Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Northrop Grumman's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Program Demonstrating Continued Success

12/10/2009

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Jim Culmo, vice president of Airborne Early Warning & Battle Management Command and Control Programs, said today that the company's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Program is on track for initial operational test and evaluation in 2011. Culmo provided a program overview at the Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management 2009 Conference in Amsterdam.

Maritime Safety Administration Of China Takes Delivery Of Two Grand Helicopters

12/10/2009

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) of China has taken delivery of two Grand light twin helicopters during an official ceremony held at AgustaWstland's Vergiate facility in Italy today.

New Thai Joint Venture

12/10/2009

Saab has entered into a partnership with Thai company Avia Satcom Co. Ltd., to form a joint venture for developing high technology products within aviation and defence.

Russian strategic bombers complete patrol mission over Arctic

12/10/2009

Two Russian Tu-95 MS Bear strategic bombers have accomplished a routine patrol mission over neutral waters of the Arctic and Pacific oceans, an Air Force spokesman said on Thursday.

Lockheed Martin Team Completes Critical Design Review for the Airborne, Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System

12/10/2009

A secure, internet-like tactical network is one step closer to providing joint warfighters with unprecedented access to voice, data and video communications, as well as a level of interoperability never achieved before. The Lockheed Martin team has announced the successful completion of Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Airborne, Maritime/ Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). The Lockheed Martin team includes BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.

Su 30 MKI: Fuel leak behind engine fire

12/09/2009

A fuel leak on board India’s most advanced fighter could have led to the engine fire that caused the Su 30 MKI crash on Monday. Investigators, including an HAL engine expert, have reached the site of the crash and sources said a problem with the fuel system was likely to have caused the fire on board the aircraft that forced both pilots to eject.

East meets West – Pakistan‘s Fighter Aircraft

12/09/2009

Not many modern armed forces unite in their inventory, and particularly among their key assets, technology from two – in political terms – entirely opposite origins. It is more common in the countries of the former Soviet bloc where, since the fall of the iron curtain, Western technology slowly but ever increasingly found its way into countries primarily equipped with Russian weapon systems. In the past two decades the Middle East and southern countries of the Asian continent have become areas i

Naval version of India’s indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas begins test flight

12/09/2009

The test flight of India’s naval version of indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas began at the naval air station INS Hansa here on Tuesday.

Pakistani airforce gets its first Erieye airborne early warning and control aircraft

12/09/2009

Pakistan has received the first of four Saab-2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft from Sweden, with the air force claiming it will boost operational capabilities manifold over land and sea.

Russia's Arsenyev Aviation Company to be Modernised for up to 6 Billion Roubles

12/09/2009

Russian Helicopters is pursuing modernisation of constituent companies by introducing prospective industry technology to the manufacturing process. As part of this move Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress named after N.I. Sazykin will see full-scale technical overhaul in 2009—2015. The company manufactures the famous Ka-50 Black Shark and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters and the Ka-60/62. The new light Mi-34C2 Peregrine is about to enter production.

Russia's MIG company confirms delivery of naval fighters to India

12/09/2009

Russia's MiG aircraft maker said on Tuesday it has delivered the first four MiG-29 Fulcrum-D carrier-based fighter jets to India.

Lockheed Martin Receives $14.75 Million Award to Integrate Ku Band Messaging Interface with the MH-60R Helicopter

12/08/2009

Lockheed Martin has received a $14.75 million U.S. Navy contract to integrate a digital messaging interface that will improve the flow of data the MH-60R anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter can send to U.S. Navy ships across the new Ku band tactical data link.

Vietnam could become key importer of Russian weaponry

12/08/2009

Vietnam could become a key importer of Russian weaponry if several contracts on the purchase of diesel submarines and aircraft are signed in the near future, a Russian newspaper said.

Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III Structures Test Aircraft Makes 1st Flight

12/07/2009

The Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III program has completed the first flight of its structures test aircraft. The test, conducted Nov. 23 in Mesa, demonstrated flight characteristics and handling maneuvers. Tests to continue to expand the helicopter's flight envelope are expected to continue for the next several weeks.

Indian air force grounds fighter jets after crash

12/03/2009

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its entire fleet of Sukhoi fighter jets after one crashed during a routine training exercise in Rajasthan state.

Boeing Team Installs Radar Antenna on P-8A Poseidon

12/02/2009

A Boeing and a Raytheon employee complete installation of an APY-10 radar antenna on P-8A Poseidon test aircraft T2 last month at the Boeing Developmental Center in Seattle. T2 is the P-8A program's primary mission system test article.

Lockheed Martin Delivers First Production F-35 Electro-Optical Targeting System

12/01/2009

Lockheed Martin has marked successful entry into low rate initial production on the F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The first production units have been delivered to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, TX, for integration onto the aircraft.

Boeing EA-18G Growler to Advance to Full Rate Production

12/01/2009

The Boeing EA-18G Growler was approved to advance into Full Rate Production (FRP) by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) on Nov. 23. The St. Louis-based EA-18G program now can proceed from Low Rate Initial Production to FRP quantities of approximately 20 aircraft per year.

Su-30MKI fighter jet crashes in western India, pilots survive

11/30/2009

An Indian Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed on Monday near Jaisalmer in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, but both pilots survived, an Air Force spokesman said.

Boeing Receives Follow-on Contract for B-1 Targeting Pod Software Upgrades

11/30/2009

Boeing today announced it has received a $23 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for Phase 2 of the B-1 Laptop Controlled Targeting Pod software upgrade. The upgrade will add additional capability to the B-1 bomber aircraft's targeting system by allowing it to more accurately identify both stationary and moving targets.

Boeing Delivers 2 Wedgetail AEW&C Aircraft to Royal Australian Air Force

11/28/2009

The Boeing Company today delivered the first two Project Wedgetail 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Finmeccanica signs EUR 220 million contract with ARMAEREO for six M-346 Masters for the Italian Air Force

11/25/2009

Alenia Aermacchi (a subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica) – and ARMAEREO (Direzione Generale per gli Armamenti Aeronautici) signed a contract worth EUR 220 million to provide the Italian Air Force with six M-346 Master advanced trainer aircraft (T-346A) and related flight simulators, which together comprise an Integrated Training System (ITS). This contract forms part of a broader agreement to supply a total of 15 M-346 Masters and related support.

Northrop Grumman Completes First Production Deliveries of the MQ-8B Fire Scout to the U.S. Navy

11/25/2009

Northrop Grumman Corporation completed the first three MQ-8B Fire Scout production deliveries to the U.S. Navy, which completes the first year of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (VTUAV) program.

Russia completes Algerian Sukhoi deliveries

11/25/2009

Russia has completed the delivery of 28 Su-30MKA Flanker-C multi-role fighters to Algeria.

Boeing Delivers 2nd and 3rd C-130 AMP Trainers to US Air Force

11/25/2009

Boeing has completed delivery of two more trainers for the U.S. Air Force's C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. The Avionics Part Task Trainer and Cockpit Familiarization Trainer were declared "Ready for Use" on Sept. 25 and Oct. 22, respectively.