Military Aviation News Archive

Meeting the needs of the warfighter from the air

05/05/2011

Over the past four years much has been written, debated and proposed about the need for a light attack turboprop aircraft that’s ideally suited for irregular warfare in Afghanistan. Yet here we are four years later without a deployable solution.

All vendors given reasons for combat jet short-listing: IAF chief

05/05/2011

India Monday said it has individually conveyed to all six vendors in the $10.4 billion tender for 126 combat planes if their aircraft were compliant with the air force's requirements and that there were no complaints so far from any of the four unsuccessful firms, including two from the US.

First UAE Unmanned Systems Rodeo gives knowledge boost to students

05/05/2011

The first day of the UAE's inaugural Unmanned Systems Rodeo (USR), organized by the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), took place at the CERT Technology Park in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

U.S. Air Force Poised To Launch First-Of-Its-Kind Space Based Infrared System Satellite

05/05/2011

The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin are ready to launch the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) spacecraft on Friday, May 6 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch window is 2:14 p.m. EDT to 2:54 p.m. EDT. A live launch broadcast will begin at 1:54 p.m. EDT and will be accessible via the ULA webcast.

Russia aims for $9.5 billion arms sales

05/04/2011

Russia aims to earn $9.5 billion from arms sales in 2011, a significant part in Latin America, new data after last month's premier arms show in Rio de Janeiro indicated. Russian government leaders and state-run defense manufacturers redoubled efforts to take a larger slice of arms buying by governments on the continent as demand for weapons and equipment soared with commodity exporters earning more and military procurers clamoring for replacement for obsolete inventories.

Gulf air force deals 'to hit $63 billion'

05/04/2011

The Middle East market for military aircraft and air-defense systems, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is expected to generate revenues of nearly $63 billion by 2020, a new study says.

Aircraft deal: Nothing wrong in selection firms, says IAF

05/04/2011

After the US expressed "disappointment" over the ouster of its two companies from the multi-billion-dollar combat aircraft deal, the IAF on Monday said there was "nothing wrong" in its selection process. "Whether anyone is happy or unhappy, we have done whatever we were asked to do by the Government...If you select one aircraft, it always happens that other side would be dissatisfied. There is nothing wrong with our process. It is a human feeling," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said.

Alliances of the Air

05/04/2011

India’s recent decision not to purchase American warplanes for its $10 billion-plus fighter aircraft program – the largest single military tender in the country’s history – has stirred debate in defense circles worldwide. India’s defense ministry deemed the two American contenders, Boeing’s F/A-18 Superhornet and Lockheed’s F-16 Superviper, not to fulfill the requirements that it sought in a medium-size multi-role combat aircraft.

Russia begins test flights of Su-35S series fighter

05/04/2011

Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer has started test flights of its first series-produced Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighter, the company said on Tuesday. The aircraft took off from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur airfield in Russia's Far East, spending one and a half hours in the air testing propulsion and control systems.

Boeing Phantom Ray Completes 1st Flight

05/04/2011

The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots.

Canadian observers begin flights over Russia under Open Skies Treaty

05/03/2011

A group of Canadian observers will begin a series of inspection flights over Russian territory under the Open Skies Treaty on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. "The flights will be along the route coordinated earlier with Russian specialists, who will be on board of the aircraft monitoring implementation of agreements on the use of technical equipment for the observation," the spokesman said.

U.S. kills bin Laden in intelligence-driven operation

05/03/2011

An intelligence-driven U.S. operation in Pakistan killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden yesterday, President Barack Obama announced in a nationally televised address from the White House late last night. "Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Prsident Obama said. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.

How To Read the Bin Laden Coverage

05/03/2011

A later Time piece puts the total number of helicopters on the mission at four, with two making the assault and two waiting in reserve nearby. It states that "about two dozen" SEALs and CIA "enablers" participated in the raid and speculates that a winged-gunship like an AC-130 might have provided air cover. The helicopters were "most likely … specially-outfitted CH-47 and UH-60 choppers." The U.S. team destroyed its malfunctioning CH-47 at the site of the raid, Time adds.

Russia Fighting to Save Arms Sales to the Middle East

05/03/2011

Ambitious efforts to modernize Russia’s defense and industrial base undertaken during the Putin administration have been paying off—at least, in some cases. The Russian leadership uses arms sales for economic gain, but also as a tool of influence in the recipient countries. The Russian military-industrial complex, one of the few national industries that maintain some competitive advantage in comparison with the West, is a source of the Kremlin’s cash and prestige. Leftover stockpiles from the So

V-22 Osprey Fleet Reaches 100,000 Flight-Hour Milestone with Eaton Onboard

05/03/2011

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation is a key component supplier for the Bell-Boeing-built V-22 Osprey, which recently surpassed 100,000 flying hours during a U.S. Marine Corps combat mission in Afghanistan. Manufactured under a 50-50 strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter and Boeing, the V-22 Osprey is a multirole combat aircraft using tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.

Russia to deliver 3 combat helicopters to Peru next week

05/03/2011

The Peruvian Air Force will receive next week three Russian combat helicopters intended for military operations against drugs trafficking and terrorism in the South American country, Peru's defense minister said. Last July, the Peruvian Defense Ministry and Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed a contract for the sale of six Mi-171Sh Hip transport and two Mi-35P Hind E attack helicopters to the South American country. The deal is estimated at $107.9 million.

Second F-35C Completes Inaugural Flight

05/03/2011

The second F-35C Lightning II carrier variant takes off on its first flight from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Friday, April 29. Lockheed Martin F-35 Test Pilot Bill Gigliotti piloted the jet on its first flight.

A First for Qatar

05/03/2011

The first of four C-130J Super Hercules for the Qatar Emiri Air Force has completed production at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. The picture shows the aircraft leaving the paint hangar. The new Hercules are the longer fuselage or "stretched" variant of the C-130J and deliveries to Qatar will begin later this year.

Boeing Receives JDAM Contracts Valued at $100M

05/03/2011

The Boeing Company today announced that it has received contracts totaling $100 million for two types of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on March 17 awarded the company an $8 million contract that represents the first major production order for Laser JDAM kits. The contract is for low-rate initial production of 700 laser sensor kits for the Navy’s direct-attack moving target capability weapons requirement.

Nuclear Signaling In South Asia – Analysis

05/02/2011

After the advent of nuclear weapons the security environment has changed. There is no global war like WWI and WWII. No direct confrontation between the two super powers in cold war. Deterrence has become the corner stone of strategy. Nuclear deterrence is the core of strategic stability in South Asia. One of the Requirements of deterrence is communication. Communication or signaling implies of demonstration of political will and resolve to use nuclear weapons to the adversary. Therefore nuclear

ADF assets exercise around Malaysia

05/02/2011

Australian Air Force multi-role F/A-18F Super Hornets will soar through the sky over Malaysia while Navy guided-missile frigates and a Collins class submarine will patrol the South China Sea in a major military exercise commencing today.

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden dead - Obama

05/02/2011

The al-Qaeda leader was killed in a ground operation based on US intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August. Mr Obama said after "a firefight" US forces took possession of his body. Bin Laden was accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001.

Reliable military and aerospace communications depend on advanced military antenna technologies

05/02/2011

For network-centric operations to succeed on today’s digital battlefield, efficient, reliable, and real-time communications are crucial to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time. Military antennas are among the most important, if not often overlooked, component of aerospace and defense systems. “The most underappreciated component of a wireless sensor network node is often its antenna,” admits William Y. Chang in Network-Centric Service Oriented Enterprise. The anten

India eliminates U.S. firms in $11 billion fighter jet deal

05/02/2011

A decision by India to eliminate Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin from the highly sought-after $11 billion fighter jet deal competition has cost GE Aviation a much-needed slate of orders for its jet engines. GE Aviation, which has 300 employees at a facility in Vandalia, was expecting a big payday if either U.S. competitors would have been awarded the contract to supply 126 multipurpose fighter planes, according to this article in the Financial Times.

Why the critics of India's combat jet deal are wrong

05/02/2011

Following a raft of technical tests by the IAF, the Manmohan Singh government has shortlisted the Eurofighter consortium's Typhoon and the French-made Dassault Rafale for a multi-billion dollar fourth generation fighter deal. New Delhi will almost certainly come under intense pressure to review its decision.