Military Aviation News Archive

Obama's Brazil trip may influence possible F/A-18 Hornet deal

03/19/2011

When President Barack Obama travels to Brazil this weekend, one of the many items on his agenda eventually could have an impact on thousands of aerospace workers in St. Louis.

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Britain to deploy fighter aircraft for Libya mission

03/19/2011

Earlier Friday, Cameron told parliament that Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado and Typhoon fighter aircraft would be moved to air bases in the region 'in the coming hours', from where they could be deployed.

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US, Britain and France prepare for air strikes

03/18/2011

BRITISH, FRENCH and US military aircraft are preparing to protect the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi after the UN Security Council last night voted to establish a no-fly zone over Libya and “all necessary measures” to protect its citizens from harm at the hands of Col Muammar Gadafy’s forces.

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Australia to buy amphibious military transport ship, aircraft

03/18/2011

Australia will buy a large amphibious warship from Britain and a C-17 wide-body military transport plane from Boeing to expand its fleet, which is currently on earthquake relief operations in Japan, the defence minister said on Thursday.

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Lockheed Martin Support Enables High-Tempo F-22 Deployments Worldwide

03/18/2011

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is logging a deployment-intensive pace in early 2011 following a busy 2010, and the company continues to provide key support to the fleet as the Raptor projects power globally.

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UN Security Council adopts resolution on Libya

03/18/2011

The United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution on Libya. The resolution imposes a no-fly zone over the African state and authorizes possible military action except for ground forces. It also freezes assets of Libyan oil companies and the country's Central Bank.

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Sarkozy promises Brazil fighter jet technology

03/17/2011

French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Brazil his government would support Dassault's proposed technology transfer of its new fighter jet as the company seeks an edge in its bid to win a multibillion-dollar Brazilian military contract.

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MD Helicopters, Boeing Advance Collaborative Production Agreement for AH-6i Helicopter

03/17/2011

MD Helicopters, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ommercial and military helicopters, and The Boeing Company (Boeing) have announced significant progress on a contract to collaborate on the production of the Boeing AH-6i Light Attack/Reconnaissance Helicopter for the worldwide market. Consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement signed in July, 2010, both companies are now finalizing a Long Term Requirements Contract for the Boeing AH-6i.

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Bell Helicopter AH-1Z Earns Navy Initial Operating Capability designation ahead of schedule

03/17/2011

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced on Monday that the U.S. Marine Corps' newest attack helicopter, the AH-1Z Cobra, achieved Initial Operating Capability ahead of schedule in February.

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The J-20 Clarified

03/17/2011

Two months after the impressive new Chinese fighter, the J-20, made its first flight, it's been possible to scrutinize the photos, videos and other evidence, and form a better idea of where the Chinese are with their new "stealth fighter."

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Yas Air IL76 near Diyarbakir on Mar 16th 2011, intercepted by fighters on tip of illegal weapon transport

03/17/2011

A Yas Air Ilyushin IL-76TD, registration EP-GOL performing a freight flight from Tehran Mehrabad (Iran) to Aleppo (Syria), was intercepted by Turkish F-16 fighter aircraft and diverted to Diyarbakir (Turkey) for a safe landing.

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Iran Unveils Home-Made Multipurpose Micro Fighter Jets

03/17/2011

Iran unveiled its first home-made multipurpose micro fighter jet in a ceremony attended by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

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Japan Needs Its Own Berlin Airlift

03/16/2011

Right now, helicopters are needed most. With roads, airports, and ports washed away or clogged with debris, the only way to reach many of the affected areas is by helicopter. Yet Japan now has barely 100 military helicopters engaged in relief efforts. The United States should start sending all of its heavy-lift helicopters in Japan and South Korea to northern Japan. Similarly, the Air Force should dramatically ramp up the number of C-17s bringing in supplies to Misawa Air Base, so that supplies

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Qaddafi's Helicopters Pose Unique Challenge

03/16/2011

Senior U.S. military officials believe that Libyan strongman Muammar el-Qaddafi’s Russian-made attack helicopters -- and not his warplanes -- pose the biggest challenge to the creation of a no-fly zone over the war-torn country, a policy option drawing increasing support in both Arab and Western capitals.

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V-22 Osprey: A Marine’s best friend

03/16/2011

The V-22 Osprey, an innovative aircraft that combines the best of both helicopter and airplane, was one of the programs under consideration. In combat conditions, the Osprey could move our Marines in and out of battle safer and faster than any of the helicopter options available then or even on the drawing board. It was clear that for the force of the future, an aircraft with game-changing capabilities was the smart choice. The decision to proceed with this forward-looking program was, and remai

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Africa arms imports up: SIPRI

03/16/2011

Africa's share of international major conventional weapons imports increased from 5% in 2001–2005 to 7% in 2006–10. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) adds the Middle East accounted for 17% of imports over the same period, down from 21% in the years 2001–2005.

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Here's Why A No-Fly Zone Might Not Really Change Anything In Libya

03/16/2011

The world's opinion-makers, in both government and media, seem to have settled on the idea that imposing a "no-fly zone" over Libya would be a good idea for all concerned. Not everyone has jumped on this bandwagon yet, but it seems to be the most popular option under discussion by those advocating "doing something" about the situation in Libya.

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U.S. Navy/Marine Corps Reaffirm Commitment To F-35

03/16/2011

The much maligned F-35 program recently received a vote of confidence from two of its three major constituencies, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. A revised interservice agreement between the two envisions the procurement of 680 F-35s. The Navy will buy 260 F-35Cs, specifically designed for carrier operations. The Marines will buy a mix: 80 F-35Cs and 340 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35Bs.

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Some JSFs Return to Flying, Others Remain Grounded

03/16/2011

Seven test versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) have been cleared to resume flight testing, but others remain grounded while investigators work to determine why one aircraft's primary generators failed last week, the program's top official told Congress March 15.

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Indian Defence Minister Resisting U.S. Lobbying on $ 10 bn Fighter Aircraft Deal

03/16/2011

India’s defence minister A.K.Antony is reported to be resisting American attempts to use an Indo-U.S. Strategic dialogue as a lobbying point to sell American warplanes in the $10 billion MMRCA deal.

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Air Force gets two more F-15K fighter jets

03/15/2011

The Air Force has received two more F-15K fighter jets from U.S. defense contractor Boeing, bringing the total number of the advanced aircraft in the country to 47, officials said Monday.

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BAE Systems signs up for UK-French drone

03/15/2011

BAE Systems has signed an agreement with French defence company Dassault to build a self-piloting drone which will be used by both countries' air forces, as part of the Government's plan to cut defence costs by purchasing more kit with other nations.

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China Takes The High Ground

03/15/2011

India believes that China now has five airfields in Tibet (Gongar, Pangta, Linchi, Hoping and Gar Gunsa) that are bases for military aircraft. India is also seeing more Chinese warplanes being based full time in Tibet. This was somewhat unexpected, and it's all about thin air.

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Support for a Libyan No-Fly Zone Comes with Questions about the Future

03/15/2011

More than half of Americans support U.S. participation in creating a no-fly zone over Libya, but support for unilateral U.S. military action is lower – and a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds substantial skepticism about the aims and outcome of political unrest across the region.

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U.S. Army Slow To Adapt Fly-by-Wire Controls for Helicopters

03/15/2011

Fly-by-wire technology has long been credited for enabling military fighter jets to maneuver through the air. As the advanced computer controls continue to migrate into the commercial airliner and business jet fleets — and more importantly, come down in cost — the digital-only revolution is finally gaining some momentum in rotary-wing aircraft.

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