February, 2017 Military Aviation News
02/28/2017
The F-35C is a key part of the evolving carrier air wing. Its importance was highlighted in an interview we did with the current Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems (OPNAV N9) when he was head of Naval Air Warfare at N98.
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02/28/2017
Boeing is firing back at a group of former Canadian air force commanders who are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reconsider a plan to buy Super Hornet aircraft as an interim measure for Canada’s fighter jet capability gap.
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02/28/2017
Airbus says the company has moved a senior manager to help the troubled A400M program amid reports of tension between the airlifter's prime contractor and engine supplier Safran. “We confirm that Michael Menking, currently (head of) Earth observation, navigation and science in Airbus Defence and Space, will be the new (head of) A400M program from March 1,” an Airbus Defence and Space spokesman said.
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02/28/2017
Draken International, operator of the largest privately-owned fleet of ex-military aircraft in the world, marked another milestone providing adversary “Red Air” support for the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in support of Agile Lightning and Wing Fury from 26 to 31 January 2017.
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02/28/2017
Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Elta North America subsidiary has been awarded a $15.5 million, fixed-price contract to provide the US Air Force with counter-unmanned air system equipment.
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02/28/2017
Air Marshall Leo Davies says that progress has been made under the auspices of Project Jericho, an initiative launched by his predecessor to more tightly network the nation’s air force, and also strengthen connectivity with the country’s army and navy. Still, more needs to be done.
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02/28/2017
India is planning to develop its own long-range airborne early warning and control system (AEW&C) in six years in order to fill the gaps in its aerial surveillance not covered by the recently developed Indian Netra system, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said Monday.
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02/27/2017
Japan's Defense Ministry has doubled the number of fighter jets scrambled in each response to foreign airplanes approaching its airspace on the back of China's intensifying military activities around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, government sources said Saturday. Japan's Air Self-Defense Force began scrambling four fighter jets since last year in each case of potential airspace violation by foreign aircraft, they said.
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02/27/2017
The RAAF’s first F-35’s will be making their debut Australian appearance at the Avalon air show this week. It’s not a combat-capable aircraft, yet, though the first partially operational US squadron of the type was deployed to Japan earlier this year. But Beijing state media has boasted its scientists have successfully tested a new type of radar capable of defeating stealth technology at ranges out to 100km.
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02/27/2017
The Navy has carried out a mega exercise which saw participation of its strategic assets including nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, besides Su-30 and Jaguar fighter jets of IAF. The Theatre-level Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX) was conducted to test combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Navy, the Air Force, the Army and the Coast Guard.
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02/27/2017
CEO of Russia's Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov claims that Russia's counter-terrorist campaign in Syria has given a boost to global demand for Russian arms.
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02/27/2017
US and French inspectors will conduct an aerial surveillance flight over Russia under the Treaty on Open Skies between February 27 and March 4, the head of Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said Monday.
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02/27/2017
Russian inspectors will conduct an aerial surveillance flight over Turkey between February 27 and March 3 within the scope of the Treaty on Open Skies, the head of Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said Monday.
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02/27/2017
In its effort to boost the country’s air defense, Vietnam is choosing between Russian Yak-130 and Czech L-39 New Generation planes for its future center for training pilots of supersonic fighter aircraft.
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02/27/2017
Russia’s Aerospace Forces and naval aviation will have their air fleets boosted this year by a total of 160 planes and helicopters, Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev announced on Sunday.
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02/26/2017
Local officials are implementing a full-scale effort to garner community support for Selfridge Air National Guard Base to secure a fleet of the next-generation fighter jet. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Brig. Gen. John D. Slocum, commander of the 127th Wing at SANG, conducted a news conference Feb. 21 to announce a campaign to tout the benefits of attracting a squadron of the F-35 Lightening II, a fifth-generation fighter, to the base.
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02/26/2017
In World War II, the U.S. Navy made extensive use of small aircraft carriers, ranging from very small carriers escorting convoys (CVEs) to light aircraft carriers (CVLs) that were essentially downsized models of the iconic big carriers (CVs). CVLs could handle post-WWII jets. However, the Navy concluded super carriers made more sense strategically and economically.
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02/26/2017
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets yesterday successfully intercepted a group of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) moving in an Hilux vehicle mounted with anti-aircraft gun. The armed vehicle was sighted at Talala in Northern Borno by an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft on patrol, which then called for strike by combat platform.
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02/26/2017
Activity at North Korea's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test facility indicates that the country could conduct another nuclear test at any time, a North Korean watchdog warns. The website 38 North, which monitors commercial satellite imagery for clues to North Korea's actions, says the continued activity in many areas of the Punggye-ri site shown by images from February 18 indicate that work is underway at many of the site's tunnels.
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02/26/2017
The Russian State Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Systems (GosNIIAS) is working on an extremely long-range cruise missile as part of efforts aimed at modernizing the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported, citing GosNIIAS' First Deputy of the General Director and Supervisor of Studies Evgeny Fedosov.
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02/25/2017
The US Air Force’s F-35A will fight ISIS in the near future, but don’t expect to see the Lockheed Martin Lightning II flying over Iraq or Syria this year. The F-35A’s Middle East deployment is not imminent and is planned a few years out, USAF Air Combat Command chief Gen Herbert Carlisle told reporters 24 February.
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02/25/2017
The US Air Force announced in a press release on Friday it is retiring the 21-year-old MQ-1 Predator drone and is transitioning to the MQ-9 Reaper. "The MQ-9 is better equipped than the MQ-1 due to its high definition sensors and increased speed," the release stated. "The fresh MQ-9 design picked up where the MQ-1 left off, boasting a nearly 4,000-pound payload and the ability to carry missiles and bombs."
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02/25/2017
The US Air Force has equipped its fleet of 20 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers with flight-management-control processors that officials say enhance the performance of onboard computer systems by a factor of 1,000, Scout reports.
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02/25/2017
Developers of the Russian new-generation strategic bomber, known as the Advanced Long-Range Aviation Complex (PAK DA), have defended the preliminary design of the project, according to Evgeniy Fedorov, scientific director of the Russian State Research Institute of Aviation Systems.
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02/25/2017
Ankara has expressed interest in purchasing the S-400 Triumf mobile surface-to-air missile systems from Russia to develop its own air defense system, Turkish MP Ahmet Berat Conkar of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) told Sputnik Turkey.
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02/24/2017
Kenya's bid to buy $418 million attack aircraft from an American firm was on Wednesday facing an uncertain future after five US legislators asked Congress to stop the deal because it was "inflated", saying the cost was doubled. Congressman Ted Budd is leading four of his colleagues in a bid to block the sale of 12 attack aircraft and two trainer planes to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), which plans to use them in the war on the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia.
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02/24/2017
As the US starts to forward-deploy more of its F-35 Lightning, China and Russia have been putting the finishing touches on their own batches of fifth-generation aircraft — and they all express vastly different ideas about what the future of air combat will look like.
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02/24/2017
Now Dan Gillian, who heads the Boeing fighter-jet program, is plotting upgrades to keep the F/A-18 flying through the 2040s -- and even looking at increasing the production rate. The U.S. Navy may need at least 100 of the Super Hornets over the next five years while it waits for Lockheed’s next version of the F-35. Boeing also sees opportunities for additional sales from India, Finland and Switzerland.
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02/24/2017
Team Spartan filed a 6 January application for judicial review before the Federal Court challenging the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s award decision, according to a 23 February Team Spartan press release. During the protracted competition, Airbus had pitted their C295 turboprop against Leonardo’s C-27J Spartan. Brazilian-based Embraer also put forth its KC-390 twinjet and Lockheed Martin ultimately backed out of its HC-130J proposal.
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02/24/2017
During a 23 February speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, USAF chief Gen David Goldfein told the audience the experiment would not cost much money. In January, Goldfein said the USAF would run an experiment in the spring assessing off-the-shelf options to fill a low-end fighter role.
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02/24/2017
Italy has received the first of 10 NH Industries NH90 troop transport helicopters destined for its navy, which will be used to perform special forces and amphibious support missions.
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02/24/2017
Following a request from India’s Defense Ministry, New Delhi’s Air Force has decided not to make an acquisition request for the British Advanced Hawk trainer aircraft, due to a recent bribery scandal.
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02/24/2017
US officials are reporting that China has almost completed constructing two dozen buildings on its artificial islands in the South China Sea. The structures, according to reports, are intended to contain long-range surface-to-air missiles.
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02/24/2017
?apt. 1st Rank Sergey Artamonov, the commander of the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, stated that he was looking forward to the introduction of Kamov Ka-52 Alligator helicopters into service.
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02/24/2017
Ship commander Sergey Artamonov said that the crew of Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier is prepared for further missions after completing the tour to Syria.
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02/23/2017
The age of the strike carrier is over. As the United States enters an era where the potential for modern great-power war is increasing dramatically in Eurasia, a return to the traditional roles of the aircraft carrier is required to maintain maritime access. Carrier-borne over-land strike warfare has not proved decisive in previous conflicts in heavily contested air defense environments, and will not prove so in the future.
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02/23/2017
The U.S. Air Force’s WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft, capable of detecting nuclear explosions, deployed to the United Kingdom last week for a routine mission, the service said Wednesday. The “nuke hunter” plane, also known as the “sniffer,” is on a “pre-planned rotational deployment scheduled in advance,” Air Force spokeswoman Erika Yepsen told Military.com.
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02/23/2017
Russia's next-generation Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighters are being tested for integration with missiles and bombs, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said Tuesday. "Aviation weapons including guided air-to-air, air-to-surface missiles and bombs are being integrated on the fighter T-50, and the aircraft systems are being evaluated," Borisov told the state-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily.
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02/23/2017
China's stealthy J-20 fighter-interceptor program continues to gain steam, with deep avionics integration work underway and even reports the jet is already deployed in a semi-operational state. Now the aircraft has appeared in a totally new configuration, toting a quartet of massive auxiliary fuel tanks (aka, drop tanks or "bags") under its usually clean wings.
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02/23/2017
Pakistan has reportedly upped the ante in its ongoing campaign to sell eight Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to Sri Lanka. According to ANI News Service, Islamabad has purportedly offered Colombo an F-7 fighter for free for each JF-17 the Sri Lankan Air Force purchases from Pakistan. (The F-7 is China’s license-built version of the MiG-21, a supersonic third-generation fighter jet.)
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02/23/2017
Leonardo has used the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi to unveil plans to produce a new fighter/attack (FA) version of Aermacchi M-346, to be available from next year. “The new version has been conceived to take advantage of the performances and the introduction of an enhanced mission configuration, based on the proven Grifo-346 multimode radar, to accomplish air-to-air and air-to-surface operations,".
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02/23/2017
Airbus has written to its customers for the A400M military transport in a bid to reduce its financial exposure to programme delays, after the company’s charges on the programme hit €2.2 billion ($2.3 billion) last year.
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02/23/2017
The Naval Research Laboratory has tested its Tactical Battle Manager (TBM) software system that guides drones to serve as "wingmen" to human piloted aircraft, the US Navy announced in a press release.
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02/23/2017
The latest Russian advanced MiG-35 multirole fighter jets could be in demand in the Middle East and may soon be presented to a number of potential buyers from the region, Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Deputy Director Alexei Frolkin said Wednesday.
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02/22/2017
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel hosted a news conference Tuesday to discuss how officials are working to bring the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township. The news conference was at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Zuccaro's Banquet Center in Chesterfield Township. Watch the whole conference below. Hackel's office announced an educational website to promote the effort to get the F-35 to Selfridge - MI35.org
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02/22/2017
NATO jets intercepted a skein of Russian combat aircraft, flying alongside Russian bomber planes above the Baltic Sea last Tuesday and Thursday—twice in a week, Lithuania’s government reports. The uptick of Russian approaches to the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since Moscow’s annexation of another former Soviet territory—Crimea in 2014—has unnerved and convinced them that the Kremlin may harbor similar designs for their lands.
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02/22/2017
Australian special forces are within 50 kilometres of the frontline of the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul as the ground offensive shifts to liberating the city's west. Australian soldiers are at forward operating bases advising and assisting Iraqi soldiers and providing medical treatment to the wounded. Schools and markets have reopened and life is starting to return to normal for civilians in East Mosul.
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02/22/2017
The United Arab Emirates has agreed to purchase a batch of advanced Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighters from Russia. The Flanker-E is the most capable operational Russian combat aircraft would add to the UAE’s already formidable fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Block 60 Fighting Falcons. More troubling for the United States, the deal is an indication that the UAE—a long-time U.S. ally—is drifting into Moscow’s orbit.
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02/22/2017
Russia and the UAE signed an agreement this week to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet.
The deal was announced by Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the Rostec State Corporation, at the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital.
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02/22/2017
Indonesia and Russia will likely conclude an agreement for the purchase of up to 10 Russian-made Su-35S multirole fighter jets for the Indonesia Air Force (TNI-AU) in the near future, according to a senior Russian defense industry representative.
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02/22/2017
There was no turning back from my maiden trainer voyage aboard a Lockheed Martin T-50A once the glass canopy closed down above my head. As we slowly taxied down the runway, I mentally prepared myself for the moment I would flatten into my seat upon takeoff. But the afterburner helped lift the T-50 off at 124 knots in 1200 feet for such a smooth departure that I would be disappointed with my commercial flight back home later that evening.
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02/22/2017
Deputy Defense Minister said that tests of the Russian fifth-generation fighter T-50 (PAK FA) are in the process of the integration of missile and bomb armament.
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02/22/2017
Turkish Foreign Minister said that negotiations with Russia on deliveries of advanced S-400 Triumf air defense systems to Turkey are progressing successfully.
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02/22/2017
Russia is considering Iraq's requests for new military equipment deliveries to its armed services, Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Deputy Director Alexei Frolkin said Tuesday. "Iraq's requests in the interests of all national armed forces are under consideration," Frolkin told reporters at the IDEX-2017 exhibition in the United Arab Emirates.
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02/21/2017
A delivery of 50 MiG-29 fighter aircraft from Russia to Egypt is set to be delivered on schedule by 2020, the deputy director of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) announced on Monday, according to Russian Sputnik news agency. “The delivery will be carried out within the period set out in the contract,” the FSMTC deputy director Alexei Frolkin told reporters on Monday at the IDEX 2017 military exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates.
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02/21/2017
Russia and the UAE will work together to develop light combat aircraft in the coming years, chief executive officer of Rostec corporation told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Monday. “We have signed an inter-governmental agreement with the UAE, and the two sides have agreed to work in the development of fifth generation light combat aircraft. We will try to create a modern aircraft with modern avionics and it is going to be a brand new aircraft,” said Sergey Chemezov .
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02/21/2017
The Israeli air force is to change its procedures for performing asymmetric landings with fighters, following an investigation into a fatal accident involving a Lockheed Martin F-16I “Sufa” on 5 October 2016.
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02/21/2017
Visitors to Aero India this year could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu. Back in 2011, the soundtrack to the show was the roar of fighter aircraft as eager bidders put their jets through their paces.
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02/21/2017
Today, about 75% of Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) income is generated by defence systems. With this responsibility, the company’s military aircraft group is under heavy pressure to maintain this number – or even increase it.
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02/21/2017
Poland has begun negotiations with three bidders as it looks to acquire 16 helicopters – eight for special forces missions and eight for anti-submarine warfare and maritime search and rescue operations.
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02/21/2017
The development of a Russia-UAE fifth-generation fighter jet based on the MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: "Fulcrum") will be completed no earlier than 2025, the CEO of the Rostec State Corporation said Monday.
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02/21/2017
The United Arab Emirates is interested in possible deliveries of Russia's Su-35 multirole air superiority fighters, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, who led the Russian delegation at the IDEX 2017 exhibition, said Monday.
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02/20/2017
More than twenty years ago, a military confrontation in East Asia pushed the United States and China uncomfortably close to conflict. Largely unknown in America, the event made a lasting impression on China, especially Chinese military planners. The Third Taiwan Crisis, as historians call it, was China’s introduction to the power and flexibility of the aircraft carrier, something it obsesses about to this day.
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02/20/2017
Canadian military aircraft are once again over the skies of Syria, helping to identify targets in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant months after the Liberals pulled fighter jets from the mission. It has been one year since Canadian CF-18 fighter jets flew their last mission over Syria after the Liberals withdrew the planes in favour of a mission to train local forces and help rebuild areas affected by fighting.
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02/20/2017
It is a potent fighter and when it flies past, it leaves the skies stunned. Sukhoi MKI 30s — the multirole combat fighter — with its super manoeuvrable capacities has been a delight for spectators at any aero show. At the ‘Aero India 2017’, these birds and their commanders once again showcased their prowess leaving not only admirers but also a trail of pride behind.
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02/20/2017
At a time when the information technology city, claiming to be the aerospace capital of India, is increasingly looked upon by the leading global aviation companies for development of future supersonic fighter gets, a major research and development joint venture (JV) between Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL) and Swedish aircraft major SAAB for manufacturing airborne electronic warfare systems has silently been taken out of Bengaluru to Hyderabad.
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02/20/2017
The United States and Russia maintain their leading positions in exports of major weapons during the period of 2012-2016 jointly amounting to 56 percent of global arms exports, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday.
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02/20/2017
The S-500 Prometey, also known as 55R6M Triumfator-M, is a cutting-edge anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile system currently under development in Russia. The S-500, designed by Almaz Antei, is said to have a range of 600 kilometers. The system can simultaneously intercept up to ten ballistic and hypersonic missiles traveling at a speed of up to 7 kilometers per second.
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02/20/2017
The Russian Helicopters company, part of the Rostec state corporation, has started the production of the multirole Mi-171A2 helicopters and plans to produce at least four aircraft in 2017, the company's CEO Andrey Boginsky said Sunday.
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02/20/2017
Six countries in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East consider buying Russia’s new Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets armed with BrahMos cruise missiles, BrahMos Aerospace representative Previn Pahtak told Sputnik.
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02/19/2017
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 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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02/19/2017
Two F-15s intercepted an “unresponsive general aviation aircraft” near Palm Beach, causing the sonic boom as they traveled from Miami-Dade County, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The air space around Mar-a-Lago is restricted while President Donald Trump is in town.
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02/19/2017
SDI, a platform that publishes reports on the global defense industry has stated that Morocco plans to import more weapons and defense materials by 2022. Morocco intends to make itself the leading military power in Africa. Currently it’s in second place, behind largest Africa’s largest importer of weapons, Algeria.
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02/19/2017
The Air Force Chief Scientist said F-35 pilots will be able to control a small group of drones flying nearby from the aircraft cockpit in the air, performing sensing, reconnaissance and targeting functions. At the moment, the flight path, sensor payload and weapons disposal of airborne drones such as Air Force Predators and Reapers are coordinated from ground control stations.
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02/19/2017
The US Air Force is vigorously upgrading the 1980s-era F-15 fighter by giving new weapons and sensors in the hope of maintaining air-to-air superiority over the Chinese J-10 equivalent. The Air Force is reving up electronic warfare upgrades for its F-15 fighter as a way to better protect against enemy fire and electronic attacks, service officials said.
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02/19/2017
The Australian head of the Joint Strike Fighter program says he is confident the next delivery of the cutting-edge combat aircraft to the RAAF is on track despite a report finding the next batch of planes will not have the most up-to-date technology. Air Vice-Marshal Leigh Gordon told Fairfax Media that doubts raised by the Pentagon's test and evaluation office about problems such as software glitches would not affect those due for delivery to the RAAF next year.
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02/18/2017
On Feb. 8, Military Times published an article titled “Is the Afghan Air Force trigger happy? Here's what the numbers say.” The article challenged the competency of the Afghan Air Force and asserted that the young service “is responsible for a troubling pattern of botched airstrikes that have led to a stunning rise in civilian casualties.” The numbers brought forth in the article are an incomplete sample used to imply a problem with Afghan airpower.
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02/18/2017
As US President Donald Trump stood in front of Boeing’s inaugural 787-10 Dreamliner in South Carolina this week, he turned his attention from the company’s commercial crown jewel to tease a possible military aircraft sale.
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02/18/2017
Air Marshal Leo Davies, chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), leads one of the most modern – and capable – services in the Asia-Pacific region.His CV includes stints in the 1980s as a navigator and pilot aboard the Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion and later as a pilot on the General Dynamics F-111, a type in which he amassed 2,000h. He later went on to be Canberra’s air attaché in Washington DC, before assuming his current role in 2015.
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02/18/2017
After nearly 40 years in the US Air Force, Gen Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle will hand over the reins of Air Combat Command on 10 March to his successor, Lt Gen Mike Holmes.
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02/18/2017
India is forging ahead with its most challenging fighter programme, the development of its low-observable Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Director of New Delhi’s Aeronautic Development Agency C.D. Balaji says that the great majority of work for the shape of the AMCA has been completed. The biggest challenge involves the development of Radar Absorbent Material (RAM).
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02/18/2017
Russian military equipment exhibits drew significant attention from various delegations at the concluding Aero India 2017 exhibitions, while Russia and India further cemented military technical cooperation by agreeing on joint projects and discussing the supply of Russian equipment to India.
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02/18/2017
The Indian Air Force embraced the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the Advanced Hawk training aircraft, designed and produced by UK-based BAE Systems, at the Aero India conference held in January.
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02/18/2017
The United States has no particular reaction to the news that the Russian military has conducted cruise missile strikes on Daesh near Syria's Raqqa, US Department of Defense spokesperson Jeff Davis said in a briefing on Friday.
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02/18/2017
A Vietnamese online paper recently published an article, whose author tries to justify the need to arm the country’s Russian-made Su-27/30 fighters and Su-22 fighter-bombers with Israeli-made Python-5 air-to-air missiles.
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02/17/2017
The US Air Force has worked long time on developing a sixth generation combat aircraft to replace the F-35 jet once it reaches the end of its service in 2070, US Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements Maj. Gen. Jerry Harris said in a congressional testimony on Thursday.
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02/17/2017
Sixteen more JF-17 Thunder jets were inducted into the No. 14 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force during a ceremony held at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex on Thursday.
Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif attended the ceremony as the chief guest while Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman was also present.
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02/17/2017
U.S. adversaries are rapidly catching up to America's fifth generation fighter aircraft capabilities—a risk that has exacerbated given ongoing cyber vulnerabilities in the F-35 fighter jet program, according to an Air Force major general.
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02/17/2017
The US Air Force has delayed the release of its final request for proposal to recapitalise its fleet of UH-1N Huey helicopters, after contractors told the service their off-the-shelf solutions would not meet all of the proposed requirements.
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02/17/2017
In August, the USAF and Lockheed were preparing to move the FA-50 into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA). The CRADA allows the air force to assess an aircraft’s airworthiness without a programme of record. With a USAF stamp of approval as a gold standard in assessment, the CRADA can open up aircraft to direct commercial sales customers.
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02/17/2017
The air force is now facing a fleet of 108 F-35As that must be retrofitted from the Block 2B or 3i configuration, Lt Gen Jerry Harris, USAF deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, states in a 16 February testimony to Congress. The USAF and the F-35 Joint Programme Office are working together on a Block 3F upgrade plan.
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02/17/2017
Russia will begin supplying foreign customers with its Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifters after the Russian Aerospace Forces put into service its Il-76MD-90A modification, Rostec state corporation's chief international cooperation official said on Thursday.
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02/16/2017
Swedish aircraft maker Saab and U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin are the runner-ups in a fierce international competition to supply the Indian Air Force (IAF) with up to 250 new Western-made single-engine fighter jets in the 2020s.
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02/16/2017
The US Navy has revived interest in studying a major upgrade of the engine that powers the Boeing F/A-18E/F, EA-18G and two foreign fighters, including the possible addition of new technologies.
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02/16/2017
Initial operational test and evaluation on the Boeing KC-46A tanker will begin in January 2018 at the earliest, US Air Force officials tell FlightGlobal. In a 10 February interview at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, KC-46 programme manager Col. John Newberry told FlightGlobalthat testing will begin pending the results of a US Air Force IOT&E readiness review in the fall of 2017.
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02/16/2017
The Saab Gripen has appeared at the Aero India show for the first time since 2011, signalling the Swedish firm’s determination to win a planned Indian single-engined fighter deal.
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02/16/2017
Boeing, IAI, and Airbus Defence & Space all say recognize the need India has for tanking capability at this year’s show. Airbus’s A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) has twice been selected for New Delhi’s tanker requirement. Unfortunately, both times the deal has fallen through, leaving the Air Force to soldier on with its Ilyushin Il-78 Midas tankers.
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02/16/2017
On Wednesday China responded to rumblings about the US planning fresh naval patrols in the South China Sea by warning Washington not to impose on their sovereignty. The Navy Times reported on Sunday that officials with the Pacific Command and US Navy were considering having the Carl Vinson carrier strike group, based in San Diego, conduct freedom of navigation patrols in the waterway.
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02/16/2017
On Tuesday India’s Air Force received the first three indigenously designed airborne early warning and control platforms (AEW&C) from the country’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
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02/16/2017
Russia is willing to ramp up the licensed production of its Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets in India, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) told Sputnik on Wednesday.
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02/16/2017
To meet the shortage of Fighter Jets in Indian Air Force, Narendra Modi led government has approved $203 million for another production line of its light combat aircraft Tejas. India needs to increase its domestic production capacity to at-least 16 fighters per year which is currently as low as eight fighters per year. India needs 300-400 more fighter jets of different types over the next decade.
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02/15/2017
Russia’s shadowy SSC-8 land-based land-attack cruise missile has been in testing for nearly a decade, but now, according to The New York Times, the system has gone operational and has been deployed to two separate locations. Although both the US and Russia have thousands of cruise missiles they are not supposed to have land-based cruise or ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear or conventional warheads over a range of 300 to 3,400 miles.
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02/15/2017
The Trump Administration is taking a "fresh look" at Lockheed Martin's proposal to have a F-16 manufacturing base in India if it agrees to buy the fighter jets, officials from the US defence giant said.
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02/15/2017
The F-35A premiered at Red Flag this month, marking the first time the US Air Force’s Lightning Strike variant participated in the training exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The Hill event marked the second part of the F-35A’s Red Flag activities. Earlier this month, the F-35 participated in Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
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02/15/2017
Lockheed Martin is confident of securing new sales for the F-16, and claims that the type’s economies of scale and broad user base give the Block 70 variant an edge in New Delhi’s requirement for a single-engined fighter.
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02/15/2017
The US Air Force may select its first enlisted drone pilots for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence training this month. Last week, the pilot selection board met to consider 185 airmen who passed the program’s qualifying phase.
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02/15/2017
The Russian Helicopters holding company is expected to supply about 220 helicopters to its customers this year, the company’s CEO Andrey Boginsky told Sputnik Tuesday.
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02/15/2017
Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport is showcasing about 300 pieces of Russian military hardware at Aero India, an international aerospace exhibition, held in India's Bengaluru on February 14-18, Rosoboronexport said in a press release issued on Tuesday.
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02/14/2017
Stealth isn’t new in the Air Force. But, stealth combined with the multirole capabilities of the F-35A is proving to be a game changer in the Nevada desert. Units from across the Air Force have converged here for Red Flag 17-01, the Air Force’s premier air combat exercise, which pits a friendly force against an aggressor force in scenarios designed to give pilots true-to-life experiences before heading into actual combat.
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02/14/2017
In October Kratos Defense & Security Solutions was awarded a contract by the US Defense Innovation Unit Experimental to explore the use of high-speed drones in both fully autonomous or semi-autonomous roles to support fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft.
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02/14/2017
Northrop Grumman and the US Army completed the first flight of the UH-60V engineering and development model last month, bringing the legacy Black Hawk’s analog cockpit into the digital age.
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02/14/2017
US Army officials say that developers are integrating new technology into the Apache attack helicopter, giving crews the ability to control the flight and view real-time video feeds from nearby drones, making it easier to destroy the aircraft.
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02/14/2017
Poland’s ongoing military modernization program will start off 2017 by adding two Black Hawk choppers. The two helicopters are set to join a 16 chopper fleet that can replace the aging fleet of Mi-8, Mi-14 and Mi-17 aircraft.
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02/14/2017
Swedish aerospace company Saab has offered India a new fighter jet factory if the defense organization is able to secure a deal to supply New Delhi with over 200 military jets. Saab is currently neck and neck with US company Lockheed Martin to supply India’s Air Force with 250 single engine combat planes.
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02/14/2017
The Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted Sudhir Kumar Mishra, chief executive of the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, as saying that India will test-fire the air-launched version of his company's supersonic Russian-Indian BrahMos cruise missile in the next three months.
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02/13/2017
China will not adopt highly advanced electromagnetic take-off technology on its second domestically built aircraft carrier but instead rely on a conventional system, naval experts say.
TheType 002 vessel – the country’s third aircraft carrier after the Liaoning and the Type 001A carrier under construction in Dalian – would be equipped with at least three conventional steam launch catapults, a source close to the navy told the South China Morning Post.
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02/13/2017
A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:
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02/13/2017
While a new naval future fleet architecture study from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) suggests that the U.S. Navy should maintain a fleet of 12 full-sized supercarriers, the paper also suggests that the service should develop a new class of light carriers. In the interim, while the new aircraft carriers are being developed, large deck amphibious assault ships could fill the role of the smaller flattops.
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02/13/2017
Boeing’s new Indian unit will help the company win more business from local customers and mean more employment in the South Asian country, the head of the US defence firm’s Indian business said. The new legal entity, announced this week, is the fourth separate country-specific business Boeing has established after setting up similar structures in Britain, Australia and Saudi Arabia.
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02/13/2017
Stealth, or the idea of reducing the ability of the enemy to detect a weapon, has been around since the first caveman sewed a pocket into his clothing and hid a rock in it. Thousands of years later, with the ability to detect objects on the ground, in the air and at sea using electromagnetic radiation, hiding weapons in plain sight has become much harder.
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02/13/2017
India is likely to place orders worth ?20,000 crore with Airbus to buy six A330 aircraft to mount the indigenously-built Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS). DRDO Chairman S Christopher, addressing reporters on the sidelines of Aero India international seminar, said, “Currently the order to buy Airbus aircraft is before the Cabinet Committee on Security.”
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02/13/2017
The who’s who of the global aerospace industry will congregate in Bengaluru from February 14-18 to take part in Asia’s largest airshow Aero India-2017. Over 550 defence and aerospace firms, including 279 foreign companies, will take part in the 11th edition of the biennial event being held at the Yelahanka air force base.
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02/13/2017
The head of Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said that Russian inspectors will fly over Italy this week as part of the Open Skies arrangement for aerial surveillance. "The surveillance flight over Italy will be carried out on a Russian An-30B plane under the Open Skies Treaty," Sergei Ryzhkov said.
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02/13/2017
Russia successfully tested its latest Ka-52K Katran reconnaissance and combat helicopter during the recent Mediterranean cruise by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported.
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02/12/2017
China has signed a substantial contract with Russia in 2015 to purchase 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighters in a deal that is worth $2 billion. The TASS, a Russian news agency, reported on Feb. 2 that Russia will deliver the second batch of ten Su-35 fighter jets to China this year with 10 more aircraft in 2018.
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02/12/2017
A multi-billion dollar Indian programme to co-develop a stealth fighter with Russia faces an uncertain fate with the government deciding to set up a committee to examine what the country gains from the project. A top government source said the panel, to be headed by a three-star officer, would look into different aspects of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project and the technology it brings into the country to meet the air force’s future requirements.
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02/11/2017
Speaking before lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday, Gen. John Nicholson, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, described the Afghan air force as a vital component to breaking the stalemate between Afghan and Taliban forces. “Offensive capability is what will break the stalemate in Afghanistan,” Nicholson said. “The key offensive capabilities for the Afghan security forces are their special forces and their Air Force.”
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02/11/2017
Italian aerospace company Leonardo is back in the running to bid on the U.S. Air Force’s T-X trainer jet competition after it separated from a joint venture with Raytheon Co., the company announced Wednesday. “Leonardo is proud to confirm its participation in the U.S. Air Force T-X competition with its T-100 integrated training system,” it said in a release.
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02/11/2017
Should the U.S. have to resort to the military option against Iran’s nuclear program, the B-2 stealth bomber would figure prominently in the operations. One of Iran’s best defenses is its massive and unforgiving geography. The country is three times larger than Iraq and roughly equivalent to the size of all of Western Europe. Most of its major nuclear facilities, as well as some of its important military sites, are located deep inside the country.
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02/11/2017
At the end of 2016, the Marine Corps had 1,065 aircraft on flight lines around the world, ranging from small attack helicopters to C-130 transport planes. Of those, only 439 are considered ready to fly as is. The remaining aircraft, nearly 60 percent of the total, are considered temporarily non-mission capable, either awaiting maintenance, in-service repair or supply, meaning they are lacking the parts they need to be operational.
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02/11/2017
A new naval future fleet architecture study from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) suggests that the United States Navy will need to develop a dedicated air superiority fighter to counter Russian and Chinese advances.
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02/11/2017
U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin wants to push ahead with plans to move production of its F-16 combat jets to India, but understands President Donald Trump’s administration may want to take a “fresh look” at the proposal. With no more orders for the F-16 from the Pentagon, Lockheed plans to use its Fort Worth, Texas plant instead to produce the fifth generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that the United States Air Force is transitioning to.
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02/11/2017
Territories claimed by the Philippines but controlled by China played host to an ‘unsafe’ encounter between a US Navy P-3C and a Chinese KJ-200, both surveillance aircraft. The planes reportedly flew within 1,000 feet of one another, according to the US Pacific Command. The Department of Defense and US Pacific Command are "always concerned about unsafe interactions with Chinese military forces," according to the statement.
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02/10/2017
A hand-shake agreement with US government negotiators slashes the cost of each F-35A ordered in the latest annual lot to $94.6 million, but the Lockheed Martin programme’s goal to drop the price to $85 million in three years is in jeopardy unless the Defense department invokes a package of special acquisition tools, says Lockheed chief financial officer Bruce Tanner.
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02/10/2017
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) announced on Monday that it is ordering a new mobile version of Kongsberg's NASAMS air defense system, the same system that has been operated by the country's air force since the early 2000s.
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02/10/2017
Upgraded engines would be less expensive to maintain and would improve fuel efficiency for the B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet, but there is no room in the budget for such renovations.
From an operations perspective, replacing the engines makes “great sense,” Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said, during an Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday. “If we had it in our budget, we’d do it, but we don’t have it.”
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02/10/2017
A top aviation official wants the US government to buy 37 F-35Bs annually, an uptick from 20 aircraft per year. The service has endured “a very anemic ramp” while incorporating F-35Bs into its aviation force, Lt. Gen. John Davis, deputy commander for aviation at the US Marine Corps, said Wednesday, DefenseNews reports. Consequently, “we’ve been holding onto the older airplanes longer,” Davis said.
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02/10/2017
Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers conducted on Thursday patrol flights over neutral waters in the Northern hemisphere without violating international rules, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
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02/10/2017
The combat use of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying missile cruiser off the Syrian coast needs to be thoroughly and competently analyzed, in order to improve the combat readiness of the Russian Navy, according to Adm. Vladimir Valuyev, former Baltic Fleet commander.
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02/10/2017
In a bid to expand its outreach in Indian Ocean Region, India has decided to lend submarine training to Indonesia. Defense Sources told Sputnik that submarine training is a part of defense co-operation agreed during recent visit of India's Defense Secretary Mohan Kumar to South East Asia. Vietnamese sailors are already being trained by Indian submariners to operate Russian Kilo class submarines. Indonesia government also asked for defense technologies meant for Army's equipment.
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02/09/2017
Rafael is stepping up its efforts to provide systems for the Indian air force’s Hindustan Aeronautics-built Tejas light combat aircraft, with its current emphasis on offering air-to-air missiles and a targeting pod.
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02/09/2017
On Feb. 3 pilots of the Northern Fleet’s aviation group flew from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to their home base in Severomorsk-3. Only some of the aircraft, which include the Su-33, MiG-29K, Ka-52, Ka-29 and Ka-27, were transferred home. Technical breakdowns and a lack of trained aircraft carrier pilots are believed to be the main culprit behind the missing planes.
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02/09/2017
Pakistan and Myanmar are in “advanced negotiations” to licence-build the JF-17, a single-engine multi-role fighter jet, reported IHS Jane's Defence Weekly on Wednesday. The news outlet, citing defence industry sources in Yangon and sources close to the Myanmar Air Force (MAF), said Myanmar would be able to significantly expand its local defence industry if an agreement is reached.
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02/09/2017
The service has not had a dedicated air-to-air combat aircraft since it retired the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in 2006. But even the Tomcat was adapted into a strike aircraft during its last years in service after the Soviet threat evaporated.
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02/09/2017
akarta will launch an investigation into the delivery of a Leonardo Helicopters AgustaWestland AW101 VIP helicopter, part of a deal that was apparently cancelled. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that the Indonesian air force ordered three AW101’s in a VIP configuration on 24 November 2015.
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02/09/2017
A hand-shake agreement with US government negotiators slashes the cost of each F-35A ordered in the latest annual lot to $94.6 million, but the Lockheed Martin programme’s goal to drop the price to $85 million in three years is in jeopardy unless the Defense department invokes a package of special acquisition tools, says Lockheed chief financial officer Bruce Tanner.
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02/09/2017
The ministry said that the snap checks are aimed to assess the readiness of Russian military administration bodies and the troops' practical training to carry out combat training tasks. The Russian Aerospace Forces snap checks that began on Tuesday are scheduled to end on Thursday, February 9, the Russian Defense Ministry said. On Tuesday, the Russian defense minister said a snap inspection of the Aerospace Forces had begun.
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02/08/2017
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will likely place an order for 50 Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Block-III fighter jets in the first half of 2017, according to PAC chairman Air Marshall Arshad Malik.
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02/08/2017
The Taiwanese government on 7 February committed to support local industry to design and fly a prototype advanced jet trainer by 2020 and deliver 66 production aircraft to replace the air force’s aging fleet of AIDC AT-3 and Northrop F-5F trainers.
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02/08/2017
The US Marine Corps expects to declare initial operational capability for the Bell Boeing V-22 Aerial Refuelling System (VARS) in late 2019, with the milestone to represent the availability of an initial four mission-equipped aircraft.
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02/08/2017
US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said that the US military would keep its fleet of veteran A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft operational for at least another four years.
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02/08/2017
In response to significant enemy air defense-system upgrades, the US Air Force is angling to modernize their aircraft’s digital arsenal with improved sensors. Other upgrades include the Long Range Stand-Off weapon, long range nuclear cruise missiles, like the B-61 Mod 12, and the so-called defensive management system (DMS), to provide pilots with knowledge of the location of enemy anti-aircraft defense posts.
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02/08/2017
Russia and NATO have had certain success in resolving disagreements over the use of transponders during military flights over the Baltic Sea, Russian envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Tuesday.
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02/08/2017
The Russian Aerospace Forces are undergoing an unannounced inspection to evaluate their readiness to conduct combat training tasks. An unannounced inspection of the Russian Aerospace Forces has begun at President Vladimir Putin's orders to evaluate their readiness to conduct combat training tasks, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
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02/07/2017
The F-35C was never designed to be an air superiority fighter. Indeed, naval planners in the mid-1990s wanted the JSF to be a strike-oriented aircraft with only a 6.5G airframe load limit with very limited air-to-air capability, according to one retired U.S. Navy official.
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02/07/2017
With the five-day ‘Aero India 2017’ just a week away, defence manufacturers from both public and private sectors have started making announcements regarding the aircraft to be put on display. On Monday, Swedish aerospace and defence company announced that the premier single engine fighter aircraft, Gripen-E, will be on display.
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02/07/2017
Back in October 1986, the US Air Force was faced with a difficult decision. It had received seven responses to a request for proposals to build two prototypes for the advanced tactical fighter competition that ultimately yielded the Lockheed Martin F-22. In the wake of later industry consolidation, the USAF, it seemed, would never again enjoy such a wealth of bids.
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02/07/2017
Raytheon will deliver the 20,000thcopy of the missile that three decades ago changed air-to-air combat in a 31 January ceremony inside the company’s factory in the desert on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona.
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02/07/2017
US aerospace giant Boeing won a $18.2 million Air Force Foreign Military Sales contract to provide the Royal Saudi Air Force with advanced radars in their F-15SA Eagle aircraft, the Department of Defense said in a press release.
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02/07/2017
The US Air Force may soon have an operational F-35A multirole fighter at its disposal in the fight against Daesh as well as as in a campaign in the Pacific. Last year, Air Combat Commander Gen. Herbert J. "Hawk" Carlisle told reporters, "We have a global force management process. The F-35 move into the Middle East is scheduled further down the road. If a combatant commander needed it sooner they would ask for it," according to Scout Warrior.
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02/06/2017
On Feb. 4, Coalition military forces conducted 32 strikes consisting of 63 engagements against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes consisting of 25 engagements using attack, bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.
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02/06/2017
Everyone’s heard about the Harrier jump jet. Arnold Schwarzenegger used one to blast terrorists in True Lies. The Royal Navy beat him to the punch when it used a few dozen to score twenty air-to-air kills for zero losses against Argentine fighters in the Falklands War. The United States Marine Corps, too, has had a lasting affection for Vertical Takeoff Or Landing (VTOL) jets, which can be operated from small amphibious carriers and deployed to forward operating bases.
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02/06/2017
As of Feb. 3 the F-35A had achieved a quite impressive score during Red Flag 17-1, the U.S. Air Force’s premier air combat exercise underway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, that pits “Blue Air” (friendly forces) against “Red Air” (enemy) in an all-out air war featuring air-to-air, air-to-ground, search and rescue, and special forces elements.
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02/06/2017
India and the United Kingdom have jointly developed a combat ready aircraft that will be on offer to neighbouring countries, countering growing Chinese penetration of the defence market in the region. A jointly developed, dual role version of the Hawk trainer aircraft will make its debut later this month, with an Indo-UK combine targeting export markets for the versatile plane.
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02/06/2017
Russian specialists would help Belgrade modernize six aircraft to be received from Russia, as well as four fighter jets from the Serbian Air Force fleet, according to local media.
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02/05/2017
YOU’RE A PRIVATE pilot, out on a Sunday jaunt in your single engine prop plane. Lovely day for a flight—calm skies, good weather. Then you hear, feel, and then see the fast approach of two, grey, angular military jets, flying terrifyingly close to you, most definitely armed and dangerous.
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02/05/2017
Britain is being forced to pour millions of pounds of new funds into the troubled F-35 stealth fighter programme being developed in America and considered a vital part of the UK’s future defences. The F-35, being built by the US in partnership with countries including the UK, is the costliest weapon ever developed by the Pentagon. It is scheduled to go into service in the UK in 2018 and into full production in 2019, and is intended to be a cornerstone of UK defences for decades to come.
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02/05/2017
The aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), was decommissioned during a ceremony held in the ship's hangar bay on February 3. The ceremony not only marked the end the ship's nearly 55-year career, it also served as the very first decommissioning of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
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02/05/2017
Russia is hoping against hope that China will change its mind about not buying any more Russian-made combat aircraft after 2018 as it starts delivering 10 Sukhoi Su-35S supermaneuverable air superiority fighters this year.
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02/05/2017
Senator John McCain, the Republican leader of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is proposing the Pentagon buy 300 inexpensive, off-the-shelf fighter aircraft. These cheaper aircraft would be used instead of higher end fighter jets, which are expensive to operate.
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02/05/2017
Minsk plans to purchase a number of Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM (Flanker C) multirole fighter jets this year, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Defense for Armament, Chief of Armament Igor Lotenkov said on Saturday.
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02/04/2017
The U.S. Navy is strengthening airborne radar and detection capabilities in the Asia-Pacific with five E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes early warning and control aircraft. Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Thursday. Japan's air self-defense force may also use the aircraft, Stripes Japan reported.
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02/04/2017
On Feb. 2, Coalition military forces conducted 41 strikes consisting of 64 engagements against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, Coalition military forces conducted 31 strikes consisting of 40 engagements using attack, bomber, and fighter aircraft as well as artillery against ISIL targets.
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02/04/2017
From Jan. 17 to 26, three Italian Typhoon jets, belonging to the 4°, 36° and 37° Stormo (Wing), the three ItAF units that operate the Eurofighter, took part in the DACT 2017 exercise the most important Air Defense drills organized by the Ejercito del Aire (Spanish Air Force), at Gando Air Base, in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
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02/04/2017
India has held a range of talks on the sale of indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile and supersonic Brahmos missile to Vietnam, the government on Friday said.
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02/04/2017
After eight days “at war” the F-35A Lightning II is proving to be an invaluable asset during Red Flag 17-01, the Air Force’s premier air combat exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The F-35A is a fifth-generation, multi-role stealth fighter designed to gather, fuse, and distribute more information than any other fighter in history. Lt. Col George Watkins, an F-35 pilot and 34th Fighter Squadron commander, said flying the F-35A in combat “feels like air dominance.”
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02/04/2017
Following a year of tense negotiations, Lockheed Martin secured its low-rate initial production lot 10 contract to deliver 90 F-35 fighter jets this week. The F-35 Joint Programme Office touted $728 million in savings on lot 10 compared to lot 9, which exceeds by $128 million the cost reduction estimated by president Donald Trump earlier this week.
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02/03/2017
While controversy trails the F-35A Lightning II fighter whenever it flies these days, only contrails were visible Thursday as the cutting-edge stealth jet made one of its first appearances in the ongoing Red Flag air combat exercise at Nellis Air Force Base.
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02/03/2017
Rostec subsidiary Russian Helicopters has completed production for 2017's first Ka-52 Alligator combat and reconnaissance rotorcraft. The aircraft's completion followed a round of ground and flight tests in accordance with government contracts. According to the the state-owned defense contractor, several more Ka-52 units are scheduled to be transferred to operators by the end of February.
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02/03/2017
After literally flying the wings off its tactical fighter fleet over the last decade and a half of counter-insurgency operations in the Middle East, the USAF maybe finally coming to its senses about the need for a fleet of relatively inexpensive light attack and surveillance aircraft.
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02/03/2017
Myanmar, the country which is undergoing a transition from military junta to democracy, is said to be inching closer to licence-build JF-17 multi-role combat aircraft, according to reports. In 2015, the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) had decided on buying 16 JF-17 aircraft that are the outcome of a collaboration between Pakistan's Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC).
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02/03/2017
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released details on a crucial leg of its third offset initiative, a swarming unmanned vehicle programme known as OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET).
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02/03/2017
BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) have advanced their collaboration on Ankara’s fifth-generation TF-X fighter project. Signed by the prime ministers of Turkey and the UK, the new heads of agreement pact is expected to lead to a contract worth more than £100 million ($127 million), BAE says.
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02/03/2017
Russia has rolled out its first RAC MiG-35 fighter and announced its intention to offer the multirole type to a host of potential export customers, including India. Staged at the airframer’s Lukhovitsy site near Moscow on 27 January, the milestone event was attended by officials including Russian air force chief Col Gen Victor Bondarev and delegations from more than 30 countries. United Aircraft identifies these as having including representatives from nations including China, India, Peru and Vi
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02/03/2017
The decision to station the Shandong aircraft carrier, currently under construction in Dalian, in close vicinity of a Chinese nuclear submarine base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea is fully in line with the original purpose of this particular type of ships, military expert Vasily Kashin told Sputnik.
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02/02/2017
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has officially received its first Boeing F-15SA multirole jets in a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the King Faisal Air College in Riyadh on Jan. 25, 2017.
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02/02/2017
In a widely publicized event on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (MiG) parented by United Aircraft Corporation officially demonstrated the new MiG-35 to the Russian government. A subsequent demonstration for export customers was carried on January 27 Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have viewed the first demonstration via remote video due to poor weather in the region.
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02/02/2017
Lockheed Martin and the United States Air Force have been working on improving the performance of the F-22 Raptor’s stealth coatings. While the Raptor is by far the most capable air superiority fighter ever built, its Achilles’ Heel since it entered service has been maintenance. The F-22’s sensitive radar absorbent coatings have proven to be costly and difficult to repair, but the Air Force and Lockheed have been working on improving the performance.
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02/02/2017
Lockheed Martin Corp. completed the first F-22 Raptor at the company's Inlet Coating Repair (ICR) Speedline facility and delivered the aircraft back to the U.S. Air Force ahead of schedule. The U.S. Air Force contracted Lockheed Martin to establish the Speedline in Marietta, Georgia, in August 2016 and the first F-22 arrived there in early November. A second aircraft arrived in early December 2016 and a third in late January 2017.
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02/02/2017
The deadline has passed for Lockheed Martin to file an appeal with the Armed Services Board of Contracts Appeals over the unilateral terms imposed on the ninth lot of low-rate initial production contract for F-35s, but alternative legal avenues may still remain to overturn the deal.
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02/02/2017
The US Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation is placing his bets on the Lockheed Martin F-35C ahead of a Pentagon review that will compare the Lightning II to Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
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02/02/2017
Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems have decided not to submit a bid for a $16 billion US Air Force contract for 300-350 advanced jet trainers, narrowing a once diverse field to as little as two competitors.
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02/01/2017
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has planned to equip HTT-40 two-place turbine basic trainer aircraft with Hartzell Propeller's four-blade lightweight aluminum propeller. The new indigenous HTT-40 is designed and built by HAL under the country's Make In India initiative. The HTT-40 will be soon replacing the piston-powered HPT-32 Deepak trainer for the Indian Air Force.
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02/01/2017
When news came out late last week that the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing $2.1 billion for 15 KC-46A tanker aircraft, spare engines and wing air refueling pod kits, it was seen as a boost for the aerospace giant. While it was good news for Boeing, it likely is even better news for its suppliers.
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02/01/2017
The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $45.8 million contract to deliver automatic radar detection kits to support MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. The order covers 29 automatic periscope detection radars and discrimination standard retrofit p-kits. Periscope detection radars such as the Navy's AN/SPS-74(V) use a high-resolution sensor to quickly scan the surface for threats.
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02/01/2017
Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems marked a milestone for one of its key defense programs with the completion of its 20,000th Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM. The AIM-120 AMRAAM entered service in 1991 and was originally made by Hughes Aircraft, which was acquired by Raytheon in 1997. It is used by the U.S. and 36 allied nations and has been credited for destroying at least nine enemy planes in combat over Iraq and Kosovo during the 1990s.
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02/01/2017
A US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crash landed during a 29 January raid on an alleged terrorist compound in Yemen this week, injuring three service members.
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02/01/2017
India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) fighter programme has had a long and chequered history. The process from first flight of a technology demonstrator to service entry, in July 2016, took 15 years. The “Tejas” received government approval in 2016 for another 83 airplanes specified to the Mk1A standard, adding to 40 earlier orders for the Mk1 version.
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02/01/2017
In November 2016 the Soviet-era Liaoning, Beijing’s only carrier, was declared “combat ready” by political commissar Senior Capt. Li Dongyou. Following the declaration, the ship departed on a training voyage that featured a stop on the edge of the South China Sea, at the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) base on Hainan Island.
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02/01/2017
Serbia has announced that it will acquire two BUK surface-to-air missile systems and eight Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft from Belarus, following Croatia’s plans to obtain new military trucks, transport helicopters, fighter jets, self-propelled howitzers, and patrol vessels this year.
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