Military Aviation News Archive

India successfully test fires Astra interceptor missile again in Orissa

06/11/2011

For the second time in two days, India today successfully test fired indigenously developed air-to-air Astra interceptor missile with an 80 km range from Chandipur in Orissa.

Lockheed: Eglin to receive first F-35 in ‘days’

06/11/2011

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics officials say the company is just days away from delivering its first F-35 Lightning II aircraft to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Navair Awards $107M Order for Second Dutch F-35 Test Aircraft

06/11/2011

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded on June 8 a $107,582,787 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N00019-09-C-0010) for the procurement of one Low Rate Initial Production IV conventional take off and landing F-35 aircraft for the government of the Netherlands, including ancillary mission equipment/pilot fighter equipment items.

Pressure for F-16 sales mounts

06/11/2011

A Senate aide believes there is a feeling among US lawmakers that the Obama administration wants Congress to be responsible for the sale of F-16C/D jets to Taiwan.

Air National Guard grounds F-16 training flights from Madison base while crash investigated

06/11/2011

The Air National Guard has grounded training flights from its Madison base after an F-16 fighter plane crashed this week in central Wisconsin.

Talking Truth to NATO

06/11/2011

America’s key strategic alliance throughout the cold war is in far deeper trouble than most members admit. The Atlantic allies face a host of new and old dangers. Without more and wiser European military spending — on equipment, training, surveillance and reconnaissance — NATO faces, as Mr. Gates rightly warned, “a dim if not dismal future” and even “irrelevance.”

Marine aviators’ new weapon: the iPad

06/11/2011

We’ve written before about the Army’s experiments with how it might use smartphones or tablet computers on the battlefield, but it’s starting to look behind the curve: Consumer-grade mobile devices are already in service elsewhere in the military, including the war zone. Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson use Apple iPads — a whole crate of ‘em, by the looks of it — to help manage geographical information in the ship’s combat information center.

Boeing Delivers UAE Air Force and Air Defence's 2nd C-17

06/11/2011

Boeing delivered a second C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence today at the C-17 program's final assembly facility in Long Beach. The company is contracted to deliver a total of six C-17s to its UAE customer - four this year and two in 2012.

Boeing stays mum on key KC-46A design features

06/10/2011

Boeing has revealed its KC-46A tanker is heavier and slightly longer than any previous version of the 767-200 airframe on which it is based, but still refuses to provide essential details about the airframe configuration and refuelling system more than three months after winning the KC-X contract. The company's clamp-down on design details is a departure from its practice on the P-8A, which also involved adapting an airliner, a 737, for a military mission, and in the first round of the KC-X bid

Boeing looks to sell more 737-based military jets

06/10/2011

Boeing's P-8A Poseidon sub hunter for the U.S. Navy is the base off of which the company could relatively cheaply and easily build other 737-based military aircraft, executives said Wednesday. The Navy plans to purchase 117 of the 737-based P-8As to replace its turboprop Lockheed Electra-based P-3 Orion fleet. The first is set to enter service in 2013.

Russia, China Shield Syria from Possible U.N. Sanctions

06/10/2011

A resolution inspired by Western nations critical of civilian killings in politically-beleaguered Syria is facing threats from two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council: Russia and China.

China Looms Large For New Indian AF Chief

06/10/2011

The Indian air force (IAF) has long had big ambitions, and the pending arrival of a new leader with a broad agenda indicates there will be no easing up in efforts to strengthen the service’s capabilities. The first major revamp of the IAF’s order of battle—revival of border air bases to counter Chinese air force deployments, along with quick acquisitions of new weapons and systems—will be operational priorities for Air Marshal Norman Browne, who takes over as IAF chief at the end of July when A

Photos of possible fifth-generation fighter appear on Chinese websites

06/10/2011

Photographs of an unknown Chinese fighter jet appeared on Internet forums on Wednesday, sparking speculation that the country has developed the world's second fifth-generation fighter. The U.S. F-22 Raptor is currently the world's only operational fifth generation fighter plane.

Airbus Leads way towards sustainable aviation at Paris Air Show

06/09/2011

Airbus, a market leader in commercial and military transport aircraft is showcasing ideas for a sustainable aviation at the Le Bourget Air Show between June 20th– 26th. Visitors will be able to see revolutionary ideas and concepts as well as daily flying displays from the world’s most modern passenger and military transport aircraft.

With eye to US, post-bin Laden Pakistan turns to 'all-weather' friend China

06/09/2011

During the state visit, China agreed to provide Pakistan with fifty 'JF-17 Thunder' fighter jets, a single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft, jointly developed by the two countries. Reacting to this deal, Indian defence minister A. K. Anthony stated that “It is a matter of serious concern for us. The main thing is, we have to increase our capability, that is the only answer.”

Pentagon sees Libya military costs soar

06/09/2011

US military operations in Libya are on course to cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than the Pentagon estimated, according to figures obtained by the Financial Times. Robert Gates, the outgoing secretary of defence, said last month that the Pentagon expected to spend “somewhere in the ball park of $750m” in the 2011 fiscal year as part of efforts to protect the Libyan people.

Former Diplomat, Admiral See U.S. Strike Against Iran as Unlikely

06/09/2011

Two retired U.S. senior Persian Gulf experts -- one a diplomat, another a Navy admiral -- said at separate events on Tuesday that a military strike against Iran's nuclear sector appears both inadvisable and unlikely, at least for the time being.

China's First Aircraft Carrier Nearly Ready For Launch

06/09/2011

A top Chinese military official has confirmed that Beijing is building its first aircraft carrier, described as a "symbol of a great nation" which could reportedly set sail within weeks.

Lockheed Martin Releases Paris Air Show 2011 Media Briefing Schedule

06/09/2011

Lockheed Martin today announced its media briefing schedule for the 2011 Paris Air Show. These events will underscore Lockheed Martin's commitment to meeting our customers' needs in the new reality of increasing global security challenges and affordability requirements.

NATO to continue Libya operation 'as long as necessary'

06/09/2011

NATO will continue its mission in Libya for as long as it takes, the alliance said on Wednesday, after formally endorsing an extension of its campaign for a further three months from June 27. The allies have intensified their efforts and are determined to continue the operation to protect the Libyan people "for as long as necessary."

Airbus AEW&C conversion of C295 makes first flight

06/09/2011

The first Airbus Military C295 development aircraft fitted with an Airbone Early Warning sand Command (AEW&C) rotodome has successfully completed its first flight he flight - at Airbus Military’s site in Seville, Spain - follows extensive research and development work, including wind tunnel testing, leading to the conversion of a C295 to be fitted with the in-house developed rotodome.

Military Aircraft Crashes In Adams County

06/08/2011

The pilot was recovered south of the Town of New Chester in Adams County and is being medically evaluated. The crash scene is located north of Highway 82, just west of Interstate 39. The aircraft was flying from Volk Field and was carrying a chemical called hydrazine, which is used to make rocket fuel. A hazmat team was assessing the area Tuesday night.

Israelis favor V-22 Osprey for special ops

06/08/2011

The Israeli air force is sending a team to the United States this month to evaluate the controversial V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that it's eyeing for search-and-rescue and covert special operations. The successful March rescue of a downed U.S. Air Force F-15 pilot in Libya by an Osprey crew has doubtless enhanced the prospects of the multi-mission aircraft built by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Rotorcraft Systems.

US remains top military spender, institute says

06/08/2011

The United States remained the world's top military spender in 2010, laying out six times more money than second-placed China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported Tuesday. Last year, global military expenditures totalled 1.6 trillion dollars, a 1.3-per-cent increase from 2009 SIPRI said.

V-22 vertical aircraft gets rave reviews

06/08/2011

Military and industry officials rave about the V-22 tiltrotor’s performance in Afghanistan but know they need to show the aircraft is worth its high price tag. The Marine Corps are flying V-22 Ospreys in theater and “it’s more effective than we expected,” Maj. Gen. Jon Davis, Second Marine Corps Air Wing commander, told reporters here recently. “We have only scratched the surface with this aircraft. … “We’re doing things with the V-22 we did not plan to do.”