January 15, 2014 Military Aviation News

Singapore to buy upgrade for its F-16 fighter jets: US

01/15/2014

Singapore is ready to invest USD 2.43 billion to modernize its F-16 fighter jets in an arms deal with the United States, the Pentagon has said. The Defense Department yesterday informed Congress of the planned sale that would involve new radar, navigation systems, missiles and other advanced equipment for Singapore's aging fleet of F-16s.

Venezuelan military downs suspected smuggling plane

01/15/2014

Venezuela's armed forces reported Tuesday that it intercepted a Cessna 210 aircraft arriving from Central America after its crew ignored orders to land. The incident occurred over the coast of the western Venezuelan state of Zulia that borders on Colombia, the head of the Strategic Operational Command, Gen. Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Twitter.

War Funding Climbs in Omnibus Bill for First Time Since 2010

01/15/2014

A massive US government spending bill introduced Monday evening would ramp up war spending for the first time in four years, and it includes billions for new weapon systems. A trillion-dollar, government-wide omnibus spending measure crafted by the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations committees includes $5 billion more for America’s overseas conflicts than requested by the White House.

U.S. to replace nuclear-powered aircraft carrier near Korea

01/15/2014

The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that it would deploy a newer nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Japan to replace USS George Washington. USS Ronald Reagan, commissioned in 2003 and currently based in San Diego, will be deployed at the Yokosuka Naval Base as part of the Pentagon's efforts to bolster combat readiness in the region. It is known to carry more than 6,000 crew members.

Dozen F-22 Raptor jets deploying to Okinawa

01/15/2014

About 12 Virginia-based F-22 Raptor fighter jets will deploy this month to Okinawa, according to an announcement posted on the 5th Air Force website. The rotational deployment to Kadena Air Base will include about 300 people from Langley Air Force Base as part of a routine assignment, according to 5th Air Force officials.

Documents and plans relating to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have been recovered from shipping containers destined for Iran

01/15/2014

The secret plans for America's - and Australia's - next stealth fighter have been recovered from boxes labelled "household goods" on their way to Iran. It's just the latest scare for the troubled multi-billion dollar Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II program. It's turned out to be the most expensive defence program in history, costing about $400 billion so far. Tens of more billions are expected to be spent in ironing out the many problems with its ultra-advanced electronics.

Sweden Considers Broader Alliances With NATO, EU

01/15/2014

Recognizing that its self-defense capabilities are becoming inadequate, Sweden is shifting its strategic policy to embrace partnerships beyond its Nordic neighborhood, including NATO and the European Union. The first step in the process was the appointment of an expert group headed by Tomas Bertelman, a former Swedish ambassador to Moscow (2009-12). The group is due to present a final report to the Ministry of Defense in October.

F-35 maintains market edge, but rivals want to catch up

01/15/2014

Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is gaining new markets but rival manufacturers are straining to upgrade their models to catch up, Aviation Week and Space Technology said. Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is the F-35's direct competitor in the U.S. defense aviation industry but the global air force market has serious contenders in Dassault Aviation's Rafale, Eurofighter's Typhoon and Saab's Gripen.

BAE gets $39m Army order for aircraft missile warning system

01/15/2014

An upgrade of BAE System’s much-used missile warning system for combat aircraft has drawn a $39 million order from the U.S. Army, which wants more than 300 of the third-generation units of the Common Missile Warning System and has already begun using them in Afghanistan, according to the company.

TAI to display T129 ATAK at BIAS 2014

01/15/2014

Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) will display the T-129 ATAK - the final evolution of the Agusta A-129 light combat helicopter - at the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS), being held later this week (16-18 January) at the Sakhir Airbase.

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