Military Aviation News Archive

Govt okays purchase of one C17 aircraft, clears acquisition of weapons system worth over Rs 7,000 cr

12/24/2016

The government on Friday gave the go ahead to the IAF to purchase one more C17 heavy transport aircraft and also gave the nod to the Coast Guard’s proposal to acquire six multi-mission maritime aircraft for Rs 5,500 crore.

Romania says holding talks with US over buying 12 F-16s

12/24/2016

NATO member Romania is holding talks with the United States about the purchase of 12 F-16 fighter jets, as European allies said they cannot provide the requested number of aircraft, Romanian defence minister Mihnea Motoc said.

Dassault-Reliance joint venture to build, supply combat aircraft on worldwide basis

12/24/2016

A Dassault Aviation-Reliance Group joint venture, formed to execute significant offsets for the Rs. 58,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal, plans to manufacture and supply military combat aircraft on a "worldwide basis".

PICTURE: First production-standard Scorpion gets airborne

12/24/2016

Textron AirLand has completed the debut flight of its first production-conforming Scorpion, with the multi-mission platform having received numerous enhancements over its earlier prototype.

China’s second FC-31 takes flight

12/24/2016

Chinese defence websites have published footage of what is apparently the second AVIC FC-31 Gyrfalcon fighter aircraft. Still imagery shows the aircraft taking off. One major difference is the configuration of the aircraft’s twin canted tail. Produced by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the FC-31 features a cropped tail, whereas the first prototype designated J-31, had a nearly triangular tails with a horizontal top.

Lockheed to Provide 249 More Oxygen Masks, Helmet Displays for F-35

12/24/2016

Lockheed Martin has received a $90.3 million contract to provide new helmet display systems and oxygen masks for the super-expensive and controversial F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike aircraft, the US Department of Defense announced on Thursday.

Lockheed to Support US, Pakistan Cobra Helo Targeting Sensor for $151 Million

12/24/2016

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $151 million contract to support the Target Sight System (TSS) on US and Pakistan AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopters, the US Department of Defense said in a press release.

Air force sets aside CF-18 for airshows despite lack of jets for military missions

12/23/2016

The Canadian military is assigning a CF-18 fighter jet to the airshow circuit for next year, despite Liberal government claims it does not have enough aircraft to meet its defence commitments. Each year, the Royal Canadian Air Force assigns a CF-18, painted to highlight a specific theme, to fly at airshows across North America.

Why America's Marines are Turning Their MV-22 Ospreys Into Assault Gunships

12/23/2016

The U.S. Marine Corps is progressing with a new project to arm its MV-22 Osprey aircraft with new weapons such as laser-guided 2.75in rockets, missiles and heavy guns - a move which would expand the tiltrotor's mission set beyond supply, weapons and forces transport to include a wider range of offensive and defensive combat missions, Corps officials said.

The State of the Smaller Latin American Air Forces

12/23/2016

The air forces of Latin America are unique in comparison with any region except perhaps sub-Saharan Africa, in that their combat aircraft components are composed of an odd but nonetheless effective mix of combat capable trainers operating alongside smaller numbers of relatively modern combat aircraft.

Trump calls Boeing to price Super Hornet against F-35

12/23/2016

President-elect Donald Trump has hit the F-35 programme once again, this time courting Lockheed Martin competitor Boeing for the Joint Strike Fighter mission. Trump delivered the news in a 21 December tweet: “Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!"

Pentagon prioritises EP-3 role for Triton

12/23/2016

An 18-month-old plan to equip the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton with a signals intelligence payload will proceed after the US Navy received approval from top Pentagon officials August 2016, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) tells FlightGlobal.

PICTURE: Long-range test success for Norwegian JSM

12/23/2016

Kongsberg and Raytheon have carried out a long-range flight test of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) from a Lockheed Martin F-16, as the developmental weapon continues its qualification campaign.

Japan Approves Record Military Spending

12/22/2016

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government on Thursday approved an increase in defense spending to record levels to counter growing Chinese military power in the East China Sea and an escalating North Korean ballistic missile threat. Abe's cabinet on Thursday signed off on a 1.4 percent increase in spending to 5.13 trillion yen ($43.66 billion) for the year starting April 1.

South Korea: Upgraded F-16s Capable of Striking Key North Korean Targets

12/22/2016

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has upgraded the first batch of its fleet of KF-16C/D Block 50/52 fighter jets, a variant of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, arming the aircraft with bombs capable of destroying key underground targets in North Korea, according to local media reports.

AERO VODOCHODY HOPEFUL OF SALES TO REVIVE L-159 PRODUCTION

12/22/2016

Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody is eager to secure enough sales for its L-159 ‘Advanced Light Combat Aircraft’ (ALCA) such that it can revive the L-159’s production line. Speaking to local media (Ceské Noviny), Aero Vodochody spokesperson Tereza Vrublová outlined Aero’s expectation of growth and increased demand in the advanced trainer and light combat aircraft market.

Trump Should Cut Pentagon Waste and Craft a New Strategy

12/22/2016

Over the past month, president-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken out against Pentagon waste, in what one analyst has described as “taking down the military-industrial complex, one tweet at a time.”

Trump vows to slash F-35 costs after CEO meeting

12/22/2016

Incoming US president Donald Trump called the Lockheed Martin F-35 “very expensive” and vowed to bring down the stealth fighter’s costs after a 21 December meeting with the chief executives of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

US approves P-8 sale to Norway

12/22/2016

The US State Department has approved the possible sale of five Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft to Norway to replace Norway’s Lockheed P-3C Orion and Dassault Falcon 20s.

China Prepares Secretive H-20 Strategic Stealth Bomber

12/22/2016

China’s secretive H-20 bomber is well on its way to becoming a fully developed next-generation strategic stealth aircraft, but not in the near future. A Chinese admiral said that China and the rest of the world must be patient while waiting for the H-20 to be launched.

Northrop Grumman Wins Radar Systems Contract for US Navy Poseidon Planes

12/22/2016

US defense contractor Northrop Grumman Systems has received a contract worth nearly $27 million to create testing and support programs for the P-8A Poseidon's system to detect radar and other electronic threats to the aircraft and to US Navy vessels, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

Boeing and Saab complete first T-X flight

12/21/2016

Boeing and Saab’s bid for the US Air Force trainer competition took flight from St. Louis, Missouri, on 20 December, demonstrating the clean-sheet design jet’s performance for the first time.

Loose bracket caused F-35B fire

12/21/2016

A fire aboard a US Marine Corps F-35B was caused by a loose bracket designed to hold together electrical wires in the aircraft’s weapons bay, F-35 programme executive officer Lt Gen Chris Bogdan says.

Antonov rolls out An-132 demonstrator

12/21/2016

Antonov rolled out the new An-132D multipurpose turboprop transport on 20 December in Kiev, Ukraine, as the Saudia Arabia-backed project prepares to enter the flight test phase. The roll-out of demonstrator comes about two years after Antonov launched the project, which updates the 40-year-old An-32 design with Honeywell avionics, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines and other improvements.

Israel selects Raytheon radar for F-15I fleet

12/21/2016

The Israeli air force (IAF) is continuing with the upgrade of its Boeing F-15I Ra’am, and has selected the Raytheon APG-82(V)1 radar to provide a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) capability.