January 20, 2017 Military Aviation News
01/20/2017
China's new 'Sharp Sword' stealth drone - which is capable of dropping TWO TONNES of bombs - has won second prize in competition. Little is known about the unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) dubbed the "Lijian" in Mandarin - other that it is the first non- NATO aircraft of its kind and 'better' than that used by all military in the West.
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01/20/2017
Russia's state-owned Rostec subsidiary Russian Helicopters plans to supply Kazakhstan with four Mi-35M combat helicopters in 2018. According to the company, the sale is part of a military modernization effort for both countries, and strengthens strategic cooperation between their respective armed forces. The new rotorcraft will be used to replace Kazakhstan's aging fleet of Mi-24 helicopters.
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01/20/2017
FOR Admiral Wu Shengli, the commander of China’s navy since 2006, it must have been a sweet swansong to mark his imminent retirement. In November China announced that its first and only aircraft-carrier, the Liaoning, was combat ready. On December 24th its navy duly dispatched an impressive-looking carrier battle-group with three escorting destroyers, a couple of frigates, a corvette and a refuelling ship. It sailed from the northern port of Qingdao down through the Miyako Strait.
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01/20/2017
F-35s, F-22s and other fighter jets will soon use improved “artificial intelligence” to control nearby drone “wingmen” able to carry weapons, test enemy air defenses or perform intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions in high risk areas, senior Air Force officials said.
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01/20/2017
Russia’s T-50 PAKFA fifth-generation stealth fighter is about to undergo flight testing by military pilots for the first time. The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) said on January 6 that it would take delivery this year of five of the aircraft that have been flight-tested by Sukhoi at the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) in Zhukovsky.
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01/20/2017
Four Air Force fighter jets practiced for the inauguration flyover at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Jan. 19, 2017. Two generations of fighter aircraft are scheduled to fly in a close formation during the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2017.
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01/20/2017
Six years ago, US-backed coalition airpower tore down Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi's air defenses. Since then the dictator has been killed. So have a US Ambassador and three other Americans, and thousands of Libyans. Libya, in general, descended into chaos following the death of Gaddafi and the winding-down of coalition air operations over the country.
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01/20/2017
Together with the interim Libyan government, the bombers destroyed two Islamic State camps 45km southwest of Sirte, according to the air force. The two bombers launched over 100 Boeing GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions and USAF MQ-9 Reapers employed Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles following the initial strike, a service spokesman says. Each B-2 has the capacity to carry 80 226kg (500lb) JDAMs or an equivalent 18,100kg payload.
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01/20/2017
People with knowledge of the ongoing negotiations between the US Department of Defense and weapons-manufacturer Lockheed Martin indicated Wednesday that the average unit cost will fall below $100 million for the first time, two days before Trump takes office. The tenth order of F-35s delivered by Lockheed Martin will be the largest shipment, at 90 fighter jets, in the Joint Strike Fighter’s history.
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