Saturday, June 25, 2005
Bell to make last pitch for Army copter project (Registration Required)Bell and Boeing are vying to build 368 armed scout helicopters for the U.S. Army. Bell is offering a much-enhanced version of the Bell 407 civil helicopter.
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HAL finds no takers for LCAIndia’s Light Combat Aircraft has not found a single customer yet.
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The PAF Kickbacks Scandal Revealed by MistakeKickbacks of four to five million dollars were offered when Pakistan Air Force purchased four CASA CN-35 aircraft.
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F-16 JET FIGHTER VEERS OFF RUNWAY IN CHIAYI, NO ONE HURTA Taiwan F-16 jet fighter veered off the runway while landing at the Chiayi Air Base in southern Taiwan Friday.
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US Businessmen Illegally Sell Military TechnologyU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Arms and Strategic Technology Investigations division is responsible for preventing terrorist groups and hostile nations from illegally obtaining U.S. military products and sensitive technology.
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No decision yet on buying F-16sIndia has not yet taken any decision on acquiring the F-16 or P3 Orion, ahead of defence minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the US.
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RMAF team investigating jet crash to arrive in Labuan this eveningA team from the Royal Malaysian Air Force board of inquiry to investigate the crash of the Hawk 208 fighter jet crash is at Labuan.
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RAAF welcomes new commanderAir Vice Marshal John Quaife has taken over the command from Geoffrey Shepherd as the new commander of the Royal Australian Air Force.
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Air show disaster pilots jailedA military court in Ukraine has sentenced the pilots whose Sukhoi Su-27 smashed into a crowd at a 2002 air show to up to 14 years in prison.
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IAF Air Base rises from tsunami wreckageSenior Features Editor Archana L Masih from The Rediff Special reports on a day in the life of the Indian Air Force's base on the Car Nicobar island.
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Boeing X-45A Unmanned Aircraft Demonstrates Autonomous CapabilityA Boeing X-45A unmanned aircraft completed its 52nd flight recently, demonstrating its ability to adapt to a realistic and changing wartime operational environment.
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Friday, June 24, 2005
Commander, Carrier Strike Group Two makes emergency arrested landingThis VF-31 F-14 was at Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress last Monday when it lost hydraulics and was forced to make an emergency arrested landing. The pilot at the controls was Rear Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Commander, Carrier Strike Group Two. Gerry was there and he managed to photograph the whole landing.
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EADS secretly makes prototype of unmanned jet fighterEADS NV is secretly making a prototype of an unmanned jet fighter code name Barracuda whose test flights could possibly take place this year.
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House bill would cut F-35 funds (Registration Required)The U.S. House Armed Services and Appropriations committees authorizes $4.9 billion for continued development of the joint strike fighter but withholds $152 million for the first handful of production aircraft.
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Peru, Russia sign aircraft repair agreementPeru's president signed an agreement with Rosoboronexport, Russia's state arms dealer, on the repair of 13 Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters.
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Air show is blamed for damageResidents living near the Military Aviation Preservation Society Air Museum says the recent Aero Expo 2005 airshow was to be blamed for the minor damage to their homes.
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Northrop Grumman's Next-Generation Fire Scout UAV on TrackThe next-generation RQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) produced by Northrop Grumman Corporation recently completed several milestone reviews critical to the system's continued development.
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As war costs soar, Langley planes don'tUSAF 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base has been hit hard by the budget cut. Air Combat Command has cut $35 million from the unit's $382 million budget.
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EDO INTRODUCES TWIN MAVERICK CARRIAGE CAPABILITY ON GEMINI 'SMART' MULTIPLE STORE CARRIEREDO MBM Technology Ltd. has announced the capability to carry the Raytheon Maverick missile on its GEMINI Mil-Std-1760 twin-store weapon carrier.
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One crew member dies as Fort Rucker Army helicopter crashesA TH-67 Creek helicopter crashed during a routine training mission at U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker.
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Pilot killed while trying to land jetA RMAF Hawk crashed while making a landing approach Jun 23. The pilot died on the way to hospital.
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Raytheon Awarded $752 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Taiwan Early Warning RadarRaytheon Company has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Material Command, Electronic Systems Center (ESC) to provide Taiwan with an Early Warning Surveillance Radar System.
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New system improves KC-135 performance, saves moneyThe steel brakes currently used on the USAF KC-135 are being replaced with carbon brakes which allow the aircraft to complete 1,000 landings, as compared to 100 landings, before needing replacement.
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Indonesian Air Force plans to buy 12 Russian jet fightersThe Indonesian Air Force plans to buy 12 Sukhoi jet fighters in the next two years as an addition to the four Sukhois already in service.
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EDO INTRODUCES 'SABRE' FOR UAV WEAPONISATIONEDO MBM Technology Ltd. has launched a family of store carriage-and-release systems specifically developed for UAV platforms.
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C-17s cross globe to assist international exerciseSix USAF C-17 Globemaster IIIs flew from Alaska to Australia June 18 to 21 to help launch the Talisman Saber 2005 international exercise.
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J-UCAS receives first release of common operating softwareThe Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems program received the first release of its common operating system software earlier this month.
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State Department says U.S. hopes to fix F-35 impasse with IsraelRobert Joseph, undersecretary for arms control and security policy, said the U.S. is working to resolve arms control concerns with Israel that have spilled over to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
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UAVs 'on parade' Monday at Webster FieldThe Program Executive Office, Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation (PEO (W)) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International will conduct the third demonstration of multiple unmanned aerial vehicle systems Monday at the Webster Field Annex Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
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Lockheed Martin Joint Common Missile Warhead Successfully Demonstrates Lethality Against Urban StructuresLockheed Martin successfully completed the first in a series of tests verifying the ability of the Joint Common Missile (JCM) to destroy urban structures.
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Thursday, June 23, 2005
Hill announces major upgrade at AmberleyAmberley RAAF base, now home to the RAAF F-111 fleet, is to undergo a $285 million upgrade to accommodate new Airbus A330-200 air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
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Goodrich Technology Selected for U.S. Army Helicopter Laser Threat Warning SystemGoodrich Corporation has been awarded a contract by Lear Siegler, Inc. for initial production quantities of laser threat warning systems for use on U.S. Army BLACKHAWK and Chinook helicopters.
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Helicopter makes emergency landing just before graduationA Connecticut Army National Guard CH-47 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in a school football field just hours before a graduation ceremony.
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Grounded C130S get their wingsThe South African Air Force is to return to flying status four C130s grounded earlier this year for suspected wing-spar cracks. This is against the advice from the transport plane's manufacturer, Lockheed-Martin.
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British warplanes join assault on TalibanBritish Harrier jets joined American A-10s and helicopter gunships strafed a mountainside area in Afghanistan to support Afghan and U.S. troops.
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Air Warrior II tests aircrews and controllersA-10 Thunderbolt IIs from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base are helping prepare 10th Mountain Division soldiers for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
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Pilot dies after U-2 Dragon Lady crashes in Southwest AsiaThe pilot of a U.S. Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady died when his plane crashed at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia.
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Bangladeshi airmen observe Cooperative Cope ThunderObservers from the Bangladesh air force are attending this year’s Cooperative Cope Thunder to help prepare for their first participation in 2007.
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New Mine Warfare Laser Technology Approved For ProductionThe U.S. Navy’s AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) has received approval June 15 for low-rate initial production.
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EADS picks site for Air Force tankersEADS North America officially picked Mobile, Alabama as an assembly site for air-to-air refueling jets.
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Gripen with defect again operational since FridayThe display defect that grounded Czech's Gripens have now been resolved.
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Gripen Middle East flight planned for Dubai 2005The Gripen will make its first Middle East flight at Dubai 2005, the Ninth International Aerospace Exhibition in November.
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'Akash' test-fired for third time in 5 daysFor the third time in five days, India tested its 'Akash' surface-to-air missile.
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MV-22 Osprey: Bluto Brings His Birds Back HomeEight USMC MV-22 Ospreys completed 500 hours of operational testing on June 18.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Northrop Grumman Global Hawk Team Efforts Recognized by U.S. Air ForceThe U.S. Air Force has named a combined Air Force-Northrop Grumman Corporation RQ-4A Global Hawk maintenance team as the "April Maintenance Team of the Month."
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Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: Guinness Recognizes NASA ScramjetNASA's X-43A scramjet has been officially recognized for setting the speed record for a jet-powered aircraft by Guinness World Records.
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Davis-Monthan trimming budget to meet war costsUSAF air bases around the country were ordered to do their part to help the service get back in the black as war costs continue to mount. At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, flying hours are cut, building projects shelved, and they switch to one-ply toilet paper instead of two-ply.
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EADS Selects Alabama for Engineering Facility, Person SaysEuropean Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co. has selected a site near Mobile, Alabama, to build an engineering facility that may be expanded to build aerial refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force according to a person familiar with the decision.
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Tiger relocation 'boost for city'There are plans to relocate Australia's Tiger reconnaissance helicopters from Darwin to Townsville.
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Scientist sues UH over radar systemA scientist is suing the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii for blocking him from developing and marketing a radar research project for the E-2C.
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Elbit Laser Radar system protecting Israeli Air Force helicopters from obstaclesIsrael Air Force has selected Elbit Systems’ LORD to protect its helicopters from obstacles.
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France and UK prepare for co-operation over aircraft carriersFrance is poised to use UK's Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) programme as the basis for its PA2 aircraft carrier.
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Japan faces 58 bil. yen tab for interceptorThe United States has asked Japan to contribute 58 billion yen toward a joint missile defense development project that will develop a 53-centimeter-wide interceptor missile.
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Elbit Systems announces the arrival of first F-16Is equipped with EL-OP HUD systems to Israel (PDF)In a ceremony that took place during the Paris Air Show, the management teams of Lockheed Martin and Elbit Systems celebrated the arrival of the first F-16Is equipped with HUDs from Elop Electro-Optic Industries, Ltd. to the Israeli Air Force.
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Military funding bill includes language on MayportThe U.S. House of Representatives passed a $408 billion fiscal 2006 defense appropriations bill that includes language encouraging the U.S. Navy to make Naval Station Mayport capable of basing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
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Malaysia says foreign planes may help hunt piratesMalaysia proposed on Tuesday that foreign surveillance planes help to fight piracy in the Strait of Malacca.
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Air Force announces next Misawa Air Base commanderBrig. Gen. (select) Salvatore “Sam” Angelella is to take over the reins from Brig. Gen. William “Bill” Rew as the next commander for Misawa Air Base and its 35th Fighter Wing.
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Belarus reports arms sales to SudanBelarus sold two Su-25 fighter jets to Ivory Coast last year.
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Chopper crash: 14 Armymen injuredAt least 14 Indian Army personnel were injured when the Mi-17 helicopter they were travelling in hit a tree and crashed.
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111 (Fighter) Squadron flies into a Dragon's NestSix RAF Tornado F3s joined Hungarian MiG 29s for Exercise Dragon's Nest.
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Architect of Air Force space and missile programs diesRetired Gen. Bernard Adolph Schriever, widely regarded as the father and architect of the U.S. Air Force space and ballistic missile programs, died of natural causes at home in Washington on June 20.
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Boeing Team Demonstrates Advanced Autonomous Flight Control for UAVsBoeing and a team of flight control scientists from academia have demonstrated leading-edge flight control technologies that potentially could dramatically improve the mission effectiveness of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Lockheed team behind new missileLockheed Martin Corp. and Alliant Techsystems Inc. said they are designing a submarine-launched intermediate-range ballistic missile that would be faster than cruise missiles.
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Lockheed Martin Joint Common Missile Seeker and Software Successfully Pass Key Design ReviewsThe Lockheed Martin Joint Common Missile (JCM) reached a significant milestone by passing sub-system Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs) recently.
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Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Fighting Blacklions VF-213 F-14D BuNo 164602A new set of photos from Gerry showing the retro Tomcat at Fentress.
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SAF tanker aircraft deployment in support of the reconstruction of IraqSingapore is deploying a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) KC-135 tanker aircraft to Iraq for three months.
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Aero Offers To License L-159 ProductionAero Vodochody is offering license production of its L-159 light combat aircraft to foreign countries.
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V-22 Osprey looks like a done deal (Registration Required)Operational tests of the V-22 Osprey will be ending in a few days time.
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Boeing's Platt says EADS should be allowed to bid for US refuelling plane orderBoeing's chairman Lew Platt says Boeing Co would welcome European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co to bid for the pending order from the Pentagon for 100 mid-air refuelling planes.
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C-130 At Airforce Base Has New NameOne of the C-130's at the Little Rock Airforce Base was officially named "The City of Bryant".
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Academy chief to head S.C. collegeU.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa Jr. is leaving to become the president of his alma mater, The Citadel.
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DRDO looking for global technical partner to develop Kaveri engineIndia's Gas Turbine Research Establishment is looking for a global partner to help co-develop the Kaveri engine that will power India's Light Combat Aircraft.
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Kiwis support Reds in the NetherlandsA C-130H from the Royal New Zealand Air Force supported a Red Arrows trip to Dutch Air Force Open Days at Gilze-Rijen.
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Denmark to decide by 2007 on replacing F-16s with Lockheed Martin fighter jetsDenmark will decide next year or at the start of 2007 whether to buy the Joint Strike Fighter.
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Bahraini pilots killed in night crashTwo Royal Bahraini Air Force pilots and a technician have died following the crash of a military helicopter in the Gulf kingdom during a night training exercise.
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Predator provides close-air support to embattled Marines in IraqAn MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle destroyed an anti-Iraqi forces mortar launch site on June 18 while assisting U.S. Marines under enemy fire.
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Monday, June 20, 2005
VF-213 'Blacklions' return from last
Tomcat detachment at Fallon
by Lt. Jg. Meagan Varley, PAO VF-213
The "Fighting Blacklions" of Fighter Squadron 213 have returned from NAS Fallon, Nev., where they participated in Air Wing Fallon with the other components of Carrier Air Wing 8. From May 1-27, the Blacklions and the other members of CVW-8 trained in the numerous bombing ranges of Fallon, sharpening their skills and proficiency as air-to-air interceptors and air-to-ground bombers. During the four long weeks, both the air crews and maintainers worked hard, flying 229 sorties and logging 370.2 hours.
The focus of the Blacklions' training was to prepare for their upcoming deployment schedule for this fall, and to learn how the air wing will work together on large missions. Every hour of flight time was prefaced with eight hours of air crew mission planning. Most events flown involved more than 20 aircraft from within the wing working to meet one objective. During these flights the Blacklions were able to complete both Strike Fighter Weapons Training events for individual air crew along with larger scale air wing events. The culmination of training included a three-day mock war to simulate the types of events the air wing could possibly participate in while overseas.
Despite two weeks of foul weather and long hours the Blacklion maintainers worked hard to keep the jets flying and armed with ordnance. Their dedication kept the jets running at peak performance and enabled the Blacklions to complete every mission they were tasked with. In doing so, VF-213 air crew dropped more than 25 tons of ordnance. Throughout the course of the detachment, nine live laser guided bombs end one live Joint Direct Attack Munition weapon were expended. This invaluable training was an overwhelming success due to the hard work end long hours of the VF-213 maintainers and ground support. VF-213 will contents to rely on the focus of their air crew and the dedication of its troops on their upcoming training aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt [CVN 71] to complete Composite Training Unit Exercise.
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British bombing raids were illegal, says Foreign OfficeA leaked U.K. Foreign Office legal advice says that the increase in British and American bombing raids on Iraq in the run-up to war in 2002 was illegal under international law.
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Retiring general leaves legacy of service and honorGeneral Donald G. Cook retired Friday as head of the USAF Air Education and Training Command at Randolph AFB in a 73-minute ceremony.
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IAF graduation ceremony held in Hyderabad158 cadets including 32 women of the Indian Air Force Academy graduated on Jun 18.
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Orders uplifting SikorskySikorsky Aircraft officials say it has orders for 62 of its S-92 helicopters and its military variant, the H-92, as well as options for 30 more.
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Ellsworth showdownSupporters of Ellsworth Air Force Base hope to generate a crowd of 10,000 to 20,000 people when three members of the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission come to town to hold a public hearing.
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Now, IAF scouts for choppers to ferry VVIPsIndian Air Force's VVIP transport squadron plans to buy eight cutting edge medium-lift helicopters to replace its 23-year-old Russian Mi-8s.
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Joint strike fighter simulator is glimpse into futureA team from Lockheed Martin is touring Europe, bringing its traveling F-35 cockpit sim to U.S. and European bases.
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F-16 Deal for Pakistan Could Feature Advanced WeaponsPakistan could get 55 new F-16 Block 50/52s with a sophisticated weapons package.
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RAF joins US forces in Iraq assaultTwo RAF GR4 ground attack Tornados armed with Storm Shadow cruise missiles joined an American offensive against insurgents holed up in a desert town on Iraq's border with Syria at the weekend.
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Sunday, June 19, 2005
Oceana Naval Air Station, VAGerry took many photos of Tomcats doing touch and goes at Fentress Auxiliary Air Field recently.
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The US threat to British sovereigntyBAE's chief executive, Mike Turner, warned that Britain may decide to pull out of the JSF program unless access to the software codes to maintain and upgrade the aircraft is granted by the Americans.
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Eurofighter a shooting star in clash with US jetsLast year a two-seater RAF Eurofighter was 'bounced' from behind by the two F-15E fighters during a chance encounter. The Eurofighter shook them off, outmanoeuvred them and moved into shooting positions on their tails.
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Residents return to jet crash siteResidents of a central Yuma neighborhood returned to their homes on Thursday as military officials conducted mop-up operations in the aftermath of a AV-8B crash.
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Bataan Breaks Ground With MV-22USS Bataan (LHD 5) took on eight MV-22 Ospreys and two AV-8B Harriers for training and testing while steaming in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina in June.
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Uzbekistan Denies Retaliatory RulesUzbekistan denied Saturday that restrictions on an American air base there were in retaliation for U.S. criticism of the government's response to last month's uprising in the Uzbek city of Andijan.
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Montana makes case to keep MANGSenior Montana officials made a strong case Friday in Portland that the Base Realignment and Closure Commission should keep Air Guard F-16 jets flying in Great Falls.
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Falls base closing has new mysteryPentagon documents unearthed by aides to Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence, show that the Pentagon considered expanding not only the 914th Airlift Wing, but also the Air National Guard's 107th Air Refueling Wing at Niagara Falls.
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