Military Aviation News Archive

The Vulcan’s final flight?

10/29/2010

AN HISTORIC aircraft which was Britain’s last line of defence in the Cold War could be grounded or sold unless its owners can raise £150,000 by the end of tomorrow.

F-35 buy could trigger Arctic arms race: Expert

10/29/2010

A government purchase of F-35 fighter jets could cause "angst in Russia" and trigger an Arctic arms race, Arctic sovereignty expert Michael Byers said Thursday.

Russian arms firm denies Yakhont missile deliveries contract

10/29/2010

Russian state arm company Rosoboronexport says it has no contracts for delivery of P-800 Yakhont (SS-N-26) anti-ship cruise missiles or the associated Bastion missile system, the firm's general director Anatoly Isaikin said on Thursday.

F-22 Raptor 4168 Heads To Its New Home

10/29/2010

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor 4168 ascends over C-130H aircraft belonging to the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., shortly after taking off from the company’s Marietta facility on its delivery flight to Langley AFB, Va., Tuesday.

Boeing to Showcase Intelligence Technologies at GEOINT 2010

10/29/2010

The Boeing Company will showcase its newest intelligence, geospatial and cross-domain technologies for the U.S. Intelligence Community and international customers at this year’s GEOINT 2010 Symposium, Nov. 1-4 in New Orleans.

BAE Systems Opens New F-35 Lightning II Machining Facility

10/28/2010

BAE Systems has formally opened a new state-of-the-art titanium machining facility at its Samlesbury site in Lancashire. The robotic facility will be used to manufacture detail and assembly components of the Aft Fuselage, Vertical Tail and Horizontal Tail for the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft, further reinforcing BAE Systems’ key role in the world’s largest defence programme.

EADS Touts Light Utility Helicopter as Replacement for Aging Kiowas

10/28/2010

The Army in the coming months will complete a review to determine whether it needs to buy a new armed scout helicopter to replace its aging OH-58D Kiowa Warriors.

Russia's arms exports to reach record $10 bln in 2010

10/28/2010

Russia's arms exports are expected to hit an all-time high of over $10 billion in 2010, the head of Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Thursday.

US warplanes for India lack advance gadgets

10/28/2010

India is set to acquire American C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in a few weeks, but the airplanes would come stripped of advanced electronic equipment - all because New Delhi refuses to sign a controversial and sensitive security agreement with Washington.

U.K., German military purchases cut

10/28/2010

Fiscal constraints are forcing Britain and Germany to scale back A400M military transport aircraft purchases.

Boeing Exhibits Key Defense Systems at Inaugural DEFENSYS Trade Show in Greece

10/28/2010

The Boeing Company will showcase key products -- including the CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter, the ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system, and Harpoon and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapons -- at the first DEFENSYS trade show, Oct. 28-31 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Russian arms exporter denies MiG-31 fighter contract with Syria

10/28/2010

Russia does not have a contract to supply MiG-31 Foxhound fighter jets to Syria, the head of the Russian state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday.

Russia, India to begin design of 5G-fighter in December

10/28/2010

Russia is planning to sign in December an agreement with India on the preliminary design of a joint fifth-generation fighter aircraft, a senior Russian aircraft industry official said on Wednesday.

When US jets patrolled France

10/27/2010

Jack Walsh was just out of high school when, after six months’ training, he was assigned to a base in France. This summer, aged 72, he returned to the Châteauroux-Déols Nato airbase, in the Indre, with other veterans. It was closed in 1967, when France left the military command structure of Nato, and now operates as a test ground for planes and freight airport and scrapage centre. He spoke to Nick Rowswell about life in France in the 1950s, how he thought the country had changed, and how the exp

India eyes Typhoons in air drill with U.K.

10/27/2010

India and the United Kingdom have taken to aerial war-games expected to assess India's first participation of airborne early warning and control system aircraft and interest in Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters.

France sees A400M finance deal by end of year

10/27/2010

A formal financing contract for the A400M European military transport aircraft could be signed by the end of the year, a senior French arms official has said.

Weapons Manufacturers Focus on Miniaturizing Munitions for Unmanned Aircraft

10/27/2010

As the Defense Department increasingly relies upon unmanned aircraft to fight insurgents, companies are developing smaller bombs that are more suitable for drones.

Russia to compete for helicopter tender to Afghanistan

10/27/2010

Russia will compete for a helicopter tender for the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan, the head of the Russian delegation said at the Euronaval 2010 exhibition in Paris.

Irregular warfare offers new role for propeller driven aircraft

10/26/2010

Bringing back the propeller-driven fighter in the age of counterinsurgency may seem to some a belated no-brainer or to others a wasteful diversion with potentially suicidal risk to the pilot.

Indian C-17 Deal Seen As Near

10/26/2010

The contract is likely to be finalized during President Barack Obama’s visit to India, due to begin on Nov. 4, industry executives say. India is in talks with the U.S. government to purchase 10 airlifters at a cost of up to $5.8 billion, which includes training, ground equipment and other items.

France desperate for Rafale sales in Persian Gulf

10/26/2010

The French are driving hard to clinch orders for Dassault's multi-role Rafale fighter in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to keep the jet's production line going.

Iran training Taliban fighters to use surface-to-air missiles

10/26/2010

Iranian military advisers have been training Taliban fighters in Afghanistan on the use of surface-to-air missiles, a potential game changer in the war if insurgents can use such weapons effectively, several current and retired military officials told The Washington Examiner.

Boeing Receives US Army Contract for Low Rate Initial Production of AH-64D Apache Block III

10/26/2010

The Boeing Company today announced it has received a $247 million contract to begin Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache Block III helicopter, the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter in the world. The contract, signed by the U.S. government on Oct. 22, covers production of eight Apache Block III helicopters in the Lot 1 configuration.

Second AW159 Lynx Wildcat Makes Its First Flight

10/25/2010

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the second AW159 multi-role military helicopter successfully completed its maiden flight at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility yesterday.

Eurofighter Supervisory Board meets in New Delhi for the first time

10/25/2010

Eurofighter has upped its ante on the IAF MMRCA contract. For its long-term cooperation with India, the Supervisory Board of Eurofighter GmbH is meeting in New Delhi the first time. CEOs from Eurofighter partner companies which includes EADS, BAE Systems and Alenia Aeronautica are visiting New Delhi from 25th to 26th October 2010.