Military Aviation News Archive

Iran shakes up guards, U.S. 'ships bombs'

03/19/2010

Amid growing concerns of renewed conflict in the Middle East, the Tehran regime has shaken up the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, putting a veteran general who operated in Lebanon with Hezbollah in command of its ground forces.

Russia-India military transport plane could be ready by 2018

03/19/2010

A new Russian-Indian military transport plane could make its maiden flight by 2018, the head of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Succeeds In First Vertical Landing

03/19/2010

A supersonic Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter rode more than 41,000 pounds of thrust to a vertical landing today for the first time, confirming its required ability to land in confined areas both ashore and afloat.

Boeing Receives Additional Contract for Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems

03/19/2010

Boeing today announced it received a $39.6 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense in December to provide 85 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS).

US to provide Cobra chopper parts to Pakistan

03/18/2010

The US will provide 13 AH-1F Cobra helicopters to Pakistan for use as spare parts in its helicopter fleet, the US embassy said on Wednesday.

India Plans To Induct LCA in 2011

03/18/2010

India expects to induct the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), already delayed by more than 15 years, into the Air Force by March 2011, informed Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony.

Lockheed gets $213 million for Egypt jets

03/18/2010

The U.S. government has given Lockheed Martin Corp. an initial $213 million to build 20 F-16 jet fighters for Egypt.

Northrop Grumman Begins Installing First EHF Satcom Hardware on B-2

03/18/2010

Northrop Grumman Corporation technicians here have begun installing the first set of hardware for a B-2 stealth bomber upgrade that will eventually allow the jet to send and receive battlefield information up to 100 times faster than its current satellite communications system. The work is being done as part of Increment 1 of the U.S. Air Force's B-2 extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite communications program.

Boeing Receives Authorised Engineering Organisation Certification for Australian Super Hornets

03/18/2010

Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, has received accreditation from the Commonwealth of Australia as an Authorised Engineering Organisation (AEO) for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet Weapon System.

Lockheed's JSF is Overdue, Over Budget - and Too Big to Fail

03/17/2010

The aircraft program is headed up by Lockheed Martin (LMT) who saw itself stripped of $614 million in performance fees from the development contract. There is no danger Lockheed will lose the contract, though, as the Defense Department and Air Force continued to say that the new aircraft is “critical to modern warfare and are desperately needed to replace tactical fighter fleets in each of the services”. In short, if not the F-35, then what?

U.S. Helicopter Suppliers Fear Losing Innovation War

03/17/2010

The military helicopter business is booming in the United States, but the industry mostly is making money fixing up and maintaining the Army’s aging fleet. Hardly any Pentagon contracts these days pursue new aircraft designs, industry officials say.

Lemoore Jets in Mid-air Crash

03/17/2010

Two single seat, F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, were involved in a mid-air collision at approximately 10 p.m. last night while on a routine training mission flying in the Fallon Range Training Complex. Neither pilot was injured. Both aircraft are assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron One Three Seven (VFA 137) based at NAS Lemoore.

U.S. air force in S. Korea to fly upgraded 'tank killer' jets

03/17/2010

The U.S. air force in South Korea has added three advanced ground-attack aircraft to its fleet of combat planes, boosting its capabilities to strike hidden North Korean artillery units with guided smart bombs, a U.S. military paper reported Tuesday, according to Yonhap News.

Russian arms score big in North Africa

03/17/2010

Russian arms sales to North Africa have increased significantly, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said, with energy-rich Algeria leading the pack.

Russian MiGs to boost naval air power

03/17/2010

Eyebrows were raised when India signed a deal last Friday to buy 29 MiG-29k fighter aircraft worth $1.5 billion (Dh5.5 billion) from Russia during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to the country. This was part of a broader deal to purchase $7 billion worth of military hardware from New Delhi's traditional supplier of arms, including an aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov.

Wings Of Desire

03/17/2010

Last year, the U.S. Air Force began issuing special "wings" for operators of UAVs. While the air force now trains non-pilots to operate UAVs, this is not the first time that the air force issued "wings" badges to non-pilots.from.

Iraqi Air Force College to Train With T-6A

03/16/2010

U.S. Air Force Airmen will teach the first Iraqi Air Force College pilot-training course, beginning in March, with Iraq's new T-6A trainer.

Saudis Mull Another F-15 Purchase

03/16/2010

The Middle East newsline has confirmed that Saudi Arabia has advanced in negotiations to purchase a fighter jet from the United States.

Pakistan Returns Free Helicopters to US

03/16/2010

Less than a year ago, the United States rushed four Russian-built Mi-17 helicopters to Pakistan after an urgent request from the country's senior leadership. Now those helicopters, which were offered at no cost to the government of Pakistan, are being returned to the United States after a serious crash that resulted in at least one fatality.

Near-Term Growth Expected in Medium/Heavy Military Rotorcraft Market

03/16/2010

In a new study, “The Market for Medium/Heavy Military Rotorcraft,” Forecast International projects that 4,319 such rotorcraft will be produced during the 10-year time period between 2010 and 2019. The value of this production is estimated at $92.3 billion in constant 2010 U.S. dollars. In general, Forecast International defines a medium/heavy rotorcraft as one with a gross weight that equals or exceeds 6,804 kilograms (15,000 lb).

Europeans Call Pentagon Aircraft Contract 'Protectionist'

03/16/2010

European resentment over the loss of a military aircraft contract with the Pentagon is likely to play a role in a meeting this month between President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Indian army turns to HAL for 20 Cheetals in bid to plug chopper gap

03/16/2010

After years of delays in finalizing a global tender for 197 new helicopters, the Indian Army has recently decided to buy 20 Cheetal helicopters from Bangalore-based military plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), three people familiar with the matter said.

Boeing A160T Proves Resupply Capability for US Marines

03/16/2010

The Boeing A160T Hummingbird has successfully completed a cargo delivery demonstration under a U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory contract, proving the unmanned rotorcraft's ability to resupply frontline troops in rough terrain.

Afghanistan air operations declined in Feb.

03/15/2010

In February, Air Force and partner warplanes dropped fewer bombs on Afghanistan targets than they have in 15 months, according to Air Forces Central Command.

Airbus A400M programme plans US sales

03/15/2010

Europe's leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus says it plans to sell around 210 of its A400M military planes to the US.