Military Aviation News Archive

MoD asks IAF to issue request for information for $15-billion order before DefExpo

04/03/2018

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to send out the request for information (RfI) for a $15-billion order for 100 fighter aircraft before the DefExpo starting April 11 in Chennai.

China’s first home-grown aircraft carrier set to carry out maiden sea trial

04/03/2018

China’s first home-built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, will embark on her maiden sea voyage in the northeastern Bohai Sea later this month, sources close to the military said. “Beijing will arrange a celebration for the first sea trial because the Type 001A was the first aircraft carrier fully designed and produced by Chinese shipbuilders,” one of the sources told the South China Morning Post.

Why America’s Two Top Fighter Jets Can’t Talk to Each Other

04/03/2018

With the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, the U.S. has fielded two of the world’s most sophisticated, maneuverable and stealthy fighter jets. They both function as airborne shepherds of America’s flock of older combat aircraft, using their state-of-the-art systems to communicate threats and targets on the ground and in the air. Unfortunately, they have a difficult time communicating with each other.

Boeing awarded contract to deliver 28 Super Hornets to Kuwait

04/03/2018

Boeing was awarded a contract worth up to $1.17 billion to produce and deliver 22 F/A-18E and 6 F/A-18F Super Hornets for the government of Kuwait by 2022, the US Defence Department announced on 30 March. State Department approval of the sale of F/A-18 Super Hornets to Kuwait was first announced in November 2016, with the country requesting a total of 40 Super Hornets, including 28 fighters for initial delivery, plus the option to order 12 more.

Fighter pilot takes inspiration to new heights

03/31/2018

“I hear at times in my uniform out and about in daily life, ‘do they let women fly?’”said Lt. Col. Cheryl Buehn, the only female instructor pilot in the 71st Fighter Training Squadron. “I don’t think they realize they’re asking a female fighter pilot. So I take a breath and I say, ‘Absolutely. They let women fly fighters, tankers, RPAs, everything. Both men and women fly a lot of different platforms, and everyone is important to the fight right now.’”

From boots to flight suits, the Air Force is working to improve gear for female pilots

03/31/2018

It’s been 25 years since female pilots were allowed in combat roles in the Air Force, but it’s taking a little longer for their equipment to catch up. “What we’re finding is that women have been flying for years wearing gear that’s been designed for men,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein told Air Force Times during a March 8 editorial board meeting at the Pentagon.

US Navy remotely lands F/A-18 Super Hornet on carrier deck

03/31/2018

Naval officers aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln demonstrated for the first time the ability to remotely take control of an aircraft and land it on an aircraft carrier’s deck. Using the ATARI system, or aircraft terminal approach remote inceptor, landing signal officers demonstrated remote piloting of the F/A-18E Super Hornet while conducting carrier qualifications and flight testing aboard the Abraham Lincoln in March. The officers also demonstrated touch-and-go manoeuvres with the system.

UK C-130J tapped as next Fat Albert aircraft for Blue Angels

03/31/2018

A used Royal Air Force C-130J could soon be supporting the US Navy’s Blue Angels fighter demonstration team as a long-term replacement for the team’s famous “Fat Albert”. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) plans to quickly buy one of the RAF’s C-130Js to “avoid a gap in logistical support of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron”, according to a government acquisition notice posted on 23 March.

Russia confirms military flight exercise between North Pole and North America

03/30/2018

The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, addressed senior military commanders in Moscow where he said the exercise involved anti-submarine aircraft. He did not confirm when it took place. "For the first time since Soviet times anti-submarine aircraft flights have been carried out via the North Pole towards the North American continent," he said.

Croatia's govt agrees to buy F-16 fighter jets from Israel for $500 mln

03/30/2018

Croatia's government said on Thursday it has agreed to acquire 12 F-16 multi-purpose combat aircraft from Israel for some $500 million (405.7 million euro). Croatia will pay the price in 10 equal annual installments of $50 million each, prime minister Andrej Plenkovic said during a cabinet session streamed on the website of the government.

S. Korea's first F-35A stealth fighter unveiled

03/30/2018

The first F-35A stealth fighter aircraft for South Korea has made its public debut amid a series of diplomatic encounters ahead of an inter-Korean summit next month. South Korea and the United States held a joint rollout ceremony for the jet at Lockheed Martin's assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, reported Yonhap news agency. The aircraft is the first of 40 F-35As South Korea has agreed to purchase in a 2014 contract. Each aircraft is reportedly priced at around 120 billion won.

Boeing Defense reorganizes by adding two new divisions and eliminating another

03/30/2018

Boeing plans to launch two new divisions within its Defense, Space & Security business starting next week – a Commercial Derivative Aircraft division, and a Missile and Weapon Systems division – as part of an ongoing reorganization effort by the business unit’s chief executive, Leanne Caret.

Brimstone deal to support MBDA sales offensive

03/30/2018

MBDA has received a long-term contract from the UK Ministry of Defence that will extend the production and sustainment of its improved Brimstone air-to-surface missile into the 2030s. Announced on 27 March and valued at £400 million ($563 million), the capability sustainment programme deal will provide weapons for the Royal Air Force's Eurofighter Typhoons, and potentially also equip rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles.

Switzerland Outlines Requirements for New Combat Aircraft, Ground-Based Air Defense System

03/29/2018

Switzerland has unveiled a list of specifications for the country’s future combat aircraft and ground-based air defense system. The Swiss defense department said Friday its NKF combat aircraft should be able to protect the Swiss airspace and perform routine air policing missions continuously. The country is looking for an aircraft that can respond within minutes to violations committed by manned or unmanned air vehicles in the Swiss airspace.

South Korean delegation presses for F-35 MRO&U contracts

03/29/2018

A South Korean official on 28 March pressed the US Department of Defense to grant maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade contracts for the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting II to Korean companies during a speech at a roll-out ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas.

RAF Tornados ready to deploy BriteCloud decoys

03/29/2018

Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado GR4 crews flying missions over Iraq and Syria are poised to benefit from a defensive update developed by Leonardo and recently approved for operational use by the UK Ministry of Defence.

JF-17 to get Chinese-developed AESA radar

03/29/2018

The Chengdu/Pakistan Aernautical Complex JF-17 fighter is to get an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which is expected to boost its export prospects. The KLJ-7A AESA radar developed by the Nanjing Research Institutie of Electronics Technology (NRIET) will be installed on the single-engined type, which is operated by the Pakistan air force, says NRIET's head Hu Mingchun in a China Daily report.

US auditor gives backstory of software reform on F-22, F-35

03/29/2018

A new government audit explains for the first time how the Lockheed Martin F-22 quietly launched a movement within the US Department of Defense four years ago to fix a broken process for developing software for complex weapon systems.

Exclusive: Satellite images reveal show of force by Chinese navy in South China Sea

03/28/2018

Dozens of Chinese naval vessels are exercising this week with an aircraft carrier in a large show of force off Hainan island in the South China Sea, satellite images obtained by Reuters show. The images, provided by Planet Labs Inc, confirm a Chinese carrier group has entered the vital trade waterway as part of what the Chinese navy earlier described as combat drills that were part of routine annual exercises.

Afghan Air Force Drops Laser-Guided Bomb for 1st Time in Combat

03/28/2018

The Afghan Air Force (AAF) used laser-guided bombs for the first time during a close air support mission in the province of Farah in southwestern Afghanistan on March 22, according to a March 27 statement by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.

How is the F-35 improving its dogfighting skills in Japan?

03/28/2018

The F-35 has caught flack for what critics decry as lack of dogfighting prowess, a reputation that has followed the Joint Strike Fighter for years. But in the skies above Kadena Air Base in Japan, F-35 operators are getting the chance to prove those detractors wrong.

Combat Aircraft from Israel, UAE, Greece, Italy, UK and U.S. Take Part in Ex. “INIOCHOS 2018”

03/28/2018

Exercise “INIOCHOS” is a yearly medium-scale exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force at the facilities of the Air Tactics Center at Andravida Air Base, located in the Northwest Peloponnese, Greece. The “layout” of the exercise is quite standard: two weeks in length (including deployment and re-deployment of the assets), the exercise scenario adopts a Single Base Concept with air operation launched from an MOB (Main Operating Base).

Navy plans to modify 45 more F/A-18 Super Hornets in next two years

03/28/2018

The US Navy plans modify 45 more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in the next two years to increase the aircraft’s service life and capabilities, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on 27 March.

Poland adds four more M-346 trainers

03/28/2018

Poland has exercised an option worth more than €115 million ($143 million) with Leonardo to boost the size of its M-346 advanced jet trainer fleet to 12 aircraft, and could further increase this in the future.

Qatari jets intercept two UAE civilian planes over Bahrain

03/27/2018

Qatari fighter jets flew dangerously close to two UAE-registered civilian aircraft passing through Bahrain, forcing the captain of one of the flights to alter course to avoid collision. The incident was reported Monday by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates which warned of the dangers posed by the two Qatari fighter jets. It called the development an infringement of Bahrain’s airspace.