November 18, 2016 Military Aviation News
11/18/2016
The pièce de résistance at the Zhuhai air show in Guangdong province was the long-awaited Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jet. The 60-second flypast in a first ever, public sneak-preview was the cynosure of the world as China demonstrated its claim of entering the exclusive club of countries with “fifth generation” fighter planes. Touted as the only other operation-ready answer to America’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Lockheed Martin F-35.
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11/18/2016
In a September 7th speech, then-candidate Donald Trump described his vision for the future of the American military. “As soon as I take office, I will ask Congress to fully eliminate the defense sequester and will submit a new budget to rebuild our military. This will increase certainty in the defense community as to funding and will allow military leaders to plan for our future defense needs.”
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11/18/2016
The loss of highly trained and experienced pilots from the U.S. military to the private sector is a legitimate worry for Pentagon leaders, the Defense Department's top civilian said. "It is something we have to be concerned about," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Wednesday during a stopover at this installation. The problem is particularly pronounced in the Air Force, which faces a shortage of several hundred aviators.
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11/18/2016
The Royal Air Force is in transition as the Tornado is retired, the Typhoon is modernized and the P-8 and F-35 are introduced. Infrastructure of key bases is being modernized as well.
This transition as seen by officers involved in the operation and support of combat aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth is presented in this report.
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11/18/2016
Britain is set to buy as many as 26 Certifiable Predator B unmanned aerial vehicles from San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.
The $1 billion sale delivers at least 16 of the aircraft, with the option for the country to buy 10 more. The purchase includes the associated material needed to operate the vehicles, including targeting equipment and ground control stations, in addition to contractor support for the aircraft for up to three years.
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11/18/2016
Vietnam is extending a runway on an island it claims in the South China Sea in apparent response to China’s building of military facilities on artificial islands in the region, a US thinktank has reported. Satellite images taken this month showed Vietnam had lengthened its runway on Spratly Island from less than 760 metres (2,500ft) to more than 1 km, Washington’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said.
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11/18/2016
Proposing the setting up of a new, futuristic factory for an upcoming Make in India fighter program, Boeing has said that it is in talks with multiple Indian stakeholders to gear it for the production of the indigenous advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).
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11/18/2016
Spain has taken delivery of its first Airbus Defence & Space A400M tactical transport, which will now be transitioned to its home operating base at Zaragoza in the northeast of the country.
Aircraft MSN44 carried out its maiden flight from Airbus’s Seville final assembly site in September, and is the first of 27 examples on order for Spain.
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11/18/2016
The US government approved the sale of an F-15 fighter jet package that will include 72 aircraft, support and training worth an estimated $21.1 billion to Qatar, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.
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