Military Aviation News Archive

Argentina emerges as potential L-159 customer

04/05/2017

Aero Vodochody is in early negotiations to provide its L-159 light-attack aircraft to Argentina, after the company officially re-established its manufacturing of the type following a 13-year production hiatus.

South Korea Condemns N. Korea New Missile Test

04/05/2017

Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said trat the government of South Korea has condemned a new missile test carried out by North Korea as a challenge to peace and security of the international community.

Hornet, Growler foreign customers to receive data updates

04/04/2017

Boeing received a $41 million contract modification to provide services for F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft operated by U.S. foreign military sales customers. Under the agreement, tasks will include engineering services, provisioning, information systems, training and technical data updates. The contract supports planes operated by the governments of Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Switzerland, Canada and Spain.

Botswana military deal triggers regional security fears

04/04/2017

International peace researchers have warned Botswana to reconsider its decision to purchase Gripen fighter jets from Swedish manufacturers, saying the move could trigger a regional arms race. However, Botswana’s Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Shaw Kgathi, defended the country’ s high military expenditure, following accusations by the opposition that it could spark an arms race in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Head of US military kit-testing slams F-35, says it's scarcely fit to fly

04/04/2017

Now-retired Dr Michael Gilmore, until recently the Director of Test and Evaluation for the US military, has published his final evaluation of the F-35 program, and it's a treat. In his parting report (PDF), deliciously dated April 1*, Gilmore details a host of issues remaining with the US$391 billion-and-counting project, with everything from its combat-readiness to its wing design under the microscope.

Boeing receives $2.2bn deal for 17 P-8As

04/04/2017

Boeing has secured a $2.2 billion contract covering 17 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft destined for the US Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Air Force. The deal includes options for 32 additional aircraft, and money for long-lead parts for future orders, says Boeing. Overall, the entire contract could be worth $6.8 billion if all options are exercised.

HAL posts Rs174 billion in annual revenue

04/04/2017

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) generated revenues of Rs174 billion ($2.6 billion) in the financial year ended 31 March 2017, while receiving orders of Rs210 billion. The government-owned airframer revealed the performances figures in a brief statement. Sales for the 12 months to 31 March were Rs167 billion.

MH-60 updates could feed into Future Vertical Lift

04/04/2017

A set of mid-life updates to the US Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk helicopter will likely appear in the Future Vertical Lift rotorcraft, along with the service’s next MH-XX maritime helicopter, according to the H-60 programme manager.

USAF completes last tests for F-35 ejection seat

04/04/2017

The US Air Force completed electromagnetic environmental effects (EEE) testing on the Lockheed Martin F-35’s escape system 23 March, marking the last round of testing on the Martin-Baker US16E (MKk16) ejection seat.

Communications gateway between F-35 and F-22 still TBD

04/04/2017

Two of the US Air Force’s premier fifth-generation fighters, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II and F-22A Raptor, still can’t transmit data back and forth but the service’s plan to fix the communication gap is undetermined.

Beijing Set to Commission First Made-in-China Aircraft Carrier

04/04/2017

China’s first domestically constructed aircraft carrier is slated to take on the high seas for the first time within the next three weeks. The Shandong will be the second aircraft carrier to join the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s rapidly growing fleet.

Tu-128: Russia's Supersonic B-52 Killer

04/02/2017

The Soviet Union had extraordinarily lengthy borders that were difficult to patrol against American nuclear bombers and spy planes. New ground-based surface-to-air missiles simply could not cover such a vast area. Confronted with a sizeable problem, the Soviets in typical fashion produced a gargantuan solution: the Tupolev Tu-128 jet fighter, which measured thirty meters long and grossed forty-three tons fully loaded—roughly half over the weight and size of the famously large F-4 Phantom.

VIDEO: Watch the first flight of Saudi Arabia’s AN-132 military aircraft

04/02/2017

After conducting all its ground tests, the Saudi-Ukrainian military aircraft Antonov AN-132 completed its first flight. The AN-132 was first launched last December. Video of the aircraft’s first flight showed Antonov AN-132’s first maneuvers in Ukraine under the supervision of an engineering committee from the Saudi and Ukrainian sides.

BAE Systems Awarded F-35 Lightning II Program Sustainment Contract

04/02/2017

BAE Systems has been awarded a sub-contracted work worth £40 million by Lockheed Martin to work together on speeding up delivery of Royal Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II fleet. Awarded under the main contract worth more than £80m (US$102.2m), sub-contract work will bring together Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems to form a team of more than 100 skilled technicians at RAF Marham, which will provide engineering and technical expertise, deliver air-crew and ground-crew training, facilitate routine main

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Sales Grew 4% in Fiscal 2016-17

04/02/2017

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) posted sales of Rs 17,406 crore in the just-concluded fiscal 2016-17, registering 4 per cent annual growth from Rs 16,736 crore in the previous fiscal, the defence behemoth said on Saturday.

China’s South China Sea ambitions require a diplomatic response

04/01/2017

Imagery released earlier this month indicates that China has nearly completed construction of several facilities in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Fiery Cross Reef has hangars, mobile missile shelters, and radar arrays. Mischief and Subi reefs house similar structures. In total, the Spratly Islands can now accommodate 72 combat aircraft and about 15 larger planes including bombers, transporters, and refueling aircraft.

Boeing hopes its Super Hornet fighter can emerge triumphant from Pentagon budget battle

04/01/2017

Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, the F/A-18 fighter family has come to dominate Navy carrier decks — and supported a base of more than 200 military contractors in Southern California. With a stealthy replacement rolling off assembly lines, though, its days seemed to be numbered.

Gripen E to gain enhanced anti-ship missile

04/01/2017

Sweden will equip its future fleet of Gripen E fighters with an extended-range version of the Saab/Diehl Defence-produced RBS15 anti-ship missile, under a project worth SKr3.2 billion ($358 million).

Field Aviation to update Canadian T-6 fleet

04/01/2017

Under the project, the Canadian company will equip 22 locally designated CT-156 Harvard IIs with a traffic advisory system, automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) transponder and wide area augmentation system GPS receiver. The enhancements will enable the single-engined turboprop to comply with the US Federal Aviation Administration’s incoming ADS-B Out regulations.

OPINION: Can Pentagon's new F-35 chief keep on target?

04/01/2017

A military acquisition manager has a tough job. There are schedules to meet and budgets to keep, fickle politicians to placate, penny-pinching from bureaucrats and relentless finagling by contractors.

New Toys: Pentagon’s V-22 Tiltrotors Might Get Lasers, Sound Weapons

04/01/2017

As part of an endless effort to modernize and enhance the capabilities of the US armed forces, the US Marine Corps is considering upgrading the multirole V-22 Osprey with high intensity directed energy weaponry – or, more simply, lasers.

Czech Republic Unveils Revamped L-159 Attack Aircraft After Production Reboot

04/01/2017

The Czech Republic's Aero Vodochody aircraft company has unveiled its first upgraded Aero L-159 ALCA light attack jet after an almost 15-year pause in production, local media said Friday.

Can Serbia Become a Regional Center for the Repair of Russian Mi Helicopters?

04/01/2017

The discussion about whether Serbia can become a regional center for the repair of Russian Mi helicopters has been ongoing for over a year. Recently the Serbian Defense Ministry stated that Russia has expressed interest in such a center.

UK SoD Announces $112Mln Contract for F-35 Combat Jet Maintenance

04/01/2017

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon on Friday announced a 90 million pound ($112 million) contract for UK-based BAE Systems to support the upkeep of F-35 fighter jets.

Leonardo plans to produce advanced Air Force trainer in Tuskegee

03/31/2017

Governor Robert Bentley announced today that Leonardo, a global aerospace and defense firm, will create 750 jobs at an advanced assembly center at Tuskegee’s Moton Field if the company’s T-100 jet trainer wins a U.S. Air Force competition for a next-generation training aircraft.