arms exports] annually by 2020,” Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told reporters in Moscow. “It is four times the current amount.”
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12/12/2013
Loyal readers of Flashpoints know any type of new Chinese military weapon or gadget is always a hot topic of conversation for this blog. And rightly so—Beijing has presented us defense geeks with new ballistic and cruise missile technology, a new carrier with rumors of a domestically built flattop allegedly under construction, fresh ICBM’s, increasingly advanced submarines and more. The rumor mill is always churning with new developments and technologies to digest and dissect.
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12/12/2013
The paragraphs were slipped into a massive defense bill by a Mississippi senator. Part assertion, part plea, they are aimed at the Pentagon, and more than anything else, they reflect the worry that Sikorsky Aircraft and other helicopter manufacturers feel about their future. Rather than investing in new technologies and funding a new generation of rotary winged aircraft, the Pentagon is moving to upgrade existing helicopters.
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12/12/2013
Advanced Typhoon fighter aircraft took part in the advanced tactical leadership course (ATLC), led by the UAE Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre, to ensure the UAE and its allies can operate together effectively to support security in the Arabian Gulf. Flt Lt Jim Fordham, a Typhoon pilot with 3 (Fighter) Squadron, said the exercise helped the RAF to share knowledge with the UAE.
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12/12/2013
Czech aircraft producer Aero Vodochody Aerospace is developing the concept of new aircraft L-169, which will have more Czech-made equipment and longer flying range compared with the older L-159 version, news servers iDnes and Aktuálne.cz said today. The design philosophy of the new model is based on the older L-39 Albatros aircraft, which is still used in a number of countries.
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12/12/2013
This is the view from the cockpit of Britain’s newest Typhoon jet fighter. Test flights have begun on the latest version of the £80 million Typhoon, which will be able to carry more fuel, heavier weapons and a new generation of radar. The RAF will next year start taking delivery of 40 of the new fighters which are the third version of the Eurofighter jet.
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12/12/2013
Even as the workhorse of the Indian Air Force, MiG-21, bowed out on Wednesday, indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, is just a formality away from passing into the hands of the force. Dubbed the world’s lightest fighter, the tail-less little wonder is due to ceremonially earn its initial operational clearance (IOC) and move closer to joining the IAF at its birthplace, Bangalore, on December 20.
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12/12/2013
The MiG-21 FL fighter jet, which had heralded the "supersonic era" in IAF and had changed the course of the 1971 Indo-Pak war due to its accuracy, flew into the annals of history on Wednesday. "I have the greatest professional regard for MiG-21. The agility of MiG-21 cannot be matched by any of the present day fighters," Browne said after bidding adieu to one of the first variants of MiG-21 combat aircraft, which dealt severe blows to Pakistan air force in the 1971 Bangladesh war.
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12/12/2013
A senior government minister warned Wednesday that Russia could retaliate with a nuclear strike if a new US military strategy threatened its security. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that Russia was “preparing a response” to plans by the United States to develop a new fast-strike weapons platform capable of hitting high-priority targets around the globe.
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12/12/2013
Russia will soon start developing a prototype of an advanced lightweight fighter jet to supplement fifth-generation T-50 aircraft, a top government official said Wednesday. The new aircraft is expected to be cheaper to produce and easier to maintain, but should also possess combat capabilities and performance characteristics comparable with those of heavy-class aircraft.
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12/12/2013
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has delivered its first F-35 Lightning II centre fuselage to Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin at a ceremony held at TAI's facilities in Ankara, Turkey today. This is the first F-35 centre fuselage manufactured by TAI as an international manufacturing partner to Northrop Grumman. The centre fuselage will be installed into a U. S. Air Force aircraft at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Fort Worth, Texas.
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12/11/2013
Japanese complaints about growing incidents of Russian warplanes flying close to Japanese air space have left Russian officials perplexed. The Russian aircraft are flying more training missions in the Pacific and there is a lot of Japanese airspace off the east coast of Eurasia, so Russian warplanes out there cannot avoid passing close to Japanese air defense radars. In the last six months Japanese fighters have been sent aloft an average of once a day to check out approaching Russian warplanes.
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12/11/2013
A Chinese man accused of trying to export high-grade carbon fiber to his home country from the United States for use in military aircraft was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly five years in prison, federal prosecutors in New York said. Ming Suan Zhang, 42, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for trying to export aerospace-grade carbon fiber, a controlled commodity, without a license.
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12/11/2013
Once again, the U.S. Chair Force wants to sacrifice the blood of the heroic infantry in favor of Mitchellesque strategic-bombing dreams and white-scarf fighter missions. It should be disbanded and its functions assigned to fighting services made up of Real Men.
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12/11/2013
Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel reaffirmed US military ties with Qatar on Tuesday, during a regional tour aimed at shoring up Gulf alliances amid disagreements over policy on Iran and Syria. Hagel met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and his minister of state for defence, Major General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, in Doha where they renewed a defence agreement.
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12/11/2013
Navy MH-60S Seahawk Helicopters and MV-22B Ospreys landed Dec. 9 at the recently cleared Baker and Charlie runways on Tinian’s North Field during Exercise Forager Fury II. The MH-60S executed forward arming and refueling point training while the Ospreys transported troops to the location during the exercise which allows Marine Aircraft Group 12 to improve aviation combat readiness and will simulate operations in a deployed, expeditionary environment.
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12/11/2013
While the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan winds down the price tag for waste in the funding for the Afghan Security Forces continues to rise. The most recent evidence of mismanagement emerged during Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko’s recent visit when he found 16 C27A aircrafts waiting to be destroyed at the Kabul International Airport.
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12/11/2013
France's Dassault Aviation and Reliance IndustriesBSE 0.57 % are planning to set up a facility to produce wings of Rafale combat aircraft selected by IAF for meeting its requirement of 126 fighter planes. The two firms are planning to set up a Rs 1,000-crore facility for producing the wings of the Rafale combat aircraft and it is most likely to come up in Bangalore, industry sources told PTI here.
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12/11/2013
France is deploying a sizeable number of aircraft, including transport and combat helicopters, to the Central African Republic (CAR) as part of its intervention force there, which aims to improve the fragile humanitarian situation in the country. Other nations, including the United States and United Kingdom, are also contributing aircraft to support CAR operations.
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12/11/2013
The indigenously-developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has undertaken 2,400 sorties to meet the requirements of the IAF, which is set to induct the aircraft on December 20. "The LCA has clocked over 2400 flights till now with highest ever number of sorties achieved in the current year. The programme has achieved highest ever average number of flights per aircraft per month during this year," HAL officials said here.
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12/11/2013
The Royal Australian Navy accepted the first two MH-60R helicopters from the U.S. Navy in a ceremony today at the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility in Owego, N.Y. “The advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities of the MH-60 Romeo are a game-changer in shifting the advantage from the submarine to the helicopter, which is essential in today’s maritime security environment."
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12/10/2013
Boeing Co. must decide in March 2014 whether to invest tens of millions of dollars to continue production of the F/A-18 fighter jet, a senior Boeing executive said on Monday, underscoring his confidence that sufficient orders would emerge to keep the plane in production until beyond 2020.
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12/10/2013
An announcement by the U.S. Air Force last week may have gone largely unnoticed by most residents of Southern Utah. That announcement was that Hill Air Force Base near Ogden would be the home of the first operational wing of F-35A aircraft. The move means 72 of the fighter jets and their pilots will be stationed at Hill.
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12/10/2013
There is no more potent symbol of statehood than military power. It is not surprising therefore that Eurocrats regard defence policy as a key element in their drive for a state called Europe, playing a role on the global stage.
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12/10/2013
The first-generation Typhoon fighter jets are considered the most advanced multi-role/swing role combat aircraft in operation, and the next-gen Typhoon Tranche 3 models are even more impressive. Taking flight for the first time in a series of test runs, check out this beast of the skies in these majestic videos.
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12/10/2013
The evolution of technology has apparently altered the world and humanity’s existence at monumental proportions. Now, we have all the hi-tech gadgets which are useful to our daily grind. Whichever field, technology has offered tremendous contributions that simplified man’s endeavors. Thanks to the likes of Einstein and the tenacity of the world’s geniuses who make these changes possible.
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12/10/2013
A Russian fighter jet unit has arrived at a Belarusian airbase where it will be stationed on alert duty as part of an integrated regional air defense network, Belarusian news agency BelaPAN reported. Four Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter jets and technical personnel have been based at the Baranovichi airbase, BelaPAN said on Sunday.
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12/10/2013
Russia has begun testing a new radar designed to detect highly maneuverable aerial targets – including cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles – at a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles), allowing it to cover most of Europe. The new-generation over-the-horizon radar, dubbed Container, was put on trial duty near the town of Kovylkino in Russia’s republic of Mordovia on December 2.
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12/10/2013
The US Defense Department is facing allegations that it misled Congress over the purchase of Russian helicopters for Afghan security forces amid revelations that a Pentagon study recommended an American-built aircraft for the job, the Associated Press reported. The United States has bought dozens of Russian military transport helicopters for use in Afghanistan in the past two years.
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12/10/2013
he Abu Dhabi general aviation show is to take place a week earlier than planned, show organisers have said. The Abu Dhabi Air Expo event will now take place at the Al Bateen business aviation airport.on February 25-27.
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12/09/2013
South Korea has announced it is expanding its air defence zone, which will now partially overlap with a similar zone announced by China. The two zones will now both include a rock claimed by both countries and controlled by South Korea. The defence ministry said it would co-ordinate with "related countries".
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12/09/2013
US Army leaders are considering scrapping its entire fleet of Bell Helicopter OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, while pulling the National Guard’s Boeing AH-64 Apaches into the active-duty force to fill the scout helicopter role as the Army seeks to fulfill its longer-term requirement of a newly developed armed aerial scout, according to several Army and defense industry sources.
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12/09/2013
China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has set sail from the Qingdao naval base in northern China's Shandong province and will reach the disputed South China Sea within months to conduct a range of military training exercises, our sister paper Want Daily reports.
The J-15 naval carrier-based fighter jets will also join in the military exercises and will conduct live-fire tests to enhance air defense anti-missile, anti-ship, anti-submarine capabilities in three areas.
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12/09/2013
In the last years of the twentieth century, two weapons changed the way that America fights air wars: smart bombs (bombs that “see” a target using a television camera or a radiation sensor, or that head for a programmed location) and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Smart bombs came into their own in the first Gulf War.
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12/09/2013
If the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has taken decades for completion, it is now in a record-breaking sprint to the finish line. The Tejas has flown an unprecedented 450 test flights this year towards a splashy ceremony in Bangalore scheduled for December 20, where Defence Minister A K Antony will preside over its induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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12/09/2013
India’s first set of Russian-made MiG-21FL supersonic combat jets is all set to be phased out from the air force on December 11, with Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne presiding over the event. The deafening roar of the Mikoyan-Gurevich plane’s afterburner, an iconic delta-wing fighter aircraft that heralded the ‘supersonic era’ in the Indian Air Force (IAF), will no longer be heard. It will fly into the annals of military aviation history once the MiG-21FL supersonic combat jet comes into use.
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12/09/2013
First flown by manufacturer Fairchild-Republic in 1972, and bearing the official name "Thunderbolt II," the A-10 was designed as a "tank buster" to blunt the edge of an armored Soviet invasion of Western Europe. But the world has changed a lot since then.
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12/07/2013
Two European countries are separately seeking support services and aircraft from the United States under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation agency, in its required notifications to Congress, said the sales would have a combined value of $307 million.
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12/07/2013
By sending its first aircraft carrier to the South China Sea, Beijing aims at more effective control over disputed islands in the region, but the vessel has five major weaknesses that make it unable to match up against U.S. carriers, according to a Friday report in a Chinese state-run newspaper.
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12/07/2013
The US military has stepped up its use of drones over the past decade, and the Navy has just announced the successful testing of another new drone, which was launched from an underwater submarine. The drone, dubbed “XFC” after its eXperimental Fuel Cell, is an all-electric, fuel cell-powered, unmanned aerial system (UAS), according to a Navy press release. The drone was developed through the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) SwampWorks program.
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12/07/2013
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH says a milestone has been reached in its Typhoon fighter program - delivery of the 400th production aircraft to Germany. The delivery of the Typhoon to the German Air Force on Wednesday also coincided with the first flight of a Trance 3 Typhoon.
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12/07/2013
The Marines are putting their combat power to work with exercise Forager Fury II between Guam and Tinian this week. The exercise includes more than 1,200 Marines and Sailors working out of Andersen Air Force Base and 400-500 Marines mostly working on Baker Runway in Tinian.
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12/07/2013
Israel has envisioned the design of unmanned aerial vehicles to attack enemy fighter-jets.
The Israel Air Force has been examining the prospect of a new generation of UAVs that could intercept enemy warplanes. The proposal to the Air Force was meant to reduce dependence on expensive manned aircraft platforms, including the Joint Strike Fighter of the United States.
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12/07/2013
The latest top secret unmanned spy plane to be uncovered isn’t just a design idea, it’s already flying at the Air Force’s famed Area 51. Unlike the recently announced SR-72, the new RQ-180 from Northrop Grumman is believed to be currently in flight testing according to Aviation Week and Space Technology.
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12/07/2013
Boeing and Saab AB [Stockholm: SAABB] have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to jointly develop and build a new advanced, cost-efficient T-X Family of Systems training solution for the upcoming competition to replace the U.S. Air Force's aging T-38 aircrew training system. The JDA, with Boeing as the prime contractor and Saab AB as primary partner, covers areas including design, development, production, support, sales and marketing.
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12/07/2013
Japan placed its air force on alert on Friday after two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers flew near its airspace, the Japanese military said. The two Russian bombers reportedly flew near Japan’s northernmost Hokkaido island and flew above the Sea of Japan past the Honshu island. The Russian aircraft did not violate the country’s airspace, but Japanese fighter jets were put on alert, the Japan Self-Defense Forces said.
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12/06/2013
Discovery Air Inc. ("Discovery Air") announced today the pending acquisition of Advanced Training Systems International, Inc. ("ATSI") by Discovery Air Defence Services Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Discovery Air). ATSI is a U.S. airborne training services company based in Mesa, Arizona. It currently owns a fleet of ten (10) Douglas A-4 Skyhawk aircraft and offers airborne training services, including, among other services, tactical "Red Air" services, fighter lead-in training.
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12/06/2013
Maintainers from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, used innovation and flexibility to ensure mission success during the first-ever Israeli Blue Flag exercise. Blue Flag, which took place Nov. 24-28, was a multinational aerial warfare training exercise hosted by the Israeli air force and included forces from the U.S., Israel, Italy and Greece.
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12/06/2013
Britain is discussing offering logistical support to France for its military operation in the Central African Republic, officials said Thursday, an effort that could mirror U.K. assistance for a previous French intervention in Mali. The U.N. Security Council on Thursday authorized increased military action by France and African troops to try to end near-anarchy in the impoverished country.
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12/06/2013
High above the border province of Paktika, in eastern Afghanistan, NATO airwaves crackle and shriek. “Kandahar this is Card Shark Seven-Eight at ten”, a Texan twang rings over the radio. An Australian dispatcher guides a different aeroplane: “Charlie Lima approved for niner zero”. “Pyramid One-One are you on this frequency?” bellows another American.
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12/06/2013
A former top general of the Air Force weighed in on the debate over the future of the A-10, saying it is time to let the venerable jet go and move on to newer jets that can face newer threats. “You got to let it go and progress in to the next generation,” said retired Gen. T. Michael Moseley, who served as chief of staff of the Air Force from September 2005 to July 2008.
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12/06/2013
Airbus Military has tested a roll-on, roll-off firefighting system for use on its C295 medium airlifted. The self-funded development program aims to widen the multi-mission capability and appeal of the twin-turboprop transport. Early trials conducted at a site near Cordoba, Spain, in October tested how the aircraft reacts when large amounts of water are released.
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12/06/2013
Lockheed Martin delivered its 14th C-5M Super Galaxy to the U.S. Air Force from its facilities here today. An Air Force crew flew the Super Galaxy to Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., where it will undergo internal paint restoration before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del. It is the second C-5M delivery in the last two weeks and the fourth for 2013.
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12/06/2013
The 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., received another C-130J Super Hercules, which was ferried today from the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] plant here. Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, commander, 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center), Scott Air Force Base, Ill., flew the Super Hercules (Lockheed Martin aircraft serial number 5736) to Little Rock AFB. Zadalis is a command pilot who has flown seven aircraft variants, including the C-130.
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12/06/2013
An MC-130J Commando II designated for Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., was ferried today from the Lockheed Martin plant here. This MC-130J has the distinction of being the 200th C-130J Super Hercules delivered to the U.S. Government, which is the largest Super Hercules operator.
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12/06/2013
Boeing has delivered the 13th production P-8A Poseidon ahead of schedule to the U.S. Navy, marking a perfect on-time record for the year. The aircraft's arrival at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 4 follows the Navy’s announcement of initial operational capability and first P-8A deployment last week.
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12/05/2013
The East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) has recently been the focal point of controversy. The Japanese government has waged wars of public opinion and a diplomatic offensive to demand China withdraw its ADIZ and threatened to handle the issue harshly. Combat aircraft from countries like Japan and the US flew across China's ADIZ without notifying China in advance, testing boundaries to see what they can get away with, while China monitored the moves throughout.
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12/05/2013
The Romanian Air Forces recently inaugurated their largest aircraft maintenance hangar, which will be used for the maintenance of the C-130 Hercules aircraft. The C-130 Hercules, produced by Lockheed, is the largest aircraft owned by the Air Forces, which runs four such military planes.
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12/05/2013
The U.S. Air Force may have to cut funding for research and development unless Congress reverses a law requiring across the board spending cuts, the No. 2 Air Force acquisition official said. Lieutenant General Charles Davis, military deputy to the Air Force's top weapons buyer, said Pentagon leaders were determined to protect funding in new technologies, but the Air Force would have to cut funding in that area somewhat to ensure the readiness of its forces if sequestration stayed in effect.
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12/05/2013
On Tuesday, the South Korean navy launched an air and sea military exercise in the area that China recently claimed as part of its East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). On Wednesday, the Korea Joongang Daily reported that, “The Korean Navy yesterday launched a joint sea and air military drill near the waters surrounding Ieodo” Rock. The report said the drill consisted of two P-3C maritime patrol aircraft as well as one of the ROK Navy’s three Aegis destroyers.
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12/05/2013
Putting a new missile or bomb on a warplane is not a simple process. It takes months, or years if there are problems. There’s lots of opportunities for problems. The process begins with lots of calculations that determine, in theory, if the new weapon will fit on the aircraft and be able to operate safely and effectively. There is software for this.
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12/05/2013
The day after Thanksgiving saw the VP-16 “War Eagles” become the Navy’s first operational P-8A Poseidon squadron to deploy overseas – when the first two of its six aircraft took off from NAS Jacksonville for Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. “I’m truly excited about leading the Navy’s first operational P-8A Poseidon deployment.
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12/05/2013
More than a decade after initiating the “War on Terror,” along with invasions and occupations that brought regime change to both Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington’s defense planners face the arduous task of refocusing America’s military towards the threats of the future: defeating anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) weapons and strategies that are quickly being adopted by nations and non-state actors alike.
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12/05/2013
A $151 million deal for 14 Boeing CH-47D Chinook cargo helicopters to South Korea has gotten the green light from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Released under the Foreign Military Sales program, the Dec. 3 DSCA notification said the aircraft will be sold and transferred to South Korea incrementally once the US Army begins taking receipt of new-production CH-47F model aircraft, a process estimated to begin in the January time frame.
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12/05/2013
Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet is making good progress as it nears initial combat use by the U.S. Marine Corps in July 2015, but the company must still finalize the software needed to deliver weapons and fuse data from its many sensors, the Pentagon's F-35 program chief told Reuters on Wednesday.
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12/04/2013
Russia is finalizing an advanced air engagement system combining “fire-and-forget” guidance and “single-shot kill” ability within a single air-to-air missile. The system aims to frustrate any missile evasion maneuvers enabling a target to escape. The K-77M air-to-air missile with this advanced guidance system will be fitted on to the fifth-generation fighter jet PAK-FA (advanced frontline aircraft system, also codenamed T-50) and it will start to be delivered to the Russian Air Force by 2017.
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12/04/2013
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Moss Point, Miss., Unmanned Systems Center started production of the first NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Block 40 Global Hawk aircraft, enhanced to meet NATO operational requirements.
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12/04/2013
The US Navy's (USN's) P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft programme has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) with the inaugural deployment of two aircraft on 29 November and their subsequent arrival at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, on 1 December.
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12/04/2013
Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody Aerospace says it is party to negotiations between the Ministry of Defense and Draken International for the sale of its jets. Draken is a U.S. firm that provides tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services for customers such as the U.S. military for airborne adversary support, flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, and testing services.
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12/04/2013
China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning ship, sailed out from a military port in Qingdao of east China's Shandong province to the South China Sea on the morning of November 26, accompanied by the guided missile destroyers "Shenyang" and "Shijiazhuang", the guided missile frigates "Yantai" and "Weifang" of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN). The Liaoning ship and its accompanying warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea on November 28.
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12/04/2013
The Pentagon on Tuesday announced Utah will be the home for the Air Force’s first operational F-35A Lightning IIs, the controversial fighter jet. The announcement was not unexpected. The U.S. Air Force said in 2010 Hill Air Force Base was a preferred site for the F-35s.
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12/04/2013
In the absence of having any next-generation combat aircraft currently under development, Europe faces the risk of strategic downgrading, according to the France-based air and space academy.
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12/04/2013
Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Billie Flynn opened the second day of the Aerospace Innovation Forum in Montreal with a talk about innovations in military fighter aircraft. The key to pushing the envelope currently is to take the human, who has historically been the limiting factor, out of the equation to push what the aircraft itself can do, Flynn says. The F-22 was the start of that new paradigm.
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12/04/2013
Russia’s armed forces will conduct test flights of a drone aircraft from the United Arab Emirates early next year, the manufacturer said. The unmanned United 40 Block 5 long-range reconnaissance vehicle will be tested to assess whether it meets the military’s operational needs. The medium-altitude drone can stay airborne for more than 100 hours and can also be equipped with Namrod air-to-surface guided missiles.
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12/04/2013
Riyadh-based Al Raha Group for Technical Services has been awarded an estimated $45m extension of an existing contract for third party logistics, repair and return management services on Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15s.
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12/03/2013
The US called on China to scrap its newly declared air defence identification zone on Monday, warning that Beijing risked a potentially dangerous confrontation with Japan and its allies at the start of a trip to the region by vice-president Joe Biden. The explicit request for China to “rescind” threats against unannounced aircraft passing over a chain of islands in the East China sea was made by the US just hours after Biden landed in Tokyo ahead of a six-day trip to Japan, China and South Korea
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12/03/2013
No military aircraft from China have entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since Beijing's recent demarcation of an ADIZ over the East China Sea, Defense Minister Yen Ming said Monday. Part of China's new ADIZ overlaps with Taiwan's, but no Chinese military aircraft have been spotted in Taiwan's air defense zone, Yen said at a hearing in the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
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12/03/2013
The Nigerian military said on Monday evening that five of its aircraft were ‘incapacitated’ when suspected Boko Haram members attacked an Airforce base in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Soldiers, however, killed 24 of the insurgents in a gun-battle, the defence headquarters said.
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12/03/2013
In the late 1980s, when it was apparent the Soviet Union was on its last legs, Colin Powell was Ronald Reagan’s national security adviser. One day, he found himself sitting at a table in the Kremlin across from the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. “Ah, General, I’m so sorry,” said Gorbachev, “you’ll have to find a new enemy.”
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12/03/2013
As much as we like the look of the F-22 Raptor (and we certainly do), the Russians have managed to give their own fifth-generation fighter, the PAK FA, a much better paint job. The last time we saw this futuristic aircraft, it was sporting a not-entirely displeasing blue camo color scheme, but this latest one is apparently called "shark camo.
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12/03/2013
Last week China announced a new air defense identification zone over the East China Sea, basically insisting it's in charge of the airspace over the disputed Senkaku Islands claimed by Japan. Japan and the United States said they would not recognize the ID zone and promptly sent in warplanes to underscore the point. U.S. B-52 bombers flew over the Senkakus, practically inviting a Chinese intervention.
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12/03/2013
he 82nd Aerial Target Squadron received the last of the "new" QF-4 aerial targets as the Vietnam-era aircraft landed here Nov. 19. The QF-4, Aircraft 68-0599, spent more than 20 years in the Air Force "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., before being brought back to life for one last mission.
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12/03/2013
Lockheed Martin will demonstrate the latest advancements in simulation and training for the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The event, Dec. 2-5, is the world's largest modeling, simulation and training conference.
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12/03/2013
Russia and the United States will hold a joint military exercise next July, a spokesman for Russia’s Central Military District said Monday. Col. Yaroslav Roshchupkin said the drill, dubbed Atlas Vision 2014, will be held in the Chelyabinsk Region in the Urals.
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12/02/2013
Syrian government helicopters dropped barrels full of explosives on a rebel-held town near the northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 50 people in two separate attacks over the weekend, activists said on Sunday. The shelling hit near a bakery in the town of al-Bab, located east of Aleppo, killing at least 24 people, said Rami Abdurrahman of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Akram al-Halabi, a rebel spokesman based in nearby in Aleppo.
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12/02/2013
U.S. special operations aviation experts are asking industry for new software tools to help helicopter pilots evade enemy radar and radar-guided missiles and weapons. Officials of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Special Operations Mission Planning Office (SOMPO) at Fort Eustis, Va., have released a broad-agency announcement (H92238-14-R-0001) for the Threat Modeling for Enhanced Helicopter Mission Planning program.
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12/02/2013
Faced with the twin challenges of a harsher competitive international marketplace and reduced national defense spending, Saab is launching a battle plan to increase profits and sales. The program will include cost-reduction initiatives and a greater focus on expanding high-in-potential niche business areas such as drone design and production.
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12/02/2013
Under abnormal conditions and in an unfamiliar location, maintainers from Royal Air Force Lakenheath had to use their creative minds and adaptability to ensure mission success during the first-ever Israeli “Blue Flag” exercise.
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12/02/2013
Electronic warfare (EW) experts at the BAE Systems Electronic Systems segment in Nashua, N.H., will build 262 AN/ALE-55 fiber optic towed decoys (FOTDs) and 70 electronic frequency converters (EFC) under terms of a $28.2 million U.S. Navy contract announced last week.
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12/02/2013
The 2013 sale of 22 Swedish JAS 39E Gripen jet fighters to Switzerland was the last act in a very contentious competition between the Gripen, the French Rafale and the Anglo-German (mainly) Eurofighter. Most of the secret evaluations of the three fighters were recently leaked to the media and provided some interesting insights on all three aircraft. The Gripen won the competition not because it was the best fighter but because it was OK on all counts and it was the cheapest.
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12/02/2013
The U.S. Navy’s X-47B UCAV (unmanned combat air vehicle) successfully carried out more tests aboard an aircraft carrier during November. In this case both existing X-47Bs were used. This comes after an X-47B made two out of three carrier landings for the first time on July 10th. The November tests further stressed the capabilities of the automatic landing system, especially in high speed and complex (different directions) winds. The autolanding systems passed all these tests.
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12/01/2013
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Saturday denied Beijing’s claim that it scrambled fighter jets in response to Self-Defense Forces aircraft that had entered China’s new air defense identification zone, saying Tokyo has received no such reports. “There have been no abnormal situations, such as (Chinese) aircraft suddenly approaching (SDF planes in the ADIZ), as announced by China yesterday,” Onodera, surrounded by reporters, said Saturday morning.
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12/01/2013
Tension escalated over the East China Sea after China scrambled its fighter jets to monitor US and Japanese planes in the new defence zone on Friday. China's defence ministry said its military was on "high alert," and prepared to act "based on different air threats to firmly ensure air-defence safety."
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12/01/2013
The U.S. military is conducting daily flights through China’s newly declared air-defense zone without notifying Beijing authorities in advance, a U.S. defense official said today. The disclosure indicates that U.S. flight activity in the area, where China has unilaterally sought to exert control, is more extensive than was previously known. The Pentagon had acknowledged a flight by two unarmed B-52 bombers through the air zone earlier this week.
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12/01/2013
China, Japan and the United States are continuing their tense standoff in Beijing's disputed new air defense zone Friday - a treacherous situation that both sides warn could lead to violence, intended or not. To this point, a senior official in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration said Friday that commercial airlines are being told to abide by Beijing's call to notify it of plans to traverse the newly declared zone over the East China Sea, even if the U.S. government doesn't recognize it
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12/01/2013
Chief of Air Staff (CoAS) Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne on Saturday stressed on the significance of jointmanship in the armed forces. "Any future operational response will demand an integrated strategy and employment of service specific strengths in a joint operation," he said. Browne, who also heads the Chiefs of Staff Committee, was addressing the passing out parade of the 125th course at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla.
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11/30/2013
China today scrambled several fighter jets to monitor military planes of the US, Japan and South Korea in its newly declared air defence zone over the East China Sea amid a call by President Xi Jinping to the PLA to enhance war capabilities. The Chinese fighter jets identified and monitored the two US and 10 Japanese aircraft during their flights through the zone early Friday, Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Shen Jinke was quoted as saying by the state-run China News.
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11/30/2013
The Nigerian Air Force is considering buying Super Tucano trainer and light attack aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo expressed interest in purchasing the Super Tucano during a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Michel Temer earlier this week.
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11/30/2013
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is to equip its new Boeing F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) Eagle combat aircraft with a disorientation recovery function capability, the US Department of Defense (DoD) disclosed on 27 November. Boeing has been awarded a USD15.5 million contract to fit the system, which is designed to automatically recover the aircraft should the pilot lose situational awareness. While details of the particular system to be fitted to the F-15SA have not been disclosed.
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11/30/2013
The Air Force mission that calls for it to dominate the air, transport troops and materiel and provide communications and intelligence are all critical to American military success, but performing them is hard for the public to visualize because much of this goes on behind the scenes, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III said.
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11/30/2013
The Pentagon said yesterday that American forces will continue normal operations despite China scrambling fighter jets to monitor US and Japanese aircraft in Beijing’s newly declared air defense zone. China’s announcement last weekend that it was extending an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over islands disputed by China and Japan was disregarded by several nations, and US B-52 bombers entered the area.
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11/30/2013
On the surface, the fight over whether to protect the A-10 combat aircraft, affectionately known as “the Warthog,” looks like nothing more than a typical Beltway slugfest, with those who love it squaring off against those who want to leave it, and all being far from the attention of taxpayers.
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11/30/2013
The Czech Defence Ministry says it is close to a deal to sell most of its surplus combat planes. The potential buyer, the US firm Draken International, is reportedly interested in acquiring 28 L-159 planes that would be used as practice targets for US pilots. If agreement is reached, the Defence Ministry will receive around 500 million crowns for the planes.
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11/30/2013
A senior Russian defense official said Friday that talks will be held next month on the planned deployment of an airbase in Belarus. Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters in Moscow that several potential locations have been identified in Belarus, but that further consultations were needed with the neighboring former Soviet nation's authorities.
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11/30/2013
A helicopter that was attacked in eastern Afghanistan apparently belonged to a Russian company, Russian diplomats said Friday. Unidentified men fired at the helicopter in the province of Gardez on Thursday. No injuries were reported, and damage from the attack was limited to a single bullet hole in the aircraft’s side, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul said.
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11/29/2013
The Chinese planes had conducted "normal air patrols" yesterday as "a defensive measure and in line with international common practices,'' said Shen Jinke, spokesman for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, according to state news agency Xinhua. Shen said China's air force would remain on high alert and take measures to protect the security of the country's airspace.
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11/29/2013
The RAF has begun training on the Puma Mk2 helicopter following a multi-million pound upgrade programme. Crews from the RAF’s 33 and 230 Squadrons are carrying out training flights on the upgraded aircraft from their base at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire. The £260 million upgrade means that the helicopters benefit from new engines which give them 35% more power and improved fuel efficiency to allow them to fly faster and twice as far as the Puma Mk1. They also have highly advanced digitised glass co
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11/29/2013
The Department of Defense announced 20 defense contracts Wednesday, worth $334.2 million in aggregate. Among the winners:
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11/29/2013
The deafening roar of state-of-the-art warplanes being catapulted into the air from its huge flight deck signaled that the USS George Washington was back in combat mode after its recent detour to the Philippines to take part in the aid effort in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan. Barely a week on and the 90,000-ton Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is now patrolling waters off the island of Okinawa as part a huge naval exercise - AnnualEx 2013 - involving dozens of warships, submarines and aircraft f
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11/29/2013
Work to integrate the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile onto the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft has begun in Italy, it was announced on 28 November. Alenia Aermacchi commenced flight trials the day prior aboard the twin-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft 2 (IPA2) updated to the Phase 1 Enhancement standard. Eurofighter partner companies BAE Systems and Cassidian are assisting with the trials at Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia.
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11/29/2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday urged his country to upgrade its combat aviation system with respect to "honoured delivery schedules and guaranteed quality". "Work on prospective frontline aviation complex has been in full swing. I have no doubt these plans will be implemented. The work on the long-range aviation complex must start now," reported Xinhua citing Putin during a meeting with air force commanders in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
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11/29/2013
"The Air Chief flew Su-30 with his son, Squadron Leader Omar Browne, also a Su-30 pilot posted to 20 Squadron there, in what would be recorded as the last sortie in the Air Chief's log book," an IAF release said here. During Browne's tenure, his son got several opportunities to display his flying skills in different exercises including the Exercise Ironfist in Jaisalmer earlier this year.
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11/29/2013
Russia will begin the full-scale R&D work on its future strategic bomber in 2014, a senior aircraft-manufacturing industry official said Thursday. The project, known as PAK-DA (an acronym meaning “future long-range aircraft”), has been in the works for several years but was given the formal go-ahead by the Russian leadership last year.
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11/29/2013
Three new regiments equipped with S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems will be put in service with the Russian armed forces next year, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. “Two S-400 regiments were presented to the Russian military this year. Another three [regiments] should be put in service in 2014,” Putin said at a meeting on the development of Russia’s aerospace defenses.
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11/28/2013
China acknowledged Wednesday it let two American B-52 bombers fly unhindered through its newly declared air defense zone in the East China Sea despite its earlier threat to take defensive measures against unidentified foreign aircraft. The U.S. flights, which tested the Chinese zone for the first time since it was declared over the weekend, raised questions about Beijing's determination to enforce its requirement that foreign aircraft identify themselves and accept Chinese instructions.
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11/28/2013
Caroline Kennedy, the new U.S. ambassador to Japan, criticized China's establishing an air defense zone that included disputed islands in the East China Sea. In her first speech as ambassador, Kennedy said Wednesday Beijing's unilateral decision raised tensions while voicing support for Japan's efforts to ramp up its security measures, such as establishing a national security council, The Japan Times reported.
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11/28/2013
The Air Force is eliminating selective reenlistment bonuses for 46 career fields and cutting retraining opportunities for hundreds of airmen in over-manned specialties as the service prepares to trim the force by as many as 25,000 airmen over the next several years.
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11/28/2013
The Department of Defense offered several contracts aggregating $263.4 million yesterday. Of the contenders was The Boeing Company ( BA ) which clinched two back-to-back contracts totaling $26.9 million. The larger contract worth $18.1 million went to Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, a collaborative venture between Textron Inc. and Boeing. This involves providing continued logistics services to the different versions of the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft operated by the U.S.
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11/28/2013
The U.S. ranks as the leading supplier of defense aircraft for Asia-Pacific partners and allies, according to an Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) analysis of data provided by Avascent Analytics. The U.S. will have sold about $79.2 billion worth of defense aircraft and related equipment, including both development and production costs, between fiscal 2009-2023 to Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, the analysis shows.
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11/28/2013
Air force chief Air Marshal Geoff Brown said he was disappointed with decisions by Port Stephens Council to provide exemptions to its planning rules for some developments near RAAF Williamtown, north of Newcastle. He said new developments were inside the contours on the Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) map that were deemed unsuitable by the relevant Australian Standards.
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11/28/2013
The military's still investigating the cause of an unmanned drone crash into Lake Ontario two weeks ago, but has determined it's safe to put the aircraft back in the air over Central and Northern New York. The New York Air National Guard announced today that it started training with the drones again on Tuesday.
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11/28/2013
The countdown timer reaches zero and me and fourteen other team mates take off in two large groups, boosting our engines to gain altitude. I level out my old Soviet I-5 biplane, used extensively during the 1930s, and scan the horizon for the enemy. It doesn’t take long before the two sides reach each other and I spot a wing of hostiles ahead but several hundred metres below. I angle down and line up a target, waiting to get within firing range before unloading the old pair of 7.62mm guns.
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11/28/2013
Tucson has a long association with aviation, so it’s fitting that the city has one of the finest air museums in the world. The Pima Air and Space Museum, opened in 1976, is truly a local treasure. The 80-acre facility has about 300 military and civilian aircraft. Many are stored indoors in hangar space the size of four football fields.
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11/28/2013
Russian air defense forces have taken delivery of six Pantsir-S short-range air defense systems to be used by a new missile regiment formed to protect the skies over Moscow, military officials said Wednesday. The Pantsir-S battalion is set to form part of a third S-400 air defense missile regiment deployed near the Russian capital.
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11/27/2013
The US has flown two B-52 bombers over disputed islands in the East China Sea in defiance of new Chinese air defence rules, officials say. China set up its "air defence identification zone" on Saturday insisting that aircraft obey its rules or face "emergency defensive measures".
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11/27/2013
Operating similar Russian-origin Su-30 combat aircraft, Air Forces of India and Malaysia today discussed ways of further enhancing their cooperation during the meeting between their chiefs here. "Malaysian air chief General Tan Sri Dato Sri Rodzali bin Daud, who is on a four-day visit, called on IAF Chief NAK Browne here at the Air Headquarters where a wide range of bilateral issues related to the ongoing defence cooperation were discussed," an IAF release said.
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11/27/2013
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have already superseded patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and are rendering gunships obsolete. But until they engage enemies in the air, it’s premature to speak about the end of manned platforms, according to a former Israel Air Force commander.
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11/27/2013
China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning set sail Tuesday en route for sea trials in the South China Sea for training purposes, in a critical step to strengthen its combat capability. The aircraft carrier left its home port in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported. It was escorted by two missile destroyers, the Shenyang and Shijiazhuang, as well as two missile frigates, the Yantai and Weifang.
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11/27/2013
Ten days after it was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the North Russian shipyard of Sevmash at Severodvinsk, INS Vikramaditya left the yard’s pier, setting course for its homeport at Karwar in Karnataka on Tuesday.
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11/27/2013
As Canada moves to modernize its military, it plans to enter the new world of unmanned aircraft but still has not decided whether its fleet of drones should be weaponized, Gen. Tom Lawson, chief of the defence staff, says. In a speech Tuesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he indicated military leaders see no moral difference in the source of firepower, whether it comes from a rifle or a drone.
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11/27/2013
More than 60 combat jets from Israel, the U.S., Greece and Italy participate in drill in the skies over southern Israel • U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro: We face the same threats in the Middle East and it is crucial that we operate together.
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11/27/2013
The world's militaries this year will spend an estimated $1.84 trillion on everything from boots to battleships, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. That's approximately $700 billion more than the entire African continent's gross domestic product.
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11/27/2013
Russian and North American military officials have held a first planning meeting for next year’s joint anti-terrorism drills involving the Russian, US and Canadian air forces, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday. The Vigilant Eagle 2014 drills will take place in August and will practice coordination between the Russian armed forces and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in the event of a terrorist attack on a passenger airliner.
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11/27/2013
Russian defense officials denied Tuesday that they plan to deploy strategic bombers at an air base in Kyrgyzstan, addressing speculation over what military analysts had seen as an effort by Moscow to project its geopolitical influence across the region. Some media outlets had speculated that a Russian air base in Kant, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the capital Bishkek, could be used as a forward airfield for refueling and emergency maintenance of Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers.
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11/26/2013
China on Friday announced a provocative new air defense zone in the East China Sea that covers Japanese islands. Over the past three years, China and Japan have been inching toward armed conflict over the Senkaku Islands, which Japan has claimed as its territory since 1895 and China has claimed since 1970.
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11/26/2013
This isn’t the Thanksgiving-week commentary I wanted to write. I wanted to compose an essay about how fortunate we Americans are. But with the clock ticking down to a mid-December deadline for negotiators to find a solution to the government’s fiscal impasse, a troubling pattern is emerging in the behavior of congressional leaders that I can’t ignore.
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11/26/2013
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Contingent, Sunday, landed back at Operational Base after participating in the static as well as aerobatic segment in Dubai Air Show 2013. PAF comprised three JF-17 Thunder, Super Mushshak, pilots and technicians. For Pakistani participants it was satisfying moment when curtains were lowered for the 13th Dubai Air Show-2013, one of the biggest air shows of the world, which also included an impressive display of PAF JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft.
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11/26/2013
Putin met Vietnam’s top three leaders, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, President Truong Tan Sang and party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong. At the conclusion of his visit it was announced that seventeen bilateral agreements had been reached, including five in the oil, gas and energy sectors. These agreements were a reflection of the broad-based nature of bilateral relations developed ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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11/26/2013
The Korean army decided to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters as Korea’s next-generation fighter aircraft. The purchase came just two months after the Boeing F-15 SE Silent Eagle was reviewed as the preferred bidder for the FX-III project, but failed to pass muster. The reason for the rejection is because the Korean Air Force has asked the government to buy combat aircraft with stealth capabilities.
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11/26/2013
The Tanzanian People's Defence Force (TPDF) has swapped 12 old Chinese-made J-7 fighter aircraft with 14 new J-7Gs, as the country forges ahead with the modernisation of its aerial defence capabilities. IHS Janes reports that the new fighter aircraft fleet includes 12 single-seat Chengdu J-7G jets (designated F-7TN in Tanzanian Air Force service) and two dual seat J-7Ns (designated FT-7TN in Tanzania) which were ordered in 2009 and delivered in 2011.
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11/26/2013
Boeing has delivered a full-scale C-17 Globemaster III Cargo Compartment Trainer (CCT) to the Royal Australian Air Force, ensuring that RAAF loadmaster training can be cost-effectively completed in Australia instead of in the U.S.. The CCT is a fully functional replica of a C-17 fuselage in a dedicated facility at RAAF Base Amberley. It can realistically simulate both day and night operating and loading conditions for loadmaster, aeromedical evacuation and aeromedical specialist training.
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11/26/2013
Russia’s Eastern Military District will receive more than 40 combat helicopters by the end of 2013, a spokesman said Monday. “Over 40 new Mi-8AMTSh and Ka-52 helicopters will be delivered to air bases in the Eastern Military District by the end of this year,” Lt. Col. Alexander Gordeev said.
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11/26/2013
The Russian navy has taken delivery of its first four series-produced MiG-29K/KUB carrier based fighter jets, the Defense Ministry said Monday. “The MiG aircraft-manufacturing corporation has handed over two MiG-29K single-seat and two MiG-29KUB twin-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft,” a spokesman said.
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11/26/2013
Russian military inspectors will make a monitoring flight over Turkey under the international Open Skies Treaty on Monday, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. “A group of Russian inspectors is scheduled to conduct a surveillance flight over the Republic of Turkey on board an An-30B aircraft in the period November 25 to 29 as part of the implementation of the international Open Skies Treaty,” said Sergei Ryzhkov, head of the ministry's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.
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11/25/2013
Would Israel be able to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability? The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, says all options are on the table. Strong words with only one real meaning - the military option. Over the years I have spent many hours talking to defence analysts, pilots, government officials and experts in military strategy about what that military option might mean.
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11/25/2013
Facing the threat of North Korea and feeling squeezed by China and Japan on its flanks, South Korea has always dreamed of a “self-reliant” defense force. The catchphrase dates to the days of President Park Geun-hye’s father, the military strongman Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country from 1961 to 1979.
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11/25/2013
Military equipment manufacturer Saab plans to break into the growing multi-billion dollar market for unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones, according to a Swedish media report.
"Already today we market and sell helicopter system Skeldar and explore collaboration on the larger system MALE [Medium-Altitude-Long-Endurance]," Saab's product manager Mikael Franzén told business daily Dagens Industri.
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11/25/2013
Upping the gamesmanship with Japan over disputed East China Sea waters, China said Saturday it had established an air defense identification zone that would allow its military to take "emergency defensive measures" against unidentified aircraft. The Chinese Defense Ministry said that aircraft flying through the zone would be required to identify themselves and implied that those in violation could be shot down.
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11/25/2013
The skies above Shaw Air Force Base in central South Carolina and the fields across Fort Campbell on the Tennessee-Kentucky line have been a bit quieter in recent months. Budget cuts to the military have forced installations around the country to alter training exercises and daily routines to save money. For airmen and pilots, that means fewer flights. For soldiers and Marines, it means fewer drills or a delay in them until a deployment nears.
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11/25/2013
A low-flying American military aircraft spooked animals and excited plane spotters as it buzzed the Nelson region over the weekend, and two more flights are scheduled over the next two days. Woodstock farmer Fay Baker said she saw a large khaki-coloured aircraft following the course of the Motueka River about 10.30am yesterday.
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11/24/2013
In a move that could further inflame a territorial dispute between Japan and China, the latter on Saturday announced an “air defense identification zone” over a cluster of islands in the East China Sea that are controlled by Tokyo but also claimed by Beijing. The state-run Xinhua agency published a map and coordinates of the region, which it identified as “the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone,” along with a set of defense ministry rules governing it.
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11/24/2013
China conducted the maiden test flight for its first stealth combat drone, state media reported on Friday. The reports said that the Lijian or Sharp Sword took off from an undisclosed location in southwest China on Thursday at 1 PM and flew for about 20 minutes. Images of a Sharp Sword prototype first appeared online back in May. At the time, state media referred to it as “China’s UFO-like stealth drone.”
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11/24/2013
Russia’s state arms export monopoly said Friday that it will deliver 12 Su-30K fighter jets to a nation in southern Africa. In the wake of a visit by a high level Russian delegation earlier this year, it was widely reported in Russian media that Moscow had agreed to supply 18 of the jets to Angola.
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11/24/2013
Russia’s state arms exporter said Friday that it currently has $5 billion worth of outstanding orders for helicopters with countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The exporter’s overall contract portfolio exceeded $38 billion as of November 1.
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11/23/2013
South Korea will purchase 40 Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighter jets and an additional 20 combat planes from the United States starting in 2018, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday. "The F-35A will be used as a strategic weapon to gain a competitive edge and defeat the enemy in the early stage of war," Joint Chief of Staff spokesman Eom Hyo Sik was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency following a statement made by North Korea earlier in the day.
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11/22/2013
With a wingspan of 41.5 metres and 45 metres wide, the Airbus Military A400M Atlas airlifter is second in size only to the Boeing C-17. The A400M took the stage at its first international airshow as the European defence manufacturer looked to build on the one-third market share it currently enjoys in global heavy-lift transport orders, according to Reuters. The National photographer Christopher Pike took to the air for a trip in the French behemoth.
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11/22/2013
The US, Greek, Polish and Italian air forces will participate in an Israeli Air Force combat exercise later this month, American Ambassador Dan Shapiro confirmed. The Times of Israel reported earlier this month that this will be the largest international air drill ever held in Israel, and it comes amid high tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.
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11/22/2013
The head of Bell Helicopter said on Tuesday he was encouraged by foreign interest in the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft that his company builds with Boeing Co, but Bell may face additional layoffs if not enough orders emerge. John Garrison, president and chief executive of Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc, said the U.S. Marine Corps' use of the V-22 to provide disaster relief in the Philippines illustrated the capabilities of the aircraft, which can fly as fast as a plane but land like a helicop
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11/22/2013
Flying over a village that had been slammed by Typhoon Haiyan, Osprey crew chief Sgt. William Kaker saw a big Philippines flag staked out on the ground with a sign that read "God Help Us." The crew marked the area for a supply drop. "We have gone to some rural areas looking for open fields to get into," said Kaker, 28, of Murfreesboro, Tenn. "We don't see anybody at first, but by the time we land, people come out by the hundreds out of nowhere."
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11/22/2013
BAE Systems (LON:BA) has finalised an industrial cooperation deal with the Brazilian Air Force as part of a supply deal with Embraer, the UK’s flagship defence contractor has announced.
BAE’s share price has fallen one percent in early morning trading in London today.
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11/22/2013
he Air Force's 353rd Special Operations Group opened a third airfield in Borongan, Republic of the Philippines Nov. 18, to facilitate a more efficient distribution of relief supplies to outlying areas as part of Operation Damayan. The group has opened airstrips at Ormoc, Guiuan and Borongan on Samar Island, located among the Philippines' central islands.
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11/22/2013
Saudi Arabia has emerged as the biggest foreign customer for German arms, buying nearly a quarter of Germany's total weapons sales. It's part of an emerging pattern of weapons purchases by Saudi Arabia and its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia was the world's 10th-largest weapons importer in 2008-2012 (the Emirates was No. 9). And Saudi Arabia is expected to be among the top five for 2013-17 "due to major outstanding orders.
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11/22/2013
Air Force officials quickly made the decision Nov. 20 to move, or launch, Department of Defense aircraft from the 2013 Dubai Airshow here due to forecasted high winds and lightning with pending sandstorms and thunderstorms, Nov. 21. "Moving aircraft is the absolute right call," said Lt. Col. Mark Harris, airshow maintenance boss deployed from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and a Hickoryville, N.C., native.
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11/22/2013
The first Chinese stealth unmanned combat drone conducted a successful maiden flight Thursday, according to accounts by Chinese media and photos taken from a popular Chinese military website. Lijian, or “sharp sword” in English, aced its first test flight in southwest China, making the People’s Republic of China the fourth nation to successfully fly a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle.
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11/22/2013
Armenia will allocate additional space at the Erebuni air base to host a Russian helicopter squadron being formed to strengthen the Russian air contingent in the former Soviet state, Armenia’s deputy defense minister said Thursday. Russia’s 3624th Air Base at Erebuni Airport in Yerevan currently hosts at least 16 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets operating under air defense agreements concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
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11/21/2013
Camp Grayling unveiled a $7 million investment that will allow Black Hawk helicopter pilots from across the country and from other nations to complete simulated flight training. The Transportable Black Hawk Operations Simulator (T-BOS), is located at the Grayling Army Airfield. Col. Erich Randall, garrison commander for Camp Grayling, said the flight simulator cost $7 million and the building it is housed in cost $750,000.
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11/21/2013
France, Germany and other European countries on Tuesday announced the creation of a "drone users club" to go head-to-head against US- and Israeli-made pilotless aerial vehicles that now dominate the skies. At a time when aerial-vehicles are radically altering the modern battlefield, Europe finds itself playing catch up in the race to develop what it calls Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) pilotless aircraft.
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11/21/2013
Filipinos began to appear, pointing and waving, as the MH-60 Seahawk circled over a village looking for a safe place to land. Loaded out with relief supplies, the chopper with the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12, based aboard George Washington, was headed to hard-hit areas.
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11/21/2013
South Korea is expected to decide this week to purchase Lockheed Martin's F-35A stealth fighters without opening bidding for its new fighter jet program, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff will hold a meeting of top commanders on Friday to confirm the required operational capability, the number of jets and the delivery schedule for the acquisition program, which will be more favorable conditions for the F-35 with advanced radar-evading capabilities.
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11/21/2013
It’s old, it’s slow, it’s ugly, and—unlike a Swiss army knife—the Air’s Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II can only do one thing: help grunts on the ground. So think of it as the military equivalent of Grandma’s tarnished turkey-carving knife that only comes out at Thanksgiving. It does a fine job on the old bird, but can a cash-strapped Air Force afford to keep the A-10 flying when its sole mission is to save the lives of U.S. troops in trouble?
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11/21/2013
Swedish jet maker SAAB remains optimistic of securing an order for its Gripen fighter jets from the Malaysian government, which has now delayed plans to phase out the ageing fleet of 18 Russian-made MIG-29 of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The replacement plan, worth billions, was deferred by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak as the country focuses on trimming its fiscal deficit.
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11/21/2013
Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs division revealed to Aviation Week last week plans for a hypersonic spy aircraft that could reach speeds up to six times the speed of sound. The hypersonic intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, known as the SR-72, is twice as fast as its predecessor, the SR-71 Blackbird. It can penetrate high altitudes, allowing the SR-72 to survive where other advanced aircraft and unmanned vehicles may not.
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11/21/2013
Boeing Co., the world’s largest aircraft maker, and European rivals are awaiting a slew of combat-plane purchases from prospective Middle East buyers as they aim to secure the future of jet production lines. Kuwait may decide next year about a purchase of as many as 40 jets, Giuseppe Giordo, head of Finmeccanica SpA’s Alenia Aermacchi unit that leads the Typhoon campaign for the Eurofighter joint venture, said in an interview at the Dubai Air Show.
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11/21/2013
The Russian military is getting a total of 67 new combat aircraft this year, an official from the United Aircraft Corporation said Wednesday. “Sixty-seven new aircraft were slated to be delivered in 2013, and they will all be delivered,” Vladimir Mikhailov, director of military aviation programs at the UAC, said at a roundtable conference on state defense contracts hosted by RIA Novosti.
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11/21/2013
A new military transport plane will be put in service with Russia’s Baltic Fleet by the end of this year, a spokesman for the Western Military District said Wednesday. The An-140-100 plane is a lightweight turboprop cargo aircraft designed by Ukraine’s Antonov bureau and manufactured under license in Russia by the Aviacor aviation plant in the Volga region.
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11/20/2013
The Philippines will divide up the typhoon-ravaged central Visayas islands between countries to maximise relief efforts, a senior officer has said, as President Benigno Aquino made efforts to improve aid distribution 11 days after the storm hit. The country is still struggling to get aid to devastated areas due to the extent of the destruction, which has left four million people displaced.
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11/20/2013
Lt. Gen. (ret.) David Deptula noted the crucial importance to the United States of an expanded role of coalition airpower at a key fighter conference in London. “the future needs an agile operational framework for the integrated employment of allied military power,” Deptula said. “Multi-nationality may be the only way to meet our fighter force requirements.”
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11/20/2013
Defense spending by GCC nations is steadily rising, despite the decline in the West. Defense spending in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) is estimated to have grown about 20 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to budget figures compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), all independent think tanks.
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11/20/2013
AN East Lancashire-based defence giant has denied that it has already signed a deal with the United Arab Emirates for 60 Typhoon fighter jets. A spokesman for defence company BAE Systems, which is based in Samlesbury and Wart-on, said that ‘positive’ talks have been going on between them, the UAE, and the government for ‘some time’. However, the company has refused to be drawn on when a deal might be signed, and for exactly how much it might be worth.
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11/20/2013
A Republican senator on a leading defense panel in Congress has moved to block the Air Force's plans to retire the A-10 Warthog attack plane. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., working with Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has introduced an amendment to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act that would limit the service's ability to retire the aircraft. The legislation sets policy goals and spending targets for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.
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11/20/2013
The head of Bell Helicopter said on Tuesday he was encouraged by foreign interest in the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft that his company builds with Boeing Co , but Bell may face additional layoffs if not enough orders emerge. John Garrison, president and chief executive of Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc , said the U.S. Marine Corps' use of the V-22 to provide disaster relief in the Philippines illustrated the capabilities of the aircraft, which can fly as fast as a plane but land like a helic
(Read More...)
11/20/2013
When political leaders from Italy and Israel gather for a summit in Turin next month, they will celebrate a flourishing friendship — one in which Italy helps Israel obscure its bloodstained reality. The official talk ahead of the 2 December meeting is of political, economic and cultural agreements. Passing under the radar, however, is the intense military cooperation between the two countries.
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11/20/2013
The Russian air force has started training pilots who will form the core of the country’s third aerobatics team, set to fly new Yak-130 combat trainers on Victory Day, an aircraft industry source said Tuesday. “The training of the Yak-130 aerobatics team has begun with the goal of participating in the Victory Day parade over Red Square on May 9, 2014,” the source said.
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11/20/2013
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex MFI-395 Super Mushshak is being marketed across the region to meet 21st Century training requirements. And, with its innovative glass cockpit, unobscured bubble canopy and lightweight ejection seats, Pakistan's indigenously produced primary trainer aircraft projects a modern and high-tech image.
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11/20/2013
AMMROC (Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center) and Eurocopter have completed the overhaul, modification, and delivery of the first Eurocopter AS565 (PANTHER) aircraft to the UAE Joint Aviation Command (JAC).
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11/19/2013
A bipartisan group of lawmakers last week urged Defense Department leaders to hold off on any plans to cut the A-10 and provide more scrutiny to the Air Force’s budget plans. The letter, signed by 13 senators and 20 representatives, calls on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, to “actively scrutinize” the Air Force’s fiscal 2015 budget proposals.
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11/19/2013
Argentina's worries over creditors' backlash to its 2001 sovereign default and scant cash resources threaten to isolate the Latin American country's forces in regional military collaboration networks. This month, Argentina stayed away from Cruzex 2013, the largest air maneuvers by regional air forces. Buenos Aires said it canceled its participation to avoid international creditors pouncing on its military assets in ongoing claims from the debt default.
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11/19/2013
Lockheed Martin has yet to receive any official word from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with regard to the proposed sale of an additional 25 F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon combat aircraft announced earlier in the year, a company official told IHS Jane's on 18 November.
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11/19/2013
Iran unveiled a new aircraft Monday that it says is the biggest drone yet to be developed in the Islamic Republic, capable of staying aloft for up to 30 hours. Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said the reconnaissance and combat drone Fotros has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles). That would cover much of the Middle East, including Israel. The earlier Shahed-129 (Witness-129) drone is reported to have a similar range, but can only stay aloft 24 hours.
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11/19/2013
GCC nations involved in a massive drive to bolster their combat aircraft fleets are likely to acquire new lead-in trainer jet capabilities to match, but only after deciding which fighter types they will operate. If two is a trend, then the process of acquiring fighter jets before deciding on the destination of your trainer order is already in play, with Saudi Arabia and Oman tying the purchase of the latest advanced jet trainer version of the BAE Systems Hawk to the acquisition of combat aircraf
(Read More...)
11/19/2013
With turbulence hitting India's biggest defence project in the making, the critical joint development of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) with Russia, defence minister AK Antony on Monday stressed "both sides must give their best" for the "significant programme".
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11/19/2013
Boeing has selected Bombardier's Challenger 605 business jet as the platform for its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) program, which offers the global market a capable, low-risk maritime surveillance system based on Boeing’s proven P-8A mission system technology.
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11/19/2013
Russia’s state arms exporter will deliver more than $13 billion worth of military equipment to foreign customers in 2013, a senior defense industry official said Monday. “It’s a new record. We have been increasing sales every year,” Russian Technologies (Rostech) CEO Sergei Chemezov said at the Dubai Air Show 2013.
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11/19/2013
Japan placed its air force on alert after two Russian bombers flew near its airspace, a local news agency reported Monday, citing Japan’s Defense Ministry. The pair of Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers was spotted off Tokyo over the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Kyodo news agency reported.
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11/18/2013
If sequester remains in effect, the US Air Force’s combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) mission is in danger of disappearing, according to multiple defense sources. Funds for new CSAR helicopters are not included in the service’s fiscal 2015 budget proposal that includes sequestration spending cuts, the defense sources said. Moreover, funds to extend the lives of about 90 battle-worn Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters is not part of the sequester budget.
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11/18/2013
Raytheon Company received the 1,000th AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-To-Air Missile (AMRAAM®) rocket motor from Nammo Group, a leading propulsion products company based in Raufoss, Norway. The motor is scheduled to be installed in a production AIM-120C7 missile later this month.
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11/18/2013
Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, attended the inaugural ceremony of Dubai Air Show 2013 inaugurated in Dubai on Sunday. A large number of delegations from different countries including Air Chiefs of a number of Air Forces were also present at the occasion, says a press release issued by the PAF. Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of UAE, inaugurated the Air Show.
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11/18/2013
A Navy guided missile cruiser hit by a malfunctioning drone during a training exercise returned to San Diego, where investigators will assess the damage and determine what went wrong, a Navy official said Sunday. Two sailors were treated for minor burns after the USS Chancellorsville was struck by the unmanned aircraft during radar testing Saturday afternoon, off Point Mugu in Southern California.
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11/18/2013
Last week Iraq took delivery of the first batch of Mil helicopters from the Rostvertol factory. Four Mi-35Ms were delivered to Iraq, their arrival being announced by Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki. Iraqi managers, crews and technicians have been training at the Russian army’s Torzhok center, with the first group completing its course in late September.
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11/18/2013
f all you know about the U-2 spy plane is that pilot Gary Francis Powers was shot down in one in 1960, then you're in for a surprise when you find out that new versions of the Lockheed Martin U-2 are still in service and are expected to be until 2040.
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11/18/2013
As soon as Navy pilot Matthew Stafford puts his helicopter down in the village of Borongan, he is rushed by dozens of local men who form a line to unload the supplies and water he has flown in from the mothership, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. Children swarm him as he breaks out a box of sweets.
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11/18/2013
Coming soon near you it's The Terminator. Yes, folks the fully autonomous weapon is firmly on the horizon. Whether on the battlefield or targeted on the streets, these weapons should have no place in warfare or policing. But a future where the decision on whether you live or die could soon be made by a Killer Robot. It sounds like science fiction, but the reality is moving ever closer.
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11/18/2013
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has yet to choose a supplier for its next fighter jets, a deal closely contested by Britain and France, a Gulf source familiar with the arms market said on Sunday after a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron. French firm Dassault's Rafale jets and the BAE Systems -backed Eurofighter Typhoon are in a tight race to win the deal for at least 60 new aircraft to replace the UAE's Mirage fleet.
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11/17/2013
The commercial outfit that will provide the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) with air-to-air refueling service for the next 22 years says that it will meet the forecast in-service date. By May 2014, AirTanker will have nine Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) ready on the ramp at RAF Brize Norton. It has already trained 18 aircrews, received six aircraft and begun operational flying.
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11/17/2013
There will be 150 assorted aircraft on display including 50 business jets at the 13th edition of Dubai Air Show which is the third largest in the world and commences at a new venue at Dubai World Central on Sunday. Event organisers F&E Aerospace disclosed this year’s show will be the biggest in the biennial event’s 26-year history at its new purpose-built permanent site, which is double the size of the previous venue at the traditional Airport Expo near Dubai International Airport.
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11/17/2013
The expiring week was, without exaggeration, exceptional in the sense of Moscow's foreign political activity. The results of foreign visits of the first persons of Russia allow to say that at least in the sphere of the military-technical cooperation the country is returning its old positions.
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11/17/2013
The U.S. Air Force began using its large (Predator first, then Reaper) UAVs in the 1990s. It took 16 years for this growing UAV fleet to achieve a million hours in the air. But it took less than three years to achieve the second million flight hours. This is causing problems, as the air force is finding it easier to obtain new UAVs (and keep them operating) than it is to recruit, train, and retain the operators needed to keep the UAVs in operation.
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11/17/2013
Defense Minister AK Antony said that INS Vikramaditya would significantly enhance the reach and capability of the Indian Navy. "India's economic development is dependent on the seas and safeguarding the nation's maritime interests is central to our national policy. Aircraft carriers have been part of the Indian Navy's force structure since our independence and have effectively served the country over the past five decades or so,' he said at the induction ceremony at the Sevmash Shipyard.
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11/17/2013
When super typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on Nov. 8, devastating the city of Tacloban and leaving a huge storm surge and widespread flooding in its wake, the U.S. military was ready to help.
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11/17/2013
Despite the pinch on Western defense spending, Middle Eastern nations are continuing to invest in new weapons and capabilities, particularly combat and transport aircraft, missile defenses and cyber warfare technology. And US defense companies see the diverse fleets operated by Middle Eastern air forces as a way to keep production lines open, particularly after major customers, like the Pentagon, complete purchases.
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11/16/2013
Defence Minister AK Antony reached Russia last night for the commissioning of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya today at the Sevmash Shipyard, Russia’s nuclear submarine building centre.Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and senior government and naval officials of the two countries are also scheduled to attend the ceremony for handing over the aircraft carrier that may be a game changer for India’s naval aspirations.
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11/16/2013
Boeing delivered the second P-8I aircraft to India today, doubling that country’s long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Boeing is building eight P-8I aircraft for India and delivered the first in-country in May. Based on the company’s Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane, the P-8I is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing has developed for the U.S. Navy.
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11/16/2013
The number of military helicopters Russia exports is set to rise by 20 percent in 2013, while air defense systems will see a leap in exports of 30 percent, the state arms exporter said Friday. Rosoboronexport is expected to export more than 130 combat and military transport helicopters this year, marking a tenfold increase in sales over the past 12 years.
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11/16/2013
Russia is offering Egypt combat helicopters and air defense systems, as well as repairs and overhauls of military hardware previously supplied to the troubled Middle Eastern nation. The two countries agreed Thursday to start drafting documents to lay the foundation for close cooperation in the defense sector, paving the way for future purchases and licensed production of Russian-made weapons in Egypt.
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11/16/2013
Jordan is interested in locally assembling Russian-designed helicopters and anti-tank missile systems, an official from Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Friday. “Our Jordanian colleagues have shown interest in setting up domestic assembly of portable Kornet anti-tank missile systems and several types of helicopters,” said Mikhail Zavaly, head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at the Dubai Air Show 2013.
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11/15/2013
Sino-Russian military cooperation is about to reach its highest point since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, according to an article in the Military-Industrial Courier, a weekly illustrated newspaper based in Moscow, on Nov. 12.
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11/15/2013
Two hawk jets collided in mid-air near Kauhava, a city in western Finland, reported the national broadcasting company in Finland. According to information from various media outlets, the 2 hawk jets involved in the incident were combat training aircraft belonging to the Air Force school in Kauhava. A Nov. 13 report from MSN confirmed that one pilot was killed in the accident.
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11/15/2013
The Air Force now trains more unmanned aerial systems pilots than bomber and fighter pilots combined, signaling a deepening dependence on the capabilities those machines provide the military. Unmanned aircraft are becoming just as ubiquitous in other services, with hundreds of soldiers, sailors and Marines learning to fly them each year.
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11/15/2013
The U.S. Navy launched a huge relief operation in the typhoon-ravaged central Philippines Thursday, as the devastated Philippine city of Tacloban began the grim task of burying its dead. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington and a contingent of seven supply ships arrived in the Philippine Sea early Thursday, and began delivering water and emergency rations to the wrecked city.
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11/15/2013
As aviation authorities in the U.S. and Europe prepare to integrate more unmanned aircraft into civil airspace, they need to be able to securely and rapidly transfer large amounts of data during missions. Satellite communications networks have become increasingly more congested, making it difficult to find enough spectrum for unmanned aircraft to securely operate on.
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11/15/2013
Defence Minister AK Antony will commission the much-delayed Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikramaditya, the country’s second aircraft carrier and the largest warship, at a Russian shipyard on Saturday. Antony leaves New Delhi on Friday on a four-day visit to Russia to commission the warship and also to co-chair the 13th Meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Co-operation (IRIGCMTC) with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.
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11/15/2013
The Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana - FAC) is looking to procure a new fighter aircraft type "over the next three to four years" to enhance its top-end air combat capabilities, a senior service official said on 14 November.
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11/15/2013
Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) recently achieved another successful flight test, with the missile scoring a direct hit on a moving maritime target. The test was conducted in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) program.
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11/15/2013
Russia and Egypt agreed Thursday to start drafting documents to lay the foundation for close cooperation in the defense sector, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are on a landmark visit to the strategically important North African country to boost bilateral relations, including military ties, which have been in limbo for several decades.
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11/15/2013
Russia’s Almaz-Antey defense corporation said Thursday that it had developed an advanced version of the Tor-M2 air defense system, featuring an extended firing range, improved precision and greater ammunition-carrying capacity. “We can say now that a unique air defense system in its class with an astounding precision and range has been created. Its performance surpasses all planned parameters,” said Sergei Druzin, head of research and development at Almaz-Antey.
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11/14/2013
After nearly a decade of waiting, wrangling with budgets, writing proposals and whistling past the graveyard, new aircraft deliveries have begun arriving in Taiwan. Over the past 60 days, deliveries of 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and 30 AH-64E Apache Longbow attack helicopters have begun arriving in Taiwan. Sixty UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters are expected to begin arriving in 2014.
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11/14/2013
A gray C-130 Hercules flies low over the runway at Kabul airport. The four-engine cargo plane then climbs and banks to the left. Moments later, it lands and passes under the spray of two fire trucks before stopping in front of a crowd of officials. This ceremony last month marked the official transfer of the first two C-130s from the U.S. to the Afghan air force.
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11/14/2013
The U.S. Navy is expected to announce soon that Boeing Co's P-8A aircraft, a long-range maritime surveillance plane based on the company's 737 airliner, is ready for initial operational use, sources familiar with the program said. The Navy plans to buy 117 of the new anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare planes to replace its P-3 spy planes built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
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11/14/2013
Russia is developing its first long-range drone aircraft capable of conducting ground attack missions, but lags behind other militaries in building unmanned aerial combat vehicles, according to U.S. officials. The new drone is being developed in secret and was first revealed in online images earlier this year. U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports said the drone is being called the Altius-M and work is being done at the Sokol Design Bureau in Tatarstan, a Russian republic.
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11/14/2013
The Air Force is grappling with how to manage a potential glut of drones and may eventually scale back the number of combat missions flown with unmanned aircraft by more than 25 percent, the service’s top commander said Wednesday.
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11/14/2013
After the Shenyang J-15, China's first carrier-based fighter aircraft was repainted in military grey, Du Wenlong, a Chinese military analyst told the state run China News Service that the aircraft is almost ready for service in the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force. The grey J-15 — also known in Chinese as the "Flying Shark" — with the serial number 555 was revealed for the first time by state-run China Central Television two months ago.
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11/14/2013
The New York Air National Guard asked the U.S. Air Force on Wednesday for help in finding a multimillion-dollar military drone that crashed into Lake Ontario a day earlier. The Syracuse-based 174th Attack Wing asked the Air Force to send an HC-130 search aircraft to look for the missing MQ-9 Reaper, according to Eric Durr, a spokesman for the New York state Division of Military and Naval Affairs, based in suburban Albany.
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11/14/2013
Lockheed Martin will highlight its growing presence in the Middle East through several media briefings at the Dubai Air Show, Nov. 17-21, at the Dubai World Central Airport. The events will feature Lockheed Martin's role as a trusted partner for countries in the Middle East and underscore its commitment to meeting customers' needs as global security challenges become increasingly complex.
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11/14/2013
The United States has scrapped plans to purchase additional helicopters from state-run Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport amid pressure from federal lawmakers over Russian arms deliveries to Syria, a top US senator said Wednesday. “I applaud the [US] Defense Department’s decision to cancel its plan to buy 15 additional Mi-17 helicopters from Rosoboronexport,” US Sen. John Cornyn said in statement, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
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11/14/2013
Russia and Serbia signed an agreement Wednesday on military cooperation as part of further development of the strategic partnership between the two countries. The deal was overseen in Belgrade by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whose visit is being seen as a prelude to a possibly imminent deal on the sale of Russian fighter jets to Serbia.
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11/13/2013
Lockheed Martin’s F-35A is expected to be chosen as Korea’s next-generation fighter aircraft. The final decision will be made after deliberation at a Joint Chiefs of Staff Council meeting in late November and a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in December.
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11/13/2013
The Pentagon chief has ordered the USS George Washington aircraft carrier group, with its contingent of Navy cruisers and a destroyer ship, “to make best speed” to the Philippines. The group, which carries with it 5,000 sailors and more than 80 aircraft, will aid in disaster relief in a country where as many as 10,000 people may have died and tens of thousands are now homeless, according to current US military estimates.
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11/13/2013
The Indian Navy inducted the Hawk 132, a fourth generation Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft, on November 6 at an impressive ceremony held at Naval Air Station INS Dega. Admiral DK Joshi, Chief of the Naval Staff, who was the chief guest at the event, inducted the aircraft in the presence of Vice Admiral Anil Chopra PVSM AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
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11/13/2013
It is more than a little ghoulish to look at a tragedy that may have killed 10,000 people and see a strategic opportunity. But that’s how strategists have to think. After all, what is war itself but human tragedy exploited for strategic advantage? And that’s how we need to think about what’s happening in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, where US Marines are already on the ground.
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11/13/2013
On November 6th, the 5th media day of AVIC, Wang Yongqing, chief designer of J-15 revealed that special design features have been applied to the J-15 in accordance with its deployment on aircraft carriers, in order to achieve the special requirements of shipborne aircraft.
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11/13/2013
Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Abdullah Gul have today viewed the Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. They first watched the flying performances of the "Hurkush" basic trainer aircraft and the "T129" attack helicopter from the control tower. The Head of State was informed that Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation (TUSAS) was established in 1973 under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in order to reduce the foreign dependency in defense industry in Turkey.
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11/13/2013
Three years after its last upgrade, Japan is again updating its 13-year old AWACS (Air Warning And Control) aircraft. Unlike U.S. AWACS, that are based on the 1950s era year old Boeing 707, the Japanese AWACS is built on the 1980s era Boeing 767, which has 50 percent more floor space and twice the internal volume of the 707. The Japanese AWACS will get the latest electronic countermeasures and communications equipment, which will make the systems more capable and easier to use.
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11/13/2013
Retired by the U.S. Navy more than seven years ago, the iconic Grumman F-14 remains in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). Iran used its Tomcats extensively in the Iran-Iraq War and the F-14A is still today the backbone of IRIAF air defense. Over the last few years the “Persian cats” have reportedly flown against a very particular threat: the Unidentified Flying Objects, universally known as a UFO.
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11/13/2013
Tilt-rotor aircraft that look like mini-Ospreys are vying with other new designs to replace thousands of U.S. military helicopters. Tilt rotors are incorporated in two of four vertical-lift designs awarded funding by the Department of Defense last month. The Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator funding is part of efforts to build a family of vertical-lift vehicles that could replace thousands of aircraft over the next 50 years, according to the Army.
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11/13/2013
Officials at the 174th Attack Wing suspended all Reaper drone flights in Central New York Tuesday after one of the unmanned aircraft crashed into Lake Ontario about 12 miles from the eastern shore during a routine training flight.
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11/12/2013
This report is the result of SDI's extensive market and company research covering the global military aircraft 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.
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11/12/2013
Landing gear manufacturer Heroux-Devtek says a deterioration in military sales caused by budget problems in the US means its overall sales will come in lower than its prior forecast for slight growth. Although it expects commercial revenues will increase by 10%, the company said a drop in US military spending restrictions and government shutdown will offset those gains for the financial year ended March 31.
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11/12/2013
Japanese companies are looking at loans from state-run banks to be able to fund its planned exports of military aircraft when it finally revises its policy regarding international sales of weapons. This will also be part of the current administration’s efforts to strengthen the country’s self-reliant military force and for defense contractors to finally make their mark on a billion dollar market.
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11/12/2013
The number of Marines and sailors deployed to assist with the humanitarian crisis in the Philippines tripled to 270 following Friday’s Super Typhoon Haiyan, which officials now believe killed 10,000 or more people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. About 180 Marines and sailors left Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan, on Monday, for the Philippines aboard four MV-22B Ospreys and three KC-130J Hercules, according to a Marine Corps news release.
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11/12/2013
Ukraine and Thailand are considering the possibility of establishing military and technical cooperation in the area of the procurement, maintenance, and joint development of aircraft.
Representatives of the two countries discussed the prospects for extending bilateral cooperation at the international exhibition Defense & Security 2013, which was held in Bangkok on November 4-7, according to the press service of the Ukroboronprom State Concern on Monday, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
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11/12/2013
On Oct. 20, in the late afternoon heat of southern Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Clements and his C-17 Globemaster III crew set off on a milestone flight. Clements logged his 10,000 hours behind the controls of a military aircraft while assisting U.S. military forces with their drawdown from Afghanistan by redeploying U.S. Army IAV Strykers through one of the area of responsibilities multi-modal hubs.
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11/12/2013
Continuing delays by India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) in finalising its procurement of 126 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft is forcing the Indian Air Force (IAF) to extend the operational life of several of its ageing platforms well beyond their retirement date. Official sources said IAF commanders meeting in New Delhi on 22 October for their biannual conference discussed various strategies to keep older assets like upgraded MiG-21 Bison ('Fishbed-L') fighters operational until 2022-24.
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11/12/2013
The final members of the 48th Air Expeditionary Group arrived at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland, Nov. 4, to conduct air surveillance and policing missions. The group, which is made up of U.S. Air Force and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization personnel, is a specialized team prepared to ensure Iceland's air sovereignty. Their air policing encompasses radar surveillance and identification of objects in the airspace, unit officials said.
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11/11/2013
The United States has mobilized an array of military personnel and equipment to the Philippines in the wake of killer Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), the Pentagon said Sunday. An assessment team was on the ground to gauge the support needed following the superstorm that may have killed more than 10,000 people, Colonel Brad Bartelt, a US Marine Corps spokesman, said in a statement.
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11/11/2013
Despite frustration over US policies in Egypt, Syria and growing negotiations with Iran, military relations between the US and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remain strong with nations poised to continue buying billions in hardware, officials and analysts said. “No one in the region wants to have a bad relationship with the US; no one, and everything [American officials] want, we want,” one Arabian Gulf source said.
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11/11/2013
Qatar’s plans to select a fighter as the basis for a six-fold increase in its combat jet power have been delayed by a US request to extend the deadline for submission of request for proposals (RfP), according to executives familiar with the requirement. Meanwhile, with politicians, senior military officers and industry leaders coming to the Dubai Airshow, which starts Nov. 17, speculation continues as to whether the United Arab Emirates’ procurement intentions will become clearer this month.
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11/11/2013
The Navy says tests have demonstrated a drone’s ability to integrate with the environment of an aircraft carrier. The X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstrator was tested Saturday and Sunday during flight operations aboard the U.S. Theodore Roosevelt. The Navy says in a news release that touch and go maneuvers generated data characterizing the environment in close proximity of the carrier’s flight deck.
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11/11/2013
The UAE's aerobatic team the Al Fursan and the legendary Red Arrows team, will thrill the crowds with their flying displays at Skyview at the Dubai Airshow which takes place from 18 to 21 November 2013, from 12 – 6pm at Dubai World Central (DWC), Jebel Ali, Dubai.
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11/10/2013
Thirteen people died when an Indonesian army helicopter carrying construction workers to build a military outpost crashed in the jungles of Borneo and burst into flames Saturday. The helicopter was carrying 19 crew and construction workers, as well as building materials, en route to the outpost in Malinau district, North Kalimantan province, near the Malaysian border.
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11/10/2013
South Korea is looking to sell more weapons systems, including warships and aircraft, to Thailand, which is pushing to modernize its armed forces to meet security challenges. Following a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) for a 3,700-ton frigate, the Royal Thai Navy plans to procure one more frigate built by the South Korean shipyard, according to officials. The contract for the first frigate was signed in August. The deal was valued around $470 million, the highest we
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11/10/2013
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has quietly approved a plan to step up both public and internal government oversight of the use of armed drones to kill suspected militants overseas, including American citizens.
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11/10/2013
Defence scientists, engineers and pilots attached to India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme are on a war footing to ensure that the fighter doesn’t miss the December deadline for its Initial Operational Clearance (IOC-2). Three aircraft - LSP-3, LSP-5, LSP-8 - from the Tejas flight-line are currently undertaking weapon trials in Jamnagar. The Russian-made R73-E missile will be fired during the ongoing trials.
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11/10/2013
With nations, including the US and UK, effecting defence budget cuts, India will emerge as the world’s biggest market for weapons over the next two decades. And vying for a share of the pie will be Russian, American, Israeli, French and British firms.
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11/10/2013
The U.S. Department of Defense'sDefense Security Cooperation Agency issued the following news release: The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Romania of weapons, equipment, and support for 12 F-16 MLU Block 15 for an estimated cost of $457 million.
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11/10/2013
50 years after commissioning the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN-65 USS Enterprise), the US Navy christened today the first ship of the third generation of nuclear powered carriers. Larger and much more advanced version of the $13 billion ‘floating airport’, the new Ford class is designed to carry naval air power well into the 22nd century.
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11/09/2013
Norway has selected AgustaWestland to supply new search-and-rescue helicopters in a deal that could be worth more than €1 billion and include more than 16 AW101 helicopters. An announcement on a Norwegian government website on Nov. 8 stated that Norway had “decided to commence final negotiations with the company AgustaWestland Ltd. for the delivery of new search and rescue helicopters to replace the current Sea King.”
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11/09/2013
Nearly two years ago, the U.S. pulled its last troops out of Iraq. Since then Iraqis have seen the dramatic resurgence of al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) and unprecedented sectarian violence that left more than 1,000 dead last month alone. Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited the White House and pressed President Barack Obama for increased military and intelligence assistance he says is necessary to combat the forces threatening his government.
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11/09/2013
South Korea’s air force would be best served in the near term by a mix of fighters that includes an advanced version of Boeing’s F-15, according to retired U.S. Air Force general and former chief of staff Ronald Fogleman. The F-15 would provide needed combat capability to counter the threat posed by North Korea right away, whereas Lockheed Martin’s F-35 will lack full combat capability until around 2020 when its Block 3F software is installed and tested, he said.
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11/09/2013
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $114 million advance procurement contract in preparation to build three more high-flying RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and associated sensors. The combat-proven intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft allows military commanders to receive high-resolution imagery, survey vast geographic regions and pinpoint targets on the ground.
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11/09/2013
After the end of World War II, the Japanese constitution, written in part by the United States for the defeated Japanese nation, rejected war as a solution for conflict. The Preamble to the Japanese constitution recognized the Japanese government’s brutal actions in Asia during World War II.
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11/09/2013
The final members of the 48th Air Expeditionary Group arrived at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland, Nov. 4, to conduct air surveillance and policing missions. The group, which is made up of U.S. Air Force and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization personnel, is a specialized team prepared to ensure Iceland's air sovereignty. Their air policing encompasses radar surveillance and identification of objects in the airspace, unit officials said.
(Read More...)
11/09/2013
Is it a plane? Is it a chopper? Is it a bomber? It’s a tilt-rotor. More significantly, it is a game changer in the theatre of war and humanitarian missions which Boeing hopes the UAE and Qatar would sign up for as one of its first international customers. The V-22 Osprey is a multi-role combat and transport aircraft that not only its makers but also US service commanders say has revolutionised defence aviation.
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11/09/2013
The crash of a multi-role twin engine MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force, approximately 5 km from Jamnagar air station, between Amran and Vasai villages, on Friday morning has raised an alarm in the defence establishment here. This is because a MiG-29 aircraft had crashed on June 25 this year at Khambhalia taluka of Jamnagar district, while another also of Jamnagar air station had crashed in the Gulf of Kutch in 2008.
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11/09/2013
Iraq took collection Thursday night of the first four Russian-made Mi-35 helicopter gunships sold to the Middle Eastern nation as part of a multibillion dollar weapons deal. Iraqi leader Nuri al-Maliki posted pictures of the aircraft on his official Facebook page. Abbas al-Bayati, a lawmaker with al-Maliki’s ruling faction in parliament, told RIA Novosti that Iraq expects to receive a consignment of around 40 Mi-35 and Mi-28NE attack helicopters by the end of the year.
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11/09/2013
Boeing's presence at the 2013 Dubai Airshow will showcase the company's industry partnerships in the Middle East and highlight a broad lineup of defence and commercial products and services designed to meet the requirements of Middle East customers. Jeffrey Johnson, president, Boeing Middle East, said: “The Middle East region continues to be one of Boeing’s key global markets for both the commercial aviation and defence sectors.
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11/08/2013
While cuts in Pentagon budgets and political gridlock in Washington have cast doubt on the sustainability of a U.S. "pivot" back to Asia, its military realities are all too clear from the flight deck of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. F-18 Super Hornet jet fighters roar from its decks with chest-thumping velocity less than 300 km (185 miles) from the Chinese coast - a symbol of U.S. naval dominance in Asia that Chinese analysts fear could contain Beijing's rising power for decades.
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11/08/2013
If South Korea decides to order Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets for delivery in 2017, the aircraft would come with the software needed to carry a full load of weapons, Lockheed and the Pentagon's F-35 program office said Thursday, refuting a claim made earlier this week by a Boeing consultant.
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11/08/2013
As they face the prospect of another year of deep cuts to their budgets, the military's service chiefs testified today before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the impact sequestration is having on the ability to organize, train and equip their service members.
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11/08/2013
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows showcased an amazing display of flying prowess in the skies of Doha yesterday. The first half of the aerobatic show included some basic aircraft loops, bends and rolls performed by nine British pilots flying their dual-control BAE Systems Hawk jets with a maximum altitude of 48,000ft.
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11/08/2013
Unlike commercial airliners, modern military aircraft are subjected to ever-changing flying conditions—from high-thrust takeoffs to flying at altitude to combat maneuvers. So why are they outfitted with engines that perform optimally in only one of those flight envelopes? For the next iteration of the F-35 Lightning II, Pratt and Whitney is developing an engine that performs at its best no matter what's required of it.
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11/08/2013
BAE Systems Plc, Britain’s biggest defense company, has tested its first combat drone with jet fighter-like capabilities, stepping up European efforts to close a 10-year gap to the U.S. in developing a new class of warplane. The U.K. Parliament’s defense committee said in a report that flight trials of BAE’s Taranis drone have taken place in 2013, the first public acknowledgment that the model has flown.
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11/08/2013
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the nation's first Ford Class aircraft carrier, is readying for christening on Nov. 9 and a rigorous set of tests and evaluations after that. The 77,000-ton, next-generation carrier is slated for 27 months of assessments before it's commissioned for service in 2016, service officials said. "This is going to the most challenging and integrated test program the Navy has ever faced," said Rear Adm. Tom Moore, Program Executive Officer, Carriers.
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11/08/2013
The United States military is tasked with developing new and ground breaking technologies, but budget issues are causing problems for numerous programs on the chopping block.
Don’t expect that to happen to the U.S. Air Force Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B), an important step in modernizing the military’s combat aircraft program.
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11/08/2013
Boeing’s presence at the 2013 Dubai Airshow will showcase the company’s industry partnerships in the Middle East and highlight a broad lineup of defense and commercial products and services designed to meet the needs of Middle East customers. “The Middle East region continues to be one of Boeing’s key global markets for both the commercial aviation and defense sectors,” said Jeffrey Johnson, president, Boeing Middle East.
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11/08/2013
Egypt is considering spending up to $4 billion on advanced weaponry from Russia following the partial suspension of military aid and equipment deliveries from the United States, a Palestinian online newspaper said Thursday. According to Donia Al-Watan, Moscow has offered Cairo “a historic deal giving Egypt an option to buy the most advanced weaponry without any restrictions.”
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11/07/2013
Air National Guard airmen are taking part in Cruzeiro do Sul Exercise, a Brazilian air exercise that officially kicked off Nov. 4 and is scheduled to be completed Nov. 15. The Brazilian air force-led exercise combines coalition aerial refueling and combat search and rescue structured training, with a focus on interoperability, officials said.
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11/07/2013
The Chinese government invited foreign military personnel to observe military drills to see "the real Chinese army" in action, a defense ministry official said. The official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday foreign military personnel from 89 countries were on hand to observe a two-day military drill in Henan province in central China.
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11/07/2013
The United States presented Lebanon with a Cessna aircraft Wednesday, part of the Western nation’s efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Army. “We will remain committed to strengthening the capacity of the LAF so it can pursue its mission of securing Lebanon’s borders, defending the sovereignty and independence of the state.
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11/07/2013
The disparity in the promotion rate between pilots of manned and unmanned aircraft has narrowed considerably. Last year, 89 percent of eligible unmanned aircraft pilots were promoted to major, compared with 87.4 percent of mobility pilots, 90.7 percent of bomber pilots and 94.1 percent of fighter pilots, the figures show.Some recent promotion boards have selected more unmanned aircraft pilots to advance than mobility pilots, according to figures provided by the AFPC.
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11/07/2013
The Indian Navy is on its way to becoming a major air force, with the fleet air arm having achieved several landmarks this year. In May, the first MiG-29K squadron was commissioned at the INS Hansa in Goa, with 20 world-class Russian fighters. In August, the first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, was launched at Kochi. Later this month, Russia will hand over the INS Vikramaditya, formerly the Admiral Gorshkov, which will supplement the INS Viraat to become the navy’s second carrier.
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11/07/2013
Defence minister A K Antony on Wednesday directed the DRDO to ensure that the operational deadlines for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, first sanctioned 30 years to replace the ageing MiG-21s, are not delayed yet again. Addressing the parliamentary consultative committee on defence, Antony said the under-development indigenous fighter's initial operational clearance (IOC) planned for next month and the final operational clearance (FOC) in December 2014.
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11/07/2013
The Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Greenville team delivered a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) P-3 Orion aircraft in nine months—94 days early—on November 6. This unprecedented accomplishment allows for a quicker return of the aircraft to the CBP P-3 fleet supporting homeland security and drug interdiction missions.
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11/07/2013
Boeing will continue to increase the B-52 bomber’s effectiveness and versatility under a new U.S. Air Force contract that calls for the aircraft’s smart weapons capacity to expand by 50 percent. Under the $24.6 million agreement, Boeing will develop a modification to existing weapon launchers so the aircraft can carry smart weapons in the bomb bay, allowing aircrews to use the B-52’s entire weapons capacity.
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11/07/2013
Boeing and Kongsberg Defense Systems of Norway recently completed a successful check of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) on an F/A-18F Super Hornet at the Boeing St. Louis facility to ensure the weapons fit on the aircraft's external pylons.
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11/07/2013
Colombian officials will issue a note of protest to Moscow after two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers entered the country’s airspace without permission last week, the Latin American nation's president has said. The aircraft entered Colombian airspace from Venezuela last Friday while heading for Nicaragua, President Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday, according to a report on Colombia's NTN24 television station.
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11/06/2013
After three decades of development and a development cost in excess of R8 billion, the South African designed and built Rooivalk attack helicopter has finally deployed operationally, and also fired its weapons in anger. Three Rooivalk helicopters, belonging to 16 Squadron based at AFB Bloemspruit near Bloemfontein, were airlifted to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a week ago.
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11/06/2013
A landing gear failure caused an F-16C to skid off the runway July 16 at Osan Air Base, South Korea, destroying the jet and causing minor injuries to the pilot, Air Combat Command announced today. The pilot, who was assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., was able to exit the aircraft. The jet’s landing gear collapsed immediately after touching down for landing after a routine training flight.
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11/06/2013
Bosses from four Malaysian firms visited BAE Systems’ sites in Warton and Samlesbury, Lancashire, on Monday and got a first-hand look at its world-class aerospace manufacturing facility and flight test centre for military aircraft. They also visited Kilgour Aerospace in Blackpool which has been involved in the aerospace industry since 1966, as part of a two-day visit organised by BAE Systems and the SME Corporation Malaysia.
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11/06/2013
The Indian and US navies began conducting their annual Malabar joint exercises today in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Tamil Nadu, an annual event since 1992. The exercises will run through Nov. 11. The exercises will include gun-firing, fighter combat operations from aircraft carriers, combating terrorism and maritime interdiction operations exercises.
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11/06/2013
The U.S. Air Force has ordered another 24 MQ-9 Block 5 Reaper UAVs. Although defense budgets are being cut and the air force is scrounging to come up with enough cash to keep its F-35 production going, the Reaper is still one of the most active combat aircraft in air force service. So the orders just keep on coming, at least as long as there is demand. As long as there is a terrorist threat out there, there will be demand.
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11/06/2013
In the final years of his nearly 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force, Slim spent 10 to 12 hours a day in a cool, dark room in the Arizona desert, stationed in front of monitors that beamed back aerial footage from Afghanistan.
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11/06/2013
The popular image of a stealthy, fifth-generation fighter and subsonic drone-dominated future in military aviation appears to have a serious challenge at hand. On 1 November 2013, Lockheed Martin’s ‘Skunk Works’ development department unveiled the ‘SR-72’ project designed to replace the retired Mach 3 capable SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.
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11/06/2013
Last month, headlines were dominated by the near catastrophic level of political dysfunction in Washington, D.C., including a federal government shutdown and a congressional game of chicken regarding the debt ceiling. While there was an 11th-hour deal to avert the worst-case scenario, there’s a strong possibility that this latest sideshow will repeat itself at the top of next year.
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11/06/2013
The former Soviet states of Turkmenistan and Belarus have agreed on a project to jointly build an aerial drone factory in the energy-rich Central Asian nation. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday during a working visit to Turkmenistan that his country would dispatch aviation specialists to implement the project.
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11/06/2013
Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers returned on Tuesday from a tour-of-duty in South America, where they carried out a series of patrols in line with a combat training program. During the mission, which started on October 28, the nuclear-capable bombers visited Venezuela and Nicaragua, and conducted a series of patrols over the Caribbean.
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11/05/2013
American defence secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday that Israel would be the first US ally to receive the American V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor military aircraft. The deal was negotiated between Hagel and Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'alon during the former's last visit to Israel. According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the estimated cost of one V-22 Osprey is $69 million.
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11/05/2013
The unmanned SR-72 will use an engine that combines a turbine and a ramjet to reach its top speed of Mach 6 - about 3,600mph (5,800km/h). Like its predecessor, the SR-72 will be designed for high-altitude surveillance but might also be fitted with weapons to strike targets. Lockheed said the aircraft should be operational by 2030.
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11/05/2013
Japan is considering providing low-interest loans from a state-run bank to support exports of aircraft designed for military use, the first time such sales are being considered since the end of World War Two, according to officials with knowledge of the still-developing policy.
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11/05/2013
The 174th Attack Wing of the Air National Guard will open a new hangar Tuesday to house its remotely-piloted drone aircraft at Wheeler Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum, near Watertown. The $5.1 million hangar will house two MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by pilots at Hancock Field in Mattydale over restricted military air space at Fort Drum.
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11/05/2013
India on Tuesday will kick off wargames with two military superpowers, the US and China, striking a fine balance amid the geopolitical jostling between the two for supremacy in the crucial Asia-Pacific region. Even as 162 Indian soldiers touched down in an IAF IL-76 at the Chengdu military region in China for the "Hand-in-Hand (HiH)'' exercise on Monday, Indian and American warships and maritime patrol aircraft were simultaneously gathering in the Bay of Bengal to launch the combat manoeuvres.
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11/05/2013
Britain is to send the Royal Air Force Red Arrows display team to perform Bahrain, just weeks after negotiations opened on the sale of BAE Eurofighter jets to the tiny Gulf Kingdom.
Bahrain’s ruling family has been engaged in brutal repression of protesters since a democratic uprising began i n February 2011. Britain has been repeatedly criticised for selling weapons and other military hardware to the regime while the crackdown continues.
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11/05/2013
U.S., Greek, Polish and Italian fighter jets are planned to deploy to Ovda Israel Air Force Base this month, to participate in the Israel Air Force’s ‘Blue Flag’ air warfare exercise over the southern Negev Desert. Over 100 aircraft and about a thousand air and ground crews are expected to participate. Israeli sources have not confirmed the specific nations taking part in the exercise but foreign sources have indicated these are likely to include Greece, Poland, Italy, the US and Israel.
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11/05/2013
Aircraft giant Embraer SA is under investigation by U.S. and Brazilian authorities amid allegations that it made improper payments to a government official in the Dominican Republic. Embraer is being probed over allegations that its executives made bribery payments to officials in the Dominican Republic in exchange for a $90 million contract to furnish the country's armed forces with military planes, according to documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
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11/04/2013
The Pentagon has assigned seven C-27J Spartans to Special Operations Command (SOCOM), but has not decided the fate of the Air Force’s remaining air lifters. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter made the decision on Oct. 28, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Ann Stefanek.
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11/04/2013
In many ways, the Angola of today - with its booming natural-resource-driven economic growth and relative stability - is a far cry from the war-torn and ravaged country of the Cold War era. In that period, it was the subject of a protracted and bloody civil war in which the country also become the site of various geopolitical proxy wars involving the likes of the Soviet Union, US, South Africa and Cuba.
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11/04/2013
This year Iraq surpassed Iran as the largest exporter of oil to China. This is because of the more severe sanctions imposed on Iran in 2012. Even Iran admits that it’s GDP has shrunk this year as a result. China would like to get more oil from Iran as well, but the sanctions make that difficult. China needs a lot more oil because it is desperate to reduce its use of coal, which is causing more and more air pollution in the north and northeast.
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11/04/2013
Over the last few years the U.S. Air Force has developed a novel way to make the most of the few (180) F-22s it has. This particular solution comes in the form of an F-22 QRF (Quick Reaction Force) that consists of four F-22s and a C-17 full of weapons, maintenance gear, maintainers, specialized pods, weapons, and spare pilots ready to fly to any of hundreds of airports or bases in the world that can handle four F-22s and a C-17.
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11/04/2013
The Mozambican Air Force has taken delivery of a Hawker 850XP business jet, the latest acquisition for the country’s small air arm and a major boost to its capacity. The aircraft entered service in September, according to Air Forces Daily, after being bought second hand from the United States. It left Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Florida on its delivery flight on September 9 and had its US registration cancelled on September 18 following its transfer to the Force Aerea de Mocambique.
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11/04/2013
An Israeli military unmanned drone crashed in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, with Palestinians saying they shot it down but Israel blaming a technical malfunction. A security source from the Hamas, movement that rules Gaza, said they had “captured an Israeli drone that was flying over east Jabalia this morning.”
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11/04/2013
Not satisfied with jury-rigged, homemade tanks, an Islamist rebel group fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad has formed its own air force — with real planes. Jaish al-Islam — the Army of Islam — last week published a YouTube video documenting its activities against the Assad regime, in which it showcases its two L-39ZA Albatros fighter aircraft captured earlier this year from a Syrian Air Force base east of Aleppo.
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11/04/2013
Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were reportedly scrambled overnight after a Russian IL-20 electronic surveillance aircraft probed its borders along the Black Sea cost. It is the third such incident in the past week. Such incursions, which were common during the Cold War, have not been a feature of international politics for some time.
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11/04/2013
Turkey scrambled four F-16 fighter jets on Sunday to intercept Russian Il-20 reconnaissance warplanes flying along the country’s Black Sea coast, news agency PzFeed reported. The Russian Defense Ministry declined to comment. The Turkish government has not released any information about the reported incident.
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11/03/2013
If India and France are able to sign the final contract for the Rafale, then there is a possibility the French fighter-bomber will be armed with Russian claws. According to Boris Obnosov, General Director of Russia’s Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation (TRV), if required the Moscow-based company is ready to adapt Russian missiles for the French aircraft.
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11/03/2013
Imagine this scenario in the not-too-distant future: Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean Sea have been building for months. After exhausting all diplomatic options, the president orders an airstrike against a highly defended enemy weapons depot. Four U.S. fighter jets launch from an aircraft carrier operating at an undisclosed location at sea.
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11/03/2013
The suspension of a portion of US military aid to Egypt is an opportunity to shift the army’s focus away from conventional warfare and toward more effective counter-terrorism operations, military analysts say. Last month, the Obama administration announced it was suspending part of its annual US$1.3 billion (Dh4.78bn) in military aid to Egypt, including the delivery of F-16 fighter jets, M1A1 tank kits and Harpoon missiles.
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11/03/2013
As a leader in the Korean aerospace industry, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is the only domestic aircraft manufacturer and total system integrator that designs and assembles world-class aircraft and satellite systems and provides life cycle support for its products.
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11/03/2013
Western defense contractors participating in South Korea’s biennial arms exhibition tried to convince their hosts they would offer assistance to help build the country’s indigenous fighter jet, code-named KF-X. The KF-X effort drew keen attention during the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) from Oct. 29-Nov. 3, amid growing calls here for upgrading the country’s fighter fleet more sustainably and coming up with plans to fill a fighter gap over the next decade.
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11/03/2013
Russia has increased its weapons shipments to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government since last year, military aid that is likely “more significant” than Iranian arms supplies to Damascus, according to senior US diplomats. “It has increased from a year ago. There are more deliveries, and in some cases, they are militarily extremely significant,” Robert Ford, the US ambassador to Syria, told a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week.
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11/03/2013
The United States will next year buy 30 Russian-made helicopters for the Afghan army, Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Friday. The batch of Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters will raise to 63 the quantity of that model supplied under US-Russian deals for the Afghan National Army.
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11/03/2013
A US surveillance plane carrying US and British military personnel took off from an airport in southern Siberia on Friday after being stranded there for two nights over poor weather conditions and unpaid fees. The US plane, making a routine flight over Russia under the international Open Skies treaty, was forced down in Chita on Wednesday because of heavy fog.
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11/03/2013
Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers currently on a tour-of-duty in South America will carry out a series of patrol missions over the region in line with the program of combat training, the Defense Ministry said. The nuclear-capable bombers arrived in Venezuela on October 28 and conducted patrols over the Caribbean before landing in Nicaragua on Thursday.
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10/31/2013
An F-35 Lightning II has completed the fighter jet's first guided weapon delivery against ground target, marking the "first time the F-35 truly became a weapon system," the jet's maker Lockheed Martin said Wednesday.
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10/31/2013
Turkey's two F-16 fighter jets on Wednesday intercepted a Syrian aircraft after Turkish military spotted the plane approaching the Turkish border, said a Turkish military statement. A Syrian SU-24 warplane was spotted during a routine flight along the Gaziantep and Hatay region of the southern Turkish border and two Turkish jets taking off from Incirlik Airbase in Adana province in southern Turkey were diverted to avert the Syrian plane.
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10/31/2013
Pakistan will begin exporting the JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter jet next year Pakistani media outlets reported on Friday, citing unnamed officials from the Ministry of Defense Production.
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10/31/2013
Global aerospace giants have moved beyond a wait-and-see approach to make sales pitches for South Korea's fighter jet program during an ongoing international aerospace fair here, carefully navigating the direction of the new acquisition under review by Seoul officials.
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10/31/2013
Defence Minister A K Antony today refused to set a deadline for conclusion of a multi-billion dollar deal to procure 126 Rafale combat aircraft for the Air Force. "This is not the issue. Issue is that contract negotiation committee (CNC) is going on and I or the Government cannot interfere with it... How can I set a deadline," he told reporters here.
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10/31/2013
LONGBOW LLC, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, received a $92.8 million contract from the U. S. Army to provide Life Cycle Contractor Support (LCCS) for LONGBOW programs on the AH-64D and AH-64E helicopters.
The LCCS contract provides integrated logistics support for LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) systems equipping AH-64D and AH-64E Apache helicopters.
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10/31/2013
Boeing delivered the 12th production P-8A Poseidon on schedule on Oct. 25, enhancing the long-range maritime patrol capabilities of the U.S. Navy. The P-8A departed Boeing Field in Seattle for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., where it joined the other Poseidon aircraft being used to train Navy crews. The aircraft is the sixth from the second low-rate initial production contract lot awarded in November 2011.
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10/31/2013
Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers arrived in Nicaragua on Thursday after taking off from an airbase in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The nuclear-capable bombers “flew above the neutral waters of the Caribbean Sea, entered the airspace of Nicaragua and performed a planned landing,” the ministry said.
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10/31/2013
The United States covertly tested Soviet MiG fighter planes at the mysterious Area 51 site in the Nevada desert in the 1960s, including one plane secretly obtained by Israel, according to declassified US government documents published this week.
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10/30/2013
Each maintainer loves his jet the most, and for the maintainers of the 4th Fighter Wing, it’s the Strike Eagle.
“It’s the most called upon jet in the Air Force,” said Staff Sgt. Trever Edwards, a dedicated crew chief with the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. “It’s reliable; it gets the pilots home safe. ... It’s the most efficient and best airplane. It’s the most combat capable jet that the Air Force has.”
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10/30/2013
The Marines say the V-22 tilt rotor aircraft has deployed and flown “with properly trained and equipped combat ready Marines and mission capable aircraft” over the last six years. That statement stands in stark contrast to the findings of a classified Pentagon Inspector General’s report released late Friday afternoon. In an unclassified summary, the IG said:
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10/30/2013
Turkey plans to manage combat communications among multiple networked platforms to give commanders the most comprehensive picture possible of the battlefield. In the overall picture, the military command here wants to see full integration, with various assets effectively talking to each other, and allowing commanders to benefit from an all-electronic warfare management system.
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10/30/2013
Last week Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced they would form a team to compete for the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B), the first new heavy bomber that the Air Force has developed in 30 years. Boeing will be the prime contractor, while Lockheed is described as the “primary teammate.” The announcement sets up a David versus Goliath fight between the two aerospace giants and Northrop Grumman, the only other credible bidder for the program.
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10/30/2013
Air Marshal Arup Raha, who will take over as IAF chief from Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne on December 31, has his task cut out. His topmost priority will have to be faster induction of new fighters, grappling as IAF is with just 34 fighter squadrons when at least 44 are needed for "effective dissuasive deterrence'' against China and Pakistan.
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10/30/2013
Another C-130J Super Hercules airlifter designated for assignment to the 314th Airlift Wing (Air Education and Training Command) at Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB), Ark., was ferried to the base today from the Lockheed Martin facility here.
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10/30/2013
Lockheed Martin received a $113 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to design, develop, field and sustain aircrew training devices for HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters.
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10/30/2013
A Russian military helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon in a district on the edge of Moscow, injuring the two pilots on board. A law enforcement official told RIA Novosti the ejection seats on the twin-seat Kamov KA-52 Alligator attack helicopter activated inadvertently, sending it crashing to the ground near the Vykhino-Zhulebino district in southeast Moscow.
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10/30/2013
Russian Helicopters, the country’s leading rotorcraft manufacturer, said Tuesday that it was presenting its newest addition to the legendary Mi-8/17 family at an international airshow in South Korea. The company said it was showcasing the new chopper, the Mi-171A2, at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, which runs till Sunday.
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10/29/2013
Russia is hoping to capitalize on the current difficulties America is experiencing in its relations in the Middle East, beginning with efforts to launch greater cooperation with Egypt that could result in Moscow gaining access to the country's Mediterranean ports.
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10/29/2013
Cassidian, the defence division of EADS, has successfully finalized its flight testing of the Eurofighter Typhoon Phase 1 Enhancements (P1E) programme. After an intensive test programme of this First Batch of Enhancements on Instrumented Production Aircraft 4 and 7, this enhancement is confirmed to deliver a robust simultaneous multi-/swing-role capability to the Nations' Air Forces. It will be ready for the customers by the end of 2013.
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10/29/2013
BAE Systems Inc. expects the South Korean and U.S. governments to sign a letter of acceptance later this year to authorize the foreign military sale (FMS) of an F-16 upgrade program for the South Korean Air Force, a company executive said Tuesday.
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10/29/2013
The government on Tuesday announced that Air Marshal Arup Raha will take over as the next chief of the Indian Air Force after Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne retires on December 31, 2013. Commissioned into the IAF in December 1974 in the "Fighter Stream", Air Marshal Raha is currently posted as the IAF vice-chief.
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10/29/2013
Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers on Monday flew from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The nuclear-capable bombers, which took off from the Engels airbase in the Volga region, “flew over the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific and along the southwestern coast of the North American continent, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela,” the ministry said in a statement.
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10/29/2013
A fifth flying prototype of Russia’s future T-50 fighter jet has flown for the first time at a manufacturing plant in Russia’s Far East, the Sukhoi aircraft maker said. The 50-minute flight at the Gagarin factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur has successfully tested the aircraft's overall performance, including its stability in the air and the work of its engines.
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10/29/2013
Russian military inspectors will begin monitoring flights over the United States starting Sunday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. Experts from Russia will be conducting flights on board of a Tupolev Tu-154M Lk-1 aircraft between October 27 and November 4, Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said.
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10/29/2013
Lockheed Martin is co-hosting the 2013 P-3 International Operators Support Conference (IOSC) here, October 28-31. This year’s co-hosts are Blue Aerospace and Kellstrom Defense Aerospace, Inc., both Lockheed Martin authorized P-3 distributors supporting the P-3 and CP-140.
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10/29/2013
Lockheed Martin received a $33.9 million follow-on production contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, for the Target Sight System (TSS), the fire control system for the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter. TSS’ advanced sensors provide pilots with enhanced capabilities to acquire, track and designate targets. TSS Lot 10 deliveries will be complete in December 2015.
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10/28/2013
On October 25, the US Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS George Washington entered Manila Bay. At the head of Carrier Strike Group Five, the aircraft carrier had spent the past week sailing the disputed waters of the South China Sea, visiting various regional claimants.
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10/28/2013
As part of the National Naval Aviation Museum’s 50th anniversary, the Museum is proud to present the Navy’s latest in aerospace technology, a full-scale mock-up of Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned combat air system. The X-47B was originally scheduled to be part of the Museum’s 50th anniversary which was postponed due to the government shutdown.
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10/28/2013
The Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) will open this week to showcase cutting-edge defense and satellite technologies to defense contractors and military officials across the globe, organizers said Monday.
(Read More...)
10/28/2013
A radar-absorbing paint developed by the Korea Maritime and Ocean University’s Stealth Technology Center could provide camouflage of surface naval vessels, military aircraft and combat vehicles Yonhap News reports. The new ‘stealth paint’ was unveiled by the university laboratory during the Navy Week event held in the southeastern port city of Busan last week.
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10/28/2013
Raytheon Company has completed the first delivery of APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders for the Republic of Korea Army's Surion helicopter, the utility helicopter built by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The IFF transponders provide military aircraft with a secure combat identification capability to reduce fratricide and enhance situational awareness, in addition to providing safe access to civilian airspace.
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10/27/2013
The incident over the Black Sea on Wednesday in which Turkish F-16 jets pursued a Russian military aircraft flying near Turkish airspace must not be assessed as a sign of tension between the countries, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported.
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10/27/2013
Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter planes were scrambled Saturday for a second straight day to respond to four Chinese military aircraft flying over international waters between Okinawa's main island and Miyako Island, the Defense Ministry said. The four Chinese planes - two Y8 early-warning aircraft and two H6 bombers - did not violate Japan's airspace as they flew from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean and back again, it said.
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10/27/2013
The South Korean Navy believes it can deploy two light aircraft carriers by 2036 and expand its blue-water force to cope with the rapid naval buildups of China and Japan, according to a Navy source. The service has been exploring ways of securing light aircraft carriers based on an interim feasibility study, the source said.
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10/27/2013
The Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft first entered service in 2004 and over 350 aircraft have since been delivered. The Eurofighter is the result of Europe's largest military collaborative program and seven nations are now Eurofighter customers. At the start of 2013 the Eurofighter fleet has accumulated more than 160,000 flying hours around the world.
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10/27/2013
The famed 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base has been reactivated. The U.S. Air Force brought the squadron back to life Friday, designating it as the first of six planned units that will train pilots on F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.
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10/27/2013
Boeing said Friday it has renewed its previously suspended partnership with Lockheed Martin to prepare a bid to build the next-generation long-range bomber for the Air Force. The $55 billion bomber program aims to develop a long-range strike aircraft to replace the B-2 Stealth bomber.
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10/27/2013
Military air traffic controllers fear the long hours they spend in front of consoles and having to carry out other jobs while they are supposed to be resting is increasing fatigue to a level that compromises safety. After a report critical of the relatively high number of planes flying too close to each other in military-controlled air space, two former RAAF air traffic controllers have spoken out about the heavy workload and high staff turnover that have led to a lack of experienced personnel.
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10/26/2013
Air Commodore Anwar, air officer commanding (AOC) of the Bangladesh Air Force base at Jessore scanned the skies as he heard the sound of rotors. Shortly, the Mi-17V5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) came into sight and the pilot sought permission to land. Barely had the chopper touched down when the AOC went ahead to greet the crew. After all, this was a new beginning. An IAF aircraft had been allowed permission to enter Bangladesh airspace and land after nearly 42 years.
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10/26/2013
Errors in the maintenance paperwork used to track readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps V-22 aircraft were so numerous between 2008 and 2011 they could have led officers to deploy squadrons that were unprepared for their missions, investigators reported on Friday.
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10/26/2013
The Baghdad government wants the immediate delivery of U.S. drones and F-16 fighter jets in order to combat al Qaeda insurgents, who are making swift advances in the west of the Iraq, a senior Iraqi security official said. Washington agreed in August to supply a $2.6 billion integrated air defense system and F-16 fighter jets, with delivery due in autumn 2014.
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10/26/2013
The U.K.’s unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator Taranis has made its first test flights, according to documentation given to a government inquiry committee regarding the use of remotely piloted vehicles. In the public evidence, being heard by the Commons Select Committee and supplied by the U.K. Defense Ministry, ground tests of the UCAV commenced in 2010 and “flight trials took place in 2013.” No further detail is given about when or where the test flights may have taken place.
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10/26/2013
The Venezuelan government has issued new warnings to drug smugglers after the country's armed forces shot down two aircraft allegedly carrying narcotics from Central America over the weekend. “I will radicalize actions against drug smugglers,” President Nicolas Maduro stated this week, while congratulating the armed forces for destroying two light planes that reportedly entered Venezuelan airspace without authorization on Saturday and Monday.
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10/26/2013
The nation lost a great hero with the passing of retired Air Force Brig. Gen. James Robinson “Robbie” Risner, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today. Risner, a highly decorated fighter pilot who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War during his 30-year military career, died Oct. 22 at age 88 at his home in Bridgewater, Va., following a stroke.
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10/26/2013
The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fourth Boeing C-17 Globemaster III departs for India from Long Beach on Oct. 19, keeping the company on track to deliver a total of five advanced airlifters to the IAF this year. Boeing will deliver five more C-17s to India in 2014 to complete the contract.
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10/26/2013
The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation are teaming to compete for the United States Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program, with Boeing acting as the prime contractor and Lockheed Martin as the primary teammate.
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10/26/2013
India’s share in research-and-development work for the joint Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project with Russia is currently limited by India's domestic industrial capabilities but will gradually increase with the project’s implementation, a Russian military expert said Friday.
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10/25/2013
Rescuers have recovered the bodies of the two people on board a Swiss army fighter jet that crashed into a mountainside, as well as the aircraft’s black box, the defense ministry said Thursday. “Both people onboard the F/A-18 fighter jet that crashed yesterday have been found dead,” the ministry said in a statement.
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10/25/2013
A former State Department official in Yemen says every U.S. drone killing there of an al Qaeda operative creates 40 to 60 new enemies of America. In an article for the Cairo Review posted Wednesday, Nabeel Khoury, the deputy chief of mission in Yemen from 2004 to 2007, writes, "Drone strikes take out a few bad guys to be sure, but they also kill a large number of innocent civilians.
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10/25/2013
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be back on the airshow circuit in 2014: A yearlong grounding of both teams was lifted by a memo from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel released on Oct. 18. Pilots are now working to scrape off some rust, with the Air Force team having been forced to find creative ways to use their time in Las Vegas.
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10/25/2013
For more than three months, the 421st Fighter Squadron was reduced to “basic mission capable” flying hours, and the 4th FS stood down completely, causing a ripple effect for commanders, maintainers and pilots alike.
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10/25/2013
The government is considering increasing the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget to finance a fighter jet project aimed at buying 60 stealth jets, an official source said Thursday. The state arms procurement agency last month rejected Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle, the only bid that met Seoul's budget, with concerns over its weak stealth capability, and formed a task force team to restart a new project to get advanced, radar-evading aircraft.
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10/25/2013
Under IAF's over Rs 10,000 crore modernisation programme, the first Mirage 2000, upgraded by its manufacturer, has successfully completed it maiden flight at an air base in France. India had signed an upgrade programme worth over Rs 10,000 crore with the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation for upgrading the fleet of its Mirage 2000 aircraft.
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10/25/2013
The F-35, which was touted to become the most sophisticated combat aircraft in history, went into development in 2001. Fast forward 12 years to January, when J. Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon's director of operational test and evaluation, appeared before the U.S. Senate's Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. It wasn't pretty.
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10/25/2013
A U.S. Air Force crew ferried an MC-130J Commando II Special Operations Forces tanker from the Lockheed Martin facility here today. The Lockheed Martin-built aircraft is assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command. The Commando II supports such missions as in-flight refueling, infiltration/exfiltration, and aerial delivery and resupply of special operations forces.
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10/25/2013
The 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., received its first Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130J Super Hercules today. A crew from the squadron ferried the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., facility here.
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10/24/2013
Israeli warplanes targeted a convoy of trucks loaded with advanced missiles bound for Hezbollah along the Syria-Lebanon border on Monday, Kuwaiti daily Al-Jareeda reported, citing an official in Jerusalem. On Friday, the same paper reported that Israel had information regarding the location of long-range missiles transferred from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon and was considering a military action to destroy the weapons.
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10/24/2013
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Oct. 15 that it had successfully tested the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) earlier this year on fixed-wing aircraft and that it had wrapped up the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration on the system. The tests included both ground launches and aerial launches from the A-10 Thunderbolt, AV-8B Harrier and F-16.
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10/24/2013
In 1995, when Air Force Col. James Clark was based in Hungary as part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission, he got a chance to play with a Gnat, a remotely piloted glider powered by a skimobile engine. Drone aircraft—or, as the Air Force prefers, unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs—were not unprecedented. In World War II, radio-controlled B-24s were sent on bombing missions over Germany. Remotely controlled aircraft carried still cameras over battlefields in Vietnam.
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10/24/2013
Sequestration could cause the US Air Force to delay purchasing “four to five” F-35A joint strike fighters in fiscal 2014, according to top Air Force acquisition officials. The Marine Corps and Navy could each cut one of its F-35B and F-35C variants, as well, if the automatic cuts are not overturned by Congress.
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10/24/2013
From munitions to missiles, top officials of all four U.S. services on Wednesday told a congressional panel that continued forced spending cuts will bring “historic lows” that would seriously threaten the military’s readiness and capability.
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10/24/2013
A Swiss fighter jet crashed in poor weather in central Switzerland on Wednesday, and the pilot and a passenger were missing with little chance they survived, the military said.
The Swiss Federal Department of Defense confirmed the F/A-18 two-seater fighter jet went down in the afternoon near a military airport in Alpnachstad in the Lake Lucerne region.
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10/24/2013
Two Turkish fighter jets have been recently scrambled to intercept a Russian military plane in international airspace over the Black Sea in a rare air incident between the two countries, the Turkish military said. The General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Wednesday that two F-16 jets were scrambled on Tuesday afternoon to prevent a potential violation of Turkish airspace after a Russian Ilyushin II-20 plane was detected flying in parallel to Turkish coast.
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10/24/2013
Russia’s Defense Ministry will send a delegation to NATO military exercises in November, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday. The exercises, named Steadfast Jazz 2013, will be held on November 2 to 9 in Poland and Baltic states, the North Atlantic alliance has announced.
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10/23/2013
The government is to acquire additional multi-purpose military aircraft from Air Bus Military of Spain to boost Ghana’s air services support operations at the United Nations-led mission in Mali. The Ghana Air Force recently won a UN air services contract to operate a UN aviation unit in Mali in support of the peacekeeping mission in that country.
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10/23/2013
The Pentagon is preparing to pull out of Kyrgyzstan, the former Soviet bloc nation where Fairchild-based tanker crews have flown thousands of combat refueling missions over Afghanistan since the start of the war. The Defense Department said Monday it will vacate Manas Transit Center by July rather than attempt to negotiate a lease extension for continued use of the expeditionary base. The transit center serves as a staging point for aerial refueling missions and as a northern air supply route.
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10/23/2013
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's back-to-back visits to Russia and China from October 20 to 24 reflect the evolution of India's external relations in a world with shifting power balances. The challenges lie in consolidating relations with tried and trusted friends with declining power, while forging understandings with adversaries with rising influence who seek to advance their interests through tactical overtures of friendship.
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10/23/2013
The back-and-forth volley between critics and backers of a plan to base F-35 fighter jets in Vermont continued Tuesday, featuring new claims about safety issues involving the plane. Pierre Sprey, who helped design the F-16 jet for the Pentagon in the 1960s and 1970s, said the F-35 is not being built fast enough, or being flown enough, to work out any glitches by 2020, when the Vermont Air Guard hopes to begin flying it.
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10/23/2013
Niger’s air force inaugurated a new helicopter hanger last week, to accommodate its recently acquired Gazelle helicopters. The new facilities are further evidence of the Air Force’s expanding capabilities – Niger has taken delivery of seven new aircraft this year. The new hangar was formally opened on October 17 at the Niger Air Force’s Base Aerienne 101 next to Niamey-Diori Hamani International Airport in a ceremony attended by various French and Nigerien officials.
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10/23/2013
The United States may have committed war crimes in its campaign of drone strikes on targets in Pakistan and Yemen over the past four years, killing civilians indiscriminately in its stated pursuit of terrorist targets, two prominent human rights groups said in reports released Tuesday.
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10/23/2013
Russian aircraft maker MiG has started flight tests of series-produced MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighter jets slated for delivery to the Russian Navy, the company said Tuesday. The Russian Defense Ministry signed a contract with MiG in February 2012 for delivery of 20 MiG-29K single-seat and four MiG-29KUB two-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft.
MiG is expected to deliver the first four aircraft by the end of 2013.The aircraft will operate from Russia's sole serving carrier.
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10/23/2013
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have presented Russia with an unmanned spy plane that Tehran says was reverse-engineered from a US machine it claims to have captured last year, local media reported. "The drone built by the IRGC is a symbol of the technical capabilities of Islamic Iran and today we presented a real model of it as a gift to (Russian Air Force Commander) Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev and the Russian people," Commander of Iran’s Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base.
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10/23/2013
Lockheed Martin is hosting the 25th Hercules Operators Council (HOC) here, Oct. 21-24. More than 900 representatives from 36 nations are attending to discuss C-130 Hercules support, operations, upgrades and new fleet acquisition. This year’s theme of “Proven and Still Proving It” provides insight into how the C-130 Hercules has not only proven that it is the world’s most versatile airlifter, but also continues to set new standards for flexibility and multi-mission capabilities.
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10/23/2013
Boeing is assembling a third KC-46A test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueling tanker program at the company’s Everett factory, keeping the program on schedule to complete production of four test aircraft by the third quarter of 2014.
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10/22/2013
Turkey will get the first batch of Airbus A400M Military Transport Aircraft in November 2013, the Anadolu agency reported today. According to a report, this type of military aircraft was previously purchased by such countries as Germany, France and Belgium.
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10/22/2013
As Iraq's government grapples with a rising al-Qaida insurgency in which thousands have been killed, officials say the military has started taking delivery of Russian arms as part of a landmark $4.3 billion contract signed in October 2012.
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10/22/2013
Turkey’s procurement authorities will reissue an order for the first two F-35 joint strike fighters the country intended to buy but suspended at the beginning of this year.
“We will submit a request to the Defense Industry Executive Committee in December or January to renew our order for the first two aircraft,” Turkey’s top procurement official, Murad Bayar, said.
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10/22/2013
The head of Russia’s air force, Gen. Viktor Bondarev, met his Iranian counterparts in Tehran to discuss boosting military cooperation between the countries, local media reported Monday. Talks centerd on “electronic listening systems, radar and missiles,” Brig. Gen. Farzad Esmaili, head of Khatam-ol-Anbia Air Defence Base, said in comments quoted by daily Sharq.
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10/22/2013
NATO intends to dramatically scale back its ambitious plan to train a fully functional Afghan air force and focus only on the most critical missions Afghans will need to perform after the combat mission ends by December 2014, according to the head of the Afghan air training command for the Western alliance.
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10/22/2013
Senior Defense Department officials have been accelerating a dialogue with China, carried out through personal visits with Chinese counterparts to establish and strengthen military-to-military relationships. In a flurry of travel by top Pentagon officers, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the Air Force chief of staff, just returned from China – the first visit there by the Air Force’s top officer in 15 years.
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10/22/2013
Madagascar’s Air Force recently received a second Humbert Aviation Tetras light aircraft from France, the latest in a series of aircraft acquired from that country. France’s Ambassador to Madagascar, François Goldblatt, handed the aircraft over to Général de Corps d’Armée, André Lucien Rakotoarimasy, at Base Aéronavale Ivato, Antanànarìvo, on April 10.
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10/22/2013
The South Korean Air Force has lost an average of 2.5 fighter jets in crashes every year since 2000, with many of them involving aging, soon-to-be retired aircraft deployed over three decades ago, a report showed Monday. A total of 35 combat jets have crashed nationwide since 2000, killing 38 pilots and one mechanic, according to the Air Force report submitted to parliament for an annual audit.
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10/22/2013
In the skies above Djibouti, members of the U.S. and French Air Forces joined together in an unlikely training scenario, pitting helicopters against fighter aircraft in a simulated hostile rescue situation. Members of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa's 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron partnered with French air force Mirage 2000-5 fighter pilots here to conduct a combat exercise in which U.S. HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters recovered downed aircrew while being engaged by enemy fighters.
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10/22/2013
Lockheed Martin has entered into an agreement — known as an Undefinitized Contract Action — with the U.S. Government for the Foreign Military Sale of the first two of 25 potential C-130J Super Hercules airlifters for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Specifically, this contract action is for the purchase of two KC-130J refueling tankers.
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10/21/2013
On 18 October a new headquarters building was opened at Šiauliai Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force for NATO’s Air Policing mission in the Baltic States, the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania has informed. The new object, a part of the vital infrastructure of NATO’s Air Policing mission, will ensure more convenient service conditions for air contingents deployed to protect the Baltic airspace.
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10/21/2013
From the moment Turkey announced plans two years ago to acquire a long-range missile defense system, the multibillion-dollar contract from a key Nato member appeared to be an American company's to lose. For years, Turkey's military had relied on Nato-supplied Patriot missiles, built by the American companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, to defend its skies, and the system was fully compatible with the air-defense platforms operated by other members of the alliance.
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10/21/2013
For six decades, slow progress in developing indigenous defence equipment and a Nehruvian squeamishness about exporting arms have together made India’s presence in the international arms only that of a buyer — last year the world’s biggest. That has begun to change. A large Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) team is heading to Seoul, in South Korea, where it will be one of the biggest exhibitors at the Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX-2013) later this month.
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10/21/2013
Turkish ambitions to develop and build the first ever made-in-Turkey fighter aircraft and at the same time buy a new generation, multinational combat jet may go beyond Turkey’s financing capacity, industry sources and experts said.
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10/21/2013
India had scrambled scores of fighter jets to tackle migratory birds for weeks mistaking them for enemy drones in a sensitive border region. The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed fighter aircraft after radars flagged unsolicited intrusion into Indian territories along the border region in the western state of Gujarat.
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10/21/2013
A group of military inspectors from Germany and Latvia is set to fly above Russia and Belarus starting from Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said.
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10/20/2013
The move follows a series of US weapons deals in recent years that have bolstered the air power and missile arsenals of Gulf States, which view Iran as a menacing rival with nuclear ambitions. The pending sale comes as the United States and five other major powers pursue high-stakes diplomacy on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, with talks this week portrayed as positive by both sides.
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10/20/2013
In declining to accept a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council that it had actively sought for two years, Saudi Arabia pouted that it could not abide by the Security Council’s “double-standards.” Saudi Arabia had just won the seat last Thursday at a UN General Assembly election, along with Chad, Chile, Lithuania and Nigeria.
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10/20/2013
The title is both subtle and clever, red for the communist aircraft designs flown and eagles for the pilots from the USA who tested them. The aircraft addressed by author Steve Davies (one of the Red Eagle pilots) are the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 17 “Fresco”, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 21 “Fishbed” and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 23 “Flogger” — each individual aircraft given a program name which began with HAVE (e.g., HAVE DOUGHNUT for the MiG 21 flight testing in early 1968).
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10/20/2013
Russia will begin Sunday monitoring flights over NATO members Slovakia and the Czech Republic under the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “A group of Russian inspectors is scheduled to conduct surveillance flights over Slovakia and the Czech Republic on board an An-30B aircraft from October 20 to 26 as part of the implementation of the international Open Skies Treaty,”.
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10/20/2013
Russia and Brazil are at the final stages of talks on the delivery of Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense systems to the Latin American country, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
A Russian delegation, led by Shoigu, visited Brazil to discuss prospects of bilateral defense and space cooperation, including the sales of Pansir-S1 and Igla missile systems, during the Latin American tour on October 14-17.
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10/19/2013
Boeing Co. officials were in Ottawa this week to promote the Super Hornet fighter jet as the best choice to replace Canada’s CF-18s, using the U.S. budget crisis to raise doubts about the long-term viability of the rival Lockheed Martin F-35 program.
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10/19/2013
Boeing says it is still very much in the running for Korea’s multibillion-dollar fighter jet tender, despite opposition from the military. The firm looked to be in pole position to secure a massive order of F-15 Silent Eagle fighter jets, but Seoul pulled the plug and restarted the tender process after former military top brass and ruling party lawmakers criticised the plane for lacking stealth capabilities.
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10/19/2013
South Africa’s official arms procurement agency, was once again in the news for the wrong reason as a court reinstated the fired chairman retired General ‘Mojo’ Motau - for the second time - along with deputy chairman Refiloe Mokoena. But military expert Helmoed Römer Heitman argues that Armscor’s crisis goes much deeper.
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10/19/2013
The Royal Air Force will axe the final C-130K special force Hercules from its fleet of airlifters by the end of this month. The Defence Ministry is cannibalizing the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft of its defensive aids suite to fit into some of the C-130J models being equipped to fill the role according to the MoD.
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10/19/2013
It's a dark night over Baghdad. Storm clouds rumble with the sound of thunder. In poor weather, Air Force pilots move in to escort a navy strike package, dodging surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery fire, wondering whether they will make it back alive. This is part of the job for Air Force fighter pilots, but a love for the job and good training keep pilots ready to fight.
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10/19/2013
The naval variant of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is gearing up for carrier compatibility tests at the shore-based INS Hansa in Goa, according to sources in the Aeronautical Development Authority (ADA) which is developing the aircraft. The first prototype completed its maiden flight on April 27, 2012.
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10/19/2013
President Benigno Aquino III said the Philippines was close to finalizing a deal with a state-owned Korean aerospace firm to buy a squadron of FA-50 fighter jets worth P18.9 billion—a move seen to bolster the country’s aerial power and defend its territory in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
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10/19/2013
Russia will strengthen its air contingent at the Erebuni air base in Armenia with a helicopter squadron in the next few months, the base commander said Friday. Russia’s 3624th Air Base at the Erebuni airport in Yerevan currently hosts at least 16 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets operating under the framework of air defense agreements concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
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10/19/2013
Russia’s armed forces will receive aircraft flight simulators in November worth almost 670 million rubles ($20.1 million), a federal agency said Friday.
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10/18/2013
Throughout fiscal 2013, the key aspect of Pacific Air Forces was engagement as more than 45,000 Pacific Air Forces Airmen conducted a broad spectrum of operations, from humanitarian relief to decisive combat employment, in an area covering 13 time zones and 100 million square miles.
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10/18/2013
The Philippines and South Korea on Thursday signed agreements on flood mitigation, defense and sports development as President Aquino began a two-day state visit here. Aquino arrived here at noon on a chartered Philippine Airlines flight and met with President Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female leader.
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10/18/2013
Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., has delivered to the Colombian Army two S-70i(TM) BLACK HAWK helicopters incorporating a Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS) as standard equipment. Colombia is the first country to field S-70i helicopters equipped with HTAWS, which Sikorsky has customized for the unique requirements of the combat assault and utility missions.
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10/18/2013
For the first time, India will display at an international event its latest, state-of-the-art weapon systems, platforms, sensors, communication systems and equipment designed and developed by Hyderabad-based DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Govt of India).
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10/18/2013
Air Force fighter and bomber crews owe much of their success in Iraq and Afghanistan to their reliance on a collection of high-tech tools: GPS, data links, communications and radar.
But with the drawdown and the pivot to the Pacific, the Air Force is preparing for new enemy threats and has been asking a new question: What happens when those tools are taken away?
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10/18/2013
South Korea's arms procurement agency said Thursday it will speed up the process to buy advanced fighter jets, with the aim of concluding the deal by the end of 2014. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) conducted bids with three contractors to buy 60 combat aircraft between June and August, and listed Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the only jet to come within the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget for approval.
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10/18/2013
India will finalise a $15 billion deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation by March 2014, an Indian air force official said on Thursday, after the deal had been held up by differences over local manufacturing. New Delhi picked the Rafale for exclusive negotiations in January 2012 after a bidding contest against Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, made by a consortium involving EADS, Finmeccanica and BAE Systems.
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10/18/2013
Boeing will showcase proven capabilities and technology advances designed to meet the needs of the U.S. Army during the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition, held Oct. 21-23 in Washington, D.C.
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10/18/2013
Russia has started implementation of a multibillion dollar arms deal with Iraq, an official with the Middle Eastern nation’s government said Thursday. Russia is to supply over 10 fully armed and equipped Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters to Iraq under a $4.3 billion agreement on cooperation in the defense and technology sector signed in 2012.
(Read More...)
10/17/2013
Top Pentagon officials will examine the cost of building and operating the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet at a major review of the $392 billion program next week that will also provide updates on lingering technical issues. Kyra Hawn, spokeswoman for the Pentagon’s F-35 program office, said a high-level Defense Acquisition Board meeting was expected to proceed on Monday despite the partial government shutdown. The meeting has already been postponed several times.
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10/17/2013
Recent news reports suggest that the US has identified a list of 10 defence technologies for transfer to India. The government is reported to be “reviewing” these offers which could reach as high as 90. The US appears to be finally moving to realise its oft stated stand that it considers India an important strategic partner. It is a significant move from the earlier tightly controlled defence technology exports to India.
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10/17/2013
A spokesman for Boeing’s Ridley Township facility denies the aerospace manufacturer overcharged the federal government for aircraft refitting, a conclusion put forth in an audit report from the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General.
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10/17/2013
After eight years of research and postponement, India’s first indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, positioned at HAL Bangalore, has finally been fitted with electronic warfare (EW) systems. Now, new test flights will happen with electronic warfare anytime during November or beginning of December. The 2,348 test flights of the LCA so far have not had electronic warfare.
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10/17/2013
Travelers who fancy themselves flyboys and girls can test their skills at Fly the Dream, a new virtual entertainment store where customers can navigate a simulated flight of an F-16 Falcon, a single-engine fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics for the Air Force in the early 1970s.
(Read More...)
10/17/2013
The U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command has restarted flying operations of training aircraft after civilian defense employees returned to work, Defense News reported Tuesday.
Aaron Mehta writes the command also intends to maintain the mission readiness of combat-coded aircraft as those units remain grounded.
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10/17/2013
Brazil said Wednesday it hopes to develop state-of-the-art combat aircraft with Russia, and purchase surface-to-air missile batteries from Moscow. Brasilia is already in talks with other countries to modernize its air force by purchasing 36 fighter jets valued at up to $5 billion.
(Read More...)
10/17/2013
Russia has proposed establishing a servicing and maintenance center in Peru for its Russian- and Soviet-made helicopters, a senior government official said Wednesday. The offer was discussed at a meeting between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Peruvian counterpart Pedro Cateriano, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said.
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10/17/2013
Russia’s state arms export monopoly has signed a $1 billion deal package with Angola to deliver military equipment, build an ammunition plant and provide maintenance services, Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday. Rosoboronexport will supply 18 Su-30K fighter jets to the southern African nation, the daily said, citing sources at the arms exports company and the Russian military.
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10/16/2013
Another Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft crashed on September 23rd, killing the pilot. All Su-25s were immediately grounded until the cause of the crash could be found. This is the 17th Su-25 lost in the last decade, which is not unusual for a Russian military aircraft that has been in service since the 1980s. Despite these losses, the Su-25 is still a popular aircraft.
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10/16/2013
The Netherlands recently agreed to buy 37 of the new American F-35 fighter-bombers, and possibly more if money became available. Originally the Dutch were going to buy 85 but the escalating cost of the F-35 forced them to reconsider. Some Dutch leaders wanted to stick with the F-16 and upgrade it or consider another new fighter (Gripen, Eurofighter, or F-18E).
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10/16/2013
The U.S. deployment of 200 Marines to a naval base in Sicily for possible operations in Libya, a short hop across the Mediterranean, underlines how the Americans have been building a network of bases in Italy as launch pads for military interventions in Africa and the Mideast.
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10/16/2013
The Swedish government’s promise to bolster defense spending and inject more capital into equipment procurement programs has failed to impress the country’s military establishment.
The Defense Ministry said in September that expenditures on defense would increase by US $220 million in 2014-17, yielding an annual increase of $60 million a year. The armed forces budget for 2013 amounts to $6.2 billion.
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10/16/2013
India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract with Dassault Aviation is not likely to be signed before April 2014, despite the Indian air force’s (IAF) concerns about maintaining its tactical air deterrent capability.
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10/16/2013
The US Air Force’s Air Combat Command (ACC) ended a shutdown-imposed grounding of training aircraft last week , but some combat craft remain grounded.
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10/16/2013
It seems that water and air are incompatible as natural element. However, there is such a thing as naval aviation. Judging by modernization plans, Russian naval aviation will see great changes in the future. After years of debate about whether Russia needs a fleet of vessels with aircraft on decks or surface ships and submarines would be enough, Russian admirals have chosen a sort of "American" model of the fleet: naval groups with an aircraft carrier in the center.
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10/16/2013
The U.S. decision to award Israel's Elbit Systems the contract to co-produce the flight helmet for Lockheed Martin's advanced F-35 stealth fighter illustrates the close links between the U.S. and Israeli defense sectors. Israel's buying 20 of the fifth-generation jets and eventually wants as many as 75. State-owned Israel Military Industries is already manufacturing components for the F-35.
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10/16/2013
The US Navy conducted float tests of the USS Gerald R. Ford on 11 October and its sea trials are likely to begin in 2016, reports say. "USS Ford is bound to pose a huge impact on the existing Chinese naval equipment," Chen Hu, executive editor of a Chinese military magazine, told the Wen Wei Po, adding that the "Chinese aircraft carrier technology is currently 30 years behind that of the US".
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10/15/2013
The Pentagon has spent the last two decades plowing hundreds of millions of tax dollars into military bases in Italy, turning the country into an increasingly important center for U.S. military power. Especially since the start of the Global War on Terror in 2001, the military has been shifting its European center of gravity south from Germany, where the overwhelming majority of U.S. forces in the region have been stationed since the end of World War II.
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10/15/2013
Israel has completed what officials termed a long-range air combat exercise that included air refueling, an element vital in any attack on Iran. The Israel Defense Forces said several squadrons of U.S.-origin fighter-jets participated in an exercise over Greece and its islands in the Mediterranean.
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10/15/2013
Four times in the past five years, the Pentagon’s inspector general has found that Boeing Co. (BA:US) collected excessive or unjustified payments on U.S. defense contracts.
In the latest of four audits since 2008, the watchdog office said the Chicago-based company charged the U.S. Army for new helicopter parts while installing used ones “Boeing significantly overstated estimates” of new components needed for CH-47F Chinook helicopters and “primarily installed used parts instead”.
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10/15/2013
"MOJO 1 is engaged, Bullseye 323/24," said Lt. Col. Christopher 'Moto' Davis, 325th Training Support Squadron Adversary Air Operations officer. He had just merged at more than 400 knots bringing him beak to beak with an F-22 Raptor. "MOJO 1, PRESS!" his wingman said over the fight frequency. Colonel Davis puts his 1960's T-38 Talon in a full afterburner, maximum G-defensive turn to try to survive mere seconds more against the world's most advanced fighter jet.
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10/15/2013
Norway’s 2014 budget is $7.2 billion, up from $7.06 billion the previous year. The 2014 budget also will be the last major executive financial action by Labor Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s socialist administration, which has been in power since 2005.
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10/15/2013
The United States is loosening controls over military exports, in a shift that former U.S. officials and human rights advocates say could increase the flow of American-made military parts to the world's conflicts and make it harder to enforce arms sanctions.
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10/15/2013
A Russian military delegation about to visit Brazil will offer joint development of a fifth-generation combat aircraft “of the type” of its own most newest fighter to Brazilian defense officials, a member of the delegation told RIA Novosti Monday.
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10/15/2013
A group of US and Swedish military inspectors is set to fly over Russia and Belarus starting from Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. “Within the framework of the international Open Skies Treaty, US and Swedish inspectors flying a Boeing OC-135B observation aircraft will perform surveillance flights above the territories of Russia and Belarus in the period between October 14 and 19,” said Sergei Ryzhkov, head of the ministry’s National Nucl
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10/14/2013
The US decision to suspend delivery of tanks, helicopters and fighter jets to Egypt is more of a symbolic slap than a punishing wound to the military-backed government for its slog toward a return to democratic rule. Egypt has the tanks and aircraft it would need to fight a conventional war, and spare parts from US manufacturers will still be delivered.
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10/14/2013
The Russian answer to the American F-22, the “5th generation” T-50 (or PAK-FA), is in big trouble. Several key components are facing serious development problems. The key item in trouble is the new engine, which is still stuck in development. Russia always had problems building competitive engines. In the past, to get the power needed, they built engines that lasted only a fraction as long as Western engines.
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10/14/2013
China will continue to develop attack helicopters to build on the success of the WZ-10 and WZ-19 unveiled last year, said Du Wenlong, a military analyst from Beijing, in a interview with the People's Daily Online, the official website of the state-run People's Daily.
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10/14/2013
Last year, the IAF purchased 75 PC-7 Mark II trainers for 557 million Swiss Francs (Rs 3,725 crore). Pilatus has delivered at least 15 of those trainers. When the purchase of 75 trainers from the global market was approved in 2009, it was decided that HAL would simultaneously design and build 106 trainers. But, in July, as reported first by Business Standard (July 29, 'Indian Air Force at war with Hindustan Aeronautics; wants to import, not build, a trainer') the IAF chief wrote to Antony.
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10/14/2013
Seoul and Washington have agreed to reset the timing of the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) next year after reviewing North Korean threat and the South Korean forces capabilities to deal with it, the defense ministry here said Monday.
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10/13/2013
Airbus Military, the multinational consortium that builds the A400M, will soon deliver the first airlifter to the Turkish military, consortium and Turkish officials said. The first Turkish A400M will operate at an air base in Kayseri in central Turkey. “The first aircraft for the Turkish military will be delivered in the coming weeks,” Tom Enders, CEO of EADS, Airbus’ parent company, said at a Sept. 30 ceremony here for the delivery of the first A400M for the French Air Force.
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10/13/2013
According to information first published by the Dayton Daily News, a dozen transport planes valued at approximately $50 million a pop are going from the assembly line to the graveyard. That's on top of the $567 million the Air Force has spent on the Italian-made C-27J aircraft since 2007. Sequestration is being cited as the reason for the planes not being used.
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10/13/2013
Sailors from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 helped rescue four people whose plane went missing on a flight from Tinian to Saipan of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Oct. 6.
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10/13/2013
The Air Force is telling Congress that the double whammy of sequestration budget cuts and the partial government shutdown “endangers the safety of our airmen” and “unnecessarily adds risks” to everyday missions. In a memo to Capitol Hill Friday night, Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon said it has been forced to “take extraordinary actions” to make do with less money.
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10/13/2013
The Syrian government’s shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and launchers could imperil civil aviation if they fall into the hands of terrorist groups, according to an independent report examining the global proliferation of portable missiles.
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10/12/2013
A combination of budget cuts and escalating compensation costs will reduce the U.S. military’s fighting forces by at least 50 percent by 2021 and threaten national security, according to a report released Friday. The report by the Bipartisan Policy Center also said that the nearly $1 trillion in defense funding reductions over the next decade, known as the sequester, would cripple the readiness and modernization of military forces.
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10/12/2013
Chemring Group Plc, a U.K. supplier of countermeasures for combat jets, fell the most in 16 years after saying global political turmoil, currency shifts and production snags will reduce earnings this year and next. Chemring plunged 23 percent, the biggest drop since April 1997, to 220 pence, the lowest price since November. The stock has fallen 4.2 percent this year, reversing gains that reached as high as 40 percent in July.
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10/12/2013
President Obama’s decision to reduce but not terminate military aid to Egypt is a measured attempt to protect American interests in a tumultuous region while affirming the president’s support for democracy. One message is that the relationship between the two countries remains crucial to regional stability.
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10/12/2013
Two Cuban fighter jets seized from a North Korean ship in July were in perfect condition to operate and the 15 plane engines that were found along with them were relatively new and could be used as replacements, a Panamanian official said Friday. The comments by Belsio Gonzalez, director of Panama's National Aeronautics and Ocean Administration, appear to contradict the explanation of the cargo given by Cuban authorities.
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10/12/2013
During a testy video conference in June, President Barack Obama drew a line in the sand for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. If there was no agreement by Oct. 31 on the terms for keeping a residual U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, Obama warned him, the United States would withdraw all of its troops at the end of 2014.
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10/12/2013
Three of the South African Air Force’s Rooivalk combat support helicopters will be in the DRC before year-end to boost MONUSCO and its Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) in executing its offensive mandate in the aircraft’s first ever combat deployment. Captain (SAN) Zamo Sithole, SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Joint Operations media liaison officer, confirmed to defenceWeb that three of 16 Squadron’s 11 combat helicopters would join up with the aviation unit of the UN Mission in the DRC.
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10/12/2013
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has expressed concern that major aviation-related defense procurements will be delayed following the sudden death of Arun Kumar Bal, Ministry of Defense chief negotiator for air acquisitions. “It will take around three months for his replacement. This is a setback for anything the IAF is acquiring,” Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne told AIN.
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10/12/2013
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) state-owned and -operated Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) presented a full line of its products and plans for further expansion of its export markets at last month’s Aviation Expo China exhibition, which was held in the Chinese capital, Beijing. The centerpiece of the Avic display was a line-up of models of those military aircraft programs that the conglomerate has been permitted to make public.
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10/12/2013
The Syrian government's shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and launchers could imperil civil aviation if they fall into the hands of terror groups, according to an independent report examining the global proliferation of portable missiles.
(Read More...)
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10/11/2013
A total of 48 aircraft in the Brazilian Air Force will be retrofitted with the new IFF transponders. Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has awarded Thales a contract to supply IFF (identification friend or foe) transponders for the upgrade of A1M fighters and E-99 AEW surveillance aircraft in service with the Brazilian Air Force. A total of 48 aircraft will be retrofitted with the new IFF transponders.
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10/11/2013
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can avoid most modern adversaries’ defenses, but it is currently facing a different threat: defense budget cuts. Of the 20 B-2s in existence, only 16 are operational at any given time due to maintenance schedules; a recent report claims there may only be nine available. In addition, a handful of B-2s are constantly used for training, so the availability of combat-ready Spirits actually declines further.
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10/11/2013
While the U.S. Navy often depends on U.S. Air Force KC-135 aerial tankers to refuel its aircraft, it has sometimes also found it more convenient to use a civilian firm, Omega Air, to provide aerial refueling service in the United States. The air force controls all the large tankers (the navy can use some smaller aircraft, even fighters, for refueling in a pinch) and makes them available to the navy and other foreigners only when the air force has taken care of its own needs.
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10/11/2013
The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) today informed Lockheed Martin that it has decided to halt the development of the alternate F-35 helmet and focus exclusively on maturing the Vision Systems (VSI) 2nd Generation helmet currently used in training and testing. As a result, the program will recoup approximately $45 million in funds it had originally allocated for the development of the alternate helmet. Beginning with aircraft in Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lot 7.
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10/11/2013
Ground testing of the most complex version of Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 jet has uncovered two small cracks the Pentagon describes as minor, according to a statement to congressional staff. The cracks were discovered in late August during an inspection of the U.S. Marine Corps’ short-takeoff and vertical landing model that’s used in ground testing to evaluate an airframe’s long-term durability. The airframes are designed to last through 8,000 flight hours. They are tested on the ground to the eq
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10/11/2013
The Pentagon said on Thursday it would halt work on a second pilot helmet being developed for the F-35 fighter jet by Britain's BAE Systems Plc, and focus exclusively on the main helmet built by Rockwell Collins Inc and Israel's Elbit Systems Ltd. The Pentagon's F-35 program office said the move followed improvements to the Rockwell-Elbit helmet, including a better night vision camera, and would save about $45 million in funding that would have been needed to finish the BAE helmet.
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10/11/2013
For two years, the rebels in Al Qusayr held out against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Then in April the regime, supported by fresh fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, renewed its attack on the mountain town overlooking the Lebanon border.
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10/11/2013
Israeli Air Force fighter squadrons have carried out exercises testing their capability to conduct missions at long ranges from base, the Israeli military said Thursday. The drills included air-to-air refueling and dogfights against foreign combat planes.
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10/11/2013
The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) today informed Lockheed Martin that it decided to halt development of the alternate F-35 helmet and focus exclusively on maturing the Rockwell Collins Elbit Systems of America Vision Systems Generation 2 (Gen 2) helmet currently used in training and testing. The program will recoup approximately $45 million in funds it had originally allocated for the development of the alternate helmet.
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10/10/2013
Tough International Monetary Fund conditions on Pakistan and concerns about untested technology likely will delay Islamabad’s plan to buy 36 J-10B Vigorous Dragon multirole fighters from China under a $1.4 billion deal signed in 2009, analysts said. Current economic conditions “preclude any possibility of acquiring new weapon systems in the next two to three years, at least,” said retired Pakistani Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail.
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10/10/2013
Afghanistan took delivery on Wednesday of two C-130 transport aircraft from the United States, part of an effort to give the country's military the ability to better fight insurgents around the country. Afghanistan will get another two of the airplanes, a mainstay of many militaries around the world, by the end of next year. The plane gives the nascent Afghan air force the ability to quickly ferry forces around the country along with their equipment and supplies.
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10/10/2013
The medium-lift Osprey, proven in combat as a troop and equipment transport, could soon get a new mission: refueling other aircraft. A series of tests in August and September has given aviation officials hope that the Osprey could be used to extend the range of other platforms, including helicopters and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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10/10/2013
CAE today announced that it was awarded approximately $140 million in military contracts, including approximately $85 million to CAE USA alone. The US contracts also include options valued at an additional $50 million over the next five years. The contracts are part of CAE’s second quarter order intake and are in addition to contracts already announced.
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10/10/2013
A plan to attract private Indian firms to help build military aircraft could be delayed after Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel said the proposal was unfair to state-run companies. India has emerged as the world's biggest arms importer as it tries to update archaic weapons systems to keep up with neighbours China and Pakistan in a $100 billion modernisation drive.
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10/10/2013
Praful Patel, minister of heavy industries and public enterprises, on Monday wrote to Defence Minister A K Antony, demanding that the defence ministry (MoD) tender to build 56 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) be opened to public sector undertakings (PSUs), and not just to the private sector. On Wednesday, Antony asked MoD officials to “examine the issues raised by Shri Patel.”
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10/10/2013
Lockheed Martin and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) celebrated the beginnings of the first F-35 Lightning II for Australia yesterday. The aircraft, designated as AU-1, officially began the mate process, where major components of the aircraft are joined together to form the aircraft’s structure. AU-1 will then make its way down the assembly line and roll out of the factory for delivery to the RAAF in the summer of 2014.
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10/10/2013
The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II program continues its operational maturation, surpassing 10,000 flight hours in September. More than half of the total hours were accumulated in just the past 11 months. Through September, F-35s flew 6,492 times for a total of 10,077 flight hours. The new milestone effectively doubles the safe flight operations of the F-35 in a year, compared to reaching 5,000 flight hours in six years.
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10/10/2013
Russia’s Defense Ministry is planning to buy 32 shipborne helicopters from Russian Helicopters’ Progress Arsenyev division, a Deputy Defense Minister said Wednesday during a visit to the factory. “These helicopters are to undergo final testing in 2014. If all goes well, we are ready to order them,” Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said during a visit to the producer in Russia’s Far East, without specifying the type in question.
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10/10/2013
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will depart next week on a four-day trip to Brazil and Peru to promote the sales of Russian weaponry to these countries, the Kommersant daily reported Wednesday. The success of Shoigu’s talks with Brazilian and Peruvian counterparts will significantly boost Russia’s chances to sell military equipment worth at least $1.7 billion, the paper said citing a source in the Russian General Staff.
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10/09/2013
September was not a good month for The Boeing Company’s defense operations. On September 15, Defense News reported that Air Force planners were considering retirement of all 59 Boeing KC-10 tankers, even though they are the newest aerial refuelers in the fleet. On September 18, the company announced it would close the California plant assembling its highly-regarded C-17 airlifter in 2015 due to low overseas demand.
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10/09/2013
Syrian government warplanes bombed rebel positions near a strategic northern city on Tuesday, activists said, as international inspectors toured production and storage sites of the country's chemical weapons arsenal. The rebels captured Maaret al-Numan a year ago, after systematically seizing the army's outposts in the city, along astride a major supply route linking the capital, Damascus with the contested Idlib region and Syria's largest city, Aleppo.
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10/09/2013
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors called on the U.S. Department of Defense Tuesday to transfer as many as seven excess aircraft to the U.S. Forest Service for aerial firefighting in the region. Air Force officials plan to retire some C27 aircraft this fall and make the twin-engine, turboprop-driven cargo planes available to the Forest Service, which, according to Supervisors Greg Cox and Dianne Jacob, has a shortage of firefighting planes.
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10/09/2013
Five brand new military cargo airplanes slated for delivery to the U.S. armed services early next year will go directly to an Arizona “boneyard” set aside for equipment no longer in use, according to Military.com. The report, citing the Dayton Daily News, said about a dozen of the new C-27J Spartan equipment haulers already have been taken out of service and sent to Tucson, where the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base stores unused equipment and airplanes.
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10/09/2013
In the not-so-distant future, U.S. special operators, like those who used scuba gear boats and SUVs to go after terrorists this weekend, may be carried into combat by quiet, ultra-fast helicopters that bear only a passing resemblance to today's models.
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10/09/2013
By stockpiling weapons, China will be able to take Taiwan by force by the end of the year 2020, even if Taiwan gets help “from outside”, says Taiwan’s military report. Western military analysts say that China targeted the island with at least 1,600 ballistic missiles.
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10/09/2013
Circling around this air force base in southern France, an orange helicopter earlier this year completed a test flight—without a pilot. Made by Eurocopter, a unit of Franco-German aerospace giant European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., the military chopper was controlled by technicians in a distant control room.
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10/09/2013
Boeing has delivered the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) fifth CH-147F Chinook helicopter one month ahead of schedule and only three months after the arrival of the first in June, expanding Canada’s military cargo capability while continuing the Chinook program’s history of excellence.
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10/08/2013
U.S. SOCOM’s (Special Operations Command) Air Force Special Operations Command has come up with a quicker way to get Special Forces troops high quality reconnaissance no matter where these operators are in the world. This is done by partially breaking down two MQ-1 Predator UAVs and flying them where needed in a C-17.
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10/08/2013
Turkey has been preparing for an air war with Syria.
The Turkish military said four U.S.-origin F-16 multi-role fighters were sent to the Syrian border on Oct 5. The military said the F-16s were deployed to stop the approach of Syrian Air Force warplanes.
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10/08/2013
China plans to enhance its combat capabilities to a level sufficient to mount a full attack against Taiwan by 2020, showing that its military threat to Taiwan has not diminished, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has concluded in a report.
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10/08/2013
Mirage 2000s has been the backbone of Indian Air Force since decades. The French multirole, single-engine fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by French-based Company Dassault Aviation was inducted in Indian Air Force in 1980s.
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10/08/2013
In 2005 the enemy was the Taliban, but now the Canadian Armed Forces have slapped a target on a fresh adversary: waste and inefficiency. The military will squeeze up to $1.2-billion in annual savings from existing spending and redirect it to higher priority areas in an effort to keep soldiers, sailors and air force personnel in a higher state of readiness, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson announced Monday. The goal, in military parlance, is “more teeth and less tail.”
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10/08/2013
Textron, in partnership with Airland Enterprises, recently unveiled the Scorpion, a largely clean-sheet light combat/ISR jet that is being prepared for a first flight this month. New military aircraft are so scarce that any new prototype is bound to garner attention, including an Aviation Week cover story, and it's good to see innovation make an appearance in the aerospace and defense industry.
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10/08/2013
Practically the entire fifth generation fighter ideology has come to fruition in the shape of the Su-35S. This gives Russia the potential to set about creating a sixth generation combat aircraft ahead of all the other nations.
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10/08/2013
The Indian Air Force needs to take a call on how it is to acquire a new set of trainer aircraft, balancing indigenisation concerns with practical considerations. There is a considerable degree of conceptual confusion here. It took over a decade to decide on and acquire the Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT). The British Hawk Mk 132 finally entered service in the IAF in early 2008 for advanced jet training.
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10/08/2013
Russian military inspectors will begin monitoring flights over Portugal and France starting on Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Experts from Russia will be conducting flights on board of a Tu-154M Lk-1 aircraft between October 7 and 11 taking off from Lisbon Airport in Portugal and Getafe Air Base in Spain.
(Read More...)
10/07/2013
No one really likes to talk about the business of war, but for the United Kingdom the defence industry has an important role in the economy. Last month, a record 1,600 companies from around the world flocked to London’s International Defence and Security Exhibition to display their military wares and to meet potential buyers of these arms.
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10/07/2013
Once equipped with cruise missiles with a range of 2,000km, China's H-6 strategic bombers will be more of a threat to US military bases in the Western Pacific than its aircraft carrier, reports Taipei-based magazine Asia-Pacific Defense.
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10/07/2013
The Air Force could lose up to 78 C-130s as the Defense Department determines its intra-theater airlift requirement, Air Mobility Command officials said. The results of a Defense Department study are classified, but one proposal calls for cutting the C-130 fleet from 358 to 280 aircraft, officials said.
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10/07/2013
A wall of Connecticut Air National Guardsmen from the 103rd Airlift Wing stood at attention Saturday afternoon at Bradley Air Base in East Granby waiting to receive their long-awaited next mission. They did it with smiles, and because of the government shutdown, they did it without pay.
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10/07/2013
Like the secret handshake of an elite club, coordination between air traffic control and airborne aircraft involves precise, sometimes complex series of movements. After scheduled avionics upgrades, Navy C-130Ts will know the handshake and be part of the club.
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10/07/2013
Jodhpur Air Force station, a front-line air base, is all set to receive a batch of five Dhruv advanced light helicopters, which will eventually replace the ageing Chetaks, a defence spokesperson said today. The advanced helicopters, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, will replace Chetak helicopters and used primarily for training, rescue and light transport, Defence spokesperson Col S D Goswami said.
(Read More...)
10/07/2013
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is offering a modernized version of its 1970 era delta-winged Kfir Mach 2+ fighter aircraft. Equipped with advanced avionics and mission systems that, the IAI claims its old fighter jet could rank in the same class of contemporary ‘fourth generation’ fighter jets.
(Read More...)
10/07/2013
The Indian Air Force (IAF) dreams of developing its own combat aircraft in 20 years. At least that is what IAF chief NAK Browne hopes, given the fact that the Air Force has acquired significant expertise in overhaul and upgrade of aircraft.
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10/06/2013
Indonesia is aiming to create eight new squadrons of fighter aircraft by 2024 as part of military upgrade programs, the head of the air force said. The Indonesian Defense Force also is set to train more pilots to cope with what could be more than 100 new jet fighters if each squadron has around 16 aircraft, the Jakarta Globe newspaper reported.
(Read More...)
10/06/2013
Boeing’s H-6U Little Bird, a staple of the special operations community, is in the running for the Marine Corps’ future unmanned lift platform. The traditionally manned Little Bird helicopter, which is used for a variety of missions, including Special Forces raids, will be evaluated here in February, putting it in a head-to-head competition with Lockheed Martin/Kaman’s K-MAX helicopter.
(Read More...)
10/06/2013
Britain became more enthusiastic about using armed UAVs as its troops in Afghanistan got used to having this kind of air support. Thus in 2012, RAF (Royal Air Force) large UAVs flew 892 missions over Afghanistan and 10 percent of the time these missions resulted in a UAV firing a missile at something it had spotted (or was looking for) on the ground.
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10/06/2013
A U.S. military research program that seeks to develop a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can launch and recover from relatively small ships for long-term maritime surveillance has grown to five separate contractors.
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10/06/2013
Russian military inspectors will begin monitoring flights over Portugal and France starting on Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Experts from Russia will be conducting flights on board of a Tu-154M Lk-1 aircraft between October 7 and 11 taking off from Lisbon Airport in Portugal and Getafe Air Base in Spain.
(Read More...)
10/05/2013
The shutdown has grounded Air Force planes at key locations across the country as furloughs and the absence of a budget begin to take a toll on a service working to sustain its operational tempo in support of combatant commanders worldwide, Air Force officials said.
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10/05/2013
Greek and Israeli Air Forces will carry out joint aeronautical exercises in the Aegean and the Peloponnese in the coming week of October. According to the Hellenic Air Force, Greece and Israel will conduct in common the following activities as part of a Greece – Israel Military Cooperation Program,
(Read More...)
10/05/2013
U.S. officials swear that America's military and diplomatic build-up in Asia is not an attempt to contain a rising China. But they sure are parking lots of advanced firepower on Beijing's doorstep. The U.S. is even welcoming the increased militarization of Japan, the country America barred from having an offensive force in the aftermath of World War II.
(Read More...)
10/05/2013
The French Air Force reports two new Rafale fighters have been delivered to its flight trial unit by the military's Directorate General of Armaments. The aircraft, the first from production lot 4, were handed to the directorate last month by Dassault Aviation. The Rafales are equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, next-generation sensors, new missile launch detectors and frontal sector optronics for target identification and range-finding.
(Read More...)
10/05/2013
Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 pushed their envelope of training when they arrived at the Combat Center Aug. 14, to conduct a variety of training exercises during the Integrated Training Exercise. What was extraordinary about this iteration of the ITX was that the squadron heavily expanded on their initial training utilizing every available asset.
(Read More...)
10/05/2013
It was a moment of high anticipation when, on October 1 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the Navy’s “Grim Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 rolled out their newest aircraft — an F-35C Lightening II. The F-35C is a break-through achievement of a Navy-industry partnership that was built to redefine U.S. air fighter support power from the sea.
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10/05/2013
Just ahead of its 81st anniversary on October 8, the IAF has virtually sounded the red-alert over its fast-dwindling number of fighter squadrons. Confronted with the government's slow decision-making, fund crunches and Hindustan Aeronautics' sluggish performance, the force is now being forced to further stagger the already long-delayed retirement of its ageing MiG-21s and MiG-27s.
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10/05/2013
To ensure military aircraft are fit for combat operations any time, India has to develop sensor technology with condition monitoring system as a vital part of their maintenance, a top defence scientist said Friday.
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10/05/2013
The IAF is operating with "much less" aircraft than its authorised strength of 42 combat squadrons and in case of any further delay in the proposed 126 fighter jet deal, the force levels in the service will "go down rapidly", its chief NAK Browne said today.
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10/04/2013
For weeks, Iraqi officials have been publicly floating the idea of using American drones to hit the increasingly lethal al-Qaeda-affiliated militants on their soil. But the ordinarily drone-friendly Obama administration is apparently in no mood to open up a new front in global campaign of unmanned attacks. An administration official tells The Cable that American drone strikes in Iraq are now off the table.
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10/04/2013
Many in the West view China's rapid military expansion as a growing threat to global and regional security. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth, or so writes Ai Zhong-Guo. Beijing has little time for global or regional domination, which it reminds everyone in its 2013 Defence White Paper.
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10/04/2013
The Netherlands recently agreed to buy 37 of the new American F-35 fighter-bombers, and possibly more if money became available. Originally the Dutch were going to buy 85 but the escalating cost of the F-35 forced them to reconsider. Some Dutch leaders wanted to stick with the F-16 and upgrade it or consider another new fighter (Gripen, Eurofighter, or F-18E). Some of the other original F-35 customers (like Canada and Denmark) have begun looking at alternatives again.
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10/04/2013
Last week, two F-16s took off, broke the sound barrier, executed several complex maneuvers including barrel rolls and "Split S" rolls, and landed -- all without a pilot. Ostensibly, these aging jets have been retrofitted by Boeing to be used as unmanned planes for target practice and training, but the implications for the future of drone warfare is clear.
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10/04/2013
The partial shutdown of the federal government notched its largest and loudest impact in this military-centric region Thursday: cancellation of this weekend's air show at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
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10/04/2013
The military is closely eyeing the V-22 Osprey for a new role as a refueling tanker after a recent successful Texas demonstration trial, Bell Helicopter officials said. In August, experts from Bell Helicopter’s Xworks facility teamed up with military pilots for an aerial trial to demonstrate that the V-22 is capable of refueling strike aircraft and possibly other military platforms, said Ken Karika, a Bell Helicopter business development specialist and former V-22 pilot.
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10/04/2013
A top Indian defence official negotiating a $12 billion deal to buy France's Rafale fighter jets has died of a heart attack, further complicating talks over the delayed contract, officials said Thursday.
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10/04/2013
Entire fighter squadrons are grounded. The Defense Department's Middle East specialists are barred from the Pentagon. Thousands of the Intelligence Community's top geeks are at home playing Minecraft. The shutdown of the United States government is starting to have very real impacts on the American defense and intelligence infrastructure.
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10/04/2013
The prototype of Russia’s first 20-ton combat drone will be unveiled in 2018, a defense industry source said Thursday.
The 20-ton unmanned combat aerial vehicle is being developed by the Sukhoi company, and will be based on the fifth-generation T-50 fighter, United Aircraft Corporation president Mikhail Pogosyan said during the MAKS 2013 airshow near Moscow in August.
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10/03/2013
A new fighter plane built by China is drawing more snickers than raves from aviation experts, and the People's Army is now saying the jet was really ticketed for export all along.
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10/03/2013
A McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II combat aircraft operated by the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri - THK) crashed in the country's central Sivas Province, national media reported on 30 September.
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10/03/2013
Held every year in the town of Nizhny Tagil in the Ural region, the Russian Arms Expo is a weapons-makers’ version of Mardi Gras: lots of costumes, noise and tourists.
Amid the constant thud of target practice by demonstration tanks, severe-looking military attachés mingle with camouflage-clad dads, children in tow, out for a day of spotting the latest military hardware.
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10/03/2013
An additional squadron of advanced combat aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI is likely to be stationed at the Indian Air Force’s eastern-most station in view of the strategic importance of the base.
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10/03/2013
Perhaps the most impressive of Namco Bandai's upcoming free-to-play efforts is Ace Combat Infinity. It certainly doesn't hurt that Project Aces' PS3 game is absolutely gorgeous. Utilizing the latest version of their engine, it looks absolutely phenomenal.
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10/03/2013
Draken International Inc., a provider of commercial and tactical fighter aircraft, has received 25 MiG-21 fighters for U.S. Department of Defense pilot combat training and test pilot schools.
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10/03/2013
THE confusion over the operational readiness of the South African Air Force deepened further on Wednesday following the tabling of the Department of Defence’s annual report, which appears to contradict itself.
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10/03/2013
Against the backdrop of pressing regional tensions, the United States and Japan agreed Thursday to broaden their military alliance, including by adding a new missile defense radar system in Japan and cooperating to combat cyberthreats.
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10/03/2013
Air Combat Command is grounding aircraft that are not immediately training to deploy, officials said Wednesday. The stand down is because of the government shutdown, the command said.
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10/02/2013
Britain is supposed to finally get its own locally made large UAVs this year. Back in 2006 the British began developing the Watchkeeper UAV and by 2010 got its Watchkeeper into the air for the first time. There are two models of this UAV; the Watchkeeper 180 and the Watchkeeper 450. Both are based on Israeli designs (the Hermes 180 and 450).
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10/02/2013
The medium-lift MV-22 Osprey, proven in combat as a troop and equipment transport, could soon get a new mission — refueling other aircraft. A series of tests in August and September has given aviation officials hope that the Osprey could be used to extend the range of other platforms.
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10/02/2013
Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee and NATO conducted joint exercises Vigilant Skies. This is a rare example of cooperation in the face of the deteriorating situation on the Syrian issue where the parties stick to the opposite positions.
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10/02/2013
The F-35C aircraft, affectionately dubbed "Charlie" was rolled out in a special ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base, Tuesday. The fifth generation jet is the latest in defense machinery and it's what some call "the future" of naval aviation.
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10/02/2013
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will not let its fighter squadron strength drop below the existing 34 till 2017 as the Soviet-era workhorse, Mig-21s, are being gradually replaced with Sukhoi-30 MKIs.
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10/01/2013
Facing the challenge of US and Japanese submarines operating within disputed territorial waters, the People's Liberation Army is preparing for a three-dimensional anti-submarine system consisted of aircraft, surface combat vessels and submarines, according to the Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po.
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10/01/2013
The U.S. Air Force is moving to retire outdated aircraft from its fighter inventory, including F-16s and A-10s that have for decades been operated by the Air National Guard.Scorpion
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10/01/2013
The first Chinese combat aircraft built specifically for aircraft carrier use, the J-15, appears to have started mass production. Last November one was seen making touch and go landings on the new carrier Liaoning. Since then several J-15s have been seen at navy air bases painted as combat (gray), not development (yellow), aircraft.
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10/01/2013
Job creation will stand as the chief factor when the Danish government convenes to select a replacement type for its aging F-16 fleet in mid-2015.
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10/01/2013
UK public spending on military research and development has long been among the highest in the world. Its advocates argue that this spending is focused on defending Britain and keeping our soldiers safe – an argument that has been hard to challenge because of the opaque nature of Ministry of Defence accounting practices.
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10/01/2013
September was not a good month for Boeing’s military platforms. Last week, South Korea’s air force indicated that Boeing’s F-15SE (Silent Eagle) proposal, which had earlier been selected as sole compliant bidder by the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), would not be acceptable for the FX-3 fighter competition.
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09/30/2013
About 40 pilots fly the MQ-1 Predator on armed recon missions abroad from inside a building at the Springfield Air National Guard Base, but the local Air Guard wing has openings for 10 more. The Air Force as a whole has embraced unmanned aerial technology so rapidly that it can’t find and train those pilots fast enough, according to a recent think tank report.
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09/30/2013
Tim Steller’s recent column is a valuable addition to the debate over the deployment of the F-35 aircraft. Populated with an abundance of military retirees and a supportive business community, there is no question that Tucson is an Air Force town that will continue to favor the presence of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
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09/30/2013
After years of delays and huge cost over-runs, Airbus on Monday delivers its first A400M military transport plane, handing over the huge turboprop to France at its Spanish assembly plant. The pan-European aircraft maker expects the ceremony at the Airbus Military plant in Seville, southern Spain, to be the start of sales to military forces worldwide.
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09/30/2013
Russia and the United States are running neck and neck in their research of hypersonic military technologies, Russia's deputy PM in charge of the defense industry said on Monday.
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09/29/2013
The Department of Defense announced a mind-boggling 113 separate contract awards on Friday, worth $10.92 billion in total. Amazing as this number is, however, three other numbers are even more impressive: One single company won nine of these contracts -- and more than 40% of the Pentagon's money.
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09/29/2013
IAF fighter jets were scrambled into Israel's skies twice Saturday, for reasons that are unknown. Such events usually occur when it is believed that a foreign aircraft is invading Israeli airspace. The IDF has refused to say why the jets were scrambled.
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09/29/2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel criticized Congress on Saturday as "astoundingly irresponsible" and said that using threats to shut down the government to satisfy a political whim is dangerously shortsighted.
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09/29/2013
According to the Iranian Press TV, the Iranian Army unveiled Saturday, a new indigenously manufactured combat drone, the Yasir, at a ceremony attended by senior military officials, including the Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan.
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09/29/2013
After it was dropped from consideration in South Korea’s fighter competition, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter appears to be back in the running after a Defense Ministry source cited the need to counter North Korea with a fifth-generation fighter.
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09/28/2013
To provide Air Combat Command the best assessment of Maritime Strike Operations, the 53rd Wing partnered with other members of the Team Eglin test community to deliver increased combat capability for the warfighter. The final phase of the two-year evaluation was a month-long test over the Gulf of Mexico that ended Sept. 6.
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09/28/2013
As the sunshine and blue sky lay above the warm waves on Pensacola Beach, a pair of high performance jets soar high over the northern gulf waters in a aerobatic display which captures the attention of the sunbathers below. The twin U.S. Navy jets quickly break away in a planned maneuver and begin to soar higher into the cloudless sky. Suddenly, the jets ignite a white smoke trail which begins to trace their flight path of twin circles.
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09/28/2013
Ace Combat Infinity is Namco Bandai’s upcoming free to play aerial combat game for the PlayStation 3. Project leader Kazutoki Kono says that for this game, they’re going back to the roots and standards of the Ace Combat series.
(Read More...)
09/28/2013
The uniformed chiefs of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps got another shot Wednesday at describing the deepening readiness crisis that Congress has inflicted on the armed forces.
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09/28/2013
Flight trials of the MiG-29K on the INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) in the Barents Sea have been completed. Deliveries of the naval version of the fighter to India continue, with the carrier to follow on November 15, and the Russian Navy will soon receive its first MiG-29K. The Russian defense ministry confirmed this month that its only remaining carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, will be modernized to accept MiG-29Ks as well as the Sukhoi Su-25UTG light attack and Su-33 combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
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09/28/2013
The F-16 was one of the iconic fighter jets of the twentieth century, but, like all military hardware, it was eventually replaced by something else and retired to a stately desert to quietly rust away. At least until Boeing decided they could totally turn them into awesome robots.
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09/28/2013
CBC News has learned the Conservative government intends to reform Canada's troubled system of military procurement and could announce its plans as early as next month's speech from the throne. Those plans could see the formation of a new agency under a single minister to manage all military procurement, or a secretariat of bureaucrats from each of the departments currently involved in sourcing Canada's military equipment.
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09/28/2013
After South Korea decided this week that Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle was not good enough for its next generation of fighter jets, the country returned to the quandary it has been grappling with for the past two years. On one hand, the F-15SE may not be sophisticated enough, but it is cheap enough to meet the South Korean military’s budget cap of 8.3 trillion won, or $7.7 billion.
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09/28/2013
Since its introduction to the Air Force in 1986, the B-1B Lancer has been the backbone of the bomber fleet because of its speed, payload and continuously upgraded capabilities. On Sept. 4, a single B-1 from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron took off from Dyess Air Force Base, with the Gulf of Mexico as its destination.
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09/27/2013
Recent comments by the Air Force chief of staff were cause for excitement for those who work in the J-STARS mission at Robins Air Force Base. The Air Force has previously listed its top three acquisition priorities as the KC-46A refueling tanker, a long-range strike bomber and the F-35 fighter. However, while speaking at an Air Force Association conference, Gen. Mark Welsh added a fourth priority, which is new planes for J-STARS, or Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.
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09/27/2013
A U.S. Air Force crew ferried an MC-130J Commando II Special Operations Forces tanker from the Lockheed Martin facilities here yesterday. The Super Hercules aircraft is assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command and will be based at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. The Commando II supports such missions as in-flight refueling, infiltration/exfiltration, and aerial delivery and resupply of special operations forces.
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09/27/2013
Indonesia has received the last delivery of Sukhoi fighter jets it ordered from a Russian producer, thus turning its Sukhoi Flanker air superiority fighter jet fleet into one full squadron. The delivery of the last two Su-30 Mk2 planes took place on Wednesday in Indonesian air forces base of Hasanuddin, located in the capital city of South Sulawesi province, Makassar where the air forces' 11th squadron wing 5 is based.
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09/27/2013
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., has placed a hold on the White House’s nominee for Air Force secretary, blocking the confirmation process of Deborah Lee James until questions are answered regarding potential cuts to the A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft, according to an Ayotte aide.
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09/27/2013
Those intellectual swashbucklers from the Center for a New American Security are at it again, this time with an essay over at Foreign Policy detailing the dangers likely to accompany drone operations in Asia. Precipitating their commentary was China's first deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Senkaku Islands. The overflight took place earlier this month, timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Tokyo's nationalization of the archipelago. (So much for Chinese subtlet
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09/26/2013
British defense company BAE Systems PLC, one of the world’s largest, may be unique within the global defense industry as a company well prepared for reduced U.S. military spending, wrote UBS AG analysts on Wednesday. “BAE Systems is unique in our defense coverage in that it has a large enough growth market in the Middle East (mainly Saudi Arabia) to offset the decline in the U.S. defense,” wrote defense analyst Charles Armitage in a research note.
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09/26/2013
India is set to buy American defence equipment worth five billion US dollars and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who left for the United States today, is carrying a long shopping list. Among the hardware that India is looking to purchase are six additional C-130 J Hercules Medium Lift Aircraft, 22 Apache Attack Helicopters, 15 Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopters and about 140 M-777 ultra-light towed Howitzers.
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09/26/2013
South Korea's decision to reject a bid by Boeing to supply 60 warplanes and to re-issue a tender was made in the interests of better technology but may not be justified given North Korea's weak air capabilities, experts said on Wednesday.
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09/26/2013
Pratt & Whitney and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) have begun testing of Pratt & Whitney's unique, adaptive supersonic fighter engine fan rig based on a full-scale F135 development fan to advance the next generation of military fighter engine technology.
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09/26/2013
South Korea's government bowed to public pressure on Tuesday and voted down a bid by Boeing to supply 60 warplanes, saying it would restart the multi-billion tender process to get a more advanced, radar-evading fighter. Lockheed Martin's F-35A, previously considered too expensive, has shot to the front of the line in the race for the contract after the defence ministry singled out a fifth-generation fighter as the preferred option.
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09/25/2013
As shown in the first section of this paper, Buzan and Waever emphasise that South Africa holds the regional unipolarity in Southern Africa RSC by its economic dominance over neighbours and the predisposition of regional states to accept its leadership. This section attempts to validate this proposition in the 2000s and to include, based on methodological guidelines of neorealist theory of International Relations, indicators related to material capabilities to evaluate the polarity of the region
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09/25/2013
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei Tuesday slammed reports that China is attempting to steal unmanned military drone technology from the United States as "groundless". China and the U.S. has formed the cyber security working group and the two sides conducted smooth communications on the cyber security issue, said the spokesman, adding that such reports are groundless and is not good for China-U.S. cooperation on cyber security.
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09/25/2013
European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. plans to improve its bid to sell 60 Eurofighter Typhoons to South Korea, and top Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. when a competition for the combat jets is reopened.
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09/25/2013
The U.S. Air Force has saved hundreds of millions of dollars by changing the way it flies equipment out of Afghanistan, using shorter trips to the Persian Gulf rather than direct routes to the United States, a general said. A fleet of a dozen C-17 cargo planes and additional commercial aircraft lift the gear from Kandahar and other bases in Afghanistan to ports in the Gulf, where it's loaded onto ships bound for the U.S., according to Gen. Paul Selva, commander of Air Mobility Command.
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09/25/2013
The U.S. military has been forced to relocate a large fleet of drones from a key counterterrorism base on the Horn of Africa after a string of crashes fanned local fears that the unmanned aircraft were at risk of colliding with passenger planes, according to documents and interviews.
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09/25/2013
The Pentagon has released the names of the Navy pilots killed in a helicopter crash in the Red Sea Sunday. They are Lt. Cmdr. Landon L. Jones, 35, of Lompoc and Chief Warrant Officer Jonathon S. Gibson, 32, of Aurora, Ore. Both were stationed at North Island Naval Air Station. Both men are married and each has two small children.
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09/25/2013
It said that one of the Lockheed Martin F-16 made a first flight with an empty cockpit last week. Two US Air Force pilots controlled the plane from the ground as it flew from a Florida base to the Gulf of Mexico. Boeing suggested that the innovation could ultimately be used to help train pilots, providing an adversary they could practise firing on.
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09/25/2013
Lockheed Martin Corp. and its partners in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program will have another year to cut the advanced jet's cost and rebid on a multibillion-dollar contract with South Korea after that country's rejection of a rival plane built by Boeing Co.
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09/25/2013
Russia’s Defense Minister has urged defense firms to speed up work to develop combat drones, a senior industry official said Tuesday. Oleg Bochkarev, deputy head of the government Military-Industrial Commission, told RIA Novosti that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had issued instructions to this effect in July.
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09/24/2013
The Air Force is bracing to cut up to 25,000 total force airmen — nearly 5 percent of the force — over the next five years if the current spending cuts known as the sequester continue, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told lawmakers Sept. 18. And up to 550 aircraft — about 9 percent of the Air Force’s fleet — could also be cut, Welsh said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
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09/24/2013
The Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising combat Pilots and ground technical crew landed back at an operational Air Base in China on Monday after successful culmination of the joint Air Exercise “Shaheen-II”. Earlier the closing ceremony was hosted by Lt Gen Zheng Qun Liang, Deputy Commander PLA Air Force. It was attended by Air Marshal Sohail Aman, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) and a team of high ranking PAF officials.
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09/24/2013
Sikorsky is set to begin assembly of its S-97 Raider light attack helicopter this week and an announcement from the manufacturer is expected soon. A Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. spokesperson confirmed the schedule, which marks the imminent entry of Sikorsky in a market likely to give the manufacturer an edge, at least for now, over competition in the tactical attack area.
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09/24/2013
The news item was nothing new. It was a virtual repeat of the age-old and familiar story — “India shops for 6 Chinook choppers” — a routine defence ministry initiative to upgrade and modernize the inventory of the Indian Air Force with the latest imported technology that always is an ‘ongoing process’.
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09/24/2013
The U.S. Navy has suspended the search for two San Diego-based helicopter pilots who went down in the Red Sea on Sunday. Navy officials have concluded that it’s “extremely unlikely” that the two people are still alive more than a day after their MH-60S Knighthawk went into the water.
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09/24/2013
Boeing Co. is favored to win an 8.3 trillion-won ($7.7 billion) fighter-jet deal from South Korea, sustaining its F-15 production line and handing a setback to Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) in the world’s biggest combat aircraft tender this year.
(Read More...)
09/24/2013
There used to be one way to build a brand new, state-of-the-art fighter jet from scratch. Backed by millions (if not billions) of taxpayer dollars, a military would debate the potential jets' cutting-edge technology requirements, entertain bids from various aerospace contractors, perform multiple design reviews, award a development contract.
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09/24/2013
Lockheed Martin received an $18 million contract from the National Warhead and Energetic Consortium to transition the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) to production. The contract includes developing production line tooling, test equipment and manufacturing process plans for initial production of the advanced projectile. The guidance and control unit will be assembled at Lockheed Martin’s Ocala, Fla., facility. Final assembly of LRLAP will be performed at the company’s Troy, Ala., facili
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09/24/2013
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have completed the first unmanned QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target flight, demonstrating the next generation of combat training and testing.
Two U.S. Air Force test pilots in a ground control station remotely flew the QF-16, which is a retired F-16 jet modified to be an aerial target. The QF-16 mission profile included auto takeoff, a series of simulated maneuvers, supersonic flight, and an auto land, all without a pilot in the cockpit.
(Read More...)
09/24/2013
A Soviet-era Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft crashed during a routine training flight in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Monday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The statement said contact with the pilot was lost at 8:17 p.m. Moscow time (16:17 GMT). The plane crashed 49 kilometers from the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield.
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09/23/2013
On the morning of Sept. 8, two H-6 bombers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy made training flights across the sea area between the main Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako-Jima, and on to the West Pacific. Fighters of Japan Air Self Defense Force were scrambled urgently in response.
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09/23/2013
There are believed to be several thousand Russian Moslems (most from the Caucasus, particularly Chechnya) fighting for the rebels in Syria. While effective fighters, the Russians don’t get along well with some of the Islamic terrorists groups or even the more numerous secular rebel organizations. Some Islamic radical rebels have openly suggested that the Russians go home and do their fighting and arguing with allies there.
(Read More...)
09/23/2013
The Indian Air Force is pressing ahead with a plan to intensify its operations in the sensitive Ladakh sector, with special-mission planes being landed every week at the world’s highest military airstrip located at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), despite resistance from China.
(Read More...)
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09/23/2013
If and when the U.S. attack on Syria takes place, it will be different in some ways from any previous intervention. But it will have one thing in common with every war the United States has fought in the past 50 years: B-52s will be available for the fight.
(Read More...)
09/23/2013
I'm privileged to serve with more than 140 thousand active duty, civilian, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen who provide dominant combat airpower around the world, ensuring our Nation's security. They are our greatest treasure — extraordinarily innovative and skilled — without question they are the source of our combat capability, providing effective airpower anytime, anywhere, in support of our national security strategy.
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09/23/2013
Three crew members are accounted for and stable. Search efforts continue for the two remaining. Six Navy ships are assisting in the search and rescue, as well as the rest of the HSC-6 squadron, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75 and one P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron 47.
(Read More...)
09/23/2013
There was some relief last week in the F-35 camp, when news came that the Netherlands was committing to the purchase of 37 of the stealth fighters. The plan sets a budget of 4.5 billion euros, or $6 billion, for the aircraft and a further 270 million euros a year for maintenance and operating costs — equivalent to the annual operating costs of the current F-16 fleet, the New York Times has reported.
(Read More...)
09/23/2013
Turkish ambitions to develop and build the first ever made-in-Turkey fighter aircraft and at the same time buy a new generation, multinational combat jet may go beyond Turkey’s financing capacity, industry sources and experts said. They said Turkey could face a US $50 billion bill in the next few decades if it decides to go ahead with now maturing plans to build an indigenous fighter jet and order scores of the US-led, multinational F-35 joint strike fighter in a parallel move.
(Read More...)
09/23/2013
Norwegian military inspectors are set to fly above Russia and Belarus starting from Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official has said. “Within the framework of the international Open Skies Treaty, Norwegian specialists flying Romania’s An-30 aircraft will perform a surveillance flight above the territories of Russia and Belarus in the period between September 23 and 27”.
(Read More...)
09/22/2013
Vietnam has bought another twelve Russian Su-30MK2 jet fighters, for over $46 million each. This will make 36 of this type of aircraft Vietnam has bought in the last eight years. The MK2 version of the Su-30 has electronics that enable the use of anti-ship missiles. This latest order will take until 2015 to be delivered. Vietnam also has ten of the similar Su-27 fighters.
(Read More...)
09/22/2013
Hill Air Force Base received an F-35 Lightning II last week that will be modified in Utah. The modifications will help the F-35 stay the "most lethal weapon ever built." The Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Navy are all counting on the fighter jet for the bulk of their tactical airpower.
(Read More...)
09/22/2013
The 7th Fighter Squadron, which flies Holloman's 24 F-22 Raptors, was supposed to move its hundreds of F-22 support personnel and aircraft to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., in the spring of 2013 to comply with the Air Force's F-22 fleet consolidation plan, but that never happened. Congress enacted a freeze on U.S. Air Force structure changes, including aircraft transfers.
(Read More...)
09/22/2013
For almost two years, hackers based in Shanghai went after one foreign defense contractor after another, at least 20 in all. Their target, according to an American cybersecurity company that monitored the attacks, was the technology behind the United States’ clear lead in military drones.
(Read More...)
09/21/2013
The U.S. military's future satellite operations could include a reusable vehicle that can fly like an airplane, go faster than Mach 10 and be launched multiple times in a short time frame.
That's the goal of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's new XS-1 project which aims to reduce costs associated with traditional satellite launches. DARPA will hear proposals on the new hypersonic space plane on Oct. 7.
(Read More...)
09/21/2013
This video is particularly interesting because it not only gives an idea of what flying in the backseat of an F-16 looks like, but let’s you hear some pilots talk: for instance, at a certain point you can hear the formation leader’s say to the rest of the flight to switch on “discrete freq” 138.150 MHz.
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09/21/2013
The Boeing Company engineers needed a Remote Interface Unit (RIU) for the F-15C/D Advanced Display Core Processor (ADCP) II aircraft. They found their solution at L-3 Display Systems. The RIU is a redundant, programmable input/output processing system that collects and manages heads-up display (HUD), hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS), and other F-15C/D analog and digital signals for distribution using the aircraft’s digital bus interfaces.
(Read More...)
09/21/2013
The French Government Defense procurement agency takes delivery of the first aircraft of the fourth production tranche of the Rafale program. The sixty aircraft of this production lot are all fitted as standard with next-generation sensors, namely the RBE2 Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) radar with active antenna, the new-generation missile launch detector (DDM NG) and the new front sector optronics "Identification and Telemetry.”
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09/21/2013
Aviation has come a long way since the intrepid Wright brothers made the first powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight in 1903. More than a century has passed since that fateful morning in Kitty Hawk, N.C., and since then, engineers have created planes that can fly higher and faster than Wilbur and Orville Wright likely ever imagined. Here are 10 of the fastest military airplanes.
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09/21/2013
The U.S. Air Force has a message for Iran: Don’t mess with our drones. In what only can be described as a scene out of Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun,” Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Air Force chief of staff, describes how F-22 stealth jets scared off Iranian jets from a U.S. drone flying in international airspace.
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09/21/2013
The U.S. Air Force’s Air Logistics Complex (ALC) at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah, hosted a ceremony today marking the arrival of the first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft to a depot facility.
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09/21/2013
The United States has not ruled out military strikes against Syria if Damascus does not abide by a US-Russian plan to hand over its chemical weapons arsenal, a White House official said Friday ahead of UN Security Council talks on enforcing the disarmament program. “We are not forsaking the option of the United States and our allies taking military action,” White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters during a conference call.
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09/21/2013
Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will take part in five-day naval exercises in the Barents Sea from Saturday until September 25, a spokesman for Russia’s Northern Fleet said Friday. “The Admiral Kuznetsov set sail from the naval base in Severomorsk yesterday, heading toward the exercise area in the Barents Sea,” Capt. 1st Rank Vadim Serga said.
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09/20/2013
The skies over Okinawa are often perilous, with sudden squalls complicating air traffic over this subtropical Japanese outpost. In recent months, the treacherous airspace has gotten even busier, with Japanese fighter jets based in Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, scrambling in record numbers as tensions between China and Japan spiral over a scattering of disputed islands.
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09/20/2013
Four years after entering squadron service, the U.S. Navy's EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft is being upgraded with a communications technology that allows the EA-18G to share data instantly with other EA-18Gs and other types of aircraft (combat and support, like E-2 and E-3 AWACS). The new capability is JTIDS (Joint Tactical Information Data System).
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09/20/2013
Despite pains by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) to keep the F-16 upgrade program on course, the effort could be derailed by US defense budget cuts that endanger the US Air Force’s Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) program for its own F-16s.
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09/20/2013
The East European country of Belarus is retiring its Su-27 fighters. It will probably sell them, unless it is able to find the cash to refurbish them. The Su-27s are 25 years old and were not built to fly more than 3,000 hours. This is low for modern jet fighters but typical of Russian combat aircraft. For example, last year the first 18 Su-30s India received from Russia were retired after a decade of service and a service life of only 4,000 flight hours.
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09/20/2013
Montenegrin airspace is tol be protected by Croatian aircrafs. The day on which when this agreement will be formalized is not far off, as the Government of Montenegro has adopted a draft agreement between the Ministries of Podgorica, Zagreb, Sarajevo and Skopje on air surveillance.
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09/20/2013
The uniformed chiefs of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps got another shot Wednesday at describing the deepening readiness crisis that Congress has inflicted on the armed forces.
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09/20/2013
The first Exercise Arctic Challenge, which includes more than 60 aircraft from five partner nations, here began Sept. 16. Norwegian F-16 Fighting Falcons, Swedish JAS-39 Gripens, Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and U.K. Eurofighter Typhoons took to the skies with U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, F-15C Eagles and KC-135 Stratotankers to train in a combined environment.
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09/20/2013
Lockheed Martin delivered its 12th C-5M Super Galaxy to the U.S. Air Force from its facilities here today. Major General Rowayne “Wayne” Schatz Jr., Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. flew the Super Galaxy to Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., where it will undergo internal paint restoration before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
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09/20/2013
Recent ship trials for the Lockheed Martin F-35B onboard the USS Wasp [LHD-1] underscored the fifth-generation fighter’s unique capabilities and operational utility according to Marines and sailors alike.
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09/19/2013
Israel's defense industry is under scrutiny for not being particular enough about its customers amid allegations it exploits the West Bank to develop security systems. "A key component of the militarized state is the drive to increase the production and export of weapons while also becoming a global security-services provider," former Central Intelligence Agency officer Philip Giraldi said.
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09/19/2013
A laser-guided GBU-10 targets a mobile surface vehicle Sept. 4, 2013, at a training range in the Gulf of Mexico. A B-1B from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, alongside other bomber and fighter aircraft, participated in a maritime tactics development and evaluation exercise with the goal of improving and better understanding the aircraft’s capabilities in a maritime environment.
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09/19/2013
The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities.
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09/19/2013
The U.S. military’s gloomy future came into clearer focus Wednesday when the four service chiefs testified on Capitol Hill about the long-term impact of defense spending caps on the force, including troop cuts, deployment-to-dwell times and cutbacks to worldwide operations.
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09/19/2013
Since its formation in 1947, the U.S. Air Force has tended toward the high end of the combat-aircraft spectrum. The service began its independent life flying the lightweight P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre, but quickly gravitated to the heavy F-105 Thunderchief, F-106 Delta Dart and eventually the F-111, a fighter in designation only.
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09/19/2013
After nearly a year of relying on helicopters for the bulk of its air cargo transportation, the Afghan Air Force will receive its first C-130H Hercules transports early next month. The U.S. Air Force is slated to give the Afghans four C-130H aircraft. Two of those aircraft will be delivered on Oct. 10, the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan announced on Wednesday.
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09/19/2013
Singapore's most modern fighter jets are now combat ready, strengthening the Republic's air defence shield. The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) 24 F-15 SG fighter jets went operational on Wednesday. Singapore received its first F-15 aircraft in 2009. The F-15 jet is considered one of the top fighter planes in the world. It has racked up a combat record of 104 victories and zero losses in 30 years of air battles worldwide.
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09/19/2013
Boeing [NYSE: BA] will complete production of the C-17 Globemaster III and close the C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach, Calif. in 2015. "Ending C-17 production was a very difficult but necessary decision," said Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
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09/19/2013
Latvia’s defense minister on Wednesday slammed frequent flights by Russian warplanes near the country’s airspace. Flights by Russian Air Force aircraft are not only a show of force but also part of a military training program, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said in an interview broadcast on Latvian TV Wednesday.
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09/18/2013
The Dutch defense ministry said on Tuesday that it had selected the F-35 fighter jet from Lockheed Martin to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, bringing an end to years of uncertainty over the Netherlands’ commitment to a program that has been plagued by technical delays and mounting development costs.
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09/18/2013
Embraer Defense & Security Inc. says it is on schedule to begin delivering A-29 Super Tucano training and combat air support aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. The 20 aircraft are being supplied for the U.S. Air Force's Light Air Support program and will be transferred to the Air Force of Afghanistan.
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09/18/2013
On Monday of this week, the Air Force Association kicked off its annual Air & Space Conference near the nation’s capital — just in time for a front-page story in the widely-read trade publication Defense News disclosing that the service will comply with congressionally-mandated budget caps by slashing funds for several combat systems. Parts of the story sounded improbable, like the passage stating that the service would retire the most productive tankers in its aerial-refueling fleet.
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09/18/2013
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Amos will soon decide what actions to take after receiving the results of an investigation into how a spectacular and deadly attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan occurred last fall, Marine officials said Tuesday.
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09/18/2013
Worth $300 million, the indefinite quantity contract runs through 2016 and tasks Boeing with providing hardware and service in support of US Special Operations Command’s UAVs. This contract is the biggest of multiple wins for Boeing, which includes two additional contracts totaling an extra $30 million. Perhaps even more exciting is the recent news that Boeing has emerged as the sole eligible bidder to help replace South Korea's aging aerospace fleet.
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09/18/2013
Syria has admitted that an army helicopter shot down by Turkish forces on Monday had crossed briefly into Turkish airspace, but insists it was not on a combat mission. Syrian opposition activists say rebels captured one of the two pilots in Syrian territory. Syria’s army claims the helicopter was monitoring “terrorists” crossing into the country and was on its way back when it was hit.
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09/18/2013
Tires that wear out too soon are adding to the troubles facing Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35, the Pentagon’s costliest weapons system. Landing-gear tires made by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. for the Marine Corps version of the fighter have “been experiencing an unacceptable wear rate when operating as a conventional aircraft,” according to Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the Defense Department’s F-35 program office.
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09/18/2013
Six flights were performed with the self-protection system – which is used to detect and identify threats to the aircraft and confuse heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles – validating its operation and integration with the helicopter’s other functions. The system was developed by Helibras’ Engineering Center under the supervision of Chief Engineer Walter Filho.
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09/18/2013
The United States and Russia remained at loggerheads Tuesday over the potential use of force against Syria should Damascus fail to abide by a US-Russian plan to secure chemical weapons stockpiles controlled by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
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09/18/2013
Aircraft, crews and supporting personnel from the Royal Saudi Air Force, (RSAF) have been operating alongside their allies from the Royal Air Force as Exercise Saudi-British Green Flag took place at RAF Coningsby.
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09/17/2013
Reconnaissance gadgets and robotic warfare devices are getting smaller by the year, with James Bond like technology being offered to a wide range of buyers, from police forces to special military units. The market place for such technology has become Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition held at ExCel London.
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09/17/2013
South Korea will select the winner of its fighter jet project next week, with Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle deemed a favorite as it is the only candidate to meet the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget, the state procurement agency said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has completed biddings and evaluations on three jets - Boeing's F-15 SE, Lockheed Martin's F-35 and the EADS' Eurofighter - and briefed President Park Geun-hye on the results last week.
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09/17/2013
The U.S. is transferring a squadron (battalion) of combat helicopters to South Korea to reinforce the army combat aviation brigade and the 28,000 American troops already there. The new squadron has 380 troops and 30 OH-58D armed reconnaissance helicopters and will arrive in South Korea by October, as part of a program to raise U.S. troops strength slightly (to 30,000 or so) in anticipation of problems with North Korea.
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09/17/2013
The race is on to build the U.S. Army's new super-helicopter - and competition is heating up. As of March, four companies, and teams of companies, had submitted proposals to the Army to build a new "Future Vertical Lift," or FVL, aircraft to replace the hodgepodge of Kiowa scout helicopters, Black Hawk and Chinook transports, and Apache attack helos that currently carry soldiers into battle, and support ground troops once they're there.
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09/17/2013
Northrop Grumman on Thursday unveiled a new anti-missile laser protection system designed for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Washington. The Threat Nullification Defensive Resource — ThNDR for short, to compliment the F-35’s “Lightning” designation — is a progression from Northrop’s directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) family of systems.
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09/17/2013
It takes a gutsy move for a company to pitch a brand new, clean-sheet aircraft to the Pentagon for a set of requirements it has not even said it wants, and to present this idea while defense spending in the U.S. faces massive cuts.
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09/17/2013
A Turkish fighter jet shot down a Syrian military helicopter on Monday after it entered Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings to leave, an official has said. The helicopter strayed 2km into Turkish airspace, but crashed inside Syria after being hit by missiles fired from the jet, according to Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Bulent Arinc.
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09/17/2013
Faced with steep budget cuts and the desire to keep existing procurement initiatives on track, the Air Force is considering scrapping its entire fleet of A-10 attack jets and KC-10 tankers, according to multiple military and defense sources. Also on the chopping block are F-15C fighters and a planned $6.8 billion purchase of new combat search-and-rescue helicopters, these sources say.
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09/17/2013
L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) announced today that it has been awarded a contract modification to build the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) two F-16 Block 52 Weapon Tactics Trainers (WTTs), two brief/debrief systems and one mission observation centre.
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09/16/2013
There are not many heroes in the should-we-bomb-Syria debate, but if there is one, it might be the cruise missile. For weeks the news media have discussed the positioning in the Mediterranean of American destroyers and submarines, which carry the Tomahawk cruise missile. And whether arguing pro or con, most of the politicians and military experts have come back to it as the central instrument of U.S. power in this curious crisis.
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09/16/2013
Nine hundred hours in the air. That’s the life of a Navy helicopter pilot less than halfway through his career. Lt. Kasey Scheel flies the MH-60S helicopter, a search-and-rescue aircraft that also delivers people and cargo to Navy ships. After a deployment on the aircraft carrier Nimitz and a one-year tour in Qatar, Scheel is back at North Island Naval Air Station as an instructor pilot.
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09/16/2013
Faced with steep budget cuts and the desire to keep existing procurement initiatives on track, the US Air Force is considering scrapping its entire fleet of KC-10 tankers and A-10 attack jets, according to multiple military and defense sources. Also on the chopping block are F-15C fighter jets and a planned $6.8 billion purchase of new combat search-and-rescue helicopters, these sources say.
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09/16/2013
Canadian military inspectors will fly over the territories of Russia and Belarus starting from Monday as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. “In the period between September 16 and 20, a group of Canadian experts will make a surveillance flight above the territories of Russia and Belarus on board of a [Lockheed Martin] C-130J observation aircraft,” Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said.
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09/15/2013
NASA is now utilizing surplus military drones to investigate hurricanes from Maine to the Caribbean. WJZ 13 in Baltimore reports the space agency launched a drone from its Wallops Island facility in Virginia on Wednesday in order to get a close-up look at Hurricane Humberto, still lingering off the Eastern seaboard.
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09/15/2013
“The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Union Defence Minister A K Antony, has given approval for the proposals to buy six C-130J special operations planes for `4,000 crore and place an order for 236 T-90 tanks worth `6,000 crore,” a Defence Ministry official said.
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09/15/2013
Northrop Grumman's portfolio of high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have achieved 100,000 flight hours - more than 88 percent of which were logged by the U.S. Air Force Global Hawk. The remaining hours were flown by the NASA Global Hawks, the German EURO HAWK, and the U.S. Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator and, more recently, Triton UAS.
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09/15/2013
The 1973 war shaped the way in which Israel's military and intelligence saw strategic developments in the region. Now, with a new generation at the helm and new challenges in the Arab world, the IDF is beginning to adapt to the changes in and around it.
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09/14/2013
Beijing has warned the United States not to support China’s neighbors’ claims to disputed islands in the East and South China Seas, the government said Friday. Sino-Japanese ties have soured dramatically since Tokyo nationalized some of the Senkaku islands, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea a year ago.
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09/14/2013
BAE Systems, Inc. and Rolls-Royce today announced that Rolls-Royce 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 the engine supplier to BAE Systems on this pursuit, Rolls-Royce will lead the support and integration of the Adour Mk951 engine on the Hawk AJTS aircraft.
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09/14/2013
Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington Sept. 27, the Indian Defence Ministry’s highest body on Friday cleared the acquisition of six C-130J Hercules transport aircraft from the US. The aircraft are being purchased on a government-to-government basis at a cost of more than US $1 billion. The clearance to top the existing six C-130J aircraft with another six was made at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council.
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09/14/2013
The Air Force’s F-35 program is expected to reach two major milestones this fall: the adoption of an advanced software and weapons system on the single-engine jet, and the beginning of major pilot training at the service’s second base for the fighter.
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09/14/2013
Ask a layman to name an unmanned aerial vehicle, and he will probably cite one of the armed drones used by the Air Force, such as the Predator or Reaper. Naval UAVs used for reconnaissance, such as the ScanEagle and Raven, have stayed mostly out of the public eye.
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09/14/2013
Over the next several weeks, there will be a raft of news stories disclosing cuts to Pentagon weapons programs. The stories will begin with briefings by the military services to the defense secretary’s management team next week about their planned budget requests for fiscal 2015, and then continue into the fitful beginning of the 2014 fiscal year two weeks later.
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09/14/2013
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken delivery of nine locally refurbished Alpha Jets and one C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which the military says will be deployed to transport troops locally and in regional peacekeeping support operations. The nine Alpha jets were refurbished by the Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited (AETSL), a subsidiary of the Nigerian Air Force Holdings Company.
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09/14/2013
The next time a major natural disaster strikes in the Asia-Pacific region, the first responders may not be local aid workers or civilian volunteers — they might be American and Japanese combat troops. Think of it as practicing for battle.
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09/14/2013
A number of recent reports in Chinese state-run media indicate that the country’s carrier-based J-15 multirole fighter jets have entered mass production. The Shenyang J-15 (also called Flying Shark) is China’s carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was reversed engineered from a Russian Sukhoi Su-33 that China acquired from Ukraine, although it reportedly is equipped with some indigenous weapons, avionics and other features that Beijing claims greatly enhances its capabilities.
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09/13/2013
Soon after sweeping budget cuts known as sequestration became law in March, the Navy faced the prospect of grounding seven of its 10 carrier air wings. That did not happen thanks to last-minute reprogramming of funds that kept combat units flying, albeit at a reduced pace. A new round of sequester cuts could come as early as January, and Navy aviation leaders are coming to grips with the new fiscal reality.
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09/13/2013
The Reaper, Shadow and Sentinel are all due to leave U.K. air force service at the end of combat operations in Afghanistan, but senior service officials indicate the three intelligence, surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance (Istar) platforms will continue to serve the U.K. military in the future.
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09/13/2013
China is developing a new class of helicopters that could pose a direct threat to Taiwan, a leading US military analyst said. In the case of an attack, Taiwan would have much less time to mobilize its counter-invasion forces, said Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center (IASC).
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09/13/2013
Afghan air force pilots made history Sept. 7, 2013, by flying the first all-AAF fixed wing combat mission from the Kabul International Airport. The Cessna 208 pilots, assigned to the AAF, 373rd Fixed Wing Squadron, based in Kabul, were trained by advisers assigned to the U.S. Air Force, 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, of the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing at the Kabul Air Wing.
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09/13/2013
Russia has now joined China and European firms in developing UCAV (unmanned combat air vehicle). These are replacements for current light bombers (or fighters operating as light bombers) and combat reconnaissance aircraft. The Russian entry is a further development of its Skat UAV, a ten ton aircraft with a two ton payload and a design that looks very similar to the American X-47 series. The MiG Aircraft Corporation developed Skat and the new UCAV as well.
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09/13/2013
Thirteen British companies and the U.K. Minister of Defence Equipment, Support and Technology participated in a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Industry Recognition Event during the DSEI tradeshow today. Over the next 40 years, British industry will continue to play a vital role in the F-35’s global production, follow-on development and sustainment, bringing strong economic benefits to the kingdom.
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09/13/2013
The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman [NYSE: NOC], received a $51 million foreign military sales contract to provide the Republic of Korea with LONGBOW Fire Control Radars (FCRs) for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter.
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09/13/2013
Boeing delivered the 223rd and last U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifter today, fulfilling the production contract more than 20 years after the first delivery. The aircraft left Boeing’s Long Beach facility to fly to its assignment at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., where a ceremony will mark its arrival.
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09/13/2013
Boeing will showcase innovative and cost-effective capabilities that meet the needs of the U.S. Air Force during the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference & Technology Exposition, held Sept. 16-18 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland.
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09/13/2013
Russia is hoping to settle Iran’s litigation with Moscow over a failed S-300 air defense system deal during a Friday meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, a Russian presidential aide said Thursday. The presidents are expected to meet on the sidelines of an upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan.
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09/12/2013
China may soon be getting its hands on one of Russia’s core fighter jets, the Su-35. The purchase will bring China as close as it can get to challenging America’s modern air fleet.
Talks are ongoing, and “The signing will most likely take place next year,” Viktor Komardin, deputy-chief of Russia’s Rosoboronexport state-run arms exporter, told state-run Ria Novosti.
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09/12/2013
Recently, the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron Detachment 2, Melbourne, Fla., utilized the T3 JSTARS test jet to perform a tactics development & evaluation (TD&E) during an exercise at Naval Base Ventura County, in Oxnard, Calif. Tactics development and testing during the exercise was supported by the JSTARS Test Force (JTF); a combined group of active-duty Air Force aviators and engineers, and software developers from Northrop-Grumman Aerospace Systems.
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09/12/2013
The Navy is continuing the development of its Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, recently completing another phase of its Autonomous Aerial Refueling (AAR) tests with an optionally piloted Learjet.
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09/12/2013
The Czech Republic has tentatively negotiated an extension of the lease of Gripen fighter airplanes from Sweden for up to 14 years, securing the NATO member-state’s air defence needs, Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek said on Wednesday. He said the defence ministry would prepare an amendment to the existing contract by December and the final decision would be made by a new cabinet to be formed after an election on October 25-26.
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09/12/2013
Two senior Russian lawmakers called Wednesday for additional shipments of “defensive weapons” to Iran if Washington proceeds with planned airstrikes against Syria, while unconfirmed rumors swirled that the Kremlin was working toward a new agreement on deliveries of missile defense systems to Tehran.
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09/12/2013
Finmeccanica subsidiary, Selex announced today that it has signed a contract worth more than $53 million to deliver the Falco unmanned system to an unamed Middle East Country. Selex will provide operational and maintenance support to the customer for one year as well. Falco is an operationally proven, tactical, medium altitude, medium endurance Unmanned Aerial System for defence and security surveillance applications.
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09/11/2013
For the last 60 years Russia has been Syria's main weapons supplier, selling it everything from fighter jets to tanks and a formidable array of air defence systems. Syria's current arsenal would present significant problems to any attacking western attacking force. Its air defence missiles, in particular, would make establishing a no-fly zone extremely tricky, and any manned air attack would probably result in western casualties. This is certainly not Libya.
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09/11/2013
Egyptian troops and tanks backed by helicopter gunships swept through villages in the northern Sinai Peninsula near the border with the Palestinian Gaza Strip on Monday, the third day of a major offensive against Islamic extremists, a military official said. So far, some 20 suspected militants have been killed and 20 captured in the operation, he added.
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09/11/2013
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, and Lockheed Martin will work as a team on the Bell V-280 Valor, making Lockheed Martin the first of Bell Helicopter’s V-280 program tier one team members. Additional team members will be announced in the coming months. The Bell V-280 Valor was recently selected by the U.S. Army to enter into negotiations for the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) program, with contracts expected to be awarded by September 2013.
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09/11/2013
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces were on a high state of alert on September 9 ahead of the first anniversary of Japan’s controversial purchase of islets in the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu archipelago, particularly after a pair of Chinese bombers flew near Okinawa the previous day.
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09/11/2013
If there is one message that comes through loud and clear from the debate of military options in Syria, it is that the public does not want “boots on the ground” in the Middle East — or for that matter, just about anywhere else. So the future of U.S. military action belongs to air power, whether it be land-based or sea-based.
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09/11/2013
In the skies above Djibouti, members of the U.S. and French Air Forces joined together in an unlikely training scenario, pitting helicopters against fighter aircraft in a simulated hostile rescue situation.
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09/11/2013
AIRCRAFT from RAAF Base Williamtown will be training near Bulahdelah for two weeks from Friday. Pilatus PC-9/A, Hawk 127 and F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft will participate in the training on Friday, and then from Monday to Thursday next week between 9am and 4pm.
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09/11/2013
Ever increasing threats and the need to have constant situational awareness of one’s surroundings prompted Lockheed Martin to add an integrated air & missile defense option to its Dragon series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance configurations. Lockheed Martin’s Dragon ISR configurations offer a unique approach for customers to tailor their mission requirements to meet their specific budget, sensor, communications and platform needs.
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09/11/2013
The top diplomats from the United States, Russia and Syria will meet this week to discuss Syria’s chemical weapons, media reports cited unnamed US officials as saying Tuesday. The meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem is slated to be held in Geneva on Thursday, Reuters reported US officials as saying.
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09/10/2013
Russia and China are moving closer to concluding an agreement whereby Moscow would sell Beijing advanced 4++ generation multirole fighter jets, a senior official from Russia’s state-run defense industry told media outlets over the weekend.
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09/10/2013
Boeing and Saab are discussing a partnership on the US Air Force’s trainer replacement program, multiple industry sources have told Defense News. If the arrangement goes forward, it opens the door for each to capture a long-delayed, highly prized Air Force contract to replace its aging T-38 trainers. The service intends to purchase 350 new trainers, likely pushing the contract award into the billions of dollars.
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09/10/2013
Some of the South African Air Force’s fleet of 26 Saab Gripen fighter jets will not be placed in storage but will rather be flown on a rotational basis, according to an Air Force official. Earlier this year it was reported that 12 Gripens had been placed in storage as there was not enough money, nor pilots, to fly them.
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09/10/2013
The commander of Turkey’s Land Forces inspected troops at the border with Syria, hours after combat aircraft attacked nearby Syrian communities, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.
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09/10/2013
China and Pakistan last week began a three-week air exercise titled Shaheen 2 (Falcon 2) in Hetian Prefecture of China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The exercise, which lasts until Sept. 22, is the second in a series of such exercises, the first of which was held in Pakistan in March 2011.
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09/10/2013
Lockheed Martin recently completed a successful first flight test of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) program.
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09/10/2013
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will work as a team on the Bell V-280 Valor™, making Lockheed Martin the first of Bell Helicopter’s V-280 program tier one team members. Additional team members will be announced in the coming months.
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09/10/2013
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday backed a proposal from Moscow for Syria to place its stocks of chemical weapons under international control, in a bid to avert US-led military strikes on the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
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09/09/2013
Japan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday two Chinese H-6 bombers flew round trip from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean without violating Japanese airspace the same day after overflying waters between Okinawa islands.
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09/09/2013
Two RAF jets were scrambled from their base in Cyprus to urgently investigate Syrian planes that had crossed into international airspace, it has emerged. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that unidentified planes legally crossed into Cypriot skies from the east of the country last Monday. But it is understood the behaviour of the aircraft raised suspicions at RAF Akrotiri, less than 200 miles from Syria, prompting the rapid response.
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09/09/2013
Despite flying for 53 years, the Bell UH-1 "Huey" helicopter will still be effective for another 20 years, according to DND undersecretary for finance, munitions, installation and material Fernando Manalo. Manalo also said that the "Huey", which the Philippines has around 21 flyable models at present, is the best aircraft for peacekeeping and disaster relief missions due to its reputation as easy aircraft to fly and maintain.
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09/09/2013
A total of 95 air assets of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) can no longer be used, outnumbering the aircraft still in operation. Air Force Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Raul Dimatatac said out of the 265 air assets they have, 95 are “beyond economic repair” while 71 are operational. The rest are recoverable or serviceable, which means that they have to undergo repairs to be of use.
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09/09/2013
With most — if not all — NATO troops slated to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, air advisers are helping to build a small cadre of Afghan pilots to take on the mission of moving wounded security forces.
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09/09/2013
Despite two years of conflict and significant defections among the rank and file, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) remains a capable military. Before the civil war, the SAA claimed to field 220,000 men under arms and, perhaps, up to 350,000 reservists. Today, active personnel stood at a little over 125,000, of whom no more than 80,000 were considered by the regime to be loyal. Another 250,000 paramilitary personnel, including the dreaded “Shabihah” militias, were also available.
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09/09/2013
MPs could be given another chance to vote on military intervention in Syria, William Hague has said, as it emerged two RAF jets scrambled to intercept "suspicious" Syrian aircraft over Cyprus. The Foreign Secretary said a second vote would only be possible if the Government secured support from Labour.
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09/09/2013
Russian military inspectors will begin monitoring flights over France starting on Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. Experts from Russia will be conducting flights on board of an Antonov An-30B aircraft between September 9 and 13, said Ruslan Shishin, acting head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.
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09/09/2013
Eurofighter Typhoon has now achieved more than 200,000 flying hours since the entry-into-service of its worldwide fleet. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH confirmed the milestone today adding that, with 719 aircraft on contract, 571 aircraft ordered and 378 aircraft delivered, the programme has “never looked stronger”.
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09/08/2013
The U.S. Air Force continues to come up short in its effort to supply enough pilots for its growing UAV fleet. Currently the air force has about 1,300 operators for its 280 large UAVs (about half of them Predators, nearly 40 percent Reapers, and the rest Global Hawks). UAV operators are now nearly nine percent of all air force pilots, triple the percentage in 2008.
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09/08/2013
Lynne Jungers has been thinking about this moment for the last two years. The longtime Boeing Co. customer relations manager — who has seen former President Bill Clinton, the late Bob Hope and dozens of dignitaries visit the C-17 Globemaster III at its East Long Beach assembly plant — is bracing herself for Thursday, when Boeing will hand over its 223rd and final C-17 to the U.S. Air Force.
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09/08/2013
Moscow and Beijing expect to seal the deal on the sale of Russian Su-35 fighter jets to China in 2014, a senior official at the Russian arms exports monopoly said Saturday. “Talks are ongoing, but the deal is unlikely to be sealed before the year’s end. The signing will most likely take place next year,” said Viktor Komardin, deputy head of the state-run Rosoboronexport.
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09/07/2013
Syria’s air defense forces are nearly sure to be capable of intercepting any enemy aircraft and about half of the Tomahawk missiles that might violate its airspace, a military source said on Thursday.“The Syrian air defense system is very efficient, as it was built in the image and likeness of the air defense system existing in the Soviet Union.
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09/07/2013
The cost of possible military strikes against Syria would not be “extraordinary,” the U.S. Navy chief said Thursday, downplaying the potential price tag of the operation. Admiral Jonathan Greenert’s comments appeared to confirm a rough estimate from Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel on Wednesday, who told lawmakers the punitive strikes would likely cost “tens of millions” of dollars.
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09/07/2013
Unless Congress changes the nation’s financial course, the U.S. Navy will be forced to make some drastic cuts in aircraft and ship numbers to accommodate a loss of about $14 billion due to sequestration and other budgetary issues, says Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations.
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09/07/2013
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. and Boeing [NYSE: BA], has successfully completed an initial test of the V-22 Osprey performing as an aerial refueling tanker. Adding this capability to the tiltrotor aircraft would further advance its versatility in combat, humanitarian and ship-based operations.
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09/07/2013
The J-15 belongs to the 4th generation of conventional shipboard aircraft, which also includes the U.S. navy's F/A-18C/D "Hornet" and F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet", the French "Rafale M", and the Russian Mig-29K which is also used by the Indian navy.
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09/07/2013
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, battling with an al-Qaida insurgency and political unrest, is scheduled to visit Washington this month to activate a defense cooperation agreement and push for stepped-up arms sales, including Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Maliki may find President Barack Obama and the Pentagon somewhat preoccupied with the Syrian conflict and the question of whether to strike at the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which Maliki supports to some degree.
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09/07/2013
Iraq has submitted a shopping list of U.S. military equipment that included its first unmanned aerial vehicles. Officials said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has relayed a
request for advanced UAVs from the United States. The officials said the unspecified UAVs were meant for long-range reconnaissance missions in an effort to
improve border and internal security.
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09/07/2013
The first Tranche Three Typhoon next-generation fighter jet has been weighed-in to confirm that it meets design standards, pushing the programme a step closer to completion. The aircraft, British single seat number 116, had its measurements recorded using a highly-sophisticated set of hydraulic scales at the company’s military aircraft in Warton.
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09/07/2013
The United States on Friday secured support from several major allies in its claim that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is responsible for an apparent Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack outside Damascus and must be punished.
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09/07/2013
The United States is making plans for a “significantly larger” military strike on Syria than at first envisioned that could include use of long-range bombers making sorties from the United States, US media said. ABC News reported Thursday that President Barack Obama’s national security team was “preparing for a significantly larger military attack than most had anticipated” that could include attacks by B-2 and B-52 bombers flying from bases in the United States.
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09/06/2013
The Obama administration is considering a plan to use U.S. military trainers to help increase the capabilities of the Syrian rebels, in a move that would greatly expand the current CIA training being done quietly in Jordan, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.
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09/06/2013
The Harper government may be ready to throw in the towel on the purchase of long-delayed CH-148 Cyclone helicopters and has gone as far as sending a military team to Britain to evaluate other aircraft. Defence sources say the team, which included an officer from the air force directorate of air requirements branch, visited a southern base in the United Kingdom recently to look at Royal Navy HM-1 Merlin helicopters.
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09/06/2013
THE United States is reported to have sought the establishment of a secret airbase in India to accomplish its unexplained agenda in South Asian region. The Americans already have a major military base in Qatar, and presence in many Asian, Middle East countries, Afghanistan and some of the Central Asian Republics in one form or the other in addition to aircraft carriers in the Gulf and Indian Ocean.
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09/06/2013
For over a year now China has been testing a second stealth fighter design. This one is called the J-31 “Falcon Eagle” (from an inscription on the tail), and while it looks like the American F-22, it’s also smaller than China’s other stealth fighter (the J-20, which has been around longer). The J-31 was built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (which makes the J-11, the illegal Chinese copy of the Russian Su-27).
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09/06/2013
A key Senate panel on Wednesday backed President Barack Obama's request to strike Syria, while the Pentagon prepared to employ greater firepower to reach a shifting array of military targets. The revised options under development, which reflect Pentagon concerns that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dispersed his military equipment, include the use of Air Force bombers to supplement the four Navy destroyers armed with missiles that are deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.
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09/06/2013
Soldiers don’t generally spend much time aboard Navy ships. But this summer, some Army aviators got to spend days and weeks at a time living and working with sailors in the Persian Gulf. The Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Combat Aviation Brigade has been testing Army helicopters’ capabilities in a littoral combat environment, taking off from Navy ships, firing on targets and practicing deck landings.
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09/06/2013
The first Ford-class aircraft carrier being built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc may see further cost increases after it is commissioned, according to a congressional report that urged the U.S. Navy to delay a contract for a follow-on ship.
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09/06/2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin's strident defense of a Syrian regime that has killed tens of thousands of its people in a civil war that has divided him from many world powers viewing Syria as a humanitarian disaster that demands intervention.
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09/06/2013
They’re involved in Algeria and Angola, Benin and Botswana, Burkina Faso and Burundi, Cameroon and the Cape Verde Islands. And that’s just the ABCs of the situation. Skip to the end of the alphabet and the story remains the same: Senegal and the Seychelles, Togo and Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.
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09/06/2013
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. [NYSE: TXT] and Boeing, has successfully completed an initial test of the V-22 Osprey performing as an aerial refueling tanker. Adding this capability to the tiltrotor aircraft would further advance its versatility in combat, humanitarian and ship-based operations.
(Read More...)
09/05/2013
For the past three years, Al-Qaeda has sought to hire engineers and other experts to help the terrorist organization fend off US drone strikes that have increasingly hobbled the militant network, according to documents leaked by Edward Snowden.
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09/05/2013
Prince Harry was frantically rushed into a heavily secured safe-house during the Camp Bastion raid of September 2012 as 15 heavily armed Taliban soldiers ran amok in the British base a new report claims. The fourth-in-line to the British throne was serving at the base in Afghanistan when fighters dressed in U.S. Army uniforms unleashed a ground assault on September 14th and destroyed or damaged eight aircraft worth a total of $200 million.
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09/05/2013
The SAAF bought 26 Gripen fighter jets and 24 Hawk trainer fighters in the 1999 arms deal, which the commission is investigating. “To date the Hawks have flown over 10 000 major accident-free flying hours since 2005 and the Gripens 3 500 since 2008,” said Bayne.
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09/05/2013
The Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said he was considering funding early work on a next-generation ground combat vehicle and rotorcraft to ensure the United States maintained its edge in weapons despite steep budget cuts.
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09/05/2013
Lockheed Martin’s Paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB) was successfully employed in recent U.S. Navy Tactics Development exercises at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, Nev.
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09/05/2013
The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have validated the final design elements of the KC-46A Tanker and concluded that the proposed design embodies and can meet Air Force requirements, clearing the way for production and testing of the next-generation aerial refueling tanker.
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09/05/2013
Boeing will continue improving U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II mission readiness, and decreasing maintenance costs, through a follow-on order for 56 replacement wings for that aircraft. Boeing is on contract to build up to 242 wings, including these, at its plant in Macon, Ga. Refitting the fleet with new wings will improve the mission availability of A-10s by an estimated 4 percent and will help save the Air Force an estimated $1.3 billion in maintenance costs during the next 30 years.
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09/05/2013
US officials are likely cautious about disclosing to Russia comprehensive intelligence about an apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria and see little chance of convincing Moscow to accept outside military intervention in the civil war there regardless of the facts on the ground, US national security experts said Wednesday.
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09/05/2013
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday to give President Barack Obama the authority to use military force against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack last month.
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09/05/2013
Airbus Military has completed an important set of trials of the A400M new generation airlifter, demonstrating the aircraft's excellent performance on gravel runways. In tests lasting more than a week at Ablitas in northern Spain, development aircraft MSN2 performed 25 landings during six flights on the same runway.
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09/04/2013
President Barack Obama won critical support from House Speaker John Boehner for a punitive strike against Syria on Tuesday and dispatched senior Cabinet officials to persuade Congress that Bashar Assad's government must be punished for a suspected chemical weapons attack the administration blames for more than 1,000 dead.
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09/04/2013
A contingent of Pakistan Air Force fighter jets on Tuesday left for China to participate in a joint exercise, the first time that any country will join manoeuvres in Chinese airspace. The Shaheen-II exercise will be conducted by the PAF and People’s Liberation Army Air Force during September 3-22. The PAF's Mirage and F-7PG aircraft are taking part in the wargame.
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09/04/2013
Recently, the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron Detachment 2, Melbourne, Fla., utilized the JSTARS to perform a tactics development & evaluation (TD&E) during Exercise BLACK DART at Naval Base Ventura County, in Oxnard, Calif. Tactics development and testing during Exercise BLACK DART was supported by the JSTARS Test Force (JTF); a combined group of active-duty Air Force aviators and engineers, and software developers from Northrop-Grumman Aerospace Systems.
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09/04/2013
The new fifth-generation Silent Eagle has finally cleared export restrictions meaning it may soon be the new face of South Korea's aerial fleet. That's good news for an unsteady place.
The original F-15 Eagle entered service in 1976 and has become one of the most successful air combat platforms in the modern era. McDonnell Douglas designed the twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter for a single purpose: blowing other aircraft out of the sky.
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09/04/2013
Ghana’s President John Mahama has confirmed that the country will acquire another two C295 military transport aircraft from Airbus Military, which will be used on behalf of the United Nations in Mali.
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09/04/2013
Although new aircraft models were practically non-existent at the International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) 2013 that was held in Zhukovsky near Moscow, it was possible to reveal certain tendencies in the Russian aircraft construction and related industries. The development of the Russian Air Force and air-defence systems in the coming 10 years will add much to Russia’s military might.
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09/04/2013
More than a year after the French Rafale won the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) dogfight, a contract is nowhere in sight – forget the delivery date. Not only is it the usual drawn-out drama that comes with India’s defence acquisitions, it is also clear the French have overpromised on the technology transfer provisions and now want to welch out.
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09/04/2013
Boeing workers in Seattle took another step toward delivering next-generation aerial refueling capability to the U.S. Air Force today when they began assembling the second refueling boom for the KC-46A Tanker program. Based on the Boeing 767 commercial airplane, the KC-46A will feature a modernized fly-by-wire boom and hose and drogue systems, making it capable of refueling any U.S. or allied fixed wing aircraft any time on any mission.
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09/04/2013
Boeing and Polish Defence Holding (PDH) on Sept. 2 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore areas where Boeing and PDH can work together to meet Poland’s defense needs while supporting the growth of local industry.
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09/04/2013
A joint US-Israeli missile test over the Mediterranean Sea was “long planned” and had “nothing to do” with a possible US military response to the chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb that Washington has blamed on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
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09/03/2013
The world is waiting to see whether the United States will strike against the Syrian regime -- and whether anyone will join in. U.S. President Barack Obama said there's no doubt Syria used chemical weapons on its own civilians and he wants to launch attacks, but he first wants to get Congress' approval after lawmakers come back from recess September 9.
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09/03/2013
Boeing is set to inch closer to clinching a multibillion-dollar deal to sell 60 F-15 Silent Eagle jets to South Korea, as its competitors have effectively been priced out of the contest. Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter, which vied for the US $7.4 billion fighter contract, failed to submit proposals below the budget.
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09/03/2013
On Friday, Aug. 23, forces from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base concluded a two-week international training exercise with Japan, Australia and the Republic of Korea with a mock battle. About 20 aircraft participated in the final day of Red Flag Alaska, which is conducted each year so crewmembers can gain combat experience.
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09/03/2013
The Arms Procurement Commission has heard that both the Gripen fighter jets and the Hawk fighter trainers had met the Air Force's minimum requirements. Brigadier-General John Bayne, Director of Combat System, who is in charge of the two aircraft, has told the commission that the Air Force would not have accepted them if this had not been the case.
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09/03/2013
Defense firms in the United Arab Emirates and Russia are planning to develop an unmanned combat aerial vehicle based on Russia’s Berkut VL helicopter, that craft’s Russian developer said Monday. Russia’s Berkut Aero design bureau and the UAE’s Adcom Systems are considering the Berkut VL helicopter as a model for a drone to be stationed aboard an aircraft carrier and fly to remote areas, Berkut Aero development director Dmitry Rumyantsev told RIA Novosti.
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09/03/2013
Russian military inspectors will begin a series of monitoring flights over the United States Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said.
Experts from Russia will conduct two flights on board a Tupolev Tu-154M-LK-1 plane between September 2 and 16, said Ruslan Shishin, acting head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.
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09/02/2013
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is closely following developments in the crash investigation of the T-50B lead-in jet fighter that killed two pilots recently, in light of earlier plans to work out with the same manufacturer the purchase of a dozen FA50 jet fighters with the same platform as the T-50B, for P18.9 billion.
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09/02/2013
In April, Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said the Coalition would use drones to help spot and turn back asylum seeker boats. He laid out a $1.5 billion policy to buy seven drones and have them in the air by 2017-18. But today, Senator Johnston and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott have released the Coalition's defence policy, which states only that it will "consider closely the need for unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles"
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09/02/2013
Bolstering the Indian Air Force's capability to swiftly transport combat troops and equipment such as tanks to the front, Defence Minister A K Antony will on Monday formally induct its biggest 70-tonne C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft into service at the Hindon Air Base near Delhi. Mr Antony will formally induct the aircraft procured from the US under a deal expected to be over Rs. 20,000 crore into the newly-formed 81 'Skylord' Squadron in Delhi, IAF officials said.
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09/02/2013
Iran recently announced that ground crews and other technical personnel at an air force base had spent 45,000 manhours to get two Mirage F1 fighters back into flying condition. Iran received 24 of these aircraft from Iraq in 1991, when Saddam ordered most of his combat aircraft to fly to Iran and surrender (rather than be bombed by coalition aircraft).
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09/02/2013
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited U.S. strike on Syria, if needed, defense officials said on Sunday. The Nimitz carrier strike group, which includes four destroyers and a cruiser, has no specific orders to move to the eastern Mediterranean at this point, but is moving west in the Arabian Sea so it can do so if asked.
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09/02/2013
Job creation will stand as the chief factor when the Danish government convenes to select a replacement type for its aging F-16 fleet in mid-2015. Denmark will look for substantial long-term industry value from bidders in the restarted Fighter Replacement Program (FRP), said newly appointed Defence Minister Nicolai Wammen, who replaced Nick Hækkerup following a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt’s coalition government on Aug. 9.
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09/02/2013
As the United States considers military action against Syria in response to a disputed chemical weapons attack on civilians, we profile some of the weapons that may be deployed by both sides in the days ahead.
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09/02/2013
Turkish Basic Trainer Aircraft Hurkus 350 which was designed and manufactured by TAI to meet the training and Light Attack/Armed reconnaissance aircraft requirements of Turkey's armed forces, successfully made its maiden flight at TAI's premises in Ankarathis week.
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09/01/2013
US President Barack Obama slammed the brakes Saturday on fast-moving plans to launch a military strike on Syria, saying he would seek approval from Congress first even though he believes such action is necessary and justified. In a statement from the White House Rose Garden, Obama said he had decided that the United States should take military action against targets in Syria.
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09/01/2013
Damascus residents, already accustomed to incessant warfare within the Syrian capital, were making final preparations this weekend for an attack from outside, attempting to anticipate where American missiles might strike.
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09/01/2013
Military planes flew over Turkey's Incirlik air base on August 31 as the United States made clear on August 30 that it would punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack that it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus last week.
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09/01/2013
Overall production of military aircraft will decline in the next 10 years, mainly as a result of shrinking defense budgets, according to a new study. Market research and analysis firm Forecast International said the downturn will primarily affect Western-built aircraft, but some segments of military aircraft production are anticipated to grow as Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter and Airbus Military's A400M transport/tanker enter full production.
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09/01/2013
While the United States is ready to strike a handful of targets on the ground in Syria, any international conflict there will take place on a much larger stage. The entire region is full of a witches' brew of military hardware from more than half a dozen nations with interests in the Syrian conflict.
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09/01/2013
Defence companies Boeing has unveiled improvements to the Super Hornet jet fighter which they say make it far more stealthy and give improved combat range. These improvements can be incorporated in new production aircraft, including the 12 "Growler" electronic warfare Super Hornets Australia has on order. But they can also be retrofitted to existing Super Hornets, such as the 24 now in RAAF service.
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09/01/2013
Although several air forces, and many more commercial air lines, have adopted the use of tablet computers to replace paper manuals, maps and other documents used in its aircraft (mainly in the cockpit) of larger aircraft there has been little done for fighter pilots. That is changing with at least one firm developing an eight inch tablet (the Iconia W3) that can be strapped to the leg of a fighter pilot and provide information as well as custom apps (software).
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09/01/2013
Russia is developing a fifth-generation unmanned fighter jet and a completely new missile defense system which can simultaneously engage several supersonic targets in space, it has been revealed at the MAKS-2013 airshow.
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09/01/2013
Britain will continue to play an active role in any military strikes on Syria, despite David Cameron’s vow not to join the attacks following his Parliamentary defeat last week. The UK’s intelligence-gathering assets based in the Mediterranean are to provide the US military with information, as it prepares to carry out cruise missiles strikes against President Bashar al-Assad.
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09/01/2013
Russia is postponing supplies of fighter jets and S-300 missile defense systems to Syria because official Damascus failed to pay for them, Kommersant newspaper said Saturday. The 12 MiG-29M/M2 jets that Russia agreed to sell to Syria will not be supplied before 2016-2017, the daily said, citing an unnamed source at Russian state arms exports monopoly Rosoboronexport.
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08/31/2013
Cameroon has ordered an undisclosed number of Mi-17 transport helicopters from Russia at the MAKS 2013 International Air and Space Show, Russian Technologies has revealed. The contract was signed by Rosoboronexport General Director Anatoly Isaikin and Cameroonian Defence Minister Alain Mebe Ngo’o at the MAKS show held outside Moscow.
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08/31/2013
Without any need to seek parliament's approval for a military operation, Mr Hollande made clear his readiness to order French forces into action alongside their American allies. Russia, for its part, moved to maximise Britain's discomfort, saying that the Commons vote showed that London had joined the European mainstream by voicing unease with the "dangerous" course chosen by America.
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08/31/2013
Recently the video about the taxiing test of China's "Sharp Sword" attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was exposed. Media said that China's "Sharp Sword" stealth attack UAV proof test has already begun and the frequent land taxiing tests indicate the preparatory work for the first flight is underway. In an interview with CCTV reporter, military expert Du Wenlong revealed that China's first stealth UAV will make the first flight after one year and it is in good technical conditions at the presen
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08/31/2013
I see the Obama “reset” is going so swimmingly that the president is now threatening to go to war against a dictator who gassed his own people. Don’t worry, this isn’t anything like the dictator who gassed his own people that the discredited warmonger Bush spent 2002 and early 2003 staggering ever more punchily around the country inveighing against. The 2003 dictator who gassed his own people was the leader of the Baath Party of Iraq.
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08/31/2013
As RAF Typhoon interceptor jets touched down in Cyprus – within striking distance of the Syrian capital Damascus – the Government said the aircraft had been sent to protect UK bases. The Ministry of Defence insisted: “They are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria.” A spokesman said: “We can confirm that as part of ongoing contingency planning, six RAF Typhoon interceptor fast jets are deploying to Akrotiri in Cyprus.
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08/31/2013
Production work to roll out the country's first indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas began in full throttle and the first few aircraft should roll out by mid-2014, India's top defence scientist said on Friday. The lightweight multi-role combat aircraft, which is in the making for 30 years now, has gone through several phases of streamlining in the drawing room after the armed forces expressed reservation about its faulty initial design.
(Read More...)
08/31/2013
Pilots of Russia’s famed Russkiye Vityazi (the Russian Knights) aerobatic display team on Friday tested new Su-30SM multirole fighter jets, the aircraft’s manufacturer said. “During the flights, pilots of the famed aerobatics team performed a series of aerial stunts and familiarized themselves with unique super-maneuverable capacities of the Su-30SM fighter jet.
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08/31/2013
Russia is developing an unmanned combat air vehicle based on the T-50 fifth-generation fighter jet, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said Friday. The drone is still mostly on the drawing board, however, as development is currently at a “preliminary research stage,” in accordance with plans approved by the Russian Defense Ministry, UAC president Mikhail Pogosyan said at the MAKS-2013 airshow near Moscow.
(Read More...)
08/31/2013
Russia’s MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors will stay in service until “at least 2028” or possibly five or 10 years more, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Friday. “We are satisfied with this aircraft; it performs its functions wonderfully,” the general said, adding that as next-generation long-range missiles and aircraft are developed, interception functions could be assigned to newer warplanes as well.
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08/30/2013
While speculation is that Navy warships floating off the coast will lead the expected attack on Syria, the Air Force has a fleet of fighters and bombers deployed nearby and ready if called upon. And Air Force aircraft can reach Syrian targets from the U.S. mainland if need be, just as in the Libyan campaign.
(Read More...)
08/30/2013
A U.S.-led military strike on Syria would probably last only a couple of days, but wreak havoc on the country's command and control facilities, air defenses and aircraft, analysts said. The White House may as early as Thursday order a military intervention in the war-torn country after accusing Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime of using chemical weapons against civilians.
(Read More...)
08/30/2013
Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch isn’t in the business of making pretty airplanes. His crop-dusters are big, slow, and sturdy—perfect for flying low over cornfields and landing on dirt airstrips. He’s betting that means they’re pretty well suited to blowing up terrorists, too. The company is affixing armor plating, sensors, and weapons ranging from .50 caliber machine guns to air-to-ground missiles onto planes originally designed to douse cropland with chemicals and spray water on brush fires.
(Read More...)
08/30/2013
Two F-35 fighter jets have completed dozens of test flights from the deck of this amphibious assault ship over the past three weeks, but several flights were scrapped on Wednesday for maintenance issues, just as more than a dozen journalists arrived for a demonstration.
(Read More...)
08/30/2013
During three weeks of flight testing the Advanced Super Hornet, Boeing [NYSE: BA] and partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.
(Read More...)
08/30/2013
The day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said U.S. forces were ready to strike Syria, a website backing President Bashar al-Assad announced that an elite group called the “Eagles Martyrdom Aerial Squadron” was ready to sacrifice itself in kamikaze attacks on the enemy.
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08/30/2013
Six RAF Typhoon jets have been deployed to Cyprus to protect UK interests and sovereign bases "at a time of heightened tension in the wider region", the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The jets are being sent to Akrotiri in Cyprus as a "prudent and precautionary measure" and are not deploying to take part in military action against Syria, the MoD said.
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08/30/2013
The international defense industry fair (IDEF 13) held in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 7 to 10 saw the Turkish industry announce a number of developments. The most notable was the revelation of three potential concepts for the TF-X national combat aircraft program, a stealthy aircraft that is ultimately expected to replace the F-16.
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08/30/2013
All the signals from Washington and London suggest that military action against Syria is now a strong possibility. Contingency plans are being drawn up, potential target lists are being reviewed and various military assets are being moved into position. The US Navy is re-positioning several vessels, including four cruise missile-carrying destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean and probably a missile-firing submarine.
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08/30/2013
Boeing will highlight products and services capable of supporting Poland's plans to modernize its armed forces at this year's MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, including a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system and the AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The exhibition will be held Sept. 2-5 in Kielce.
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08/29/2013
The interim Czech government said it plans to renew its lease of JAS Gripen fighter jets, while a parliamentary committee in Switzerland said yes to a proposed 23 billion kronor ($3.5 billion) purchase of the Swedish-made warplanes. Following two days of discussions of the deal that would see the Swiss military purchase 22 Jas Gripen jets, the security and defence committee of the Swiss parliament voted 14-9 in favour of the deal.
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08/29/2013
When members of Congress return from their August recess, their plates will be very full. Our legislators need to fund the government for the next fiscal year, which starts October first. Although it may seem like a simple task to keep the government operating, a potential partisan collision over raising the debt ceiling once again presents the threat of a government shutdown.
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08/29/2013
The US has offered to sell four unarmed drones to Germany's army, the Bundeswehr, according to a newspaper report. However, the aircraft could be easily converted for combat use. The US government could deliver to Germany four unarmed MQ-9A Predator B drones, including ground control stations, the Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported in their Wednesday edition, citing a defense ministry answer to a request from the Left party's parliamentary faction.
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08/29/2013
Media reports indicate the United States and its allies could begin retaliatory air strikes against Syria as early as Thursday morning. If the air strikes occur, big questions remain as to their goals and scope. Will the air strikes focus on suspected chemical weapons caches in Syria?
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08/29/2013
Britain risks sleep-walking into a full-scale war by launching missile strikes against Syria, former top brass warned last night. Retired commanders cautioned that an ill-thought-out attack against President Assad’s brutal regime could provoke revenge attacks at home and abroad.
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08/29/2013
Russia says it's planning to build a new fighter jet that would be more advanced than the newest American models. The so-called sixth-generation fighter jet “will most likely be pilotless,” former Russian air force chief Pyotr Deinekin told the state news agency RIA Novosti this week — even though Russia has yet to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet.
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08/29/2013
During three weeks of flight testing the Advanced Super Hornet, Boeing and partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.
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08/29/2013
A unit of Russian fighter jets will be deployed in Belarus before the yearend, Belarusian Defense Minister Yury Zhadobin said Wednesday. He did not say whether the jets will be located at an airbase Russia is planning to open in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, but a Russian Air Force general said in late June that Russian Su-27SM3 fighter jets would be stationed at the base, due to open “within a few months’ time.”
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08/29/2013
In a groundbreaking deal, Russia is to deliver Mi-17 military transport helicopters to Cameroon, a spokesperson for Russian Technologies said Wednesday. The deal was signed by Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport, which is part of Russian Technologies, and Cameroon’s Defense ministry at the MAKS-2013 International Air Space Show just outside Moscow.
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08/29/2013
Russia’s MiG fighter jet maker has signed two additional contracts with India worth a total $55 million, the corporation said Wednesday. They are part of a general contract with India’s air force. Under the first, $43 million contract, a servicing center will be established in India for maintenance and repair of Zhuk-ME on-board radars, MiG representatives said.
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08/28/2013
Small groups of men go about their work with quiet professionalism as sections of the plane’s fuselage start to take shape. This is early days in the return of the Hawk production line to BAE Systems for the first time in nearly six years. In a few months, however, there will be up to 200 men working on all aspects of the £18m plane.
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08/28/2013
An F-16C pilot killed in an April crash near Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan was flying low and didn’t see the mountains in his flight path because of bad weather, according to a recently completed investigation. Capt. James Steel, 29, was navigating by sight, instead of using his instruments to navigate, according to the report, which was released Tuesday.
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08/28/2013
F-16 Fighting Falcons returned to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, recently, and could be seen screaming across the skies above base as red- and blue-force aircraft. Guardsmen from the 162nd Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard, located at Tucson International Airport, are currently visiting to train Republic of Singapore pilots on air-to-air maneuvers in the F-16.
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08/28/2013
A Swiss parliamentary committee Tuesday gave the green light to Switzerland's proposed purchase of 22 combat aircraft from Saab AB, helping clear the way for final political approval of a critical export order for the Swedish aero-defense group. A deal with Switzerland would mark an important win for Saab against its rivals and be financially important in its own right for the Swedish company.
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08/28/2013
Naval Academy graduate Bill Gigliotti knows the stereotypes people conjure up when he tells them he's a test pilot. "A guy with a flight suit," said Gigliotti, who also graduated from the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as Topgun. "Throw a scarf around our necks, it's all glamorous and sexy. But that's a very small part of what our job is."
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08/28/2013
Russia is actively developing an unmanned sixth generation aircraft, said a former Air Force commander. Unlike NATO allies who will use American F-35 5Gs, self-sufficiency is an absolute must for Russia, said the commander, so 6G evolution is inevitable.
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08/28/2013
The administration of US President Barack Obama said Tuesday it has moved beyond the question of whether or not chemical weapons were used in Syria last week, and by whom, and is now working with other nations – though not Russia – to determine the appropriate response.
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08/28/2013
After nearly 90 Russians were evacuated from Syria on Tuesday, the emergencies ministry sent another plane for citizens willing to leave the war-torn country, a spokeswoman said.
“An Il-62 plane took off for Latakia. This special flight is for Russian and CIS nationals who had earlier expressed their determination to return to Moscow,” emergencies ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius said.
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08/28/2013
Russia’s top diplomat disagreed with his US counterpart in a phone conversation about the situation in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported Tuesday. In the conversation, requested by the United States, US Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Syria’s government was to blame for the use of chemical weapons in that country, but Lavrov rejected that viewpoint, the ministry said in a statement.
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08/28/2013
While the United States and Russia might be engaging in a war of words over Syria, Edward Snowden, adoption and gay rights, the differences are not stopping the two countries from joining together with Canada in an anti-terror exercise this week.
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08/27/2013
Saipan, which is 200km north of Guam, the most substantial US military base in the region, is to have an expanded airfield capable of receiving fighter jets and refuelling tankers and heavy-lift transport aircraft. About 700 support personnel are expected to be based on the 20km-long island, which has a population of 48,220 and is a member of the Northern Mariana archipelago administered by the US.
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08/27/2013
In 2012, the Department of Defense received $118 billion for weapons procurement. Next year, it will receive less than $100 billion — a lot less if the deficit-cutting mechanism called sequestration again kicks in. Tony Capaccio of Bloomberg News revealed last week that sequestration could drag down budget authority for weapons procurement by another 16% from the administration’s already reduced 2014 request, to a figure somewhere in the mid-eighty billions.
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08/27/2013
The Defense Department may have to fire at least 6,272 civilian employees if automatic cuts known as sequestration slice $52 billion from its fiscal 2014 budget, according to a Pentagon planning document. Additional budget analysis is “likely to produce further reductions” as the services focus on shrinking their contract labor forces, according to a Pentagon “execution plan” obtained by Bloomberg News.
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08/27/2013
Prague expects to renew its lease on 14 Swedish fighter jets beyond 2015, outgoing Czech prime minister Jiri Rusnok said Monday. "The negotiations are at an advanced stage. The ball is actually in our court. The Swedes are awaiting our final answer to their recent offer," he told reporters. The new contract with Stockholm over the supersonic JAS-39 Gripen combat jets could be inked at the end of the year or in early 2014 by the new government, he added.
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08/27/2013
President Barack Obama faces the toughest foreign policy dilemma of his administration as he decides how to respond after concluding that Syria’s regime used chemical weapons against innocent civilians. Obama “believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people,” Secretary of State John Kerry said today.
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08/27/2013
India, seeking to build its first regional aircraft, is considering roping in local and foreign partners for the project, after spending more than two decades to build a smaller plane.
A study under review by a government panel favors tie-ups with equipment makers rather than purchasing engines and parts from them, Satish Chandra, head of aircraft program at National Aerospace Laboratories, a state-owned plane designer involved in the development, said in a telephone interview from Bangalore.
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08/27/2013
The Japanese Defense Ministry has scrambled its interceptors for the second time in four days in response to the approach of Russian military airplanes, local media said late Sunday.
Two Russian Il-38 anti-submarine patrol aircraft passed near Japan’s northern shores, though they did not violate the country’s airspace, the Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement cited by Jiji newswire.
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08/27/2013
Russian designers are proceeding with development of an unmanned “sixth-generation” fighter jet, former Air Force chief Pyotr Deinekin said Monday. “The sixth generation of aircraft will most likely be pilotless. Naturally, we are actively working on this,” Deinekin said in an interview with RIA Novosti. Russia will probably not be able to skip a generation and will need to complete all of its fifth-generation projects, he added.
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08/27/2013
This new fleet order for Cirrus Aircraft follows an agreement between the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, under the Saudi British Defence Cooperation Programme (SBDCP). The aircraft will provide primary flying training to the RSAF at the King Faisal Air Academy in Riyadh through the support of theUK's BAE Systems.
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08/26/2013
The Syrian government accused rebels of using chemical weapons Saturday and warned the United States not to launch any military action against Damascus over an alleged chemical attack last week, saying such a move would set the Middle East ablaze. The accusations by the regime of President Bashar Assad against opposition forces came as an international aid group said it has tallied 355 deaths from a purported chemical weapons attack on Wednesday.
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08/26/2013
Not since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 has Russia carried out a military maneuver like the “readiness test” that began on July 12. Demonstrating in front of the country’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Federation put on display an impressive series of exercises that provided audiences with a taste of its modern military power.
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08/26/2013
The increasingly bellicose statements on Syria coming from London and Washington will sharpen the focus of Monday's meeting of top US, British, French and other generals in the Jordanian capital of Amman.
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08/26/2013
Japan scrambled fighter jets on Sunday as a pair of Russian military planes flew along the nation's northern coastline, the defence ministry said. Two IL-38 planes flew along shorelines of Hokkaido, Aomori and Akita, facing the Sea of Japan (East Sea), but stayed away from Japanese airspace, the ministry added.
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08/26/2013
U.S. and international troops spent much of August flying simulated combat sorties at Red Flag in Alaska, one training exercise allowed to continue despite sequestration budget cuts.
Red Flag-Alaska 13-3, which wrapped up Aug. 23, involved 60 aircraft and 2,600 people. The group included Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps troops, and military members from South Korea, Japan and Australia.
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08/26/2013
UK and US military chiefs are drawing up a list of targets for precision-guided bombs and missiles to strike at the heart of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. Defence correspondent Ian Drury looks at the options.
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08/26/2013
HUNTER-based fighter jets will join a major exercise off the coast from today. The East Coast Air Defence Exercise will run this week, giving the Royal Australian Air Force a chance to maintain its operational skills. The exercise scenario is designed to test passive and active capabilities with a ‘‘Blue’’ force protecting Australian air space while a ‘‘Red’’ force attacks.
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08/26/2013
Italian military inspectors will fly over the territory of Russia starting from Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. “In the period between August 26 and 31, a group of Italian inspectors will make a surveillance flight over the territory of the Russian Federation on board an Italian [Lockheed Martin] C-130J aircraft,” Col. Ruslan Shishin, acting head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said.
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08/25/2013
The United States is repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean as it considers a possible military response to an alleged chemical attack near the Syrian capital, Damascus, that killed hundreds. Below are details of U.S., French and British forces in the region that could be involved in any attack.
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08/25/2013
The Pentagon notified Congress Friday of a possible $1.2 billion foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia, which would support the ally's fleet of aircraft with associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support.
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08/25/2013
A two week series of training missions that concluded today attracted military air crews from around the world to Alaska. Crews from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and South Korea have been simulating war scenarios using F-22 jets, C-130s, C-17s and AWAC Airbornes.
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08/25/2013
The Defense Department may have to fire at least 6,272 civilian employees if automatic cuts known as sequestration slice $52 billion from its fiscal 2014 budget, according to a Pentagon planning document. Additional budget analysis is “likely to produce further reductions” as the services focus on shrinking their contract labor forces, according to a Pentagon “execution plan” obtained by Bloomberg News.
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08/25/2013
The US Navy has sent an extra missile warship to the Mediterranean as President Barack Obama considered his options for a possible military strike on Syria in response to a gas attack that has killed hundreds. Syria hasd sought to avert blame by saying its soldiers had found chemical weapons in rebel tunnels. A senior UN official arrived in Damascus to seek access for inspectors to the site of last Wednesday's attack.
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08/25/2013
U.S. President Barack Obama considered options on Saturday for a possible military strike on Syria in response to a nerve gas attack that killed hundreds as Syria sought to avert blame by saying its soldiers had found chemical weapons in rebel tunnels. A senior U.N. official arrived in Damascus to seek access for inspectors to the site of last Wednesday's attack, in which opposition accounts say between 500 and well over 1,000 civilians were killed by gas fired by pro-government forces.
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08/25/2013
As combat operations resume in Afghanistan while the situation in Egypt continues to deteriorate, it’s clear we live in uncertain times and defense must remain a top priority in Washington. Not only is it important to our national security, but also for ensuring the safety of our brave soldiers when we ask them to serve in the most hostile regions of the world.
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08/25/2013
A Russian military delegation has left for the United States Saturday to take part in a US-Canadian-Russian air-defense exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The live-fly exercise Vigilant Eagle 2013 will take place from August 26 through 30.
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08/25/2013
Russia’s Defense Ministry is not abandoning the purchase of MiG-35 fighter jets and could sign a deal next week, Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov said Saturday. The contract could be signed at Moscow’s MAKS International Aviation and Space show, which will run from August 27 through September 1, while first deliveries could start in 2015-2016, he said.
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08/24/2013
Russia is highlighting some of its most advanced fighter aircraft at Moscow's MAKS-2013 air show. After energy, armaments remain the Russian Federation's most popular exports.
The fifth-generation jet combat aircraft on display and performing aerial acrobatics include the Sukhoi T-50 PAKFA and Sukhoi Su-35S multirole fighter jets. The MAKS-2013 air show opens Tuesday in the Moscow regional town of Zhukovsky, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday.
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08/24/2013
Vietnam has signed a contract to buy 12 Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia, which is its third purchase of this aircraft, Interfax reported Tuesday (August 20). The Su-30MK2 combat aircraft made by Sukhoi, a major Russian aircraft maker, will be delivered in 2014 and 2015 under a deal signed last week, the Russia-based news agency cited a military-diplomatic source as saying. Experts estimate that the contract is worth more than US$600 million, according to Interfax.
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08/24/2013
On Aug. 20, an F-35 Lightning II carrier variant (CV) refueled from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 for the first time. With the completion of this test, the F-35C joins the A and B models in proving that all three variants of the F-35 can be refueled from a common tanker platform, despite different methods.
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08/24/2013
Boeing officially began assembling the second KC-46A Tanker this week as workers loaded the aircraft’s wing spar into an Automated Spar Assembly Tool. The on-time milestone brings the program another step closer to delivering the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueling tanker.
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08/24/2013
Russia’s Almaz-Antei corporation will showcase for the first time its newest S-350E Vityaz mid-range air defense system at the upcoming MAKS-2013 air show near Moscow, the company said. The Vityaz, which is expected to replace the outdated S-300 systems, is superior to similar foreign models, according to Almaz-Antei statement released on Friday.
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08/23/2013
On August 8th the Afghan Air Force (AAF) conducted its first independent air assault operation. In the past AAF helicopters were part of larger NATO air operations and under NATO command. This time it was an entirely Afghan operation, with only a few NATO advisors (mostly for support functions). Operating from Jalalabad airfield (east of Kabul near the Pakistan border).
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08/23/2013
The Defense Department may have to fire at least 6,272 civilian employees if automatic cuts known as sequestration slice $52 billion from its fiscal 2014 budget, according to a Pentagon planning document. Additional budget analysis is “likely to produce further reductions” as the services focus on shrinking their contract labor forces, according to a Pentagon “execution plan” obtained by Bloomberg News.
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08/23/2013
For Air Force Capt. Daniel “Swoop” Welch, flying a B-52 bomber has become the family business. His father, retired Lt. Col. Don Welch, was trained to drop nuclear bombs with the aircraft during the height of the Cold War. His grandfather, retired Col. Don Sprague, flew B-52 combat missions in Vietnam. “It is definitely a testament to the robust design of the B-52,” said Welch, 28. “Getting to fly the same aircraft as my father and grandfather has been pretty cool.”
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08/23/2013
The US Air Force is now facing a shortage in the number of pilots able to operate the military’s quickly expanding drone fleet, according to a new report published by a top Washington, DC, think tank. According to Air Force Colonel Bradley Hoagland, who contributed to a recent report on the Air Force’s drone program prepared by the Brookings Institution, it is quickly hitting a wall in the number of operators for its 159 Predators, 96 Reapers and 23 Global Hawks.
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08/23/2013
Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle (SE) is the only remaining candidate for South Korea's next-generation fighter jet project, but questions persist over whether it can meet operational needs to counter potential threats from North Korea and other Asian neighbors flexing their military muscles, experts say.
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08/23/2013
The day after a deadly assault in Syria that bore many of the hallmarks of a chemical weapons attack, a sharply divided Obama administration on Thursday began weighing potential military responses to President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. Senior officials from the Pentagon, the State Department and the intelligence agencies met for three and a half hours at the White House on Thursday to deliberate over options, which officials say could range from a cruise missile strike to a more sustained air ca
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08/23/2013
The Republic of Korea seems set to launch the F-15SE Silent Eagle, by confirming Boeing as winner of the F-X III contest for 60 more combat aircraft. The Yonhap news agency reported that the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Lockheed Martin F-35A have been eliminated. Boeing, Eurofighter and Lockheed Martin all said this week that they had received no official notification on the outcome of the F-X III contest.
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08/23/2013
The third Boeing [NYSE: BA] C-17 Globemaster III airlifter for the Indian Air Force (IAF) departed for India Aug. 20 from the company’s Long Beach facility. It joins the first and second India C-17 airlifters, which arrived in June and July, respectively. Boeing is on track to deliver two more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014.
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08/23/2013
Russia on Thursday denied that two Tupolev Tu-95 bombers violated Japanese airspace when carrying out routine flights earlier that day near Okinoshima Island, off the southeast coast of Japan. Japanese media, citing the country’s Defense Ministry, reported that the planes intruded into the country’s airspace, in response to which Japan scrambled several fighter jets.
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08/22/2013
The U.S. Air Force recently released the accident report for an F-22 that crashed last November during a training flight in Florida. The cause of that accident turned out to be a high power electrical wire that was worn and in contact with a hydraulic line. The charged wire eventually caused a hydraulic leak that the aircraft sensors detected, which shut down the hydraulic system in flight.
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08/22/2013
In this month's cover story, Mark Bowden's description of the drone operator's reaction -- one of shock and uncertainty -- to performing a specific mission clearly undermines the widely circulated but exceptionally irresponsible criticism that drones have created a "Playstation mentality" among their operators.
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08/22/2013
The U.K. is examining whether to extend use of its Sentinel reconnaissance planes after successful deployments in combat zones, even though the aircraft was due for withdrawal after troops pull out of Afghanistan. The Royal Air Force has operated the Raytheon Co (RTN).-built Sentinel R1 in conflicts from Afghanistan to Libya and Mali, where the modified Bombardier business jet was used to support French operations against insurgents this year.
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08/22/2013
Clearfield • For a decade, Alliant Techsystems in Utah has been providing Lockheed Martin with critical components for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, which is America’s newest warplane. ATK on Wednesday celebrated the completion of what it described as a significant milestone in its work on the F-35 — the completion of its 150th set of wing skins that encase the aircraft’s wings in a carbon-composite material that is lighter than aluminium and stronger than steel.
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08/22/2013
During RED FLAG-Alaska, fighter aircraft dominate the skies. Participating forces identify hostile targets while waging a simulated war - but not all hostiles are fighters. Eielson's own Civil Air Patrol 71st Composite Squadron plays a role during RF-A by simulating Antonov An-2 Colts, primarily using a deHavilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. Their presence gives fighter pilots the opportunity to train in visually identifying low-flying, special operations forces-carrying aircraft.
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08/22/2013
For reasons international and domestic, the United States is unlikely to make significant cuts in assistance to Egypt, despite calls from Congress to do so and a Cabinet-level meeting this week about the country. About 1,000 civilians have been killed in Egypt in the last week, most of them backers of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi who have faced off in the streets against the Egyptian army and other security forces.
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08/22/2013
Japan and South Korea’s unprecedented joint participation in air force exercises over Alaska shows that America’s two staunchest Asian allies are willing to cooperate on security despite their political differences. Their aircraft have been flying the annual Red Flag Alaska training drills that end Friday, along with U.S. and Australian forces.
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08/22/2013
The Navy is warning residents in the Belle Chasse and West Jefferson areas to expect increased flight operations at the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base next week. Navy Reserve F/A-18 Hornet pilots will be preparing for mandated aircraft carrier landing qualifications, according to a statement Wednesday from the air station.
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08/22/2013
Russia will deliver another batch of 12 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft under a recent contract worth about $450 million, a defense industry source told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. The contract was reportedly signed last week, and the Su-30s are expected to be delivered to Vietnam in 2014-2015.
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08/22/2013
The company commemorated the event at its headquarters in Wichita, USA, with employees and dignitaries. With more than 1,600 hours already logged in AT-6 test aircraft, Beechcraft is offering the AT-6 to U.S. partner nations in need of light attack air support for the most demanding scenarios.
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08/21/2013
The US Air Force is unable to keep up with a growing demand for pilots capable of operating drones, partly due to a shortage of volunteers, according to a new study. Despite the importance placed on the burgeoning robotic fleet, drone operators face a lack of opportunities for promotion to higher ranks and the military has failed to identify and cultivate this new category of aviators, Air Force Colonel Bradley Hoagland wrote in the report published.
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08/21/2013
In the face of tighter military spending, U.S. Air Force fighter pilots training to fly F-22 Raptors traveled to Belle Chasse this week for aerial combat exercises with the Louisiana Air National Guard’s “Bayou Militia.” The Air Guard pilots are helping their active-duty counterparts learn to fly one of the world’s most advanced aircraft.
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08/21/2013
The air force on Tuesday landed a C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ aircraft -- configured for special operations and airborne assault -- at the world’s highest airstrip in north-eastern Ladakh, barely eight km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), signalling India’s aggressive stance towards China following a spurt in incursions in that sensitive sector.
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08/21/2013
A defence review approved by Parliament in 1998 recommended that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) get new equipment, the Seriti Commission of Inquiry heard on Tuesday. Rear Admiral Alan Green, the first witness to testify in the commission's public hearings in Pretoria, said some of the SANDF's equipment needed to be replaced. Since its establishment in 1994, the SANDF did not have large combat vessels and had to use “rather aged off-shore patrol vessels”.
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08/21/2013
The first of five C-130J Super Hercules airlifters designated for delivery to Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB), Ark., in 2013 was ferried to the base today from the Lockheed Martin facility here. This aircraft is the first new C-130J for Little Rock AFB since 2009.
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08/21/2013
Last Wednesday, Aug. 14, U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Russell Clift performed the first F-35B night-time vertical landing aboard the USS WASP. During the Ship Suitability Sea Trials, also known as Developmental Test Phase Two (DT-II), the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant will demonstrate critical capabilities of the aircraft that will be employed by the U.S. Marine Corps and international partners the United Kingdom and Italy.
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08/21/2013
Boeing today marked its recent production of the 250,000th Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit, a major milestone for a program that, since 1998, has reliably and affordably converted unguided munitions into near-precision weapons. The company facility in St. Charles produces more than 40 JDAM kits every day, on time and on budget.
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08/21/2013
Russia’s Defense Ministry postponed the purchase of 37 MiG-35 fighter jets until 2016 because the defense industry cannot fulfill the contract, a senior defense official said Tuesday. “The Finance Ministry has nothing to do with it, the industry is not ready yet,” Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said, after confirming that 16 MiG-29SMT fighter jets will be bought instead.
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08/21/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry and the MiG aircraft corporation have agreed the purchase of 16 MiG-29SMT fighter jets until 2016, the Kommersant daily reported Tuesday citing a high-ranking military source. The agreement is part of the government’s effort to keep the struggling combat aircraft maker afloat following the announced delay of the contract on the purchase of 37 MiG-35 fighters until after 2016.
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08/20/2013
A B-1B Lancer strategic bomber out of Ellsworth Air Force Base crashed Monday in the US State of Montana during a routine training mission but all four crew members survived, the US Air Force said. “A crew of two pilots and two weapon systems officers were on board. All four members of the aircrew safely ejected with some injuries,” the US Air Force said in a statement on its website.
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08/20/2013
he U.K. Royal Air Force has begun preparations to move the Eurofighter Typhoon main operating base in Scotland to Lossiemouth from Leuchars. The plans, originally announced by the U.K. Defense Ministry in 2011, also will see Leuchars becoming an army garrison starting in 2015. Building has begun at Lossiemouth to accommodate the new fighters, including the renovation of hangars and a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) facility to keep the aircraft ready to intercept potential threats.
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08/20/2013
The Indian Navy has received a major setback and jolt, with the explosion sinking the Russian-b submarine at the Mumbai harbour, with at least 18 sailors, including three officers, killed. This is one of the worst tragedies to hit the Navy since the sinking of INS Khukri during the 1971 India-Pakistan war and has left the Navy particularly vulnerable, with just six or seven of the remaining 14 submarines operational.
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08/20/2013
When U.S pilots encounter enemy air defenses, onboard electronic warfare (EW) systems protect them by interfering with incoming radar signals—a technique known as electronic attack (EA) or jamming. Conversely, electronic protection (EP) technology prevents hostile forces from using EA methods to disable U.S. radar equipment assets.
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08/20/2013
What would it take to build a self-reliant city from scratch? For starters, you would have to find a location and chalk out a plan for the organised development of settlements, roads, high-rises, open spaces and transportation facilities. Then you start making provisions for exigencies¯setbacks like power failure or adverse weather. And, after a blueprint is in place, you obtain the raw material to start construction. All this, before you even lay the foundation stone.
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08/20/2013
Two F-35B Lightning II jets (BF-01 and BF-05) touched down aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) Aug. 12, kicking off a second round of testing of the new aircraft. The second of three test phases (DT-II) includes the first night operation at sea as well as the first launch and recovery of the F-35B at sea by a U.K. test pilot.
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08/20/2013
Japan and South Korea air forces are participating with U.S. counterparts in military combat training at Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks. The two-week exercises in the Delta Junction area run through Friday. It's the first time Japanese and South Korea air forces have jointly trained in Alaska or anywhere, according to Lt. Col. Tom Pagano, commander of the 353rd Combat Training Squadron that plans the Red Flag Alaska training exercise.
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08/20/2013
Despite recent reports to the contrary, it has been a rough patch for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, now known as the "Lightning II." Under current plans, the Air Force's "plane of the future" is slated to cost at least $1.5 trillion over its lifetime, which, Pentagon analyst Winslow Wheeler has pointed out, is the equivalent of the Gross Domestic Product of Spain.
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08/20/2013
For Air Force Capt. Daniel "Swoop" Welch, flying a B-52 bomber has become the family business. His father, retired Lt. Col. Don Welch, was trained to drop nuclear bombs with the aircraft during the height of the Cold War. His grandfather, retired Col. Don Sprague, flew B-52 combat missions in Vietnam.
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08/20/2013
US and Russian diplomats will meet in The Hague at the end of August to discuss preparations for the long-delayed Syria peace conference, a Russian diplomatic source told RIA Novosti on Monday. “The meeting will be held at the end of August in The Hague,” the source said, adding that the exact date is yet to be determined.
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08/19/2013
European aerospace consortium EADS has been eliminated from a bid to provide fighter jets worth $7.3 billion to South Korea due to a failure to meet some requirements, a report said Sunday. The Eurofighter was dropped from the bid also sought by US company Boeing after the South's military found that the EADS proposal did not meet its key demands, Yonhap news agency said.
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08/19/2013
The first CV-22 Ospreys have touched down at RAF Mildenhall, England, beginning a new phase for Air Force special operators in Europe. But the fleet might face an uncertain budget future. The first of the 10 tilt-rotor aircraft made the flight across the ocean and touched down at RAF Mildenhall, England, earlier this summer, with the rest expected to arrive through the end of 2014.
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08/19/2013
Two F-35B Lightning II jets (BF-01 and BF-05) touched down aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) Monday, August. 12th, kicking off a week of Development Testing II (DT-II) where Wasp Sailors and Integrated Test Force (ITF) team members are testing and further validating the F-35B.
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08/19/2013
The Pentagon has awarded contracts to a Who’s Who of US defence companies to develop a lethal long-range combat drone that will be based at sea. Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems all received $15 million (£9.6 million) preliminary contracts to design for the US Navy’s planned Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike.
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08/19/2013
The Eurofighter Tranche 3 Typhoon by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) has reportedly been eliminated from South Korea's multibillion-dollar fighter jet project, leaving Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole final candidate, government sources said Sunday.
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08/19/2013
Four months after admitting that 12 of its 26 Gripen jet fighters had been placed in storage because they were too expensive to operate and there were not enough qualified pilots to fly them, South African officials admitted that the maintenance contracts for all the Gripens had expired in April. That made long term use of the Gripens dangerous.
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08/19/2013
Iran plans to withdraw its four billion dollar claim if Russia fails to honor its S-300 contract. Russia proposes new S-300 air defense system replacement to Iran. The S-300 system could become Iran's most advanced air defense system.
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08/19/2013
South Korea's first home-grown light combat fighter, named the FA-50, will be delivered to the Air Force this week, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Sunday. The FA-50 is a light combat aircraft that was developed based on the T-50, a supersonic advanced trainer, in order to replace the military's superannuated fighters, like the F-5E/Fs and A-37s.
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08/19/2013
A group of UN experts arrived in Syria on Sunday to probe the alleged use of chemical weapons in the ongoing civil war there, media reports said. The 20-member team, headed by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom, checked into a hotel in central Damascus on Sunday refusing to speak to reporters on Sunday, Reuters reported.
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08/18/2013
Let’s get real and tamp down the moral posturing about democracy in Egypt. Freely elected President Morsi and his now-deposed Muslim Brotherhood government weren’t practicing democracy. They were co-opting the laws and slowly destroying all possible opposition. Besides, they were aligning with America’s jihadist enemies in Syria, Gaza, and elsewhere.
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08/18/2013
Throughout the day, on August 6, President Cristina Fernandez Kirchner of Argentina chaired a historic United Nations Security Council meeting that revealed a seismic shift in geopolitical consciousness and incipient strength. The agenda of Security Council meeting 7015 was: “Cooperation Between the United Nations and Regional and Sub-regional Organizations in Maintaining International Peace and Security.”
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08/18/2013
There’s a new version of the U.S. Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV. The IGE (Improved Gray Eagle) began flight testing in July. The new version has a better engine, fifty percent more fuel capacity, over 75 percent more endurance (from 30 to 53 hours), and its payload increased by 50 percent from 372 kg (798 pounds) to 558 kg (1,227 pounds).
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08/18/2013
The Chinooks have been parked in a hangar at RAF Boscombe Down in Wiltshire since 1995.
The scandal was exposed in 2008, forcing the MoD to deliver a quick fix to get the aircraft flying by 2010. But someone failed to order the correct computer codes for pilots to fly them. Tory MP Edward Leigh described the saga as a “gold standard procurement cock-up”, leaving special forces in Afghanistan short of air support.
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08/18/2013
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), maker of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, demonstrated the Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle’s (UAV’s) electronic attack capability.
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08/18/2013
Visitors of the 12th Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) last week fought heat, humidity and a crowd of more than 90,000 teenagers waiting to buy their favorite Japanese Manga comic books, toys and posters. The biannual TADTE, held at the World Trade Center, was forced to share half the floor space with the 14th Comic Book Exhibition due to a lack of interest in Taiwan’s defense industry.
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08/18/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry has postponed the purchase of 37 MiG-35 fighter jets until 2016, Kommersant daily reported Saturday. The ministry was originally due to sign the purchase agreement with MiG in June, but last month the aircraft corporation's general director Sergei Korotkov told RIA Novosti that the contract had still not been signed.
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08/17/2013
Canada’s air force has determined that unlike its counterparts in the U.S. and Europe, it does not need approval from civilian aviation agencies to fly drones in domestic airspace and it will operate those unmanned planes as it sees fit, according to newly released Department of National Defence documents.
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08/17/2013
Recent photos from a Chinese shipyard appear to show a section of a new Chinese aircraft carrier under construction. This appears to be a carrier similar to the American Nimitz class ships (100,000 ton vessels using a catapult rather than a ski jump flight deck for launching aircraft). Large ships, including warships, are often built in sections, then the sections are welded and bolted together.
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08/17/2013
Citizen airmen, they’re called. Members of the Air National Guard. Some have day jobs as airline pilots, police officers or construction workers. Those with the 131st Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base made history this month. They’re the first citizen airmen certified to drop nuclear bombs. Don’t panic: Nothing’s been ordered, and the U.S. Air Force is still around to do the heavy lifting in a doomsday scenario.
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08/17/2013
The United States, which has refused to cut off its hefty 1.3 billion dollars in annual military aid to Egypt, continues to argue that depriving arms to the 438,500-strong security forces will only "destabilise" the crisis-ridden country.There is perhaps a more significant - but undisclosed - reason for sustaining military aid flows to Egypt: protecting U.S. defence contractors.
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08/17/2013
One of the most distinctive features of U.S. military power is the Air Force’s fleet of heavy bombers. These long-range aircraft can visit tailored effects on targets anywhere in the world within a few hours, a capability no other nation has. The need to sustain such a fleet is dictated not only by the role America has assumed as guarantor of global security, but also by the geographical reality that vast oceans separate the U.S. from the rest of the world.
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08/17/2013
Most nations, including many close allies of the United States, require up to a week’s notice before American warplanes are allowed to cross their territory. Not Egypt, which offers near-automatic approval for military overflights, to resupply the war effort in Afghanistan or to carry out counterterrorism operations in the Middle East, Southwest Asia or the Horn of Africa.
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08/17/2013
Few military projects are more notorious than the V-22 Osprey. The name has become synonymous with flawed government contracting and planning. Originally conceived in 1980 in the wake of the botched Iranian Hostage Crisis rescue mission, the Osprey was supposed to represent a new type of aircraft that could land and takeoff vertically but also carry plane sized equipment and personnel. So ends the theory.
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08/17/2013
South Korea said at least one firm vying for a $7.4 billion fighter jet contract qualified for the next round of negotiations, concluding the price bidding stage for one of the largest contracts currently on offer for the global defense industry.
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08/17/2013
The second Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] HC-130J Combat King II to be assigned to Air Combat Command’s (ACC) 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was ferried by a Moody AFB crew from the company’s Aeronautics facility here on Aug. 14, 2013.
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08/17/2013
For decades the mysterious Area 51 site in the Nevada desert has been the subject of countless conspiracy theories, including the existence of extraterrestrials, alien autopsies and whether the site even existed at all. But newly declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents finally acknowledge that Area 51 did indeed exist and reveal that it was used as a base to test U-2 and other spy planes.
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08/16/2013
Last Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took part in a ceremony marking the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, an event which, combined with the following atomic bombing of Nagasaki, compelled Japan to surrender nine days later on August 15, ending the Second World War.
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08/16/2013
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy's first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft squadron, completed its first flight in its new aircraft at the squadron's home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. August 14. The 1.3-hour flight was made by VFA-101 aviator Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chris Tabert. The flight followed an Aug. 8 decision by Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific, Navy Vice Adm. David Buss, granting the Fleet Replacement Squadron interim "safe for flight" status.
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08/16/2013
Lockheed Martin Corp. has received a contract worth $852.3 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to provide the required equipment for F-35 fighter jets under Low Rate Initial Production Lot 6 (LRIP-6). This contract is slated for completion in Dec 2016.
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08/16/2013
China and Russia hailed their high-level military collaboration and said they are planning more such exercises over the next few years, as they wrapped up their joint counterterrorism drill, Peace Mission 2013, on Thursday. Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, said after simulated combat in the drill that both sides have made military exercises, bilateral and multilateral, regular events.
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08/16/2013
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, known as “D-M” to our neighbors, is home to the 355th Fighter Wing, the premier air combat base for all Air Force A-10 C fighter aircraft training. Davis-Monthan is also home to other vital Department of Defense units including 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), 55th Electronic Combat Group, 563rd Rescue Group and the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, nicknamed “The Boneyard.”
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08/16/2013
Two Boeing Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) aircraft have arrived at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for airborne tests of the target-tracking capabilities they will provide to the U.S. Army. The extensively modified Beechcraft King Air 350 ER aircraft will undergo mission systems calibration and testing to certify them prior to delivery.
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08/16/2013
August 15 (By Maria Young for RIA Novosti) – US President Barack Obama on Thursday scrapped a military exercise the United States was due to hold next month with Egypt and “strongly condemned” the violent crackdown by security forces on protesters in the Middle Eastern country, in which hundreds were killed and thousands injured. “The cycle of violence and escalation needs to stop,” Obama told reporters in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, where the first family is vacationing.
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08/15/2013
A senior Boeing Co. executive said Wednesday that a decision would be made this year on whether to continue its current production rate of C-17 military transport aircraft, as the aerospace giant continues a quest to find overseas buyers for the jets. Boeing has signaled that it could decide this year whether to end production of the aircraft, the last large aircraft still being built in Southern California, once the center of the U.S. aerospace industry.
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08/15/2013
Nukes aren't the only military implement North Korea's been tinkering with over the last few years. During a recent air force parade, the Hermit Kingdom reminded the world of its deadly, deadly fleet of 30-year-old attack choppers. Today, new images have surfaced of a mysterious, camouflaged cargo jet.
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08/15/2013
The Israeli Air Force is joining the U.S. and many other nations in replacing paper manuals, maps and other documents used in its aircraft (mainly in the cockpit) with tablet computers. The air force has not announced which brand of tablet computer will be used, and many air force crew are already using various tablets and smart phones to more conveniently consult scanned paper documents.
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08/15/2013
Australian Strategic Policy institute (ASPI) executive director Peter Jennings says reconciling defence's ambitious equipment proposals with the budget reality will be a big task. "The only way to avoid being locked into unsustainable long-term spending commitments is for the new government to make the unpalatable choice between increasing defence spending and cutting future capability plans," he says in a new study.
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08/15/2013
When India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C22) rose from its launch pad at 11.41 p.m. on July 1, 2013 from the spaceport at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh and put into orbit a navigation satellite called the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS-1A) 20 minutes later, it signalled that India can build its own navigation satellites for civilian and defense requirements and put them into tricky orbits.
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08/15/2013
Is India's aging fleet of conventional submarines threatening to go the MiG-21 way? The Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), already 30 years in the making, was slated to replace the obsolete MiG-21 in the 1990s but is still at least two years away from becoming fully-operational.
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08/15/2013
Four U.S. weapons makers each received $15 million in funding on Wednesday for continued work on a new unmanned combat plane for use on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, the Pentagon announced. Lockheed Martin Corp , Boeing Co , Northrop Grumman Corp and privately-held General Atomics each received a contract valued at $15 million to fund a preliminary review assessment of their designs for a new type of drone to be used for surveillance and possible strikes.
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08/15/2013
The Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) first C-130J Super Hercules took to the skies today for its first flight at the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] production facility here. This C-130J (Lockheed Martin aircraft number 5730) is scheduled for a 2014 delivery to the ROKAF, a legacy C-130 operator.
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08/15/2013
The first production Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter for the Turkish Air Force (TAF) has made its maiden flight, marking a key milestone towards its delivery. The aircraft, known as MSN9, took off from Seville, Spain, at 13:56 local time (GMT+2) on August 9 and landed back in Seville 5 hours and 30 minutes later.
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08/14/2013
Israel and Egypt are quietly cooperating to quell Islamist militants along their border, Western officials say, a sensitive relationship illuminated by a deadly Israeli drone strike late last week inside Egyptian territory. Israel's intervention in the Sinai Peninsula—which Egyptian officials denied, and which Israeli officials neither confirmed nor denied—would be the clearest manifestation of the high-level interaction between Israeli and Egyptian military and intelligence chiefs.
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08/14/2013
The Pentagon’s internal watchdog is poised to publish a classified report scrutinizing how much time the military’s V-22 Osprey spends in maintenance and unprepared for flight. The Defense Department inspector general’s audit will determine whether the Osprey’s performance “meets mission capability rate requirements, as well as how the frequency of repairs and the replacement of supply parts” affects its mission readiness, officials with the IG’s office wrote in their August newsletter.
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08/14/2013
Soon, military and community leaders will get a chance to see what all the fuss - and all the construction at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort - has been about. The new Joint Strike Fighter will be displayed at the base during an inivition-only event Tuesday. Among the invited guests are area officials and the media. Brig. Gen. Robert Hedelund, the commanding officer for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is among those scheduled to attend the event.
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08/14/2013
The Air Force is setting out to do something it hasn’t done in more than two decades: acquire a heavy bomber. The aspiration is to have an operational long range strike bomber in the air by the mid-2020s. To do so, the service will have to avoid some of the pitfalls of the past, and keep funding flowing to the program despite budget pressures, analysts said.
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08/14/2013
Since the dawn of aerial combat, pilots have needed a direct line of sight to engage their target. However, the days of one-on-one Top Gun style dog-fighting may finally be nearing their end. Thanks to new technology developed by the European Air Force, pilots no longer need direct visual confirmation of their target. Instead, they can engage multiple enemies with the help of a radically advanced helmet.
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08/14/2013
Israel’s Elbit Systems Ltd., whose drones already provide crowd surveillance above Brazil’s soccer stadiums, is seeking a sales boost as the South American country bolsters security for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. “The intelligence-gathering electronic and optics technologies of Elbit and our Brazilian partners are perfectly suited for the homeland security challenges at these events,” Chief Executive Officer Bezhalel Machlis said in an interview.
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08/14/2013
For the United States and its allies, the F-16 has proven time and again to be the perfect all-around, multi-mission fighter aircraft, and with ongoing delays in developing a revolutionary new plane, air forces are preparing to keep it flying for decades to come.
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08/14/2013
Keeping track of 60 aircraft from U.S. and allied partners during a two-week exercise could seem to be an impossible task especially in a training space the size of Florida. To help with the giant task of tracking and collecting data, fighter aircraft are equipped with Air Combat Maneuver Instrument Pods to track actions ensuring pilots can learn from their flying experience and sharpen their war-fighting skills,.
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08/14/2013
India’s air force has a fairly high casualty rate, most of it not in combat. A total of 66 defence personnel and 6 civilians have died between 2009-10 and 2012 due to plane crashes. A total of 54 defence aircrafts have crashed in 45 months, an average of 1.2 crashes per month. There were 16 crashes in 2009-10, which increased to 17 in 2010-11 and declined to 15 in 2011-12. Six crashes took place till the end of 2012.
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08/14/2013
The U.S. Air Force says many of its combat air forces will start flying again after being grounded since April because of budget cuts. The grounding affected about one-third of the Air Force's active-duty combat aircraft, including squadrons of fighters, bombers, and airborne warning and control craft.
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08/13/2013
Britain's BAE Systems is gearing up for strong growth in commercial and international orders for its wide range of electronic systems, and expects that to help offset declining military spending in the United States and Europe.
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08/13/2013
The CIA admitted late Friday it has a number of documents about drones, but told a federal court that disclosing even the number of documents it possessed would damage national security. The disclosure came around 11:00 p.m., hours after President Barack Obama held a press conference promising more transparency around national security issues.
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08/13/2013
U.S. drones have been battering Yemen, killing at least 28 people, and American spy planes watch from overhead. And now, Yemen’s skies are looking to get even more crowded. The U.S. Navy is helping the Yemeni air force buy 12 light spy planes, adding to the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military aid the U.S. given to the Sana’a regime.
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08/13/2013
The first successful landing of a drone the size of a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier in July drew acclaim from Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as “the future,” but the vision raises questions about Pensacola’s traditional role as a training ground for thousands of military aviators.
“The manned aircraft portion of Naval aviation is going to decrease in favor of unmanned,” said retired Adm. Robert Kelly.
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08/13/2013
When the president lifts off from the White House lawn, he’s joined by a few new wingmen. On President Barack Obama’s vacation flight Saturday to Martha’s Vineyard, new MV-22 Ospreys made their debut escorting his staff, Secret Service agents and the news media – although not the chief executive himself – to the island off the Massachusetts coast.
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08/13/2013
Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Monday the basic trainer aircraft (BTA) project of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) "is still on" and the Indian Air Force has not sought more Swiss-made Pilatus PC-7 Mark II basic trainers. Answering queries from media persons about IAF "favouring" Pilatus over state-run HAL's HTT-40 trainer, which is still under development, Antony said that the project to build the BTA was being pursued.
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08/13/2013
India launched its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier on Monday, a landmark moment in the $5 billion or 500 crores project that seeks to project the country's power and check the rising influence of China.
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08/13/2013
South Korea's arms procurement agency on Monday approved a long-delayed plan to buy four aerial refueling tankers from 2017-19 to extend the operational range of the country's fighter jets. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it will open bidding for the project in February of next year and select a contractor in October in the same year.
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08/13/2013
Lockheed Martin received a $223 million contract to provide the Republic of Korea with Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) systems for the nation’s AH-64E Apache helicopter.
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08/13/2013
The final version of the engine for Russia’s first fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet will be available by the end of the current decade, the United Engine Making Corporation said Monday. T-50 prototypes are currently using a preliminary, “Stage 1” engine, while the “Stage 2” engine will make the jet’s capabilities “even more impressive,” a corporation spokesman told RIA Novosti, without providing any technical details.
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08/12/2013
President Viktor Yanukovych’s signing of Ukraine’s renewed NATO Annual National Plan last month, and the country’s completion of naval exercises with the alliance, in line with the Eastern European country’s commitment to supporting NATO counterpiracy operations, reaffirm its interest in maintaining a transatlantic relationship, at least to some extent.
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08/12/2013
The Air Force plans to increase the number of airmen and aircraft it will rotate through Australia as part of the U.S. military's Pacific Pivot and increased presence in Australia.
President Obama announced in 2011 on his trip to Australia the U.S. plan to deploy 2,500 Marines on 6-month rotations to the port city of Darwin. The president explained that it would serve as a stepping stone toward increasing the U.S. military's partnership with Australia.
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08/12/2013
The story with F-16 fighter jets is similar. Since 1980, we've sent Egypt 221 fighter jets, valued at $8 billion. "Our American military advisers in Cairo have for many years been advising against further acquisitions of F-16s," Springborg said. Egypt already has more F-16s than it needs, he said.
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08/12/2013
The airman killed in a helicopter crash on Okinawa was a decorated para-rescue veteran whose effort to recover a wounded soldier was captured in one of the most iconic combat photos to come from the war in Afghanistan, the Air Force said Saturday.
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08/12/2013
British military inspectors will fly over the territories of Russia and Belarus starting from Monday as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. “In the period between August 12 and 16, a group of British experts will make a surveillance flight above the territories of Russia and Belarus on board of a Swedish SAAB-340 observation aircraft,” Ruslan Shishin, the acting head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said.
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08/11/2013
Israel is shrinking its military, along with its defense budget. To deal with these changes the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is selling off older equipment, much if from semi-retired status (kept in reserve for an emergency) rather than stuff being used regularly. Among the items being offered are probably the last Kfir jet fighters (25 0f them) available for sale.
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08/11/2013
The Egyptian military has confirmed that Friday's air raid on targets in the Sinai region that killed four fighters was carried out by one of its aircraft. The armed group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis had earlier said Israeli drones were behind the attack. It further accused the Egyptian army of co-ordinating the attack with the Israelis.
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08/11/2013
Government officials say they will soon begin negotiations with the United States on a larger American military presence to help deter what they say is increasing Chinese aggression in Philippine-claimed waters in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
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08/11/2013
PRINCE HARRY is to join the Army’s most elite Apache helicopter unit and could soon be flying from an aircraft carrier taking part in some of the most challenging missions faced by pilots. Recently qualified Apache commander Captain Wales is one of three pilots earmarked for operational experience with the Royal Navy’s high-readiness force, known officially as the UK’s Response Force Task Group.
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08/11/2013
The F-35s soaring through the sky are continuing to ramp up their training operations and have started to simulate some combat-type missions. For the first time last month, the Joint Strike Fighter was controlled by an air battle management squadron on the ground at Tyndall Air Force Base.
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08/10/2013
The crash of an F-22 Raptor jet fighter Nov. 15 at Tyndall Air Force Base was caused by a “chafed wire” that ignited a fire and caused the jet to lose power, the Air Combat Command Investigation Board announced Friday.
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08/10/2013
The Joint Strike Fighter Pilot Training Center was completed this month with capabilities to hold 8 full mission F-35B simulators, classrooms, briefing rooms and more. Construction of new facilities aboard Fightertown continue for the expected arrival of two training and three operational F-35B squadrons.
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08/10/2013
South Korean F-15K combat jets have flown nonstop to Alaska, using in-flight refueling to take part in an upcoming U.S.-led multinational exercise known as "Red Flag," South Korea's Defense Ministry said Friday. The flight to Alaska "has become the first time for our fighter aircraft to fly non-stop by aerial refueling to participate in a joint drill overseas," spokesman Wi Yong Seop told a news briefing.
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08/10/2013
A plane crash-landed in the Somali capital city of Mogadishu Friday, killing four people when the aircraft burst into flames on the tarmac of Aden Adde International Airport. All six onboard were crew members; the two survivors are being treated at an African Union hospital in the city.
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08/10/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry will procure up to 60 Mi-28UB helicopters to improve the training of pilots for Mi-28N gunships, the Air Force commander said. The Mi-28UB is a combat training variant of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that can be operated both from the pilot's cockpit and the flight instructor's cockpit as it is equipped with a dual hydromechanical flight control system.
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08/10/2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed “philosophical” matters, not an arms deal, with Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief during a recent meeting in Moscow, a presidential aide said Friday. Western media reported after the meeting that Saudi Arabia had offered to buy Russian arms worth $15 billion if Moscow agreed to stop backing the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The story was credited to anonymous sources and was never confirmed by Russian or Saudi officials.
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08/10/2013
India and China are interested in using Ukraine’s carrier-deck pilot training site in Crimea, a senior defense official said Friday. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti in mid-July that Moscow had officially informed Kiev that it will not use the Nitka site in 2013. “There are other countries that are showing some interest in using Nitka. These are India, China and others,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Mozharovskiy said.
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08/10/2013
Russia has postponed the delivery of a batch of S-300 missile defense systems to Syria, despite having received advance payment, a prominent Russian newspaper reported Friday.
The delivery, originally scheduled for spring 2013, has been pushed back to June 2014, Vedomosti business daily said, citing an annual report by the Moscow-based company Avangard, which manufactures rockets for S-300 systems.
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08/09/2013
Camp Grayling is hosting National Guard soldiers from all over the country this week for the annual combat training exercises known as Northern Strike. Each year, hundreds of soldiers participate in live fire exercises to practice defending American soil. Northern Strike is a two week program that brings 24 National Guard units from 12 different states to Grayling.
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08/09/2013
Obama administration policy toward Syria is a slow train wreck. Unremitting pressure from war-minded elites is pushing President Barack Obama closer to military intervention in the bloody civil war. Yet getting involved would be a fool's errand. Nevertheless, America's putative allies appear to believe that they are entitled to U.S. support. The president should disabuse them of this dangerous notion.
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08/09/2013
The crash of a U.S. Air Force helicopter inside an Okinawa military installation Monday amid local opposition to the deployment of tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey aircraft at a U.S. Marine Corps base on the main island has put Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government on the spot. Despite the central government’s swift request that helicopters of the type involved in the accident, in which one of the four-member crew was believed killed, be grounded until the cause of the crash is identified.
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08/09/2013
NATO will conduct a series of dynamic and demanding exercises this autumn that will put both troops and commanders from the NATO Response Force (NRF) to the test. The Alliance has ambitious plans to increase training activity over the next few years to maintain readiness and interoperability. This will include more ambitious and frequent exercises, a broader range of scenarios and a comprehensive training plan to cover the full range of Alliance missions.
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08/09/2013
Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15J Eagles landed here Aug. 4 to participate in this calendar year's first RED FLAG-Alaska. The F-15Js form part of the JASDF fighter-interceptor aircraft inventory used to engage hostile aircraft. The F-15J was brought to RF-A 13-3 to help JASDF members improve their tactical flying skills and their ability to generate aircraft in a simulated combat environment.
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08/09/2013
Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet demonstration pilot Capt. Patrick "Flocho" Pollen is ready and raring to go for the Abbotsford International Airshow this weekend - literally.
"I'm strapped into the cockpit as we speak," said the fighter pilot during an interview over the phone with the Times on Wednesday. "I'm making a quick stop in Cold Lake this afternoon . . . then zipping down to Abbotsford right after.
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08/09/2013
On July 15, a Russian-made MIG-21 Bison fighter jet, operated by the Indian Air Force, crashed while attempting to land at the Uttarlai air base in the Barmer district of Rajasthan. This was the second MIG-21 crash, at the very same air base, in two months. However, unlike in the previous accident, which had no casualties, this time the pilot was killed. The crash has been attributed to pilot error.
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08/09/2013
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Army celebrated one million flight hours for the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) during ceremonies held today at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando, Fla., facility.
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08/09/2013
The U.S. Navy recently flew Boeing EA-18G Growler aircraft with sensor system upgrades and its newest data network, demonstrating how the enhanced technologies would allow aircrews to locate threats more quickly and accurately.
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08/08/2013
Airmen from South Korea and Japan will join U.S counterparts for military combat training this week at Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the Red Flag Alaska training exercise begins Thursday and runs through Aug. 23.
The Air Force says at least six types of aircraft will be involved, including F-16s, F-15s, A-10s, KC-135s, KC-130s and F-18s.
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08/08/2013
The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force intercepted for the first time an anti-ship cruise missile surrogate using Raytheon Company's Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) cued by JLENS. An affordable, elevated, persistent over-the-horizon sensor system, JLENS uses a powerful integrated radar system to detect, track and target a variety of threats.
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08/08/2013
More than 160 Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 "Red Devils" participated in rapid embarkation training aboard Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, July 22 through Aug 2. "The purpose of this training was to conduct a rapid deployment into an unknown area in which we embark the entire squadron in a short amount of time," said Gunnery Sgt. Willie Dennis, the aviation ordinance staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge with VMFA-232 and a Syracuse, N.Y., native.
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08/08/2013
The U.S. Defense Department has alerted Congress to a possible sale to Iraq of a $2.4 billion integrated air defense system. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the Iraqi government has requested the equipment, including 40 truck-mounted Avenger fire units made by Boeing Co., 681 Stinger surface-to-air missiles made by Raytheon Co. and 216 medium-range Hawk missiles also made Raytheon, among other products.
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08/08/2013
Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall Tahir Rafiq Butt says that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) must prepare for a two-front situation in view of its combat role in the anti- terrorism campaign, which has evolved since the 9/11 attacks on the US, and in addition to its traditional adversarial role as India’s neighbour.
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08/08/2013
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is all set to attain the capability of keeping its indigenously developed fighter aircraft JF 17 Thunder airborne for a longer haul, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt said on Wednesday. “The ground tests have been very successful and I am satisfied. The air-to-air refuelling test will be done successfully by end of this summer,” Air Chief Marshal Butt said in an interview with Defence Jane’s Weekly.
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08/08/2013
The F-35s soaring through the sky are continuing to ramp up their training operations and have started to simulate some combat-type missions. For the first time last month, the Joint Strike Fighter was controlled by an air battle management squadron on the ground at Tyndall Air Force Base.
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08/08/2013
Military inspectors from Russia and the United Kingdom will on Wednesday carry out an inspection flight over Swedish territory as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian nuclear security official said. The flight will be carried out by a Russian Antonov An-30B plane from Sweden’s Uppsala airport along an agreed flight route with the maximum range of 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles), said Sergei Ryzhkov, head of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.
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08/08/2013
An Antonov An-26 plane that made an emergency landing Wednesday outside Moscow belongs to the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet, the Defense Ministry said. The An-26 plane made an emergency landing Wednesday morning at the Ostafyevo military airbase about 30 km (19 miles) south of the center of Moscow.
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08/07/2013
Northrop Grumman will provide the Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for U.S. Air Force and Taiwan F-16 fighter jets, after winning a competition by Lockheed Martin looking to prolong the life of F-16 legacy aircraft with a radar upgrade program.
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08/07/2013
One of the criticisms of the early years of British military operations in Afghanistan from the summer of 2006 was that there were not enough soldiers – or helicopters – to support the challenge of the mission. Early on, accepted policy in Helmand Province dictated the support of regional seats of government, which effectively tied the British Army into “platoon houses” soon after, which significantly hampered its ability to conduct proactive, deliberate operations.
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08/07/2013
Japan has been accused of ignoring its policy of self-defence after launching its largest warship since the end of the Second World War as the government faces down China over a disputed chain of islands. The new ship is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters at once - but Japanese officials insist it is not an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch military jets.
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08/07/2013
As explosive ordnance and the means to deliver it against enemy fortifications have evolved through the centuries, government and military leaders throughout history have sought increasingly strong facilities in which to establish secure command and control.
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08/07/2013
Five Chinese JH-7A fighter-bombers carried out their first reconnaissance mission in China-Russia joint military drills in Chelyabinsk Tuesday. The flight lasted for more than an hour and focused on getting familiar with the environment, unaided eye reconnaissance and searching for combat targets, said Wang Xiaoliang, one of the pilots.
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08/07/2013
Yemen was thrust back into the forefront of the international fight against terrorism Tuesday when the U.S. and Britain evacuated embassy staff due to a threatened attack, a suspected U.S. drone killed four alleged members of al-Qaida, and militants shot down a Yemeni army helicopter.
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08/07/2013
China continues to modernize its nuclear forces by enhancing its silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and adding more survivable mobile delivery systems. In recent years, the road-mobile, solid-propellant CSS-10 Mod 1 and CSS-10 Mod 2 (DF-31 and DF-31A) intercontinentalrange ballistic missiles have entered service.
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08/07/2013
The Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft completed its 500th vertical landing August 3. BF-1, the aircraft which completed this achievement, also accomplished the variant’s first vertical landing in March 2010 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
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08/07/2013
The Russian Air Force will take delivery of its first fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet "in the third quarter of this year" for final state test flights starting in the fourth quarter, the service's commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Tuesday. In late April, President Vladimir Putin said the T-50 would enter service with the country’s armed forces in 2016, and not 2015 as had been previously announced.
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08/06/2013
If you know anything at all about Army aviation, then you know that soldiers fly helicopters. When the Army and the Air Force became separate services after World War Two, the Air Force got almost all of the fixed-wing planes and the Army got almost all the rotorcraft. However, there are a handful of exceptions to this general rule — areas where the type of aircraft each service typically flies isn’t well suited to a mission it must perform.
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08/06/2013
A U.S. military helicopter crashed at an American base on the southern island of Okinawa, Japanese and U.S. officials said Monday. A HH-60 rescue helicopter crashed in a training area at Camp Hansen with four crew members on board, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. The status of the crew members is unknown, it said.
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08/06/2013
Activist hedge fund TCI has said the European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company (EADS) should sell its stake in Dassault Aviation as the holding was "a poor use of capital." TCI wrote to EADS's chief executive officer, Tom Enders, demanding that the aerospace company sell its holding, worth €4bn ($5.3bn, £3.5bn), and give the earnings to the shareholders.
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08/06/2013
While missile maker Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad, is setting up three new production units, Bangalore-based aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has asked the defence estates department to locate 1,000 acres of land for setting up a new division for helicopters, Defence Minister A K Antony said in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
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08/06/2013
Grainy photos of what appears to be a slice of the PLA Navy's first indigenously built aircraft carrier have been flying around the Internet the past few days. Of their veracity I have little doubt. China's leadership has openly proclaimed its plans to put a modest fleet of flattops to sea in the coming years. Chinese shipyards have adopted the Western practice of modular construction, meaning that they build the hull in sections, including many of the systems that make an inert hulk a living, f
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08/06/2013
India’s defense minister says his country’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program should be inducted into the Indian Air Force by the end of this year or early next year. The program is 15 years behind schedule.
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08/06/2013
Lockheed Martin will offer a universal, highly adaptable and affordable mission equipment package (MEP) to meet requirements for the Joint Multi-Role/Future Vertical Lift (JMR/FVL) rotary wing program, with potential applications for other customers and platforms.
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08/06/2013
Military inspectors from the United States and Norway will fly over Russia’s territory starting from Monday as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. “In the period between August 5 and 10, a joint mission of US and Norwegian experts will make a surveillance flight above the territory of Russia on board of US Boeing OC-135B observation aircraft,” Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said.
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08/06/2013
The handover of the aircraft means that 17 examples of the type are now in service with four customers – Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the United Kingdom. Converted from an Airbus A330 commercial passenger jet by Airbus Military at Getafe near Madrid, the aircraft will serve with the UAE Air Force and Air Defense at Al-Ain airbase.
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08/06/2013
The first Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter for the Turkish Air Force has begun final tests towards its delivery. Airbus reported this morning that the four engines on the aircraft were successfully run simultaneously for the first time on 29th July at the Airbus Military facility in Seville, Spain. The aircraft will be transferred to the Airbus Military delivery centre in September.
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08/05/2013
The China-Russia joint drill, code-named Peace Mission-2013, enters the phase of battle planning Saturday as China's last troops arrived at the designated area. Peace Mission-2013, which takes place in Chelyabinsk in Russia's Ural Mountainous region from July 27 to August 15, has three phases - troop deployment, battle planning and simulated combat.
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08/05/2013
One thing is certain: it's not your father's B-52. The B-52 Stratofortress has been the Air Force's star long-range strategic heavy bomber and premier standoff weapon for more than 50 years. For generations, the B-52 has successfully executed missions all over the globe.
But in the 21st century, the pace of things has accelerated beyond the wildest dreams of the original designers who first put plans for the aircraft on the drawing board more than 60 years ago.
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08/05/2013
At first, the statement is shocking. “Reduce the number of carrier strike groups from 11 to 8 or 9, draw down the Marine Corps from 182,000 to between 150,000 and 175,000.” But those words July 31 from US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel brought into the open some of the behind-the-scenes discussions that have been going on at the Pentagon for months.
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08/05/2013
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner approved the deal, which will give Argentina the capability to attack the Falklands with laser-guided bombs. The 20 aircraft sold to the Argentine military are at Spain’s Albacete air base and will be shipped to Tandil air base south of Buenos Aires.
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08/05/2013
A dog fight has broken out between Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman and MD R K Tyagi over who should supply the Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA). The spat started after HAL said it was presented with unrealistic requirements over HTT-40s, while the IAF later diluted the same for the Pilatus it bought.
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08/05/2013
India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), built by Cochin Shipyard in the southern state of Kerala, is all set for a launch. Elizabeth Antony, wife of Federal Defence Minister A.K Antony will formally hand over the 260-metre warship, weighing over 40,000 tonne, to the naval authorities at a function at the shipyard on August 12.
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08/04/2013
Equipment from Cassidian's entire IFF "action chain" was deployed for the German forces during the exercise, with MSSR200001 interrogators on ground stations and LTR400 transponders on a German Luftwaffe C160 mission aircraft.
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08/04/2013
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. France is to cut more than 30,000 defence posts and reduce or delay orders for jet fighters and other equipment as the socialist government seeks to balance the need for stringent spending cuts with a bid to sustain the country’s role as a big milit
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08/04/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian Helicopters Holding on Saturday signed a 12.6 billion rubles (about $380 million) contract for 40 Mil Mi-8 AMTSh helicopters, the company said. The contract was signed by Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov and Russian Helicopters CEO Dmitry Petrov. Helicopter deliveries are to begin next year, Petrov said.
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08/03/2013
South Korea will resume its procurement process this month for a jet fighter contract expected to be worth more than $7.2 billion, Yonhap news agency reported. outh Korea's Defense Acquisition Procurement Agency suspended bidding for the 60 aircraft in mid July over concerns that manufacturers' bids were higher than the budgeted $7.2 billion. DAPA announced the decision to restart bidding in mid August in a meeting presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin.
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08/03/2013
Officials are trying to figure out how two F-16C Falcon aircraft collided on Thursday night off the coast of Chincoteague, Va. The F-16C jets were assigned to the 113th Wing D.C. Air National Guard and were part of a routine training mission off the coast of Chincoteague, Va. late Thursday night when they crashed, say officials.
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08/03/2013
In conventional combat aircraft, the target generally needs to be in both the pilot's field of vision and within the sights of the plane itself. That is, the plane needed to be pointed in the general direction of whatever you're shooting at. But in the case of the new Eurofighter Typhoon, pilots can squeeze off a few Sidewinders at bogies incoming from any direction thanks to a super helmet that links their eyes to the plane's electronic brain.
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08/03/2013
France will review how many Dassault Aviation SA (AM) Rafale combat jets it buys in 2015 as the government looks to exports deals to sustain production. An export order from India is all-but assured and one or two more export buyers will sign on as Brazil, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar show interest, said French defense officials, who asked not to be identified. Dassault was named preferred bidder in India to supply at least 126 jets.
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08/02/2013
It's 9 a.m. on a recent Tuesday, and there's a buzz outside the Thunderbird hangar at Nellis Air Force Base that hasn't been heard in months. The F-16 Fighting Falcon jets glisten in the sun, as Thunderbird pilots Maj. Blaine Jones and Lt. Col. Greg Moseley speed-walk along a line of maintenance crew members more than 30 people long, grinning as they salute and backhand slap each crew member's hand _ the customary Shake-and-Bake before every flight.
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08/02/2013
The US defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, warned on Wednesday that the Pentagon may have to stop using up to three navy aircraft carriers and order additional sharp reductions in the size of the army and marine corps if Congress doesn't act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014.
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08/02/2013
An aviation fantasy from the realms of Star Wars, the F-35 is the most sophisticated, expensive and controversial jet fighter ever produced. From the advanced radar system in the nosecone to the thrust-vectoring nozzle at the rear, expore the futuristic fighter jet in more detail.
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08/02/2013
The UK defence contractor, which last year failed to pull off a £30bn tie-up with Airbus-owner EADS, warned of job cuts running into the hundreds after a first six months hit by defence spending cuts and ongoing delays in price negotiations for 72 Saudi Typhoon fighter jets. Ian King, chief executive, said that despite the “challenging environment”, there was no need for more merger talks or any radical change in strategy.
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08/02/2013
In the blue skies above the pristine waters of the Coral Sea, four Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets slide into formation off the left-hand quarter of the Airbus KC-30A tanker, circling at 26,000 ft (7,924 m) approximately 120 miles (192 km) northwest of the city of Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland.
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08/02/2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned Wednesday that the Pentagon may have to mothball up to three Navy aircraft carriers and order additional sharp reductions in the size of the Army and Marine Corps if Congress doesn't act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014.
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08/02/2013
Moscow’s hostility toward Finland’s future intentions on NATO membership has surfaced again in the wake of a visit by US official James Townsend, who accused Russia of meddling and criticized it for laying barriers in the way of any future Finnish application.
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08/02/2013
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has delivered the first of its new long-awaited A400M military transport planes to France, the defence ministry said Thursday. The French military "has received the first aircraft of the A400M series of military transport aircraft" said the ministry, adding it would fly to the Orleans-Bricy airbase on Friday to enter service.
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08/02/2013
Talking to mediapersons here, the Indian Navy vice chief, Vice Admiral R.K. Dhowan, said that the 40,000 tonne indigenous aircraft carrrier (IAC) was one of its most prestigious warship projects and was unprecedented in terms of size and complexity.
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08/02/2013
The U.S. Navy recently awarded Boeing a $1.98 billion contract for 13 additional P-8A Poseidon aircraft, continuing the modernization of U.S. maritime patrol capabilities that will ultimately involve more than 100 P-8As. The contract includes long-lead funding previously approved by the Navy.
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08/01/2013
Panamanian investigators unloading the cargo of a seized North Korean ship carrying arms from Cuba under sacks of brown sugar found yet more military hardware on Tuesday. The authorities discovered 12 engines for MiG-21 fighter jets and five military vehicles that officials said resembled missile control centers. Investigators earlier in July had found two MiG-21 fighters and two missile radar systems on board the Chong Chon Gang.
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08/01/2013
Four months after admitting that 12 of its 26 Gripen jet fighters had been placed in storage because they were too expensive to operate and there were not enough qualified pilots to fly them, South African officials admitted that the maintenance contracts for all the Gripens had expired in April. That made long term use of the Gripens dangerous. This contract was with a reliable, and expensive, South African firm (Denel).
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08/01/2013
Two Air Force pilots escaped injury this week when their T-38 Talon jet belly landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Details about the incident were unclear, but the 12th Flying Training Wing said in a brief statement that the twin-engine, supersonic aircraft touched down without its landing gear on the base's east runway.
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08/01/2013
The Indian Air Force's indigenous dream appears to have gone sour as all major projects for home production of key aircraft are showing symptoms of distress. IAF chief NAK Browne in a letter to Defence Minister A.K. Antony had highlighted the delays and high costs in the development of basic trainer aircraft required urgently for rookie pilots, but these are not the only areas of concern.
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08/01/2013
The modernised MiG-31BM fighter interceptor has been shown in action in Siberia after deployment at the Kansk Air Base in Krasnoyarsk region. The Kansk air group is the first and only sub-unit in Russia's Central Military District to be fully equipped with upgraded planes, according to a report on Zvezda TV, closely linked to the country's Defence Ministry. Reports say it is the fastest military plane in the world.
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08/01/2013
While a final price hasn't been disclosed, an estimated four per cent price reduction means Australia is likely to pay around $US101 million ($A112 million) per fighter. The estimate comes after producers Lockheed Martin and the US Defense Department agreed on the 71 JSFs in the next two production blocks - known as Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lots six and seven.
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08/01/2013
In 1996, the U.S. Air Force figured it needed to buy 11 C-130J cargo planes for about $840 million. Today, the service's plans call for a total of 168 of the Lockheed Martin Corp.-made aircraft for $15.5 billion -- more than 18 times the original cost estimate. The Air Force's C-130J Super Hercules tops the list of major weapons systems that have had the largest increases in projected costs, according to a Military.com analysis of the Defense Department's latest acquisition data.
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08/01/2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned Wednesday that the Pentagon may have to mothball up to three Navy aircraft carriers and order additional sharp reductions in the size of the Army and Marine Corps if Congress doesn't act to avoid massive budget cuts beginning in 2014. Speaking to Pentagon reporters, and indirectly to Congress, Hagel said that the full result of the sweeping budget cuts over the next 10 years could leave the nation with an ill-prepared, under-equipped military.
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08/01/2013
An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet landed in San Diego for the first time Tuesday, stopping in a city saturated with military and defense industry representatives invested in keeping the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program aloft.
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08/01/2013
Iran and Russia have not discussed Moscow’s tentative offer to supply Tehran with Antei-2500 surface-to-air missile systems instead of the S-300, whose sale was previously blocked by the Kremlin, Iran’s envoy to Russia said Wednesday. “As for the Antei-2500 [missile] systems, it’s just words,” Seyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi told RIA Novosti. “There were no agreements, and there are no talks [on the matter].”
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07/31/2013
Israel intends to order 25 Lockheed Martin F-35 fifth-generation fighters, with an option for 50 more. If it wants them quickly, as expected, the news could help some other international partners in the Joint Strike Fighter program. The Israelis have asked for an early multi-year buy (MYB) to reduce the unit cost of their first F-35s. At more than $120 million each, early production F-35As are almost three times as expensive as those to be procured during full-rate production.
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07/31/2013
A Senate subcommittee on Tuesday approved a spending measure that would give the Pentagon $594 billion in fiscal 2014, slap new spending restrictions on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, and provide more money for two shipbuilding initiatives.
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07/31/2013
An enhanced version of the MQ-1C version of General Atomics’ Predator Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) took to the air July 26, 2013 at the company’s El Mirage Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. It was the first flight of the U.S. Army’s Improved Gray Eagle (IGE), a next-generation derivative of the combat-proven Block 1 Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) that has accumulated over 70,000 flight hours since 2008.
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07/31/2013
Turkish ambitions to build a “made-in-Turkey” fighter aircraft and buy scores of the new generation, multinational combat jet F-35 may go beyond Turkey’s financing capacity. Defence industry officials estimate that building eight prototypes for what will become the Turkish national fighter would cost Ankara over $10 billion. “Any figure in the range of $11 billion to $13 billion would be realistic,” a senior official familiar with the programme said.
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07/31/2013
India's quest to indigenize its military aviation sector has taken a sharp nosedive, with a bitter battle raging between the country's only aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and its primary customer IAF on projects ranging from trainer aircraft to the futuristic fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA).
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07/31/2013
The combat aircraft to replace the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s current fleet of MiG-29 jet fighters has not been decided on, said the Prime Minister. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak added that the recent incursion in Sabah by Sulu terrorists had forced the Government to take a look at the country’s defence strategies.
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07/31/2013
The U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin reached an agreement in principle for the next two F-35 Lightning II aircraft production contracts (Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lots 6 and 7), which is expected to include 71 stealth fighter aircraft and continue a reduction in F-35 aircraft pricing. The contracting effort spanned six months from proposal to settlement.
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07/31/2013
Boeing Defence Australia (BDA), a local subsidiary of The Boeing Company, has taken over prime responsibility for supporting the Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) fleet from Boeing in the U.S. The move ensures a continued high level of readiness for the nation’s command and control aircraft fleet.
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07/31/2013
A Russian-built aircraft carrier due to be delivered to the Indian Navy following a much-delayed refit has successfully passed engine tests during the first stage of final sea trials in the White Sea, shipbuilder Sevmash said Tuesday. The current trials focused on the ship's propulsion system and its ability to perform as required.
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07/31/2013
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved a plan to implement a state program on aviation industry development in 2013-2015, the government said in a statement Tuesday. The plan is part of a broader state program to develop the industry until 2025 that was endorsed by the government in December 2012. The program aims to make the sector highly competitive and help it regain its positions on the international market.
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07/30/2013
For most of last year, Democrats and Republicans in Congress agreed that the sequester was a defense calamity that would undermine military readiness and break faith with our troops and veterans. It’s hard to watch their prediction come true while the real waste at the Pentagon goes unchecked.
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07/30/2013
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government will look into the budgetary consideration for the contract for the MiG-29N replacement programme. He said: “We are looking at our defence requirement in the future but it is not so much in terms of our future needs, but it is a question whether we can afford and it is also the question of budgetary consideration.”
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07/30/2013
There may be good diplomatic and political reasons for this. Yet however much these concerns weighed on Canberra, one thing needs to be clear: there is no strategic basis for the newly optimistic assessment of China's rise. To the contrary, military developments in China since the late 2000s reveal a more ominous picture than many previously anticipated, or indeed than many within our defence and security establishment are today prepared to openly acknowledge.
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07/30/2013
With an aim to boost recruitment, the Indian Air Force (IAF), for the first time, plans to develop a gaming app that gives the youth a taste of air combat using advanced weapons and aircraft. The IAF has issued a request through the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) to interested gaming companies. 'Air headquarters, Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi, invites expressions of interest for a mobile gaming application for the IAF.
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07/30/2013
After three years of rigorous U.S. Air Force pilot training, 25-year-old 1st Lt. Andrew Van Timmeren, 7th Fighter Squadron pilot, finally got to climb into the world’s most advanced fighter jet and take it for a spin. Holloman Air Force Base has 24 F-22 Raptors. The single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft is an air dominance fighter, which utilizes stealth technology, and was delivered to the Air Force inventory to be flown operationally in 2005.
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07/30/2013
Turkey must spend nearly $50 billion if it goes ahead with its plans to build and buy 200 locally built fighter jets and acquire 100 more F-35s from an US arms maker. And that amount doesn’t even include the cost of engines for the Turkish fighter.
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07/30/2013
No one disputes the fact that Canada needs to procure new fighter jets, but that’s where universal agreement ends. Several aircraft types are competing to be Canada’s next fighter jet. In this ongoing series, defence analyst Richard Shimooka examines the pros and cons of each contender. He wraps up the final installment with a look at the Dassault Rafale and the Lockheed Martin F-35.
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07/30/2013
The grounding of Air Force combat squadrons will not only have an effect on the long-term readiness of the fleet but also on the careers of pilots and maintainers whose planes were idle. The Air Force on July 15 lifted the four-month grounding of 19 combat squadrons, with pilots returning to the air at a rate that will restore their currency in about three to four months.
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07/30/2013
Was it a charm offensive, or a show of force by the largest army in the world? In a rare move to allow access to foreign journalists to tour a military base, the People's Liberation Army showed off its anti-aircraft brigade in Lintong, about an hour's drive east of Xi'an in Shaanxi province, ahead of the important August 1 anniversary recognised as the army's founding in 1929.
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07/30/2013
Malaysia is looking to enhance its defence expenditure, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak said. Najib said this will be done through deficit reduction and strengthening of the Malaysian economic and fiscal position. He said the question on the country’s defence requirements in the future is of budgetary consideration.
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07/29/2013
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian came to Delhi, charmed his counterpart A K Antony, but could not conquer. After three days in India, when he held formal talks with the Indian defence ministry top brass and also lectured the Indian military think-tank IDSA, Le Drian returned home Saturday empty-handed, without even the Rs 1 lakh crore combat jets deal for which French Rafale was chosen as the lowest bidder in January 2012.
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07/29/2013
With the arrival of the first wave of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base just months away, construction is under way on facilities where pilots will be trained and the planes will be maintained. In all, Air Force executives have projected a $265 million, seven-year construction program specifically to accommodate the F-35 pilot-training program at the base in west Glendale.
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07/29/2013
The U.S. Army recently began full rate production of its new MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV. After eight years of development and field testing, the army is ordering as many production models as it believes it can afford. The current order is for 49, the last of them to be delivered by late 2015.
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07/29/2013
Almost half of the total budget, 337.5 million euro, is destined for the Eurofighter program, whose prime contractor, EADS, will gain. Over 93 million will go towards the public shipbuilding company Navatia, who will be constructing the Juan Carlos I. Another 88.26 million will be spent on the Tiger helicopter.
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07/29/2013
Japanese are becoming more alarmed at increasing Chinese military activity in waters and air space around Japan. It’s not just disputed areas, especially the Senkaku Islands, but around distant Okinawa and increasingly east of Japan, in the Pacific. Operating out there is what the Chinese would have to do for a blockade of Japan.
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07/29/2013
The Serbian Armed Forces (VS) are sufficiently trained and equipped to protect Serbia’s territory from any potential aggressor, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday, summing up the work of the Defence Ministry in the first year of the current government’s term, Tanjug reported.
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07/29/2013
The Sikorsky H-60 Seahawk helicopter and Northrop Grumman C-2 Greyhound carrier-on-board delivery (COD) plane are longtime stalwarts of Navy operations. The 35 Greyhounds constantly shuttle passengers and cargo to and from the fleet’s aircraft carriers, while some 460 H-60s of various models carry out a wide range of missions.
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07/29/2013
U.S. Navy officials are asking combat aircraft designers at the Boeing Co. in St. Louis to prepare the company's EA-18G Growler carrier-based electronic warfare jet to carry the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ), for which Raytheon Co. was selected to build earlier this month.
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07/29/2013
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne has assailed Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which builds most of the fighter aircraft the IAF flies. Writing directly to Defence Minister A K Antony in the first week of July, Browne has savaged HAL's proposal to design and build a basic trainer aircraft (BTA) for rookie IAF pilots.
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07/29/2013
Seth Cropsey, a former assistant secretary of the Navy in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, now a fellow at the Hudson Institute believes so. His recent book, titled Mayday: The Decline of American Naval Superiority, sounds an alarm that as the number of U.S. ships and aircraft continue to decrease, as our defense budgets are dictated by politically correct policies.
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07/28/2013
In 1986, Egypt’s Minister of Defense Field Marshall Abd al-Halim Abu Ghazala, complained that the 1.3 billion dollars of US military aid were no longer enough, and pledged to ask US officials for a raise of a several more hundred million dollars. Egypt had started to receive this annual amount of security aid seven years earlier, after signing the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, and Abu Ghazala explained that global prices of arms increased ever since.
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07/28/2013
Chris Hetrick, an Air Force major who graduated from Flathead High School, says unmanned aircraft are the future of aviation but integrating them with piloted aircraft will be a challenge. Representing the First Reconnaissance Squadron out of Beale Air Force Base in northern California, Hetrick gave a presentation on the Air Force’s growing use of unmanned aircraft to the Flathead Pachyderm Club on Friday in Kalispell.
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07/28/2013
SunZia, the company proposing a $1.2 billion power transmission system that could create 18,000 construction jobs in New Mexico, says it will scotch the project if its preferred route is rejected by the federal government.
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07/28/2013
The existing bomber force cannot cope with new challenges indefinitely. As countries like China pursue anti-access strategies and more agile air defenses become available to potential adversaries, the U.S. must recapitalize its aging bomber fleet. Failure to do so could eventually result in major military setbacks, since future enemies will doubtless attack the joint force where it is weakest. Defense analyst Lauren B. Thompson comments in a recent report published by the Lexington Group.
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07/28/2013
Russian military inspectors will begin on Sunday a series of monitoring flights over the United States under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian nuclear security official said. According to Sergei Ryzhkov, head of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, Russian experts will carry out two consecutive monitoring missions in a Tupolev Tu-154M/LK-1 aircraft from July 28 through August 12.
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07/27/2013
Pockets of Al-Qaeda militants will endure in Afghanistan beyond next year’s departure of most Western combat forces, but they have lost the ability to mount serious attacks of the kind that triggered the Afghan war, a senior US commander said.
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07/27/2013
French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, visiting India at present, spoke to foreign editor Pramit Pal Chaudhuri about the $15 billion (Rs 87990 crore) Rafale fighter deal that is stilling awaiting formal completion and the Indo-French defence relationship.
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07/27/2013
On June 29th Germany retired the last of its 263 F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers after 41 years of use. A third of these were used mainly for reconnaissance, but most were expected to do ground support and air defense. This retirement is part of a growing trend. In 2010, also after 41 years of service, South Korea retired the last of its 222 F-4s. South Korean F-4s (and F-5 fighters) were replaced, over the previous 15 years, by 40 F-15K fighter-bombers and 180 F-16s.
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07/27/2013
Drone-strike disclosures have prompted headlines like this one from the Atlantic Wire: "How the NSA Is Using Cell Phone Data to Drone Civilians (In Pakistan)." "Drone" has increasingly come into play as a verb, meaning "to target or kill in a drone strike," especially among critics of the Obama administration. But how did "drone" become the label for unmanned aircraft in the first place?
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07/27/2013
Senior Pentagon leaders and weapons developers are looking to more fully integrate operational energy considerations into the acquisition process by working with the services to build energy-efficient aircraft, ships, vehicles, solar panels and new high-efficiency engines, among other things.
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07/27/2013
When an American aircraft goes down, be it over a remote training ground or behind enemy lines, the US Air Force’s crack teams of pararescue forces jump into action. The new HC-130J Combat King II is the plane that delivers them when Apaches can’t, even into active combat zones.
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07/27/2013
India and France today discussed their ongoing military cooperation including the progress over Rs 50,000-crore 126 multirole combat aircraft deal during the Defence Minister-level talks here. In a joint statement issued after the deliberations between Defence Minister A K Antony and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, the two sides said they have agreed to further strengthen their defence ties as they were mutually beneficial.
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07/27/2013
Lockheed Martin achieved an unprecedented milestone by delivering a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) P-3 Orion aircraft in 10 months – and 78 days early -- on July 18. This is the eighth of 14 aircraft in the program to receive Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modifications and phased depot maintenance. It will soon join the CBP P-3 MLU fleet conducting homeland security and drug interdiction missions.
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07/27/2013
Russia's Defense Ministry has signed a 3.4 billion ruble ($103 million) contract with the Tupolev design bureau and Kazan Aircraft Plant to upgrade three Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers, Tupolev said Friday. The delivery date for the supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber is December 31, 2015, the company said.
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07/26/2013
Over the last several months, there has been much media coverage and analysis of the impact of sequestration on America’s military services. But there has been little attention paid to the potential damage to readiness as a result of the distorted way the spending cuts must be made. Carried over two to three years, this pattern will drive the U.S. military back to the years of “hollow forces” we experienced in the post-Vietnam military.
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07/26/2013
A pair of big, blimp-like craft, moored to the ground and flying as high as 10,000 feet, are to be added to a high-tech shield designed to protect the Washington, DC area from air attack, at least for a while.
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07/26/2013
Azerbaijan’s rapid arms build-up is cause for concern in the region, with some defence analysts warning that it heightens the risk of renewed conflict. President Ilham Aliyev frequently boasts of the amount of money his oil-rich state can afford to spend on weaponry. Appearing at a military parade in Baku on June 26.
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07/26/2013
U.S. Navy officials are asking combat aircraft designers at the Boeing Co. in St. Louis to prepare the company's EA-18G Growler carrier-based electronic warfare jet to carry the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ), for which Raytheon Co. was selected to build earlier this month.
(Read More...)
07/26/2013
Even as India and France struggle to finalize the long-awaited $20 billion MMRCA project to supply 126 Rafale fighters to the IAF, French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is now on a three-day visit here to bolster the "bilateral strategic and defence cooperation partnership".
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07/26/2013
The 100th Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the first aircraft destined for Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz., has entered the last stage of final assembly. This conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, known as AF-41, is scheduled to arrive at the base next year. During final assembly, the aircraft structure is completed, and electrical and hydraulic systems are added.
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07/26/2013
The final Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules (Lockheed Martin aircraft number 5726) designated for the 317th Airlift Group was ferried to Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, today. Gen.Paul Selva, commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill., flew the aircraft to Dyess AFB from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility here.
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07/26/2013
Lockheed Martin’s Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) has achieved operational flight status on the B-52 bomber. With the addition of the B-52, Sniper ATP is the only targeting pod operational across six U.S. Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft platforms. Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force completed Sniper ATP B-52 site activation at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
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07/25/2013
Boeing could snare yet another big order from India as the Indian Army has asked the Defence Ministry to acquire an unspecified number of AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, according to an MoD source. Last year, the Indian Air Force purchased 22 Apaches for US $1.3 billion. Beyond the Indian Army request, a third order of helicopters could be in the offing for India’s planned Mountain Corps.
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07/25/2013
The House on Wednesday evening overwhelmingly approved a spending bill that would give the Pentagon about $600 billion next year, while narrowly killing a measure that targeted controversial NSA surveillance programs. The chamber’s 2014 defense appropriations bill, approved on a 315-109 vote, includes about $512.5 billion for the Pentagon’s base budget and around $82 billion for overseas operations. The base budget figure is about $3 billion less than the White House requested.
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07/25/2013
After two North Korean attacks in 2010, South Korea began to redress its naval shortcomings, but deficiencies remain that could put allied interests at risk during the next military conflict. South Korea needs to strengthen its anti-submarine warfare, amphibious, and C4ISR capabilities. The United States needs to reverse course on its defense budget reductions, which are raising doubts among U.S. allies (and enemies) about the ability of the U.S. to keep its security commitments.
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07/25/2013
A rare British airplane will head into the blue skies Aug. 10-11 over Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti. It’s one of the featured airplanes at Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, produced by the Yankee Air Museum..
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07/25/2013
Deals expected to be worth over Rs 80,000 crore including supply of 126 Rafale combat aircraft are likely to be high on agenda of French Defence Minister Jaen Yves Le Drian during his three-day visit to India from Friday. India and France have been busy in negotiating the 126 combat aircraft deal for which the French combat aircraft was selected last year defeating its five other European and American rivals and over Rs 30,000 crore Maitri surface-to-air missile projects.
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07/25/2013
A light aircraft, which briefly violated the airspace of Russia and then Lithuania earlier in the week, was forced down to land by NATO fighter jets in Latvia, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said. Two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled after a Cessna aircraft flying over Polish territory toward Gdansk Bay about 50 kilometers away from the Russian border was detected on Monday night.
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07/25/2013
Two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled earlier this week in response to an alert that Russian airspace over the Baltic Sea had been violated by a small passenger plane, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The Russian Aerospace Defense Forces detected an aircraft flying over Polish territory toward Gdansk Bay about 50 kilometers away from the Russian border on Monday night.
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07/25/2013
Russia's Izhmash arms factory, manufacturer of the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle, will produce high-precision antitank missiles in close collaboration with other companies under the umbrella of the future Kalashnikov Corporation, the company said Wednesday. Izhmash has recently won a 13 billion ruble ($400 million) Defense Ministry tender for the production of Vikhr-1 long-range, supersonic antitank missiles in one of its “largest state orders in recent years.”
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07/25/2013
Alenia Aermacchi has delivered the first ATR72-600 TMUA (Turkish Maritime Utility Aircraft) to the Turkish Navy. The first of a total order of eight ATR72s, which consist of two TMUAs and six ATR72-600 TMPA (Turkish Maritime Patrol Aircraft) maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
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07/24/2013
It used to be every teen's dream job — speed, adventure, glamor all rolled into one — but the Air Force is struggling to keep fighter pilots in jets at bases across the world. The Pentagon fears there will be a shortfall of up to 700 Top Guns by 2021 if the decline in interest doesn't turn around, and is offering a $225,000 signing bonus future Mavericks eager to suit up.
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07/24/2013
Turkish military pilots have tested the A400M military transportation planes which will be added to Turkish Military Force's inventory list in September. The Airbus Military will deliver the first party of ordered ten new generation A400M cargo planes to Turkish Airforce until the end of the September 2013. The A400 cargo has passed many tests successfully and its quality has been approved by pilots who tested them in two different airbases of Turkey.
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07/24/2013
I've always loved 747s and just about everything about them. But the one I'm on right now, known as the Doomsday plane, has a very different -- and very somber -- purpose than most of Boeing's iconic jumbo jets. Formally known as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), this is an E-4B, the plane that America's military leaders would use as an airborne command and control center in the case of a nuclear war or other very serious conflict.
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07/24/2013
The National Air Force of Angola’s training capability has received a major boost with the acceptance of the first three of six Super Tucanos on order, and the delivery of six Cessna 172R trainers. The first three Super Tucanos were accepted during a formal ceremony held in the capital Luanda on July 12. Chief of General Staff General Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda officiated at the event, which was also attended by generals, officers and soldiers.
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07/24/2013
Israel sold some $7.5 billion in defense products in 2012 – a record high – the Defense Ministry revealed on Tuesday, but officials voiced concerns that the coming year could see a slump in sales. Speaking to reporters at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Shmaya Avieli, director of Defense Export and Defense Cooperation (known by its Hebrew acronym, “Sibat”), pointed to an ongoing economic downturn as one factor for decreased projected sales.
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07/24/2013
The U.S. Air Force is struggling to keep its top gun combat pilots as increasing numbers move to the safety of flying attack drones from military bases. Indeed, despite their adrenaline fueled reputations, fighter pilots believe the stresses of actual combat compared to the financial incentives of flying passenger airlines or drones are too much too ignore.
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07/24/2013
The US Navy has deployed the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to the Gulf region.
“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is ready to deploy,” Xinhua quoted Rear Adm. Kevin Sweeney, commander of the carrier strike group, as saying in a statement. “We’ve worked very hard over the last several months to maintain our combat readiness following the delay of our deployment in February due to sequestration.”
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07/24/2013
Rebel forces seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad hope to receive arms from the United States as early as next month after two key US congressional committees approved the weapons shipments, according to media reports. “We think August is the date,” The New York Times cited a Syrian opposition leader as saying in an email Monday night.
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07/24/2013
Over 2,500 servicemen and 350 weapons systems are involved in snap combat readiness drills for Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN), a Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday. The drills, involving the headquarters and two missile divisions of the Orenburg Missile Army in Russia’s Urals region, began Monday and are set to run through Saturday, Col. Igor Yegorov said.
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07/24/2013
Members of the Kuwait Air Force have just completed a six month training course at the Electronic Warfare Operational Support (EWOS) facility of Selex ES, a Finmeccanica company. The course transferred the essential knowledge and skills that will allow the Kuwait Air Force to get the most out of the Selex ES HIDAS Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment currently installed on the country’s Apache helicopters.
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07/23/2013
Retired Marine pilots who served in the electronic warfare community are challenging the service’s plan to deactivate the EA-6B Prowler in 2019. Premature retirement of the Prowlers will create a capability gap in the Marine Corps, they say, due to delays in production of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the failure to establish a program of record for the development of a large electronic warfare-capable unmanned aircraft.
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07/23/2013
During the largest military exercise the U.S. undertakes with any single nation, new tech debuted to give soldiers unprecedented access to drone video feeds. The biennial Exercise Talisman Saber 2013 combines more than 28,000 military personnel from the U.S. and Australia; it began July 15 and is due to finish Aug. 5. The exercise aims to improve combat readiness and cooperation between the two militaries.
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07/23/2013
On Thursday Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey told a Senate committee that the Obama administration is considering the use of military force in Syria. On the following day, the four-star general provided United States Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) with an unclassified letter that details recommendations for U.S. policy options regarding the "potential use of U.S. military force in the Syrian conflict."
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07/23/2013
At the beginning of July, the German Heron 1 UAS logged its 15,000th operational flight hour. The three systems, which are operated by Cassidian subsidiary Airborne Solutions on behalf of the German Air Force – the Luftwaffe, are stationed in Mazar-e-Sharif in north Afghanistan where they are serviced by an experienced team of engineers, pilots and UAS specialists.
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07/23/2013
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the U.S. Navy have completed the first arrested landing of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) carrier demonstration aircraft on the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).
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07/23/2013
Even by North Korean standards, the story was odd. To a world used to North Korean exports of weapons, the seizure of a North Korean ship carrying arms from Cuba was unique. Pyongyang’s attempted transshipment of antiquated weapons revealed much about the North Korean regime.
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07/23/2013
Boeing delivered the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) second C-17 Globemaster III today, a month after India’s first C-17 arrived in the country and immediately began supporting IAF operations. This second IAF C-17 also will immediately enter service. India will receive 10 aircraft by 2014.
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07/23/2013
Russia's Izhmash arms factory, manufacturer of the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle, has won a 13 billion ruble (about $400 million) Defense Ministry tender for antitank missiles, the company said Monday, in one of its “largest state orders in recent years.” Izhmash is to deliver Vikhr-1 long-range, supersonic antiarmor missiles by the end of 2015, company CEO Konstantin Busygin said.
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07/23/2013
Military inspectors from Turkey and the United States will fly over Russia’s territory starting from Monday as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. “In the period between July 22 and July 26, experts from Turkey and the United States will make a surveillance flight above the territory of Russia on board Turkey’s CN-235 plane,” the ministry said in a statement.
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07/22/2013
With billions of dollars in spending reductions looming, Air Force officials looked around last year for a program they could cut that was underperforming, had busted its budget and wasn't vital to immediate combat needs.
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07/22/2013
The last of three aircrafts Vietnam ordered from Airbus Military in Spain arrived in Hanoi Tuesday, Vietnam’s Marine Police Department said. The CASA C212 of the -400 series joined the other two aircrafts of the same type in the fleet, which is managed and operated by the 918th brigade of Vietnam’s air force. They will be used for sea surveillance, detecting warships and submarines and defending Vietnamese territory.
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07/22/2013
Boeing is awaiting the U.S. Air Force’s confirmation for the company to start building tankers that will work to refuel in-flight combat aircraft, Reuters reported Thursday. Matt Haldane writes the Air Force evaluated the KC-46 tanker’s design in July as part of the final test before proceeding with production for the $52 billion program.
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07/22/2013
Raytheon recently received an $80.5 million production contract award from the U.S. Navy to procure Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1's for the Super Hornet. This is the second order for the weapon system.
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07/22/2013
Harmonizing defense procurement across Europe has been a decades-long goal, one rekindled as military spending plunges. For the first time in a decade, top European leaders will meet in December to consider joint projects and how to better integrate Europe’s disparate and sprawling industrial base. European Union Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier wants to develop a new medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft as an alternative to America’s Reaper.
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07/22/2013
RK Tyagi, alumni of IIT Roorkee, took over as Chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in March 2012. He spoke to HT on a range of issues concerning the company's growth, challenges and future targets.
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07/22/2013
The Marine Corps released figures last week showing that the Miramar Air Show makes an annual profit of about $1.5 million, giving fuel to critics who question whether the Pentagon should have grounded military flights for this year’s show.
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07/22/2013
The Iceland Fighter Meet 2014 (IFM14) will bring together fighter aircraft from NATO member Norway (F-16 Fighting Falcon), and from partner countries Finland (F-18 Hornet) and Sweden (JAS Gripen), to conduct a wide range of air defence-related flying activities. These will include air combat training between dissimilar aircraft types, defensive and offensive counter-air operations and high-value airborne asset attack and protection.
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07/22/2013
The steel-gray U.S. Air Force Predator drone plunged from the sky, shattering on mountainous terrain near the Iraq-Turkey border. For Kurdish guerrillas hiding nearby, it was an unexpected gift from the propaganda gods.
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07/21/2013
The concept demonstrator, known as Taranis, is sitting at the remote Woomera test center in South Australia in preparation for a first flight scheduled for September, said the sources, who asked not to be named. The first flight follows a three-year delay and more than 55 million pounds (US $83.1 million) in additional costs caused by technical issues, an increase in the list of requirements and extended risk mitigation work on Taranis.
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07/21/2013
In the shadow of the Nellis Air Force Base flag, recessed behind an impeccable green lawn, sits the US Air Force Warfare Center, where the decisions made every day reach far beyond the Nellis gate; overseas and directly into conflicts around the world.
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07/21/2013
India’s Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) has confirmed that it has abandoned plans to jointly develop and produce the Kaveri military aircraft engine solely with France’s Snecma. The change in plan has come after India ordered 99 of General Electric’s F-414 engines—in preference to the Eurojet 2000 engine—for its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Mark II program, for which the Kaveri is supposed to be an alternative powerplant.
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07/20/2013
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.
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07/20/2013
Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) won a $113.7 million U.S. Navy advance acquisition contract for long lead materials and related support for five full-rate production Lot 2 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
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07/20/2013
The drills that were launched on the night of July 13 in Russia, following the order from the Supreme Commander to check the combat readiness of the Eastern Military District, have become the largest military exercise of the Russian Armed Forces. In fact, the drills have not finished yet, but it is possible to come to certain conclusions already.
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07/20/2013
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty signed an agreement to grant four C-130 type Hercules aircraft to Indonesia, on Friday. “One of the aircraft, with tail number A97-006, is ready to be delivered,” said Purnomo after the signing of ceremony at the Defense Ministry on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat in Jakarta, as quoted by tempo.co.
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07/20/2013
The country's military intends to purchase aerial drones from Abu Dhabi company Adcom Systems, according to a Russian defence industry official who was quoted yesterday by the Russian state news agency, RIA Novosti. "We are talking about at least two United 40 Block 5 models developed by the company Adcom Systems," the source told the agency. The United Yabhon 40 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
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07/20/2013
Russia's decision to furnish Syria with its advanced S-300 missile defense system has sparked a wave of commentary on how the transfer will affect the Syrian government's military posture and staying power. Israel seems to be doing everything it can to convince Moscow not to go through with the promised delivery.
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07/20/2013
After being stood down for more than three months, the 336th Fighter Squadron here was given the green light July 17 to resume flying hours and get back to combat mission-ready status. The decision comes from congressional action on the $1.8 billion overseas contingency operations reprogramming action that made peacetime dollars available. In mid-July, the Air Force Council approved the use of $208 million of those dollars to restore flying hours for affected units.
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07/20/2013
The US Navy’s newest fighter is a high-tech batwing the size of an F/A 18 Super Hornet. The stealthy X-47B can carry 4,500 pounds of weapons at half mach speed, up to 40,000 feet, and over 2,400 miles. The aircraft lacks but one thing. A cockpit. The X-47B is a next-generation military drone.
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07/20/2013
The first Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] HC-130J Combat King II to be assigned to Air Combat Command’s (ACC) 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was ferried today from the company’s Aeronautics facility located here. Maj. Gen. H. D. Polumbo, Jr., commander, Ninth Air Force, Air Combat Command, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., flew the Super Hercules (Lockheed Martin aircraft serial number 5725) to Moody AFB.
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07/19/2013
The top U.S. military officer told a Senate panel Thursday the Obama administration is deliberating whether to use military power in Syria, where a civil war entering its third year has killed almost 93,000 people. Amid an increasing clamor among President Bashir Assad's opposition for active U.S. involvement, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey said during congressional testimony that he has provided President Barack Obama with options for the use of force.
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07/19/2013
Libya is a success from which David Cameron might not recover. This, at any rate, seems to be the fear of Sir David Richards who has marked his exit as head of the military with a Daily Telegraph interview. He appears to reinforcing a point David Cameron once made: ‘I am not,’ he once said, ‘a naive neo-con who thinks you can drop democracy out of an aeroplane at 40,000 feet.
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07/19/2013
The Russian Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter jet is equipped with cutting-edge computerized life support systems, including an oxygen station securing unlimited breathing gas supply and advanced pilot’s compensation system that anticipates gravity overload.
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07/19/2013
If finally compelled to do so, Israel is able to destroy the Iranian nuclear-weapons program, even if at breathtaking risk. Whether or not Israel succeeds on that front, it faces yet another existential military problem, less immediate and on a different register, in regard to which it has made the wrong choice.
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07/19/2013
If you are going to the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford this weekend make sure not to is the top 10 aircraft.
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07/19/2013
Combat readiness is defined as “[t]he ability of US military forces to fight and meet the demands of the national military strategy.” This is the most important factor to our war fighters, but as basic as it is to them, it remains a complicated subject for others to understand. Due to its multidimensional and somewhat diffuse nature, it also has few natural supporters.
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07/19/2013
According to news reports this week, the Indian Air Force (IAF) might have to wait longer before it can induct its first fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) after Russia, with which it is co-producing the platform, imposed delays and unexpectedly hiked development costs.
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07/19/2013
A Russian military exercise involving nuclear bombers caused neighbours Japan and South Korea to scramble as they were found near Hokkaido and the Korean Peninsula on Monday. Japan and Russia reported that both aircrafts were intercepted by three Japanese fighters. The Russian Defense Ministry also said that both bombers were on practice strikes and had been airborne for 7 hours since taking off from Ukrainka Air Base in Amur Oblast.
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07/19/2013
The Pentagon has no plans to halt a $550 million deal with Russia to acquire helicopters for the Afghan Special Mission Wing, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday.
In late June the Special US Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction urged the Pentagon to put the deal on hold until the unit was fully recruited and properly trained.
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07/18/2013
Australia plans to buy more Boeing Co. (BA) P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jets than initially projected to replace planes dating from the 1970s, reducing its requirement for drones built by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) Funding for the purchase will be sought next year, with talks under way about the exact mix of P-8s and MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, the head of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, said in an interview in London.
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07/18/2013
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, head of the RAF, will today announce the famous 617 Squadron will become the first to fly the F-35 stealth fighter known as the Lightning II. The decision secures the future of the world-famous squadron when it stops flying its ageing Tornado GR4 jets next year.
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07/18/2013
The Thunderbirds F-16 fighter jet demonstration team will take to the air to train in preparation for the 2014 show season. Nationwide, attendance has "plummeted" 40 to 80 percent at air shows this season without military aircraft on display.
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07/18/2013
The largest fleet of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters ramped up to 28 aircraft June 25, bringing in new capability for the F-35 Integrated Training Center as the team trains to provide combat operations capability in the years ahead. The U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron-101 received a second F-35C from Lockheed Martin, Fort. Worth, Texas. The Navy's variant is designed to land on the decks of aircraft carriers.
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07/18/2013
Panama says it wants the United Nations to investigate why a rusting North Korean cargo ship was carrying rockets, missile parts and even a couple of Cold War-era fighter jets from Cuba under sacks of brown sugar. The United States has said any shipment of arms or related material aboard the freighter would violate at least three U.N. resolutions.
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07/18/2013
Two of 48th Fighter Wing’s F-15 Eagle Squadrons are now back in the skies over Suffolk following the announcement in April that the planes would be out of action until September.
But base commanders have warned that the resumption of “critical training” could only be for the next two and a half months.
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07/18/2013
The bear never sleeps? Why, it seems like old times. Russia President Vladimir Putin has journeyed to witness his nation’s biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, and some observers say, in modern history. On the march across Siberia: 160,000 troops accompanied by 5,000 tanks and 320 tons of equipment. And in the Pacific, there are 70 ships at sea, and 130 combat aircraft overhead, including nuclear bombers.
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07/18/2013
A Navy program that twice landed a combat drone successfully on an aircraft carrier last week aborted its last attempt on Monday, the program’s second scrubbed effort in four tries during a period of testing at sea.
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07/18/2013
The Russian military is planning to purchase aerial drones in the United Arab Emirates, a defense industry source said Wednesday. “We are talking about at least two United 40 Block 5 models developed by the company ADCOM Systems,” the source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told RIA Novosti.
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07/18/2013
Russia’s Air Force has begun a large-scale exercise in the west of the country involving the "biggest-ever deployment of the service's new Sukhoi Su-34 strike aircraft," a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. The exercise, centered on the Voronezh airbase, will involve over 40 aircraft and helicopters from the Western Military District, 10 military airfields and two military testing ranges, military district press service chief Oleg Kochetkov said.
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07/17/2013
Art Nalls may have first gained mass attention after holding the Guinness World Record from 1973 to 1975 for building and riding the world’s smallest bicycle, but today Nalls is best known in the aviation community for entertaining crowds with the world’s only privately owned Harrier jet fighter.
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07/17/2013
Missile radar systems discovered aboard a North Korean-flagged ship that had last been in Cuba could be upgraded to make air-defense systems more effective at shooting down modern military aircraft, military analysts said Tuesday.
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07/17/2013
The first B-52H Stratofortress departed Barksdale July 16 and headed to the depot at Tinker AFB, Okla., for the Combat Network Communications Technology upgrade. The CONECT upgrade will allow B-52 crews to receive and send real-time digital information such as updated intelligence, mapping or targeting information while the aircraft is in flight.
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07/17/2013
Following complaints from an official of France’s Dassault, which is the preferred vendor in the $11 billion Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, an Indian Air Force official was dismissed from service today.
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07/17/2013
With billions of dollars in spending reductions looming, Air Force officials looked around last year for a program they could cut that was underperforming, had busted its budget and wasn’t vital to immediate combat needs. Eventually, they settled on the production line for a $223 million aircraft known as the Global Hawk, with the wingspan of a tanker but no pilot in the cockpit, built to fly over vast terrain for a little more than a day while sending back data to military commanders on the gro
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07/17/2013
A rather small country by its size and population—65 million, less than 1 percent of total global population—France is nevertheless one of five to 10 countries that can claim to be major powers in today’s world.
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07/17/2013
Poland continues to build its relationship with the United States as both nations' air forces integrate their capabilities in a joint theater security cooperation event July 15-26, 2013.
This marks the third time U.S. aircraft have flown into Poland as part of a partnership-building initiative that began in October 2012. "We are demonstrating the commitment that we've made to Poland," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Spears, commander of Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group.
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07/17/2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw military maneuvers in the country’s Far East on Tuesday as part of the largest snap check of combat readiness of the Russian military in the post-Soviet period. Putin, who as president is supreme commander-in-chief of Russia’s armed forces, arrived at the Uspenovsky military testing site by helicopter on Tuesday.
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07/17/2013
A Russian Pacific Fleet supply vessel rescued a North Korean schooner in the Sea of Japan and brought it in to the port of Nakhodka on Tuesday, navy and Defense Ministry officials said. Russian Pacific Fleet sailors were on a mission to resupply ships south of Nakhodka Bay as part of ongoing large-scale naval exercises in the Far East, when they received a distress signal from a North Korean schooner that had drifted off course.
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07/16/2013
One angry newspaper headline read: “Yes to Israel; No to Turkey!” The story claimed that the United States would deliver the armed Reaper MQ-9 drones to Israel while effectively putting a “hold” on Turkey’s request to buy the same aircraft. Another headline claimed that the U.S. would sell the Reaper to Germany but not to Turkey. And another headline read: “Yes to Italy; No to Turkey!” Again, the Reapers.
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07/16/2013
Sometimes, big things come in small packages. That was the case Monday at Cherry Point when the first F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter was officially inducted for modifications at Fleet Readiness Center East. At slightly longer than 51 feet and with a wingspan of 35 feet, the sleek, gray jet sat securely behind a rope line in the corner of Hangar I surrounded by an arc of dignitaries and employees.
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07/16/2013
Reductions in the U.S. military capability in Europe are often carried out without considering either their possible effect or how they will be viewed by both friends and foes. Reductions in U.S. troop numbers in Europe send the wrong signal about America’s commitment to transatlantic security and will embolden U.S. adversaries.
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07/16/2013
Air guard until 2017 will be provided with MIG Lancer aircraft, these are operational, National Defence Minister Mircea Dusa said on Friday, at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Communications and Information Museum within Centre 48 of Strategic Communications and Information.
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07/16/2013
A MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on Monday while landing at Uttarlai airbase in Rajasthan's Barmer district, killing the pilot. "One MiG 21 Bison crashed at the Uttarlai airbase at about 0930 hours. The pilot sustained fatal injuries," the IAF said in a statement.
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07/16/2013
Grounded since April because of budget cuts, many of the Air Force's combat aircraft started flying again Monday as the military reshuffled its spending priorities to get its pilots additional training. The grounding affected about one-third of active-duty combat craft, including squadrons of fighters, bombers, and airborne warning and control craft. Officials at Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia said the order affects planes in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.
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07/16/2013
Grounded since April because of budget cuts, many of the Air Force's combat aircraft started flying again Monday as the military reshuffled its spending priorities to get its pilots additional training. The grounding affected about one-third of active-duty combat craft, including squadrons of fighters, bombers, and airborne warning and control craft. Officials at Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia said the order affects planes in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.
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07/16/2013
Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force had to scramble fighter jets in response to flights by Russian military aircraft near Japanese airspace and over the disputed Kuril Islands on Monday, local media reported. Two Tu-95 Bear bombers flew over the Sea of Japan moving from the Korean Peninsula, and proceeded along the Japanese archipelago to the north of Hokkaido. Another plane, the IL-20, flew over the Kuril Islands, NHK television said late Monday citing the Defense Ministry.
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07/16/2013
Combat aircraft took a 40-percent share in overall Russian arms exports in 2012, keeping a trend that has become prominent in the past few years, a senior defense official said. “The structure of [Russian arms] exports remains the same,” Alexander Fomin, head of the Russian the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio on Monday.
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07/15/2013
I was confused and frustrated by the juxtaposition of two articles in the July 1 Herald-Tribune. The first -- "Sequestration pain fails to live up to billing" - asserted that implementation of sequestration (automatic, across-the-board spending cuts in federal spending) has not produced the dire consequences predicted by the Obama administration.
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07/15/2013
As the nation marks the 100th birthday of former President Gerald R. Ford this weekend, another legacy that will carry on his name for the next 50 years or more is being created. In a dry dock at Newport News, Va., more than 3,500 workers are building the USS Gerald R. Ford, a new class of aircraft carrier destined to become the standard bearer for the U.S. Navy well into the 21st Century.
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07/15/2013
One of the major, and little mentioned, revolutions in air combat is the availability of more powerful and reliable helmet mounted displays and sights. This enables a pilot to “look and shoot” as well as keep their heads up more of the time and more quickly make decisions in air-to-air combat. This dramatic change has not gotten much publicity because there has been such little air-to-air combat in the last few decades. But in realistic training exercises the difference has been noted.
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07/15/2013
The MoU was signed in Johor Baru and entailed the joint exploration of opportunities in Malaysia's natural fibre and bio-composite industry. "The MoU paves the way for future agreement upon identification and completion of feasibility studies of the determined fields.
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07/15/2013
Already facing a huge delay, the ambitious indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)–Tejas project came up for review at a high-level meeting which was chaired by Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony recently in the Capital. Mr. Antony stressed upon the necessity to adhere to schedule and asked all stake holders for avoiding further slippage on the programme. He also directed the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to make the LCA as its number one thrust area.
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07/15/2013
Completion of the development of an engine for the Sukhoi PAK FA - aka the T-50 fighter - was announced at the Paris Air Show. According to the Russian military, which has finished stage one of its flight tests, their results suggest the Russian fighter turned out to be on a par with - and even better in certain areas - than its main American rival, the F-22 Raptor.
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07/15/2013
Romanian and US military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territories of Russia and Belarus under the international Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Experts from Romania and the United States will conduct the inspection flights on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between July 15 and 19, the statement said.
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07/15/2013
Russia’s air base of Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic bombers in the Amur Region is switching to full combat readiness as part of massive snap drills in the Eastern Military District, the Defense Ministry’s press office reported on Sunday. The exercise, which involves over 160,000 servicemen, some 1,000 armored vehicles, 130 aircraft and 70 warships from the Pacific Fleet, was ordered by President Vladimir Putin on Friday evening.
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07/15/2013
Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territories of Estonia and Finland under the international Open Skies Treaty starting from Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “As part of implementing the international Open Skies Treaty, a group of Russian inspectors on board an An-30B aircraft are planned to conduct surveillance flights over Estonia and Finland from July 14 to 20,” the statement reads.
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07/15/2013
Speaking on American television on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu evaded a direct response when asked whether his country was involved in a recent airstrike in Syria that reportedly targeted Russian missiles sold to the Syrian government, an ally of longtime Israeli enemy Hezbollah. However, Netanyahu said, Israel's policy "is to prevent the transfer of dangerous weapons to Hezbollah and other terror groups," according to a transcript of the CBS-TV show.
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07/14/2013
A Russian Federation aircraft will conduct aerial observation flights over Canada under the Treaty on Open Skies during the period July 17 to 19, 2013. The unarmed Tupolev TU-154M aircraft, which arrived at 8 Wing Trenton today, will be accorded Russia’s legal right of unimpeded observation overflight of Canadian territory, in fulfilment of Canada’s obligations as a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies.
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07/14/2013
Not since December 1971 has Russia jumped into the combat zone to defend an ally as it is doing in Syria now. That wintry fortnight more than 40 years ago, while the Indian military was fighting a two-front war against Pakistan, the Russians dispatched a formidable armada of nuclear attack submarines and warships to prevent a joint American-British attack on India.
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07/14/2013
The Maylaysian students are sponsored by the company on the Chevening Scholarship and were treated to a tour of the Warton plant. The scholars, all post-graduates, were in Lancashire to get a first hand glimpse of the company’s products, and capabilities, especially the Typhoon, which is currently been promoted to Malaysia as the best option for a new multi-role combat aircraft.
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07/14/2013
Earlier this month, a report by Reuters on the state of Israeli air defenses flew under the radar. The story noted that an F-16 on a training mission crashed into the Mediterranean due to apparent engine failure. The jet is made by Lockheed Martin and the engines by Pratt and Whitney, a division of United Technologies. Both Reuters and Agence France-Presse said the head of Israel's air force then grounded all F-15s and F-16s pending further review.
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07/14/2013
Russia’s defense minister on Saturday said that up to 160,000 servicemen are involved in the large-scale exercises in the Eastern Military District, double the number initially reported.
“The total number of servicemen involved in the snap drills was up to 81,000 last night, the figure this morning was up to 160,000 servicemen,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
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07/13/2013
Failure by Congress to end budget sequestration could force the services in fiscal 2014 to freeze military promotions, suspend recruiting and halt all change-of-station moves, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned in letter Wednesday to leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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07/13/2013
The multi-year program, Teuza (Boldness), created by IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, will turn bases into sales-lots for tanks, armored personnel carriers, warships, combat flight equipment, vehicle logistic accessories, cannons and air force ballistic systems. These items and others are expected to be on the sales block in the coming two years, as part of the cutback program taking place in the military.
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07/13/2013
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for years has been a focal point of the aerospace and defense community, as well as a bright spot in an otherwise bleak economic picture. The impressive growth and advancement of unmanned technologies show few signs of slowing, as militaries worldwide continue to adopt and adapt unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for a variety of missions.
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07/13/2013
By the end of 2016, Afghanistan’s air force is due to have 86 Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters. Most of them will have been purchased by the United States from Rosoboronexport, the same state weapons exporter that continues to arm the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.
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07/13/2013
The U.S. Air Force is in the early phases of a massive, fleet-wide technological upgrade of its B-52 bombers, giving the war-tested platform new electronics and an increased ability to carry weapons, service officials said.
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07/13/2013
The Air Force of the future is likely to be slightly smaller and more reliant on remotely piloted aircraft, face growing challenges from the rise of Asia and rapidly increasing space traffic, and struggle to maintain its technological superiority as the United States produces fewer scientists, engineers and other highly skilled graduates.
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07/13/2013
For kids-at-heart it was the story of the week: the US Navy has successfully landed its pointy, bat-winged “X-47B” jet-engined drone on an aircraft carrier at sea for the first time.
As Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, rushed to point out, this was an historic moment – a glimpse into a future where we “radically change the way presence and combat power are delivered from our aircraft carriers.”
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07/13/2013
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently delivered the 100th Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) for the F-35 Lightning II. EOTS provides affordable, high performance multifunction targeting to the F-35’s full spectrum of military operations.
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07/13/2013
The Russian military began early on Saturday large-scale exercises in the Eastern Military District aimed at improving combat readiness of the Russian armed forces, the Defense Ministry said. The exercise, which involves over 80,000 servicemen, some 1,000 armored vehicles, 130 aircraft and 70 warships from the Pacific Fleet, will continue until July 20. It is the largest surprise check of combat readiness of the Russian military in the post-Soviet period.
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07/12/2013
US officials have agreed to donate four fighter jets to Egypt's army, in the latest indication of international support for the country's interim government despite growing internal unease at the new regime's management of the power transition. America's donation of the F-16s suggests the Obama administration is coming to terms with the downfall of the former president Mohamed Morsi, after initially displaying an ambiguous attitude to the military's role in the Islamist's ouster.
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07/12/2013
Pratt & Whitney's F100-PW-220U engine and exhaust system recently powered the first ever carrier-based catapult launch, touch and go, and arrested landing of Northrop Grumman's X-47B flight test aircraft for the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. The historic events took place aboard the USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH (CV 77) off the coast of Virginia. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.
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07/12/2013
It's bad enough that the United States is losing its monopoly on drones, stealth technology, and advanced electronic warfare gear. But what makes matters worse is that America is also beginning to losing its edge on a particularly deadly and effective weapon, according to a new U.S. Air Force report: long-range "land attack" cruise missiles.
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07/12/2013
Russia's Mikoyan Design bureau has been going through hard times during the recent years. Not that long ago, the word "MIG" was a symbol of power of the Soviet military aviation. Nowadays, despite its glorious history, the corporation reports losses annually and becomes a regular recipient of government subsidies.
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07/12/2013
Lockheed Martin recently completed a series of Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) captive carry flight tests at the Sea Range in Point Mugu, Calif., advancing the research program toward its first missile release and free flight test later this year.
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07/12/2013
Maj. Robert Miller became the 100th pilot to fly the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II when he took to the skies above Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., for a training flight on July 9. Miller’s 90-minute familiarization flight included normal operations for aircraft handling and landings in an F-35A fighter. The flight followed academic and simulator instruction at Eglin Air Force Base’s Integrated Training Center, which provides pilot and maintainer training for the three F-35 variants.
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07/12/2013
The former commander of Russia’s acclaimed Swifts aerobatics team was fined $25,000 (775,000 rubles) on Thursday for attempting to accept a $1,000 bribe to let a subordinate skip duty. The accused, Lt. Col. Valery Morozov, had been detained as he accepted the 31,000 ruble bribe in a sting operation in August, the RAPSI legal news agency reported from the Moscow Region military courtroom.
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07/12/2013
Moscow has officially informed Kiev that it will not use a carrier-deck pilot training site in Crimea this year, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti on Thursday. Under a 1997 bilateral agreement, Russia has occasionally used Ukraine's Nitka Naval Pilot Training Center as the only training facility for its carrier-based fixed-wing pilots.
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07/12/2013
Russia is interested in adding post-sales maintenance and training to future arms contracts with Malaysia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday, in an apparent attempt to give Russia a competitive edge in an upcoming combat jet tender.
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07/11/2013
South Korea will stop the current bidding for fighter jets and revise the project as high price tags have made the chance of selecting a satisfactory contractor slim, a senior official said Thursday. The move comes after the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) carried out 55 separate biddings with three defense groups to buy 60 advanced jets with an 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget, but the procedure was put on hold last week due to their expensive price tags.
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07/11/2013
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) scrambled its fighter planes a record 115 times in the second quarter of this year in response to foreign aircraft approaching Japanese airspace, the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff said Wednesday. This marked the highest level for the April-June period since comparable data became available in fiscal 2005.
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07/11/2013
Retired four-star Adm. Patrick M. Walsh of Dallas will discuss his experience as a combat pilot and member of the Navy’s precision Blue Angels flight squadron in a sold-out public lecture Saturday, July 13.
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07/11/2013
Rear Admiral Thomas Ernst, German Navy, has relieved French Navy Rear Admiral Jacques de Solms as NATO's Commander, Maritime Air (COMMARAIR) and Deputy Chief of Staff Maritime Air for NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM).
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07/11/2013
American fighter pilots (air force, navy and marine) are largely in agreement that, while the F-22 is a superior air-to-air fighter, the new F-35 is a better, if still flawed, all-round combat aircraft. A lot of this has to do with technology.
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07/11/2013
The government is moving closer to acquiring 12 fighter trainer jets for the Air Force after the defense department’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Wednesday approved the terms of reference for the project. Defense Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez said the terms of reference, which contain key details of the acquisition, would soon be forwarded to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin for final approval.
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07/11/2013
Call me an aviation Luddite, but I do have a few questions about the latest Triumph of the Drone. Yes, landing on an airfield that’s moving at 35 miles per hour in the middle of the ocean is no mundane chore, no matter how easy U.S. Navy pilots make it look. And the fact that an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS), the Navy’s prototype fighting drone, landed on the carrier USS George H.W. Bush off the Virginia coast today is a big deal.
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07/11/2013
New MiG-35 and Su-35 fighter jets will be delivered to the Russian Air Force in large numbers within the next three years, after resolution of some problems found during their final tests, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said on Wednesday. "There are problems with completion of the state order for these models," he said. "They will start to enter service en masse in the next three years, I think," he added, but did not elaborate.
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07/10/2013
Military installations and defense contractors are taking the brunt of the automatic budgets cuts mandated by sequestration. Why should we care? Washington has major bases and military suppliers such as Boeing. They contribute more than $13 billion to our economy, or about 4 percent of total gross domestic product. A July 2012 study by George Mason University projected that sequestration could cost our state 41,000 military-related jobs.
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07/10/2013
The first F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter ever to land at Cherry Point taxied up to Fleet Readiness Center East Tuesday morning. The stealth jet, Navy Bureau Number 168059, is only the second production model of the F-35B to be completed by manufacturer Lockheed Martin. It arrived at the FRC East maintenance and repair facility as the first F-35B to enter a modification program that officials have said would be vital to the maintenance of the entire fleet of fifth-generation aircraft.
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07/10/2013
At the Paris Air Show the Gripen folks, SaaB Group. very deliberately floated an interesting idea. Since the Gripen uses fly-by-wire technology and advanced avionics which virtually eliminate the need for a pilot during normal flight, why not take the software to the next step and turn the fighters into optionally manned aircraft that can be controlled by a pilot in another Gripen.
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07/10/2013
Israel Military Industries, one of the Jewish state's leading defense companies, has completed development of its long-range MARS precision air-launched rocket, which appears to have capabilities similar to the missiles the air force reportedly used to hit targets in Syria in May.
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07/10/2013
According to Channel 10, all of the squadrons employed aging planes and were scheduled to be cut in several years’ time anyway, due to high operation costs. “This is just the beginning,” a senior Defense Ministry official warned Tuesday. “We must stop burying our heads in the sand. The public does not understand that we are facing an earthquake,” he said, adding that the 2013 and 2014 defense budgets face a combined cut of nearly 8 billion shekels ($2.2 billion).
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07/10/2013
Prominent US senators on Tuesday called for the Obama administration to suspend all aid to Egypt — including military assistance — unless the interim government meets certain standards. The Egyptian military is heavily dependent on nearly $1.5 billion in annual aid it receives from the United States. But the military has come under increasing pressure after forcing from power former President Mohamed Morsi, then days later reportedly opening fire on some of his supporters.
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07/10/2013
The steady progress of smart rockets continues as area-fire 70-mm unguided rockets are upgraded into precision, laser-guided weapons that are a fraction of the cost and weight of existing missiles such as the Hellfire.
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07/10/2013
The future of electronic combat came into focus on Monday, and it looks like Raytheon will be leading the way. The Massachusetts-based technology company won a very tough competition to develop the defense department’s next airborne jamming system, defeating two other world-class teams. If Raytheon performs as expected, it will dominate the arcane world of electronic warfare for decades to come, generating many billions of dollars in revenues.
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07/10/2013
Without a lot of opposition from the U.S. Air Force, the ground support mission is being replaced by GPS guided rockets and artillery shells, as well as a growing assortment of guided missiles controlled by ground forces. The air force was never comfortable with the ground support (of ground combat troops) mission.
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07/10/2013
Russia’s new aerospace defense system will ensure guaranteed detection of enemy ballistic and long-range cruise missiles at blastoff, a top military official said Tuesday. General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov said the system would feature advanced information-gathering, data-processing and attack capabilities with an early-warning radar system to be deployed along the entire Russian border.
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07/09/2013
More than 650,000 people who hold civilian jobs with the Defense Department begin mandatory furloughs today. About 85 percent of the department’s nearly 900,000 civilians around the world will be furloughed one day each week over the next three months, according to the latest statistics provided by the Pentagon.
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07/09/2013
They may be civilians, but Air Reserve Technicians wear the Air Force uniform while at work.
The 10,400 Air Reserve Technicians are federal employees who must be in the Select Reserve to hold their jobs. Since 2007, they have been required to wear Air Force uniforms at work in both civilian and military status.
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07/09/2013
The Abbottabad Commission was charged with ascertaining the facts of what happened on the night of May 1, 2011, when the United States unilaterally launched a raid to capture or kill al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in northern Pakistan.
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07/09/2013
For decades the U.S. government has ladled billions upon billions in military assistance to countries that either don’t need it or use it to suppress popular uprisings. But all that money has bought very little in terms of genuine influence with the recipients, ex-CIA analyst Melvin A. Goodman writes.
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07/09/2013
South Korea's plan to buy 60 fighter jets has been temporarily put on ice as three competitors have failed to offer prices within Seoul's 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget, further delaying the replacement of its aging fleet.
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07/09/2013
The Iceland Fighter Meet 2014 (IFM14) will bring together fighter aircraft from NATO member Norway (F-16 Fighting Falcon), and from partner countries Finland (F-18 Hornet) and Sweden (JAS Gripen), to conduct a wide range of air defence-related flying activities. These will include air combat training between dissimilar aircraft types, defensive and offensive counter-air operations and high-value airborne asset attack and protection.
(Read More...)
07/09/2013
Russia may have vowed not to sell its arms to Pakistan, but India’s archrival is getting some key Russian/Soviet military equipment, surreptitiously through China, thereby jeopardising New Delhi’s defence confidentiality. One example of such Chinese arms sales, though they do not sell full equipment of Russian origin, is the aeroengines for Pakistan’s JF-17 combat aircraft for which Russia too has given its consent, much to India’s chagrin.
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07/09/2013
An Israeli F16 warplane crashed at sea on Sunday, July 7, due to an engine malfunction and Israel subsequently grounded all its F15 and F16 combat aircraft pending a review of the incident, a military spokesman said, according to Reuters. The pilot and navigator on board managed to safely bail out of the U.S.-made plane and a military rescue unit came to evacuate them by helicopter, the spokesman and Israeli media reports said.
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07/09/2013
Polish military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territories of Russia and Belarus under the international Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Polish experts will conduct the inspection flights on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between July 8 and 12, the statement said.
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07/09/2013
Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighter jets will be delivered to the Russian Air Force as fully equipped squadrons, rather than “piecemeal,” deputy commander Colonel Sergei Kobylash said Thursday. The Su-30SM is the latest development of the twin-seat Su-30 jet fighter family, a derivative of the long-serving single-seat Sukhoi Su-27, one of the air force's most important warplanes.
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07/04/2013
China's first group of five pilots and landing signal officers received their certifications in the latest sea trials of the Liaoning, the country's first aircraft carrier. The Liaoning finished its 25-day test and training mission on Wednesday and returned to a navy port in the east China city of Qingdao. During the training, pilots executed several continuous take-off and landing exercises, making China one of the few countries in the world that can train its own carrier-borne jet pilots.
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07/04/2013
Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario walked into a regional security forum this week to hear his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi reel off a list of complaints against Manila for stirring tensions over the South China Sea.
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07/04/2013
NATO will conduct an air-defence flying training event for pilots and ground support personnel, including fighter controllers, in Iceland from 3-21 February 2014. The Iceland Fighter Meet 2014 (IFM14) will bring together fighter aircraft from NATO member Norway (F-16 Fighting Falcon), and from partner countries Finland (F-18 Hornet) and Sweden (JAS Gripen), to conduct a wide range of air defence-related flying activities.
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07/04/2013
They stand as symbols of freedom. Some are perched on concrete pedestals at parks and military bases. Others guard the entrances to American Legion and VFW posts. The thunder from their jet engines and deafening blasts from their barrels have long been silent. Yet their sun-baked shrouds remain as reminders of their historic roles in the nation’s defense.
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07/04/2013
Northrop Grumman Corp. has fended off a rival bid from Lockheed Martin Corp. to win a training-simulation contract potentially worth $490 million to support the U.S. Air Force's next-generation air-combat virtual-training network, industry experts said Wednesday.
Virginia-based Northrop Grumman — one of Florida's largest defense contractors — will perform the work at its Orlando military-training operation, according to an announcement by the Department of Defense.
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07/04/2013
Thugs are using powerful lasers to target airliners, police helicopters and even military transporters bringing wounded troops into Birmingham. There have been more than 220 separate laser attacks reported in the West Midlands in the last two years, according to alarming new figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
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07/04/2013
18 Su-30K fighter jets that India returned to Russia, probably will not be sold to Vietnam, but instead may be heading to Ethiopia. Deputy Group Director arms exporter Rosoboronexport[?????????????????] Alexander Mikheyev said that Russia is negotiating to supply 18 Su-30K fighters to Ethiopia.
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07/04/2013
Russia's new Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet made its international debut at the recent Paris Air Show in France. Ogonyok has interviewed Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan, a Hero of Russia, who was demonstrating the aircraft's capabilities during the show.
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07/04/2013
The F-16 fighter jet, the most widely flown western combat aircraft in its 35 years in service, is getting a new lease on life as defense contractors Lockheed Martin Corp. to BAE Systems Plc vie to upgrade existing fleets. Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea are among the countries looking to modernize their aging single-engine combat planes, with several thousand aircraft getting new radar, communications gear and displays in coming years.
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07/04/2013
Russia’s state arms exporter said Wednesday that its order portfolio stood at $34 billion as of June 1. Rosoboronexport delivered $6.5 billion worth of weaponry to foreign customers in the first half of this year, deputy head Igor Sevastyanov announced, adding that the current order portfolio included contracts with 67 countries.
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07/03/2013
The amount of funds accumulated in the Azerbaijan Armed Forces Assistance Fund significantly increased and as of July 1, 2013 amounted to 42,674,317 manats (over $54 million), $208,791 and 593 euros, the Defense Ministry said. As of April 1, the figures were 39,017,597 manats, $205,791 and 593 euros.
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07/03/2013
In a twist of fate, Russia may end up pitching its newest helicopter to the very people it was designed to fight. At the Paris Air Show in June, Russia held a coming-out news conference for the Kamov company’s Ka-52 Alligator, which they say is now ready for export. The parastatal Russian export company Rosoboronexport is courting India as a buyer.
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07/03/2013
Documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation from the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Patrol indicate that the agency is close to finalizing payload standards for its drone aircraft. Among the things the CBP might want to use in its unmanned aircraft: "non-lethal weapons designed to immobilize" targets.
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07/03/2013
The Philippines will modernize its air force by 2016 President President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Monday, local media reported. “Be assured that before I step down from office [in 2016], our skies will teem with new and modern equipment such as lead-in fighters, long-range patrol aircraft, close air support aircraft, light lift fixed-wing aircraft, medium lift aircraft, attack helicopters, combat utility helicopters, air defense radar and flight simulators.
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07/03/2013
The Air Force has forced combat squadrons to stay on the ground and canceled large-scale exercises for its fleet, but one aircraft has been busy in the middle of it all: the B-1B Lancer.
After canceling a Red Flag this spring and standing down 17 combat-coded squadrons due to mandatory budget cuts, B-1 crews have participated in a Green Flag exercise in May, the 9th Bomb Squadron flew a total of 58 sorties during a surge operation in June, and the service has kept the B-1 on its front pages.
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07/03/2013
An expert on drone casualties has told reporters that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by American forces has caused 10 times the number of deaths brought on by more conventional aircraft. Speaking to The Guardian’s Spencer Ackerman, Larry Lewis of the Center for Naval Analyses claimed United States-led drone strikes in Afghanistan are not only more likely to cause civilian casualties than traditionally piloted planes.
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07/03/2013
When the leaders of the global aerospace industry met late last month at the 50th anniversary staging of the Paris Air Show, one word predominated: exports. With military budgets leveling off or declining in the United States and Europe, arms companies are looking to deals in the Middle East and Asia to bolster their bottom lines.
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07/03/2013
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the aviation business of Avio S.p.A. of Italy by General Electric Company of the United States. The decision is conditional upon a series of commitments aimed at safeguarding the competitive position of the Eurojet consortium. Eurojet manufactures the engine for the Eurofighter, a combat aircraft used by Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria.
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07/03/2013
During a recent demonstration at NAVAIR, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] monitored and controlled multiple types of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from one integrated command and control (C2) system. Controlling both the unmanned air vehicles and their on-board mission system sensors, Lockheed Martin’s system fully integrated with other Navy C2 and intelligence.
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07/02/2013
Israel is reported to be seeking U.S. loan guarantees of $5 billion to finance the purchase of the advanced weapons systems the U.S. administration has offered the Jewish state under a $10 billion package for its Middle East allies. These include AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles made by the Raytheon Corp., that can knock out air-defense radar systems and Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers that will greatly extend the reach of Israel's strike jets.
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07/02/2013
Saab of Sweden reports the first test firing of a mass-production configured Meteor radar-controlled air-to-air missiles. Two Meteor missiles, for use on Saab's Gripen, the Eurofighter and Rafale combat aircraft, were fired at a remote-controlled target from a Gripen in cooperation with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration to demonstrate missile separation from the aircraft, the link function between the aircraft and missile, and the missile's ability to lock in on the target.
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07/02/2013
The first of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas' being developed for the Indian Air Force is expected to roll out by the end of this year or beginning of 2014 as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has put the project on the fast track, Avinash Chander, scientific advisor to the defence minister and secretary of the department of defence research & development, said here on Monday.
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07/02/2013
The big bird has taken to the skies. In its first operational deployment since it landed in India on June 18, the IAF's gigantic C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft transported an Army infantry battalion to the country's last military outpost in the Andman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday.
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07/02/2013
President Benigno Aquino III vowed today to provide the country's Air Force new sets of aircraft before his term ends in 2016. In his speech at the 66th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in northern province of Pampanga, Aquino said that based on the passage of the New Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act last year, the government is allotting P75 billion ($1.73 billion) for the next five years to improve the capability of the military.
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07/02/2013
A second prototype of China's J-20, China's fifth-generation stealth fighter, has completed a second test flight, according to the People's Daily, China's most-circulated newspaper. In addition to what was described as a low altitude flight test, the J-20 aircraft No. 2002 also conducted an in-flight fuel-dump test, the report said, without specifying when the tests took place.
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07/02/2013
The Syrian Air Force has suffered major losses in the last year, as the aircraft and helicopters were unleashed on rebels (and civilian supporters) and took a beating. Of the 370 usable fixed wing war planes the Syrian Air Force had two years ago, about half are now out of action because of combat losses or wear and tear. Nearly two-thirds of the 360 helicopters are gone, for the same reasons.
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07/02/2013
Back in the summer of 1977, “in a galaxy far, far away,” a strapping young pilot named Luke Skywalker hopped into the seat of an X-wing fighter and, with fellow pilots from the Rebel Alliance, did aerial combat with more advanced TIE fighters from the Galactic Empire. Dogfights occurred at supersonic speeds, with tremendous casualties all around, and Skywalker managed to penetrate the innermost defenses and destroy the Death Star, saving the Alliance from certain annihilation.
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07/02/2013
Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] launched Lockheed Martin International (LMI) today, a new organization responsible for strengthening international customer relationships and industrial partnerships, and growing the company’s global business. Patrick M. Dewar, 52, has been named Executive Vice President of LMI and will continue as a corporate officer.
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07/02/2013
Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territory of Norway under the international Open Skies Treaty over a period starting Monday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. Russian experts will conduct the inspection flights on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between July 1 and 6, the spokesman told journalists.
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07/01/2013
U.S. Central Command has extended its investigation into the deadly 2012 insurgent attack on Camp Bastion, threatening the potential third star of a Camp Pendleton general who oversaw the base complex in southwestern Afghanistan. The probe is focusing on whether commanders were negligent because 15 heavily armed Taliban fighters were able to penetrate the base, NATO’s regional headquarters.
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07/01/2013
Israeli sources confirmed that Israeli weapon system may be offered to the package of the MC-27J aircraft equipped with a 30 mm gun. The planned gunship variant of the C-27J will undertake the first test firings of its 30mm cannon while slaved to an electro-optical/infrared sensor at the end of this year or early 2014. i-hls reports.
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07/01/2013
Veteran fighter pilot Air Marshal Arup Raha will take over as Vice Chief of Air Staff succeeding Air Marshal D C Kumaria, who retired Sunday. Raha, who is a front runner for the post of Air Chief after retirement of Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne in December- end, is currently commanding IAF's sword-arm Western Air Command here. He will take over as Vice Chief of Air Staff Monday, Western Air Command PRO Gp Capt Sandeep Mehta said.
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07/01/2013
Installation of a communications system upgrade earmarked for the venerable U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet, the bulk of which is at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, is scheduled to start here in July. The Combat Network Communications Technology system will enable aircrews to send and receive information via satellite links, allowing them to change mission plans and retarget weapons while in flight.
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07/01/2013
India's first air-to-air Astra missile is finally back on track now after an excruciatingly long delay due to technical glitches. The beyond visual range (BVR) missile, with an eventual strike range of over 100km, will be fired for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter this year.
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07/01/2013
In April of this year, a BAE Systems Jetstream research aircraft flew from Preston in Lancashire, England, to Inverness, Scotland and back. This 500-mile (805 km) journey wouldn't be worth noting if it weren't for the small detail that its pilot was not on board, but sitting on the ground in Warton, Lancashire and that the plane did most of the flying itself.
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06/30/2013
Saudi Arabia and South Korea recently ordered over 150 AIM-9X Block 2 air-to-air heat seeking missiles. Both nations have used this missile for decades and are satisfied customers. They are not alone. The AIM-9X Block 2 is the latest version of the Sidewinder, a missile that has come a long way since it first appeared in the 1950s.
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06/30/2013
Flying low over the Jordanian desert, F-16 fighter jets flatten targets in the sand while tanks unleash their deadly firepower and paratroopers dot the late afternoon sky. These were the scenes a fortnight ago in Operation Eager Lion, the United States-led exercise involving 8,000 service personnel that the military insists was only routine. In Jordan, though, the war games now feel like a precursor to the invasion of neighbouring Syria. And not just because live rounds were fired.
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06/30/2013
U.S. Central Command has extended its investigation into the deadly 2012 insurgent attack on Camp Bastion, threatening the potential third star of a Camp Pendleton general who oversaw the base complex in southwestern Afghanistan.
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06/30/2013
One of the major, and little mentioned, revolutions in air combat is the availability of more powerful and reliable helmet mounted displays and sights. This enables a pilot to “look and shoot” as well as keep their heads up more of the time and more quickly make decisions in air-to-air combat.
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06/29/2013
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to France of 16 MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.
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06/29/2013
Delays to the Joint Strike Fighter program and uncertainty over acquisition and support costs have ruled out one-for-one replacement of inventory fighters in the U.S. fleet for well over a decade. Half of the U.S. Air Force fighter force in 2030 will comprise conventional aircraft, according to current fleet plans outlined to Congress, and slated F-35C numbers and acquisition rates are being questioned at the highest levels of the U.S. Navy.
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06/29/2013
The number of F-35 Lightning II training squadrons coming to Luke Air Force Base has doubled, which should secure the Phoenix-area base's future as it draws down its F-16 jet inventory. The announcement came Thursday with praise from a slate of dignitaries at the base in Glendale and in missives from the state's Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.
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06/29/2013
Europe’s failure to launch a medium-altitude long-endurance (Male) UAV to compete with long-established offerings from Israel and the U.S. was a major talking point at last week’s Paris Air Show.
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06/29/2013
The Sukhoi PAK FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation), aka the T-50 fighter, a stealthy acrobat, will be seen on Russian airspace later this year. The important phase of engine development has been completed, Sukhoi said at the recently-concluded Paris Air Show.
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06/29/2013
A VICIOUS aerial dog fight involving up to 45 F18 Hornets broke out off Port Stephens this morning before Newcastle Airport was taken out in a simulated ``airfield strike??. But it could be weeks before the fictional body count and collateral damage is known as exercise Aces North – the Air Force's most prestigious and rigorous "Top Gun" training program – wrapped up north of Sydney.
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06/29/2013
Training Afghanistan's soldiers and cops has been tough. But outfitting an Afghan air force special operations unit is proving damn near impossible. The latest evidence: The Pentagon is spending $770 million on Afghan military aircraft that the Afghans have little hope of being able to operate and maintain, according to the U.S. government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
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06/29/2013
The Special US Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction urged the Pentagon on Friday to put on hold its $553 million arms deal with Russia for helicopters for the Afghan Special Mission Wing until the unit is fully recruited and properly trained, the AP reported.
Since May 2011 the Pentagon has bought 33 Mi-17 helicopters from Rosoboronexport, the state-run Russian arms exporter, and signed a contract for 30 more June 17, in the face of fierce opposition from Congress.
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06/29/2013
Russia will supply over 10 fully armed and equipped Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters to Iraq under a multi-billion dollar agreement, a representative of Russia’s state arms exporter told RIA Novosti on Friday. Russia and Iraq signed a $4.3 billion agreement on cooperation in the defense and technology sector in 2012, and this is the first time the number of Night Hunters under the contract has been disclosed.
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06/28/2013
All of Russia’s military personnel have been successfully evacuated from Syria, including from its Mediterranean naval base at Tartus, Russian media reported Wednesday. Moscow is Syria's sole remaining major ally, other than Iran. “We have neither servicemen nor civilians in Syria anymore. Or Russian military instructors assigned to units of the Syrian regular army, for that matter,” a Russian defense ministry spokesperson told the Vedomosti newspaper in Moscow.
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06/28/2013
Luke Air Force Base officials say early signs indicate a bird strike caused an F-16 jet fighter crash Wednesday. However, until an investigation is complete, they can’t confirm that was the cause, said James “Rusty” Mitchell, director of the Community Initiatives Team for the 56th Fighter Wing he said on Thursday.
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06/28/2013
A freak hailstorm over one of the biggest Nato airbases in Afghanistan grounded more than 80 helicopters, putting several of them out of action for more than three weeks, it has emerged. The half-hour storm in late April split rotor blades, cracked windows, ruptured the choppers' metal skin and damaged other parts. The hail was so intense that after an intensive repair programme eight of the choppers were still inoperable more than three weeks later, according to a Nato spokesman.
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06/28/2013
The Department of Defense awarded contracts worth $1.75 billion Thursday, parceling out the money in 29 separate awards. But one single company - Northrop Grumman - managed to bag the bulk of the loot - $522.3 million, or roughly 30% of the monies on offer.
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06/28/2013
The 352nd Special Operations Group resurrected a key capability when two CV-22B Ospreys touched down June 24 here. The Ospreys are the first of 10 slated to arrive as part of the 352nd SOG expansion, which will last through the end of 2014. The CV-22 fills part of the role previously accomplished by the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter. However, it combines the vertical takeoff, hover and vertical-landing qualities of a helicopter with the long-range, fuel-efficiency and speed of a turboprop aircraft.
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06/28/2013
Though late to sign on to the network of nations purchasing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Israel will be the first international customer to operate the fifth-generation fighter, Aviation Week’s David Eshel reports. “Israel will become the first non-U.S. operator of the F-35 in the world,” said Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for F-35 program integration and business development in an interview at the Paris air show.
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06/28/2013
After joining ‘war against terror’, Pakistan has received $25.91 billion military and economic aid from United States since September 11, 2001. “US has provided approximately $17.22 billion in military and $8.68 billion in economic assistance to Pakistan since September 11, 2001,” a report presented in April this year by Congressional Research Service for the US Congress.
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06/28/2013
US military commanders are examining ways the US could bolster security in Syria’s neighboring countries, and have recommended sending military trainers to Lebanon and Iraq. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, on Wednesday revealed US plans to strengthen military assistance in Lebanon and Iraq as the conflict in Syria begins to spill over its borders. Dempsey noted that Iraq is suffering the re-emergence of al-Qaeda.
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06/28/2013
From Jennies to jets to stealth bombers, the 131st Bomb Wing's history really began with its co-located flying squadron, now the 110th Bomb Squadron, which traces its roots back to the 110th Observation Squadron.
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06/28/2013
Boeing delivered the first of 15 new CH-147F Chinook helicopters to the Royal Canadian Air Force on June 21, making Canada the operator of one of the most capable Chinook variants delivered to the global market. The aircraft’s features include a modernized airframe with a long-range fuel system, upgraded electrical system, fully integrated Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit, and Digital Automatic Flight Control System.
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06/27/2013
This is what it will look like from the cockpit of an enemy fighter giving chase to a Sukhoi Su-30: travelling at twice the speed of sound (about 2,400 km an hour), it suddenly rears its head and is vertical to the ground. For a split second, it hangs in the air - like a cobra about to strike. And in that time the enemy, also in a supersonic fighter, has gone past him. The Su-30 does a loop. Now it's the enemy's turn to run.
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06/27/2013
The land, sea and skies of West Vancouver Island were the playground for one of the largest military exercises in Canada this year. Exercise Trident Fury, held May 3 to 19, is a biennial joint and often multinational naval exercise hosted and organized by Maritime Forces Pacific in Esquimalt, B.C.
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06/27/2013
To absorb its share of a $500 billion spending cut that will hit the Defense Department over the next decade, the Marine Corps would shed 8,000 troops and forgo purchases of new armored vehicles, trucks, tactical aircraft and helicopters. The Marine Corps is prepared to shoulder its portion of the sequester, said Commandant Gen. James F. Amos.
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06/27/2013
The third Lockheed Martin F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) Lightning II for the United Kingdom arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., yesterday where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training. U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Roger Hardy piloted the aircraft known as BK-3 (ZM137) on its 90-minute ferry flight from the Lockheed Martin F-35 production facility at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.
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06/27/2013
Lockheed Martin delivered the State of Israel’s first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter during a ceremony today at its Aeronautics Company’s production facility here. This is first of three C-130Js currently on order for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.
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06/27/2013
Boeing workers in Everett today loaded the first wing spar for the first U.S. Air Force KC-46A aerial refueling tanker, starting production of that aircraft and achieving another milestone toward delivering 179 tankers during the next 14 years. The KC-46A is based on the commercial 767-200ER, a proven airframe in service as an airliner, freighter and tanker. Boeing has delivered more than 1,050 767s worldwide.
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06/27/2013
The president of the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed a bill ordering the closure of a US airbase that serves as the main transit hub for NATO forces in Afghanistan. According to the bill, US forces must abandon the base at Manas International Airport, near the capital Bishkek, by July 2014. The Kyrgyz parliament overwhelmingly approved the legislation last week.
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06/27/2013
Beijing is committed to boosting its defense collaboration with member states of a post-Soviet security group that includes Russia, China’s defense minister said Wednesday. Joint military exercises as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also includes Kyrgyzstan and neighboring Central Asian states, are a “real necessity” for ensuring regional peace and stability and “enhancing political and strategic confidence.”
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06/27/2013
Russia is opening an airbase in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, within just a few months, a Russian Air Force general said Wednesday. The airbase, modern Russia’s first on Belarusian soil, will consolidate bilateral defense collaboration as part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev told reporters.
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06/26/2013
Rising Indian Ocean rivalries as China seeks to safeguard key energy lifelines loom behind an Australian push for a $3 billion fleet of maritime superdrones, which will likely boost intelligence sharing with the United States. With elections looming and pressure for budget savings, the purchase of up to seven MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft has emerged as rare point of bipartisan agreement between Australia's Labor government and conservative opponents.
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06/26/2013
Even if the McDonnell Douglas F-4 was developed as interceptor in response to the need of the U.S. Navy to protect their aircraft carrier, the ultimate version of the Phantom II was the USAF F-4E, a multi role fighter which was also sold to several air forces around the world. One of the countries to receive the F-4E was Israel that bought the first examples in 1969 and later made the Phantom the mainstay of its Air Power bringing the F-4 in all the major Arab-Israeli conflicts.
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06/26/2013
Azerbaijan celebrates the Day of the Armed Forces on June 26. The Azerbaijani armed forces are highly disciplined, powerful, equipped with modern military machinery, always ready to defend the country and capable of resolving any problem. The Azerbaijani army is professional and the most powerful army in the South Caucasus region.
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06/26/2013
Italy's cash-strapped government plans to go ahead with purchasing 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, Defense Minister Mario Mauro said on Tuesday, ahead of a vote that risks splitting the ruling coalition. The lower house of parliament is due to vote on Wednesday on a motion, presented last month by opposition groups and some members of Prime Minister Enrico Letta's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), that calls on Italy to drop the fighter investment.
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06/26/2013
The news media have, by and large, stopped writing about sequestration and Congress has stopped agitating about it. So it stands to reason that it’s not that big of a deal, right? Surely the doomsayers who predicted grave consequences from willy-nilly cutting $1 trillion from the budget over the next decade–including more than $500 billion in defense cuts–have been proven wrong. Not quite. In fact, sequestration is already taking a serious toll on our military readiness.
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06/26/2013
It will be a race against time for the developers of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, as Defence Minister A.K. Antony has set a December 2014 deadline for the final delivery of the homemade fighter. But, going by the amount of work remaining on the aircraft, it will be a rush for the scientists to get the final operational clearance within the allocated time.
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06/26/2013
Over two decades, hundreds of millions of euros spent on European UAV technologies have failed to deliver capabilities sought by regional militaries. Some, like Britain’s Herti, or Harfang, the Franco-German adaptation of Israel’s Heron, have yielded modest capabilities. Others, like EADS’ Talarion, have been long in gestation at tremendous cost but with scant prospects for adoption.
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06/26/2013
Asian powers are outpacing the United States to become the biggest spenders on defense by 2021 and are fuelling an "explosion" in the global arms trade, a study showed. The global arms trade jumped by 30 percent to $73.5 billion between 2008-2012 in spite of the economic downturn, driven by surging exports from China and demand from countries like India, and is set to more than double by 2020, defense and security consultancy IHS Jane's said on Tuesday.
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06/26/2013
Lockheed Martin received an aircraft maintenance and logistics contract with an initial funding value of $5 million from the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., to provide field and sustainment-level maintenance for U.S. Army helicopters. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will lead the Army’s Regional Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Central Operations at Fort Campbell, Ky., home of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
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06/25/2013
The deal making has officially concluded; the order books are now closed. This year’s Paris Air Show, ended June 23, witnessed a robust roster of sales to airlines that are optimistic about economic growth and willing to spend billions of dollars for new aircraft. The biennial gathering, the world’s largest and most prestigious showcase for commercial and military aircraft, marked its 50th anniversary this year.
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06/25/2013
Search and rescue teams yesterday found debris of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) OV-10 Bronco plane with two pilots that crashed Sunday night in the vicinity of Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Col. Miguel Okol, PAF spokesman, said that parts of the light attack aircraft with tail No. R630 were found after the aircraft went missing following takeoff at around 6:37 p.m. Sunday to conduct night flying proficiency training mission.
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06/25/2013
Western media called the demonstration flights of the newest Russian Su-35S fighter at the Paris Air Show 2013 the high point of the event. Making its foreign debut, the new combat machine wowed the public with a series of aerobatic maneuvers that no other aircraft can perform — proving yet again that Sukhoi-made fighters are among the best in the world.
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06/25/2013
With the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dassault Aviation ironing out differences over the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), the supply of the Rafale aircraft is expected to begin in 2016-17.
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06/25/2013
French President Francois Hollande has sought to press the gas-rich Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar to buy 24- to 36 Dassault Rafale combat jets during a weekend visit amid a defense build-up by the region's Arab monarchies to counter Iran.
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06/25/2013
Worried over the long delay in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project, defence minister A K Antony on Monday asked DRDO and HAL to avoid further time slippage and stick to the schedule of achieving final clearance for the indigenous plane by the end of next year.
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06/25/2013
The first Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II Navy carrier variant (CV) aircraft, CF-6, arrived at Strike Fighter Squadron 101 located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Saturday. The jet is the Navy’s first 5th generation F-35 production aircraft.
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06/25/2013
President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russian weapons exports had grown 15 percent since the start of the year, in comparison with the same period last year. “The first results of the year once again confirm that Russia’s ties abroad in regard to military-technical collaboration are continuing to strengthen,” the president told a gathering of defense industry officials.
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06/25/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry is considering two possible designs for a replacement for the obsolete Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft, a senior ministry official said on Monday.
The ministry is considering development of a light military transport plane based on the Antonov An-140 turboprop airliner made by Aviakor in Samara, or the rival Ilyushin Il-112V transport aircraft to be made by the Voronezh aircraft plant (VASO), Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said.
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06/25/2013
Growing demand supported by strong intent and investment capability is expanding the market for military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Middle East. The region is already considered a lucrative market for defence. UAV development efforts by some Middle East nations coupled with imports from the U.S. will strongly bolster market expansion.
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06/24/2013
THE UK is among the countries that have been briefed on the V-22 as its maker, Bell-Boeing, embarks on an export drive of the innovative aircraft that can transform from a plane into a helicopter. A squadron of the US aircraft is to be based at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk as part of the Special Operations Group, the air force arm of US European command. Is is expected to serve as part of Air Force Special Operations Command.
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06/24/2013
U.S. Navy aircraft experts needed rugged Ethernet switches for the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). They found their solution from GE Intelligent Platforms in Huntsville, Ala. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., have announced their intention to issue a new contract to GE for 15 RES-210 rugged Ethernet switches for the Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.
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06/24/2013
Unless the bloodshed in Syria stops, the region could descend into a chaotic sectarian conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday, as he called for an urgent political resolution to the war that has dragged on for two years and claimed 93,000 lives.
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06/24/2013
In June 1943, Lockheed made a bold pitch to the U.S. Army that it could build a jet fighter, and build it fast. Since then, the Skunk Works has conjured up the U-2, the SR-71, the F-117, and more, and it's still going strong.
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06/24/2013
French companies have made offers on supplying military equipment to Qatar, including equipping its air force with Rafale fighter planes made by Dassault , President Francois Hollande said on Sunday. France is the top military supplier to the Gulf state and Hollande said he had discussed future supplies of military equipment with Qatari officials.
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06/24/2013
About a dozen U.S. fighter jets will be flying and conducting training operations in Jordan, poised to respond if needed to protect allies if the war in neighboring Syria spills over the border, U.S. administration officials said Friday.
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06/23/2013
The top drone pilot at the Springfield Air National Guard Base is confident that the controversial unmanned technology saves the lives of American combat troops, despite fears of domestic spying and questions of legality surrounding the CIA’s use of drones to kill as many as 3,350 people in Pakistan.
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06/23/2013
Bidding on South Korea’s US $7.3 billion program to buy 60 new combat jets will end June 28 after 10 days of maneuvering among three competitors. This is the third and final phase of the Asian country’s decadelong “F-X” plan to acquire 120 advanced aircraft before 2020 to replace older F-4 Phantoms.
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06/23/2013
THE air displays may not come with commentary, nor even a short announcement of what aircraft is taking to the skies. But when the four turboprop-powered giant takes to the skies over Le Bourget, there is no mistaking it. The Airbus Military A400M in flight is a sight to behold. For its size, anyone watching it would be impressed by the grace it displays as its pilots takes it through almost aerobatic motions.
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06/23/2013
Due to security concerns in Jordan, which borders the Syrian civil war, a combat-equipped detachment of about 700 U.S. troops will remain in the country following training exercises that ended this week, President Barack Obama told Congress on Friday.
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06/23/2013
Moscow made a new attempt to dodge a $4-billion lawsuit from Tehran over a failed deal to supply S-300 missile systems by offering another type of air defense system to Iran, Kommersant daily said Saturday. The new offer on the table is Antei-2500, aka S-300VM, or SA-23 Gladiator in NATO nomenclature, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources in the Russian arms trade industry.
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06/22/2013
For people (like me) who worry that the U.S. government is becoming dysfunctional, it’s worth studying the subtle and largely hidden effects of sequestration on the military and other agencies. What’s happening is the slow-motion decay of programs and readiness, which should scare the heck out of most citizens.
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06/22/2013
At the recent Airbus Military Trade Media Briefing 2013, journalists who attended were given the opportunity to fly the aircraft for more than an hour. Francis Tusa, the well-known British journalist and hardly a Euro hugger, underscored what we all felt: The lack of noise within the aircraft was noticeable compared to the C-17, C-130 or other aircraft. The seats are more comfortable as well. I did not hear the engines start up, and so was surprised when the aircraft took off.
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06/22/2013
Ottawa hit the pause but-ton last December on its self-inflicted fiasco agreement to sole-source 65 F-35 combat airplanes from Lockheed Martin Corp., refusing any competitive bidding.
(Read More...)
06/22/2013
China's national aircraft exporter is seeking to expand its market share by selling more advanced planes to foreign clients, according to an executive from the company. "We have started development of the two-seater FC-1 Fierce Dragon and plan to introduce it to the international market in three to four years," Ma Zhiping, general manager of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, said at the 50th International Paris Air Show.
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06/22/2013
On June 18, an Iraqi military source confirmed that the air force command will receive “Alligator” combat helicopters from Russia in the coming period. In a statement to Al-Monitor, the source, a senior Iraqi army officer, said that "the aircraft will be of the Ka-52 and Mi-28NE models from the French Le Bourget Air Show.”
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06/22/2013
The United States, keeping a wary eye on Syria's civil war, has left about 700 combat-equipped troops in Jordan after a training exercise, President Barack Obama said today, after previously deciding to leave Patriot missiles and warplanes there. Obama said the deployment was done at the request of the Jordanian government, which fears a spillover of the war into its territory and where an estimated half-million Syrian refugees have fled to escape the bloodshed.
(Read More...)
06/22/2013
The latest version of Russia's Sukhoi-35 fighter jet wowed crowds with gravity-defying demonstrations at the Paris Air Show as the aircraft made its first appearance outside Russia.
In the cockpit was test pilot Sergei Bogdan, who helped to develop and was the first to fly five years ago. "I have worked on the Su-35 from the beginning," he said in Russian to a small group of reporters. "From the first drawings I was associated with engineers in the 'flying group' as the plane's first test pilot
(Read More...)
06/22/2013
The new Airbus military transport plane, much delayed and much needed by European defence forces, flew in to the Paris Air Show on Friday with the French President on board.
The plane, offering an exceptional range of capabilities, was a highlight of the fifth day of the 50th Paris Air Show when the gates were also thrown open to the public.
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06/22/2013
The eleventh C-5M Super Galaxy departed for Dover Air Force Base, Del. from Lockheed Martin facilities here today. The aircraft was flown to Delaware by Maj. Gen. Craig Neil Gourley, vice commander of the Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
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06/21/2013
At least five countries are negotiating with China on buying its domestically developed Wing Loong drone. "Wing Loong is quite competitive in the international market and we have delivered it to up to three clients," Ma Zhiping, general manager of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, said at the 50th International Paris Air Show.
(Read More...)
06/21/2013
It was for several good and solid reasons that U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration long resisted pressures to intervene more forcefully in Syria’s civil war. To start with, there is the sheer complexity of a conflict at the intersection of religious, ethnic, regional and global politics, as illustrated by the plain fact that the most Westernized of Syrians (including its Christians) support the Assad government that the United States seeks to displace.
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06/21/2013
President Barack Obama has expressed scepticism that setting up a no-fly zone in Syria or other major US military action could save lives or tip the balance against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Speaking to PBS television, Obama said critics urging bold intervention failed to understand there was no simple solution and "if you set up a no-fly zone, that you may not be actually solving the problem".
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06/21/2013
Few places in the aerospace industry are as revered as Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Skunk Works.
For decades, employees at the secretive site have designed and built the some of the most innovative military aircraft ever built.The U-2 spy plane. The SR-71 Blackbird. The F-117 Nighthawk.
(Read More...)
06/21/2013
Ottawa hit the pause button last December on its self-inflicted fiasco agreement to sole-source 65 F-35 combat airplanes from Lockheed Martin Corp., refusing any competitive bidding.
(Read More...)
06/21/2013
The Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) first C-130J Super Hercules recently debuted its official tri-color camouflage paint scheme at the Lockheed Martin production facility here. This C-130J (Lockheed Martin aircraft number 5730) now begins its test flight phase and is scheduled for a 2014 delivery. The ROKAF is a legacy C-130 operator.
(Read More...)
06/21/2013
Russia has manufactured several Yak-130 combat trainer jets for Syria as part of a deal signed in 2011, but no final decision on delivery has yet been made, a Russian official source said on Thursday. An unspecified number of the aircraft have been produced by aircraft-builder Irkut as part of the $550 million deal for 36 Yak-130s.
(Read More...)
06/21/2013
AN RAF navigator has been awarded a top French medal for the second time in three years, for heroism under fire while protecting civilians from attack by Colonel Gaddaffi's forces in Libya. Flight Lieutenant Ian Abson was attached to the French Air Force when he took part in the dangerous night-time missions near Tripoli that won him the award.
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06/21/2013
Contracts that the joint venture will pursue are administered by the U.S. government as part of its Foreign Military Sales process. The joint venture will help advance the Kingdom's efforts to diversify its economy, expand the technological expertise of its aerospace and commercial sectors, and create jobs.
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06/21/2013
The RAFO was at the Paris Air Show today to meet with Airbus with a delegation led by Oman’s defence minister Sayyid Badr bin Saood Al Busaidi. The official transfer of the title will take place from Seville immediately after the airshow. The aircraft is the first of eight ordered last year by RAFO and is configured for tactical transport operations. It will be used for initial training at Seville, Spain, where it was assembled, before transferring to Oman later in the year.
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06/20/2013
Saab CEO Håkan Buskhe revealed this week that the company is exploring the idea of an Optional Manned Gripen (OMG). While believing that manned operations will still be needed for at least the next 40 years, Buskhe also recognizes that many “dull and dangerous” missions could be performed better by an unmanned aircraft. Using an OMG for such roles rather than acquiring another type of aircraft would, in essence, halve the logistics costs. OMGs could perhaps operate in a formation under the contr
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06/20/2013
The future of a long-stymied US Air Force effort to buy new combat search-and-rescue helicopters is once again uncertain as top-level generals are intensely debating the type of aircraft and which arm of the service is best suited to conduct this critical mission.
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06/20/2013
Developed and produced by Sagem, Sigma 95 is an autonomous hybrid inertial navigation system combining laser gyros and GPS/Glonass* satellite navigation. It ensures high-precision navigation and broad operational flexibility for both combat and special-mission aircraft.
(Read More...)
06/20/2013
Korea wants to buy 60 new combat fighter jets and the bidding which started today proved fierce among the three frontrunners: Lockheed Martin, the Boeing Company and the European Aerospace Defense and Space Company. And already they've made some aggressive offers to win the multi-billion dollar bid.
(Read More...)
06/20/2013
Swedish aerospace company Saab AB Tuesday said it will develop a version of its Gripen fighter jet that could be flown without a human pilot as a low-cost alternative to specially-developed unmanned combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
06/20/2013
The matt black, almost featureless triangular aircraft is making its first public appearance, and the makers don't want people seeing too much of its advanced features. But this object - the rather awkwardly-named nEUROn - could be the future of combat aircraft. When a jet like the Rafale or the Sukhoi SU-35 shrieks overhead at the show, the watching crowds are left in awe at the skill and daring of the pilot.
(Read More...)
06/20/2013
The 50th International Paris Air Show was launched at the Le Bourget Airport near Paris on June 17, 2013, where the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showcased in the main exhibition hall a variety of its aircraft models, including a single-seat version and a two-seat version of the Xiaolong Fighter China 1 (FC-1), the Hongdu L-15 "Falcon" advanced jet trainer (AJT), the Yilong/Pterodactyl-1 multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Y-8C transport aircraft, etc.
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06/20/2013
The United States scrambled Wednesday to salvage plans to bring the Taliban into Afghan peace talks while Russia threw its support squarely behind President Hamid Karzai after he angrily cancelled crucial security talks with Washington.
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06/20/2013
Russia is currently delivering up to $1 billion worth of military equipment to Azerbaijan including tanks, artillery systems and infantry fighting vehicles, Vedomosti newspaper reported Tuesday. The shipments are the result of contracts signed in 2011 and 2012, unnamed Russian Defense Ministry sources told the business daily, which also cited photographs posted on milkavkaz.net, a website analyzing the military situation in the Southern Caucasus.
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06/19/2013
Embraer and Boeing are partnering on the sales and marketing of Embraer's KC-390 – a multi-mission mobility and aerial refueling aircraft with advanced capabilities in the medium-sized airlift market. Under the agreement, Boeing is the lead for KC-390 sales, sustainment and training opportunities in select Middle East markets as well as the US and UK.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
The events in Sabah, Malaysia, this past March, when local forces conducted Operation Daulat used combat jets to quell the resistance of the Filipino gunmen on the island of Borneo, may have prompted a spate of arms sales to that country and her closest neighbors. The armed forces do have a big wish list for weapons, but procurement processes for the most expensive and longest-lead items are likely to be launched properly only after the general elections in Malaysia later this year.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
Flight hour costs have dropped while readiness rates have improved for the V-22, a rare feat indeed for a modern combat aircraft. Critics have pointed to the V-22's readiness rates and costs as yet another reason to curtail the program, but when I asked Marine Col. Greg Masiello, manager of the Joint Program Office, what their current maintenance costs are, he said they are down to $9,520 an hour at the same time they’ve substantially increased the plane’s readiness rates.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
A target for criticism over delays in projects in the past, India’s largest defense manufacturer, government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) is undergoing a transformation of its human resource through training and innovative programs. This is focusing on two urgent requirements–the overdue Light Combat Aircraft (LCA); and the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT). HAL (Chalet A 124) has confirmed that the projects will go into production in the next five years.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
London-based Lockheed Martin UK is bidding to create a new state-of-the-art Polish Air Force pilot and aircrew training centre in Deblin, Poland. The company has submitted a fully compliant response to a Polish Ministry of Defence tender for a new Integrated Aircrew Training Systems (IATS). The aim is to boost Poland’s military aviation safety by introducing a next-generation training programme which will produce pilots for the future.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
On the first day of the 2013 Paris Air Show, a new alliance between Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and CAE was announced when officials from both companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for F-35 Lightning II training system support and services in Canada. CAE is a global leader in modeling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defence.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
Boeing subcontractor, Air France Industries (AFI), has begun upgrading the electrical, mechanical and structural systems and mission hardware of the first of four French E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. The $354M Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) – the largest ever for French AWACS – will provide the fleet a fuller picture of the battle space and more actionable information while reducing aircrew workload.
(Read More...)
06/18/2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama admitted Monday they disagreed on how to respond to the civil war in Syria but said they are both committed to ending the violence that has ravaged the country over the past two years.
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06/18/2013
A Russian state high-tech corporation will roll out more than 100 new military and civilian developments at the Paris Air Show, a Russian Technologies (Rostec) top executive said on Monday. These include the advanced Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter and a modernized Mi-171A2 civil helicopter, as well as military and civilian avionics, Rostec deputy head Vladimir Artyakov told RIA Novosti at the show, which opened Monday and runs through Sunday at Le Bourget Airport in France.
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06/18/2013
Russia and the United States have signed a contract for the delivery of Russian Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan army, a Russian government agency said Monday. The Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport and the US Department of the Army signed the contract on Sunday in Paris “as part of joint efforts to combat terrorism,” Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said in a statement.
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06/18/2013
Russia will display its Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainer, Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighter and Kamov Ka-52 Hokum B attack helicopter at the Paris Air Show, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation reported Monday. The Paris Air Show is an international event that takes place every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in the French capital Paris. This year, it will be held June 17-23.
(Read More...)
06/17/2013
On the civil side, aircraft manufacturers are buoyant, with new products to display and a record backlog of orders. In contrast, the military sector is less confident. Defence budget cuts, particularly in Washington, has meant arms programmes being scaled back or abandoned. Optimism among commercial aircraft makers was underlined last week when Boeing published its closely-watched annual forecast for aircraft demand over the next 20 years.
(Read More...)
06/17/2013
Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon got to fly in a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft during a US visit Friday, as his country weighs whether to buy the American military plane, AFP reports. Yaalon arrived for talks at the Pentagon in unusual fashion, with the hybrid aircraft -- which hovers like a helicopter -- floating down for a landing outside the steps of the Defense Department.
(Read More...)
06/17/2013
Pakistan has revealed a massive increase in its military budget, the third nuclear power in Asia to unveil a significant increase this year, adding credence to fears of a growing arms race on the continent. China, Pakistan and India were the only countries to increase their nuclear weapons stockpile last year, as the rest of the world reduced its warhead numbers.
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06/17/2013
International orders are set to eclipse U.S. military purchases of Sikorsky Aircraft helicopters in four or five years, the company’s president told Reuters ahead of the Paris air show. Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp , sees bright prospects overall for the global helicopter market, given strong international and commercial demand, as well as Washington’s continued commitment to new U.S. military rotorcraft programs, including a new presidential helicopter.
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06/17/2013
European aerospace industries and defense establishments are promoting pan-European collaboration in launching a collaborative development of Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) drone capability that will rely on the collective knowhow, skills and technologies of member countries. EADS Cassidian, Dassault Aviation and Finmeccanica Alenia Aermacchi declare their readiness to coordinate on such a program supporting the security needs of European governments and armed forces.
(Read More...)
06/17/2013
The first supersonic fighter jet of the Indian Air Force — Russian MiG-21bis —which completed 50 years in service this April despite facing criticism following a substantial number of accidents, is likely to remain operational in its upgraded version until 2019 — two years later than they were originally scheduled to be decommissioned.
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06/17/2013
The use of unmanned drones for surveillance and targeted anti-guerrilla strikes has recently been a focus of ethical and political controversy. Yet for all the criticism, and at a time when austerity budgets are causing deep cuts in orders for manned combat, transport and tanker aircraft, drone builders are thriving.
(Read More...)
06/17/2013
The A400M, a long-awaited new military transport plane, will take to the skies at the upcoming Paris Air Show before finally setting out to conquer markets worldwide after a four-year delay. Built by Airbus Military, the giant plane can carry helicopters, people or armoured vehicles weighing up to 37 tonnes over 3,300 kilometres (2,050 miles) and is able to land directly in combat areas on rough terrain, even on sand.
(Read More...)
06/17/2013
When the U.S. sought to assure Asian allies that it would defend them against potential aggression by North Korea this spring, the Pentagon deployed its top-of-the-line jet fighter, the F-22 Raptor. But only two of the jets were sent screaming through the skies south of Seoul.
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06/17/2013
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday defended Russia’s weapons supplies to Syria saying they are in the framework of the international law. “If we speak calmly, I want to stress that Russia supplies arms to the legitimate government of Syria in full compliance with the norms of international law and we call on our partners to act in the same way,” Putin told reporters after talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday.
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06/16/2013
Sunni Jihadists operating in northern Syria have apparently procured a large supply of portable surface-to-air missiles that will enable the Syrian rebels to shoot down military aircraft of the Syrian Air Force.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
Syrian artillery and warplanes pounded rebel areas in Damascus on Saturday as President Bashar Assad's foes pleaded for advanced weapons from the United States, which has promised them unspecified military aid. Western powers have been reluctant in the past to arm Syrian insurgents, let alone give them sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles that might fall into the hands of Sunni Islamist insurgents in rebel ranks who have pledged loyalty to al-Qaida.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft made an unprecedented landing Friday on a Japanese naval vessel off the California coast. The tilt-rotor aircraft flew from San Diego’s Marine Corps Miramar Air Station to the Japanese ship Hyuga as part of an 18-day drill aimed at improving Japan’s amphibious capabilities.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
Raytheon announced June 15 that it has delivered the 5,000th AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile, achieving a major milestone in the longtime program. Raytheon revealed the news in Paris, where defense firms and others are preparing to display their wares at the June 17-23 Paris Air Show.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
With most NATO troops expected to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, the Afghans are learning how to fight the Taliban without relying on the biggest advantage NATO brings to the table: close-air support. NATO has largely stopped dropping ordnance to support to Afghan troops, said Royal Air Force Brig. Gen. Christopher Brazier, director of air operations for NATO’s day-to-day command in Afghanistan.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
President Barack Obama's decision to begin arming Syria's rebels deepens U.S. involvement in a regional proxy war that is increasingly being fought along sectarian lines, pitting Sunni against Shiite Muslims, and threatening the stability of Syria's neighbors.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
Malaysia can produce the Dassault Aviation Rafale jet fighter, should the government accept a proposal by the French company. The offer to begin an assembly line for the Rafale is part of the offset programme proposed by Rafale International in its bid to supply the aircraft for the Royal Malaysian Air Force's multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) replacement programe.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport is planning to sign a number of export contracts on the delivery of advanced Su-35S fighter aircraft as well as Ka-52 helicopter gunships and Yak-130 combat trainers at the Paris Air Show, the company said. “We are holding negotiations on all three aircraft and hoping to sign contracts at the show,” Rosoboronexport cited head of the company’s delegation at Le Bourget show, Sergei Kornev, as saying.
(Read More...)
06/16/2013
Russian military inspectors will start on Sunday a series of monitoring flights over the United States under the international Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry has said. Russian experts will carry out two consecutive monitoring missions in a Tupolev Tu-154 M/LK-1 aircraft from June 16 through July 1, the ministry said in a statement.
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06/15/2013
Sequestration probably wouldn’t prevent a U.S. military intervention in Syria, but it could increase the delays, difficulty and costs involved, defense experts said Friday. The White House has pledged to step up its support for the Syrian rebels, but with the Pentagon’s across-the-board restrictions already consuming readiness, a new major operation might amount to burning the candle at both ends.
(Read More...)
06/15/2013
Poland next year plans to pick a company to build as many as 70 military helicopters in a potential $3 billion deal that’s among the biggest opportunities on the international rotorcraft market. The defense ministry wants to buy 70 combat support helicopters, including 48 transports for the army to replace the Soviet-era Mi-8/17-series, plus 12 maritime versions for the navy and 10 search-and-rescue craft for the air force.
(Read More...)
06/15/2013
I am providing this supplemental consolidated report, prepared by my Administration and consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), as part of my efforts to keep the Congress informed about deployments of U.S. Armed Forces equipped for combat.
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06/15/2013
The Czech Defence Ministry is negotiating with potential bidders who could buy some of the redundant L-159 aircraft from the Czech military, Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek told CTK Thursday. The air force has 72 L-159 combat planes and pilots use one-third of them.
(Read More...)
06/15/2013
ATK and Alenia Aermacchi successfully completed the first phase of ground and flight tests of their MC-27J multi-mission aircraft. A Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) Gun System pallet was installed and tested on the Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan airlifter. The series of tests were conducted by ATK and Alenia personnel at Eglin Air Force base in Florida. The test events were designed and certified by the U.S. Air Force and deemed successful by Air Force Special Operations Command.
(Read More...)
06/15/2013
The U.S. Navy is upgrading its F/A-18 fighter jets to improve the attack and fighter aircraft’s survivability, electronics package and overall performance to better combat potential threats, service officials said. The improvements are taking place across the legacy Hornet fleet as well as the Super Hornet and Growler fleets. They include design work, engineering and enhancements to the avionics, sensors and helmet-mounted displays, weapons, targeting technologies and electronic warfare systems.
(Read More...)
06/15/2013
This year’s Paris Air Show promises to be one of the most lackluster for the defense sector in at least a decade. America is sending virtually no military aircraft to fly the all-important afternoon displays: no F-22s, no F-35s, no C-17s, no C-130s. American companies have scaled back their executives’ participation.
(Read More...)
06/15/2013
Boeing will continue to ensure the availability of U.S. aircraft including the F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier, EA-6B Prowler and V-22 Osprey through a $5.5 million U.S. Navy contract to maintain the Reconfigurable Transportable Consolidated Automated Support System (RTCASS).
(Read More...)
06/14/2013
oint Helmet Mounted Cueing System II (JHMCS II), an upgraded and improved version of the classic JHMCS and the world's first high definition, color, smart-visor system that operates in both day and night mode, will be making its debut at the Paris Air Show in Hall 3, Booth E111 from June 17-21.
(Read More...)
06/14/2013
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reaffirmed an Air Force decision to award the Afghan light air support (LAS) contract to contractors Sierra Nevada Corp and Embraer.
The decision, which could mark the end of a long-running legal saga, was announced Thursday afternoon, days before the Monday deadline when the agency would have to rule on competitor Beechcraft’s challenge of the contract.
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06/14/2013
"In the past, you purchased an electronic protection system and installed it onboard the aircraft in order to provide the pilot with alerts pertaining to various threats. Today, electronic warfare resources are a part of the over-all protective suit of the aircraft and are also a part of its weapon systems. They are no longer a stand-alone element – and that has been a quantum leap."
(Read More...)
06/14/2013
The sky over southern Nevada is quieter than they have been in quite some time due to the June 1 Air Combat Command directed stand down of flying operations. Despite the stand down, the 64th Aggressor Squadron remains committed to accomplishing their mission, said Lt. Col. Michael Shepherd, the 64th AGRS academic assistant director of operations.
(Read More...)
06/14/2013
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee (HAC) approved the FY2014 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations bill. The HAC bill provides $512.5 billion for the DoD base budget (excluding military construction), almost $3.4 billion below the president’s request.
(Read More...)
06/14/2013
Training to keep the 1968 vintage EA-6B Prowler flying transfers Friday from the Navy to a 2nd Marine Air Wing squadron based at Cherry Point air station. Training for the Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. twin-engine aircraft has previously been conducted for the Navy and Marine Corps by Navy Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
(Read More...)
06/14/2013
Despite being involved in the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) joint program with Russia, India is developing a next-generation fighter of its own–the advanced multirole combat aircraft (AMCA).
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06/14/2013
In March 2011, aircraft from Britain’s Royal Air Force joined an international task force patrolling the skies above Libya, enforcing a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone as the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi crumbled.
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06/14/2013
Ethiopia’s initiation of a dam project on the Blue Nile has quickly drawn the ire of Egypt, which is critically dependent on it as a source of much of the country’s freshwater needs. As Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said June 9 following Ethiopia’s refusal to halt construction of the dam and ahead of his trip to Addis Ababa to discuss the project, Egypt will not give up a “single drop of water from the Nile.” ”No Nile, no Egypt,” he said.
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06/14/2013
The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corporation [NYSE: NOC], received a $90.6 million contract to provide Saudi Arabia with LONGBOW Fire Control Radars (FCRs) for the AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter.
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06/13/2013
srael has dismissed media reports that it exported security equipment to Pakistan over the past five years. “Israel does not export defence equipment to Pakistan. That is our stated policy and is implemented completely,” a senior foreign ministry official said.
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06/13/2013
The U.S defense automatic budget cuts called Sequestration has affected the way U.S military is representing itself in Paris Air Show. Sequestration and a need for careful spending has meant that show organizers are expecting around 10 U.S defense officials, compared with 29 two years ago.
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06/13/2013
France expects to make its first deliveries of Rafale warplanes to India by 2016 or 2017, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was quoted as saying by financial daily Les Echos.
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06/13/2013
The U.S. is sending F-16s to Jordan for an exercise, but they could stay longer to safeguard Jordan from violence in neighboring Syria. The planes will take part in the upcoming exercise, Eager Lion, which runs until June 20, said Defense Department spokesman Air Force Lt. Col. Jack Miller. The U.S. also is sending a Patriot missile battery from Fort Hood, Texas.
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06/13/2013
Israel has exported military equipment, including hi-tech gear used in combat jets, over the past five years to Pakistan and Arab countries with which it has no diplomatic relations, according to a media report on Tuesday.
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06/13/2013
Unmanned Aircraft Systems — previously referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles or remotely operated aircraft/vehicles — come in a variety of shapes and sizes; providing aerial surveillance and security for service members and coalition forces throughout Afghanistan.
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06/13/2013
Interview with Oleg Demchenko, President, IRKUT Corp About The Yak-130 Combat Trainers And Other Programs.
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06/13/2013
With an olive green head scarf poking out from her helmet, Ayesha Farooq flashes a cheeky grin when asked if it is lonely being the only war-ready female fighter pilot in the Islamic republic of Pakistan. Farooq, from Punjab province's historic city of Bahawalpur, is one of 19 women who have become pilots in the Pakistan Air Force over the last decade - there are five other female fighter pilots, but they have yet to take the final tests to qualify for combat.
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06/13/2013
Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of having violated Finland’s airspace, the Finnish Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The incident took place Tuesday morning over the Gulf of Finland, the ministry said on its website. The report did not identify the Russian aircraft, saying only that F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets of the Finnish Air Force were dispatched in order to identify the invaders.
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06/12/2013
The Navy has reached a $6.5 billion deal with a joint venture of Textron Inc.‘s Bell Helicopter unit and Boeing Co. for 99 V-22 Ospreys that likely cements the long-term future of the tilt-rotor aircraft as part of the military’s air inventory.
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06/12/2013
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday categorically rejected a news report appeared in a section of media which read that Pakistan bought defence equipment from Israel. Earlier, a media report said Israel had exported military equipment, including hi-tech gear used in combat jets over the past five years to Pakistan and Arab countries with which it has no diplomatic relations.
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06/12/2013
Sales of combat aircraft in the Middle East and Asia will more than compensate for cutbacks in U.S. and European spending, Britain's BAE Systems forecast on Tuesday. Europe's largest defence contractor said international markets outside its U.S. and European heartlands would grow to account for around half of turnover at its military air and information unit by 2016, up from around a quarter now.
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06/12/2013
Britain refused to provide Israel with certain types of military equipment in recent years out of fears there was a “risk of their use for internal repression” and a “risk of contributing to internal tensions or conflict in the recipient country.” The equipment, Britain worried, might also damage “regional stability” or be transferred from Israel due to the “risk of diversion or re-export to undesirable end-users.”
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06/12/2013
BAE Systems Plc, Europe’s largest defense company, said South Korea is poised to decide whether to buy Eurofighter Typhoon combat planes, in one of the biggest decisions since the jet lost tenders in India and Japan. South Korea may buy as many as 36 Typhoons in the next two months, Peter Anstiss, BAE’s business development director for military aircraft, told reporters today.
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06/12/2013
Pakistan today said it had scrambled warplanes after two Indian jets allegedly entered three nautical miles into the country's airspace over Punjab province. Officials said the incident occurred over Pakpattan district, 200 km from Lahore, the capital of Punjab. They alleged the jets remained in Pakistani airspace for about two minutes.
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06/12/2013
Lockheed Martin will offer several briefings for journalists at the 2013 Paris Air Show. These events will underscore Lockheed Martin's position as the world’s leading global security company and a trusted partner for governments around the world, delivering innovative and affordable technology to customers in more than 50 countries.
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06/12/2013
Lockheed Martin teams provided exploitation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities at a level never before achieved during Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force premiere aerial warfare exercise. During the exercise, live imagery from manned and unmanned aircraft was disseminated in near real-time to the Distributed Common Ground Station Imagery (DCGS-I) mobile test bed.
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06/12/2013
The Indian Air Force (IAF) flew its first Boeing [NYSE: BA] C-17 Globemaster III to India today, becoming the newest operator of the leading airlifter. "The C-17 will equip the Indian Air Force with amongst the world's most advanced humanitarian and strategic capabilities," said Air Vice Marshal SRK Nair, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Transport and Helicopters). "We have looked forward to this day when our Indian Air Force flies the first C-17 to its new home in India."
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06/12/2013
In an agreement that will save the U.S. government more than $800 million, the Army and Boeing [NYSE:BA] have signed a $4 billion multi-year contract for 177 CH-47F Chinook helicopters, with the Army holding options that could increase its total buy to 215 aircraft.
Deliveries from the agreement, which is a cost-effective alternative to annually contracting for the aircraft, begin in 2015.
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06/11/2013
Citing “very volatile” conditions on the northern border with Syria and throughout the region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted on Monday that the most basic principle guiding Israel is that “whoever hurts Israel, or threatens to hurt it, will get hurt.”
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06/11/2013
Seven Taliban fighters with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns launched a rare assault on NATO’s operational headquarters at the military section of Kabul’s international airport on Monday. All seven militants were killed. Their failed attack showed that despite an asphyxiating security blanket around the capital, Afghanistan’s insurgency is far from defeated after nearly 12 years of war, and militants can still menace the capital.
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06/11/2013
France is apparently not pleased with the performance of its locally developed Harfang UAV and is buying two American RQ-9 Reapers, with the intention getting more and standardizing on this proven UAV design. Currently two Harfang UAVs are present in Mali (operating from neighboring Niger) and some American RQ-9s are helping out as well.
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06/11/2013
Finland has opened a potentially significant dialogue with Russia with the goal of identifying avenues for industrial cooperation. Apart from the potential for weapons purchases and sales, future cooperation could increase Finland’s involvement in providing subcontracting capacity to Russia’s military modernization programs.
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06/11/2013
The year-long golden jubilee celebrations of Central Air Command, Allahabad came to a close on Monday. In the ceremony held at Air Force Station Bamrauli, Governor B L Joshi released the 'First day cover' of Central Air Command. Earlier in the day, Air Marshal J Chauhan Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command laid a wreath at War Memorial to pay tributes to air warriors of CAC who laid down their lives for the nation.
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06/11/2013
The U.S. Navy plans to sign this week a five-year contract valued just under $6.5 billion to buy 99 new V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc, the program's manager said in an interview on Monday. Marine Corps Colonel Gregory Masiello said the multiyear contract, the second one signed for the program, covers the period from fiscal year 2013 through 2017 and includes options for 22 additional aircraft.
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06/11/2013
A joint-coalition team led by the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron peers into a dark, moonless sky in preparation for a nighttime helicopter sling load mission. All of their other senses are heightened to compensate for the reduced visibility as a UH-60 Black Hawk flown by Soldiers of the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade approaches the site.
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06/11/2013
Eleven U.S. Air Force Academy cadets learned to operate RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft systems, or SUAS, during an initial qualification training course at Choctaw Airfield, Fla., June 3-14. The RQ-11B Raven is a lightweight and low-altitude, remotely piloted system that provides real-time imagery. Similar in size and shape to a baseball bat, Ravens are designed to be flown beyond a visual line-of-site from a position of cover or concealment.
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06/11/2013
Lockheed Martin received a $34.2 million Foreign Military Sales contract from the U.S. Air Force to support additional integration of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) onto the Finnish Air Force F-18C/D aircraft. Finland is the second international customer for JASSM. This second contract for Finland includes test missiles, software development and engineering documentation.
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06/11/2013
The Russian Air Force has redeployed some 20 combat aircraft and helicopters from their home bases to forward airfields in western Russia as part of a new round of snap combat readiness check of the Russian military, the Defense Ministry said. The drills involve Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bombers, Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter jets, Mi-8 combat transport helicopters and Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters based in the Western Military District.
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06/10/2013
Lebanese troops blocked streets in Beirut with tanks and barbed wire for several hours on Sunday after the killing of a protester outside the Iranian embassy raised factional tensions already inflamed by the war in Syria. The man died during a clash between rival groups of Shi'ite Muslims after militiamen from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement opened fire when protesters drew up at the embassy, the latest sign of Syria's violence spilling over to its neighbours.
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06/10/2013
Japanese troops will converge on California's southern coast in the next two weeks as part of a military exercise with U.S. troops aimed at improving that country's amphibious attack abilities. U.S. and Japanese military officials said the unprecedented training, led by U.S. Marines and sailors, will help Japan's Self-Defense Force operate in stronger coordination with the United States, its main ally, and better respond to crises such as natural disasters.
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06/10/2013
With combat operations winding down in Afghanistan, the U.S. Army is cutting back on purchases of its popular RQ-11B Raven micro-UAV. In the last decade the U.S. has bought most of the 19,000 Ravens produced. But now those purchases are fading to zero. Last year the army bought 1,134, this year it was 234, and next year it is zero.
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06/10/2013
Thunder Over Michigan Air Show officials announced that the World’s only flying Mosquito will perform at the 2013 Thunder Over Michigan Air Show Aug. 10 and 11 at Willow Run Airport. Thunder Over Michigan is produced by the Yankee Air Museum. Proceeds from the event help support the museum and many other charitable organizations.
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06/10/2013
A debate is emerging within the narrative of sequestration that calls into question the military department’s choice to continue funding service demonstration teams like the Blue Angels. In order to properly shape the debate, opponents on both sides of the argument need to broaden their perspectives beyond the current justification of recruiting or the local negative financial impact of air show cancellations.
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06/09/2013
On the eve of US President Barack Obama’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping , the Washington-based Heritage Foundation has released a detailed paper urging the White House to sell F-16C/D jets to Taiwan. Arms sales to Taiwan are thought certain to be raised and condemned by Xi during the two-day California meeting which opened yesterday.
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06/09/2013
Even though China has displayed hostility toward the United States for having its warships into the South China Sea, Beijing has been invited to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, naval exercise to be held off Hawaii, according to report from Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin. However, there are concerns about this participation.
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06/09/2013
On May 27, several thousand Russian soldiers were woken at 5:00 in the morning by a surprise alarm. The Russian Ministry of Defense staged its biggest drills in more than twenty years to test the air forces. The aggressor squadrons launched an offensive at all altitudes and from all directions. They also employed jamming systems to impede target engagement by anti-aircraft radars.
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06/08/2013
Three decades in the making, the multinational Airbus Military A400M Atlas is the first new military airlifter to be developed in Europe since the Transall C-160 twin-turboprop in the early 1960s. The completion of basic development and impending first delivery means Europe has its own heavy-lift transport and customers have an alternative to U.S. and Russian aircraft.
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06/08/2013
The Indian air force inducted the first 12 of 75 Swiss-manufactured Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II basic training aircraft at a ceremony at the Dundigal Air Force Academy near Hyderabad. Minister of State for Defense Jitendra Singh unveiled the tandem-seat turboprop aircraft that is capable of aerobatics as well as tactical and night flying, The Hindu reported. "The induction of PC Mk-II is a very important landmark in our nation's quest for modernizing its armed forces," Singh said.
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06/08/2013
During his visit this week to the aircraft base F-16 in Lask near Lodz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland needed a deterrent force so that potential enemies do not even think about attacking Poland. Air Force is one of the most important elements of the new military-political doctrine of the country.
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06/08/2013
Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) is expected to be the launch customer for the MiG-35 multi-role fighter. Sergei Korotkov, Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (RAC MiG) general director, said the company and the MoD are negotiating an initial order for 24 aircraft, with an option that would increase the number to about 40.
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06/08/2013
Each year the Defense Department’s comptroller, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer, publishes a report: Program Acquisition Costs by Weapon System. The public and Congress have a right to expect these annual reports to be complete and accurate. These reports have identified spending amounts for research and development and for procurement, plus annual production authorizations, for the F-35, since the public origins of the program in 1994.
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06/08/2013
Iwo Jima is a training site like no other. The rugged volcanic crag was one of the most iconic battlegrounds of World War II, and is so isolated and barren it has almost never been inhabited by anyone other than military troops. But from the perspective of U.S. Navy fighter pilots who regularly train on the island's one functioning airstrip, it is unique in another way.
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06/08/2013
The US missile defense system is no match for the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that Russia tested this week, a senior Russian official said Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the defense industry, hailed Thursday’s tests as a success and dubbed the new ICBM a “missile defense killer.”
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06/08/2013
Some 15 warships and auxiliary vessels will take part in Russian-Ukrainian anti-piracy exercises in the Black Sea on June 19-25, a Russian Black Sea Fleet spokesman has said. The Fairway of Peace 2013 drills will focus on joint missions to counter piracy and terrorism threats in the region.
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06/08/2013
A Moscow court has given a four-year suspended sentence to the last defendant in the criminal case over deliveries of low-quality equipment for MiG-29 fighters that were rejected by Algeria in 2007, Russia's business daily Kommersant said Friday. The Moscow city court announced the sentencing for Mikael Kazaryan at a closed session on Thursday. The suspended sentence is a result of a plea bargain between the defendant and the prosecutors.
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06/07/2013
Sixty-nine years ago today, the deadliest war the world had ever seen underwent a pivotal event that changed World War II completely. Today, the Invasion at Normandy, also known as D-Day, remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, involving nearly three million troops crossing the English Channel from England to Normandy in occupied France.
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06/07/2013
The U.S. Army has shortlisted Bell Helicopter's V-280 tilt-rotor aircraft design for its Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator program. The V-280 is Bell's third-generation, tilt-rotor concept. It reportedly will have a cruising speed of 320 mph, a range of 2,400 miles and a combat range of 580 to 920 miles.
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06/07/2013
Pakistan's new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called Wednesday for an end to US drone strikes in the country's northwest, as he took office for an unprecedented third term. Some 13 years after he was deposed in a coup and sent into exile, the 63-year-old was formally chosen by a vote in the National Assembly and later took the oath of office from President Asif Ali Zardari.
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06/07/2013
Sitting at a long table in Russia's Foreign Ministry, Syrian opposition leaders outlined a plan to protect Moscow's interests if the Kremlin agreed to the removal of its longstanding ally, President Bashar al-Assad. Throughout the meeting last July, one of many since the start of Syria's civil war, Russian officials sat stony-faced. When the Syrians had finished, there was a long silence.
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06/07/2013
The 50th Paris Airshow presents a weeklong celebration for aviation enthusiasts. As the most important annual aerospcace business event, it attracts thousands of companies and trade visitors. On the military side, the airshow takes a lower key, reflecting reduced spending in Europe and the United States. Nevertheless, the Russian impact is growing, demonstrating Moscow’s claim for a leading position in world defense exports.
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06/07/2013
he 451st Flying Training Squadron completed the final step of a long journey when a T-1A Jayhawk modified for electronic warfare training took flight on a training sortie June 4. This is the first time in Air Force history an undergraduate aviation program has formally incorporated the fundamentals of electronic warfare in flight into their combat systems officer training syllabus.
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06/07/2013
An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5. It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor after launch -- paving the way for targeted launches in support of the Block 2B fleet release capability later this year.
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06/07/2013
Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] recently delivered the first Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) Laser Range Finder Designator (LRFD) to the U.S. Army for the AH-64D/E Apache helicopter. “The new laser is the first component to be fielded in the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly,” said Lt. Col. Steve Van Riper, U.S. Army product manager of Apache Sensors.
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06/06/2013
The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and involves approximately 2,000 personnel from 14 countries. To mark the occasion, participants held opening ceremonies at major training areas across the three countries. Lithuania, the host nation for this year’s exercise, held its ceremony at the Pabrade Training Area, with the Chief of Lithuanian Land Forces and exercise co-director, Maj. Gen. Almantas Leika presiding.
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06/06/2013
Syrian government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies seized control of the border town of Qusair on Wednesday, a severe setback to rebel fighters battling to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Two weeks of heavy fighting reduced much of the town to piles of concrete, whole blocks flattened by shelling, with glass and rubble littering the roads as tired, delighted Syrian soldiers gathered at the bullet-riddled clock tower.
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06/06/2013
The use of unmanned aircraft, so called “drones,” has become a hallmark of 21st century military operations. Such aircraft have become infamous for their use by the United States to hunt terrorists in the mountains of Pakistan and elsewhere, but the US is far from the only user of the technology. Almost every state in Europe has procured some type of drone technology over the past ten years; most notable among them are Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.
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06/06/2013
South Korea is set to start the bidding process next week to pick a contractor to provide 60 advanced fighter jets for the country, an official at the state procurement agency said Tuesday. Jets competing for the US$7.5 billion contract are Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle; Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet; and the European Aerospace Defense and Space Company (EADS)'s Eurofighter Tranche 3 Typhoon.
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06/06/2013
The suffering from the Syrian civil war is accelerating. António Guterres, United Nations high commissioner, reported to the U.N. Security Council last April that each time he makes a report, it is much worse than the previous report. He said that in December, refugees were fleeing Syria at a rate of about 3,000 per day. Since February, 8,000 persons on average have crossed Syria’s borders every day. Syria is becoming a monumental humanitarian crisis with no sign of abatement.
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06/06/2013
India’s indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas appears to have got a new lease of life, with Defence Minister A. K. Antony stating that final operational clearance would be in place by the end of next year. The LCA programme is meant to boost the country’s aviation industry. Tejas was mooted way back in 1983, at a cost of Rs 560 crore, to replace the Indian Air Force's ageing MiG-21s.
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06/06/2013
On Tuesday May 14th, the US military succeeded in launching a drone from an aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia, marking a historical first. The aircraft, an "X-47B" produced by Northrop Grumman, is considered to be the first unmanned aircraft that is able to be launched from a ship. The prototype had a successful flight of around 65 minutes, and ultimately landed at a base in Maryland.
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06/06/2013
On 27 May, several thousand Russian soldiers were woken at 5:00 in the morning by a surprise alarm. The Russian Ministry of Defence staged the biggest drills in more than twenty years to test the country’s Aerospace Defence Forces, Long-Range and Military Transport Aviation, the Missile Defence Division in charge of defending the Central Industrial Region and Moscow, as well as the Western Military District’s 1st Air Army.
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06/05/2013
AgustaWestland is making its expectations for success in the North American market very clear. With opportunities in the U.S. government markets expected to top $20 billion over the next 15 years, according to AgustaWestland North America Chairman and CEO R. Scott Rettig, the company seems bullish in the face of sequestration issues and its own internal problems.
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06/05/2013
The Harper Cabinet has until mid-2014 to make a decision on the F-35 fighter jets, either to sign an initial contract for the first batch of four of the stealth fighters for delivery to Canada in 2017, or to delay it, or drop the plan entirely.
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06/05/2013
The United States is sending 200 military planners from the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss to Jordan to assist in long-term planning with Jordanian forces in case a chemical weapons crisis erupts, or if a wide scale humanitarian relief mission is ordered.
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06/05/2013
The storied “Nightmares” are set to deactivate this summer after 69 years of service during which the unit’s Marines saw combat in the Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Formally designated Marine Attack Squadron 513, the unit which flies AV-8B Harriers out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., will be deactivated July 13, 2013 after their most recent deployment to Asia which concluded with their participation in Exercise Foal Eagle.
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06/05/2013
The U.S. Marine Corps is now preparing to upgrade many of their 140 AV-8B Harrier jet fighters to keep them in service, at least until 2030 (instead of 2027). This is because the replacement for the AV-8B, the F-35B, was supposed to begin replacing AV-8Bs this year, but that has been delayed at least two years. Extending the useful life of the AV-8Bs is possible largely because two years ago Britain sold all its Harrier jet fighters, spare parts, and ancillary gear to the marines.
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06/05/2013
Footage apparently recorded by a German drone shows what looks like a terrifying near-collision between the unmanned craft and an Afghan passenger plane. The video, which is nine years old and was recently rediscovered on YouTube, appears to show an Ariana Afghan Airline's Airbus A300 passenger plane carrying approximately 100 people, approaching the drone, writes English-language German news outlet The Local.
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06/05/2013
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. Dassault has now delivered 111 Rafales to the French Air Force and Navy.
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06/05/2013
Squadron Leader Jim Schofield became the first Royal Air Force pilot to complete a vertical landing of a Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) Lightning II on May 28. Following the flight, Schofield commented on the F-35B’s handling capabilities.
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06/05/2013
Unmanned air vehicles (UAV), ground-based robotic systems and unmanned submersibles which Russian industry is developing for the Defense Ministry, are inferior to foreign analogs, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday. Military robotic systems are under development as part of the state weapons program for 2011-2020, Shoigu said at a ministry conference call on Monday.
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06/04/2013
The decision to deploy a Patriot missile battery and F-16 aircraft to Jordan was made late Friday at a meeting with top military and civilian Defense Department officials to bolster U.S. military support for Jordan - a crucial ally in the Middle East - as the violence from the Syrian civil war spreads, according to a senior U.S. official, CNN has learned.
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06/04/2013
In the late 1960s, the Soviet Union began developing a new 100 km-range surface-to-air system in view of the growing potential of air assault weapons, particularly after the air-launched cruise missile ALKM was introduced in the USSR approximately at the same time the West was working on the design of its Patriot SAM complex. The new weapon, named the S-300, was devised as a universal antiaircraft and antimissile system.
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06/04/2013
It was an ordinary spring day on the southeast coast of Spain when an Israeli-built maritime Heron 1 unmanned aerial vehicle took off at 11 a.m. from San Javier Air Base in Murcia.
Partly cloudy. A slight breeze. Nothing unusual — apart from the presence of the Spanish Air Force chief of staff, representatives from the European Space Agency, the European Defense Agency and more than a dozen industry executives from seven countries gathered to witness the April 24 flight.
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06/04/2013
More than 60 countries on Monday signed a landmark conventional arms trade treaty, but the United States held back from joining the first wave of signatories, while Russia and China are expected to stay out of the accord. The U.N.-brokered treaty is the first covering weaponry of any kind for more than a decade and aims to bring transparency and protection of human rights into the often dubious $85 billion-a-year global trade.
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06/04/2013
Defence minister A K Antony last week expressed the hope that the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft would finally get the final operational clearance (FOC) next year. But a hard-nosed ``internal assessment'' shows Antony's dream will be shattered. The single-engine Tejas, already 30 years in the making, will not become fully combat-worthy anytime before end-2015.
(Read More...)
06/04/2013
On May 27, several thousand Russian soldiers were woken up at 5:00 in the morning by a surprise alarm. The Russian Ministry of Defence staged the biggest drills in more than twenty years to test the country’s Aerospace Defence Forces, Long-Range and Military Transport Aviation, the Missile Defence Division in charge of defending the Central Industrial Region and Moscow, as well as the Western Military District’s 1st Air Army.
(Read More...)
06/04/2013
The X-47B unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) launched last month from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush off the coast of Virginia in an important test to demonstrate the viability of future carrier-based unmanned fighter-bomber aircraft. Launch of the combat drone occurred at 11:18 a.m. eastern time on 14 May while the carrier was underway off the coast of Virginia, say officials of X-47B designer Northrop Grumman Corp.
(Read More...)
06/04/2013
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] officials joined members of the South African Air Force (SAAF) in commemorating 50 years of continuous C-130 Hercules transport operations during an event near Pretoria, South Africa on June 1. In 1963, a new era of transport operations began in South Africa with the arrival of the original fleet of seven SAAF C-130B Hercules aircraft.
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06/04/2013
Poland is committed to modernizing its armed forces despite prolonged economic woes and will invest about $40 billion in its military within the next decade, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday. The modernization program’s priorities include the purchase of guided missiles for F-16 fighters, the development of special purpose forces and the naval missile division on the Baltic Sea, and the provision of a sufficient number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the military, Tusk said.
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06/04/2013
The possibility that America and its allies might impose a no-fly zone over Syria just as they did during previous conflicts in Libya and Iraq is highlighting the importance of having survivable fifth-generation fighters in friendly air forces. Right now those forces consist mainly of older, non-stealthy fighters that Syrian surface-to-air missiles could shoot down in any battle for control of local airspace.
(Read More...)
06/03/2013
A draft Environmental Impact Study released by the U.S. Air Force recommends moving forward with a proposal to transfer a F-16 fighter jet squadron at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The study released Friday also recommends keeping Eielson as a temporary base for the aircraft several times per year for training exercises, the Fairbanks Daily New Miner reported.
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06/03/2013
The Russian Navy plans to deploy its single aircraft carrier in support of its newly formed Mediterranean task force, Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov said, a declaration that could further escalate rhetorics over the Syrian conflict. The carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” will be ready to join the naval task force by the end of 2013. Defense-Update reports.
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06/03/2013
America's combat role in Afghanistan is scheduled to end in 2014. In anticipation of that transition, several media outlets have run stories predicting that without helicopter support from U.S.-led International Security Assistance Forces the morale and combat effectiveness of the Afghan National Army will be seriously degraded. That prediction is spot on. How do I know? I've already seen it come true.
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06/03/2013
Firstly I like to say that I enjoy reading your Defence Watch page very much, as an Australian it is interesting to see the Canadian perspective on defence matters, including the regular reporting of defence matters here in Australia too. But I especially enjoy reading, what appears to be the very very heated public debate that is going on in Canada regarding the F35.
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06/03/2013
The U.S. Navy is facing a cash crisis. Its current fleet is still full of Cold War era ships that are rapidly wearing out. The replacements cost more than the navy can afford, now or in the next decade or so. Looking for ways to manage the inevitable shrinking, some navy officials are saying the unthinkable, that the navy rely less on carriers, if only because it cannot afford to replace the ten it has now.
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06/03/2013
India is all set to get genuine strategic airlift capabilities with the induction of the gigantic C-17 Globemaster-III aircraft, which will allow it to transport heavy armoured vehicles, howitzers and combat troops to distant battlefronts or hotspots at the double. "The Hindon airbase will get the first C-17 aircraft from the US in mid-June, with another two following in July. The aircraft will be a huge strategic asset," IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said.
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06/03/2013
Governments will sign the world's first internationally binding agreement to regulate the trade in conventional weapons on Monday. Adopted by the UN in April after a vote of 154 to three, the arms trade treaty will seek to control the global trade in arms and ammunition. The treaty, which will regulate the sales of battle tanks, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships and small arms and light weapons, will be signed by top arms exporters.
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06/03/2013
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Saturday that the United States would live up to its promise and deploy more cutting-edge military technology in Asia and the Pacific, even in an age of austerity.
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06/03/2013
US and Canadian military inspectors are expected to complete on Monday their two-day joint monitoring mission over Russian territory under the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The NATO inspectors fly on board a refitted C-130 Hercules transport aircraft along a designated route with a total length of 5,500 kilometers (3,417 miles), the ministry said.
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06/02/2013
Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles manufacturers, hailed as the world's leading exporters of military drones a few weeks ago, are grappling with new regulations on defense exports that will limit foreign sales. The Globes business daily reports that compliance by the defense and foreign ministries with the trade laws, which tighten oversight on defense exports, will curtail UAV sales by Israel Aerospace Industries, Aeronautics Defense Systems, Elbit Systems and others.
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06/02/2013
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel today sought to allay concerns among Asia-Pacific nations that steep military spending cuts will prevent the United States from delivering on its promises to place a new emphasis on security in the region. “It is true that the Department of Defense will have fewer resources than in the past,” Hagel said during his much anticipated speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
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06/02/2013
This week, the distance between Barack Obama and the Republican he bested to first become president got a whole lot smaller. John McCain appears to be setting Obama’s foreign policy agenda, and that is plenty of reason to worry. McCain seldom does nuance, and Middle East regime change is his default mode even as less riveting, but vastly more threatening, concerns garner far less of his attention.
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06/02/2013
Airbus Military has launched a new member of the C295 medium transport and surveillance aircraft – the C295W. The company will make its public debut at the Paris Air Show later this month. The new model, equipped with uprated engines and winglets will be available in 2014. Company sources said that the new version will become standard for all Seville assembled CN295 beginning from the fourth quarter of 2014, following the completion of certification, expected by the middle of next year.
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06/02/2013
The reason is obvious: is an absolutely stunning photograph, just released by the U.S. Marine Corps, showing Capt. Christopher Prout with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing as he shoots an AIM-7 Sparrow missile from an F/A-18C Hornet near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, on May 16, 2013.
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06/01/2013
The United States and Germany on Friday warned Russia not to endanger a planned peace conference for Syria or alter the balance of power in the Middle East by providing an advanced air defence system to President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the transfer of S-300 missiles from Russia to Syria would prolong the country's civil war.
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06/01/2013
The U.S. military services today set dates for when the first squadrons of Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets, from the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, will be combat-ready. Congress was notified this morning that the initial short-takeoff and vertical-landing model for the Marine Corps will be ready no later than December 2015. The target for the Air Force’s version of the jet is December 2016, and the date for the Navy model is February 2019.
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06/01/2013
The South Korean government says bidding on a $7.5 billion contract for next-generation fighters is about to start. An official with the Defense Acquisition and Procurement Agency said the bidding process was moved forward one week amid "speculation" that opening the bidding process later in the month could result in prices beyond the country's budget for the purchase, The Korea Herald reported.
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06/01/2013
Swiss-made Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II turbo trainer aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a ceremony held at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad on Friday. The aircraft, which meets all basic training functions of ab-initio pilots including aerobatics, tactical and night flying, has been customised to meet the requirements of IAF.
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06/01/2013
Even despite criticisms in recent years over the performance and safety of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, Lockheed Martin continues to push for the development and deployment of the fighter plane. Representatives from the company teamed up with Constellium Rolled Products yesterday to celebrate their partnership, which yields one of the military’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
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06/01/2013
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday described as “satisfactory” the results of this week’s snap check of the Aerospace Defense Forces, after hearing that nine out of 11 missiles were intercepted during the drills. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed the president of the results at a meeting in the Kremlin. The exercises checked the combat readiness of aerospace defence units, air force units and air defences in the Western Military District.
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06/01/2013
Russian military aircraft maker MiG is to go ahead with a research-and-development project for an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) based on its Skat prototype, after signing a deal with the Industry and Trade Ministry earlier this month, the firm said Friday. "We signed an R&D contract for UCAVs on May 15," said MiG's head, Sergei Korotkov. "The contract requirements include a mock-up for a future UCAV for the Defense Ministry. We are already ahead on this, based on our Skat program."
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06/01/2013
The Syrian authorities want to revive a contract to purchase MiG-29M/M2 fighter jets from Russia in light of the upcoming expiration of an EU embargo on arms sales to Syria, representatives of aircraft maker MiG said Friday. “A Syrian delegation is currently in Moscow. We’re discussing details and timeframe of a possible contract,” MiG head Sergei Korotkov told journalists, but did not elaborate.
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06/01/2013
Russia has started fulfilling its recent arms exports contract with Iraq after receiving an advance payment from Baghdad, Russian Technologies (Rostech) CEO Sergei Chemezov said.
“The contract is being implemented, the production [of ordered equipment] has started,” Chemezov told RIA Novosti at the opening ceremony of a Russian grenade-launcher assembly facility in Jordan on Thursday.
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05/31/2013
Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, deputy director at Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told journalists attending the IDEX 2013 exhibition in Abu Dhabi that Russian defense minister Sergei Choigu signed an intergovernmental agreement on the Su-35 with China in January. Dzirkaln, who headed the Russian delegation to the arms show, added that the work on firm contract is ongoing “in a planned manner” as the sides are “detailing” delivery terms.
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05/31/2013
China's Defense Ministry dismissed as ridiculous on Thursday a U.S. report that Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major U.S. weapons systems, saying the country needed no outside help for its military development.
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05/31/2013
The F-35 Lighting was the first choice of the Australian air force. But several thunderbolts have struck the stealth aircraft, including the arrival of new generation Sukhois that are skewing the odds against the Australians.
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05/31/2013
Italian opposition parties and some lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party called on the government on Thursday to abandon its plans to buy 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.
Italy's total planned investment in the new Lightning II Joint Strike fighters (JSF) exceeds 10 billion euros ($12.97 billion) even though it cut its order last year to 90 aircraft from the 131 it had originally penciled in to buy more than a decade ago, a move it said would save 5 billion euros.
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05/31/2013
The chief executive of Saab AB SAAB-B.SK +0.71% believes the growing focus on value for money in defense procurement is an opportunity for the Swedish aero-defense group. "There is no point being cheap if you can't win a war," Hakan Buskhe told The Wall Street Journal from his office at Saab's headquarters. "But when money is getting tighter around the world, you still need to be able to afford flying."
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05/31/2013
The Defence Minister AK Antony today expressed hope that the country’s indigenously developed fighter aircraft, LCA TEJAS, will get Final Operational Clearance of the Indian Air Force by the end of next year.
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05/31/2013
Moscow is trying to persuade Tehran to withdraw its lawsuit against Russia’s state-run arms export company Rosoboronexport over a cancelled deal to supply S-300 air defense systems to Iran, Russian Technologies (Rostech) CEO Sergei Chemezov said. Iran’s Defense Ministry and The Aerospace Industries Organization have launched a $4 bln lawsuit against Rosoboronexport in an international arbitration court in Geneva in April 2011.
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05/31/2013
Reports that Syria’s president had confirmed receiving a consignment of Russian-manufactured S-300 air defense systems emerged Thursday, but were quickly brought into question. In comments widely reported across the world, Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar quoted Syrian President Bashar Assad as saying Damascus had received initial deliveries of the S-300 system.
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05/31/2013
Russian and Norwegian naval forces will conduct a joint exercise in the Barents Sea on June 4-7, Northern Fleet spokesman Vadim Serga said on Thursday. Russia’s Northern Fleet will contribute the tugboat SB-523, an Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft and an Mi-8 Hip helicopter to the Barents-2013 exercise.
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05/31/2013
Russia is ready to expand military contacts with Finland and to help the country modernize its armed forces, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday. Shoigu is on a two-day visit to Finland hosted by his Finnish counterpart Carl Haglund. “This is the first contact at the defense ministerial level. I hope we will expand contacts at the level of chiefs of staff and commanders of military districts,” Shoigu said at a joint news conference with Haglund in Helsinki.
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05/30/2013
The Syrian president has told Lebanon's Hezbollah-owned TV station that Damascus received the first shipment of Russian air defense missiles, according to remarks released by the station Thursday.
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05/30/2013
European military transport and multiple aircraft producer Airbus Military has confirmed that it is in the early stages of talks with South Africa about its C295 light/medium aircraft family.
"We've been talking with South Africa about the 295, for maritime surveillance and transport," Airbus Military light and medium aircraft programmes head Rafael Tentor told Engineering News Online in Seville, Spain, on Wednesday.
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05/30/2013
The White House is declining to confirm reports that a U.S. drone killed the Pakistani Taliban's second-in-command White House spokesman Jay Carney says if the reports are true, the death of Waliur Rehman would deprive the militant group of its chief military strategist involved in "horrific attacks" against America at a CIA base in Afghanistan, other attacks against Pakistani civilians and soldiers.
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05/30/2013
The Marine Corps may join the Air Force in moving up its expected initial operating capability from 2016 to the latter part of 2015. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos made the announcement during a presentation May 29 at the Brookings Institution. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley last week said the service will issue a report detailing the operational start date to Congress in coming days.
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05/30/2013
An indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order has been given to Northrop Grumman by the U.S. General Services Administration for a combat simulator. The enhanced Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator, for the U.S. Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, is an advanced technology simulator that generates complex, dynamic electromagnetic environments to simulate true-to-war conditions.
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05/30/2013
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will make a state visit to Washington in October, US Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday during a visit to Rio. "President (Barack) Obama has asked me to extend an invitation to your president to come to Washington in October for the only state visit that will occur in Washington this year," Biden said.
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05/30/2013
Fábrica Argentina de Aviones Brig. San Martin S.A. (FAdeA S.A.), based in Cordoba (Argentina), awarded Liebherr-Aerospace the contract to supply various components for the flight control system, the landing gear and the air management system of the IA-63 Pampa aircraft. Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH, Lindenberg (Germany), Liebherr’s center of excellence for landing gear and flight control systems.
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05/30/2013
Perhaps the Chinese government turned loose its hacker squad to poach sensitive U.S. military documents, giving President Obama a new set of grievances to lodge in his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, that simplistic explanation may be just plain wrong. "For almost anything that happens, we point at China as the culprit," noted security expert Ken Silva.
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05/30/2013
The anti-Naxal operations in Maoist hotbed of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh are set to get a boost with Indian Air Force (IAF) deciding to provide helicopter support from Nagpur where a new unit is being set up. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a DRDO function, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said there was need to deploy some new systems in the Maoist-hit areas which would provide better surveillance capabilities to the forces there.
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05/30/2013
It seems India needs the support of US Navy to complete crucial trials of the naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-N). Absence of pilots experienced in carrier-based operations has forced the Aeronautical Development Agency ( ADA), lead partner in the development of LCA-N, to request the US Navy to train its test pilots in catapult assisted take-off and barrier arrested recovery (Catobar).
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05/30/2013
Russia is disappointed with the EU move to end the ban on arms sales to the Syrian opposition and may reconsider its own commitments to restrictions on weapons deliveries to the war-torn country, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday. “Every decision has two sides. If one side lifts restrictions, the other may consider itself free from observing earlier commitments,” Shoigu said at a joint news conference in Helsinki with his Finnish counterpart, Carl Haglund.
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05/29/2013
A suspected US drone has crashed in the southern Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, according to reports. The militant group al-Shabab said on Twitter that an American unmanned aircraft had come down near a town under its control. A regional governor told Reuters that fighters had shot at the object.
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05/29/2013
A U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter crashed off the southern Japan island of Okinawa early Tuesday after the aircraft developed problems in flight. The pilot ejected and was recovered safely.
The F-15, flying out of Kadena Air Base, went down in the Pacific about 70 miles east of Okinawa, the military said in a statement.
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05/29/2013
Freedom doesn’t come easy, or cheap, and America is leading the charge for the world’s latest and greatest weapons systems. From the best in fighter planes and unmanned aircraft to the latest combat ships, the U.S. isn’t lacking in highly sophisticated tools to stave off the enemy.
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05/29/2013
The last American A-10 attack aircraft has left Europe. A-10s were designed during the Cold War for combat against Russian ground forces in Europe. That war never happened, but the A-10 proved to be a formidable combat aircraft in post-Cold War conflicts, first in the 1991 liberation of Kuwait and later in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the last decade the most requested ground support aircraft in Afghanistan has been the A-10.
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05/29/2013
Combat aircraft are the traditional Paris air show scene-stealers. But it has been a long time since there was an undisputed vedette to hog the limelight—a gap that the Sukhoi Su-35S fighter could fill this year as it makes its debut outside Russia.
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05/29/2013
Russia and the United States split starkly Tuesday over the EU move to end its ban on arms sales to Syria, with Moscow denouncing it as a violation of international law and Washington applauding the move while repeating its aversion to Russian weapons sales.
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05/29/2013
MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors are going on round-the-clock duty in northern Russia as part of a snap combat readiness check of the nation's aerospace defense capabilities, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The fighters, “in conjunction with A-50 airborne warning and control system aircraft, are performing continuous missions to protect the airspace, including from cruise missile strikes,” the ministry said in a statement. The aircraft are to be refueled while still in the air.
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05/29/2013
Russia’s delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Syria is a restraining factor against possible foreign interference in the Syrian conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday. “We believe such steps are to a great extent restraining some ‘hot heads’ from considering scenarios in which the conflict may assume an international scale with the participation of outside forces,” Ryabkov said.
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05/29/2013
Selex ES, a Finmeccanica company, will provide provide the Praetorian electronic warfare self protection system for an undisclosed Arabian Typhoon customer. The company announced today that it has completed deliveries of the Praetorian system for Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoons. All 236 Tranche 2 Typhoons operated by the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain will be equipped with electronic support measures, electronic countermeasures and missile approach warning elements.
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05/28/2013
Japan is close to signing an agreement to supply amphibious planes to India, a report said yesterday, in what would be the first sale of hardware used by the military since a weapons export ban was imposed. During a four-day visit to Tokyo by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the two sides are set firm up plans for Delhi to purchase the US-2, a domestically-developed aircraft used by Japan’s armed forces.
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05/28/2013
U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman said on Monday they remain fully committed to the development of the Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft system of record, and the critical capabilities the system will provide the German armed forces and its allies, responding to recent media reports that highlighted a series of challenges in the program.
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05/28/2013
John McCain slipped across the Syrian border and met with rebels, according to the Daily Beast. He met with Gen. Salem Idris, the leader of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army, and with dozens of other leaders, CBS reports. He was in Syria for several hours and brought two security guards with him.
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05/28/2013
On May 11th Israel crashed a Heron UAV with engine trouble into the sea, before it could crash in a populated area. The next day all Heron 1s were grounded until it could be determined what the problem was and if it was common to all Heron 1s. About a hundred Heron 1s are in service or on order. The largest user is India, followed by Israel. The 1.2 ton Heron UAV can stay in the air for 30 hours or more and has a payload of 250 kg (550 pounds).
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05/28/2013
I always think of that scene in Apollo 13: “We need to make this… fit into this… using this.” It’s a frustration that’s central to the whole film: how could we be able to send human beings all the way to the Moon and still be foiled by something as simple as the shape of a valve? More to the point, how could we send a rover all the way to Mars, and still worry about something as banal as a broken wheel or a bent rod?
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05/28/2013
The “World Famous Rocketeers” were flying high two months ago. The Air Force fighter squadron had returned safely with its F-15E Strike Eagles and aircraft crews from a six-month Middle East deployment, and in March the entire wing passed a readiness evaluation with an unusually high rating.
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05/28/2013
Designs for many of the nation’s most sensitive advanced weapons systems have been compromised by Chinese hackers, according to a report prepared for the Pentagon and to officials from government and the defense industry. Among more than two dozen major weapons systems whose designs were breached were programs critical to U.S. missile defenses and combat aircraft and ships.
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05/28/2013
Russia's Defense Minister ordered a snap combat readiness check of the nation's Aerospace Defense and long range and military transport aviation units on Monday, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov said. The alert exercise, part of a series of random checks of the Russian Armed Forces which began in February, also involved Air Force and Air Defense Forces units from the Western Military District, Gerasimov said during a teleconference.
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05/28/2013
In last year's National Defense Authorization Act, the US Congress instructed the Pentagon to commission an independent assessment of the overseas basing presence of US military forces. Last month, a team from RAND released the conclusions of that report.
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05/28/2013
When the Air Force grounded 17 combat squadrons in response to the harsh budget mandate known as the sequester, was it expecting an outcry that never came? Did someone on the Air Staff think public outrage would force Congress to act? That’s exactly what happened when the Federal Aviation Administration reacted to the sequester by threatening to shutter control towers at 149 airports — something it never really intended to do.
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05/28/2013
After fighting two wars in nearly 12 years, the United States military is at a turning point. So are the American people. The armed forces must rethink their mission. Though the nation has entered an era of fiscal constraint, and though President Obama last week effectively declared an end to the “global war on terror” that began on Sept. 11, 2001.
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05/28/2013
Defence Minister AK Antony on Monday will inaugurate an airbase here to house squadron of IAFs lethal Su-30 MKI combat aircraft, making it the first fighter squadron in south India that will help maintain vigil over the Indian Ocean region.
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05/28/2013
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are preparing to take part in a large-scale international exercise, Saber Strike, to take place in early June, the Estonian TV reported on Sunday. Saber Strike is a USAREUR-led theater security cooperation exercise to be conducted in the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on June 3-14.
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05/26/2013
Taiwan faces tough choices over future defense decisions as China’s air defense network continues to grow beyond its shores. At present, China’s land-based mobile air defense missile systems, HQ-9 and S-300, can reach only a small sliver of northwestern Taiwan. Though a clear advantage during a war over control of the middle line of the Taiwan Strait, it is not complete air dominance of the island itself.
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05/26/2013
South Korea has ordered another 40 of the locally made FA-50 fighter-bombers for $25.5 million each. Two years ago the South Korean Air Force ordered the first twenty (for $30 million each), and the first of these is to arrive in three months with the last of that first order arriving within three years.
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05/26/2013
Expanding its combat assets by inducting several new platforms including nuclear submarines, fighter planes and aircraft carriers, the Navy has decided to almost double the size of its manpower in next 15 years. The Navy has also decided to give B.Tech degrees to its officers to handle the high end technology being inducted into the force and the first batch of its officers with these degrees will pass out from the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Kerala tomorrow.
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05/26/2013
U.S. President Barack Obama promised on Thursday to end the perpetual war on terror that began on Sept. 11, 2001. To achieve that will require luck, great statesmanship, a soft touch that has not been a U.S. strength lately and a rejigging of the budget to put more money and effort into diplomacy, foreign aid and the training of foreign armies and less into the combat wings of the military and the CIA.
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05/26/2013
Estonia completed on Saturday large-scale military drills, which began on May 9 and involved some 5,000 military personnel, including from NATO allies, the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces said. The Spring Storm (Kevadtorm) drills have been held annually in different parts of Estonia since 2003. This year they were held in northern and central Estonia and involved for the first time units from the UK, Belgium and Poland as well as the Estonian navy.
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05/25/2013
Two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled as the flight from Pakistan, with 297 passengers on board, was diverted to Stansted airport. A British man was arrested today on the tarmac over an alleged bomb threat on a flight bound for Manchester. Two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled as the flight from Pakistan, with 297 passengers on board, was diverted to Stansted airport in Essex after two men reportedly tried to enter the pilot’s cabin.
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05/25/2013
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has issued a contract for the modernization of the Navy’s fleet of Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft. The Novella mission system will be installed in an unspecified but “large” number of aircraft serving in the Northern Fleet, making them Il-38Ns. Of the 59 aircraft produced between 1967 and 1972, some 18 are currently in operation.
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05/25/2013
The F-35 Integrated Test Force is wrapping up a series of night flights, which are testing the aircraft's capability when flying in instrument meteorological conditions. It is a necessary step in delivering a core competency to the warfighter - the ability to fly the jet safely when there are no external visibility references for the pilot.
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05/25/2013
Ahead of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the beginning of Russia’s military and technical cooperation with foreign countries, Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Viktor Komardin speaks about India’s role in this cooperation and export of defence products to other countries.
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05/25/2013
Sequestration has hit the Air Force particularly hard, impacting its force structure, readiness and modernization, senior Air Force leaders said here today. Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the chief of staff, said Congress must provide a solid budget number so the Air Force can ground its planning in reality. The Air Force understands it must do its part to work through the debt and deficit reduction problem, Welsh said.
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05/25/2013
It's a rule of thumb in Middle East conflicts that whenever peace talks are announced, each side steps up the fighting so it can grab as much territory as possible before the cease-fire lines are drawn. This struggle for position is happening now in Syria, in the run-up to planned negotiations in Geneva next month that will be co-sponsored by the United States and Russia.
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05/25/2013
After a year-long delay, the Airbus Military A330MRTT has gained its “release to service” as a tanker in the UK, allowing the Royal Air Force (RAF) to start operational refueling. The service had been obliged to extend the service life of its aging VC10 and TriStar tankers in the meantime. The recent deployment of RAF Eurofighter Typhoons to Malaysia relied on Italian Air Force Boeing KC-767s to refuel the aircraft en route.
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05/25/2013
The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the Beriev Aircraft Company for the purchase of six Beriev Be-200 amphibious planes, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said on Friday. “The contract is worth 8.4 billion rubles [$268 million],” UAC said in a statement. “The first two planes will be basic Be-200ChS models, while the following four will be the Be-200PS version without firefighting equipment,” the statement said.
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05/24/2013
The U.S. Navy's long awaited MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone took its first flight yesterday in Palmdale, California. A Navy press release, delivered yesterday, points out that with 360-degree scanning capability and an Automatic Identification System — meaning it can classify different types of ships by itself — the MQ-4C will be the main Naval spying drone at sea from 2015 onwards.
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05/24/2013
It may be high-tech but it's also flawed – for better or worse, the US' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is here to stay. Today, David Axe walks us through the developmental problems that have plagued this troubled aircraft from the start.
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05/24/2013
The F-35 Integrated Test Force is wrapping up a series of night flights, which are testing the aircraft's capability when flying in instrument meteorological conditions. It is a necessary step in delivering a core competency to the warfighter - the ability to fly the jet safely when there are no external visibility references for the pilot.
(Read More...)
05/24/2013
A United Nations human rights investigator has called for all states to declare a moratorium to prevent so-called “killer robots” being deployed on the battlefield. Christof Heyns, UN special rapporteur on executions, said that unmanned robotic weapons systems with varying degrees of autonomy and deadliness were being tested or used by the United States, Britain and Israel without debate on moral and legal issues.
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05/24/2013
The Indian Air Force will be operating its fleet of about 120 MiG-21Bis fighters until 2019, that is, two years later than they were originally scheduled to be decommissioned, said Norman Anil Kumar Browne, Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. The decision by the Indian Air Force is due to the delay in the commissioning of India’s own HAL Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) and the purchase of 126 French Rafale fighters.
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05/24/2013
Numerous countries are interested in obtaining a fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China, said a senior officer of the Pakistan air force. "We've been receiving inquiries and expressions of interest on the JF-17 Thunder from many countries in the Middle East, Africa and even as far as South America," Air Marshal Sohail Gul Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, told China Daily on Thursday.
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05/24/2013
In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy on Thursday, President Barack Obama defended his administration's use of drones to kill terrorists abroad, and in a nod to concerns, outlined plans to limit the use of such strikes. As described in a White House statement, the key elements of the president's policy for the use of force in counterterrorism operations outside the United States and outside a war zone are as follows:
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05/24/2013
The European Aerospace Defense and Space Company (EADS) on Thursday offered to invest US$2 billion in South Korea's long-delayed fighter jet development project if it wins Seoul's jet procurement deal. The multinational defense firm made the offer as its Eurofighter Tranche 3 has been competing with Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet and Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle for the 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion) contract to replace the South Korean Air Force's aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s.
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05/24/2013
Australia may save millions on state-of-the-art combat aircraft after defence company Lockheed Martin trumpeted the first-ever fall in the cost of the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Lockheed Martin revealed a $US4.5 billion ($4.6bn) reduction in costs in 2012 in an update report to US congress.
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05/24/2013
The news for the May 23 flight of Turkish combat aircraft over Agathonisi does not mainly focus on the fact that the aircraft possibly recorded and photographed the establishments on the island, but on the fact that for some reason the two Turkish RF-4 and the two F-16 that accompanied them stayed in the FIR (Flight Information Region) of Athens and in Greece’s national airspace for 40 minutes.
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05/23/2013
The drawdown of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus tightening budgets, are driving members of the aviation community toward new ways to develop and maintain perishable skills. That doesn’t just mean pilots; those who choreograph aircraft in the sky are also turning to simulators and contracted trainers.
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05/23/2013
Yemen’s president Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and the commander of the country’s Air Force, Brigadier Rashid Al-Janad, have responded to recent crashes of military aircraft in Yemen by saying that “bad people” were behind the incidents, as well as the assassination of Yemeni pilots.
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05/23/2013
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday he had given a "wish list" of military equipment to India during a visit this week, presenting a conundrum for New Delhi as it weighs whether arming the Afghan army is in its interests. India wants to stabilise Afghanistan and is concerned about the resurgence of militant groups after foreign combat troops leave in 2014.
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05/23/2013
If anyone wanted to see evidence of the US Navy’s steps toward rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific last week, it was right there in haze gray. At the biennial International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX) in Singapore, the littoral combat ship Freedom was open to visitors.
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05/23/2013
South Korea will deploy 200 indigenous Surion light utility helicopters by 2020 to replace its aging fleet of choppers, the Army said Wednesday. The Defense Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA) launched a project to build a two-engine transport utility helicopter in 2006 to replace the Army's UH-1H attack helicopters and 500MD light helicopters, which have been in service for decades.
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05/23/2013
TOP 10 FASTEST AIRCRAFT IN THE WORLD. Got the need for speed? Whether you’re looking for an adrenalin rush or just a faster way to travel from point A – B, check out the following aircrafts that move faster than the speed of sound.
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05/23/2013
International Training and Education Conference (ITEC), an annual forum geared towards to the military, industrial and academic world, will be held, for the first time, in Rome, Italy, from May 22-24, 2013. The conference is designed to foster relationships between participants and allow them to share knowledge in the simulation, education and training fields.
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05/23/2013
Another Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130J Super Hercules (Lockheed Martin aircraft number 5724) was ferried to the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, today. Brig. Gen. Scott Goodwin, director of Operations, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., flew the aircraft to Dyess AFB. Goodwin is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in four types of aircraft, including the C-130 Hercules.
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05/23/2013
India test-launched a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Russian-built guided missile frigate Tarkash off the coast of Goa on Wednesday, a defense ministry source told RIA Novosti. “The missile performed a maneuver in the pre-determined flight path and successfully hit the target,” the source said.
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05/22/2013
China's all-weather fighter base in Tibet is now widening its range of options in the event of a conflict with India. Intelligence intercepts and satellite monitoring has confirmed that China may have to some extent overcome Tibet's extreme altitude and temperatures to operationalise an all-weather airfield near the Tibetan capital Lhasa.
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05/22/2013
The newest Russian attack helicopters Ka-52 Alligator, Mi-28NE Night Hunter, surface-to-air missile system S-300V Antey-2500 and the combat vehicle tanks BMPT Terminator were presented at the Russian exposition in the Istanbul International exhibition of arms and military equipment IDEF-2013.
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05/22/2013
Singapore has ordered another 20 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder and 100 AIM-120C7 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for its 98 American F-15 and F-16 fighters. The AIM-9X-2 is the latest version of the Sidewinder, a missile that has come a long way since it first appeared in the 1950s. The 9X-2 can lock-on-after-launch. That is, the missile can be fired and then directed to a target via a datalink.
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05/22/2013
The Indonesian Military (TNI) is conducting a large-scale war game codenamed “Wibawa Yudha II” from May 6-29. The military drill involves tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of military vehicles, dozens of warships and planes.
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05/22/2013
An “augmented reality” flight helmet for Britain’s new F-35 fighter allowing the pilot to see 360 degrees has “significant technical deficiencies” which have forced designers back to the drawing board.
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05/22/2013
President Barack Obama’s administration has decided to give the Pentagon control of some drone operations against terrorism suspects overseas that are currently run by the CIA, several US government sources said on Monday. Obama has pledged more transparency on controversial counterterrorism programs, and giving the Pentagon the responsibility for part of the drone program could open it to greater congressional oversight.
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05/22/2013
Iraq's Central Criminal Court has resumed an investigation into officials suspected of corruption in a $4.2 billion deal to purchase Russian weapons, the head of the Iraqi Parliament's Integrity Committee, Bahaa al-Araji, said on Tuesday. "The investigation will go ahead. The witnesses and suspects will give evidence, and Defense Ministry experts will evaluate the possible damage," he said.
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05/22/2013
Russia is developing an advanced target simulation system for its air defense units based on the short-range Pantsyr system, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The new system "can launch up to 12 targets in one salvo simulating cruise missiles or multiple rocket launcher rounds," the ministry said. A prototype of the new simulator has been tested jointly with the Air Force’s antiaircraft units at the Ashuluk test site in the Volga area of Astrakhan, the Defense Ministry said.
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05/21/2013
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft system without an on board human pilot. They are remotely or autonomously operated transportation platforms. Combined with a ground station or integrated with other elements, a UAV becomes an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) which can be advanced enough to take off, fly, and land by itself. UAVs can provide many services and there is a growing interest in using them for commercial applications.
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05/21/2013
Airmen from the 1st Combat Communications Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, set up the Army Navy/Mobile, Special Type, Navigation Aid, AN/MSN-7, a mobile air traffic control tower, for the first time on Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, May 14.
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05/21/2013
President Barack Obama's administration has decided to give the Pentagon control of some drone operations against terrorism suspects overseas that are currently run by the CIA, several U.S. government sources said on Monday. Obama has pledged more transparency on controversial counterterrorism programs, and giving the Pentagon the responsibility for part of the drone program could open it to greater congressional oversight.
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05/21/2013
Mirage 2000-5 - Multirole single engine combat aircraft, Operational as single-seater and two seater. A Taiwanese fighter jet ploughed into the sea off the island's north coast on Monday, the air force's second crash in less than a week, military officials said.
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05/21/2013
We focused on naval aviation a lot last week, from the news about the U.S. Navy launching its X-47B stealth drone off an aircraft carrier to talking about China and India's commissioning of brand new carrier-borne fighter squadrons. To wrap things up, we thought we'd show you (above) what's likely China's major training facility for its new carrier-aviation force.
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05/21/2013
Swedish manufacturer Saab is upgrading its bid for Brazil's long-delayed FX-2 jet fighter purchase plan, even as it weighs challenges from formidable rivals Boeing and France's Dassault. Saab is one of the three leading contenders for Brazil's jet fighter replacement program, said to be worth $6 billion-8 billion but wants to make sure its jet will compete successfully for roles in both the Brazilian air force and navy.
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05/21/2013
A Lockheed Martin F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) Lightning II test aircraft recently completed the first-ever Vertical Takeoff (VTO) on May 10. VTOs are one of the many capabilities required for the fielding an F-35B aircraft. While not a combat capability, VTOs are required for repositioning of the STOVL in environments where a jet could not perform a short takeoff. In these cases, the jet, with a limited amount of fuel, would execute a VTO to travel a short distance.
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05/21/2013
Russia and Peru will sign a contract to upgrade Lima's fleet of Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters by the end of May, Konstantin Biryulin, deputy head of Russia’s Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service, said on Monday. Belarus sold around twenty of the fighter jets to Peru in 1997. According to defenseindustrydaily.com, Peru signed a contract in 2008 for Russia's UAC MiG to upgrade eight of the original MiG-29S standard aircraft to MiG-29SMT standard. That work was completed in 2012.
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05/21/2013
Military inspectors from the United States and Italy will carry out observation flights over Russian territory this week under the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday. The experts will fly over Russia on May 20-24 on board an Italian Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft, and will use surveillance equipment certified internationally and approved by the Russian side, the ministry said.
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05/21/2013
Russia is ready to develop jointly with Turkey a long-range air defense complex based on S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, state arms seller Rosoboronexport head Sergei Ladygin said on Sunday. Turkey launched a tender for the purchase of long-range air defense systems long ago but no winner has been announced to this day.
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05/20/2013
Two systems. One, the S-300, is an advanced version of the air-defense system originally designed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and further developed in the 1990s. The S-300 has several advantages over the older Soviet-era anti-air batteries Syria already uses. First, the range of its radar and missiles allows it to hit targets at ranges of up to 200 kilometers.
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05/20/2013
Almost four years after the MV-22 Osprey arrived in Afghanistan, trailing its reputation as being dangerous and hard to maintain, the U.S. Marine Corps finally has had an opportunity to test the controversial hybrid aircraft in real war conditions. The reviews are startlingly positive. “This is an ugly duckling that turned into a swan,” said Richard Whittle, the author of a book about the craft and a senior scholar at the Wilson Center, a research center in Washington.
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05/20/2013
Hamid Karzai has let the Pentagon’s cat out of the bag — to the displeasure of the Obama Administration. The Afghan president revealed inside information about President Obama’s war plans after all U.S. “combat troops” completely withdraw in 17 months at the end of 2014.
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05/20/2013
The U.S. Navy’s first Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) designed to fly from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier entered the public consciousness in June, 2012 as a UFO sighting as it traveled from Edwards AFB to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Not quite a year later and within 72 hours time, the UCAS-D provided a glimpse of what the future might be for Naval Aviation.
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05/20/2013
This March 10, 2010 photo released by the U.S. Navy shows Afghan commandos practicing a quick disembark from and MI-17 transport helicopter during static drills prior to an air assault into the outer regions of Kabul, Afghanistan. The air assault was the second mission coordinated through the Afghan National Air Corps with the commandos, but the first combined assault with the American CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Photo: MC2 David Quillen, U.S. Navy.
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05/20/2013
Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Garretson is the Division Chief for Air Force Irregular Warfare Strategy, Plans and Policy (and previously the Chief of Future Science and Technology Exploration for Air Force Strategic Planning). Recently he published a paper titled A Range-Balanced Force, An Alternate Force Structure Adapted to New Defense Priorities. The topic on hand was, you guessed it, RPAs and UAVs.
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05/19/2013
A suspected U.S. drone strike killed four al-Qaida militants Saturday in a southern Yemeni province once overrun by the group, according to security officials. The officials said the attack took place around dawn in an area called Deyqa in Abyan province. Officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to brief the media.
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05/19/2013
Yemen's air force has been the target of "sabotage", the country's military aviation chief said in a televised interview, days after a fighter jet crashed in the capital Sanaa. "The air force is the target of systematic sabotage," General Rashed al-Janad told the private channel Al-Saida in the interview broadcast late on Friday. He said the Sukhoi SU-22 that crashed in Sanaa last Monday, killing the pilot, was caused by "shots hitting the aircraft" as it prepared to land at a base next to the c
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05/19/2013
China’s first jet-powered stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Lijian or “Sharp Sword,” was recently spotted undergoing taxiing tests in China, AIN reports. The Lijian prototype rolled off the assembly line late last year after three years’ joint development by Hongdu Aviation Industry and Shenyang Aircraft , subsidiaries of the state-owned China Aviation Industry (Avic).
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05/19/2013
Determined to stamp out arms and drug trafficking as well as stop illegal immigrants from entering the country, Libyan air force jets have continued to conduct air surveillance along the nation's southern and eastern borders, Yusuf al-Takouss, spokesman for the Air Force, told journalists Friday. 'The Mig 21 combat planes and other types of aircraft involved in the campaign took off from the military airport in Sheba (south) to monitor border movements,' he said .
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05/19/2013
The Navy’s unmanned X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) made it’s first touch-and-go landings on an aircraft carrier on the USS George H.W. Bush on Friday.
Don Blottenberger, UCAS-D Deputy Program manager, commented, “This landing, rubber hitting deck, is extremely fulfilling for the team and is the culmination of years of relative navigation development. Now, we are set to demonstrate the final pieces of the demonstration.”
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05/19/2013
France has again cut the number of Rafale jet fighters it will buy, from 234 to 225. Originally, France planned to buy 294 Rafales but only 200 have actually been ordered so far and about 120 delivered. Four have been lost due to accidents. Seven years ago the French Air Force activated its first squadron of Rafale fighters.
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05/19/2013
Russia will actively seek new deals on the Latin American arms market, which it expects to reach a value of $50 billion in the next ten years, the head of a Russian Technologies (Rostec) high-tech state corporation delegation said on Saturday.
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05/19/2013
A group of Russian military observers will carry out two inspection missions over the United States under the Open Skies Treaty between May 19 and June 3, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Russian inspectors, accompanied by U.S. officials, will be flying on board a Tupolev Tu-154 LK-1 plane from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and the Travis Air Force Base in California.
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05/18/2013
Airbus SAS plans to use next month’s Paris air show to bolster export prospects for its A400 military cargo plane as it rushes to meet a mid-year deadline to deliver the first model to the French air force. “Le Bourget is going to be a break-out point for exports,” Domingo Urena-Raso, the Airbus Military chief executive officer, said in an interview, referring to the airport north of Paris where the aerospace industry will gather starting June 17.
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05/18/2013
France expects the US will soon approve the speedy shipment of two Reaper surveillance drones after sending a formal request in early May, American and French sources said. French acquisition of the first batch of unarmed General Atomics Reapers seals a long-running, politically charged debate on what type of aircraft the Air Force will use to fill a capability gap in medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft.
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05/18/2013
The New Zealand Ministry of Defence only just finished awarding a $120-million contract to buy 10 SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite anti-submarine/anti-surface warfare helicopters from Kaman Corporation a week ago, but already the MoD is busy planning out its next series of acquisitions.
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05/18/2013
The Pentagon is seeking congressional approval to shift about $9.6 billion in this year’s defense budget to priority projects, mostly to pay for greater-than-expected Afghanistan war and transportation costs.The largest single request is to move $1.3 billion into Army operations and maintenance “to support funding shortfalls for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan operations,” according to budget documents sent to Congress today.
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05/18/2013
During fiscal year 2013, the Defense Department was funded by temporary measures, or continuing resolutions, that put a huge crimp on operations and maintenance spending. The stopgap measure set O&M budgets at the same level as 2012, and created a funding crunch for the military services as the cost of operations increased and appropriations were delayed.
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05/18/2013
The last four A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft from the 81st Fighter Squadron left Spangdahlem May 17, 2013. Twenty-one aircraft relocated to the United States over the past few months due to the deliberate and comprehensive restructure planned by the U.S. Air Force that has lead to the inactivation of the 81st in June. The loss of A-10s is a significant event for the United States here in Europe.
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05/18/2013
The world airspeed record was smashed on this day in 1958 after a U.S. Starfighter aircraft hit an astonishing 1,404mph – marking a golden age in aircraft feats. The supersonic jet stunned the world – and especially America’s Cold War rivals – by becoming the first combat aircraft to travel at twice the speed of sound. It flew 196mph quicker than the previous fastest airspeed, set by a McDonnell F-101A Voodoo just six months earlier.
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05/17/2013
In the heady world of military procurement, the difference between an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and an F-18E/F Super Hornet is a matter of degree of performance: both could arguably do the job Canada needs in the air. But for ships, the matter is far more conclusive: you either build the ships you have to have, or you do not.
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05/17/2013
Nigerian soldiers have begun an offensive against Boko Haram Islamists, raiding camps in a remote northeastern park, while more than 2,000 troops have been deployed to retake territory seized by the insurgents, a military source told AFP Thursday. “Our men raided some terrorist camps in the Sambisa Game Reserve,” in Borno State, said the senior officer who requested anonymity.
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05/17/2013
The United States is sending a force of 200 Marines supported by two aircraft to Italy as a precaution against unrest in Libya. The force would deploy in case of an attack similar to the one on the US consulate in Benghazi last year. On Wednesday Italy’s Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said that the Marines were being transferred to Sigonella air base in Sicily. "It is taking place in accordance with bilateral agreements," Bonino told a joint session of the House and Senate foreign commissions.
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05/17/2013
In China, government controlled media recently carried comments by a senior admiral in which the construction of a second carrier (as rumored, in a yard near Shanghai) was denied, but it was confirmed that a second, larger carrier was in the planning stage. It would make sense that as much experience as possible be gained from the first carrier (the Liaoning) first before finalizing the design of the second one.
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05/17/2013
The Czech Republic is hoping to sell its L-159 Alca fighter aircraft to Poland, just months after an expected deal with Iraq apparently fell through. Prime Minister Petr Necas announced May 13 the Czech Republic was taking part in a tender that could result in the sale of the aircraft to Poland.
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05/17/2013
Five years after it walked away from a US Navy program to provide unmanned surveillance aircraft for Australia, the government has asked the US for renewed access to the technology.
Giant American defence company Northrop Grumman has developed the MQ-4C Triton drone for large-scale maritime patrol tasks. It is the latest version of the Global Hawk that the Howard Government was involved with during the late 1990s.
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05/17/2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the furlough of 680,000 civilian employees for one day a week, from early July through September, to avoid taking deeper cuts in training and maintenance, which could have degraded readiness to the point of threatening "core missions," he said.The Department of Defense furlough plan will cut work hours and pay of most civilian employees by 20 percent for up to 11 weeks to save $1.8 billion.
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05/17/2013
he latest in a series of Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A high angle of attack (AOA) testing was recently completed. The testing accomplished high AOA beyond both the positive and negative maximum command limits, including intentionally putting the aircraft out of control in several configurations. This included initially flying in the stealth clean wing configuration.
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05/17/2013
Russia will deliver 12 Mil Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters to the Afghanistan Armed Forces by the end of 2013, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Thursday. The helicopters were options in a $367.5 million deal Rosoboronexport signed with the Pentagon in May 2011 for delivery of 21 Mi-17V5s. According to US officials, the deal could be worth up to $900 million including spares and servicing.
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05/16/2013
Drones are everywhere. They are blasting suspected al-Qaida militants in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. They are menacing China. They are being shot down in Israel. They are hovering outside of homes in America and spying on their residents. And they are forcing us to rethink some basic legal principles—for good reason, because drones are making the old ones obsolete.
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05/16/2013
Back in February the African country of Niger received its first jet combat aircraft in the form of two Su-25s. These were received from Ukraine, which has a lot of Cold War surplus weapons, and refurbished these two ground attack aircraft. It is believed that Ukraine also supplied pilots and ground crews, at least until some Niger personnel could be trained to do the work.
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05/16/2013
The Pentagon’s top weapons buyer is backing calls to restore a valve on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet that improves the fighter’s chances to survive a hit from a high-explosive round. Adding an improved valve “would result in the aircraft being fully compliant” with its operational requirements, Frank Kendall, the undersecretary for acquisition, wrote a lawmaker last month in a previously undisclosed letter.
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05/16/2013
Behind the gates of Hurlburt Field, Special Operations troops train for dangerous missions in enemy territory. Wednesday they offered a rare glimpse into their world, showcasing some of the planes they fly in combat. This is a CV-22 Osprey, it's one of several Hurlburt Field aircraft you'll see in our local skies, especially as night is falling. "Benefits of the Osprey are you can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter, which no other aircraft can do," said Captain Jonathan Appleby.
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05/16/2013
The Air Force Special Operations Command’s fleet of more than 200 customized C-130 cargo planes will shrink by more than half in the coming years. Shedding older aircraft will allow AFSOC to save money on maintenance and to spend more on high-tech weaponry and sensors for its future fleet, said Maj. Gen. Kenneth D. Merchant, director of global reach programs at the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.
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05/16/2013
Bell Helicopter is participating in the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC), held May 14 to 16 in Tampa, Fla. Bell Helicopter will feature an armed Bell 407 on static display, its first commercially qualified armed helicopter, a CV-22 model and 3-D interactive programs demonstrating the capabilities of the V-22 Osprey and Bell V-280 Valor.
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05/16/2013
Minister of Defense Purnomo Yusgiantoro on Wednesday denied reports that a cooperation project between South Korea and Indonesia to develop the Korean Fighter Experiment (KFX) combat airplane was canceled, saying that it was merely put on hold until the new government in South Korea was settled.
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05/16/2013
The first Boeing [NYSE: BA] P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft arrived today, on schedule, at India Naval Station Rajali. The P-8I is one of eight aircraft Boeing is building for India as part of a contract awarded in 2009.
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05/16/2013
The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has been put in a dry dock at Russia’s Sevmash shipyard for “cosmetic” repairs ahead of final sea trials and delivery to the Indian navy later this year, the company said. “The work is underway to repaint the hull under the waterline,” said Sergey Novoselov, head of defense export projects at Sevmash.
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05/15/2013
The pilot of a Turkish F-16 fighter jet has been found dead after the aircraft crashed near the Syrian border, the military said late Monday, without providing details of the plane’s mission, VoR Reported. “The debris of the jet and the pilot’s body have been recovered,” according to a military statement published online.
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05/15/2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday confirmed a Pentagon plan to reduce the number of civilian furlough days this year from 14 to 11. Sharp budget cuts are forcing the department to require most civilians to take unpaid leave one day a week for 11 weeks, beginning July 8, Hagel said during a town hall meeting at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. As he came to his decision, Hagel said, he kept in mind the department’s core missions to ensure military readiness and protect the country.
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05/15/2013
Beechcraft Defense Co. has received a $210 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce 35 T-6 training aircraft. Although the contract was issued by the Air Force, 33 of the planes are for the U.S. Navy and two for the U.S. Army. Production begins this month and final delivery of aircraft is expected in early 2015. Beechcraft said the deal, under the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System procurement program, includes an option for two additional aircraft.
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05/15/2013
The Czech Republic participates in a Polish tender for training planes with the aim to deliver the L-159 aircraft to Poland, Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas told CTK in Warsaw Monday.
Necas Monday met his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and they discussed the extension of both countries' cooperation in the economy, energy industry and defence.
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05/15/2013
The first pilotless flight over British airspace has been successfully completed. Aerospace company BAE Systems flew a Jetstream 31 - dubbed the "flying test bed" - from Warton near Preston in Lancashire to Inverness in Scotland. Strictly speaking, the flight was not unmanned -- two pilots were in the cockpit as a precaution.
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05/15/2013
Over the past decade, India has invested heavily in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. Recognizing India’s significant economic and development contributions, the United States has called on New Delhi to play an important role in the new Silk Road initiative aimed at transforming Afghanistan into a regional trade hub.
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05/15/2013
he X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) completed its first ever carrier-based catapult launch from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia today. “Today we saw a small, but significant pixel in the future picture of our Navy as we begin integration of unmanned systems into arguably the most complex warfighting environment that exists today: the flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
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05/15/2013
The worldwide community of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130J Super Hercules operators recently surpassed a landmark 1 million flight hours milestone, logging this time through numerous combat, special operations and humanitarian missions.
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05/15/2013
If fresh media reports are true, Russia, Syria’s longtime supplier of military equipment, may soon provide Damascus – or already has – with advanced S-300 air defense systems, tipping the balance in the devastating 26-month conflict in the Middle Eastern country. But the “if” is a big one.
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05/15/2013
Egypt is likely to become the first export customer for Turkey's Anka UAV - with more orders from the Middle East to follow, manufacturer TAI said. Anka - A medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) design received its certification from the Turkish authorities at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul. The name means Phoenix in English.
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05/14/2013
The pilot of a Turkish F-16 fighter jet has been found dead after the aircraft crashed near Turkey's border with Syria, reports say. The plane was flying over the Amanos Mountains in the southern province of Osmaniye on Monday when it lost radio contact, Anatolia news agency said. The pilot reportedly sent a message saying "I'm jumping" before contact was lost. Rescuers found his body near to the wreckage of the aircraft.
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05/14/2013
On April 29, at Blair House, Arab League ministers led by Qatar's Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani reiterated their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, including a (by now, familiar) proposed finesse, that the 1967 border might be adjusted with land swaps to accommodate the large settlement blocs. Three days later, on May 1 (and again on May 3), Israeli aircraft attacked an apparent cache of Hezbollah-bound Iranian weapons near Damascus.
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05/14/2013
The scope of United States (U.S.) military assistance to Nigeria and the U.S. new policy of using regional bloc leadership in solving crisis in Africa may be part of the reasons why the May 2, 2013 policy announced to civil rights activities in Abuja by U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terence P. McCulley on withdrawal of military cooperation with Nigeria was shelved.
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05/14/2013
The Department of Defense awarded Northrop Grumman a $555.6 million contract for modernization of the Global Hawk drone system on Monday. The contract, designated as being for "indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity" (IDIQ), does not necessarily mean that Northrop will collect the full amount of the ceiling value, although it very well might.
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05/14/2013
The Pentagon’s top weapons buyer is backing calls to restore a valve on Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35 jet that improves the fighter’s chances to survive a hit from a high-explosive round. “The addition of an improved” valve “would result in the aircraft being fully compliant” with its operational requirements, Frank Kendall, the under secretary for acquisition, wrote a lawmaker last month in a previously undisclosed letter.
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05/14/2013
No other country in the world has a site like the Woomera Prohibited Area, a 127,000sq km zone in northern South Australia where our defence force can test bombs and undertake rocket research. It is free from the noise of mobile phones, televisions and radios meaning it is one of the world's best sites to test electronic warfare and cyber-space simulation.
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05/14/2013
No one disputes the fact that Canada needs to procure new fighters, but that’s where universal agreement ends. Several aircraft types are competing to be Canada’s next fighter jet. In this ongoing series, defence analyst Richard Shimooka examines the pros and cons of each contender. In this installment: the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Saab Gripen.
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05/14/2013
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company announced that Roderick “Rod” McLean has been selected vice president and general manager of the F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group (IFG). Michael Cawood has been selected to serve as vice president and deputy for IFG. Both appointments are effective immediately
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05/14/2013
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have successfully tested a prototype air-launched Extended Medium-range Ballistic Missile (eMRBM) target at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
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05/14/2013
Lockheed Martin announced the redesign of www.F35.com, the official website of the F-35 Lightning II. The new design features enhanced functionality and compatibility with a variety of mobile devices while providing users the most up-to-date information on the F-35 program.
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05/13/2013
China has formed its first aircraft carrier-borne aviation strike force, significantly enhancing the navy's blue-water capability, amid maritime territorial disputes with neighbours including Japan and Vietnam. "A carrier-borne aviation force has been formally established as part of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy," the state-media reported.
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05/13/2013
Israel’s military grounded a fleet of high-altitude surveillance drones on Sunday after one was downed over the Mediterranean Sea. The military said it intentionally crashed the unmanned aircraft late Saturday because of a malfunction. The IAF Heron-1 UAV was downed by the air force after its controllers discovered an engine failure. The failure was discovered during a routine flight over the Mediterranean, off the coast of Netanya.
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05/13/2013
Almost four years after the MV-22 Osprey arrived in Afghanistan, trailing a reputation as dangerous and hard to maintain, the U.S. Marines Corps finally has had an opportunity to test the controversial hybrid aircraft in real war conditions. The reviews are startlingly positive. The unusual aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but turns its rotors to fly like an airplane, are being used for everything from freight to hundreds of assaults.
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05/13/2013
After deliberating for nearly a decade South Korea has finally agreed to purchase 36 U.S. AH-64E Apache helicopter gunships. A lot of the opposition was because of price. So five years ago the U.S. offered South Korea 36 refurbished AH-64s, rebuilt to like-new condition, for about $23 million each. That was a nearly 60 percent discount off the then current price of new ones. These helicopters would have a useful life of about 10,000 hours in the air.
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05/13/2013
This week the Navy will launch an entirely autonomous combat drone — without a pilot on a joystick anywhere — off the deck of an aircraft carrier, the George H. W. Bush. The drone will then try to land aboard the same ship, a feat only a relatively few human pilots in the world can accomplish. This exercise is the beginning of a new chapter in military history: autonomous drone warfare.
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05/13/2013
Even as the western and eastern fronts with Pakistan and China are bolstered with additional Sukhoi-30MKI squadrons, India has also kick-started plans to base its most lethal "air dominance'' fighter in south India to keep a "strategic eye'' over Indian Ocean.
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05/13/2013
North Korea has decried “blackmail” and “provocation” in the arrival of the US aircraft carrier group Nimitz to its southern neighbor. The warships will take part in joint exercises with South Korea, as tensions in the peninsula run high.
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05/13/2013
Dassault Aviation, the French maker of Rafale fighter jet which is in exclusive negotiations with the Indian ministry of defence for the $12 billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender is facing rough weather at home. In the latest strategic defence review carried out under the insistence of the French government, last month, France has capped the purchase of Rafale fighter jets to 225.
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05/13/2013
Russian military inspectors will make a surveillance flight over the territory of Bulgaria under the international Open Skies Treaty within a period starting Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported. Russian experts will conduct the inspection flight on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between May 13 and 17, a ministry spokesman told journalists.
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05/13/2013
A new Russian carrier-deck pilot training site will be ready for operation by next year, Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov said on Sunday, replacing a Soviet-era base in Ukraine which Kiev has said it may lease to other countries. The work on the training facility in the city of Yeisk, on Russia's Black Sea coast, “is proceeding according to plan,” he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
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05/12/2013
Chinese cyber spies have been caught trying to steal the secrets of Britain’s most sophisticated combat jet, The Mail on Sunday has learned. A covert unit within the Chinese Army has been using highly sophisticated cyber weapons in a desperate attempt to acquire classified information about the stealthy Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
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05/12/2013
After years of planning and months of detailed preparation Spitfire day finally arrived. On Thursday down on the Bo’ness Road the huge replica warplane was unveiled as this district’s tribute to 71 aircrew who died while serving at Grangemouth aerodrome during World War II.
The air cadets whose idea it was must be delighted that their plan to honour that lost generation has been fulfilled of a permanent reminder of a very important part of our modern history.
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05/12/2013
The Indian Navy is all set to induct a Boeing P-8I into its force this year, making it the second navy after the US to have such aircrafts, a senior naval official said. The first long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, P-8I, would be inducted this year, the official said. "The Indian Navy would be only the second operator of this aircraft after US Navy to operate the P8 Poseidon.
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05/12/2013
The Indian Navy has commissioned its first squadron of MiG-29K/KUB shipborne fighters, dubbed the "Black Panthers," a MiG spokesperson in India said on Saturday. The ceremony at an airbase in Dabolim, in the state of Goa on India's west coast, was attended by India's Defense Minister A K Antony, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral D K Joshi and MiG Director-General Sergei Korotkov.
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05/11/2013
Just moments ago, CNN’s Barbara Starr reported that U.S. combat Marines in the South of Spain are now on alert for deployment into Libya to assist with evacuation of Americans. A senior military official confirmed that although the Marines are still in Spain, they could be on the move soon if the U.S. government issues an evacuation order. The 500 Marines are equipped with, among other combat equipment, six MV-22 Ospreys for rapid insert and evacuation.
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05/11/2013
While Iran's got a somewhat less than "Epic" new propeller-powered UAV, China might be jumping on the stealth drone bandwagon sooner than you thought. Extremely blurry photos posted on Internet forums over the past few months may show a Chinese stealth UAV, supposedly called the Lijan or Sharp Sword, along the lines of the U.S. Navy's X-47B.
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05/11/2013
On May 11 the Navy will commission the first of three MiG-29K squadrons at its base in Goa. One is for training. The 16 aircraft originally ordered have all been delivered, as have four of a further 29. They will fly from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (previously Admiral Gorshkov), which has taken five years longer than planned to be refitted. Later, they will also fly from the Indian-built aircraft carrier (IAC-1), which is under construction in Kochi in Kerala.
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05/11/2013
Taiwan recently promoted a female C-130 pilot to be the first female squadron commander. Lieutenant colonel Chen Yueh-Fang joined the air force in 1992, at a time when women were first being allowed to attend flight school. She was one of six (out of 14) female flight school students who completed flight training. She was told the male and female students would be treated the same and they were. She was in the second class that allowed women to compete.
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05/11/2013
As Jérôme Camps, an engineer at Dassault Aviation’s main design center, showed off a ghostlike 3-D model of one of the company’s small jets here recently, his hand passed through the plane’s skin to reveal an intricate web of support structures as well as a jumble of multicolored cables and pneumatic tubes, rendered in vivid detail.
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05/11/2013
If building a MALE UAV, and a turboprop trainer – Hurkus, due to fly for the first time in the coming weeks – wasn’t enough, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has embarked on early studies for a national combat aircraft program. While it is only in the concept phase for the moment, with assistance from Swedish fighter manufacturer, Saab, senior officials will make significant decisions on the program at the end of the year.
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05/11/2013
Due to prolonged delays in the ambitious Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project, the future plans for an Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been shelved temporarily. The 'Tejas' LCA has taken 30 years already, at an escalated project cost of Rs 5,489 crore. Since the LCA project was sanctioned in 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore, the time overrun has resulted in a 10-fold increase in the project cost.
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05/11/2013
Russian paratrooper divisions will receive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) within the next three-to-five years, Colonel-General Vladimir Shamanov, Commander of Russia’s Airborne Forces, told journalists on Friday. “UAV subdivisions already exist within the reconnaissance and special operations sections, in the artillery and the air-defense sections of the Airborne Forces.
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05/10/2013
From trademark tanks and fighter jets to the latest, unrivalled missile defense systems – the Victory Day parade stages a military show right in the heart of Russia’s busy capital. RT takes a closer look at the defense technology in the spotlight. Over 11,000 servicemen from all the branches of the Russian armed forces marched through Moscow’s central square to mark the 68 year of WWII Victory.
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05/10/2013
The Strike UAV (SIHA) project was formally given the go-ahead by Turkey’s Defence Industry Executive Committee in July 2012 and the SSM is currently preparing an RfP for the programme’s preliminary concept phase. The work will be carried out by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), using its Anka medium altitude long-endurance UAV as the point of departure for development of the SIHA, which is expected to weigh around 5000 kg with an external payload capacity of 1000 to 1500 kg.
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05/10/2013
In southwestern Afghanistan, this reporter for The Washington Times recently hitched a ride on a helicopter manned by Afghans, including the pilot and two door gunners, as well as U.S. military personnel. The 20-minute flight was aboard an Mi-17, a Russian-made aircraft that Afghans have learned to fly.
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05/10/2013
When Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that China "could threaten America's primary means of projecting power and helping allies in the Pacific," and Admiral Robert Willard, former head of U.S. Pacific Command, notes that it "has exceeded most of our intelligence estimates of their military capability and capacity every year," there is cause for concern.
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05/10/2013
Australia will hold defense spending at $100 billion over four years and remains committed to the purchase of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The level of spending is "appropriate and in current circumstances sustainable," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said during her presentation of the 2013 Defense White Paper.
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05/10/2013
The operators of British Reapers have moved to a UAV control center in Britain. For the last four years British Reaper operators worked out of the main U.S. Air Force UAV control operation in Nevada, at first as part of a joint U.S./British Reaper unit. This was convenient and inexpensive way to learn how to operate such a center (where UAVs are operated via satellite link).
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05/10/2013
In last week's Defence Department white paper, released by the Prime Minister at Fairbairn's air force base, the Australian public got a scary one-line insight into the future of its air force. ''Armed unmanned systems will be available in greater variety and sophistication in years to come,'' it said.
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05/10/2013
USAF officials are preparing by year’s end to begin flight testing of a communications gateway technology designed to solve the vexing problem of allowing stealthy aircraft to communicate with legacy fighters, though they operate using different protocols. The goal is to “network” combat air forces so that pilots of the F-22 — and in the future the F-35 — can share data with those flying legacy aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16 aircraft, says Lt. Col. Scott Hamilton.
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05/09/2013
Recently the headlines across U.S. media outlets haven't been pleasant for Boeing. Between its lithium-ion batteries smoldering and threatening to catch fire and accusations of lower quality parts from Japanese suppliers there is a lot of fuel for the fire. There's at least one positive headline for Boeing and its investors: the recent flight test of its X-51A hypersonic aircraft. Let's take a look at why this overlooked headline means much more to the company's future.
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05/09/2013
“Following the handover ceremony at the airfield of the Novosibirsk-based Chkalov aviation plant, the aircraft departed for its assigned home base,” reads the Sukhoi press release. “Several more Su-34 fighters will be delivered to the Russian Air Force shortly.” The statement continues: “Thanks to the sizeable government orders for Su-34 aircraft placed by the Russian Defence Ministry in 2008 and 2010, the [Novosibirsk] facility has secured a steady workload for years to come.”
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05/09/2013
Israel has warned the U.S. that a Russian deal is imminent to sell advanced ground-to-air missile systems to Syria, weapons that would significantly boost the regime's ability to stave off intervention in its civil war. U.S. officials said on Wednesday that they are analyzing the information Israel provided about the suspected sale of S-300 missile batteries to Syria, but wouldn't comment on whether they believed such a transfer was near.
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05/09/2013
Israeli missiles breached Syria's vaunted air defense system over the weekend, but that offered little comfort to U.S. military planners weighing the risks of any intervention against President Bashar al-Assad's forces. With some of the possible U.S. military options in Syria involving a need for air power, the Pentagon remains concerned about Assad's ability to shoot down enemy aircraft with surface-to-air missiles, particularly in a sustained campaign.
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05/09/2013
It could be the roar the engine makes as it soars above the battleground scattering enemy activity from the fight or when its rugged body loaded with a high-tech weapons system delivers an aerial arsenal, but whatever the reason, the A-10 fighter aircraft is loved by battlefield service members.
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05/09/2013
Senior Israeli Air Force leaders believe that unmanned aircraft are the future, including autonomous (at least some of the time, under software control) fighters and bombers. Israeli UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) manufacturers, who have long been leaders in the field, were asked to move more aggressively in this direction. The Israelis are following the lead of the U.S. Navy, which is currently out front when it comes to UCAV (unmanned combat air vehicle) development.
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05/09/2013
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] today announced that it has successfully demonstrated the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system in multiple tests against free-flying Qassam-like rocket targets. The prototype laser system has destroyed eight small-caliber rocket targets in flight at a range of approximately 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) in tests conducted in March and April 2013.
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05/09/2013
Ten Turkish companies participated in the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Industry Recognition Event during the IDEF tradeshow today. Turkish companies are major contributors to the current international production of the F-35 Lightning II and the advanced Turkish SOM weapon in development to be used on the F-35 and have resulted nearly a thousand jobs for Turkish industry.
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05/09/2013
Estonia will hold annual military exercises involving about 4,500 personnel from several NATO countries on May 9-25, the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces said. The Spring Storm drills have been held annually in different parts of Estonia since 2003. This year they will involve for the first time units from the UK, Belgium and Poland as well as the Estonian navy.
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05/09/2013
FLYHT Aerospace Solutions has received a purchase order from a major avionics integrator for seven AFIRS 228 (Automated Flight Information Reporting System) for Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft owned and operated by a Middle-Eastern country's air force.
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05/08/2013
A brand new F-35 with additional capabilities landed Monday afternoon. The new jet marks the beginning of a significant ramping up of Air Force training at the F-35 schoolhouse and an increase in some capabilities for the program. The Air Force’s 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base is set to receive an additional 13 of the new F-35s, known as Block 2 aircraft, by the end of the year.
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05/08/2013
Military sources have revealed that the Nigerian Air Force Alpha combat aircraft, which crashed near Niamey, Niger Republic on Monday, killing the two pilots on board, was returning from a reconnaissance (recce) mission in Mali in support of the AFISMA operations in the country.
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05/08/2013
From potent long-range missiles and new-generation nuclear submarines to expanding space, electronic and cyber warfare capabilities, China is pursuing ``long-term comprehensive'' military modernization designed to ``fight and win short-duration, high-intensity regional military conflicts''.
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05/08/2013
Bulgaria’s caretaker government under Prime Minister Marin Raykov sees the acquisition of new fighter jets for the country as a priority and is keeping the process going, although it will not be empowered to make a decision and there is no Parliament to vote on any such decision. This emerged on May 7 2013, a day after President Rossen Plevneliev, constitutionally the Bulgarian military’s commander-in-chief, spoke out strongly in favour of going ahead with the acquisition.
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05/08/2013
France's National Assembly and Senate have voted to extend the country's military intervention in Mali. A resolution passed both houses of parliament on April 22. Not a single vote was cast in opposition. Three days later, the United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 2100, creating a policing mission beginning July 1, 2013. The mission is called by its French acronym MINUSMA. Its projected size is 11,200 soldiers and 1,440 police.
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05/08/2013
Air Force officials say the across-the-board spending cuts have led the service to cease operations for one third of the bomber and jet fighter force. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Mark Welsh told a Senate committee that nine fighter units and three bomber units have stood down.
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05/08/2013
Boeing is providing an upgraded communications system for U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers so aircrews can send and receive information via satellite links, allowing crews to change mission plans and retarget weapons in flight and better interact with aircraft and ground forces.
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05/08/2013
Boeing has delivered a training center for the C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, enabling the base to cut costs by training pilots and loadmasters onsite.
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05/08/2013
Tests of Russia’s fifth-generation T-50 fighter jets in the Chkalov state flight test center in Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan Region in south Russia may start in July, Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said. “In two months,” he said Monday when asked when the center would start tests of such jets, adding that the first serial fifth-generation jet may be manufactured in 2014-2015.
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05/07/2013
Syrian rebels shot down a military helicopter in the country's east, killing eight government troops on board a day after opposition forces entered a sprawling military air base in the north, activists said Monday. In the past months, rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad have frequently targeted military aircraft and air bases in an attempt to deprive his regime of a key weapon used to target opposition strongholds and reverse rebel gains in the 2-year-old conflict.
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05/07/2013
The 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron executed the first combat Extracted Container Delivery System, or XCDS, airdrop April 29, successfully demonstrating the increased accuracy that this new technology provides. The new airdrop method is designed to pull the bundles out of the aircraft at a faster rate than the current airdrop process, which improves the overall accuracy of the drop itself.
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05/07/2013
India abstained from the Arms Trade Treaty adopted by the United Nations and the government will take all measures to ensure that it does not impact national interest, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. In a written reply to the House, Defence Minister A K Antony also said India's position in this regard has been placed on record at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
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05/07/2013
A Nigerian warplane crashed in Niger on Monday, from where it was conducting military operations in neighbouring Mali, and the two pilots were killed, an army source in Niamey said. The fighter jet was part of Nigeria’s air fleet engaged with an African force battling hardline Islamists in Mali. The Niger military source said it had suffered a “mechanical” problem.
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05/07/2013
India is still to finalize the terms for a potential purchase of 126 fighter jets from Dassault Aviation S.A.,more than a year after the French defense contractor was chosen for the deal estimated to be worth more than $10 billion. Commercial discussions are continuing with Dassault because of which a specific time frame cannot be provided for the delivery of the Rafale combat planes, Defense Minister A.K. Antony told a lawmaker in the lower house of Parliament Monday.
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05/07/2013
India will commission MIG-29K fighter jets for the first time into its Navy later this week in the western state of Goa, a senior defense official has said. A squadron of the combat aircraft, MIG-29K (K stands for " Korabelny" meaning "Carrier Borne" in Russian), will be commissioned into the Indian Navy by Defense Minister A.K. Antony on 11 May at INS Hansa naval base in Goa, the Indian Navy PRO told the media.
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05/07/2013
A no-fly zone over Syria means American boots on the ground. Among President Obama's difficult options as he grapples with growing pressure to intervene with force in the war in Syria is a no-fly zone, an option that would effectively block Syria's ability to use its air power or missiles against rebel forces or to strike outside its borders.
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05/07/2013
President Museveni has continued to pursue the air defence revolution that began in July 2011 with the acquisition of a fleet of Su-30 fighter jets. "Fighter jet planes from Russia were recently delivered at the Entebbe military airbase," an insider source told The Observer at the weekend. The Observer has learnt that another fleet of Su-30 fighter jets were delivered in the country early this month.
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05/07/2013
US officials are “highly skeptical” of claims that Syrian rebels had deployed chemical weapons in their war with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday. “We find it highly likely that any chemical weapon use that has taken place in Syria was done by the Assad regime. And that remains our position,” Carney said.
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05/07/2013
Serbia is planning to buy several MiG-29M/M2 Fulcrum fighter jets from Russia, and Serbian pilots are already being trained in flying the aircraft, the country’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday. Serbia expects to buy the aircraft on credit, he said, adding that the final cost of the deal will depend on what weapon systems are installed on them as well as on the volume of spare parts to be purchased.
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05/06/2013
The Department of Defense identified the three airmen killed when a KC-135 tanker assigned to McConnell Air Force Base crashed Friday near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan. The airmen, who were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington, the news release said.
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05/06/2013
Israeli jets bombed a military research facility north of Damascus early Sunday, a senior official told NBC News - the second Israeli attack on targets in Syria in recent days. Heavy explosions shook the city, and video shot by activists showed a fireball rising into the sky after Sunday's strikes. Reuters reported that a Western intelligence source said the operation hit Iranian-supplied missiles that were en route to the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
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05/06/2013
South Korea and the United States will hold an annual joint naval exercise in waters around the Korean peninsula from the end of this week. Military sources say Aegis destroyers from both countries, P-3C patrol aircraft as well as submarines will take part in the drill.
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05/06/2013
With a direct eye on Taiwan, the Chinese military may be moving into the large-scale deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. The Associated Press reported over the last few days that Chinese aerospace firms had developed dozens of drones, that its technology was maturing rapidly and that they were “on the cusp” of widespread use for surveillance and combat strikes.
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05/06/2013
Indian Navy is celebrating the diamond jubilee of its aviation wing May 11 with the commissioning of its first shipboard Mig-29K combat jet squadron in Goa. The aircraft will be deployed on the carrier INS Vikramaditya, currrently undergoing sea trials in Russia and which is expected to be inducted later this year.
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05/06/2013
An army marches on its stomach, according to an old military adage. Today's military is tethered to a gas pump. The amount of fuel used per individual soldier has skyrocketed in recent years because of an increased use of aircraft and armored vehicles. In Afghanistan, that dependency has meant long and costly supply lines that are vulnerable to attack and limit the reach of American forces.
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05/06/2013
Four flights in one year. That's the flight track record of the naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft -LCA Navy (NP-1) since it made its maiden flight on April 27 last year in Bangalore. Four flights in one year. That’s the flight track record of the naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft -LCA Navy (NP-1) since it made its maiden flight on April 27 last year in Bangalore.
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05/06/2013
MOSCOW, May 5 (RIA Novosti) - Syria condemned on Sunday Israel over airstrikes against targets around Damascus, saying the attacks aim "to give direct military support to terrorist groups" fighting the government, the Associated Press reported. The Syrian Foreign Ministry also said Sunday in a letter sent to the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council that the "Israeli aggression" had killed and wounded several people and "caused widespread destruction."
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05/06/2013
Israel decided to close airspace to civilian aircraft over its northern part of the country in the wake of reports on alleged Israeli airstrikes on Syria, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.
The daily cited Israel’s leading airline Arkia as saying in a statement that after instructions from the Israeli Defense Ministry the airline was “forced to announce the cancellation of interior flights from Haifa to Eilat.”
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05/05/2013
Israeli strikes on Syrian army targets show co-ordination with "terrorists" including al-Qaeda linked militants, the Syrian foreign ministry has said. The strikes had led to a number of casualties and widespread damage, it reported in a letter sent to the UN. State media said a research centre and other sites had been hit overnight. Israeli sources said weapons bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon were the target.
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05/05/2013
The Marine Corps has a long and storied history with the bird they affectionately call the "Phrog." More than four decades have passed since the CH-46A Sea Knight entered the Corps' arsenal, and now, 49 years later, the birds will be resting their wings as their last flights come to an end as the Corps transitions to the MV-22 Osprey.
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05/05/2013
AUSTRALIA'S armed forces will face firmly north and increase their collaboration with the US military,potentially allowing B-52 long-range bombers and drone aircraft to fly from Australian bases,under plans announced by the government yesterday.The formal response to last year's Australian Defence Force Posture Review report also committed to upgrading airfields on the remote Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean to support the anticipated arrival of a squadron of RAAF armed surveillance aircraft.
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05/05/2013
Last week Con Coughlin became the first British journalist to see a British pilot conduct a perfect test landing of Britain's new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Here he describes an aircraft that is set to become one of Britain’s leading strike fighters for the next generation.
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05/05/2013
Embraer Defense & Security is stepping up its marketing drive in the region and is demonstrating that with its participation at this week's International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF'13), which takes place May 7-10 at the Tüyap Fair & Exhibition Center, in Istanbul, Turkey.??
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05/05/2013
The Kyrgyz government says it has found the bodies of two US pilots after a military refuelling plane crashed in the Central Asian state on Friday. Search teams found the remains on Saturday morning, the emergencies ministry told news agencies. The search for the third member of the plane's crew was continuing.
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05/04/2013
Amid growing concerns the Middle East faces major security threats, Iraq has ordered a second batch of Lockheed Martin F-16IQ fighters worth $830 million. The contract underlines Iraq's drive to give its postwar air force a combat capability in the next few years following the U.S. military withdrawal completed in December 2011.
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05/04/2013
The U.S. Navy believes it has found a laser technology that is capable of being useful in combat. This is not a sudden development but has been going on for most of the last decade. Three years ago the navy successfully tested this new laser weapon (six solid state lasers acting in unison), using it to destroy a small UAV.
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05/04/2013
Marines at a far-flung base in southwest Afghanistan sent off an urgent request for mortar rounds, needing an air delivery made to a landing zone under enemy fire for days. The choice came down to two Connecticut-made helicopters. One option to deliver the pallet of 60mm rounds was a manned Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter. The other was an unmanned Lockheed Martin/Kaman K-MAX helicopter. The Sikorsky helicopter made in Stratford requires a crew of five.
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05/04/2013
Back in February the African country of Niger received its first jet combat aircraft in the form of two Su-25s. These were received from Ukraine, which has a lot of Cold War surplus weapons, and refurbished these two ground attack aircraft. It is believed that Ukraine also supplied pilots and ground crews, at least until some Niger personnel could be trained to do the work.
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05/04/2013
An aerial tanker jet reportedly flown by a Fairchild Air Force Base crew crashed today in the rugged mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the Central Asian nation where the U.S. operates an air base key to the war in Afghanistan. A spokesman for U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Florida, told Reuters News Service that the congressman was advised the KC-135 Stratotanker was based out of McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas but that it was being operated by a Fairchild crew.
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05/04/2013
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Israeli companies were behind 41 percent of all UAVs exported in 2001-11. Those Israeli exports went to 24 countries, including the United States. i-hls reports. That volume’s expected to expand as production costs are relatively low. Israeli industry officials boast that it’s significantly cheaper to buy an advanced UAV than it is to train an air force pilot.
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05/04/2013
Australian government officials restated their commitment to purchase 100 F-35 fifth-generation multirole fighters from Lockheed Martin to support the country’s Air Combat Capability Transition, with an Initial Operational Capability date of 2020 for the F-35 fleet.
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05/04/2013
U.S. officials say Israel has launched an airstrike into Syria, apparently targeting a suspected weapons site. The officials say the strike occurred overnight Thursday into Friday. They say it does not appear that a chemical weapons site was targeted. One official says the strike appeared to hit a warehouse.
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05/04/2013
A Boeing X-51A WaveRider unmanned hypersonic vehicle achieved the longest air-breathing, scramjet-powered hypersonic flight in history May 1, flying for three and a half minutes on scramjet power at a top speed of Mach 5.1. The vehicle flew for a total time of more than six minutes.
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05/04/2013
A US military Boeing KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in Kyrgyzstan for unspecified reasons on Friday, the United States Air Force said. "A US Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft crashed today in northern Kyrgyzstan," the US Air Force's 376th Air Expeditionary Wing based in the country said. The Boeing KC-135, also known as the Stratotanker, crashed into a mountain gorge about 60 kilometers (36 miles) west of the capital Bishkek.
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05/03/2013
In acknowledging the likely use of chemical weapons in Syria, US President Barack Obama is nonetheless seeking to pursue a cautious path. On the one hand he does not want to be stampeded into military action by more hawkish voices on Capitol Hill without conclusive and demonstrable evidence. But equally he wants to send a strong message to the Syrian government in Damascus.
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05/03/2013
The growing power of Islamist fighters in southern Syria is causing alarm in Jordan, which backs rebels battling President Bashar Assad but fears those linked to Al-Qaeda. Similar concerns among Syria’s other neighbors, including Turkey and Israel, are complicating an already disjointed world response to the bloody turmoil at the heart of the Middle East.
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05/03/2013
The Navy on Thursday inaugurated its first squadron with both manned and unmanned aircraft amid debate over the military’s burgeoning use of drones in warfare. Military officials launched the effort by reactivating the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35, known as the “Magicians,” which served for 19 years before being deactivated in 1992.
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05/03/2013
India has postponed the development of the homegrown Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, according to sources in the Indian Defence Ministry, because the MoD first wants to complete the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program. The LCA is behind schedule by more than 15 years and the MoD has spent more than $1 billion in its development.
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05/03/2013
Australia said Friday it would buy 12 Boeing EA-18G Growler advanced electronic warfare technology aircraft because it can’t risk delivery delays in their replacement, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The government announced last year that its air force will equip 12 of Australia’s F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighters with Growler radar-jamming equipment and other gear to knock out a wide array of electronic devices from 2018.
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05/02/2013
China’s UAV development appears to have bypassed the cottage industry stage where many Western UAV programs find their roots and has emerged onto the high-tech stage as if it appeared out a fog. The staggering numbers of UAVs on display at the 2012 Zhuhai Airshow were too many to count. Just six years before, at the 2006 Zhuhai Airshow, you could count them with one hand.
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05/02/2013
The US Air Force is looking at equipping its Reaper unmanned aircraft with a British-developed, man-in-the-loop missile better able to reduce collateral damage than the current weapons carried by the machine, according to sources. Britain’s dual-mode Brimstone missile is being evaluated by the Air Force’s secretive Big Safari Group, British defense procurement minister Philip Dunne revealed in a speech at the offices of Washington law firm McKenna, Long and Aldridge on April 23.
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05/02/2013
After slipping by each other the narrow aisle of an E-8C Joint STARS aircraft, more than a dozen Airmen settle into their seats and begin to flip switches and work through checklists. Their olive-green headsets block out the roar of the jet engines and replace it with busy radio chatter as the crew prepares for the mission ahead.
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05/02/2013
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency sent a recommendation to airlines not to use Syrian airspace for flights and it has banned its air carriers from flying over Syria to avoid an unspecified threat from Syrian ground forces.
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05/02/2013
The Obama administration is placing a large bet on the ability of a Syrian former professor of military engineering to build a coherent rebel army that can defeat the regime of Bashar al-Assad, combat Islamic radicals and help build a stable new Syria.
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05/02/2013
Early Tuesday morning, the United States delivered its first direct shipment of food and medical supplies to the rebel Free Syrian Army, with some help from its representatives in Washington. At about 5 a.m. Tuesday morning at an undisclosed location across Syria's northern border, a U.S. C-17 transport aircraft based out of Dover Air Force Base offloaded the first of what will be several shipments.
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05/02/2013
We've been hearing for years now that the U.S. military's crop of slow-moving spy planes fielded for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- ranging from MQ-9 Reaper drones to manned MC-12 Liberties -- will be totally useless in a fight against an adversary armed with sophisticated radars and anti-aircraft missiles (often labeled anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) weapons).
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05/02/2013
France’s announcement that it plans to cut 24,000 military jobs by 2019 is causing concern in the U.S. about commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Europe’s only defense block. “This is very disappointing news,” ,” Nick Burns, former undersecretary of state for political affairs and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said in an email. “NATO is still in Afghanistan and has major responsibilities in the Balkans.”
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05/02/2013
Reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria have sparked talk of U.S. military intervention, but experts said stopping the bloodshed in the war-torn country could prove a gargantuan task. U.S. President Barack Obama has repeatedly said any use of chemical weapons would constitute a "red line" that could spur U. S. military involvement at some level, but Obama urged caution Tuesday, suggesting in a White House press briefing that more proof was needed.
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05/01/2013
Canada’s search-and-rescue network is in desperate need of rescue itself, with aging planes, a shortage of military personnel and an information system at the “breaking point” all threatening the ability to respond to emergencies, a new report warns. Auditor general Michael Ferguson paints a troubling picture of a network stretched to the limits, hampered by a lack of investment and a lack of coordination.
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05/01/2013
The United States plans to deploy later this year a dozen more Osprey military aircraft to Japan's Okinawa prefecture which hosts two major U.S. airbases. In spite of protests from residents, the U.S. military had already deployed a fleet of 12 Osprey aircraft at its Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island.
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05/01/2013
Six MV-22B Ospreys and two KC-130J’s flew from Marine Corps Air Station, New River, N.C., to Moron De La Frontera, Spain, April 27, completing the longest and largest transatlantic flight of any Osprey squadron to date. Their mission; crisis response. Major Anthony Krockel, the executive officer assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365, said it took a lot of planning and preparation and approximately 15 hours to cross the Atlantic.
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05/01/2013
Nearly half of the fighter squadrons in U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa halted flying operations three weeks ago. The action was a result of the reduction of flying hours Air Force-wide -- one impact of the current sequestration-related budget challenges affecting the Defense Department. When factoring in ongoing and anticipated deployments, there is limited ability to respond to operational requirements across two combatant commands.
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05/01/2013
"Whether the military effect would produce the kind of outcome that not just members of Congress but all of us would desire — which is an end to the violence, some kind of political reconciliation among the parties and a stable Syria — that's the reason I've been cautious, is the right word, about the application of the military instrument of power, because it's not clear to me that it would produce that outcome," Dempsey said at a lunch with reporters.
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05/01/2013
RUSSIA'S air transport agency on has banned all Russian civilian planes from flying through Syrian air space after the crew of a Russian passenger jet reported coming under threat over the war-torn country. The federal agency Rosaviation said the ban on flights over Syria went into force on Monday and will remain until further notice.
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05/01/2013
The Army unveiled the OH-58F Kiowa Warrior during it's first flight at Redstone Arsenal. Redstone employees and civilian contractors spent the past 4 years re-manufacturing and assembling the first modified versions of the helicopter. "Both of these aircraft were actually assembled up in Meridianville and we've seen an influx of about 30 million dollars into the local economy over the years in support of this program" says Armed Scout Helicopter Project Manager Col. Robert Grigsby.
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05/01/2013
With the combat role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan tapering off, aircraft accidents emerged as the biggest killer of U.S. troops here during the first four months of the year. Since Jan. 1, 13 service members have been killed in five crashes. U.S. troop deaths remain at their lowest levels here in recent years. The number so far this year, 33 through Tuesday, is the lowest at this point since 2008.
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05/01/2013
Boeing today rolled out the F-15SA, ushering in a new era in fighter aircraft capability and affordability for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The F-15SA, the newest variant of the combat-proven F-15, provides improved performance and increased survivability at a lower life-cycle cost. The aircraft has two additional wing stations for increased payload and capability.
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04/30/2013
Sweden's Defense Export Agency FMV has delivered three more Saab JAS 39 Gripens to Thailand, bringing Thailand's Gripen fleet to nine. Three additional Gripen fighters are to be delivered to the Thai air force this year, completing the procurement process. Thailand first ordered six of the multirole fighter in 2008. The deal included a Saab 340 AEW and a Saab 340 for transport and training. Comprehensive logistic support, pilot and technician were also part of the package.
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04/30/2013
Germany appears to have lost its enthusiasm for European made military helicopters and is cutting its order for Tiger gunships from 80 to 57 and NH90 transports from 122 to 82. Germany has lad a lot of problems with both of these helicopters during the last decade. Besides, Germany has better uses for the money, like bailing out the many European nations having financial problems.
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04/30/2013
The Department of Defense announced April 28 the deaths of four airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died April 27, near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in the crash of an MC-12 aircraft. The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.
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04/30/2013
A civilian cargo plane crashed shortly after take-off at a huge US-run airbase in Afghanistan on Monday, killing all seven crew members on board, officials said. Rescue teams rushed to the scene after the plane smashed into the ground inside the boundaries of Bagram airfield, a key transport hub for US-led military operations in Afghanistan.
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04/30/2013
The United States and some Western allies deploy weaponry and other military equipment in the energy-rich Gulf to provide security to Gulf Arab states at short notice. Here is a list of equipment currently deployed, according to research institutions, mostly at bases shared with host states.
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04/30/2013
Serbia is considering the purchase of Russian-made MIG-29 combat aircraft and radars, Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic said. “We are considering such a purchase for financial reasons,” even as Serbia has “excellent relations” with NATO, Vucic told reporters during a visit to neighboring Croatia. The Blic newspaper reported last week that the Balkan country may spend $150 million on six new jets to improve its air defense.
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04/30/2013
UNIDENTIFIED assailants reportedly fired two land-to-air missiles at a Russian passenger plane carrying over 150 people when it flew over Syria Monday, the Interfax news agency reported, citing an informed source in Moscow. However, with technical support from Russia, Syria has bolstered its air defences, posing a threat to United States (U.S.) aircraft if America decides to intervene in the war, an American official was quoted by Agence France Presse (AFP) as saying Monday.
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04/30/2013
The IAF will require 39 combat aircraft units to meet the challenge of fighting a war simultaneously on the Pakistan and China fronts but it has only 34 squadrons, a Parliamentary panel has been informed. In its report, the Standing Committee on Defence has also come down heavily on the government for allocating only Rs 2,000 crore to the IAF for new modernisation schemes whereas Rs 15,000 crore is required only for the Rafale combat jet deal.
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04/30/2013
France, which launched an armed intervention in Mali earlier this year, has declared its determination to sustain its punch as a leading military power, despite making fresh cuts to its defence forces. Juggling severe budgetary pressures with its longstanding strategic ambitions, President François Hollande’s socialist government on Monday laid out plans to retain the country’s nuclear deterrent as well as preserve its ability to project significant force beyond its borders.
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04/30/2013
The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) is set to receive its final three Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules airlifters. Aircraft number 5721 was the first of these aircraft to be ferried from Lockheed Martin’s production facility here on April 23, 2013. All three C-130Js were ferried to U.S. Air Force bases prior to delivery to the IQAF.
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04/29/2013
National Defence scientists predicted in 2011 that the military would have almost certainly lost several of its brand-new F-35 stealth fighters before all 65 were even delivered, Postmedia News has learned. In December 2011, the Defence Department’s research arm, Defence Research and Development Canada, published a report in which it said “that the probability of having 63 or more (F-35s) remaining at this time (when the last one is delivered) is approximately 54 per cent.”
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04/29/2013
Chinese military planes, mostly fighter jets, made more than 40 flights close to Tokyo-controlled islands at the centre of a territorial dispute on a single day this week, a press report said Saturday. The flights took place on Tuesday, when eight Chinese marine surveillance ships entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial zone off the islands in the East China Sea, which Japan calls the Senkakus and China calls the Diaoyus, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported.
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04/29/2013
Dozens of air shows that draw tens of thousands of people and generate millions of dollars for local economies have been cancelled this year after the military grounded its jet and demonstration teams because of automatic federal budget cuts.
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04/29/2013
At Lockheed Martin’s giant Fort Worth, Texas, plant, they’re building a warplane billed as a game changer for air forces of the U.S. and key allies like Canada. Critics say it’s overhyped, overpriced and underwhelming. The Free Press’s John Lund visited the plant to take a closer look.
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04/29/2013
Lawmakers pressed the Obama administration to intervene in Syria's civil war, citing the regime's alleged chemical-weapons use, as the White House weighed its response against a sobering fact: Damascus has developed a world class air-defense system.
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04/28/2013
Regarding “Fort Gordon events could become casualty of sequestration” (April 20): Canceled fireworks and fairs are visible reminders of the ravages of sequestration. Yet these cuts are having an even more damaging but unseen effect on our economy and our national security – like termites eating through a house’s structure.
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04/28/2013
A NATO plane crash in southern Afghanistan killed four international troops on Saturday, the same day the Taliban announced its spring offensive and said it will target military and diplomatic sites with suicide bombers and infiltrate enemy forces to conduct deadly insider attacks.
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04/27/2013
Marine Corps Cpl. Travis Williams put his experience in the flight simulator for the F-35 Lightning II plainly: "It was like nothing I've ever experienced before." Williams, part of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort's public affairs office, was on hand for a demonstration Friday by Lockheed Martin for local reporters. The contractor unveiled a cockpit simulator of the military's fifth-generation fighter jets.
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04/27/2013
For some time now, there have been unofficial reports that Russia has cut off arms sales to Azerbaijan, in particular of military aircraft that Baku has been seeking. There has been no comment from Moscow, either formally or via anonymous sources, and it's not clear why Russia would have made this move.
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04/27/2013
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley will step down after a five-year tenure during which he improved the service's handling of nuclear materials, but had to deal with scandals surrounding aircraft contracts, sexual assaults by service members and the mishandling of war dead. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement Friday that Donley is returning to private life. His last day on the job is June 21.
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04/27/2013
Russia has approached India again with an offer for MiG-35 fighters. The move comes as negotiations drag on to finalize a contract for the Dassault Rafale, which was declared the winner of the medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition in January last year. Explaining the move, Sergei Korotkov, general director at Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (RAC MiG), told Russian media, “Although we lost the tender, we nonetheless met all the requirements set by the tender committee.”
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04/27/2013
Israel, which has the most advanced defense industry in the Middle East, is in the forefront of the rapidly expanding drone business that's changing the way wars will be fought for decades to come. With state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries, Elbit Systems and Aeronautics Defense Systems developing new and more agile unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as ground and seaborne drones, the Jewish state seems well-placed to corner a big slice of a market valued at around $50 billion a year.
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04/27/2013
In the innermost ring of Dante's "Inferno," Satan is encased in a block of ice. The subjects of Mitchell Zuckoff's excellent, affecting "Frozen in Time" would understand the great poet's startling imagery. For those brave, beleaguered persons, subzero temperatures, merciless snow and ice, and treacherous glaciers were as hellish as fire and brimstone.
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04/27/2013
This just came into Defence Watch from Norway’s Defence Ministry:
The Norwegian government today submitted a formal request to the Norwegian parliament for authorization to procure six F-35 Lightning II aircraft for delivery in 2017. In doing so, the Norwegian government follows up on its renewed plans from 2012 to stretch its procurement of the F-35 over additional years, and to accelerate its initial purchase by one year.
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04/27/2013
n all of the West, only one all-new fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35, is in full-scale development. If it outlasts its predecessors, as new products usually do, it could find itself to be the last man standing. The F-35 will have Russian and Chinese competition, but only the U.S. fighter is likely to be engineered to standards that facilitate integration of Western weapons and sensors. For many countries, there will be no real alternative.
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04/27/2013
A Russian military delegation has arrived in the United States to take part in a series of planning meetings with US and Canadian counterparts ahead of the joint Vigilant Eagle 2013 anti-terrorism drills to be held this summer, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The meetings will coordinate the scenario and the schedule of the drills, the composition of trilateral air force assets involved, communications and security issues, according to the ministry.
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04/26/2013
The U.S. Army has fielded the 250th UH-72A Lakota helicopter delivered to Army and National Guard units by EADS North America since 2006. Every Lakota – including an additional five produced for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School – has been delivered on time and on budget, by an American workforce that is more than 50 percent U.S. military veterans.
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04/26/2013
The Army's newest attack helicopter is on track, the colonel in charge said in response to congressional concerns: Delays in manufacturing transmissions for the Boeing-built AH-64E Guardian have neither driven up the price nor slowed its fielding to combat units.
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04/26/2013
RAF's unmanned Reaper aircraft had been operated from Creech airforce base in Nevada, but missions from Lincolnshire began this week. Remotely controlled armed drones used to target insurgents in Afghanistan have been operated from the UK for the first time, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.
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04/26/2013
Israel said Thursday that it shot down an unmanned aircraft that had entered Israeli airspace off the northern coast near Haifa, the second such incident in nearly seven months. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, said the drone was first detected as it was flying along the coast of Lebanon toward Israel. When it became clear that the aircraft was not going to stop or change course, Israel dispatched helicopters and F-16 warplanes to destroy it about five miles off the coast.
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04/26/2013
Kazakhstan's military authorities have grounded all the nation's MiG jet fighter aircraft following a crash earlier this week that killed the pilot and injured the navigator of a MiG-31 interceptor, Kazakhstan’s air force chief said on Thursday. The Kazakhstan Air Force Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor crashed during a training flight in central Kazakhstan on Wednesday. The crew managed to eject from the plane before the crash, but the pilot died. A probe was opened into the accident.
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04/26/2013
Russia’s fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet will enter service with the country’s armed forces in 2016, and not 2015 as was previously announced, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
“The T-50 fifth generation jet should go into serial production and enter service in 2016,” Putin said at a live Q&A session with the Russian public. The Defense Ministry had earlier said the jet would be ready in 2015.
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04/26/2013
The United States said Thursday it has evidence that chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian government in the civil war there, blaming the increasingly “desperate” regime of President Bashar al-Assad for crossing a “red line” that US President Barack Obama has said could lead to US intervention in the conflict.
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04/26/2013
Military inspectors from Canada and Hungary will carry out a joint monitoring mission over the Russian territory under the international Open Skies Treaty on April 26-30, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The NATO experts will fly on board a Hungarian Air Force’s Antonov An-26 plane using surveillance equipment certified internationally and approved by the Russian side.
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04/25/2013
The tide of war may be receding, as President Barack Obama is fond of saying, but US military demand for unmanned drones and their remote pilots is growing. Here in the New Mexico desert, the US Air Force has ramped up training of drone operators - even as the nation increasingly debates their use and US forces prepare to leave Afghanistan.
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04/25/2013
Beset with monetary woes and a tenuous relationship with the US, Pakistan’s naval modernization plans appear to be faltering with the hoped for acquisition of further surplus US equipment now unlikely. Former Australian defense attaché to Pakistan, Brian Cloughley, says Pakistan’s crippled economy means “the Navy will not receive as much as it needs for capital equipment,” increasing the importance of obtaining surplus equipment.
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04/25/2013
Lockheed Martin may receive a U.S. order in June for as many as 60 F-35 jets, consolidating the sixth and seventh production contracts for the costliest weapons system, according to the Pentagon's program manager The contract may be valued at about $9 billion, according to a person familiar with negotiations between the Pentagon and Lockheed who declined to be named. The number of F-35s may rise to as many as 71 if orders from other nations are included.
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04/25/2013
It is difficult to discuss the F-35 without actually knowing what the aircraft is and how F-35 fleets will reshape combat. But this is precisely what the budding negative commentary on the F-35 is built on – a lack of knowledge. Even worse, the existing 5th generation aircraft is not well known either, because of its limited numbers and its condemnation by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and President Barack Obama as a “Cold War” weapon.
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04/25/2013
The Nizhny Novgorod-based Sokol aircraft manufacturer said on Wednesday it will develop a light aircraft for training air force pilots. The order for the development of a new training aircraft came from Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev earlier this year. The new aircraft will be a modernized two-seat version of the M-101T Gzhel utility turboprop aircraft, the company said.
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04/25/2013
A former Russian Air Force general was given a four-year suspended sentence and fined 5 million rubles ($160,000) by a court-martial on Wednesday for causing the crash of a Sukhoi Su-27UB fighter jet last year in Russia’s Karelia region. The court-martial Judge Vladislav Pisaryov found Maj. Gen. Kanamat Botashev guilty of breaking flight rules by flying aerobatics in the jet without proper training and authorization.
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04/25/2013
A Kazakhstan Air Force Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor crashed during a training flight in central Kazakhstan last night, killing the pilot and injuring the navigator, Kazakhstan military prosecutors said on Wednesday. The crash occurred near the village of Prostornoye in the Karaganda Region at 10.45 p.m. local time (4.45 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday. “The crew ejected from the plane before the crash," the Military Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
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04/25/2013
Northrop Grumman is the industry sponsor of this competition, which is held in coordination with the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments (ADASI) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The flying competition, which was open to the public as spectators, took place at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, April 23-24.
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04/25/2013
The upgrading of the Royal Saudi Air Force Tornados has been completed. The final aircraft being returned being photographed at Malta on its route back to the Kingdom. The BAE Systems end of year investor presentation confirmed that “Under the Saudi British Defence Co-operation Programme (SBDCP), orders totalling £3.4bn were awarded for support through to 2016, including the provision of manpower, logistics and training to the RSAF.
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04/24/2013
Russia will start state flight tests of its fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet in 2014, United Aircraft Corporation's President Mikhail Pogosyan told reporters on Tuesday. “In 2013 we are expected to wrap up its preliminary tests and start operational testing. In 2014, we are planning to start official state tests,” Pogosyan said on Tuesday, adding "the first stage of the state trials should be complete by 2015."
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04/24/2013
North Korea’s deployment of two additional short-range scud ballistic missile launchers in its eastern coast has strengthened speculations in the South that Pyongyang might launch a missile on April 25, the anniversary of North Korean army. According to South Korean media, the latest deployment was in addition to the seven mobile missile launchers already in place on the coast.
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04/24/2013
It took the Air Force about a quarter-century to bring the F-22 air-superiority fighter from the drawing board to reality. Most of the Pentagon’s major weapon systems have gone through similar protracted development. At this rate, it won’t be long before the U.S. military falls way behind the technology curve, lamented Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities.
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04/24/2013
The armed forces of the United States and the Philippines conducted the 29th annual Balikatan joint military exercises April 5 through April 17. These military exercises are the largest and most significant joint military operations between the U.S. and Filipino militaries.
The exercises are “a signature element” of the “two nations’ robust treaty alliance relationship.” The war games help the U.S. military and Filipino military operate more effectively together.
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04/24/2013
The following information was released by Buckley Air Force Base:
The next annual U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School Selection Board will convene June 23-26 at the Air Force Personnel Center. Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. June 3.
The USAF Test Pilot School is the world's pre-eminent fixed-wing test pilot school. TPS graduates are future senior leaders who will be in high demand in an era of increasing combat technological advancements.
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04/24/2013
My colleague Timothy Whiteman at Liberty Unyielding highlighted recently the number of Air Force squadrons that will have to cease training later this year because the Air Force doesn’t have funds for the flying hours.This is real, and it is astounding. It will mean that, at a certain point in the near future, as early as this fall, if no additional funds become available, the cost of mounting an operation big enough to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons-related installations is likely too high.
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04/24/2013
F-22 pilots from the 302nd, 525th and 90th fighter squadrons tested their aim during a banner shoot, April 22 to 25. Banner shoots are a way for pilots to be comfortable in air-to-air combat. Pilots demonstrate the effectiveness of doing exercises like these by practicing their aim in the air. "A banner shoot is a system that we use to increase pilot proficiency," said Air Force Master Sgt. Richie Bill, weapons section chief from the 90th Fighter Squadron.
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04/24/2013
The United Nations Arms Trade Treaty adopted April 3 has sent shockwaves through India’s Defence Ministry as several ongoing projects could be affected. While no MoD official would comment on whether the treaty could impact weapon imports, an MoD source said planners are extremely concerned over the fate of some ongoing contracts and future purchases.
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04/24/2013
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to prepare for the possible use of chemical weapons by Syria in the ongoing civil war there. "We should also carefully and collectively consider how NATO is prepared to respond to protect its members from a Syrian threat, including any potential chemical weapons threat," Kerry told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
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04/24/2013
Russia plans to base fighter jets at a military airbase in Belarus, with a first wing due to arrive there later this year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. “In 2013 we will establish a military commandant’s office and provide a wing of combat fighters on alert duty,” he said, adding more jets could be based there later. “We hope that an Air Force regiment will be here by 2015 to protect our borders,” he said.
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04/23/2013
The U.S. plans to provide Israel with advanced weapons, including the first export of the tilt- rotor V-22 Osprey, as part of an “iron-clad pledge” to ensure its edge against enemies such as Syria and Iran, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. “We’re committed to providing Israel with whatever support is necessary for Israel to maintain military superiority over any state or coalition of states and non-state actors,” Hagel said after meeting today with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon in Te
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04/23/2013
There’s no doubt that China’s Dong Feng 21D (DF-21D) anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is, in theory, a formidable anti-access weapon. Since its alleged deployment circa 2010, many defense analysts have argued that the so-called “carrier killer” would be a game changer in any armed conflict in Northeast Asia and prevent the participation of U.S. carrier groups in regional contingencies, such as war in the Taiwan Strait.
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04/23/2013
Throughout the protracted Sino-Indian border dispute, Tibet and its status has always been a predominant influence, whether implicitly or explicitly on the negotiating table. This has both historical and contemporary ramifications. India, much to China's chagrin, utilized the Tibet issue as a key point of departure in order to strike a grand bargain with Beijing after China occupied Tibet in 1949.
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04/23/2013
Raytheon is producing more miniature air launched decoy-jammers for the U.S. Air Force under exercise of a contract option. A total of 202 MALD jammers, with containers, will be produced and delivered. The value of the firm fixed-price Air Force contract is $81.7 million. A 10-year warranty is included in the deal.
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04/23/2013
Known simply by the Marines who have attended it over the years as WTI, which stands for Weapons and Tactics Instructor course, it is also the only training of its kind, providing pilots, weapon system operators, ground combat and combat support service personnel a world-class opportunity to hone their battlefield knowledge and expertise.
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04/23/2013
This year’s defense budget is coming into focus, and the picture isn’t pretty. Congress and the president will probably agree to increase defense spending by a small amount, but they will probably also take money away from future defense budgets. This will allow them to say that they have increased defense spending while in reality the wholesale unraveling of American power will continue.
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04/23/2013
Apathy kills. The Obama administration’s pivot to Asia—a politico-military endeavor that combines strategic mass, strategic maneuver, and geography in intensely competitive surroundings—may well bolster Taiwan’s security vis-à-vis the mainland.Yet the pivot’s capacity to dissuade or defeat China hinges on whether U.S. Navy relief forces can reach the island’s vicinity, do battle, and prevail at a cost acceptable to the American state and society.
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04/23/2013
Officials said there were seven Turks and two Russians on board. The insurgent militia, which frequently makes exaggerated statements, claimed 11 US military personnel were on the aircraft which came down on Sunday in bad weather in Logar province, just south of Kabul. The US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said no foreign military were involved and the helicopter was a civilian one. It said it had no information on the fate of the aircraft or its occupants.
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04/23/2013
The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief NAK Browne on Monday indicated that the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal, pertaining to acquisition of 126 aircraft at a cost of around Rs 45,000 crore, was crucial in the wake of the fact that the Mig-21 aircraft were being phased out. The phasing out of all the four variants of these aircraft will be over by 2019-20.
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04/23/2013
Even though the Air Force has grounded a third of its fighter squadrons due to sequestration, Pacific-based pilots and planes could be ready for combat at a moment’s notice, officials said Monday. Earlier this month, the Air Force announced that it would reduce flying hours of all aircraft by 18 percent and stand down a third of its fighter squadrons in an effort to save money in the wake of the ongoing Defense Department budget cuts.
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04/22/2013
A unit of Italy-based Finmeccanica has announced the signing of a EUR170m ($221m) contract for the supply of components, systems and services for Oman's Eurofighter aircraft.
Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, said it has signed the contract with Eurofighter relating to the 12 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft ordered by Oman in December.
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04/22/2013
The package, which includes F-35 stealth fighter bombers, V-22 Ospreys and KC-135 air refueling tankers, will enable Israel to strike longer range targets. A new defense deal between the US and Israel, after a year of secret negotiations, will give the Israel Air Force (IAF) a technological overhaul. The IAF will receive F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter bombers, the latest C-130J Hercules transports and cargo planes, both made by Lockheed Martin Corporation.
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04/22/2013
The Asia-Pacific will comprise 26 percent — nearly $200 billion — of global naval and maritime security builds in the next 20 years as complex relationships and rivalries drive procurements designed for particular regional challenges.
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04/22/2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Israel on Sunday to put the finishing touches on a complicated $10 billion arms deal with three Middle Eastern countries, saying the pact sends “a very clear signal” to Iran. Under preliminary terms of the agreement, the United States would sell tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey aircraft — which can take off like a helicopter but cruise at airplane speed — to Israel. It would be the first time the Pentagon has approved a foreign sale of the Osprey.
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04/22/2013
Troubles in India’s ambitious Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project has inflicted gaping wounds where it would hurt the Indian Air Force (IAF) the most—the future plans for an Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has “put on hold” the AMCA project that is being spearheaded by Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
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04/22/2013
The Armed Forces denied on Sunday morning that a military aircraft was brought down by smugglers in southwest Egypt. Armed Forces spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali said that a military helicopter was flying on a regular patrol of southern border areas Saturday evening when a sudden malfunction led to an “emergency landing.”
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04/22/2013
Israel's air force is on track to developing drones that within four to five decades would carry out nearly every battlefield operation executed today by piloted aircraft, a high-ranking Israeli officer says. The officer, who works in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle intelligence, said Israel is speeding up research and development of such unmanned technologies for air, ground and naval forces.
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04/21/2013
An Iranian US-made fighter jet F-5 has crashed in western Iran, killing two pilots, Mehr news agency reported on Sunday. The fighter jet crashed into Mount Filman near the town of Abdanan, some 450 km (280 miles) southwest of the capital Tehran. The bodies of both pilots were found at the crash site, Mehr said, citing regional governor Morad Nasseri.
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04/21/2013
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified agreements with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Friday extending the presence of Russian military bases in those countries.
Both bases are seen by Moscow as a bulwark against the threat of Islamist militancy and drug-trafficking in Central Asia.
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04/21/2013
Since the Australian Government’s last White Paper on defense in 2009, there have been rapid changes within the Asia-Pacific region. As a consequence, the forthcoming Australian defense white paper will be perhaps the most important that has ever been prepared. With a rising assertive China, the US adopting an "Asia Pivot" doctrine, and a host of rising Asian powers, the Australian Government cannot defer the strategic complexities of the region to the ’never never’ of 2030 like the 2009 paper.
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04/21/2013
Russia today reminded India that it provides latest cutting-edge technology exclusively to New Delhi unlike its "newly-acquired partners" in defence sector. "Unlike its newly-acquired partners, we provide the latest cutting-edge technology to India and don't share it with others," Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin said at an IAF function here on frontline fighter aircraft MiG-21.
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04/21/2013
FLIR Systems Inc. in Portland, Ore., won a $22 million order for from the U.S. Air Force for its BRITE Star DP advanced imaging systems, to be employed on Embraer A-29 Super Tucano military aircraft acquired as part of the Light Air Support (LAS) program. U.S. Air Force officials selected Sierra Nevada Corp. to supply Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft for use by the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps and other future customers in a contract issued in Feb. 2013.
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04/21/2013
The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command issued the following press release:
The final F-4 regenerated from storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group performed its last flight over Tucson, Ariz., April 17, before heading to Mojave, Calif. Aircraft 68-0599, an RF-4C Phantom, arrived at AMARG for storage on January 18, 1989 and had not flown since.
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04/21/2013
A pilot who died when his light aircraft crashed just a few metres away from a house was reportedly a US Air Force general. The single-engine Cessna 210 came down in a field near a retirement community in Williamsburg, Virginia. There was no fire when it crashed.
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04/21/2013
The budget increase in Uganda’s military expenditure even amidst global and regional defence cuts might be the latest indication of President Museveni’s strategy to fasten his grip on power and his influence on the region. As recent events have showed, a large military war-chest increases Museveni’s regional and international leverage, and helps cow opposition to him at home. Unfortunately, it also means more taxes must be paid to finance it.
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04/20/2013
Morocco and the United States have been plunged into a crisis that led to the cancellation of a major military exercise. Diplomats said Rabat and Washington underwent a sharp decline in
diplomatic and military relations when the United States supported a Security Council effort to expand the authority of a UN force in the disputed Western Sahara.
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04/20/2013
The Defense Department is working out final details of a $10 billion sale of warplanes, transport aircraft and advanced missiles to Israel and Arab nations amid concerns about the growing threat from Iran and its disputed nuclear weapons program, Pentagon and congressional officials said Friday.
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04/20/2013
Five CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters will be delivered to the New York Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport, April 22. The aircraft will arrive on board a C-17 on Monday morning, offloading on CH-47 and the other Chinooks will be delivered on board two Air Force C-5 Galaxies-the largest aircraft in the U.S. military.
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04/20/2013
Mr. Chairman, Representative Sanchez, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, we thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the Department of the Navy's (DoN) Aviation programs. Our testimony will provide background and rationale for the Department's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget request for aviation programs aligning to our strategic priorities and budgetary goals.
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04/20/2013
The Marine helicopter squadron responsible for flying President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, cabinet members and other VIPs has a new aircraft: An MV-22 Osprey.
HMX-1's tilt-rotor aircraft is painted green and will be used in a support role, transporting the president's staff and the media, Marine spokesman Capt. Richard Ulsh confirmed.
Helicopters that transport the president are typically painted white on top and referred to as "white tops."
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04/20/2013
Taipei, April 19 (CNA) China's first aircraft carrier has been given a permanent base in the eastern port of Qingdao, and some of the special features of the harbor built to contain it were introduced Friday by a Hong Kong media outlet. TVB News said the harbor took five years to construct and had to overcome more than 40 major technical problems, including the installment of two specially designed giant buoyancy tanks to ensure that the carrier, the Liaoning, remains moored safely.
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04/20/2013
As the US enhances its security partnership with India as part of Asia rebalance, American companies could see "billions of dollars" in additional weapons sales to New Delhi, according to a senior US defence official. Noting that US military sales to India have grown from virtually zero in 2008 to more than $8 billion, Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, told reporters Thursday "we think there's going to be billions dollars more in the next couple of year
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04/20/2013
The idea is simple. In the air, if you can't see your enemy, he kills you. This is the poster's droll rendering of stealth technology, the sheath of radar semi-invisibility that cloaks the F-22 Raptor fighter and its first cousin, the F-35 Lightning 11, the Joint Strike Fighter, the plane slated to become the backbone of Australia's air defence.
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04/20/2013
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified agreements with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Friday extending the presence of Russian military bases in those countries.
Both bases are seen by Moscow as a bulwark against the threat of Islamist militancy and drug-trafficking in Central Asia. Moscow and Dushanbe clinched an agreement in October last year to extend the lease of the Russian Army's 201st Division's base in Tajikistan until at least 2042.
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04/19/2013
In a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry, Beijing is calling on Japan to stop sending its fighter planes against Chinese aircraft amidst heightened tensions in the territorial dispute between the two countries. Japan, in numbers released by its own defense ministry, has revealed that it had scrambled its fighters twice more in the past year than the years before that.
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04/19/2013
“Initially, a lot of heads were in the sand, thinking it wouldn’t affect us,” said Dan McLaren, who operates Mach 1 Productions, which provides airshow sound and communications services at events throughout Canada and the U.S. “But it hit home once we knew we were going to lose all of our American fly-bys, our demos, our static line participation. The Canadian military is not that big, so we rely on our American friends to fill our ramps.”
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04/19/2013
FLIR Systems Inc.'s BRITE Star DP advanced imaging system is being integrated onto aircraft for Afghanistan under the U.S. Air Force LAS program. The Brazilian aircraft, the A-29 Super Tucano, will be assembled in the United States under the Air Force's Light Air Support contract awarded in February to the Sierra Nevada Corp. and Embraer of Brazil.
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04/19/2013
The U.S. Air Force Edwards Air Force Base issued the following news release: It was a proud moment for the Edwards community when Air Combat Command announced the F-22 Raptor had resumed normal flight operations April 4, particularly for the F-22 Combined Test Force and 412th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, which played vital roles in the jet's full-force return.
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04/19/2013
The Canadian Forces mission to Mali quietly ended two weeks ago with no official announcement or explanation. Military sources say the Royal Canadian Air Force C-17 transport plane, as well as RCAF personnel in Mali assigned to the mission, returned to Canada on April 3. Military personnel were told to remain quiet about the end of the mission but were not given any explanation why it abruptly ended.
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04/19/2013
The Air Force's last four MC-130E Combat Talon I's spread their wings for a final mission from their home at Duke Field April 15. The Talons will be officially retired in a ceremony at Duke Field April 25 and the aircraft will then be flown to the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. April 25 commemorates the 33rd anniversary of the Desert One mission to free the Iranian hostages - several of the MC-130Es at Duke Field took part in that mission.
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04/19/2013
Canucks are just too darned nice and polite in the brutal business of the world grain trade.
Foreign buyers of our stuff – people who like our stuff – keep telling me that. And Canadian ag trade promoters tell me they hear the same things overseas. Foreign buyers say the Yanks, the Aussies, the Europeans and others are banging down their doors, trying to sell their wheat, vegoil crops, pork, beef, whatever. They say their stuff is the best and that our best customers should buy it instead.
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04/19/2013
The Air Force told Congress yesterday the budget sequester will lead to a marked decrease in force readiness by October, including reduced flying hours and unit stand-downs which will in turn lead to long-term degradation of combat readiness.
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04/19/2013
A showcase air combat exercise of the Indian Air Force with some of the best fighters in the world, scheduled to be held in July, has been called off after a series of budget cuts by Washington have affected the US military training programe. While the IAF has been prepared for several months for the exercise that traditionally features the very latest of air combat technology and strategy, besides combat aircraft from several nations, it was informed about the cancellation a few days ago.
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04/19/2013
Russia’s positions on the world arms market are very strong - especially, in the combat aviation sector. The jet fighters Su-30 and MiG-29 are well known in many countries, including the South East Asian countries in the first place. The demand for Russian combat aircraft remains very high due to the appearance of such clients as Algeria, Venezuela, Malaysia, Vietnam, Uganda, and Indonesia. Bangladesh is expected to appear on that list soon.
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04/19/2013
The 50th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, which will be held on June 17-23, will feature 27 national pavilions and at least 110 aircraft. Russia’s Su-35 fighter jet will be making its world premiere at the show. "The UAC will present two combat aircraft in Paris: the Yak-130, produced by the Irkut corporation, and Sukhoi's Su-35.
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04/18/2013
The increasing costs of the new U.S. F-35 fighter are scaring off foreign buyers. The latest country to express doubts about the cost and effectiveness of the F-35 versus their current jet fighters (often F-16s) is the Netherlands. Although the Dutch are buying two F-35s for evaluation, it’s already been noted that the F-35 costs 60 percent more (than the F-16, per flight hour) to operate.
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04/18/2013
Not only Syrian air defenses worried Israel when its warplanes bombed a suspected Hezbollah-bound arms convoy near Damascus on Jan. 30. Also probing the skies were the radars of an unfriendly NATO member close by: Turkey. That helped persuade Israel to end its almost three-year rift with Ankara in a U.S.-brokered reconciliation on March 22.
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04/18/2013
A senior executive at U.S. defense company Raytheon has ruled out the possibility of a U.S. governmental or congressional blockade against the delivery of a critical air defense and anti-missile system, dubbed as T-LORAMIDS, if Turkey chose the Patriot solution in multi-billion dollar international bidding.
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04/18/2013
The CH-47 Chinook’s reputation as the Army’s workhorse is built on solid ground as the government-contractor team behind the heavylift cargo helicopter continues to improve its capabilities. During a media roundtable Thursday that was conducted with members of the media primarily on teleconference to the Army Aviation Association of America annual professional forum and exposition at the Fort Worth, Texas, Convention Center.
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04/18/2013
An influential Senate Democrat on Wednesday said Congress should pass a plan that would void pending cuts to the Pentagon’s 2014 budget if Washington fails this year to craft a “grand bargain” fiscal deal. The 2011 Budget Control Act mandated that Congress and President Barack Obama would need to agree on a $1.2 trillion package of deficit-cutting measures or twin $500 billion defense and domestic cuts would be triggered.
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04/18/2013
F-15 test pilots at Robins are learning to use futuristic helmet technology. The pilots are being trained in the use of electronic helmets that essentially put the heads-up display inside the helmet, which they say offers many advantages in combat. Information such as speed, heading, altitude and the location of friendly and enemy aircraft is projected onto the helmet visor.
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04/18/2013
South Korea on Wednesday selected Boeing's AH-64E Apache Guardian to replace its aging Army helicopters, the Defense Acquisition Procurement Administration (DAPA) said. Under the 1.8 trillion won (US$1.6 billion) contract, U.S. firm Boeing will supply 36 Apache Guardians for Army battalions by 2018, along with training and logistical support, DAPA said.
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04/18/2013
Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), and Representative Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, encouraging the agency to consider the use of the Air Force's soon-to-be retired C-27J aircraft to fight wildland fires in the Rocky Mountain Region, including the Black Hills National Forest. The Air Force plans to divest the C-27J aircraft as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act Implementation Plan.
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04/18/2013
The budget at Keesler Air Force Base has been cut 20 percent by sequestration, grounding planes and reducing training, Brig. Gen. Brad Spacy said Tuesday. The commander of the 81st Training Wing spoke about the effects of sequestration at the Biloxi Chamber's Morning Call at Edgewater Mall. He said one of the biggest challenges is the across-the-board cuts came so late in the budget year.
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04/17/2013
The advent of unmanned aerial vehicles taking flight within U.S. national airspace could mean an enormous economic windfall for aviation entrepreneurs and the nation’s economy.
But a booming domestic UAV industry is desperately trying to break free of strict rules that will keep their designs grounded until 2015 at the earliest. UAV advocates are finding their message difficult to deliver, with widespread assumptions that lethal war machines will buzz their neighborhoods.
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04/17/2013
In its latest account of national defense efforts, China said Tuesday that the United States is destabilizing the Asia-Pacific region by strengthening its military alliances and sending more ships, planes, and troops to the area. The U.S. policy known as the "pivot" to Asia runs counter to regional trends and "frequently makes the situation tenser," the Defense Ministry said in its report on the state of China's defense posture and armed forces.
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04/17/2013
A senior executive at U.S. defense company Raytheon has ruled out the possibility of a U.S. governmental or congressional blockade against the delivery of a critical air defense and anti-missile system, dubbed as T-LORAMIDS, if Turkey chose the Patriot solution in multi-billion dollar international bidding.
(Read More...)
04/17/2013
The Russian aircraft manufacturer MIG said it plans to continue its decades-long cooperation with India in developing and building MiG aircraft. “The MIG corporation wants to broaden cooperation with India's public, military and research organisations,” MIG General Director Sergei Korotkov said in remarks read out from a statement at the Indian Embassy in Moscow.
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04/17/2013
Upcoming shore-based and carrier tests will help the Navy determine its acquisition strategy for the Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS), a large, carrier-based, next-generation drone with a 62-foot wingspan and high-tech sensors engineered to gather and send back images and data, service officials said. “The UCAS will be the first deployed carrier based unmanned air vehicle with persistent ISR and a strike capability,” said Navy spokeswoman Jamie Cosgrove.
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04/17/2013
The Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT), a premier training establishment under the Southern Naval Command, is forging alliance with what it terms as ‘six indigenous elements’ as part of its ‘train the trainers’ programme to keep its instructors abreast of emerging aviation technologies and practices.
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04/17/2013
The Gripen NG has much less capability than the F-35, because it is not stealth and never will be. Its range is much smaller, especially in AG configuration. The only advantage of the Gripen NG may be a lower procurement cost, but this is also very uncertain, because so far nobody has ordered the Gripen NG. The future of Gripen NG is not established. Just for comparison, the manufacturing of the 100th F-35 has been started.
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04/17/2013
Delays in the development and fielding of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have underscored the need for the U.S. military and its allies to keep current jets technologically relevant. It has not been decided whether the U.S. Air Force will outfit about 300 F-16s with Northrop Grumman’s Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) or Raytheon’s Advanced Combat Radar (RACR). Both are capability upgrades from existing systems that give pilots much greater image resolution and target recognition.
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04/17/2013
The Air Force plans to upgrade all 1,018 of its F-16s and 175 F-15C/D Eagles to keep them flying until the F-35A joint strike fighter is fully operational and new weapons systems on the F-22 Raptor are installed, according to the 2014 budget request released April 10. In the fiscal 2014 budget request, the Air Force states the service life extension for all F-16s will add eight to 10 years to each airframe.
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04/17/2013
Just days before President Obama released his fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget request, the Air Force reported that it will have to ground one-third of its aircraft due to budget constraints.
Operations and maintenance accounts will be hit particularly hard, causing the Air Force to severely restrict which of its assets will continue to operate. With U.S. military readiness already suffering from years of budget cuts, and many more years of insufficient modernization and recapitalization to come.
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04/16/2013
The US Air Force (USAF) stood down two of 48th Fighter Wing’s F-15 Eagle Squadrons, based at RAF Lakenheath, from operations yesterday. A third squadron will be kept “combat mission ready” until September. The moves comes amid steep defence cuts by the US Government, but last night councillors in Suffolk said they were confident there remained a long-term USAF commitment to the county.
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04/16/2013
The Senegalese Air Force signed a contract to acquire three A-29 Super Tucano light attack, advanced training turboprops from Embraer Defense & Security. The order includes logistical support for the operation and the installation of a training system for pilots and mechanics (TOSS) in Senegal, bringing autonomy to that country's Air Force in preparing qualified personnel. The aircraft will be deployed on border surveillance and internal security missions.
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04/16/2013
A new variant of Eurocopter's Tiger medium-weight support and protection gunship has been approved for use by the French army. The approval, in the form of military qualification by DGA, France's Directorate General of Armaments, opens the door for its production for France and awarding of a joint bilateral qualification for use by Spain from the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation, a European intergovernmental body that facilitates collaborative armament programs.
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04/16/2013
A few months after the D-Day invasion in June 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower surveyed the Normandy beaches with his son. "You'd never get away with this if you didn't have air supremacy," then 2nd Lt. John Eisenhower told his father. "Without air supremacy," the elder Eisenhower replied, "I wouldn't be here."
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04/16/2013
Plans to demonstrate autonomous aerial refueling of the Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat aircraft are a casualty of cuts in the U.S. Navy’s fiscal 2014 budget. Previous plans called for the X-47B naval unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D) to conduct autonomous Navy-style probe-and-drogue and Air Force-style boom-and-receptacle refueling tests in 2014.
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04/16/2013
The Middle East region accelerated spending by 8.3 percent over the course of 2012 despite an overall slowdown in global military expenditure last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Oman increased its expenditure by 51 percent in 2012, the largest hike posted by any country. Kuwait’s defence budget increased by 10 percent.
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04/16/2013
China can "throw'' at least 21 fighter squadrons against India, from its eight airbases in Tibet and other airfields to their north. Even more Chinese fighters can join forces if they are able to overfly Myanmar. Similarly, Pakistan can deploy 21 to 25 fighter squadrons against India.
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04/16/2013
Czech Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek will submit to the government a concept of the transport and helicopter air force counting with the purchase of two bigger planes in the latter half of 2013, he said on Prima television Sunday. He said the criticised CASA C-295 transport aircraft only meet a part of the demands soldiers place on the transport air force.
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04/16/2013
Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated the launch, guided flight, target acquisition and precision strike capability of its Nemesis missile in three flight tests at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Nemesis is a man-portable, surface-launched missile that enables warfighters to engage targets with precision lethality from as close as 100 meters to well beyond line of sight.
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04/16/2013
Boeing recently completed the first flight of the newest CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. The March 15 flight, at the Boeing helicopter facility near Philadelphia, happened ahead of schedule and confirmed initial airworthiness for the Mk6 Chinook. "This is a truly impressive achievement for both Boeing and the project team," said Capt. David Childs, Chinook Team Leader, UK Defence Equipment & Support.
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04/15/2013
U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey pilots conducted the first external lift of a Humvee from the USNS Sacagawea April 11 during exercise Freedom Banner 2013 at Subic Bay, Philippines.
U.S. Marines, sailors and civilians aboard the Sacagawea watched as the Osprey lifted the Humvee for the first time off the ship in order to demonstrate its capabilities and plan future lift operations from ship to shore.
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04/15/2013
This year's Lauderdale Air Show is facing headwinds — and possibly diminished crowds — by lack of the popular military acts that in the past set spectators roaring nearly as loud as the jets screaming above them. In its heyday, the air show featured an arsenal of high-powered military aircraft slicing the sky over Fort Lauderdale Beach. There was the Marine Harrier, the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, the Air Force B-2 stealth bomber, and Army and Navy pararchute teams.
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04/15/2013
The Indian Air Force will continue operating the MiG-29 fighters it acquired at the end of the 1980s and in the early 1990s until at least the end of the next decade. India has embarked on modernising its Soviet fighters under the MiG-29UPG programme. The main objective of the modernisation is to bring the fighters up to the capability level of the MiG-29K and the MiG-29KUB, which are currently being supplied to the Indian Navy.
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04/15/2013
After streamlining operations at its Alenia Aeronautica unit, Italy’s Finmeccanica is continuing its restructuring mission by preparing to cut more than 2,500 jobs at its Selex ES electronics unit, which employs 17,000.
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04/15/2013
The devastating impact on both America’s military preparedness and its national economy from the proposed furloughs of civilian Defense Department employees could not occur at a more dangerous moment. The move not only places a disproportionate burden on Defense personnel, it also jeopardizes the safety and the economy of the entire nation.
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04/15/2013
Germany is in talks with Israel to buy weaponized drones for its military that are seen as more technologically advanced than U.S. ones, the weekly Der Spiegel reported. The news magazine’s Monday edition said the German defense ministry had already held two meetings with Israeli military officials, in November 2012 and February 2013, on the proposed purchase.
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04/15/2013
The U.S. Navy has awarded a sole source contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) to support troubleshooting, problem resolution, and anomaly investigation associated with the Precision Global Positioning System as part of the existing Unmanned Combat Air System-Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. The Navy made the contract announcement on Friday through the Federal Business Opportunities website.
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04/15/2013
A looming test case will soon make clear how serious the defence ministry (MoD) is about its recently expressed intentions to end corruption in arms procurement by indigenising defence production. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the Bangalore-based public sector aircraft builder, has challenged the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s plan to purchase more Pilatus trainer aircraft by building a basic trainer aircraft, using its own funding.
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04/15/2013
Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territory of Poland under the international Open Skies Treaty within a period starting Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported. Russian experts will conduct the inspection flights on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between April 15 and 19, the ministry said in a statement.
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04/14/2013
The Pentagon’s $527 billion fiscal 2014 budget request further deepens the Obama administration’s focus on the Asia-Pacific, better aligning funds with the military services expecting to play major roles in that region. It continues investments in advanced stealth aircraft, such as -35 joint strike fighters and new bombers. These planes play a key role in the Defense Department’s ability to operate in denied airspace.
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04/14/2013
The US would be allowed to station forces at military bases in the Philippines if it went to war with North Korea, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Saturday citing a treaty between the allies. “Our mutual defense treaty calls for joint action if either the Philippines or the United States is attacked,” del Rosario said in comments sent to AFP at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula.
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04/14/2013
Japan has ordered aircraft to report to the US military first if they enter airspace near the main US military base in Okinawa, a report said early Saturday after fresh North Korean threats. The transport ministry notice issued late Friday was believed to be part of precautions against possible North Korean missile launches, Kyodo News agency reported.
The order refers to airspace within 30 kilometres of the Kadena base where Patriot missiles have been deployed.
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04/14/2013
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, unveiled the Bell V-280 Valor at the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America’s (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition. Bell Helicopter’s third-generation tiltrotor marks the company’s offering for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi Role/Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Technology Demonstrator (JMR/TD).
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04/14/2013
The most secretive piece of airspace in Australia - the RAAF-run Woomera flight test range in South Australia - will make history later this year when the world's first unmanned supersonic stealth combat aircraft makes its maiden test flight above the desert. Extreme secrecy surrounds the joint British-French project and the drone called Taranis, named after the Celtic god of thunder and built by a British/French consortium led by aerospace giant BAE Systems.
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04/13/2013
Earlier this month, in a rather unusual move, the Indian Air Force (IAF) strongly refuted a report that it was working on a Plan B should its negotiations fail to buy 126 combat jets from Dassault Aviation. "The CNC (Contract negotiations committee) process for acquisition of 126 MMRCA (Medium, multi-role combat aircraft) is underway and there is no thought process for any procurement as a 'back up' as reported," the Air Force said.
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04/13/2013
Sukhoi announced this week that the “design and development” (D&D) phase of the Russo-Indian prospective multifunctional fighter (PMF), also known as the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), has been completed. The aircraft is a joint development with India of the T-50 that Sukhoi has already designed and flown for the Russian Air Force. “The airplane has been shaped completely,” the manufacturer stated.
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04/13/2013
The CF-18 fighter fleet has been projected to reach its estimated life expectancy in the 2017-2020 timeframe or potentially a few years later. There is every indication Canada will continue to require a robust manned fighter capability thereafter, for operations both domestic and abroad.
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04/13/2013
See the history of military aviation come alive as the Selfridge Air Museum is now open to the public for 2013. The museum, inside the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, was established in 1979 to recover the history of Selfridge, one of the oldest continuously running military airfields in the United States. It houses historic aircraft from all military branches, both active and reserve units.
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04/13/2013
The federal government will spend $225 million to maintain the avionics systems in the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of C-130H Hercules transport aircraft. Chris Alexander, parliamentary secretary to the defence minister, made the announcement here Thursday. The H models are used in search-and-rescue operations. Four of the serviceable aircraft are located at CFB Trenton with 424 Search and Rescue Squadron.
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04/13/2013
Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Missile successfully detected, tracked and intercepted a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) in a Lower Tier Project Office flight test today at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Two PAC-3 Missiles were ripple-fired in the test per current doctrine. The first interceptor destroyed the target and the second PAC-3 Missile self-destructed as planned.
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04/13/2013
The Boeing X-48C research aircraft flew for the 30th and final time April 9, marking the successful completion of an eight-month flight-test program to explore and further validate the aerodynamic characteristics of the Blended Wing Body design concept.
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04/13/2013
Ukraine will continue its project to build Antonov An-70 tactical transport aircraft even if Russia withdraws from it, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Friday. Dmytro Kyva, president of the Ukrainian state company Antonov, said during the LAAD international aerospace and defense exhibition in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday that his company had had to suspend An-70 trials as the project’s chief partner, the Russian Defense Ministry, had again cast doubt on its participation in the proje
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04/13/2013
The Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) has announced the preliminary agenda for the 6th edition of the Dubai Air Chiefs Conference (DIAC). The conference, at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai on Saturday November 16, is an official event of the Dubai Air Show, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
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04/12/2013
U.S. Air Force officials are grounding about one-third of active-duty combat aircraft as a result of the automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestration implemented in March. The spending cuts will reduce the Air Combat Command's (ACC) operations and maintenance accounts by about 45,000 flying hours, according to the Air Force News Service. The aircraft impacted by the cuts include those assigned to fighter, bomber, aggressor and airborne warning and control squadrons.
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04/12/2013
Two F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here conducted the aircraft's first operational flights from Nellis AFB. These historic flights came less than a month after the March 19 arrival ceremony for the aircraft, but members of the 57th Maintenance Group's Lightning Aircraft Maintenance Unit and the 422nd TES have prepared for years to make the transition of the F-35A to Nellis AFB a smooth one.
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04/12/2013
John Garrison, Bell Helicopter’s president and CEO, uncovered the Bell V-280 Valor 3rd generation tiltrotor at the start of the annual U.S. Army Aviation symposium, Quad-A.
The V-280 is Bell’s offering for the Department of Defense’s Joint Multi-Role/Future Vertical Lift helicopter project, which could result in the production of more than 4,000 aircraft for the design eventually chosen. It will replace the U.S. Army’s medium helicopter fleet.
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04/12/2013
The Brazilian Air Force's fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft will receive logistics support and services from the combat aircraft's manufacturer, Embraer. The logistics contract, signed Wednesday, is for five years and is worth about $197 million and includes unexpected services. The Brazilian Air Force operates 92 of the close support turboprop fighters, which can also be used as trainers.
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04/12/2013
The Air Force wants to shed 2,640 airmen next year, according to the service’s 2014 budget request laid out Wednesday at the Pentagon. The plan would cut 1,860 billets from the active-duty force, 480 from the Air Force Reserve and 300 from the National Guard. As with all budget requests, the plan must be approved by Congress, and that process frequently involves extensive changes.
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04/12/2013
After more than a year of haggling over the details, Russia has agreed to sell China 24 Su-35 fighters. The big obstacle to this sale was the Chinese inability to assure Russia that the new Russian technology in these aircraft would not be stolen by Chinese aviation firms. Apparently a mutually agreeable compromise was worked out.
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04/12/2013
Delegations from 65 countries some of them including Defense ministers were in Rio, Brazil, for the opening of the International Defense and Security Fair, (LAAD), the largest show of military equipment in Latin America. The almost 30.000 visitors expected at the Riocentro convention center for the ninth edition of LAAD, among which 300 official delegates will be able to appreciate the latest products and systems at the stands representing 700 companies from 48 countries.
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04/12/2013
Elbit Systems of America, LLC is presenting an array of cutting edge solutions designed to enhance the capabilities of the Aviation Soldier during the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) 2013 Annual Professional Forum and Exposition. The exhibition is taking place at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, April 10-12, 2013. Elbit Systems of America welcomes visitors to booth #1121 during exhibit hours.
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04/12/2013
The Russian Air Force has approved the conceptual design and specification of its future PAK-DA strategic bomber, paving the way for development of components for the aircraft, Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Thursday. “The development of the aircraft is going as planned. The outline of its design and characteristics has been approved and all relevant documents have been signed allowing the industry to start the development of systems for this plane.
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04/12/2013
The Russian Air Force is hoping to receive a new long-range fighter-interceptor by 2020 and retire its existing fleet of MiG-31 interceptors by 2028, Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Thursday. “We have started development of a new aircraft of this type and I think we can develop this plane before the state armament program ends in 2020,” Bondarev said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers. “The new plane should replace the existing fleet by 2028,” he said.
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04/11/2013
Upgrades to the Army's CH-47 Chinook will give crews the capability to reconfigure the helicopter in flight to haul cargo or passengers, saving critical turnover time for one of the service's longtime workhorses. Each aircraft in the Army fleet of more than 400 twin-rotor Chinooks can haul 13 tons of cargo or up to 32 passengers. "There is no other helicopter in the Army inventory that can carry anywhere near that weight," said Lt. Col. Joe Hoecherl, product manager for CH-47 Modernization.
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04/11/2013
In the U.S. Navy there have long been disputes between the aviation community (the folks who operate the aircraft carriers), the submarine community, and the surface warfare (all the armed surface ships) community. One of the quieter ones has been about the best way to destroy enemy ships.
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04/11/2013
The fiscal 2014 U.S. budget plan sent to Congress by the White House on Wednesday proposes to cancel or cut several Pentagon weapons programs. The proposals must be approved by Congress, which has often reversed the administration's plans in past years, including on some of the cancellations proposed again in 2014.
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04/11/2013
Secretary of State John Kerry met with leaders of the Syrian opposition Wednesday during a conference of the Group of Eight (G-8) foreign ministers in London, Bloomberg reported. Kerry indicated that the U.S. will give more aid to the rebels attempting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
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04/11/2013
South Korea is using combat radar technology produced in Mississippi to upgrade its fighter aircraft, according to a release from U.S. Senator Thad Cochran’s office. On Wednesday, the Republic of Korea Air Force selected the Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radars produced at a Raytheon facility in Forest to upgrade the radar capabilities of 134 of its KF-16 fighters.
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04/11/2013
Helicopters and combat aircraft are what the United Nations needs most from the UAE in its peacekeeping missions. According to Richard Gowan, associate director for Crisis Diplomacy and Peace Operations at the New York University Centre on International Cooperation, USA, the UAE should help the UN’s international peacekeeping missions with what it lacks and not with what it already has.
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04/11/2013
Russian manufacturers will get a chance to display its latest advancements in aviation at the 50th Paris Air Show, which will be held on June 17-23. The show at Le Bourget will feature 27 national pavilions and at least 110 aircraft, among them the Su-35 and the Yak-130. The official spokesman for the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Boris Krylov, said: “The UAC will present two combat aircraft in Paris: the Yak-130, produced by the Irkut corporation, and Sukhoi's Su-35.
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04/11/2013
Western fighter jet manufacturers attended the 12th Langkawi Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia, anticipating the launch of that country’s delayed Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program, but recent conflict has refocused attention on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, particularly maritime surveillance.
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04/11/2013
The US military has been hard hit by sweeping budget cuts, but has not lost its capacity to stand up to an attack by North Korea, defense officials said Wednesday. “We have every capability to deal with any action North Korea would take, to protect this country, and the interests of this country, and our allies,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at a briefing on the Pentagon’s 2014 proposed budget.
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04/11/2013
Russia will complete the delivery to Brazil of 12 Mi-35 (AH-2 Sabre) attack helicopters worth $150 million by this fall, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said on Wednesday. “As of today, nine helicopters have been delivered and the remaining three will be shipped in the fall,” FSMTC director Alexander Fomin said at the LAAD 2013 defense exhibition in Rio de Janeiro.
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04/10/2013
The U.S. Marine Corps is preparing to deploy an agile, rapid crisis response force to the Mediterranean with deployable combat power, air assets, sea-basing and maritime pre-positioning capabilities, Corps leaders said March 8 at the Sea-Air-Space Expo, National Harbor, Md. "This will give senior leaders some decision space. It can integrate with an MEU and augment or compliment fleet anti-terrorism support teams.
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04/10/2013
The U.S. Air Force plans to ground about a third of its active-duty force of combat planes — including a squadron based at Hill Air Force Base — and the U.S. Navy cancelled the rest of the popular Blue Angels’ aerobatic team’s season because of automatic federal budget cuts.
The Air Force said the stand down will cover fighters, bombers and airborne warning and control aircraft in U.S., Europe and the Pacific.
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04/10/2013
A fighter pilot killed in a jet that crashed Wednesday in Afghanistan has been identified by the Defense Department as Capt. James Michael Steel of Tampa, Fla. Steel, a 29-year-old F-16 pilot, was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron out of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., a statement said.
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04/10/2013
The Boeing Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) wideband communications program has entered a new phase by delivering the first two engineering development models to the U.S. Air Force. Able to perform nearly all FAB-T production terminal mission functions, the models will be tested through June under realistic operational conditions aboard aircraft and at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
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04/10/2013
The US Air Force has begun curtailing operations of about one-third of the active-duty combat aircraft following recent budget cuts, the Air Combat Command (ACC) said in a statement on Tuesday. “The stand down is the result of cuts to Air Combat Command's operations and maintenance account, which must be implemented in part by flying approximately 45,000 fewer training hours between now and October 1,” the statement said.
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04/10/2013
The United States is capable of shooting down a missile launched by North Korea but may opt not to depending on the threat presented by such an action, the top US military commander in the Pacific said Tuesday. “If the missile was in defense of the homeland, I would certainly recommend that action. And if it was defense of our allies, I would recommend that action,” Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of US Pacific Command, told the US Senate’s armed services committee.
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04/10/2013
The US Navy has unveiled a new ship-mounted laser cannon it plans to deploy next year in the Middle East near Iran that runs off of electricity and is capable of incinerating a drone and disabling small boats at an estimated cost of less than $1 per blast. “The future is here,” Peter Morrision, a laser technology program officer at the US Office of Naval Research, said in a statement this week, adding that the laser is capable of “revolutionizing modern warfare” in the same way that “gunpowder d
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04/09/2013
After a decade collecting dust, New Zealand’s mothballed combat wing has taken to the skies again – in the United States. The air force’s fleet of Skyhawks spent more than 10 years grounded after being decommissioned. Last year eight were donated to museums across the country, and one was sent to a museum in Australia. The remaining eight were snapped up US company Draken International for $7.9 million, including spare parts and engines.
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04/09/2013
A top Brazilian air force officer has publicly vented frustration over the four-year delay by the nation's government to sign a contract for 36 new fighter aircraft, and implicated the country's industrial base for prolonging the wait. The farewell address on 4 April by Maj Gen Carlos de Almeida Baptista - the former commander of the office that sets the requirements for combat aircraft - offers a rare window inside the feelings of the air force leadership over the ongoing F-X2 programme.
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04/09/2013
The F-35 Lighting was the first choice of the Australian air force. But several thunderbolts have struck the stealth aircraft, including the arrival of new generation Sukhois that are skewing the odds against the Australians.
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04/09/2013
Lockheed Martin, the giant U.S. defence contractor, is launching a cross-Canada publicity blitz to convince Canadians to buy its F-35 stealth fighter jet — but it's simultaneously raising the price by a hefty $20 million US a plane. Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice-president for the F-35 program, said just 18 months ago that Canada would pay $65 million per plane. Now, O'Bryan tells CBC News the price is $85 million.
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04/09/2013
India and French firm Dassault Aviation on Monday decided to keep aside their sharp differences over contractual obligations and move ahead on the other aspects of the deal to procure 126 multirole combat aircraft for the IAF.
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04/09/2013
Two Hawaii-based F-22 Raptor fighter squadrons are ready for combat. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam is home to 20 F-22 Raptors. The Hawaii Air National Guard began the transition from F-15 Eagle aircraft to the F-22s in July 2010. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says the two fighter squadrons have been cleared to be able to deploy all of their aircraft. The move is a step up from last November when the two fighter squadrons attained initial operational capability status.
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04/09/2013
The F-22 Raptor is what's called a fifth-generation fighter, making it the most advanced combat aircraft as of, well, right now. But around here, we don't care about right now, we're all about what's next. And this concept from Boeing of the F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter jet could be exactly that. We've seen some hints on Boeing's vision for the future of strike aircraft.
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