July 29, 2016 Military Aviation News

A Russian Victory In Iraq

07/29/2016

Russia is very satisfied with the combat performance of its new generation of armed helicopters. That’s because these new helicopters are performing well in Iraq, where they are not being flown by Russians but by Iraqis. This is a big deal because Russia needs export sales and evidence that locals can handle this new tech in combat is a big selling point.

Naval Air: MQ-25A, The F-35 Replacement

07/29/2016

The U.S. Navy has made it official in early July 2016 and announced what it will call its first carrier-based unmanned combat aircraft. This UCAS (unmanned combat air system) will be called the MQ-25A Stingray and it will enter service in the early 2020s. All this comes after a decade of design, development and test flights. The UAV that made the MQ-25A possible rolled out as the X-47B in 2008.

B-1 bombers will deploy to Guam for first time in a decade

07/29/2016

The Air Force is preparing to send B-1 bombers to Guam for the first time in a decade. The Lancers from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and approximately 300 airmen will deploy on Aug. 6 to Andersen Air Force Base as part of the military's continuous bomber presence mission in the Pacific, according to an Air Force release. The bombers were last in the region in April 2006.

Surprise Bid For Two New Planes Could Wreck Air Force Modernization Plan

07/29/2016

When Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James was asked this week about a surprise proposal from within her service to squeeze two new aircraft types into an already overcrowded modernization plan, she said she hadn't seen the proposal and then asked the obvious question: "Where would we get the money?"

Netherlands, Luxembourg agree joint A330 MRTT buy

07/29/2016

A multinational initiative to acquire a pooled fleet of Airbus A330 multirole tanker/transports has edged closer to take-off, with the Netherlands and Luxembourg agreeing to buy an initial two examples.

PICTURES: First flight for Israel's F-35A Adir

07/29/2016

Lockheed Martin completed the first flight of an F-35A Adir for the Israeli air force on 25 July, just one month after rolling the aircraft out at its Fort Worth site in Texas on 22 June.

UAV incursion strengthens Israeli sales ban with Moscow

07/29/2016

The incursion of an Israeli-made unmanned air vehicle into that nation’s airspace from inside Syria on 17 July has provided the authorities in Washington with another reason to block future sales of such equipment to Moscow.According to the Israeli military, the origin of the intruding UAV has not been verified, but sources suggest that it was probably a Searcher 2 designed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) which was being operated by Russian forces deployed within Syria.

Russia, China to Hold Joint South China Sea Drills in September

07/29/2016

Russia and China will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said Thursday. "Based on the consensus reached by the parties, the Chinese and Russian navies will hold joint Sea Cooperation-2016 exercises in the South China Sea in September," Yang told a briefing, noting that the drills "are not aimed at third countries."

Over Kerry's Head: Why Russia is Delivering Its Upgraded Su-24M2s to Syria

07/29/2016

The Syrian Air Force has received its first two upgraded Sukhoi Su-24M2 all-weather attack aircraft from Russian armories. According to media reports, they are expected to improve the combat capabilities of Syrian air power in the fight against the terrorists. However, according to experts, Moscow and Damascus may also have a hidden motive.

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