Military Aviation News Archive

US Military Base Lease In Kyrgyzstan Extended

04/17/2010

In a development that eases tension over the future of the U.S. military base in Kyrgyzstan, the interim government of the Central Asian country has said the agreement over Manas air force base will extend for another year.

Nordic Defense Cooperation: A Template for Europe

04/17/2010

The end of the Cold War proved a blessing for Europe, and nowhere did this hold truer than in the continent’s northernmost “Nordic” countries. In 1991 these nations - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden - witnessed the demise of their principal strategic threat, the Soviet Union.

Russia flexes muscles in Western airspace

04/17/2010

Russia is increasingly flexing its military muscles by penetrating Western airspace.

Eurocopter in Grand Prairie will build armed scout helicopter prototype

04/17/2010

American Eurocopter of Grand Prairie, anticipating a new Army program, is building one of three armed scout prototypes to demonstrate it can transform a civilian helicopter into a combat aircraft.

Finnish fighter jets damaged by volcanic cloud

04/17/2010

Finnish fighter jets which flew through the volcanic dust covering much of Europe suffered damage and the air force warned Friday the cloud could have a significant impact on planes.

Chinooks protected from IR missile threat

04/16/2010

The effectiveness of a countermeasure system for the U.S. Army Chinook helicopter to defeat guided missiles was proven in battle, BAE Systems said.

China’s PLA opens up to show off J10, its first indigenous fighter jet

04/16/2010

Engines screaming, China’s most advanced fighter jets took off, soared into a vertical climb, spun into rolls and veered off into a clear blue sky leaving a trail of smoke and the acrid smell of aviation fuel in its wake. The 24th Fighter Division of the Chinese Air Force yesterday showed off a formation of its J10 — or Annihilator 10 — to a select group of international military attachés for the first time.

EADS scrambling as L-3 cool to tanker work

04/16/2010

Airbus parent EADS is working fast to seal a teaming agreement with another U.S. company after L-3 Communications Holdings Inc backed away from joining its bid for a U.S. refueling plane deal that could be worth $50 billion, sources familiar with the situation said.

Volcanic dust cloud suspends military training

04/16/2010

All routine military air training in UK airspace has been suspended as a plume of volcanic ash drifts across much of northern Europe.

US military testing high-tech dirigibles in Utah

04/16/2010

The skies over the Utah desert are becoming the test site for a new fleet of hulking high-tech dirigibles the U.S. military is hoping will provide battlefield commanders a bird's-eye view of cruise missiles and other threats.

IAF searching for space to drill

04/16/2010

Refused permission to fly in Turkish airspace, the Israel Air Force has its eyes on Europe and Asia as it searches for new training grounds for its fighter jets with an emphasis on long-range missions.

Tejas LCA project to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore over 35 years

04/16/2010

The overall developmental cost of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has quietly zoomed past the Rs 13,000-crore mark, with the government sanctioning the extension of the fighter's "full-scale engineering development'' (FSED) till December 31, 2018.

Boeing, US Air Force Demonstrate Network Centric Capabilities at Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment

04/16/2010

The Boeing Company and the U.S. Air Force's Electronic Systems Center are demonstrating network-centric capabilities aboard a U.S. Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) test aircraft during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment (JEFX) at Nellis Air Force Base. The event began April 12 and is scheduled to conclude on April 22.

Northrop Grumman Completes System Development, Demonstration Phase of B-2 Radar Modernization Program

04/15/2010

Northrop Grumman Corporation has helped the U.S. Air Force improve the mission availability of its fleet of B-2 stealth bombers by successfully completing the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the B-2 Radar Modernization Program (RMP).

Saab Lures Bulgaria to Buy Gripen Fighter Jets

04/15/2010

The Swedish company Saab has offered Bulgaria Gripen fighter jets at the price of second-hand US F-16 planes.

GE Intelligent Platforms Completes Delivery of $6.5 Million Boeing Order Enabling Flight Testing of U.S. Air Force B-1B Airplane Ahead of Production

04/15/2010

GE Intelligent Platforms today announced that it had completed delivery of a $6.5 million order from Boeing (Long Beach, CA).

Brazil, U.S. Accord May Facilitate Military Jet Sales

04/15/2010

A defense agreement signed today by Brazil and the U.S. may make it easier for the countries to buy military planes from each other, officials said.

New Iran drones can spy and strike

04/15/2010

A senior Iranian military official warned that Tehran's newly produced unmanned aerial vehicles were capable of both striking hostile targets and gathering intelligence.

U.K. Could Divert RAF Typhoons To Oman

04/15/2010

London could yet order at least a handful of Tranche 3B Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, if a deal to sell the aircraft to Oman is in place by early 2011.

Iraq's makes wish list official: Two dozen F-16s

04/15/2010

Iraq was said to have relayed a formal request for the F-16 multi-role fighter from the United States.

Su-30MKI: The frontline of the IAF

04/15/2010

The SU-30MKI multi-role fighter is a two-seat highly-manoeuvrable aircraft designed for air-superiority and for strikes on ground and naval targets. These aircraft have significantly enhanced the combat capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

Malaysia aims to upgrade air force with new fighters, AEW aircraft

04/14/2010

Malaysia's air force suffers from too many aircraft types and aircraft that fail to keep up with recent purchases by its neighbours.

Colombia to buy 9 Sikorsky helicopters

04/14/2010

The Colombian government plans to expand its military aircraft fleet with the purchase of nine Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, Reuters reports.

Cormorant helicopter forced to make precautionary landing in Christmas Island early Tuesday morning

04/14/2010

A Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopter caused quite a stir in a rural Cape Breton community where it made a precautionary landing early Tuesday morning.

Gates Expresses Confidence in Continued Manas Access

04/14/2010

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressed confidence today that political upheaval in Kyrgyzstan won’t cause the United States to lose use of an air base that’s critical to supplying operations in Afghanistan.