June 15, 2015 Military Aviation News

For Military Aviation, China Not Yet Rising

06/15/2015

Despite much handwringing in the US about China's next-generation aircraft technology, analysts don't expect the Pacific power to expand its grip on the global military aviation market. The obvious niche for China to target is the market filled during the Cold War by Russian equipment. For nations outside of Europe, Russia represented an alternative supplier to the US, one which was generally cheaper to procure than American equipment.

US military aid to Lebanon gains added urgency

06/15/2015

Perhaps it is not a well-known fact, but Lebanon is the fifth largest recipient of US military aid in the world. The tiny Mediterranean country enclosed between war-torn Syria and a temperamental Israeli regime south of its border has been steadily receiving military equipment over the years to protect itself from regional dangers.

Dempsey doubts wisdom of deep U.S. role in Iraq

06/15/2015

In the homestretch of a 41-year U.S. Army career shaped by war and the scars of war, Gen. Martin Dempsey sounds unconvinced that Iraq has found its path to lasting victory over the Islamic State group. But neither does the top military adviser to President Barack Obama say the threats to Iraq today justify sending American ground troops back into combat. He counsels patience, for now.

Boeing Bullish On Near-term Future for F/A-18, F-15 Upgrades

06/15/2015

With a little help from the U.S. Congress and the potential for international orders, Boeing is bullish about prospects for its international fighters. A year ago, the fate of the F/A-18 production line in St. Louis was uncertain. Pentagon orders were trailing off, and the Navy again did not formally request money for the platform for fiscal 2016.

Italy Swaps Eurofighter With M-346 for Training

06/15/2015

Italian Air Force Eurofighter pilots will fly training exercises alongside an M-346 jet trainer, which will take on the role of an "aggressor" aircraft, an Italian industrial source has said. The use of the M-346 in air combat training at Italy's Eurofighter base at Grosseto in central Italy is designed to save money which would have otherwise been spent on flying a more expensive Eurofighter in its place, the source said on the eve of the Paris Air Show.

F-35 - Beyond Stealth

06/15/2015

The arrival of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will introduce new dimensions in aerial warfare, given the unique attributes of the new 5th Generation (5GEN) fighter. While low-observable techniques are always the most obvious and outspoken about the new fighter, the F-35 has much more to offer than stealth, Lockheed Martin experts say.

US airstrike targets al-Qaida-linked militant in Libya

06/15/2015

The U.S military launched weekend airstrikes targeting and likely killing an al-Qaida-linked militant leader in eastern Libya who has been charged with leading the attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2013 that killed at least 35 hostages, including three Americans. The Libyan government said warplanes targeted and killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar and several others in eastern Libya. A U.S. official said two F-15 fighter jets launched multiple 500-pound bombs in the attack.

Royal Air Force raids on IS leave ONE THIRD of fighter jets out of action

06/15/2015

Ministry of Defence figures show that 36 of the 91 Typhoon fighters and 39 of 96 Tornados are grounded needing repairs. RAF sources say campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have taken a heavy toll on fighter aircraft. The £10million Tornados, dating back to 1978, have taken a “real battering” attacking Islamic State positions in Iraq almost daily since last summer. As the Iraq crisis worsens, even more planes could be needed

T-X Trainer Grows Into Fighter Territory

06/15/2015

A trainer doesn’t have to be the fastest, biggest or stealthiest aircraft ever, just predictable, reliable and economical. Air forces nevertheless have a long history of getting trainer programs wrong. The problem is usually the requirement. The U.S. Air Force’s T-X requirement, seeking a replacement for the Northrop Grumman T-38, has been evolving steadily since the first industry teams formed in 2010-11 – in the direction of a bigger and more expensive aircraft.

Plane Makers Scramble for Survival in Fighter-Jet Market

06/15/2015

Western combat-jet makers from Boeing Co. to the Eurofighter consortium are scouring for new export deals that could prove crucial to extending production lines at risk of closing. A string of deals for fighter aircraft is redrawing the global battle lines among the world’s leading military aircraft makers, leaving those left empty-handed scrambling to reverse their fortunes or face a market exit.

All Articles