Military Aviation News Archive

Hawker rolls out first UC-12W

05/19/2010

Hawker Beechcraft Corp. on Tuesday rolled out the first of six new aircraft it’s building for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Airbus Foregoes Attempt to Set A400M Deadline as Talks Drag On

05/19/2010

European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., which won fresh backing for its A400M military plane more than two months ago, has relinquished attempts to set a deadline for completing talks with the seven nations involved.

How the White House learned to love the drone

05/19/2010

In the rugged mountains of western Pakistan, missiles launched by unmanned Predator or Reaper drones have become so commonplace that some U.S. officials liken them to modern-day "cannon fire." And they are no longer aimed solely at "high-value" targets like Mehsud, according to U.S. counterterrorism and defense officials.

Tactical Air Defense Services Secures Agreement for Use of IL-78 and IL-76 Supertankers

05/19/2010

Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc., an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers air-combat training, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance training, disaster relief, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and Foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Lease Option Agreement for the exclusive lease of two Russian ILyushin IL-78 and two ILyushin IL-76 supertanker aircraft from Air Support Systems, LLC.

Iranian Nuclear Threat Spurs Mideast Arms Sales

05/19/2010

The Western world is unloading some of its most sophisticated weapons - including state-of-the-art fighter planes and anti-missile defence systems - in the Gulf region, clinching multi-billion-dollar arms deals.

U.S. Industry Hit By LCA Clearance Problem

05/19/2010

India is turning to Europe for support of the naval version of its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) after its initial choice of the U.S. was stymied by an inability to gain the requisite approvals from Washington.

Airbus Military A330 MRTT refuels second A330 MRTT

05/18/2010

Airbus Military has for the first time demonstrated in flight “buddy” refuelling between two A330 MRTT aircraft.

How the U.S. Military Can Win the Robotic Revolution

05/18/2010

Today, the U.S. military may be wrestling with a similar challenge. In the bureaucratic blink of an eye, it's become a dominant power in the potentially game-changing field of military robotics.

The Seesaw Continues: Boeing Exec Hints Aircraft Maker May Pull Out of Tanker Bidding

05/18/2010

The process of finding a suitable replacement for the aging fleet of tanker aircraft in use by the Air Force and other branches of the U.S. military has reached comical proportions. Each time one of the two bidding firms nears a win for the massive contract, the other appeals or threatens to withdraw from the competition.

Russia arms sales to Syria 'don't help peace': Israel

05/18/2010

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday criticised Russia for supplying arms to Syria, saying the move did not help efforts to bring peace to the region.

US Congress Urges Weapons Sale to Taiwan

05/18/2010

In a letter to President Obama, 136 members of Congress are urging quick action to sell F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan. China, Taiwan's hostile neighbor, has long been equipped with more and better fighter jets than Taiwan.

India discusses lifting foreign defence investment

05/18/2010

India's trade ministry has suggested almost tripling the foreign direct investment cap on defence equipment to 74 percent, a major policy change that would crowd many local companies out of the lucrative sector.

Ajai Shukla: Doing defence with Uncle Sam

05/18/2010

I spent this last week travelling in the US at the invitation of The Boeing Company’s defence arm, Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). I visited Boeing’s rotorcraft facilities in Philadelphia; a US Navy aircraft carrier (USS Harry S Truman) and naval air base (Oceana) in Norfolk, Virginia; Boeing’s space division in Florida; and its C-17 transport aircraft plant in California. With the US-India defence relationship on a high-growth trajectory, here are my perceptions on what India is dealing

Lockheed Martin F-35 Fighters Arrive Together At Edwards AFB

05/18/2010

Two Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters flew nonstop from their final-assembly site in Fort Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., today, signaling a further expansion of F-35 flight test operations.

Taiwan Sends Mixed Message on Fighters

05/17/2010

Comments made by Taiwan's Air Force chief of staff have confused the issue over whether Taiwan actually wants F-16s.

Strike at Boeing C-17 plant might lead to program's end

05/17/2010

The Pentagon has wrestled with Congress for years to cancel the C-17 military-transport jet program, but it could be a production-line strike at the Boeing facility where the giant planes are built that will finally kill it.

Russia to sell Syria warplanes, air defense systems

05/17/2010

Russia has signed deals to sell Syria warplanes, anti-tank weapons and air defense systems, a senior Russian arms trader said on Friday, prompting an outcry from Syria's foe Israel.

New robotic stealth fighter jet set to soar

05/17/2010

Boeing’s sleek fighter-size Phantom Ray stealth jet will make its first flight by year’s end. This unmanned airborne system is designed for a variety of warfighter roles ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to aerial refueling, electronic attack and hunter/killer missions.

GPS glitch hit some military systems in January

05/17/2010

A software glitch in the military GPS network temporarily left some defense systems unable to lock onto locator signals from satellites in January, but the problem has been fixed, the Air Force said Friday.

Stealth Insurance

05/17/2010

The U.S. Air Force has spent billions of taxpayer dollars developing and procuring the F-22 so-called air dominance fighter on the pretext that non-stealthy legacy fighters cannot survive the opening stages of future conflicts against advanced air defense networks.

Ray Guns Near Crossroads to the Battlefield

05/17/2010

After more than a century of popular sci-fi fantasies that feature deadly energy weapons, including War of the Worlds, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Star Trek and Star Wars, it looks like the ray gun has finally arrived in the real world.

Chile wants transparency in Latin American arms buying

05/17/2010

Chile wants all Latin American countries to be as transparent as it considers itself to be to remove the specter of a developing arms race on the continent, senior officials said.

Chinese Navy Obtains Illegal Aircraft

05/17/2010

Satellite photos recently revealed that the Chinese Navy has received J-11 jet fighters. These are illegal Chinese copies of the Russian Su-27. This plagiarism has been a source of friction between Russia and China for over five years.

Romania considering new fighter jets

05/17/2010

Wooing Romania's lawmakers, Eurofighter pledged that more than 5,000 skilled jobs could be created in the country if Bucharest shelved plans to buy Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jets, opting instead for the Eurofighter Typhoon.

IAF's acquisition of Boeing C-17 transport aircraft heading for trouble

05/14/2010

An Indian Air Force order for 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft is looking like an uncertain acquisition with a production-line strike at the Boeing facility where the giant aircraft are built and clear hints from the Pentagon that the programme will soon shut down.