Military Aviation News Archive

Putin pushes ahead on modernizing military

03/08/2010

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said last week that Russia will build a new strategic bomber, a move that comes as the nation tries to upgrade its aging military arsenal.

Full Speed Ahead For Silicon Aviators

03/07/2010

The U.S. Navy has sped up its efforts to ready its X-47B UCAS (Unmanned Combat Aerial System), for carrier operations. This includes an additional $2 billion for development, in an attempt to have the X-47B demonstrating the ability to regularly operate from a carrier, and perform combat (including reconnaissance and surveillance) operations, within five years.

National Guard unveils 'way of the future for Army avaiation'

03/07/2010

It can stay up for six hours, act as a high-altitude antenna or provide real-time pictures of a battlefield to soldiers on the ground.

NY Air National Guard's 174th Fighter Wing waves goodbye to piloted flights

03/06/2010

In 2001, when Lt. Col. Dan Tester turned his F-16 south into a September sky over Syracuse, no one could have guessed that the end of the combat plane’s mission was beginning.

Two-year F-35 production delay hits Israel

03/06/2010

The two-year delay in the production of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the cost increase this will entail could jeopardize a crucial deal with Israel for 75 of the stealthy fifth-generation fighter.

Cantwell praises the 767 air frame selected by Boeing for the tanker competition

03/06/2010

Cantwell’s comments came as Boeing announced its selection of the mid-sized 767 as the air frame it will offer the U.S. military in the competition to build mid-air refueling aircraft.

EU assures military boost, pays for plane delay

03/06/2010

EU nations assured financing to bolster military transport strength on Friday by reaching a deal to cover cost overruns for the 3-year delay in the A400M heavy lift plane program.

Vanishing American Air Superiority

03/06/2010

The debate over the F-22 Raptor has been carried out at the customary level of simplemindedness we've become used to when Congress handles military questions. Since the early '60s, the favored method of killing a military program has been to come up with an argument easily expressed in a sound bite and stick with it. This time, the sound bite was, "Why do we need two fighter planes, anyway?"

India to order primary trainers to replace HPT-32s

03/06/2010

India has issued a request for proposals for primary trainer aircraft, an urgent requirement now that the country's fleet of Hindustan Aeronautics HPT-32 Deepaks has been grounded.

Putin wants new long-range bomber

03/06/2010

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged his country's military industry to start working on a new strategic bomber after finishing the new fifth-generation fighter jet.

Lockheed Martin Awarded $171 Million For Advanced Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning Radars

03/06/2010

Lockheed Martin received a low-rate initial production contract valued at $171.8 million from Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Bethpage, NY, for four AN/APY-9 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) radar systems and spare parts. The radar systems will be integrated into the U.S. Navy’s new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.

Boeing Awards Harpoon Launch Structure Contract to Danish Aerotech

03/06/2010

The Boeing Company today announced that it has awarded a contract valued at nearly $1.5 million to civil defense and aerospace company Danish Aerotech A/S to provide the Aluminum Launch Support Structure (ALSS) for ship-based deployment of the Harpoon weapon system.

Aeronautics to supply tactical unmanned aerial vehicles to Polish forces in Afghanistan

03/04/2010

Aeronautics Ltd., based in Yavne, announced on 1 March 2010 that it will supply Aerostar UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) systems to Polish military forces operating in Afghanistan. The supply contract, which exceeds $30 million, was signed this weekend in Poland.

Resupply by Robot? UAV Competition Heats Up

03/04/2010

Resupplying combat troops in Afghanistan is a dangerous, slow and increasingly expensive undertaking. Moving a truck filled with supplies 50 miles could require as many as 100 Marines, most of them to provide security, and take about 24 hours, according to DefenseNews.

All F-5 jets grounded until probe is complete

03/04/2010

Following the crash of two South Korean Air Force F-5 fighter jets that took the lives of three pilots Tuesday, the Air Force ordered all air bases across the country to halt operations of F-5 aircraft until the final results of investigations into the incident are released.

Lockheed Martin Receives $213 Million Contract For 20 New F-16s For Egypt

03/04/2010

The U.S. government has awarded an initial $213 million to Lockheed Martin for long-lead tasks for the production of 20 new Advanced Block 52 F-16 aircraft for Egypt.

Crucial role of British helicopters in Afghanistan

03/03/2010

Members of the Joint Helicopter Force describe their crucial role in Afghanistan, airlifting casualties and transporting troops and supplies.

Russian gunships give Lebanese firepower

03/03/2010

Russia's offer to give Lebanon at least 10 Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships free of charge, instead of the supersonic MiG-29 interceptors that Moscow had in mind, is more in keeping with the Lebanese military's operational priorities and capabilities.

Air force's new $770m helicopter cops harsh criticism

03/03/2010

A military helicopter at the centre of a $770 million New Zealand Air Force upgrade has copped harsh criticism in a German Army report into its performance.

U.S. to Offer Smart-Bomb Kits, Drones to Pakistan

03/03/2010

The Pentagon will transfer sophisticated laser-guided-bomb kits to Pakistan, escalating the Obama administration's recent push to better arm Islamabad for its military campaign against the country's Islamic militants.

Boeing Bullish On Phantom Ray

03/03/2010

Boeing officials plan to begin taxi tests on the company’s Phantom Ray demonstrator in July, a slight delay from earlier plans, but first flight is still targeted for December 2010, according Darryl Davis, Boeing Phantom Works president.

When is a fighter pilot not a pilot?

03/03/2010

When he is flying a robot aircraft. Or at least that’s what the U.S. Air Force seems to think. Predators, Global Hawks and other unmanned aircraft are doing the lion’s share of the donkey work in Iraq and Afghanistan. The dull but vital task of protecting soldiers on the ground with eyes in the sky has been delegated to quiet little airplanes with unwinking cameras. But the men and women who fly those airplanes from air-conditioned consoles in Nevada? They are the Rodney Dangerfields of the comb

India set to buy 42 more Russian Su-30 fighter jets

03/03/2010

India and Russia are negotiating a new contract on the delivery of 42 Su-30MKI to the Indian Air Force, an Indian newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing military sources.

Tunisia Orders Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules Airlifters

03/03/2010

The government of Tunisia has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for the purchase of two C-130J Super Hercules airlifters with an initial three years of logistics support.Tunisia's new Câ€‘130Js, scheduled to be delivered in 2013 and 2014, will be the longer fuselage or "stretched" variant of the C-130J.

Boeing Receives Contract for US Navy Direct Attack Moving Target Capability

03/03/2010

The Boeing Company today announced that it has been awarded an $11.4 million contract to supply Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions (Laser JDAM) to meet the U.S. Navy’s Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (DAMTC) requirement.