Saturday, April 23, 2005
JSF program hits milestoneNorthrop Grumman has completed the first center fuselage section for the F-35 joint strike fighter.
|
Lockheed Martin to Enhance Automated, Time-Sensitive, Target-Prosecution SystemLockheed Martin received a two-year, $1.1-million follow-on contract to further
develop the Time-Sensitive-Target, Dynamic-Decision Enabler (TDDE). The
program seeks to reduce to two minutes or less the time needed for military
Air Operation Centers (AOC) to prosecute time-sensitive targets.
|
Eurofighter considers new bid for Singapore contractThe Eurofighter consortium is considering resubmitting a bid to provide Singapore with combat aircraft.
|
Underfunding hurts airforceMedia reports that underfunding of the South African air force had caused the service to run down were correct, SA Air Force chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano said.
|
NAS Fallon UAV program ships outThe unmanned aerial vehicle research center established on a temporary basis at NAS Fallon nearly four years ago will close down next week and merge into a new Air Force UAV "Center for Excellence" in Southern Nevada.
|
Raytheon Rolls Out International SL-AMRAAM ProgramRaytheon Company made public its International Surface Launched, Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (SL-AMRAAM) program during roll out activities this week in
Washington.
|
Global community watching Singapore's search for new-generation combat aircraftThe American Aerospace Industries Association says history and strategic considerations favour the F-15T for Singapore.
|
Aero Vodochody Wins Boeing Door ContractCzech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody won a contract from the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Co. to supply doors for its F/A-18E/F jet fighters, the company said Friday.
|
Congressman says C-130 J-model will not be eliminatedU.S. Congressman Marion Berry told members of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council that colleagues of his on the House’s Appropriations Committee have assured him that the J will not fade into the sunset any time soon.
|
Warthogs to invade Terre Haute Air Fair '05The A-10 East Coast demonstration team will be one of the performers at the Terre Haute Air Fair 2005.
|
X-32B Joins Air Museum FamilyThe Boeing X-32B Joint Strike Fighter Concept Demonstration Aircraft joins the Lockheed X-35C at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
|
Congressmen ask Navy to consider other OLF sitesThree North Carolina Congressmen have asked the Navy again to consider an alternative to the Washington-Beaufort site selected for an outlying landing field for F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot training.
|
Boeing targets Asia, Europe for jet fightersJim Albaugh, chief executive of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems plans to travel to Singapore in June to help close the F-15 deal.
|
TRADING PLACES - RAF PILOTS LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAMRAF Jaguar pilot, Squadron Leader Charlie Cooke, is currently on exchange with the 49th Fighter Wing, 9th Fighter Squadron flying the F-117.
|
Maintainers keep deployed C-130s mission readyC-130 Hercules maintainers with the USAF 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base are keeping mission-capable rates for C-130s as high as 15 percent above the Air Mobility Command standard.
|
C-130J testers accomplish first five-bundle sequential airdropDevelopmental test and evaluation on the J-model C-130 Hercules came to a head when testers successfully completed the first five-bundle sequential low velocity airdrop.
|
Senate Supports Chambliss On C-130J AmendmentThe U.S. Senate late April 20 approved a move sponsored by Georgia's two Republican senators to bar the Pentagon from spending funds included in the fiscal 2005 supplemental funding bill to kill the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules program.
|
Boeing Small Diameter Bomb Receives $18.5 Million Initial Production ContractBoeing received an $18.5 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to begin low-rate initial production of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). Under this contract, Boeing will produce 201 SDBs and 35 carriages.
|
Friday, April 22, 2005
VF-11 Red Rippers F-14 Tomcat and VFA-11 Super Hornet (Update)Red Rippers Tomcat #101 formation photos with VFA-11 Super Hornet photos are up and Mark Houpt was at Grissom Air Reserve Base to capture its last flight on Wednesday too.
|
F/A-18 software development team achieves highest software ratingIn mid March, the F/A-18 Software Development Team at NAVAIR Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., achieved the highest rating possible on the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM). The team is only the fifth U.S. government organization-and the first in the Navy-to achieve that rating.
|
Sea King inquiry extendsThe inquiry into the Australian Sea King helicopter tragedy will extend beyond the cause of the crash and investigate the age of the fleet, the adequacy of its maintenance and the training of the crew.
|
Commander Seeks Alternate Uses for ICBMsThe commander of the U.S. Air Force Space Command denied that his 500 nuclear-armed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles are mere "Cold War icons" and said he is preparing alternative uses for the ICBMs, including arming them with conventional warheads to attack surface or deeply buried targets.
|
Civil Air Patrol gets preview of T-37 at Perrin AFB MuseumOn April 18, 2005, cadets, senior members and two prospective members of the Texoma Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, Auxiliary of the United States Air Force, were given a sneak preview of the newly acquired T-37 jet trainer now on display in the Perrin Air Force Base Museum.
|
Failed Iran rescue mission 25 years ago led to later successesU.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force veterans of Operation Eagle Claw, the rescue of American hostages from Iran, families of those who lost their lives and a support group are gathering this weekend for an anniversary reunion and remembrance in the Florida Panhandle.
|
Turkey Renews Deal for U.S. Military to Use BaseTurkey extended for another year an agreement allowing the United States to use its Incirlik airbase for planes supplying U.S. and allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
|
Final flight delights spectatorsVF-11's Tomcat #101 arrived at Grissom Air Reserve Base at 12:12 on Wednesday and the pilot took it through a 25-minute display of maneuvers that showcased the plane's speed and maneuverability, including a barrel roll.
|
Jet fighter crash kills student pilot, teacherAn RTAF F-5B based at Wing 7 crashed after its engine caught fire after take off in southern Thailand yesterday, killing both pilots.
|
Thales Wins EUR 236M contract for Tiger Helicopter SimulatorsOCCAR (the Joint Armaments Cooperation Organisation) and Thales have announced the signing of a production contract worth EUR 236 million for 18 Eurocopter Tiger combat helicopter simulators. It calls for the supply of 9 full-flight mission simulators and 9 trainers, plus associated support systems and an option for a further 11 simulators.
|
No BAE Systems Lay-Offs Despite Singapore SetbackBAE Systems confirmed there will be no impact on its workforce after Singapore dropped the Eurofighter Typhoon from a list of three jets vying for a £1 billion military contract.
|
First IAF woman to face axeThe Indian Air Force (IAF) started court martial proceedings against a woman officer on Apr. 15. This is the first time that a court martial has been ordered against a female officer since the induction of women in the IAF 11 years ago.
|
US offers to put sale of F16s, F18s on fast trackLt Gen Jeffrey B Kohler, director of the Defence Security Cooperation Agency, the U.S. body that oversees foreign military sales, made a strong pitch to sell its F-16 and F-18 combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), saying the machines were ideal for the current and future defence needs of India.
|
Boeing Debuts Super Hornet with Advanced Radar SystemBoeing will debut the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet equipped with the revolutionary APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system at a ceremony at Boeing's St. Louis facilities Apr. 21.
|
Pentagon keeps jet technology from IsraelU.S. Defense Department spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said that the Pentagon is refusing to provide Israel with some technologies used in the Joint Strike Fighter due to concerns that the information could be transferred to other countries.
|
Singapore dents Eurofighter hopesDefence analysts suggested that the unusual step of branding the Eurofighter as a loser before declaring a winner made the task of filling Eurofighter’s order book even harder.
|
AF Officials Working To Sell Lawmakers On Restructured Space RadarU.S. Air Force officials continue to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to convince them to sign off on the service's restructured Space Radar program and its plan to launch two demonstration spacecraft in 2008.
|
Thursday, April 21, 2005
NEXT FIGHTER REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME (NFRP)In response to media queries, MINDEF confirmed that it has narrowed down the selection for the next fighter replacement programme to Dassault’s Rafale and Boeing’s F-15. MINDEF has decided not to consider the proposal from BAE Systems any further.
The Typhoon is a very capable aircraft. However, the committed schedule for the delivery of the Typhoon and its systems did not meet the requirements of the RSAF.
|
Server failure.
The server had a critical hardware failure and the problem should be fixed now.
|
ScrewtopsAn E-2C+ Hawkeye, assigned to the "Screwtops" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Three (VAW-123), lands aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Christopher Molinari.
|
U.S. Army Awards $90 Million Hellfire II Contract to Lockheed Martin for Latest Battle-Proven ConfigurationThe U.S. Army awarded a $90 million contract to Lockheed Martin for continued production of the combat-proven HELLFIRE air-to-ground missile.
|
Reunion to honor Harrier Marines past, presentThe U.S. Marine Corps’ Harrier community is planning to hold a reunion June 17 through 19 at the Havelock Convention Cente, MCAS Cherry Point.
|
Russia offers choppers to PARussia has reportedly offered to donate to the Palestinian Authority two Mi-17 transport helicopters for VIP roles.
|
Worldwide Military Trainer Re-Equipment Dogged By Funding ConstraintsA new study by Forecast International projects a gradual yet steady decline in deliveries of new military fixed-wing training aircraft over the next 10 years.
|
Singapore delivers blow to EurofighterWhile Financial Times says that Singapore has raised detailed questions about the ability to fit Singapore's advanced weapons on the Eurofighter.
|
MINDEF has dropped Eurofighter from fighter competition: reportJane's Defence Weekly reported that pricing was one of the issues that made Singapore has dropped the Eurofighter from its Next Generation Fighter Programme.
|
Parts drop off Kitty Hawk jets during training flightsA piece of composite metal from a dummy training missile’s fin on a F/A-18F Super Hornet and a boarding ladder EA-6B Prowler was missing when the aircrafts landed back at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.
|
Kazakhstan and Russia to Develop new Satellite Launching SystemKazakhstan and Russia have agreed on the development of a new civil satellite launching system using the MiG-31 and the Ishim missile as a platform from which to launch payloads of up to 200 kg into low earth orbit.
|
Denel wins order for pilot tracking systemsDenel, has won a R210m order from BAE Systems for 450 Head Tracking Systems (HTS) and 450 Helmet Storage & Drive Units (HSDU) for the Eurofighter.
|
Power, backup failed before F-16 crashedThe main power and backup power failed moments before an F-16 jet fighter crashed into the marsh on the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina.
|
IRAQ AIR FORCE FORMS 3 SQUADRONSThe Iraqi air force has formed three operational squadrons, with another squadron being prepared.
|
Raytheon Receives $44 Million U.S. Navy Award for F/A-18 Threat Protection SystemsRaytheon Company has been awarded a $44 million contract for production of its ALR- 67(V)3 radar warning receiver system for the U.S. Navy. The ALR-67(V)3, which is
the state-of-the-art radar warning receiver on U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F carrier-based tactical aircraft, recently completed a successful initial deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
|
Senate votes to block scrapping of carrierThe U.S. Senate voted 58-38 Wednesday to block the Pentagon's plans to scrap USS John F. Kennedy, keeping the fleet intact - at least for now.
|
EADS welcomes German decision to participate in MEADSGermany, in collaboration with the USA and Italy, will participate in the development of the ground-based tactical air defence system MEADS.
|
F-16 Crash: New Pictures2 guys witnessed the
crash of an F-16 in South Carolina and took pictures of it.
|
Fighter plane's landing gear collapsesThe right landing gear of an F-16 collapsed as the plane was landing at the Burlington International Airport.
|
Russia to Supply Engines for Chinese FightersRosoboronexport signed a contract with China on supplying 100 RD-93 engines for Chinese fighters FC-1 which China intends to export to Pakistan. However, to avoid complications in Russian-Indian relations the Russian engines will have to be removed from the fighters China plans to export.
|
Reserve, active-duty pilots battle for air superiorityFor two weeks, F-15 “Gorillas” from Eglin Air Force Base’s 58th Fighter Squadron engaged their adversary, F-16 “Makos” from Homestead’s 93rd FS in a head-to-head competition for air superiority known as dissimilar aircraft combat training.
|
Boeing ScanEagle Demonstrates Net-Centric Technologies at Joint Military DemonstrationBoeing and a team of industry and academic researchers demonstrated a series of advanced network-centric technologies at a joint military exercise held at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The team used ScanEagle for the demonstration.
|
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Two Helicopter Wings Merge Into HSCWINGPACThe former Helicopter Anti-Submarine Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (HSWINGPAC) and Helicopter Tactical Wing have merged to become Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (HSCWP).
|
Carrier Ex-America Departs PhiladelphiaThe decommissioned aircraft carrier, ex-America (CV 66) departed the Navy’s Inactive Fleet Facility April 19 for its final and vital mission as a live-fire test and evaluation, and weapons effect platform for the next generation aircraft carrier.
|
E&S EPX-500 Selected for MiG-29 TrainerEvans & Sutherland Computer Corporation announced Apr. 19 that the company has been selected by Rheinmetall Defence Electronics to provide its EPXTM-500 visual system for the Indian Navy MiG-29 program.
|
Region could get all F/A18 Super HornetsCherry Point is on track to receive two of 10 squadrons of F/A-18 Super Hornets on the East Coast. However it could have all the squadrons if the Citizens Concerned About Jet Noise citizen action group has its way.
|
DOD Approves Lockheed Martin F/A-22 Raptor Aircraft for Full-Rate ProductionThe Lockheed Martin F/A-22 Raptor fighter aircraft has been given the green light by Department of Defense acquisition officials to enter into full-rate production.
|
Partnership could rival BoeingTwo aerospace industry sources said Monday that Northrop and European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. will announce in the next few weeks their partnership for a multibillion-dollar Air Force contract to build a new generation of refueling tankers.
|
RAF jet pilot 'should have seen oil rig helicopter'An RAF Tornado and a Bristow Super Puma helicopter carrying North Sea oil workers missed each other by 50ft only.
|
Boeing Delivers Airborne Satellite Communication System to Air ForceBoeing recently delivered 16 airborne satellite communications systems, known as Combat Track II, to the U.S. Air Force that will enhance aircrew's real-time situation awareness in the cockpit.
|
Military Considers UAV for Monitoring West Sea NLLSouth Korea is considering the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) above the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea in order to monitor North Korean naval forces and prevent any accidental military engagements between the two Koreas.
|
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
China Defense BlogPhoto from China Defense Blog showing a closer look of PLAN's Kamov Ka-28 Helix naval helicopters. The chinese words on the fuselage means "Sea Patrol."
|
Fighter-bomber to be retiredAn F-14B from the U.S. Navy's VF-11 Squadron will arrive around noon Wednesday at Grissom Air Reserve Base for permanent display at the Grissom Air Museum.
|
Czech Gripens have arrivedThe first six Czech Air Force Gripen aircraft have arrived in the Czech Republic on Apr. 18. Eight more will be delivered in August 2005.
|
Singapore drops Eurofighter from jet bid - sourceSingapore has dropped the Eurofighter from consideration as it prepares to announce the winner of a 1 billion dollar order, an industry source told Reuters.
|
Raytheon Receives $32.5 Million Contract Award for U.S. Air Force and Navy Towed DecoysRaytheon Company has received a $32.5 million contract award from the U.S. Air Force
Electronic Warfare Product Group, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Ga., for the ALE-50 towed decoy system.
|
EADS CASA Defence and Security Systems Delivers the 100th Eurofighter Series Production Right WingEADS Defence and Security Systems in Spain has delivered the 100th series production right wing to the Eurofighter final assembly line at EADS Germany.
|
Aim to induct BrahMos into combat aircraft: PillaiThe Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was aiming to induct BrahMos cruise missiles into the SU-30 MKI before 2007, A Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace, has said.
|
Carrier group returns home no worse for wearDuring 23,967 flight hours, the planes in Carrier Air Wing Three on board USS Harry S. Truman flew 8,657 sorties, made 7,651 carrier landings and dropped 18 tons of ordnance over targets in Iraq. That is 2,300 hours greater than the five previous deployments.
|
Pilot Presents Flag Flown In Combat To SchoolAn American flag that was flown over Afghanistan during a combat mission Oct. 5, 2003 was given to a school in North Carolina.
|
IAF brass examine combat-readinessA five-day Indian Air Force commanders' conference, chaired by Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi and attended by heads of the seven commands, will look into long-term training plans, ways to achieve better synergy with Army and Navy, and acquisition of new platforms, capabilities and force-multipliers.
|
U.S., Russian Soldiers Hold Joint ExerciseRussian and U.S. military officers are conducting a joint computer simulation missile defense exercise in Russia this week.
|
Truman air wing returnsOn a sunny, clear afternoon, Strike Fighter Squadrons 37 and 105 and Fighter Squadron 32 from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman touched down at Oceana Naval Air Station following a six-month deployment in the Persian Gulf.
|
Lockheed Martin Joint Common Missile Successfully Performs In F/A-18 E/F Wind Tunnel TestsLockheed Martin has successfully completed initial F/A-18 E/F integration wind tunnel tests of its Joint Common Missile (JCM).
|
Northrop Grumman's ASTAMIDS Program Increases Mission CapabilityNorthrop Grumman Corporation's Airborne Standoff Minefield Detection System (ASTAMIDS) program is being expanded, at the request of the U.S. Army, beyond its initial counter-mine mission to include reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) and target designation applications.
|
Pentagon review board OKs funding for Global Hawk programThe Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board has approved funding to continue work on the Global Hawk unmanned spy plane program, the Defense Department said Monday.
|
KAI begins shipment of F-15K wings, fuselagesKorea Aerospace Industries Co. exported its first F-15K wings and front fuselages to Boeing recently. This is the first time that Boeing has allowed a foreign maker to produce wings and front fuselages for the F-15 fighter jets.
|
Thunderbirds have landedF-117A Nighthawk, German Tornadoes, F-15 Strike Eagles, F-16s and a B-1 bomber simulated the first night attack of Iraqi Freedom at the 2005 Holloman Air Force Base air show “Thunder Over the Basin: Liberty Takes Flight.”
|
Boeing Selects EMS High-speed Data Terminal For Broadband Satellite Communication And Safety Services For P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (PDF)Boeing has chosen EMS Technologies SATCOM's systems for its broadband satellite communication terminals in the U.S. Navy’s P-8A multi-mission maritime aircraft (MMA) program.
|
IDF and US wind up major joint military exercisesUnited States is expected to transfer out of Israel its equipment, including Patriot batteries, after winding up a major defense exercise with the IDF.
|
Change of command for Patrol Squadron 5 in SicilyCmdr. William D. Johns will assume command of USN Patrol Squadron 5 at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, from Cmdr. Sean C. Cannon Monday.
|
Turkey to buy $200m. of Israeli UAVsAfter six years of negotiations, Turkey is finally signing a $200 million deal on Monday to purchase the Israel Aircraft Industries’ Heron drone and Elbit System’s ground stations .
|
F-16 fighter crashes in South Carolina; airmen escapeAn F-16 jet fighter based at Shaw Air Force Base crashed during a training mission on Monday. Both pilots ejected safely.
|
Boeing Team to Perform Navy P-8A MMA Fire- Suppression TestsA team led by Boeing will evaluate a variety of fire-suppression systems for the U.S. Navy's P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft.
|
Monday, April 18, 2005
Today in HistoryThe Doolittle Raid on Japan was carried out from USS Hornet on 18 April 1942.
|
Angel One helicopters sign off (Registration Required)Three HH-46 search and rescue helicopters based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort will no longer provide service along Beaufort County's coasts.
|
RAAF chief new Defence headAir Marshal Angus Houston, the current RAAF Chief of Air Force, will be the next Chief of the Australian Defence Force.
|
Britain, U.S. investigating unauthorized Truman visitorThe U.S. Navy is investigating how a man managed to get on board the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman without authorization while the ship was visiting Britain on April 9.
|
IAF's super spy planes on the verge of being phased outIndia Air Force is about to phase out its reconnaissance MiG-25.
|
Big market for fightersIndia is proposing to buy 18 F-16s outright and that the remaining 108 be built in India under a licensing agreement. This would be similar to arrangements Lockheed has made with Turkey, South Korea and a number of NATO countries.
|
F-14 Tomcat AircraftPrairie Aviation Museum in Bloomington is trying to raise $13,000 to get a F-14 Tomcat.
|
Sunday, April 17, 2005
F-14B restored to 1972 color scheme with the Pukin Dogs VF-143 logos (Update)Ken went to visit the Tomcat at Bradley International Airport and found that its demilitarized and will be moving to the Museum soon.
|
General: Air Force needs more cargo tankersLt. Gen. Bill Welser, commander of the USAF 18th Air Force, says the USAF must boost its fleet of cargo and tanker planes to continue providing U.S. troops across the globe the airlift they required.
|
Company in initial production on system, tells investors it will be a moneymakerTitan Corp. has begun moving from prototype development to initial production of a low cost cruise missile called Affordable Weapon System.
|
Three airmen get medal for support of 'ground pounders'3 Airmen from the USAF 25th Air Support Operations Squadron received the Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
|
Ceremony remembers aircrew shot down by North Koreans in 1969Sailors from Naval Security Group Activity at Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan held a ceremony on Friday to honor the 31 servicemembers killed aboard an EC-121 shot down by North Korean fighter jets 36 years ago.
|
U.S. planes may have dropped partsThe U.S. Navy found an F/A-18F Super Hornet without an aluminum fin and an EA-6B Prowler without part of a ladder after they returned to the Navy's Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan last week.
|
VP-8 Assists in Rescuing Four Philippine FishermenU.S. Navy P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 played a critical role in the rescue April 10 of four Philippine fishermen whose vessel had been adrift in the South China Sea.
|
Crash pilot 'under the influence'An investigation into a U.K. army helicopter crash in County Londonderry has found the pilot was "probably under the influence of alcohol".
|
Special Agents and MiGs to Safeguard Foreign Leaders in Moscow on Victory DayAt least 20 Su-27, MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighter jets will be protecting foreign dignitaries during the WWII Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9.
|
