June 27, 2013 Military Aviation News

IAF long wait for state-of-the-art fighter may soon be over with induction of Sukhoi Su-30

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.

Exercise Trident Fury 2013

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.

Marines' Sequester Bill: 8,000 Troops, Ground Vehicles, Combat Aircraft

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.

Third F-35 for the UK Arrives at Eglin Air Force Base

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.

Israel Receives First C-130J Super Hercules: ‘Shimshon’

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.

Boeing Begins Assembly of 1st KC-46A Tanker Aircraft

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.

Kyrgyz Leader Finalizes US Airbase Closure

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.

China to Bolster Defense Ties With Post-Soviet States

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.”

Russia to Open Airbase in Belarus Within Months

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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