October, 2016 Military Aviation News
10/31/2016
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 the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Operation Inherent Resolve - Targeted Operations Against ISIL Terrorists
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10/31/2016
Two Los Angeles-area men have been arrested on federal charges for their alleged role in a scheme to smuggle military aircraft parts and other potential defense items to Iran in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR).
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10/31/2016
Germany is experiencing “serious problems” with its military aircraft procurement, which may soon result in an inability to maintain the proper level of combat capability, according to the army's document obtained by media. The memo, according to Welt am Sonntag, originated from a source in the military and was later passed to the defense committee of the parliament.
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10/31/2016
Spanish and Ukrainian observers will fly over Russian and Belarusian 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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10/31/2016
These flights are regularly carried out by the fighter jets of the NATO countries to fulfill the bloc's obligation to protect the airspace over the Baltic countries. On August 31, the Germans took over the mission from the UK pilots and their four combat aircraft of the same type.
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10/31/2016
At least 19 militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group have been killed and eight more wounded in airstrikes on the group's operating area near the border with Pakistan, the Afghan Ministry of Interior reported October 30.
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10/31/2016
China has assembled its first domestically-designed aircraft carrier built solely out of indigenous components, the latest major achievement in Beijing's large-scale efforts to upgrade its military. Currently known as the Type 001A, the warship bears resemblance to the Admiral Kuznetsov-class multirole aircraft carrier Varyag.
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10/31/2016
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his intention to boost military presence on the border with Iraq. According to Erdogan, if Shia militias start conducting terrorist attacks in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, predominantly populated with Iraqi Turkmen, Turkey will be able to respond.
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10/27/2016
Both Northrop Grumman and Boeing’s bids for the US Air Force’s long-range strike B-21 bomber met technical requirements, but a top USAF acquisition official tells reporters that the deciding factor came down to costs.
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10/27/2016
Northrop Grumman has completed negotiations with Lockheed Martin on pricing for low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots 9 and 10 of the F-35, suggesting the prime contractor may be close to wrapping up a 15-month negotiating period with the US joint programme office (JPO), Northrop chief executive Wes Bush says.
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10/27/2016
Indian and Russian defense delegations discussed joint defense projects and defense issues of mutual interest, in particular, the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the upgrade of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter, the sources at the Indian Defense Ministry sources told Sputnik.
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10/27/2016
Iraqi forces lost some 60 soldiers in the operation to liberate Mosul from the Daesh, while about 250 others have been wounded, US Central Command commander Gen. Joseph Votel said on Wednesday.
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10/27/2016
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had not asked Spain for refueling the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier currently en route to the Mediterranean. The Russian Defense Ministry denies foreign media speculation of an alleged plan for the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to refuel at the Spanish port of Ceuta, the ministry's spokesman said Wednesday.
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10/27/2016
Members of the European Parliament have approved plans to create an "advanced European defense policy" with plans for an "EU operational headquarters" to plan, command and manage operations in what is seen by critics as an attempt to undermine NATO, which is currently hosting a meeting of defense ministers.
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10/26/2016
A Portuguese Navy frigate and a patrol aircraft are tracking the movement of the Russian warships in the waters of the Portuguese exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Portuguese Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.
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10/26/2016
On Monday a top-ranking US Air Force official announced that a small enemy drone controlled by Daesh had been downed by an electronic weapon. The weaponized unmanned craft responsible for the death of four civilians.
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10/26/2016
“Ministry of Defence intends to procure and install approximately 200 sets of Electronic Warfare Suite comprising Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) and Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) on Mi-17 V5 helicopters,” reads a request for information issued by the Indian government.
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10/25/2016
Perhaps the best-kept secret of the top-secret F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is that it might be the best airplane of its kind in the world — and that it will likely change the way America fight its wars. Plagued by cost overruns, mechanical gremlins and fears that its high-tech sensors would overload a human pilot’s ability to analyze the aerial battlefield, the $379 billion project for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps infamously became known in the Pentagon as “acquisition malpractice
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10/25/2016
Raytheon will assemble and deliver T-100 jet trainers from Mississippi if the company’s partnership with Leonardo wins a four-way competition to replace the US Air Force Northrop T-38 Talon fleet.
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10/25/2016
The new tech is designed to amplify the craft’s global surveillance and air attack capabilities. The 66-foot drone currently features the GBU-12 Paveway II, a 500-pound laser-guided bomb, GPS and Inertial Navigation System-guided bombs called JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), and the AGM-114 Hellfire missile.
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10/25/2016
Aerospace and Defense giant Boeing has been awarded a $196.6 contract for spare parts for the US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft, the Pentagon said in a press release.
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10/25/2016
The Indian Air Force is set to become the first to possess a cruise missile capable of breaking the sound barrier, with the successful integration of its Brahmos rockets with Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
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10/24/2016
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Air Force (PLAAF) is slated to receive the first four out of 24 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter jets, the governor of Khabarovsk Krai, a federal subject located in the Russian Far East, said in a speech during the opening of a new aircraft production plan on September 15, according to local media reports.
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10/24/2016
Kurdish Peshmerga forces are within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of Mosul, commanders said Sunday, after days of fighting and sweeping territorial gains in the operation to free the key Iraqi city from ISIS control. A coalition of 100,000 troops have been closing in on Mosul since Monday, liberating surrounding communities village by village and making quicker-than-expected gains.
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10/24/2016
The men and boys are reported to have been rounded up over October 20 and 21 and brought in three waves to the city's former College of Agriculture, where they were shot and then dumped in mass graves. Iraqi News reports that the victims were residents of towns and villages in the city’s northwest outskirts, and that 61 of them were no more than 14 years old.
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10/24/2016
“We are updating Ataka and Khrizantema missiles for the Mi-28NMs to increase their range of target detection, lock on and destruction. The helicopter’s onboard fire control system will likewise be adapted for the use of these new missiles,” Valery Kashin, chief designer of the Kolomna-based Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, said.
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10/22/2016
Russia is believed to be sending a massive naval task force, with warships from its Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets, to the Mediterranean Sea in preparation for what could be a major escalation in the conflict in Syria. It's the largest naval deployment since the end of the Cold War, according to a diplomat speaking to Reuters.
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10/22/2016
If India were to acquire the US-designed F-16 fighter it would effectively mean that the Pakistan Air Force will not be able to acquire the latest variant of the jet that it has operated for 33 years. That's because Lockheed Martin has proposed to the Indian government that it is willing to transfer its entire F-16 manufacturing line from Fort Worth in the US to India as part of the government's Make in India policy.
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10/22/2016
An Indian Air Force plan to replace its MiG fighter fleet with a 'Made in India' combat aircraft is heading for trouble. As of now the choice is between two aircraft from Sweden and the US, both of which failed a comprehensive technical evaluation process in 2010. Plus, there are grumbles that other countries which have fighter jets were not called at all.
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10/22/2016
"Macierewicz regularly makes statements of this kind to promote his image," Konashenkov stressed.
In August 2015, Paris and Moscow formally terminated the 1.2-billion-euro (some $1.3 billion at current exchange rates) deal on the construction and delivery of two Mistral-class warships. Shortly after, French President Francois Hollande confirmed that a deal had been reached with Egypt on the delivery of two Mistrals to the Arab country.
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10/21/2016
India has signed many defense deals with Russia despite a strong financial crunch. Out of its deals it has accorded top priority to the purchase of the S-400 which it expects to be signed by the beginning of the next financial year.
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10/21/2016
The tests of the Russian Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighters using operational engines should begin in late 2017, the head of the United Engine Corporation said Thursday.
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10/20/2016
The naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet will proceed past the British Isles, down to Gibraltar, and through the Mediterranean Sea to join the Russian combat mission in war-torn Syria. Why is Russia enhancing its naval presence off Syria now? The answer is part capability and part theatre.
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10/20/2016
With tensions between the US and Russia escalating over the Syrian conflict, it appears the UK is more than willing to leap into the fray. According the Sunday Times, Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots have been given orders to shoot down Russian military jets operating in Syria if they feel that the Russian jets pose a threat: “if a pilot is fired on or believes he is about to be fired on, he can defend himself.”
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10/20/2016
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10 is the People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)’s main medium-weight multi-role fighter. Beijing tasked the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute to design the J-10 in 1988 with the intent of developing a modern and – more importantly – long-term solution for replacing the PLAAF’s legacy J-7 and J-6 interceptors and Q-5 attackers, all of which are derived from Soviet designs from the 1950s.
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10/20/2016
After nearly three years of delays the United States government has finally approved the sale of over $11 billion worth of aircraft to Qatar (36 and eventually 73 F-15E fighter bombers for nearly $4 billion), Kuwait (28 F-18E fighters for $3 billion) and Bahrain (19 new F-16s and upgrades to existing one for over $3 billion). The American Department of Defense and State Department approved the deal early on and there was support in Congress but for reasons unclear the American president refused
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10/20/2016
This is the first indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for the precision-guided weapon system, and will support a ramp-up of deliveries from 1,500-2,000 units at the current rate to 5,000 in the first year of the new arrangement. APKWS is a laser-guidance kit that converts 2.75in-diameter rockets into precision-guided weapons. Some 7,000 units have been delivered to date, the company says, and rounds will be provided to all US services through the new deal with the USN.
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10/20/2016
The Chinese Chengdu J-20 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter expected to enter service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2018. While details of the J-20 have been kept under wraps, two models were seen conducting test flights over Chengdo on Monday, each sporting the new camouflage.
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10/20/2016
A $255 million US Navy contract to develop the next-generation precision landing system for fighter jets and unmanned drones includes plans for automated-landing capability, defense contractor Raytheon International said in a press release Wednesday.
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10/20/2016
The Beriyev A-100LL is built around the A-50 early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft and is designed to stress-test all of the plane’s elements and the electromagnetic compatibility of Russia’s next-generation A-100 airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft.
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10/20/2016
Russia is not engaged in negotiations on Su-35 fighter jets supply to Pakistan, Anatoly Punchuk, the deputy director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), said Wednesday.
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10/19/2016
The United States Air Force is in the process of completing its initial research on a next-generation air superiority capability to replace the Boeing F-15C Eagle and Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighters. Once such research is completed, the service will embark on an 18-month analysis of alternatives (AOA) starting this coming January to determine exactly what kind of capabilities it will need to gain and maintain control over the skies in the post-2030 threat environment.
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10/19/2016
China's latest fighter, the Chengdu J-20, is sporting a new camouflage scheme. The new "fifth generation" fighter is wearing new "splinter" camouflage in photos spotted on the Chinese internet in early October. The photos show four aircraft: Two wearing a yellow primer paint coating, one in plain gray, and a fourth in the aforementioned splinter camouflage. According to Combat Aircraft, the planes were photographed over the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group factory in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
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10/19/2016
"Canada continues to support our coalition partners through efforts that include an expanded train, advise and assist mission with local security forces; intelligence capabilities; ongoing tactical aviation support; and further leading a Coalition Role 2 medical facility," Owens said Tuesday. The Iraqi government, backed by coalition forces, launched an operation on Monday to retake the city of Mosul from Daesh.
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10/19/2016
Anatoly Punchuk, deputy director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), said that FSMTC received n appeal from the Egyptian side for the supplies of shipborne Ka-52. Egypt has appealed to Russia to supply Ka-52 helicopters (NATO reporting name: Hokum B) for Mistral helicopter carriers, Anatoly Punchuk, deputy director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), said Tuesday.
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10/19/2016
The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has revealed plans to develop a high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft over the next few years that would provide terrain-independent non-human cargo transportation for the military.
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10/18/2016
The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has started receiving its new Taurus KEPD 350K air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM), IHS Jane’s Defense reported on Friday, when the first delivery was announced. The new ALCMs, designed by a joint German-Swedish partnership, will be integrated into the ROKAF’s existing Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle multi-role fighters.
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10/18/2016
Military instructors from NATO countries were onboard a combat helicopter, shot down by servicemen of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on October 13, deputy commander of the Operational Command of the republic, Eduard Basurin, said on Friday.
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10/18/2016
On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi went on state television to announce that the Battle of Mosul was finally starting. "Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh," al-Abadi said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.
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10/18/2016
Having successfully developed a number of military aircraft together, the Pakistani/Chinese partnership is now actively courting African countries looking for a modern, budget friendly fighter. Exhibiting for the first time at this year’s 2016 Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition at Air Force Base Waterkloof was the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex – Kamra (PAC).
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10/18/2016
Thales has successfully flown its targeting long-range identification optronic system (TALIOS) for the first time aboard a Rafale fighter aircraft. The prototype, mounted on a single-seater aircraft, took off from the Istres base, as part of the F3R programme. The two-hour long test flight collected high-quality images taken using the 'day' channel, and offered remarkable performances in pointing and telemetry.
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10/18/2016
The US Department of Defense has awarded a Lockheed Martin a $743 million contract linked to the ninth batch of F-35 fighters, as negotiations on a final production contract for Lots 9 and 10 continue.
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10/18/2016
The Indian air force is moving ahead with implementation of a plan to purchase the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP unmanned air vehicle, having joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June.
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10/18/2016
The Russia-India deal on the deliveries of S-400 Triumf air defense systems is a multibillion-dollar contract, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday. On Saturday, Russia and India signed a deal on the deliveries of S-400 Triumf air defense systems and other equipment to India.
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10/14/2016
U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said. Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk losing what influence it still has over moderate rebels and its Arab, Kurdish and Turkish allies in the fight against Islamic State, the officials told Reuters.
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10/14/2016
U.S. Air Force helicopter avionics experts needed replacement control display units (CDUs) for the Air Force fleet of Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search-and-rescue helicopter fleet. They found their solution from Esterline CMC Electronics Inc. in Saint-Laurent, Quebec.
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10/14/2016
The controversial F-35A Lightning Joint Strike Fighter is expensive and running late but there's no real alternative available to meet the RAAF's needs for an advanced combat aircraft, a Senate committee says. However, it recommends that Defence adopt a "hedging strategy" to be implemented by 2019 at the latest in case further JSF delays raise the risk of a capability gap between the retirement of older RAAF aircraft and entry to service of the JSF.
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10/14/2016
The Russian Defense Ministry plans to procure around 50 Tu-160M2 upgraded supersonic strategic bombers, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said Thursday. In August, the Russian Aerospace Forces said the bomber may make its maiden flight as early as late 2018.
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10/14/2016
Russia and China have strengthened bilateral defense cooperation as both countries are wary of the United Stated deploying the land-based Aegis combat system in Europe and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, in South Korea which the White House has pledged to install as soon as possible.
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10/13/2016
Singapore urged Beijing to engage “constructively” with other regional players—including the U.S.—to ease tension in the disputed South China Sea, even as the city-state wraps up a deal here to sharpen its military skills. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Australia’s Parliament at the start of a two-day visit on Wednesday that both allies wanted a “stable and orderly world in which countries big and small can prosper in peace.”
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10/13/2016
On 1 October the investigative platform Bellingcat reported that Russia has withdrawn its fighter jets from Belarus. After analysing satellite images, it found no Russian planes on the Baranavichy ?airbase.
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10/13/2016
In an aggressive push to capture a share in India’s fighter aircraft market, Swedish aerospace major SAAB has offered its latest radar technology as part of the Gripen fighter package along with significant technology transfer in addition to design consultancy for developing the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A which the Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to induct in large numbers.
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10/13/2016
The first aircraft is already in service with JASDF after being delivered in June, says a company representative. He did not give firm numbers on the total to be delivered, but expects that Tokyo will need 20-40 examples of the airlifter to replace the nation’s fleet of C-1s. Production could ramp up to 3-4 aircraft annually, but this is contingent on Tokyo’s defence budget.
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10/13/2016
Boeing believes there are several upgrades that can be applied to Tokyo's fleet of F-15J air superiority fighters, which could both extend the type’s service life and greatly enhance its capabilities.
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10/13/2016
As part of its ongoing efforts at military modernization, India is in pursuit of a single-engine fighter jet to be built domestically, but based on foreign designs, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "Make in India" initiative.
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10/13/2016
According to US officials speaking on condition of anonymity, a US Navy destroyer was the target of a failed missile attack from Houthis within Yemen. The USS Mason and amphibious transport dock USS Ponce were operating north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, between the southwest coast of Yemen and Djibouti. Defensive salvos were fired, and neither ship was damaged.
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10/13/2016
Violent extremist groups in the Middle East, including Daesh, have reportedly begun to weaponize drones, using them on the battlefield to kill, according to a source in the US military.
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10/12/2016
Hovering slowly and precisely along the taxiway, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the time I flew a Harrier TMk10. I’d thought that was an incredible flying machine, but the F-35 is something else!
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10/12/2016
The Indian Ministry of Defense (MOD) has recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) to global aircraft manufacturers alerting international suppliers that there will be a new competition for the building of a new single-engine fighter aircraft under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.
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10/12/2016
The nation has become the ninth to order the C295W, which will become the first multi-engined fixed-wing aircraft to be operated by the aviation branch of the Bangladesh army. It will be used as a transport for troops and cargo, with applications potentially including paratrooping and medical evacuation, and the contract also covers training and support, Airbus says.
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10/12/2016
The proposal, if approved, would raise the total number of authorised F-35A purchases to 40 aircraft, or only 12 short of the Norwegian air force’s requirement. The requested authorisation also would allow Norway to participate in a proposed “block buy” for the F-35’s US and international partners. The F-35 Joint Programme Office is working to package purchases of hundreds of F-35s spread over two or three years from 2018 to 2020 into a single order commitment.
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10/12/2016
North Korea's inaugural Wonsan Air Festival, staged in the coastal city from 24-25 September, was billed as a non-political event "organised to promote the spirit of international peace and friendship through aviation and air sports".
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10/12/2016
Tension over the conflict in Syria has continued with British MP Andrew Mitchell likening Russia's military intervention to that of the Nazis during the Spanish civil war. Moscow has rejected such claims, in what has been a common theme of accusation and denial throughout the war.
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10/11/2016
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a $65.3m potential sale of AC-208 Combat Caravan aircraft to Iraq. Under the sale, Iraq requested two Cessna AC-208 aircraft, as well as related equipment, training, and support.
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10/11/2016
A palletised refuelling unit was installed on a company-owned example for the 29 September trials, along with the computer system required to control the procedure. The medium transport successfully made multiple contacts with a probe-equipped C295 operated by the Spanish air force, with both crews reporting “extremely smooth operation” at speeds down to 110kt (203km/h).
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10/11/2016
Despite Poland's failed talks on purchase of 50 French Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal, Warsaw will consider other French offers on buying military aircraft, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said.
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10/11/2016
A new shipment of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter aircraft soon to be delivered to China will be fitted with onboard readout systems that display data in Russian.
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10/11/2016
Joint Russian-Serbian BARS-2016 tactical flight exercises started in Serbia, according to official statement of Russian Defense Ministry.
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10/11/2016
The United States and Germany will conduct an observation flight over Russia's territory under the Open Skies Treaty this week, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said Monday.
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10/10/2016
The tensions between Russia and the USA have reached an unprecedented level. I fully agree with the participants of this CrossTalk show – the situation is even worse and more dangerous than during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both sides are now going to the so-called “Plan B” which, simply put, stand for, at best, no negotiations and, at worst, a war between Russia and the USA.
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10/10/2016
As Afghan forces struggle to break a weeklong Taliban siege of central neighborhoods in the provincial capital of Kunduz, insurgents are also stepping up pressure on urban centers in western and southern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.
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10/10/2016
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) plans to develop a new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the huge Xi'an Y-20 transport nicknamed "Chubby Girl" that entered service only last July. This AEW&C aircraft will be optimized for detecting both aerial and maritime targets and will possess longer endurance, making it suitable for patrols well into the South China Sea and the Western Pacific.
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10/10/2016
An A-10 pilot told Scout Warrior the aircraft was the most "rugged" he had ever flown. The Air Force now plans to keep the A-10 flying well into the next-decade. Known for an ability to keep flying after taking multiple rounds of enemy machine gun fire, land and operate in rugged terrain, destroy groups of enemy fighters with a 30mm cannon and unleash a wide arsenal of attack weapons, the A-10 is described by pilots as a “flying tank” in the sky.
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10/09/2016
Air to air live firing exercise by fighter aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) started at Kutubdia firing range in Chittagong yesterday. The exercise will continue till October 26, from 8:00am to 5:00pm. During this 19-day exercise, BAF fighter aircrafts -- F-7BGI/FT-7BGI, F-7BG/FT-7BG, MiG-29B/UB, L-39ZA, K-8W, YAK-130 and F-7MB/FT-7B --will practice different air combat maneuvers and tactics along with air to air live firing, an ISPR release said.
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10/09/2016
Taking stock of America and Russia’s military assets is important. For example, what are the key weapons platforms each nation has? Which are the very best? What would prove the most decisive in a conflict?
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10/09/2016
The F-117 Nighthawk, America’s original stealth plane with a deeply sinister appearance, is an example of a weapon system designed around the limitations imposed by a promising new technology. The Nighthawk was revolutionary when it entered service in 1983—not that many could appreciate that, as the plane was kept secret from the public for five years.
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10/09/2016
A global contest has restarted for supplying India a medium, multi-role fighter, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) inviting top international fighter jet manufacturers to set up a production facility in India. Business Standard has learned that Indian embassies in Washington, Moscow and Stockholm wrote on Friday to fighter jet manufacturers in these countries to confirm whether they would partner an Indian company in building a medium, single-engine fighter, with significant transfer of technology
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10/09/2016
As Boeing prepares for a possible F model Apache as a bridge between the legacy helicopter and the Future Vertical Lift aircraft, the US Army says it will not pursue the development of the AH-64F.
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10/09/2016
On Saturday, Russia blocked a draft UN Security Council resolution on the cessation of hostilities in Syria's Aleppo favoring a proposal by the UN Envoy to Syria that focuses on evicting al-Nusra terrorists (al-Qaeda) from Eastern Aleppo.
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10/08/2016
Russia's lower house of parliament on Friday ratified an agreement presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin to indefinitely station combat aircraft and soldiers in Syria. The deal will bring Syria closer to peace, the legislature's deputy speaker, Sergei Zheleznyak, said in comments carried by state news agency TASS.
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10/08/2016
In a bid to strengthen the country's defence capacity, India plans to sign big-ticket defence deals with its traditional and strategic partner Russia during the upcoming annual summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week in Goa on October 15-16. It is expected that some of the most important defence deals may get green signal during the meet.
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10/08/2016
Swedish aerospace giant Saab AB, which is planning to manufacture here its most advanced multi-role fighter Gripen NG, says that it does not see India’s decision to procure French Rafale jets as a set back. Mats Palmberg, Vice-President, Industrial Partnerships, Saab Aeronautics, in an interview with BusinessLine says he finds the Indian market quite promising. Excerpts:
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10/08/2016
As tensions between Washington and Moscow flare, the Russian military is warning the United States that it has the ability to target stealth aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit that might be operating over Syria with the Almaz-Antey S-400 (NATO: SA-21 Growler) and the recently arrived S-300V4 (NATO: SA-23 Gladiator) air and missile defense systems.
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10/08/2016
Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has ratified the Russian-Syrian agreement on the deployment of an air group of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria at the Hmeymim airbase for an indefinite period of time.
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10/07/2016
Cavour, Italy’s only aircraft carrier, is designed to accommodate up to 12 F-35B stealth jump jets. In theory. In reality, actually operating the stealth fighters requires Cavour to undergo some significant modifications. Although conceptually similar to the smaller Harrier jump jet that already flies from Cavour, the Lockheed Martin F-35B produces much more heat than the older Boeing fighter does.
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10/07/2016
On Oct. 3, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of development visited Chelm State Higher School of Vocational Education (PWSZ – Panstwowa Wyzsza Szkola Zawodowa). Among the things said during the visit one is particularly interesting: a claim has been made by the school officials that the Polish indigenous PZL I-22 Iryda trainer program will be reactivated, with the jets being manufactured in Chelm, alongside small UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and drone systems.
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10/07/2016
The announcement by the defence, aerospace and electronics giant will stoke controversy over weapons sales to the Arab kingdom. However, it will hold out a lifeline to aircraft factories in the North West. The UK has been one of the biggest suppliers of defence equipment to Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years, including the 1980s al-Yamamah deal.
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10/07/2016
The July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey had many victims and one of the lesser known ones was the effectiveness of Turkish fighter fleet. While few F-16 pilots took part in the coup, the government lost (through dismissal or resignation) 274 combat pilots. This reduced the ratio of pilots per F-16 from 1.25 to .8. Suddenly the combat capabilities of the Turkish air force were greatly reduced, especially if the F-16s were called on to engage in large scale and intensive operations.
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10/07/2016
Germany has signalled its intention to acquire as many as six Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports as its frustrations deepen with the underperforming Airbus Defence & Space A400M. As part of a memorandum of understanding with France, signed by the defence ministers from both countries, the Hercules would be part of a “common air transport squadron” to be created by 2021.
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10/07/2016
On Thursday, Finland's Yle television reported citing border guard services that a Russian Su-27 jet had alleged stayed in the Finnish airspace for about a minute after crossing the border near the town of Porvoo some 30 miles east of the capital, Helsinki.
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10/07/2016
"A Russian Su-27 combat plane on October 6, 2016, carried out a training flight over neutral waters of the Bay of Finland," the ministry said in a statement. "The plane did not deviate from the established route, which is confirmed by means of objective monitoring," the statement said.
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10/07/2016
A new division of Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers will soon appear in the Russian Far East to patrol the area over the Pacific Ocean inside the Japan – Hawaii – Guam triangle, Izvestia reported.
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10/07/2016
The Kalibr cruise missile-equipped Serpukhov and Zeleny Dol corvettes are planned to join the Russian Navy's permanent task force as part of an off-shore maritime zone rotation in the Mediterranean.
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10/06/2016
Two Russian Blackjack bombers were intercepted flying back and forth to Northern Spain from the direction of Norway, it has emerged. Four nations - Norway, the UK, France and Spain - all deployed their own jets as the TU-160 planes skirted the airspace of each country, flying around the UK.
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10/06/2016
The chairman of the Pakistani Senate’s Standing Committee on Defense, retired Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum, announced on October 4 that Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) will export 100 MFI-395 Super Mushshak military training aircraft to Turkey, according to local media reports.
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10/06/2016
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has released new details about its plans for future unmanned aircraft that would fly in supporting roles, aiding piloted fighters in the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, or JASDF. Specifically, JASDF is hoping to add two distinct craft to its fleet: unmanned wingmen that would fly in formation with and receive commands from a pilot in a conventional fighter, and a high-flying ballistic-missile defense (BMD) aircraft that would use sensor arrays to track missiles.
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10/06/2016
$49.3 million contract to upgrade the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) on the AH-64E Apache helicopter. Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will produce an additional 42 Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) upgrade kits and spares for the U.S. Army as part of Lot 1 production. Production will take place at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Orlando and Ocala, Florida, through March 2019.
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10/06/2016
According to the Israeli military, one of its pilots was killed following a strike mission over the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, a squadron of Israeli Air Force jets was deployed in response to a rocket attack launched from Gaza.
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10/05/2016
In what could be a difficult road ahead for US manufacturers Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha will prefer the company that would not only set up its production line in India but would also be ready to transfer technology. During Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to the US in August, Boeing and Lockheed Martin made official proposals to manufacture F/A-18 and F-16s respectively under the "Make in India" campaign.
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10/05/2016
The US is building a military airfield in northern Syria as part of its ongoing campaign against Daesh, a representative of the Syrian Democratic Forces command told Sputnik on condition of anonymity.
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10/04/2016
Chinese leadership views investing in domestic aviation, both civilian and military, as one of the country's top priorities in hopes that this will help Beijing improve its manufacturing industry, boost innovation and improve national defense, Xinhua reported.
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10/03/2016
The Philippines is considering a move to purchase additional FA-50 light attack aircraft from South Korea to bolster its defense capabilities, a news report picked up in Seoul on Sunday said. According to the latest issue of IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, Manila may be weighing the need to acquire 36 planes from Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) as part of its Flight Plan 2028.
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10/03/2016
US Special Operations Command has requested funding from the Defense Department for fiscal year 2018 budget to begin modifying an AC-130 gunship for a high energy laser capability.
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10/03/2016
The US Air Force’s QF-16 full scale aerial target drone reached initial operational capability 23 September, US Air Combat Command declared this week. Boeing leveraged retired Lockheed Martin F-16As and C’s to create the unmanned QF-16, which can be flown with a pilot during training or as an unmanned target for live missile testing. The FSAT also maintains all of the F-16’s characteristics and payload capacity, including high-G maneuvering and electronic attack.
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10/03/2016
Italy’s air force is “taken for granted” by the general public, politicians and the nation’s other armed services, according to a leading academic. “It is difficult to make surface forces realise that they have some of their freedom because of the air [operations],” he says. And despite notable recent milestones – including it performing the first transatlantic crossing with the Lockheed Martin F-35 – the air force is still perceived less favourably than its sister services.
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10/03/2016
ndia’s elite indigenous fighter jet crosses a major benchmark this week ahead of being deemed combat ready providing the country with a masterful fighter jet at a fraction of the cost of Western fighter jets.
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10/02/2016
The Chinese PLA Navy’s first home-made aircraft carrier is likely to be seaworthy by the year end and play host to 40-50 aircraft and an Active Phased Array Radar (APAR) radar, Chinamil website reported today. The official website of the Chinese army quoted western media and a local military expert to provide details of the aircraft carrier and not any authoritative Chinese government source.
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10/02/2016
The Philippine Air Force is looking to acquire 36 additional South Korean-made FA-50PH “Fighting Eagle” and 12 more AW-109Es, IHS Jane’s 360 reports. This was revealed by a senior Air Force officer speaking at the Asian Defence and Security (ADAS) 2016 exhibition in Manila.
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10/02/2016
A United Arab Emirates (UAE) military vessel has been damaged in an incident off the coast of Yemen, local media said Saturday. The vessel was damaged in the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. No injuries were suffered among crew members, according to the news outlet.
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10/02/2016
Turkey is about to finish the construction of its first African military base in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu, media reported Saturday. The base, at which Ankara will train about 10,000 Somalian soldiers in compliance with the bilateral security cooperation agreement, is being built with the United Nations' approval, the Garowe Online news agency reported. Some 200 Turkish military specialists will arrive to the country soon to provide training, the media outlet said, citing its sources.
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10/02/2016
Any attempts by Washington to supply the Syrian opposition with man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) would be absolutely counterproductive, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.
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