August, 2016 Military Aviation News
08/31/2016
Enlisted airmen from all career fields may now apply to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Air Force said Monday in a move that potentially opens the opportunity to pilot the unarmed intelligence-gathering drone to tens of thousands of more airmen. The announcement comes just over a month after the Air Force released details of how the service planned to retrain a select group of enlisted airmen to fly the Global Hawk.
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08/31/2016
Operation Odyssey Lightning kicked off on Aug. 1, when the U.S. launched a new round of air strikes against Islamic State positions in northern Libya following a request by the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat Daesh in Sirte.
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08/31/2016
In March 2016, President Barack Obama made an official visit to Argentina where he was feted by the recently elected President Mauricio Macri. The visit was not without controversies, coinciding as it did with the 40th anniversary of the March 24, 1976 military coup that plunged Argentina into years of a repressive dictatorship. Another controversy got buried in the furore over the timing of the visit – the fact that the Argentine Air Force did not have a single operational fighter to escort.
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08/31/2016
Syrian warplanes were dropping bombs just “several hundred meters” away from U.S. Special Forces troops operating alongside Kurdish troops on Aug. 18, a top U.S. general said Tuesday.
Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, spoke publicly for the first time about the unprecedented incident that sparked a standoff between the U.S. and Syrian air forces.
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08/31/2016
In a recent interview with Business Insider, Justin Bronk, a research fellow specializing in combat airpower at the Royal United Services Institute, dropped a bombshell about the US's $1 trillion F-35 program: "The F-35 cannot out dogfight a Typhoon (or a Su-35), never in a million years."
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08/31/2016
The North American P-51 Mustang was one of the greatest fighters of World War II. Had life worked out differently, the Mustang could also have fought in Vietnam and flown against a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. In fact, it might even have replaced the A-10 Warthog.
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08/31/2016
A provision within the House of Representative’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2017 could affect the development of emerging technologies for major defence acquisition programmes, including the Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber.
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08/30/2016
Russian Defense Ministry reports that Aerospace forces of Central and Western military districts have been relocated to bases in Southern military district as a part of snap combat readiness inspection, Sputnik International reported.
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08/30/2016
Key West is on the U.S. Navy's short list to become its East Coast home base for a drone system, a project requiring up to 400 military personnel, and locals have a 30-day period starting Sept. 1 to weigh in. Naval Air Station Key West is one of three sites under consideration, joining Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville and Virginia's NASA Wallops Flight Facility to build a launch and recovery base for four MQ-4C Triton drones.
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08/30/2016
This afternoon at around 2.30pm the single-seat Swiss Air Force aircraft went missing. The aircraft was one of two which was out on a training exercise. A rescue team was immediately activated to find the F/A-18 Hornet.
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08/30/2016
A recent patent application reveals one issue Boeing overcame to develop KC-46A Pegasus tanker’s wing aerial refueling pod (WARP) system. The Cobham WARP mounted on the outboard wings of the tanker can refuel more than one aircraft simultaneously with 1,514l (400gal) of fuel per minute. The US Air Force will buy 94 KC-46 tankers through fiscal 2021 and 42 WARP sets.
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08/30/2016
The US Air Force awarded a $39 million contract to Northrop Grumman to develop the laser beam control portion of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s podded electric laser concept for fifth- and sixth-generation fighter jets.
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08/30/2016
With ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and on the Korean peninsula, Beijing has deemed its third-generation surface-to-air missile combat-ready. In the latest sign of a new arms race between the United States and China, Beijing’s Air Force has announced the completion of a new missile defense system.
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08/30/2016
India’s Defense Minister visits Washington on Monday and at the top of his wish list is to push the Obama administration to provide New Delhi with lethal drone technology – a request defense analysts believe will be granted.
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08/30/2016
Russian pilots will carry out an observation flight this week over the territory of Poland, Sergei Ryzhkov, head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said Monday.
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08/27/2016
While Russia has deployed advanced warplanes to Syria including the Sukhoi Su-30SM, Su-34 and Su-35S, those jets are seldom seen carrying Moscow’s latest air-to-air weapons. More often than not, the Su-30SM Flanker-H and Su-34 Fullback are spotted armed with Soviet-era R-27 semi-active radar and infrared-guided medium range air-to-air missiles.
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08/27/2016
The Su-25 Frogfoot, known as the Grach or “Rook” by Russian pilots, is one of those aircraft that may not be at the cutting edge of technology, but still has seen widespread service around the world because it offers an effective and useful solution to the need to blast targets on the ground.
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08/27/2016
To celebrate the Russian Aerospace Force Day, the Russian MoD has published an interesting clip showing some of its most advanced combat planes including the newest Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter PAK FA – Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii—Future Tactical Air System.
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08/27/2016
“The additional aircraft is being procured as a replacement for the one that was lost in an accident in March 2014,” says a source familiar with the matter. Another source corroborates the decision. The DAC is headed by defence minister Manohar Parrikar.
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08/27/2016
The five year ordering contract (FYOC) accommodates orders placed by international and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) tells FlightGlobal. The contracting vehicle also could include new orders from the US government, the AFLCMC says.
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08/27/2016
Boeing has been contracted to upgrade the underwater intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance capability of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3K2 Orions.
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08/27/2016
Even though it looks much like its predecessor, the Mi-28NM boasts the latest and most innovative materials available and is armed with the most advanced active defense systems money can buy.
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08/27/2016
The Russian Aerospace Forces’ fighter, bomber and army aircraft are readying to redeploy to tactical airfields across the Southern, Western and Central military districts, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.
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08/26/2016
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been hailed as the 'most expensive weapon in history,' and with a price tag of $400 billion for 2,457 planes, the fifth-generation fighter has been plagued with issues.
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08/26/2016
Russian fighter jets of the Western Military District are patrolling Russia’s western borders as part of nationwide snap combat readiness inspections, the district’s press service informs.
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08/25/2016
An American global security and aerospace company's offer to shift all of its F-16 manufacturing to India could give New Delhi partial control, along with the US, over which countries are able to purchase the jets and spare, according to a media report.
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08/25/2016
India has yet to hand over the last of four Mi-25 (Mi-24D) helicopter gunships to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) due to missing parts from Russia, according to local media reports. The helicopter is currently grounded at the Indian Air Force station in Pathankot in the Indian state of Punjab.
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08/25/2016
Forty-five Colombian Airmen and four Colombian Air Force A-29B Super Tucanos are operating from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., as part of Exercise Green Flag East Aug. 15-29. The Colombian contingent arrived Aug. 13 and immediately started engaging with their U.S. Air Force counterparts in order to prepare for the two-week exercise.
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08/25/2016
Champions of the Fairchild Republic A-10 may be able to eke out a few more years for the Warthog following the release of a government report criticising the US Air Force’s plan to retire the aircraft.
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08/25/2016
A recent memo from the Pentagon’s top weapons tester throws cold water on the US Air Force’s initial operational capability announcement earlier this month, which declared the Lockheed Martin F-35A equipped with Block 3i software could provide basic capabilities.
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08/25/2016
The surface is the last of three unprepared landing strips that the company is certifying the aircraft to operate from, and involved aircraft MSN2 performing three weeks of testing in August.
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08/25/2016
“The US Air Force and the Bulgarian Air Force will jointly conduct air policing to protect Bulgarian airspace starting on 9 September 2016,” the release stated. “Two US F-15 fighter jets will join Bulgaria’s MIG-29s for a week on this mission.”
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08/25/2016
The chairman of the Iranian parliamentary committee on foreign policy and national security confirmed Wednesday that Iran had received S-300 air defense systems from Russia.
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08/25/2016
The Indian government may spend $223 billion by 2027 to acquire new weapon systems in order to increase the military preparedness of the country's Armed Forces, according to the NDTV broadcaster.
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08/24/2016
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
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08/24/2016
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim rattled NATO allies with recent remarks suggesting that Russian warplanes could share Incirlik Air Base with the U.S. before adding that it wasn't likely to happen. Moscow hasn't asked to use Incirlik, and "Russia doesn't need to use the base. They have bases in Syria," Yildirim told foreign reporters in Istanbul on Saturday, according to Turkish news outlets. "Russia had no demands to use Incirlik Air Base. Those reports are not true."
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08/24/2016
Iran`s Ministry of Defense (MoD) is planning to start negotiations with Russia over the acquisition of Sukhoi combat aircraft, Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan said in an interview to an Iranian TV channel on August 22.
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08/24/2016
Following an airworthiness assessment of Textron AirLand’s dual light attack fighter and trainer, Scorpion, the US Air Force is moving toward a second cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Lockheed Martin.
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08/24/2016
In its latest missile test, North Korea has reportedly launched a projectile from a submarine, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The launch occurred from a vessel in the Sea of Japan, off North Korea's eastern coast, officials with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told Yonhap.
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08/24/2016
Afghanistan has prepared a list of lethal military equipment it wishes to acquire from India as military assistance but there are plenty of reasons why India will not be able to grant the wish without Russia's support.
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08/24/2016
A video filmed from the cockpit of a MiG-29SMT fighter jet engaged in a mock dogfight was recently released by the press service of Russia’s Western Military District.The fight was filmed by two GoPro cameras – one was installed on a cockpit canopy while the other was mounted on pilot's helmet.
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08/23/2016
These were the mainstay of colonial empires east of Suez for many decades. With China announcing its “largest flying boat in the world” and India placing orders for 18 from Japan, the strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific oceanic region is about to become murkier than ever.
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08/23/2016
The Russian military said on Monday its aircraft operating from an Iranian air base to conduct strikes in Syria had completed their tasks, but left open the possibility of using the Hamadan base again if circumstances warranted. Iran's Foreign Ministry said Russia had stopped using the base for strikes in Syria, bringing an abrupt halt to an unprecedented deployment that was criticized both by the White House and by some Iranian lawmakers.
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08/23/2016
A weapons integration facility to manufacture Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), said to be the first-of-its-kind in the country in the private sector, will be set up in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh at a total cost of Rs 2,135 crore.
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08/23/2016
With the aide of its new Block 3F software, the Lockheed Martin F-35 recently completed twelve weapons delivery accuracy and 13 weapon separation events during a month-long weapon test on the US West Coast.
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08/23/2016
Boeing has delivered to the Republic of Korea an Apache Longbow Crew Trainer that the country’s Army air crews will use to prepare for the AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters that Boeing begins delivering later this year.The system uses the Apache’s flight software and matured flight and avionics simulation models to create an accurate training environment that increases mission readiness.
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08/23/2016
Russia’s first plane with a long-range surveillance and control system will make its maiden flight in 2018, the local media cited a military source as saying Monday. The airborne A-100 Premier system will be set on an Ilyushin Il-76MD plane for the first test run due next year. It was dubbed an airborne lab and given the codename A-100LL.
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08/22/2016
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
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08/22/2016
Three Chinese military planes "briefly" flew into an overlapping air defense intensification zone of South Korea and China amid tensions between the two countries over Seoul's decision to place a missile defense system on its soil, a military source in Seoul said Monday.
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08/22/2016
The U.S. military on Friday dispatched two F-22 Raptors stealth fighter jets to intercept a pair of Syrian Su-24 Fencer aircraft that flew in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, according to news accounts citing an unnamed Pentagon official.
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08/22/2016
As Japan prepares to officially announce its record-high $51.7 billion military budget proposal, it seeks to double the payload of its 200 F-15 jet fighters in an attempt to cool down Chinese military presence near southern Japanese islands.
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08/22/2016
The US forces commander in Syria Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend says Moscow and Damascus have been informed about possible countermeasures should the coalition troops in Syria “feel threatened”.
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08/22/2016
US and Ukrainian inspectors will fly over Russian territories this week under the Open Skies Treaty, the acting head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said.
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08/22/2016
The Chinese Ambassador to Japan warned that Beijing would not concede on the demand or relinquish their sovereignty over the South China Sea even if it meant the two countries went to war.
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08/18/2016
Syrian government aircraft hit the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Daraya with incendiary bombs for the third straight day on Wednesday, according to local council members, who said the weapons were packed with substances akin to napalm. Incendiary bombs emit bright light that resembles fireworks and ignite persistent fires, heating to temperatures up to 10 times the boiling point of water.
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08/18/2016
Russian military aircraft on Tuesday and Wednesday targeted rebel positions in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria. Not much new in that—except the Kremlin made a point of announcing that the bombers are flying out of an air base in western Iran.
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08/18/2016
Russian fighter-interceptors MiG-31 and Su-24 bombers stationed in the Urals and Western Siberia have been relocated to the Perm region for military drills, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday. "The pilots are practicing reacting to a massive missile strike, as well as protecting aircrafts from air attacks in the Central Military District. Crews of MiG-31 will perform the role of an imaginary enemy," the ministry said.
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08/18/2016
Chinese media is hyping the "growing combat capabilities" of China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (CV-16), but has omitted mentioning the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) classifies this outdated carrier as a training ship that likely won't go to war given its many deficits.
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08/18/2016
BAE Systems Plc’s deal to develop Turkey’s first home-built fighter jet has been delayed as the U.K. assesses the aftermath of the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to people familiar with the situation. Formal details of the cooperation with Turkish Aerospace Industries on the jet, dubbed the TF-X, may be announced only toward the end of the year, the people said. The agreement had originally been expected within the next few weeks, two of the people said.
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08/18/2016
The US Navy continued a three-year campaign to build the Lockheed Martin F-35C’s sea legs with the third and last shipboard deployment of the development test phase for the carrier-based variant starting on 14 August.
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08/18/2016
Three US Air Force strategic power projection bombers — the B-52, B-1 and B-2 — participated in their first integrated operation in the South China Sea, the US Pacific Command (PACOM) said in a statement on Wednesday. This was the first time all three bombers flew a formation pass over Andersen Air Force Base, dispersed and then simultaneously conducted operations in the South China Sea and Northeast Asia," PACOM stated.
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08/18/2016
Russia uses a western Iranian airbase only to refuel its long-range strategic bombers striking Daesh terrorist group targets in Syria, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday.
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08/17/2016
Judging by fresh reports, China won’t be folding to stern threats over the South China Sea any time soon. In a bold move that would be sure to raise tensions, the emerging superpower may be ramping up its attempt to reclaim the Scarborough Shoal, a key disputed territory in the area. On the weekend, the South China Morning Post reported that the country could begin reclamation work in the shoal as early as next month.
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08/17/2016
The Afghan air force is limited not only by its size. Despite numbering only 130 aircraft, there are not enough pilots and crews to fly them all. The shortage is hampering Afghan security forces' ability to fight Taliban terrorists, who are once again gaining territory in the north and south of the country. Troops on the ground are crying out for more air support, which ranges from firing on the enemy to evacuating casualties from the battlefield.
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08/17/2016
Navy pilots say piloting the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on to the flight deck of U.S. aircraft carrier is almost like flying a plane that flies itself. The software aboard the new fighter could enable the military to train pilots faster and, in the event of a major conflict, possibly fly more sorties against the enemy.
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08/17/2016
The slick presentation from the Russian Ministry of Defence was recently released to mark Air Force Day. In it Russia’s most advanced combat aircraft can be seen being put through their paces. There’s the Mig-29KUB naval fighter, which we’re likely to see a lot more of in coming months if Russia’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, is deployed to Syria next month as announced.
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08/17/2016
Russia launched a fleet of bombers bound for Syria on Tuesday from an Iranian air base, becoming the first foreign military to operate from Iran’s soil since at least World War II. Russian use of the base, with Iran’s obvious support, appeared to set back or at least further complicate Russia’s troubled relations with the United States, which has been working with Russia over how to end the Syria conflict.
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08/17/2016
MBDA has been awarded a £184 million ($238 million) contract for the provision of advanced short range air-to-air missiles (ASRAAMs) for the UK’s Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.
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08/17/2016
Two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicles have demonstrated the system’s ability to track missiles, during ballistic defence testing in Hawaii.
The test was carried out in late June, during the Pacific Dragon exercise at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai: a multilateral ballistic missile defence training event involving the US Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and the South Korean navy.
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08/17/2016
Amid ongoing tensions in the East China Sea, Japan’s coast guard has released video showing Chinese vessels entering disputed waters near the Senkaku Islands. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that Tokyo has plans to develop new land-to-sea missiles to be deployed to the southernmost point of Okinawa prefecture. With a range of 186 miles, the projectiles could easily reach the Senkakus.
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08/17/2016
Turkey could provide its Incirlik airbase for the Russian Aerospace Forces jets in the anti-terrorist campaign in Syria, member of Russia’s upper house of parliament Igor Morozov said Tuesday. He clarified that the decision could be taken based on similar agreements made with Syria on the use of the Hmeymim facility and the latest use of the Hamadan airfield in western Iran to carry out airstrikes against terrorist groups in Syria.
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08/17/2016
US forces ensured the safety of Russian bombers en route to Syria from an Iranian airbase as the aircraft traversed areas controlled by the US-led coalition, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Col. Christopher Garver said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
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08/16/2016
I have been asked to compare the venerable American F-15 Eagle fighter to Russia’s new competitor for the crown of best Fourth Generation fighter, the Su-35S “Flanker E.” The former is the airplane that in many ways defined what a Fourth Generation fighter can do. Introduced in the 1970s, it has been extensively updated to keep with the times—and hundreds will remain in service for decades to come.
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08/16/2016
The Israel Air Force will be taking part in the Red Flag advanced combat training exercise beginning Monday in the United States, along with additional aerial forces including those of Pakistan and the Emirates. The advanced training exercise, during which fighter jets simulate combat involving coalition forces, will take place at the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada.
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08/16/2016
Chief of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) reacted on Sunday with a ‘broad smile’ here when his attention was drawn toward Pakistan’s arch enemy India’s video shot wherein pride of the PAF JF-17 Thunder was shown with Indian tri-colour flag on Indian Independence Day celebrations promotional video.
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08/16/2016
A 30-year-old Navy F/A-18 Hornet jet that’s been through combat duty as well as a dozen years with the Blue Angels is being packed up in Florida for ground delivery to Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Museum spokesman Ted Huetter told GeekWire that the partially disassembled airplane will travel from the Blue Angels’ home base at Pensacola Naval Air Station by truck. “It is going to be making its way across the country this week,” he said today.
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08/16/2016
Since April 2011, when the Indian Air Force (IAF) shortlisted the Eurofighter and Rafale for purchase, Swedish company Saab has believed its JAS-39 Gripen fighter was unfairly eliminated from that globally watched tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). Similarly, US aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin, which had offered an F-16 Block 50/52 variant called the Super Viper, feels hard done by.
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08/16/2016
For Navy pilot Lt. Graham “Boss” Cleveland, landing the Navy’s new Joint Strike Fighter aboard a moving aircraft carrier was a relief. That relief came not because landing the Navy’s new fighter is more difficult – it comes with a program called Delta Flight Path that functions as a sort of cruise control for the aircraft, which can help to make that crucial step easier – but because this day has been a long time coming.
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08/16/2016
India and Russia made significant progress in the discussions for modernisation of all Su-30 fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the visit of a Russian team last month. An agreement is possible by the year-end, senior officials say. “Discussions were held last month, and significant ground was covered. We hope to conclude the deal soon,” a top official told The Hindu.
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08/16/2016
A top Pentagon official has cleared the US Air Force to advance the Boeing KC-46A tanker programme into low-rate production on a delayed schedule. Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics, approved the KC-46A programme on 12 August to pass Milestone C, an acquisition milestone signifying a transition from building prototypes for flight test to making production aircraft for delivery to operational squadrons.
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08/16/2016
As Lockheed Martin prepares to send Joint Strike Fighters to customers around the world, Japan has released a photo of its first F-35 purchase at the production facility in Texas.Deemed combat-ready earlier this month, the F-35A variant will soon be delivered to international partners. On Sunday, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) published a photo of a newly completed fighter that, after completing flight tests at Luke Air Force Base, will be distributed to Japan.
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08/16/2016
Russia's the manufacturing firm Kuznetsov plans to produce an initial batch of the upgraded Kuznetsov NK-32.02 aircraft engines by the end of 2016, according to media reports.
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08/15/2016
Last week, during an official visit to India, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, asked the Indian government to step up its military aid to Afghanistan, particularly in the field of combat aviation, according to local media reports.
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08/15/2016
Air Force pilots today are receiving about half the home-station training that new Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said he received when he was a captain flying F-16s. “On average I would go to three flag exercises a year, plus I would do a rotation with the National Training Center, with the Army, and that would be a normal battle rhythm,” Goldfein said Wednesday during his ‘State of the Air Force’ briefing at the Pentagon with Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.
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08/15/2016
Tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea and with Beijing increasingly desperate to fundamentally alter the balance of power in the wake of The Hague ruling the possibility for a conflict in one of Asia's most dangerous flash points has never been greater.
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08/15/2016
Six Russian long-range bombers hit Daesh (known colloquially as ISIS) positions outside Deir ez-Zor destroying the terror network’s command centers, ammunition depots, and numerous tanks. The terrorists suffered major casualties in the airstrike according to the Defense Ministry.
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08/15/2016
The Russian Defense Ministry reports that since the beginning of the year the Russian Aerospace Forces have received over 30 new advanced aircraft along with over 30,000 units of aircraft weapons.
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08/15/2016
Russian air base Hmeymim in Syria is necessary to fight against militants' positions on country's distant outskirts, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday. The Hmeymim air base began operations in September 2015, when Russia started its counter-terrorist aerial campaign in Syria.
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08/14/2016
The US Defense Department's latest financial-management report on reimbursement rates offers a glimpse of how much it costs to fly America's Air Force and Navy planes per flight hour. The annual report from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) lists rates for "other DoD component user," which are aircraft handled within the Defense Department and "all other user rates" which are for services outside the federal government.
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08/14/2016
According to a number of Sri Lankan news media outlets, the Government of Sri Lanka has greenlit the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF)’s request for a squadron – potentially eight to twelve – new multi-role fighter aircraft (Colombo Gazette and Daily News). Currently, the SLAF’s operable fighter fleet is comprised of a lone Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfir, a multi-role Mirage 5 derivative powered by the General Electric J79 turbojet.
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08/14/2016
Causing embarrassment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to mark the 70th year of independence with nationwide celebrations, the Indian Ministry of Culture ended up using pictures of fighter jet JF-17, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, flying with the tricolour, in its independence day promotional video, reported Indian Express on Saturday.
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08/14/2016
I have been asked to compare the venerable American F-15 Eagle fighter to Russia’s new competitor for the crown of best Fourth Generation fighter, the Su-35S “Flanker E.” The former is the airplane that in many ways defined what a Fourth Generation fighter can do. Introduced in the 1970s, it has been extensively updated to keep with the times—and hundreds will remain in service for decades to come.
(Read More...)
08/14/2016
With this situation the government of Mauricio Macri is considering options, which include Italian aircraft and even a squadron of French Mirage F 1 to be supplied in very generous conditions by Paris. One of the aircraft which has been named is Italy's Aermacchi M-346 Master, but allegedly they are too expensive in money value. Some US$ 30 million each plus a completely new tooling and training program.
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08/14/2016
The Ministry of Defense released incredibly footage of the next generation T-50 fifth generation fighter jet as well as a number of other high performance Russian aircrafts to celebrate Russia’s Aerospace Forces.
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08/14/2016
Tensions in the South China Sea resulting from The Hague arbitrational court’s ruling against China’s longstanding claim to the disputed area are at risk of spilling over with rhetoric and tactics escalating.
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08/14/2016
Beijing recently produced its eleventh "carrier killer" destroyer and is set to deploy a fleet of the fearsome battleships to the South China Sea in an attempt to ward off American naval forces.
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08/13/2016
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
(Read More...)
08/13/2016
India has scaled down its largest ever maritime search as chances diminish of finding a missing military aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The AN32 transport plane with 29 persons onboard disappeared from radar off the Chennai coast on July 22.
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08/13/2016
Amid reports of Ukrainian military buildup along the border, Russia has announced the deployment of an S-400 air defense system into the Crimean Peninsula. The advanced missile system is designed to prevent enemy combat aircraft access to the surrounding airspace.
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08/13/2016
The ability to deploy live explosives and skirt land threats in a multinational air combat exercise have helped Singapore's air force greatly, said key personnel involved. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has also been able to strengthen its ties with militaries from other nations participating in the exercise, called Pitch Black, the largest multilateral air combat exercise held in the Australian continent.
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08/13/2016
Team Edwards accomplished another first recently by executing a clean separation of three Joint Attack Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs, from the internal weapons bay of a B-52 Stratofortress here. The aircraft has long been capable of carrying JASSMs on its wing pylons, but this is the first time they have been successfully released from Conventional Rotary Launcher in the internal bay.
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08/13/2016
No one has more friends in Washington than the A-10 Thunderbolt, an aged attack plane made famous by its 30-millimeter Gatling cannon and durability—both in battle in the Middle East and in skirmishes between Congress and the U.S. Air Force.
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08/13/2016
The Department of Defense announced that the US Navy has ordered Aegis systems costing nearly half a billion dollars’ for the navies of Japan and South Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program.
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08/13/2016
Swedish defense firm SAAB had offered to set up a production unit in India to collaborate with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the co-development of the Tejas MK1A fighter aircraft.
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08/13/2016
Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev said that the construction of sixth generation of jet fighters is not far off. Russia is simultaneously developing both manned and unmanned sixth-generation jet fighters, Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev said Friday.
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08/12/2016
Russia plans to expand its Hmeymim Air Base in Syria to ensure that its operations run smoothly and to enhance its security by adding extra aprons, building barracks and a hospital, as well as assigning extra space for large transport aircraft, etc., an unnamed source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Izvestiya.
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08/12/2016
Large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the signature expression of American military power. No other combat system available to U.S. warfighters comes close to delivering so much offensive punch for months at a time without requiring land bases near the action. As a result, the ten carriers in the current fleet are in continuous demand from regional commanders - so much so that extended overseas combat tours are becoming the norm.
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08/12/2016
Last week China’s defense minister, General Chang Wanquan, implored the nation to ready itself for a “people’s war at sea.” The purpose of such a campaign? To “safeguard sovereignty” after an adverse ruling from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The tribunal upheld the plain meaning of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ruling that Beijing’s claims to “indisputable sovereignty” spanning some 80-90 percent of the South China Sea are bunk.
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08/12/2016
The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of fifth-generation fighter jets, the F-35A Lightning II, combat ready earlier in August. This remarkably advanced and powerful single-seat, single-engine fighter features advanced situational awareness, stealth, speeds of about 1,200 mph and much, much more— and it’s designed to be capable of a range of missions with just one aircraft.
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08/12/2016
Airbus Defence & Space has moved a step closer to securing an Indian contract for 56 C295W medium transports, with in-country flight trials of the type having been completed.
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08/12/2016
The latest contract for Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon includes a new software capability for the US Navy’s aircraft that will automatically correlate data from sources including sea search radars and electromagnetic spectrum sensors.
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08/12/2016
As Beijing continues its land reclamation projects in the South China Sea, Washington has remained adamant about one island in particular: Scarborough Shoal. Located northeast of the Spratly archipelago, it is claimed by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and the US has maintained that any attempts to militarize the shoal would cross a "red line."
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08/12/2016
The 1.5-minute footage of a Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) long-range bomber carrying out a strike was uploaded to the Ministry’s official Facebook page.
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08/12/2016
The Russian Helicopters holding signed a contract to deliver aviation equipment the Air Force of Peru’s Mi-35 attack helicopters with transport capabilities, the company said Thursday.
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08/12/2016
The United States will use its nuclear-capable bombers, sent earlier to the US Pacific island territory of Guam for the upcoming military drills with South Korea, under its scenario to launch a preemptive nuclear attack on North Korea, the Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency reported.
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08/12/2016
The AC-208 Combat Caravan is a missionized Cessna 208 aircraft supplied to the Iraqi Air Force by the US government. The aircraft is also operated in reconnaissance (RC-208B) and trainer aircraft (TC-208B) variants in Iraq. The contract will see Orbital provide sustained CLS services including maintenance and support training for the modified aircraft fleet. Also included are spare parts, component repair, publication updates, maintenance training and logistics.
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08/11/2016
On Aug. 9, three B-2 Spirit bombers with the 509th Bomb Wing, have deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, in Guam, to conduct extended deterrence operations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific theater, where China is conducting a pseudomilitary campaign of expansion into the East and South China Seas.
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08/11/2016
An F-22 pilot from Florida is safe after an undisclosed landing mishap Saturday at Hill Air Force Base. Base spokesman Micah Garbarino said an F-22 Raptor based out of Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., experienced "a ground emergency upon landing" at approximately 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6. Garbarino said the pilot, who was visiting Hill for a large scale training exercise, exited the aircraft safely. The pilot did not have to eject from the plane, he said.
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08/11/2016
The U.S. Air Force faces a shortfall of 700 fighter pilots by the end of the year and as many as 1,000 pilots within a few years, Air Force officials said Wednesday. “It is a crisis,” said Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff. “Air superiority is not an American birthright. It’s actually something you have to fight for and maintain.”
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08/11/2016
The Indian Navy's primary fighter operating from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya faces operational deficiencies due to defects in engines, airframes and fly-by-wire systems, according to a report by India's autonomous auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). However, Indian Navy officials say the Russian-made MiG-29K remains the best choice available.
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08/11/2016
Sri Lanka will shortly call proposals to buy at least eight multi-role combat aircraft to replace its ageing fleet used during a civil war which ended in 2009, the bulk of which is now grounded, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. Though the Sri Lanka Air Force had seven Israeli-made Kafir aircraft on its books only one was now operations, he said.
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08/11/2016
South Korea has set a timeline for the development of an indigenous active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to be use aboard the planned KFX fighter.
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08/11/2016
In preparation for upcoming joint military exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Israel has sent a fleet of fighters and refueling jets to fly alongside US, Pakistani, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) aircraft.
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08/11/2016
Escalating tensions in an already volatile region, Vietnam appears to have deployed rocket launchers to disputed territories within the South China Sea, well within range of Beijing’s land reclamation projects.
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08/11/2016
The upgraded combat features on board the flagship of the South China Sea fleet impress Western defense analysts, as Beijing threatens to aggressively defend the disputed territories.
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08/10/2016
The Russian navy’s only carrier, the 59,000-metric ton Admiral Kuznetsov, is being modified to enable operations of MiG-29K/KUB strike fighters against targets in Syria. The work is due to be completed within the next few months. During its first combat deployment, the carrier is likely to carry 15 fighters and a dozen Kamov helicopters. The latter may include a few Ka-52K Katran attack prototypes as well as Ka-31 airborne early warning & control rotorcraft.
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08/10/2016
The F-35 Lightning II destroyed an aerial drone off the Coast of California by launching an AIM-9X air-to-air missile over a military test range, demonstrating the first "live" air-to-air kill test for the emerging stealth multi-role fighter. “It's been said you don't really have a fighter until you can actually hit a target and we crossed that threshold with the first air-to-air weapon delivery of an AIM-9X,” U.S. Air Force test pilot, Maj. Raven LeClair, said in a written statement.
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08/10/2016
“The magnitude of this exercise — the complex nature of so many moving components — tell a powerful story about the capabilities that exist here in Michigan,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
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08/10/2016
A UK Eurofighter Typhoon, featuring the latest weapons fit, performed a spectacular display for crowds across the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and Farnborough International Air Show, with BAE Systems’ Typhoon Test Pilot Nat Makepeace at the controls.
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08/10/2016
Singapore is putting on hold plans to procure up to 12 Lockheed-Martin supersonic fifth-generation F-35B stealth multirole fighter jets for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), according to the Pentagon’s F-35 program office, Bloomberg News reports.
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08/10/2016
BEIJING is set to militarise its illegal presence in the Spratly Islands, with satellite photos revealing reinforced hangars designed to house combat jets on several artificial outposts. The images, released by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, show military infrastracutre being built on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief reefs.
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08/10/2016
Last week, Chinese TV boasted about the "growing combat capabilities" of its Liaoning (CV-16) aircraft carrier, noting that the battle platform can carry up to 20 fighter jets, bolstering Beijing’s balance of naval and aviation power in the Pacific rim amid growing tensions.
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08/10/2016
The Mi-28NM attack helicopter, a recent upgraded version of the Mi-28N "Night Hunter" vehicle, became the first helicopter to receive composite blades and will be supplied to the Russian army by 2018, Russia's Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev told the Izvestia newspaper.
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08/10/2016
The US Air Force will continue striking Daesh targets in Libya's Sirte, supporting the country's army, Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord Fayez Sarraj told Sputnik.
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08/09/2016
The chief of air staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Air Chief Marshall Sohail Aman, offered the possible sale of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and PAC Super Mushshak trainer aircraft to his Kuwaiti counterpart, Major General Abdullah Yaqoob Al-Fodri, during a four day visit to Kuwait last week.
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08/09/2016
A common refrain when discussing the future of airpower is that ‘the F-35 is the last manned fighter’ and the future belongs to unmanned systems. The expanding use of unmanned air systems (UAS) such as Reapers and Predators against international terrorist networks implies a future of remote, push-button warfare. That entails minimal risk (on one side) for maximum tactical precision effect.
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08/09/2016
If a new study is accurate, drones of the future will not need a human controller – and could in fact defeat a human in a dogfight. "It seemed to be aware of my intentions and reacting instantly to my changes in flight and my missile deployment," said former Air Force battle manager Gene Lee, referring to a recent simulations against battle-AI software, according to Breaking Defense.
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08/09/2016
Russian-designed Sukhoi Su-30MKI (Flanker-H) multirole fighters integrated with Russian-Indian BrahMos cruise missiles are expected to go into service of the Indian Air Force in the first four months of 2017, local media reported Monday.
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08/09/2016
Ukrainian, German and Swedish experts will carry out a joint observation flight over Russian territory under the Open Skies Treaty this week, the acting head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said.
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08/08/2016
Hidden inside a pre-war hangar at RAF Waddington is a virtual world that lets the Army and Air Force fight the wars of the future. Though the roof leaks a bit, the soldiers and pilots who train inside fail to notice, so immersed are they in this digital world where they can learn how to work together for maximum effect. Crucially, they also discover how not to get in each other’s way, something likely to have fatal consequences in the real world.
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08/08/2016
Marine pilots flying the F-35B Lightning II for the first time at the annual Red Flag exercise in July say they are happy with the new jet’s performance. It was the F-35’s first participation in the giant exercise on the Nevada Test and Training Range, which this year involved more than 100 aircraft from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
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08/08/2016
CHINA’S People’s Liberation Army Air Force has sent bombers and fighter jets on “combat patrols” near disputed areas in the South China Sea to improve its fighting ability and to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. The Air Force sent several H-6 bombers and Su-30 fighter jets to inspect the airspace around the Nansha and Huangyan islands, Senior Colonel Shen Jinke of the PLA Air Force said on Saturday.
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08/08/2016
The on-going visit of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, to Sri Lanka is likely to revive Islamabad’s bid to sell F-17 Thunder fighter aircraft – an earlier attempt having been thwarted by India. Announcing ACM Aman’s visit, a Pakistan High Commission press release said that the visit will provide both sides an opportunity to review ongoing cooperation and collaboration, and to discuss ways and means to “enhance continued cooperation between the two countries.”
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08/08/2016
History will be made at the 2016 Abbotsford International Airshow when the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II will appear in Canada for the very first time. The aircraft is set to arrive at Abbotsford International Airport on Thursday, Aug.11 and will be on public display at the airshow starting Friday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug.14.
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08/08/2016
Roll the clock back six years to 2010. The US Air Force had just shelved a proposal to stand up a new wing of fighters based on the OA-X, a concept for a propeller-driven, light-attack fighter – reviving the role played by the Vietnam-era Douglas A-1 Skyraider.
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08/08/2016
The victory for al-Nusra Front and allied anti-Assad Islamist rebel groups, which are strangely backed by the United States, suggests that the “groundbreaking” victory for the terror groups may be short-lived.
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08/08/2016
The joint Indo-Russian program will provide New Delhi with a high-flying nuclear deterrent ensuring the continued safety and security of the Indian people despite increased regional tension.
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08/07/2016
Lockheed Martin’s F-35A was awarded Initial Operating Capability (IOC) status by the U.S. Air Force on August 2, allowing a single USAF squadron to use the aircraft, potentially in combat. This marks an important milestone for the project that has long been criticized by Congress and potential buyers for being costly and behind schedule.
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08/07/2016
We all know that there are plenty of U.S. weapons the Chinese military would like to get its hands on. The Arsenal of Democracy churns out some of the best, most technologically advanced and versatile weapons in service anywhere. China is willing to steal American military technology to help advance its own military research and development programs.
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08/07/2016
China has said it carried out a combat air patrol over contested islands in the South China Sea. In a separate incident, roughly 230 Chinese fishing vessels and Coast Guard ships were spotted near East China Sea islets, triggering an angry response from Japan.
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08/07/2016
Indian Air Force may replace the Soviet MiG-21 aircraft with the US F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, according to an ex-wing commander at the Indian Air Force and former chief spokesperson for the Defense Ministry.
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08/07/2016
Russian military officials have announced that the Tu-160M2, a thoroughly modernized upgrade of the well-known Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic heavy strategic bomber, will make its first flight in 2018. Commenting on the prospects for the new plane, National Interest magazine defense editor Dave Majumdar explained what it was that makes it so special.
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08/06/2016
As the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy makes significant upgrades to its fleet, a newly emerged photograph shows that the nation’s third aircraft carrier will feature a catapult system, instead of the ski-jump method used in earlier models.
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08/05/2016
The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $300 million foreign military sale to Argentina for T-6C Texan aircraft, the department announced Wednesday. Congress was informed of the potential sale on Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
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08/05/2016
An Indian Air Force (IAF) jet has crashed after developing a snag during take-off at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station located at Kharagpur in West Bengal. Both pilots safely ejected from the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (Hawk AJT).
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08/05/2016
Fylde MP Mark Menzies today welcomed the Typhoon maintenance contract which will maintain hundreds of jobs at BAE Systems’ Warton site for years to come. Minister for Defence Procurement, Philip Dunne MP, signed off on the landmark 10-year support arrangement for the RAF’s Typhoon jets.
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08/05/2016
The US firm said it wants to close down its original production in Fort Worth in Texas, which has produced more than 3,600 F-16s so far, and create a major industrial facility in India to continue with the production. Lockheed Martin, however, seeks a ‘significant’ order from the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a part of the package deal on the switch, company officials said here.
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08/05/2016
The US Air Force is deliberating if and how to replace its close-air support workhorse, the A-10, and may have a better picture of their path forward later this year, the service’s top civilian said Wednesday. During an interview with Defense News, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said she and other top service leaders — such as Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein — will be briefed on various options for replacing or augmenting the A-10 Warthog this fall.
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08/05/2016
As the US Air Force faces both pilot shortages and increased demand for its unmanned air vehicle operations in contested environments, the service is offering operators new training to allow them to continue carrying out their missions while under electronic attack.
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08/05/2016
The Egyptian military has reportedly killed Abu Duaa al-Ansari, the leader of the Sinai branch of the terrorist group Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State. The leader was killed in a series of airstrikes, according to the military's statement. A total of 46 members of the terrorist group were killed in the strikes.
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08/05/2016
Russia’s Tu-214R reconnaissance aircraft fitted with cutting-edge optical and electronic equipment and radar systems has successfully fulfilled all of its tasks in the Syrian sky, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
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08/05/2016
According to navy spokesman, Indian Navy and Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed a deal worth nearly $300 million to modernize 10 Russia-produced Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopters.
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08/04/2016
Incirlik Air Base was a chaotic scene on the night of the attempted coup in Turkey. U.S. warplanes flying out of Incirlik were on missions over Syria and Iraq when power went out to the control tower that would guide them back. A Turkish aircraft had just taken off from Incirlik to refuel Turkish F-16s that would bomb the Turkish parliament as part of the coup.
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08/04/2016
The Air Force has reached a one-of-a-kind deal with aerospace maker Textron AirLand to test the airworthiness of a jet that could be sold overseas. Textron AirLand will reimburse the Air Force for the costs of the tests on the Scorpion, a light weight, low-cost surveillance and strike jet, according to company data.
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08/04/2016
A Chinese national was arrested Tuesday while trying to cross into Canada and was charged with illegally exporting military parts to Iran. Yaohong Gong, a resident of Florida, is accused of operating a company that took part in a scheme to obtain U.S.-made airplane parts intended for China and illegally diverting them to Iran.
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08/04/2016
It has been claimed the UK must be prepared to defend the overseas territory after warnings Spain could "pounce on us" after the historic vote to leave the EU. The call comes after claims by Madrid that Brexit could lead to power sharing of the island, known as the "Rock".
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08/04/2016
A Czech air consulting team has been operating in Iraq since August 1 in order to continue with the training of the Iraqi air forces for the Czech-made L-159 combat aircraft, Defence Ministry spokesman Petr Medek told CTK yesterday. The 31-member Czech team includes pilots and technicians, but also logistics experts and military police. It will be deployed within the operation against the Islamic State (IS) organisation and stay in Iraq at least until the end of 2018.
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08/04/2016
The head of Marine Aviation has ordered all non-deployed aircraft to stand down for 24 hours following three recent crashes of F/A-18s, two of which were fatal. Lt. Gen. Jon Davis told wing commanders on Wednesday that non-deployed squadrons must take "an operational pause" within the next seven business days, said Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns. The move is different than grounding aircraft, she said.
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08/04/2016
For the first time in 10 years, B-1B Lancer aircraft will replace the B-52 Stratofortress aircraft in support of U.S. Pacific Command's Continuous Bomber Presence mission. This forward deployed presence demonstrates continuing U.S. commitment to stability and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
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08/04/2016
During a media briefing announcing initial operational capability for the F-35A, the USAF’s stealth aircraft designed to take on combat zones populated with surface-to-air-missiles, Carlisle expressed skepticism over the possible acquisition of a new light-attack aircraft that would operate in permissive environments.
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08/04/2016
The deal was announced the same day Japan held an emergency meeting of its National Security Council to discuss North Korea test-fired a missile believed to have fallen in the Japanese exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported.
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08/04/2016
Russia's top manufacturer of electronic warfare equipment, KRET, is in the process of upgrading its Okhotnik (Hunter) video image processing system so that it could be outfitted on the country's cutting edge fifth generation fighter jet, known as the Sukhoi PAK FA or the T-50, Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported.
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08/03/2016
Two Korean Air Force combat jets engaged a UFO in 1980, according to a documentary program aired on JTBC on Sunday. The incident was reported to top commanding officers of the Korean Air Force at the time, but they decided not to investigate the matter as it was not within their area of expertise.
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08/03/2016
New Delhi has entered into a deal for an additional four Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. The deal will be conducted under the US government’s Foreign Military Sale (FMS) mechanism, and was originally cleared by India’s Defence Acquisition Council in July 2015, according to sources familiar with the matter.
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08/03/2016
Five years after the projected initial operational capability (IOC) date, the Air Force has declared the first 15 Lockheed Martin F-35As assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB are capable of performing a basic set of combat missions.
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08/03/2016
Berlin has decided to take additional measures for protection of German soldiers deployed at Incirlik military base in Turkey after the attempted coup, German media reported on Tuesday.
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08/03/2016
On Monday, the Pentagon said Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) requested "precision airstrikes" to aid Libyan operations against the Daesh near the Mediterranean city of Sirte. The airstrikes are likely to last "weeks, not months," Davis said as quoted by The Military Times.
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08/03/2016
India and France are now one step closer to making a deal on the procurement of 36 Rafale jet fighters, according to Indian Minister of Defense Manohar Parrikar. According to Parrikar's written reply to parliament, both sides have agreed to sign an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA), a vital step to finalizing the $9 billion deal for the three dozen French fighter jets.
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08/03/2016
Citing Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea, Japan’s annual defense review expresses “deep concern” over China’s refusal to accept to the nine-dash line territorial ruling.
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08/03/2016
In the lead up to being declared combat ready, the US Air Force carried out a “kill” test with the fifth-generation fighter against a UAV. "With the F-35A, the Air Force now has a fighter combining next-generation radar-evading stealth, supersonic speed, fighter agility and advanced logistical support with the most powerful and comprehensive integrated sensor package of any fighter aircraft in history," the defense giant said in a statement.
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08/03/2016
A dogfight between the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets will be staged at the Aviamix airshow on August 6 as part of the Aviadarts international flight skills competition, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
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08/02/2016
The Indian Navy has initiated the first steps towards acquiring the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) for carriers as well as the long-range Predator B Guardian surveillance drone by sending Letters of Request (LoRs) to the Pentagon under government-to-government deals.
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08/02/2016
Beijing's navy started large-scale drills including a cruiser, a submarine, more than 100 vessels, several dozens of combat aircraft and several coastal radar stations in the East China Sea.
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08/02/2016
India is holding talks with Russia for upgrading the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) 194 Sukhoi Su-30MKI multi-role aircraft with the near fifth-generation level. A senior Indian Defence Ministry official told the local media in New Delhi over the weekend that the Narendra Modi government recently allocated USD 8 billion for the project. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, also said that the IAF would rename the upgraded version of fighter jets ‘Super Sukhoi’.
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08/02/2016
US restrictions on the F-35 fighter jet's targeting system will make it “almost impossible” for training to be carried out in the UK, the Ministry of Defence fears – but its press office insists the constraints are normal. The F-35's electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) includes a target designator laser and a laser rangefinder. According to the Defence Ranges Safety Committee, the F-35 has only been cleared to use the designator laser “in the US under very tight controls”.
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08/02/2016
Five years behind schedule, the U.S. Air Force is this week expected to declare that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet is finally ready for combat even as critics continue to rail against the most expensive military program in history. The plane’s builders and military officials will likely describe it as a milestone for a weapons program that was once hailed as the cheapest way to replace the aging U.S. fighter fleet.
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08/02/2016
A Russian helicopter was shot down Monday after delivering aid to the Syrian city of Aleppo, killing all five people on board, Russian state media reported. It was the biggest single loss of life for Russia in Syria since Russian warplanes started carrying out airstrikes in September 2015 in the country ravaged by war for five years.
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08/02/2016
The United States has expanded its airstrikes against ISIS into Libya, bombing targets in the coastal city of Sirte, U.S. officials said Monday. The attacks mark the beginning of an ongoing U.S. air campaign in Libya, a Pentagon spokesman said.
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08/02/2016
The development of defense industry cooperation will remain a priority for the relations between Moscow and Lima, Russian Ambassador to Peru Andrei Guskov told Sputnik on Monday.
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08/02/2016
Russia and Afghanistan are in discussions over various formats of delivering Russian Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters to Kabul, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Director of the Second Asian Department, Zamir Kabulov, said Monday.
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08/01/2016
China's leadership is resisting pressure from elements within the military for a more forceful response to an international court ruling against Beijing's claims in the South China Sea, sources said, wary of provoking a clash with the United States. China refused to participate in the case overseen by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
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08/01/2016
The first five of 16 Kiowa Warriors OH-58 combat helicopters have arrived on Saturday to Croatia. The helicopters have been donated to Croatia by the United States, and the donation also includes a flight simulator, as well as accessories and parts, including weapons. It is expected that soon the remaining 11 helicopters will also arrive to the Zemunik Air Base near Zadar.
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08/01/2016
I have had the chance to visit with the pilots and crews of four new or modified new air systems used by the U.S. and the allies in current Middle Eastern operations. Each of these platforms has provided capabilities important to the effort and foreshadows the way ahead.
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08/01/2016
Pacific Air Forces said it is sending speedy and low-flying B-1B bombers to Guam for the first time in 10 years. The move comes with China vowing to up its bomber and fighter flights in the contested South China Sea and the United States adding to its own aircraft firepower in the unstable region.
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08/01/2016
The Tu-214R is the most modern Russian ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft. Equipped with sensors to perform ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) and SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) missions as well as with all-weather radar systems and electro-optical sensors that produce photo-like imagery of a large parts of the ground the special mission aircraft, the aircraft can fly multiple intelligence gathering missions.
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08/01/2016
Polish and Italian experts will carry out a joint observation flight over Russian and Belarusian territory under the Open Skies Treaty this week, the acting head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said.
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08/01/2016
The Korean delegation, led by Vice Defense Minister Hwang In-mo and Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Tae-ho, met with the US delegation, led by David Shear, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, and Rose Gottemoeller, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security for the US State Department, this Thursday, according to Korean Times.
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08/01/2016
A movement is underway in the US to restart the production of the fearsome super elite F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet despite warnings by the Pentagon that it would be cost prohibitive. The US Air Force is not particularly keen on the idea nor are Pentagon officials who warn that bringing back the F-22 fighter jet, America’s most lethal warplane, would be cost prohibitive and threatens to undermine progress on the F-35 and a future sixth-generation fighter jet, but US lawmakers are not convince
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08/01/2016
Rumors about a big Soviet gift to China are circulating in the country, which will ease Beijing’s jitters about the impregnability of America’s THAAD missile system. Sputnik discussed the matter with Russian defense expert Vasily Kashin.
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08/01/2016
The Aviadarts flight skills competitions among combat planes held in Russia will expand beyond the country's borders in 2018, Russia's Aerospace Forces Commander Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Sunday.
(Read More...)
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