Military Aviation News Archive
10/21/2011
Aircraft maker European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co NV (EADS) said it will manufacture fewer military aircraft in coming years than previously, in response to cost-cutting measures by the German defence ministry. A report in the Financial Times stated Wednesday the government's austerity measures include reducing the size of its armed forces, and buying 140 instead of 177 Eurofighters, 40 instead of 53 A400Ms, 80 instead of 122 NH-90s, and 40 instead of 80 Tigers.
Read More...
10/21/2011
Eurocopter is planning to offer two defense aircraft platforms to South Korea in response to possible requests for proposals. The company, which has headquarters in France, said the aircraft would be the Panther platform for the Light Attack Helicopter program and the Tiger for the Heavy Attack Helicopter program. The two formal Requests for Proposal are expected to be issued by Seoul next year.
Read More...
10/21/2011
Two aircrew were killed on Thursday when a Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft crashed at the Ukrainka military airfield in Russia's Far East, military prosecutors said. "A Su-24 aircraft crashed while landing at about 12.00 local time (02:00 GMT) in the Amur region. Both pilot and navigator were killed in the crash," a statement said
Read More...
10/20/2011
Brazil's fleet of C295 aircraft, made by Spain's Airbus Military, has reached 25.000 flight hours after six years of successful operation. The 12 aircraft fly mainly in Amazonia and Mato Grosso, areas where the airplanes are vital for the local population.
Read More...
10/20/2011
Germany plans to slash the number of military aircraft it will buy from EADS, the European aerospace company, as it shrinks its armed forces by a fifth as part of an austerity drive.
Read More...
10/20/2011
Pakistani armed forces, especially the army and air force, are closely monitoring the Indian Army’s efforts to acquire a ground attack aircraft on its own, sources in the capital city say. According to reports from across the border, the Indian Army is trying to raise two aviation brigades that would consist of two squadrons each, one for attack and the second for surveillance, air observation for artillery and casualty evacuation.
Read More...
10/20/2011
South Korea recently revealed that North Korea had gone looking for someone to sell them new combat aircraft, and had been turned down by China and Russia. South Korean diplomats were pleased to find this out, and South Korean Air Force officers were not surprised that the North Koreans were desperate to upgrade their air force.
Read More...
10/20/2011
As Congress works on the fiscal year 2012 budget and to reduce federal debt, Army and Air Force Reserve and National Guard leaders were on Capitol Hill here to testify and answer questions about their funding proposals Oct. 12.
Read More...
10/20/2011
Honeywell’s T55 turboshaft production continues for its sole application, Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook. Boeing biggest customer for the CH-47 is the U.S. Army who is upgrading its Chinook fleet from the D to the F standard. The current requirement is set at 464 aircraft with a mix of new-build and remanufactured airframes. The Army is also buying MH-47Gs and will eventually have a fleet of 69 of the type.
Read More...
10/20/2011
Turkey launched air and ground assaults on Kurdish militants in Iraq on Wednesday, vowing to take "great revenge" after 24 Turkish soldiers were killed in one of the deadliest Kurdish attacks in decades.
Read More...
10/20/2011
A surge of C-5 Galaxies, slated to take place Oct. 17 - 21, will bring together 18 active-duty and 23 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command crews and aircraft to fly cargo in support of combatant commanders across the globe.
Read More...
10/20/2011
"You may have to steal, beg or borrow but you have to do it," IAF chief N A K Browne has stated to drive home the urgency for developing a military aircraft engine to strengthen defence capabilities. The DRDO has been entrusted with the task of developing a fighter aircraft engine under the Kaveri programme but not much success has been achieved in this direction for the last over 25 years.
Read More...
10/20/2011
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) unanimously ruled in favor of Lockheed Martin by determining that “paveway” is a generic term for a type of laser guided bomb (LGB).
Read More...
10/19/2011
Australia is considering equipping half its fleet of Boeing-built Super Hornet warplanes with sophisticated radar and communications jamming technology, giving its military a more potent electronic warfare capability than others in the region.
Read More...
10/19/2011
A computer virus that affected the US military's drone fleet last month was not "specifically" aimed at the unmanned aircraft's network, the head of US Strategic Command said Tuesday.
"It was a virus that we believe at this point entered from the wild, if you will, not specifically targeted at the RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) activities but entered through some other process," General Robert Kehler told reporters.
Read More...
.jpg)
10/19/2011
In a July 20, 2011 letter to West Valley Partners, U.S. Sen. John McCain pledges his continued support for the F-35 and Luke AFB as a major training base for the newest fighter jet in the country’s defense arsenal.
Read More...
10/19/2011
A military aircraft with six people on board crashed Tuesday into hills in a remote hunting reserve in mid-western Nepal, the army said. The Britten-Norman Islander airplane was returning to the capital Kathmandu from a rescue mission by the Indian border in the southwest when it lost contact with the ground, army officials told AFP.
Read More...
10/19/2011
Afghan and NATO forces have stepped up their fight against a militant network considered the most dangerous threat facing coalition forces in Afghanistan, the nation's defense officials said Tuesday.
Read More...
10/19/2011
Boeing is showcasing its F-15 Silent Eagle fighter jet and AH-6i attack/reconnaissance helicopter at an international exhibition in South Korea. In addition to military aircraft, Boeing will feature passenger aircraft such as the 787-9. 747-8 and 737 MAX at 2011 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition this week.
Read More...
10/19/2011
The United States is reportedly launching major military maneuvers in the Middle East amid speculation that the Pentagon is preparing a response to Iran’s alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington.
Read More...
10/19/2011
A recent Pentagon report warns India about challenges posed by China's frenetic defence modernisation, after China launched its first aircraft carrier, the instrument of power projection. China's peaceful rise is best determined by distinguishing between its military capabilities and intentions.
Read More...
10/19/2011
The V-22 Osprey tiltrotor flown by the Marines and Air Force crashes or burns much more often than the military cares to admit. But that hasn’t stopped Osprey-maker Boeing from pitching a new tiltrotor for an ambitious Army program aimed at replacing almost everything the ground combat branch flies … with a single aircraft design.
Read More...
10/19/2011
Northrop Grumman Corp has pulled out of the 2012 Farnborough International air show as part of a drive to cut costs in what it describes as leaner times in the global defence market but it is honouring its commitment to the Dubai Air Show.
Read More...
10/18/2011
The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Corp. (Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., USA) announced on Oct. 10 that the X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstration aircraft reached a major milestone Sept. 30 when it retracted its landing gear and flew in its cruise configuration for the first time. The flight, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, also helped validate precision navigation hardware and software that will allow the X-47B to land with precision on the moving deck of an aircraft carr
Read More...
10/18/2011
France was reported Monday to be in the final stages of wrapping up a $10 billion contract with the United Arab Emirates for 60 Rafale combat jets. That would be a crucial breakthrough for French manufacturer Dassault Aviation, which has been struggling for years to find its first foreign buyer for the multi-role fighter. "We're in the final negotiations," French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet told France's LCI television, adding that the prospect of a deal was "very strong."
Read More...