Saturday, December 31, 2005
Air Vectors : The Vickers VC10
Greg provides a history and description of the VC10.
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Air Force Hands Over Keys to German Base
The U.S. Air Force on Friday handed over the keys to Rhein-Main Air Base to the operator of Frankfurt International Airport.
The 120 buildings on the base are to be bulldozed to make way for a third terminal.
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Opposition mounting against jet deal
Thailand's house subcommittee on military budget and efficiency said it was unhappy over the way the government had acted in negotiating a deal to buy 12 Su-30s.
Peeraphan Saleeratwipak, chairman of the subcommittee, said the government had asked for $500 million for the 12 jets, although the maximum cost of a fleet of SU-30s would only amount to $420 million.
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Fort Wayne's 122nd Fighter Wing headed to Iraq mission
The Indiana Air National Guard 122nd Fighter Wing based at the Fort Wayne International Airport will deploy to Iraq soon.
It will be its largest overseas deployment in more than four decades.
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Congress Revives Missile Killed by DOD
Despite attempts by the Pentagon to kill the Joint Common Missile program, House and Senate conferees are keeping it alive by funneling funds into the program.
Last week, they gave the program $30 million to continue the missile's development.
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German media: United States Prepares Iran Strike
Washington is preparing its NATO allies for a possible military strike against suspected nuclear sites in Iran according to German media reports.
It is sending high-level officials to prepare its allies for a possible attack rather than merely implying the possibility of an attack.
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Base cancels April air show
U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort has canceled next year's air show after the Blue Angels failed to include Beaufort on its 2006 schedule.
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C-17 pilot won’t fly during inquiry
Hickam Air Force Base commander Col. William J. Changose has grounded himself from flying while an investigation is conducted into a midair collision last week between a C-17 he was piloting and a KC-135R.
He was conducting C-17 flight instructor re-qualification when the Dec. 22 accident occurred.
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Friday, December 30, 2005
Poland Takes Over NATO Air Patrol Mission in Lithuania
Two Polish MiG-29s has landed at an air base in nothern Lithuania on Thursday to prepare to take over NATO patrols of Baltic air space.
Two more MiG-29s will arrive today.
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WWII fighter group shrine
The 406th Fighter Group will have a permanent display at the Pima Air Space and Museum.
The exhibit will feature photographs, personal items and memorabilia donated by the group's members.
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Pentagon to kill F-35 back-up engine: consultant
Pratt & Whitney will be the sole engine supplier for the F-35 according to Loren Thompson, chief executive the Lexington Institute.
The plan is subjected to approval by the White House budget office and the U.S. Congress.
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Nine injured
Seven Royal Nepalese Army soldiers and two civilians were injured when their Mi-17 crash-landed on Wednesday.
The helicopter was ferrying a team of technicians to repair another Mi-17.
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Saab wins 150 mln skr order from Swedish military to integrate missile on Gripen
Saab AB will begin to integrate the IRIS-T air-to-air missile onto the Swedish Air Force Gripen.
Saab plans to test-fire the first IRIS-T missile from a Gripen in 2007.
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General prepares to do battle with the numbers
Gen. Ronald Keys, head of USAF ACC, is preparing face the possibility of cuts to its manpower when the Quadrennial Defense Review is published.
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Putin wants Russia to assist its weapons exporters
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to use its growing economic strength to support its $5 billion arms export industry.
Russian arms exporters should get cheap government loans to help finance customer purchases, Putin said.
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Panel set up to study Russian jets
The Royal Thai Air Force has set up a panel to study whether buying Russian Su-30s would fully serve the interests of both the armed forces and the government.
Air Force chief ACM Chalit Pukpasuk said that while the F/A-18 meet the needs of the service, it has yet to obtain approval from Washington for export.
He also denied that the Air Force has gave in to the government's plan to barter farm produce, mainly chickens, for the Russian fighters.
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Russia to begin supplying Su-30MKM fighters to Malaysia in 2006
Malaysia will receive its Su-30MKM fighters from Irkut in 2006.
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£40bn Saudi fighter jet deal brings RAF shortage fears
Saudi Arabia is expected to obtain more than 200 Eurofighter Typhoons in the long term.
There are fears within the RAF that this could produce a spare parts shortage when the Saudis are given priority of supply.
The situation happened in the 1990s when Saudis bought Tornados and RAF jets were left unserviceable as spares were given to Saudi Arabia first.
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Thursday, December 29, 2005
EU launches Galileo satellite, challenging US
The first Galileo navigation satellite was launched on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome on Wednesday. The system will challenge the U.S.
GPS system.
The Giove-A is the first satellite in the EU's £2.4 billion Galileo program. It is build by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd of University of Surrey.
A plaque is attached to the side of Giove-A as a tribute to a young aerospace engineer who worked on the project and was killed in last year's Indian Ocean tsunami.
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陸自ヘリ墜落は操縦ミス＝記念行事の事故－長崎
Remember the JGSDF AH-1S
crash in September? The accident report has been published. Thanks to Yohko.
The reported stated that the co-pilot bank too steeply and the aircraft lost altitude. The pilot's judgement of the co-pilot skills were also incorrect.
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Bagram A-10s take fight to enemy
Since Sept. 15, the USAF 354th Fighter Squadron's A-10 Thunderbolt IIs have flown more than 1,700 combat sorties in Afghanistan.
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Bomb wing flies in from South Dakota
The USAF 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota began transferring to Guam on Wednesday.
The move to Andersen Air Force Base is part of the 120-day Air and Space Expeditionary Force rotation.
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NATO reaches 1,000 relief sorties in Pakistan
NATO Disaster Relief Team in Pakistan helicopter crews have flown more than 1,000 relief flights delivering aid since Nov. 6.
There are five NATO helicopters supporting the effort, four German CH-53 helicopters and Luxembourg contributed one MD Explorer Air Rescue Helicopter.
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Lockheed May Get $1.15 Billion Order for 26 Transport Planes
According to a Pentagon budget proposal, Lockheed Martin may receive a $1.15 billion U.S. military order for 26 C-130J over the next two years.
The plan would authorize purchase of 13 planes in each of fiscal 2007 and 2008.
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Museum to restore Ted Williams plane (Free Registration)
The Saratoga Foundation plans to display a refurbished F9F Panther which Boston Red Sox hitter Ted Williams flew while as a Marine Corps reservist in Korea.
The Saratoga Foundation recently bought a Panther jet that had been damaged in a crash landing at an air show ; it is 1 of only 9 Panthers remaining.
The foundation plans to bring the plane to Rhode Island and restore it with the same markings that Williams' plane bore: the tomcat logo of Squadron VMF-311.
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Hurricane hunters close out record season
The "Hurricane Hunters" of Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew their last mission of the record 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season in December.
The unit met another milestone, flying every mission in the new WC-130J Hercules.
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'Dhanush' test fired from Bay of Bengal
India successfully tested its medium range surface-to-surface missile Dhanush from a ship in the Bay of Bengal off the eastern coast.
Dhanush is a naval version of the surface-to-surface Prithvi missile.
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C-17, tanker collide off O’ahu
It has been reveiled that Hickam Air Force Base commander Col. William J. Changose was flying the C-17 that collided with a KC-135 will attempting to refuel in mid-air.
The collision sent the Air Guard KC-135R into a dive.
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Campaigning for the C-17 (Free Registration)
Worried that Pentagon officials are unwilling to buy more C-17s because of their high costs. Long Beach city officials are looking at ways to help lower Boeing's costs.
Long Beach's utility company is willing to give the company a five-year, 15 percent discount on its energy bill.
The fire department wants to chip in by taking over the responsibilty from Boeing's internal fire department.
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Chalit delays fighter choice to meet the govt half-way
Thai Air Force commander, ACM Chalit Pukpasuk, has postponed the selection of new aircraft and said he is looking for a compromise over the procurement plan.
He would choose the aircraft type that would meet the interests of both the air force and the government.
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F-22A took long road to initial operational capability
With the F-22A Raptor's initial operational capability declaration Dec. 15 came the capstone of a process that began 76 months earlier, in August 1997.
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長崎・大村航空隊「ＳＨ―６０Ｊ」、鹿屋で点検飛行中 ／鹿児島
Thanks to Asagiri Yohko for sending in this piece of article and Tengu for translating it for me. A JMSDF SH-60J suffered a TFOA incident on 20 Dec.
The part is a buffer material, rubber, length 60 cm, width 6 cm, 2 mm thick, weighing 24 g, half-transparent black.
The chopper took off from Kanoya NAS at 10am and the part was found missing after it flew back at 11:50am.
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Two US pilots die in Iraq helicopter collision
An AH-64 collided in mid-air with another Apache in west Baghdad on Monday night killing two pilots.
The other Apache involved in the collision landed at a base in Taji, north of Baghdad.
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Pacific Rim on cutting edge of ballistic missile defense
18 ships will join USS Lake Erie to be equipped with missile defence technology to track and shoot down ballistic missiles.
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Suit against sending aircraft carrier to India for scrapping
Greenpeace and Ban Asbestos have lodged a suit against sending the decommissioned aircraft carrier Clemenceau to India for scrapping.
The two international environment protection groups lodged the suit Monday with the Paris administrative court.
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IAF trainer aircraft crashes in Bangalore
A Kiran Mk. 1 from the Indian Air Force crashed on the outskirts of Bangalore on Tuesday morning.
Both pilots ejected safely.
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Poland to provide security for Baltics
Poland will send four MiG-29s to help patrol the Baltic States for a period of three months starting in January.
Six pilots and 70 airmem will be deployed.
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Proposed joint use of Kadena opposed by local residents
The communities of Okinawa City and Chatan passed resolutions last week opposing plans to allow the Japan Air Self-Defense Force joint use of Kadena Air Base.
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Mid-Air Collision Damages Plane
A Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135 suffered damage when its boom hit a USAF C-17 while attempting to refuel on Dec. 22.
There was some damage to the tail section of the KC-135 and the boom itself.
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Serial Mi-28N helicopter makes inaugural flight
A serial model of the Mi-28N made its maiden flight at the Rostov Helicopter Plant.
A total of three Mi-28 will be delivered.
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Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Indo-Singapore air exercise Sindex 06
Official press release from the Indian government on the joint exercise between the Indian Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force next week.
The IAF will take part with a squadron of MiG-27s.
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Putin's show of strength triggers fear of fresh nuclear arms race
The introduction of Topol-M missiles and hawkish accompanying language by Russian military commanders has sparked fears of a new arms race between Russia and the United States.
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Two ships enough to stop missiles: Defense Agency
The Japanese Defense Agency believes that deploying two Aegis warships armed with SM-3 missiles are sufficient to shield Japan from ballistic missiles.
Japan's four Aegis ships will be fitted with SM-3 interceptors and Block IV Aegis radar systems by 2010.
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Tsunami Memorial service at AF Station in Car Nicobar
The Indian Air Force will build a memorial for the airmen and their family members that were killed by the tsunami last year on the Nicobar Islands.
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The jet engine's roar? Get used to it from Super Hornet
General Electric has come up with a fighter engine that is quieter than existing ones but it is too heavy for jets.
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Call for Sea King choppers to be retired
The Australia Defence Association request that the six ageing Sea King helicopters be retired.
Executive director Neil James said the fleet is now too small to be effective for the type of operations experience by the Navy.
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Plane carrying Bono to Bosnia skids off runway on landing
Spanish Defence Minister Jose Bono escaped unharmed from a crash landing in Bosnia on Sunday.
The C-130 overshot the runway at Mostar airport. The plane came to a stop in a field about 200 meters from the edge of the tarmac.
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RAAF 'covered up' pedophilia
A woman RAAF employee was told to cover up the fact her children were sexually assaulted by a senior officer.
When she tendered her resignation, her commanding officer asked her to remove the reason from her letter, and to "let it go".
The senior officer was convicted in September.
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Russia offers copters for SU-30 deal
A Royal Thai Army source says that said Russia might sell four Mi-17 helicopters at a special price or even 'give them free' to Thailand if the Su-30 deal is successful.
The Army badly needs helicopters as only half of its helicopters are still functioning.
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US eyes big Pakistan, India arms sales (Free Registration)
Washington is preparing to sell arms to archrivals India and Pakistan next year.
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Monday, December 26, 2005
No News Today
In memory of the 220,000 people that were killed and the lives of millions more that were altered forever by the Indian Ocean Tsunami one year ago, there will be no news today.
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Sunday, December 25, 2005
Missile shield project to proceed
The Japanese cabinet has approved the joint development of a next-generation interceptor missile with the United States in April.
The interceptor will be based on the SM-3 missile.
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Notebook: U.S.'s New Air Weapon
CBS News correspondent David Martin visits Langley Air Force Base to see the F-22A.
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For Gorshkov, Navy pilots head to US for training
Four Indian pilots are currently training on the T-45 with the U.S. Navy in Pensacola, Florida.
This is to prepare them for the arrival of Admiral Gorshkov in 2008. A total of 32 pilots will be trained.
Labels: INS Vikramaditya
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Kalaikunda gets ready for another air exercise
The RSAF will deploy 8 F-16s to Kalaikunda Air Force base, India from Jan. 03. The exercise will lasts 18 days.
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Saturday, December 24, 2005
Helicopter crewman died in ''Supermanning'' stunt
A U.S. Navy helicopter crewman fell to his death while carrying out a stunt called 'Supermanning.'
Supermanning involves hanging from the ramp of a helicopter and letting the rushing wind 'fly' the body. The person is only attached by a safety belt.
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Antitrust office checks tender for helicopter upgrading
Czech's Antitrust Office is checking a tender for upgrading of 16 Mi-171S helicopters that the country received as a re-payment of Russian debt.
The investigations came after the losers complained that the winner, Ceska letecka servisni, was given preferential treatment.
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Moldovan ex-defence minister may be sentenced to 11 years in prison
Former Moldovan Defense Minister, Valeriu Pasat, could be jailed for up to 11 years for selling the country's MiG-29s.
The planes were sold to the United States in 1997.
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DRDO system to arrest IAF flying losses
The Indian Air Force will be getting a new arrester barrier system made by the DRDO.
The current barrier can only arrest a 20.4 ton fighter, insufficient to stop the Su-30.
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Israel Navy to deploy first UAVs
The Israel Navy wil deploy Israel Aircraft Industries Mahatz I UAVs for maritime patrol.
The UAVs are equipped with EL/M-2022U UAV maritime patrol radars.
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RAF blow in Saudi deal for Typhoons
Saudi Arabia's purchase of Typhoons will leave some RAF squadrons flying with old Tornado interceptors.
RAF will also have to make do with fewer instructors as some will be second to teach Saudi pilots on operating the Typhoon.
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Friday, December 23, 2005
First F-35 nears completion at Lockheed Martin
The Joint Strike Fighter team has completed assembly of the aircraft’s major structural components and is moving towards installing the engine.
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‘Contract being drafted’ for Russian fighter jet deal
Irkut has started drawing up a contract to supply 12 Su-30s to the RTAF in exchange for agricultural products.
No cash will be involved and the thais hope to trade 250,000 tons of raw chicken and other agricultural produce for the jets.
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ACM Chalit, govt at odds on Russian jets
Thai Air Force chief ACM Chalit Pukpasuk favours U.S-build jets over Russian fighters.
He seems to prefer the F/A-18 more than the F-16.
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PM: No deal yet to buy Russian jets
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday that the country may barter chickens for Russian Su-30s.
Earlier, the government had ruled out chickens being included in any barter trade deal.
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Agile Lion demonstrates future of net-centric warfare
A KC-130J, two AV-8B Harriers, an F/A-18 and an AH-1W Cobra took part in an experiment on Dec. 12-15 to test network-centric information technology for the USMC.
Each aircraft carried an Advanced Information Architecture computer server and contained various radios for narrow- and wide-band datalinks.
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Mission-Configured US139 Demonstrates Ability To Meet And Exceed Requirements
AgustaWestland's US139 aircraft has been completely fitted in LUH configuration and completed its initial series of flights for the U.S. Army¹s requirement for a new Light Utility Helicopter.
The US139 is a customized, non-developmental version of the AB139 helicopter.
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Pilots hone skills in dogfighting off coast of Iwakuni
Four F/A-18D Hornets took turns to empty target practice rounds from their Vulcan cannons during a tow-banner training at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
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Flight testing approved for supersonic jet engine
The Pentagon has approved the X-51A for flight testing. The program will be managed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Five to eight unmanned X-51As will test their scramjet engines up to Mach 7. The flights are scheduled for December 2008 through January 2009 and are to be launched from Edwards Air Force Base.
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Removal of missiles roils U.S.-Bolivia ties
Bolivia's left-wing president-elect wants to punish those responsible for the removal from the country this year of 28 HN-SA SAMs.
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Tehran's missile project 'is hidden underground'
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an Iranian exile group, claimed that Tehran has secretly built a network of tunnels and underground facilities to develop its atomic and missile programs.
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How Rockwell Collins landed in the front lines of the war on terror.
Forbes Magazine's article on America's Best Managed Companies featuring Rockwell Collins.
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Desertion lands pilot in jail for 10 months
A South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilot has been sentenced to 10 months in a military prison for deserting his unit before it deployed to Iraq.
Chief Warrant Officer Alex Pitts pleaded guilty to two separate charges of desertion and one charge of AWOL.
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SECOND SUCCESSFUL QUALIFICATION FIRING FOR MBDA’S ASTER 30 SAMP-T SYSTEM
The Aster SAMP-T ground based air defence system conducted its second qualification firing on Dec. 20.
For this second qualification firing, all the system elements were used : the engagement module, the ARABEL radar, the vertical launcher and the Aster 30 munition.
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Thursday, December 22, 2005
New Ballistic Missile Launched From Russian Nuclear Sub
Russia tested an underwater launch of a Bulava ballistic missile from nuclear submarine Dmitry Donskoy on Wednesday.
This is the first underwater launch of a Bulava missile. The missile hit a target at the Kura firing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
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Navy successfully tests ship-to-ship missile
The South Korean Navy has successfully tested fired its first domestic ship-to-ship missile.
The 150 km missile was developed in 2003.
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Boeing regrets delay of defense project
Boeing yesterday expressed its disappointment that the South Korea Defense Ministry has postponed the purchase of four AEW&C again.
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Boeing GMD Team Places 10th Interceptor, Capping Recent Successes
The 10th operational interceptor for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system has been installed.
The 10th interceptor was emplaced in an underground silo at Fort Greely, Alaska, last weekend.
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Former chief opposes Russian jet purchase
ACM Pong Maneesin, former chief of RTAF, is against purchasing the Su-30 for his country.
He said the jets are made of poor-quality materials and would pose maintenance problems because of a lack of spare parts. Russia had proposed its Su-30 MK during his tenure but he rejected them after considering the pros and cons.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Wantana said he favour the Sukhois as they are comparable to F-15 which are expensive.
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2010 too late for new planes, government document shows
A secret timetable obtained by The Globe and Mail show that the first four Canadian transport would arrive only in 2010 and not 2008 as claim by the government.
This contradicts the government claim that new transports are needed by 2008 as the C-130s are falling apart.
The decision to buy 16 new transports seems to favour the C-130J as it can be delivered in 2008 but latest revelation show that the A400M can meet the requirement as well.
Airbus said that it could deliver the A400M in 2010.
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Pilots say new U.S. stealth fighter has no equal
Lt. Col. David Krumm, an F-22A instructor pilot, extol the capabilities of the Raptor to this reporter.
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Saudi Arabia commits to Eurofighter Typhoon deal
The christmas present for the Eurofighter community. Saudi Arabia will get at least 24 Eurofighter Typhoons to replace its Tornado ADVs.
It is ironic that one RSAF(Singapore) rejected it and the other RSAF(Saudi) bought it.
The aircraft will be drawn from the RAF’s production run of 89 Tranche 2 Eurofighters.
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Charleston AFB breaks C-17 flying record
17 C-17 Globemaster IIIs took to the air to form the largest formation of C-17s from a single base. The C-17 formation conducted low-level training in the Charleston area before taking part in a massive airdrop. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard T. Kaminsky.
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Colombia fails to find U.S. Navy helicopter
A Colombian deep-sea search vessel has failed to locate the wreckage of a USN SH-60B from HSL-48.
The helicopter went down Dec. 13 shortly after take off from the U.S. Navy frigate DeWert.
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Lawmaker: 20 ambiguous points in C130 plane crash case
An Iranian lawmaker has pointed out 20 ambiguous points about the C-130 plane crash on Dec. 6 in Tehran.
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Iran obtained 12 long-range missiles
Outgoing Israel Defense Force intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Aharon Ze'evi claims Iran recently acquired 12 cruise missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers.
They were part of a batch of 18 missiles shipped from Ukraine to Russia. 12 went to Iran and six went to China.
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Russia to test launch more than 10 cruise missiles in 2006
Russia plans to conduct more than 10 cruise missiles tests next year.
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House bill would keep JFK afloat another year
The U.S. Congress is trying to delay the Navy's plan to mothball USS John F. Kennedy.
The House voted at 4 a.m. on Monday to keep the JFK and mandate a fleet of at least 12 carriers.
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Boeing Delivers First Apache Longbow Helicopter for Japan
Fuji Heavy Industries has received the first AH-64DJP, the first production Apache to be delivered with air-to-air Stinger capability, from Boeing.
Two AH-64DJP Apaches will be delivered to the Japanese government by FHI in March 2006.
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The Swedish Government gives the ´go ahead´ on the ´Neuron´ project
Thanks to Dave Orlando for sending in this one. The Swedish Government has given the green light for the Neuron UCAV to go ahead.
The Saab group will finance the major part of the project with MSEK 600 while the remaining MSEK 80 is financed by the Swedish Government.
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Indonesia to Check Its Sukhoi's Airworthiness
Indonesia will check the airworthiness of its four Sukhoi fighters to see if they are capable of defending the country.
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Gripens hangars do not meet NATO fire-safety rules - spokesman
The hangars that house Czech's JAS-39s at an air-base in Caslav, central Bohemia, do not meet NATO's most recent fire-safety standards.
The hangars were built during the 1950s and 1960s will be replace by new ones in three years.
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Official: Base plan could destabilize Okinawa
Governor of Okinawa said plans to build a U.S. heliport on the island could cause widespread opposition to U.S. presence.
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Vice chief examines aviation training
U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody visit Fort Rucker to examine innovations in aviation training and to discuss his vision for Army aviation transformation.
Cody is the Army’s senior aviator with more than 5,000 flight hours.
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India Buys $400M Worth of Russia Missile Systems — Source
India will pay $400 million for four batteries of Tunguska-M1 gun-missile air defence system.
India currently has more than 60 Tunguska systems including 12 units of Tunguska-M1.
Tunguska-M1 is a gun/missile system that carries eight 9M311-M1 SAMs.
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A different kind of smart: weapons becoming autonomous and precise
The largest and smallest bomb ever fielded are under study in the US with entry late in this decade or after 2010.
Boeing's Phantom Works will demonstrate the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, 13.6 tonne weapon that measures 6 m long.
The Very Small Munition is a 18-25 kg weapon which 24 can be loaded to the MQ-9A Predator B.
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U.S. air power strikes Iraq targets daily
A variety of U.S. aircraft are striking targets in Iraq daily with little attention back home.
News reports and the public have focused mainly on ground action by the Army and Marines.
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Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Ｆ１５接触事故は操縦ミス、高度差を誤認
Thanks to Tengu for passing this info along. JASDF has release it findings on the mid-air collision of two F-15s over the Sea of Japan.
Both planes were in a right-hand turn when the second pilot lost sight of his leader and collided with him after rising.
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Defence note suggests Liberals spent $5B on wrong aircraft
The Ottawa Citizen has obtained a Canadian Defence Department briefing note that suggest Canada scraps it tactical transports and buy strategic transport planes.
The advice runs counter to the decision by the Liberal government to buy tactical transports to replace the C-130s.
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Ma says funding not the only problem with arms bill
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman said that the opposition parties have never objected to arms procurement, but they opposed to "cash-for-friendship" purchase plans.
Ma Ying-jeou was responding to an appeal by President Chen Shui-bian to break a deadlock over a weapons package that includes 12 P-3Cs.
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Prosecutor General's Office to launch probe into C-130 crash
Iran's Prosecutor General will launch an investigation into the Dec. 6 crash of a C-130 in southern Tehran.
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Comptroller slams IAI-Elisra deal
Israel's State Comptroller has criticized Israel Aircraft Industries' Nov. 2002 acquisition of Elisra Electronic Systems shares.
He said the buyers failed to examine fully Elisra's company value before closing the deal.
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Raytheon's Precision Attack Air-to-Surface Missile Successfully Fired from Rotary Wing Aircraft
Raytheon's Precision Attack Air-to-Surface Missile (PAASM) was successfully launched Dec. 13 from a rotary-winged, unmanned aerial vehicle.
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Pentagon to Kill Alternate JSF Engine
The Pentagon is ready to cancel the F136 engine and make Pratt & Whitney's F135 the sole engine for the F-35.
A Pentagon official said the plan to recoup $1.8 billion is spelled out in an internal budget document.
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Billion-dollar bomb deal bids begin
Bidding has opened for the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II program which will develop a bomb capable of hitting moving targets.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin will pair up to compete against Raytheon.
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PM says no jet deal with Russia yet
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said his country had signed a letter of discussion for Su-30s not purchase.
He said the letter was a normal practice to record what had been discussed.
Air force commander Chalit Pukpasuk said the decision will be made in March or April next year.
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Uplifting ideas
Flight International explores new ideas that could advance the development of rotor aircraft.
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Cheetah, Chetak to be replaced by upgraded choppers: Vice Chief
The Indian Army will gradually phased out its Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with new license build ones.
Nearly 200 helicopters will be replaced by an American or European design from next year.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Canberra crashes in Agra, two IAF pilots killed
An Indian Air Force Canberra crashed five kilometres from the Agra airfield while coming in to land.
The Canberra is with the 106 ‘Lynxes’ Squadron.
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Trio fuel A400M tanker evolution
The A400M’s role as a tactical tanker is confirmed with an initial inflight refelling equipment order from France, Germany and Spain.
It will use a new version of the 900-series hose-and-drogue wing pod now in development for the A330-based Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft.
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U.S. Predator - unmanned, lethal, rarely grounded
While the General Atomics Predator has been successful in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has a weakness that render it useless.
Weather is one of the aircraft's weakness. Ice builds up on the wings easily making it difficult to fly.
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Israel Tests Improved Arrow Interceptor
There are plans to upgrade Israel's long-range, Green Pine radar into a directed-energy weapon.
The radar, used to find targets for the Arrow 2, could be an excellent weapon to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles.
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Defense bill contains money for JPATS, NIAR, McConnell projects
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a defense appropriations bill that includes 59 T-6A Texan II for the USAF and USN.
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Iran’s Air Forces: Struggling to Maintain Readiness
An anonymous expert on the Iranian military penned this article on the state of Iran's Air Forces for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
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Monday, December 19, 2005
Tomcat Sunset - Last Time, Baby...!
I seldom get to find out who are the people reading this website. Today I got a pleasant surprise from Dave Parsons. The Tomcat community is organizing a farewell ceremony and a website has been setup for the event.
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How media jumped gun over warship
The British media was overjoyed by the announcement for the go-ahead for the next stage of the Royal Navy carrier program that they misinterpret the announcement.
The Defense Secretary John Reid did not actually commit himself to building anything. What he approve is only spending another £300 million developing the final Delta design of the carriers.
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Va. Beach seeks to keep jets at Oceana
Virginia Beach will try to retain the master jet base at Oceana Naval Air Station but will not comply with BRAC orders to achieve that.
The City Council will try to limit development in the crash zones near the runways instead.
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Delay to MoD contract 'could sink Scottish shipbuilding'
The U.K. Defence Committee said that work on Royal Navy's new carriers must start soon or the ship building industry in Scotland will die off.
Their report will warn that: shipbuilders must not be kept waiting any longer than necessary for the real start of the lucrative carrier project; the work must be fairly shared around all UK yards; and the MoD must preserve the flow of work to keep the yards functioning in the meantime, in order to maintain a viable industry into the future.
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IAI may still sell Phalcon to S. Korea
South Korea's decision to delay its selection of the AEW&C aircraft actually benefits IAI's Elta.
This gave the company an additional five months to secure U.S. export license for communication codes.
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Pan-blues may allow defense debate
Taiwan's opposition parties will consider allowing debate on the administration's major arms purchase bill at the legislature if defense spending is boosted to 3 percent of GDP.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will only consider approving the purchase of 12 P-3Cs as the Patriot missile purchase has already been vetoed in a referendum.
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Anniversary of Vietnam bombing campaign marked on Guam
A ceremony commemorating Operation Linebacker II was held Friday at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam.
Friday’s ceremony paid tribute to the 33 crewmembers who lost their lives aboard the 15 B-52s downed during the campaign.
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Ronald Reagan Strike Group Returns Following Successful JTFEX
USS Ronald Reagan has completed Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 06-2 and returned on Dec. 17.
The nine-day exercise tested the Ronald Reagan Strike Group’s ability to operate alongside other U.S. and coalition forces in a complex, hostile war-fighting environment.
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PIA flight lands at Karachi air base
A Pakistan International Airlines 737 landed at Faisal Air Force Base instead of Quaid-i-Azam International Airport.
The plane landed there on Friday and the captain was sent to a laboratory to do a blood test to determine the alcohol level.
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USAFE visit at Kogalniceanu air base
A 30-member survey team from USAFE will Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania from Dec. 11 to 15.
The team will assess the airfield capabilities for future joint operations.
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35th Fighter Wing commander to be promoted Dec. 27
Col. Sam Angelella, USAF 35th Fighter Wing commander, will be promoted to brigadier general on Dec. 27.
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Pratt & Whitney Shipping First Engine For Testing On New Joint Strike Fighter
Pratt & Whitney will ship the first F135 engine that will power the first F-35 this week for installation.
The engine is boxed and wrapped like a precious Christmas gift waiting for delivery.
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All 35 aboard Nevada-based helicopter avert death in Afghanistan
All 35 soldiers aboard a Nevada National Guard Chinook that went down in Afghanistan on Dec.3 had narrowly escaped death.
The Chinook was destroyed by fire after everyone on board managed to evacuate.
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New Pentagon agency oversees unmanned planes
Brig. Gen. Walt Davis is building up the Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence at Creech Air Force Base.
The center will coordinate the development of UAVs by each of the U.S. military services.
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Thailand Inks Deal for 12 Fighters
A senior official at Irkut said that Thailand has signed a memorandum for 12 Sukhoi-30MKMs.
It was signed during President Vladimir Putin's visit to Malaysia for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The deal includes helicopters for Thailand.
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Sunday, December 18, 2005
Navy commander: C130 plane, among safest aircraft worldwide
The Iranian Navy commander said on Saturday that the C-130 that crashed into a building had no technical problem.
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RAF pilot took women on 'jolly' in helicopter
A RAF search and rescue pilot took two young women out in his helicopter to impress them.
He took them up in a Sea King helicopter for a training flight when they visit him at RAF Valley May 30.
A court martial gave him a reprimand.
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DOD paid billions in fees, regardless of performance, report says
The Pentagon paid incentives worth an estimated $8 billion to defense companies between 1999 and 2003, regardless of performance.
$203 million were given for the Comanche helicopter program run by Boeing and Sikorsky. The F-22A program has received nearly $900 million in incentives.
There were exceptions however, the Missile Defense Agency changed Boeing's Airborne Laser program award-fee plan to focus on achieving a successful demonstration by Dec. 2004.
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Congress Lobbies for Boeing C-17
Members of the U.S. House and the Senate sent separate letters to President Bush urging him to acquire more C-17s.
The House letter included signatures from 148 members. The Senate letter included signatures from 13 senators.
The Senate voted 89 to 8 last month for a nonbinding amendment to the defense spending bill calling for the Air Force to acquire 42 more C-17s.
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Taiwan leader renews call for opposition to support arms package
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian renewed his call for the opposition to support a proposed arms deal that includes buying 12 P-3Cs.
Taiwan's opposition parties have blocked the package which they term illegal as Taiwanese voted against expanded arms purchase in the island's first referendum in 2004.
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VT chief favourite to run UK aircraft carriers
Peter McIntosh from VT Group’s shipbuilding arm is the front runner to manage the U.K.'s aircraft carrier program.
The only other candidate is Allan Cameron of Thales.
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PM attends air show in Gwalior
Mirage 2000s and Su-30s from the Indian Air Force stage a mock combat drill for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Prime Minister also saw a Il-78 refuel two Mirage 2000.
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Weeklong exercise praised by Yokota leaders
Operational Readiness Exercise was carried out recently at Yokota air base, Japan to test the troops ability to survive and operate under a constant threat of attack.
The exercise which began on Dec. 11 saw 3000 troops taking part.
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Report: Army sunk $8 billion into failed program
The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Comanche helicopter program was a prime example of how the U.S. Army squandered billions of dollars on a failed program.
The Army had spent nearly $8 billion into the program that was 33 months behind schedule and $3.7 billion over budget.
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Alliant tests next-generation missile system
Alliant Techsystems has successfully tested a scramjet that flew at Mach 5.5 for at least 15 seconds.
The Dec. 10 launch was part of a Pentagon program called Freeflight Atmospheric Scramjet Test Technique.
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Saturday, December 17, 2005
Wright Brothers Day, 2005
Welcome to the 102nd year of powered flight.
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Canadian NORAD region names Santa Claus escort pilots
Capt. William Radiff and Lt. Col. Patrice Laroche, of 3 Wing Bagotville and Capt. Dave Monk and Maj. Alex Day of 4 Wing Cold Lake will be the official escort pilots for
Santa Claus while he visits Canada during his annual Christmas Eve.
Two CF-18s from 3 Wing meet Santa as he enters Canadian air space off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Two CF-18s from 4 Wing escort him out of Canadian airspace.
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Navy pilot survived Iraq, not Colombia
U.S. Navy pilot Christopher H. Snyder from HSL-48 had survived a six-month tour in Iraq but died off the coast of Colombia while tracking drug smugglers.
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Patrouille Suisse & PC7-Team
The commanders of two Swiss Air Force aerobatic teams received their FAI World Grand Prix prizes on Dec. 14.
Patrouille Suisse and PC7-Team competed in the FAI World Grand Prix of Aviation.
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Government Prepares to Purchase Missiles for Sukhoi Fighters
Indonesia is buying weapons for four of its Su-30 fighters. The weapons include cruise missiles, medium-range missiles and short-range missiles.
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IAF to showcase Mirage capabilities to PM in Gwalior
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Gwalior tomorrow to see 40 minute dipaly that includes the Mirage 2000.
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Red Arrows in tribute to founder
The Red Arrows bade farewell to its founder and leader Ray Hanna at his funeral on Thursday.
The Hawks flew a battle formation at 360 knots and 500ft.
Hanna was a founder member of the Red Arrows in 1965 and was the longest serving leader from 1966 to 1969.
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Gov’t Delays Selection of Airborne Warning System
South Korea has decided to delay its purchase of four early warning aircraft until next May.
It said that both Boeing and IAI failed to submit details of key communication equipment.
There are suspicions that South Korea actually wanted to give Israel more time to obtain export authorisation for its equipment from Washington.
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India, Russia to develop aircraft version of BrahMos missile
India and Russia have invested additional $50 million in BrahMos Aerospace to develop an aircraft version of the BrahMos.
The missile will be carried by India's Su-30s.
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5th Russian regiment, armed with Topol-M missiles, goes on duty
A fifth Russian missile regiment has been equipped with new Topol-M missiles.
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Iran May Buy Russian Surface-to-Air Missile Complex
Iran is interested in getting the Pechora-2A anti-aircraft missile system from Russia next year.
Iran wants to use it to protect its nuclear power plant from attacks.
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German intelligence warns Iran has new missiles
Iran has bought 18 BM-25, which are based on the Russian SS-N-6, missiles from North Korea.
They were delivered in kit-form and Iran wants to increase the range from 2,500km to 3,500km.
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China Buys Russian Jet Engines Wholesale
Russia will supply 150 AL-31F engines to China for their Su-27SK being assembled in Shenyang.
This is the third time this year that Salyut will be supplying fighter engines to China.
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Netherlands sells Chile 18 F-16 fighter aircraft
Chile will be getting 18 surplus Dutch F-16s, the Dutch defence ministry said.
The Netherlands is disposing of 29 of the F-16s and 3 were recently sold to Jordan.
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'Hat-in-the-Ring Gang' says goodbye to its Eagles
The USAF 94th Fighter Squadron flew its last F-15 Eagle sortie yesterday and begin its transition to the F-22A.
Pilots from Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon units will move into the 94th to ramp up Raptor operations.
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Aging Tomcat jet makes last runs over Iraq
Newspapers are carrying this story on the last Tomcat cruise on Roosevelt.
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EADS acquires 10 pct stake in Russia's Irkut for 65.3 mln usd
EADS has signed a deal for a 10 pct stake in Irkut for $65.3million.
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Russian, US firms fight for contract
Amid reports that Thailand will select the Su-30, representatives from Lockheed have express willingness to incorporate barter trade for their F-16s.
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Friday, December 16, 2005
Pilot’s pilot taught students to keep moving to stay alive
Sam Flynn, the USN fighter pilot that coined the term 'speed is life,' has passed away on Dec. 4.
He flew more than 250 combat missions in the F-4 Phantom and shot down a MiG-21.
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New vest helps spatial orientation
The Tactile Situational Awareness System was demonstrated to test pilots at Patuxent River.
TSAS provides in-flight orientation information to pilots using tactors (miniature vibrators like those found in silent pagers).
The pilot can tell his pitch and roll attitudes from his sense of touch through these vibrators.
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Pakistani commander wounded in attack on helicopter
The commander of Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps was wounded on Thursday when gunfire hit his helicopter.
Major-General Shujaat Zamir Dar and his deputy were both wounded, but their helicopter landed safely.
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EU Protests Russian-Iran Missile Deal
The European Union has formally protested to Russia about its sale of Tor-M1 missiles to Iran.
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Taiwan modifies aircraft to carry anti-ship missiles: report
Two AT-3A Tsu Chiang trainers have been converted to carry either Harpoon or Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles by Aerospace Industrial Development Corp.
Jane's Defence Weekly said the move will threaten China's main ports.
The AT-3A was originally designed and built as two-seater trainers for the RoCAF in the 1980s.
Labels: Hsiung Feng 2E
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Kalaikunda to be host more war games
The Republic of Singapore Air Force plans to hold exercises with the Indian Air Force at Kalaikunda air force station in 2006.
The RSAF would be paying for the boarding, lodging, fuel and other miscellaneous expenditure.
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Americans will upgrade Pakistani F-16s next year
Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fleet will begin their mid-life upgrade (MLU) program next year.
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Venezuelan military delegation in Russia to receive fighter helicopters
A Venezuelan military delegation is in Moscow to attend the graduation ceremony of Venezuelan pilots flying the Mi-17v-5 helicopter.
Venezuela will receive three Mi-17v-5 helicopters next week in Kazan, capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.
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NATO Rents Giant Transport Planes From Russia, Ukraine
NATO has signed a three-year contract with Antonov Airlines and Russian company Volga-Dnepr to lease the An-124-100 for strategic airlifts.
The lease will come into effect in early 2006.
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F-16s ‘probably’ free, says Rashid
Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the two F-16s that were delivered from United States recently are free.
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Russia to sell Be-103 amphibian aircraft to China, Indonesia and Brazil
Indonesia plans to purchase 8-15 Be-103 amphibian aircraft from Russia and 20 aircraft will be delivered to China.
Brazil plans to get 8 of the amphibians also.
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Denel likely to have decades of business from fighter-trainer work
Denel will not just manufacture horizontal tailplanes and air brakes for the 24 South African Air Force Hawks.
Denel will exclusively produce the parts until 2011 and these parts will go to any Hawks that are sold during this period.
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Indonesia gives nod to Malacca patrols
Indonesia has given guarded support to a plan for RAAF P-3Cs to help patrol Malacca Straits against terrorist attacks and piracy.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohd Najib discussed the plan with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer last week.
Downer said Australian aircraft would fly only with observers from one of the three neighbouring countries on board.
Downer added that the Orions could be based out of Malaysia's Butterworth air base or Singapore.
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Kyrgyz demands big rent rise from US
Kyrgyzstan President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, wants Washington to pay 100 times the current rent for Manas air base.
Manas air base is an important refuelling point for U.S. aircraft flying operations in Afghanistan.
The Kyrgyz government was demanding that the Pentagon pay reimburse it another $80m which was allegedly siphoned out of the country by former president Askar Akayev.
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Russia to continue export of anti-aircraft missile systems
Mikhail Dmitriyev, head of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, said Russia will continue exporting Tor M1 anti-aircraft missile systems despite Washington's objections.
Russia recently agreed to supply 29 Tor M1 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.
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F-22A Raptor goes operational
The USAF F-22A has achieved initial operational capability at the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
The 27th Fighter Squadron is the oldest in continuous operation.
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F-15C engine fails; pilot safe
A USAF F-15C suffered a right engine stall while taking off from RAF Lakenheath on Tuesday.
An inspection of the right engine found extensive damage that will likely exceed more than $1 million in losses.
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The deadly skies over Iraq
Dahr Jamail an independent journalist who spent eight months reporting from occupied Iraq, writes about the air war being conducted over the country right now.
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Thursday, December 15, 2005
Pakistan gets two upgraded F-16s
Pakistani Air Commodore Syed Hassan Raza inspects an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, before it was transferred to the Pakistani air force. U.S. Air Force photo by Dane Anderson.
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Carriers work heads for Scotland
The green light has been given to go ahead with designing two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.
The work will be carried out across Britain in four main blocks.
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Decision on fighter jets is still up in the air
The Royal Thai Air Force clarified on Tuesday that it has yet to decide whether to buy Russian or American fighter jets amid allegations that its former chief is involved in a shady deal to get Sukhois.
An Air Force aide said the selection is still under consideration and no time frame is given.
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Pratt & Whitney Delivers 200th F119 Engine to U.S. Air Force
Pratt & Whitney has delivered the 200th F119 engine for the F-22A.
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France announces Thales-DCN tie-up
Thales SA will tie-up with French warship builder DCN.
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Aurora's GoldenEye-50 Surpasses DARPA Acoustic Requirements
Aurora Flight Sciences said that during recent acoustic testing its GoldenEye-50 unmanned aerial system demonstrated acoustic signatures consistently below limits set by the DARPA for its OAV-II program.
The GoldenEye-50 is Aurora’s third generation of small, ducted fan vertical takeoff and landing UAV.
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Russia to provide China with 240 jet engines in next 5 years
Ilyushin hopes to sell 12 Il-76 to Malaysia and Indonesia while Vietnam and Thailand showed strong interest in Il-76MF.
Russia will also supply 240 engines for 38 Il-76MD military cargo aircraft and Il-78MK air refueling tanker China ordered in September.
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RAAF to spend $2bn on heavy lifting fleet
The RAAF is looking into the possibility of buying or leasing long-term up to four C-17s or eight A400Ms.
Defence Minister Robert Hill confirmed that cabinet had given its approval to examine the purchase of a heavy lift transport capability.
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Air Force says it won’t finish deal for Boeing C-17 transports
The USAF has agreed with a Pentagon study that 180 C-17s are enough for its needs.
This is a setback for Boeing which has to close the C-17 plant in 2008.
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S. Africa fires new air defense missile
The South African Navy fired two Umkhonto (Spear) missiles last month to verify the missiles ability to intercept an incoming missile.
Both missiles were fired one week apart at high-speed Skua target drones off Cape Aghulas.
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Japan to pay one-third of missile cost
Tokyo agreed to pay one-third of the costs to develop a next-generation interceptor missile with Washington.
Japan will bear 1 billion dollars (107 billion yen) to 1.2 billion dollars over the next nine years.
The missile will be developed from an advanced version of the Standard Missile 3.
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Lockheed Martin Adding Downlink To Sniper Pods
Lockheed Martin is adding a C-band downlink capability to its Sniper targeting pod for the U.S. Air Force.
The capability cost an additional $40,000-$50,000 per system.
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Study uncovers problems with UAVs
The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report released Tuesday that UAVs in Iraq and Afghanistan are having problems relaying information to commanders.
The report found that flights are sometimes delayed or canceled because the transmission frequencies they use are too congested.
The report blamed the Pentagon for the little progress in solving the problem which is not new.
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Langley's 94th Fighter Squadron Taking Last Flight In F-15C
The USAF 94th Fighter Squadron will fly its last F-15C sortie on Friday before it transitions to the F-22A.
A joint flight of an F-15C Eagle and F-22A Raptor will commemorate the 94th FS’s final flight as an F-15C squadron.
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Air Force eyes fleet of 183 F-22 fighters
The USAF wants to buy 183 Raptors, four more than currently budgeted for, but less than the 381 it needed. Rename as F-22A.
The Air Force freeze the A-model configuration and channel the money to pay for the additional jets.
The USAF also decided to name the jet, F-22A, dropping the A from the first part of the fighter's designation.
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'Tamil Tigers' attack helicopter
Suspected Tamil Tiger militants fired four shots at a Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter on its way to pick up the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister.
The Mi-17 suffered minor damage but returned to Ampara town safely.
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IAI plans to compete with Global Hawk
Israel Aircraft Industries has been developing a HALE-class UAV as a low-cost alternative to the Global Hawk.
Shlomo Tsach, head of IAI's aviation science administration, was telling conference delegates during a conference on robotics and UAVs at Tel Aviv University Tuesday.
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New Sniper pod sharpens pilots’ view of targets
The Wolf Pack is the first USAF fighter wing in the Pacific to field the Sniper XR targeting pod.
The 80th Fighter Squadron and 35th Fighter Squadron receive the pods in November.
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Navy F-18s And A Southwest Jet Experience A "Close Pass" Over Hampton Roads
Two U.S. Navy reserve F-18 Hornets came nose to nose with a Southwest 737 near Norfolk International Nov. 15.
The NTSB is investigating the incident after receiving an anonymous letter.
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Eyewitness to crash gives own account
A USAF T-38C instructor was severely injured when his T-38 crashed during a low-level training flight on Tuesday.
The student and instructor was able to eject after hitting a bird during a low-level flight.
The instructor had parachuted into the plane’s firball and appeared to be severely burned.
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No formal offer from US on Orion aircraft: Pranab
Washington has indicated that 2 P-3Cs are available for lease to India but no formal offer has been made yet.
Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee also said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha that the RSAF will be having exercises with the IAF for three weeks at Air Force Station Kalaikunda in January 2006.
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Boeing Leads Team to Successful Ground-based Midcourse Defense Flight Test
A Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) was launched from the Ronald Reagan Missile Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on Dec. 13.
The interceptor traveled over the Pacific Ocean and used a simulated target as the basis for this flight test.
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Meteor missile takes to the skies with Europe's new generation fighters
MBDA's Meteor missile underwent an unprecedented test programme involving Europe’s three new fighter aircraft this week.
A Rafale M on Dec. 11 started a week-long series of flight trials from Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. These mark the first carrier-launched flight trials of Meteor.
A Gripen started flight trials in Sweden on Dec. 13. A RAF Typhoon will start trials this week.
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ROVER System Revolutionizes F-14's Ground Support Capability
History was made Dec. 11 when aircraft 207 of VF-213 took off from USS Theodore Roosevelt.
A forward air controller located on the ground near Baghdad was able to see what the aircraft is seeing in real time for the first time.
The Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) system transmits real-time images to the controller's laptop.
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Search for HSL-48 Air Crew Officially Terminated
The USN has terminated search and rescue efforts for a SH-60B helicopter and its crew.
The HSL-48 helicopter crashed while in international waters west of Colombia Dec. 13.
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Belgium Selects the NH90 Helicopter
Belgium is the 14th country to select the NH90 helicopter. The country will buy 10 NH90.
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Boeing to Integrate Communications Systems Upgrades for New Zealand's 757s
Boeing will be upgrading the communications systems of New Zealand's two Boeing 757 multi-mission military aircraft.
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Stennis Begins Sea Trials Following DPIA
USS John C. Stennis is at sea for a weeklong phase of sea trials Dec. 12 after spending more than 11 months receiving extensive equipment and technology upgrades.
During the shipyard and dry-dock availability, Stennis received a complete hull restoration above and below the waterline, as well as a complete refurbishment of the shafts, rudders and screws. Many on-board flight, operational and weapons systems were upgraded, including the Capstone self-defense system, new damage control and digital helm technology.
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Greece buying 30 more Lockheed-made F-16s (Free Registration)
The sale of 30 F-16s to Greece would extend F-16 production and hundreds of jobs at Lockheed’s Fort Worth plant through 2009.
However it won’t save the jobs of hundreds of other F-16 workers due to be laid off in 2006.
Lockheed Martin needed the order to avoid a gap in the three to four year production cycle that would have resulted in higher costs and perhaps additional job losses.
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Greece and the United States Sign Agreement for Sale of Additional Lockheed Martin Advanced F-16 Block 52+ Aircraft to Greece
Greece is ordering 30 F-16 Block 52+ with an option for an additional 10 aircraft.
The Hellenic Air Force will take delivery of the new aircraft in 2009.
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HSL-48 SH-60B Crashes in Eastern Pacific
A U.S. Navy SH-60B helicopter from HSL 48 crashed in the international waters west of Colombia the morning of Dec. 13.
Three crew members were on board, and their status us unknown at this time.
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Britain buys Russian surface-to-air missiles in fight against terrorism
Britain has secretly bought dozens of Russian surface-to-air missiles to develop counter measures against them. Thanks to Jennifer for sending me the story.
Scientist are working with the shoulder-launched missile in order to protect British aircraft and service personnel from terrorist that may employ them.
Ministry of Defence scientists and gunners from the Royal Artillery have test-fired them at UK bases.
The exact model of the missile was withheld at the request of the government but from the description given by the article, it most probably the Igla.
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Phone Lines Go Dead at Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops’ Headquarters
A technical fault caused a number of telephone lines to be cut at the headquarters of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops.
They are using mobile phones for the time being.
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MiG-29 upgrades
RSK MiG is offering the MiG-29SMT and MiG-29SM upgrade to Malaysia.
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Lockheed Martin to Build High Altitude Airship Under $149.2 Million Missile Defense Agency Contract
Lockheed Martin will build a prototype High Altitude Airship for the Missile Defense Agency.
It will be about 400 feet long and 140 feet in diameter.
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RAF acts on Hercules shoot-down
The RAF will review its operational tactics, intelligence collation and dissemination procedures after losing a C-130K to hostile fire in Iraq.
It is now studying equipping its transports with fire-inerting systems to reduce the risk of a potentially explosive fuel/air mix.
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MIG 21 crashes in Assam, pilot safe
An Indian Air Force MiG-21 crashed near Assam's Tezpur airbase on Tuesday. The crashed MIG 21 was Type 77.
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Yak-130 combat trainer at LIMA 2005
The Yak-130 attracted alot of attention at the recent Lima 05 air show in Malaysia.
Nikolai Dimidyuk, director-at-large for Rosoboronexport, said there was serious interest from Malaysia and Indonesia.
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Pakistan receives two F-16 aircraft
Pakistan recieved two F-16s from the United States on Tuesday, according to a Pakistan Air Force statement.
The F-16s are in the A/B class.
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Pentagon plans more V-22 Osprey cuts
The Pentagon is cutting the U.S. Marine Corps' budget to buy V-22 Osprey helicopters for the second time.
The 2007-2011 spending plan would add to V-22 cuts the Bush administration already proposed in his 2006 budget.
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Korea Picks European Firm for Chopper Project
South Korea has chosen Eurocopter as the partner for the Korean Helicopter Program.
The program will build 245 helicopters over the next 20 years with technology transfers from Eurocopter.
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Army extends review of Lockheed spy plane (Free Registration)
The U.S. Army extended a stop-work order by 30 days for the Aerial Common Sensor program.
This is to give the Army more time to review Lockheed Martin's four detailed proposals.
Labels: ACS
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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Supersonic Raptor drops first guided bomb
An F/A-22 recently dropped its first guided supersonic JDAM at Edwards Air Force Base.
The F/a-22 has done several supersonic separation tests since July but this is the first time the bomb was guided to its target.
The supersonic JDAM capability allows the Raptor to deliver the weapon from a much greater distance than any other aircraft.
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Russia supplies two Mi-35 copters to Burkina Faso
Russia has sold two Mi-35 helicopters to Burkina Faso, West Africa.
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Three to develop mini-UAV
Composite Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM), Ikramatic and System Consultancy Services (SCS) will set up a joint venture company to develop a mini UAV for the Malaysian army.
The UAV will have a gross weight of 150-200kg (330-440lb), a payload of 25-50kg and a range of about 200km.
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US Navy considers Global Hawk deployment
The U.S. Navy wants to deploy the two RQ-4A Global Hawks originally purchased to perform high-altitude surveillance demonstrations.
The navy's RQ-4A features new maritime search radar modes and a 360° LR100 signals intelligence sensor.
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Greepeace protests scrapping of 'Clemenceau' in India
Greenpeace wants France to abandon its plan to send its decommissioned aircraft carrier Clemenceau to India for scrapping.
Activists from India and Europe scaled the mast of the carrier, unfurling a banner reading "Asbestos Carrier Stay Out of India."
The 48-year-old ship has been banned from Greece and Turkey.
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Malaysia expected to delay AEW&C purchase yet again
Malaysia may again delay the acquisition of four airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft because of budget constraints.
Malaysia came close to signing a contract for EMB-145 AEW&C aircraft in 2003.
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Air force secretary thinks F-35A will survive
U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne says while the total number of F-35 may be cut by hundreds, all three versions will survive.
Insiders had earlier said that the Pentagon plans to kill the F-35A.
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Hornet talks
Malaysia has renewed its interests to buy up to 18 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets.
Boeing however thinks a Super Hornet buy is not likely in the short term.
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Turkish Air Force to Provide F-16 Training for Italian
The Turkish Air Force is now to provide F-16 pilot training to Italian Air Force.
The agreement was signed between Turkey and Italy on Aug 26.
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Iran tests surface-to-sea missiles
Iran tested its Silkworm anti-ship missiles during military maneuvers in southern Iran on Monday.
The firing of the Silkworms was the most important event for the maneuvers.
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Algeria and India offered trade-in deal for MiG-31s
RSK MiG is offering Algeria and India a trade-in program to exchange their small fleets of MiG-25s for new MiG-31s.
Their MiGs will be used to provide spare parts for Libya and Syria.
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$145m pilotless plane buy for army
Australia plans to introduce the IAI I-View UAV in 2008 based at Enoggera, in Queensland.
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VFMA 134 conducts live fire exercise
VMFA-134's F/A-18s conducted their air-to-air missile exercise recently firing 13 sidewinders.
In addition to air-to-air training, VMFA 134 squeezed in some air-to-ground tactical training.
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Kuwait seeks NATO aid on nuke threat
Kuwait is seeking more Patriot PAC-3 anti-ballistic missile interceptors to protect against possible future attacks.
It is also studying what additional advanced radar systems they might need to purchase in the near future to upgrade the Patriots' capabilities.
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Kuala Lumpur decides on new PC-7s rather than upgrade
Malaysia will buy 16 Pilatus PC-7 Mk IIs instead of upgrading its ageing fleet of 33 PC-7 Mk Is or introduce a new primary trainer.
Malaysia found it was more economical to buy replacement aircraft rather than upgrade the earlier model PC-7s.
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Ukraine threatens Russia's missile defense security
A Russian newspaper said that Ukraine was willing to give American experts access to its early-warning radar facilities in Sevastopol.
U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko discussed this issue during a meeting in Kiev last Wednesday.
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F-15K Fighter Gets New Name
The South Korean Air Force has christened the F-15K the 'Slam Eagle' on Monday.
The christening ceremony for the F-15K in Daegu was attended by 1,200 people including Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung.
An Air Force official said the name was meant to suggest 'the strongest jet that wins all aerial combat.'
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Australia studies Boeing C-17 offer
Australia’s national security committee has considered an unsolicited proposal for the purchase of four C-17s.
The Austalian order will not be sufficient to relieve the C-17’s looming production line crisis.
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Airborne Laser Completes Laser Ground Tests
Airborne Laser has successfully completed a series of tests involving its high energy laser at the Systems Integration Lab at Edwards Air Force Base.
During this test series, lasing duration and power were demonstrated at levels suitable for the destruction of multiple classes of ballistic missiles.
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SKorea may announce 6 bln usd helicopter deal partner today
South Korea's defense ministry said it will name the co-developer for the Korean Helicopter Project as early as today.
"The announcement may be today or tomorrow," an official at the Korean Helicopter Project office said.
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Fighter pilots and jets are outfitted with SantaCams to Track Santa
Canadian Forces CF-18's will be fitted with SantaCams and pilots will undergoing specialized training to escort Santa on Christmas eve.
Fighters from 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta and 3 Wing Bagotville in Quebec will be ready to scramble and intercept Santa when he enters North American air space.
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Monday, December 12, 2005
Singapore Seals Deal to Acquire Twelve F-15SG
Singapore has signed a contract with Boeing Dec. 12 to acquire 12 F-15SG (designated "SG" for "Singapore").
The F-15SG will be the most advanced variant of the F-15. The contract also provides an option for 8 more aircraft at a future date.
The 12 F-15SG are expected to be delivered in 2008/09. Just in time for the new Changi Airshow perhaps.
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Marines’ quick action prevents Harrier mishap
Quick action from a pilot and a mechanic prevented an AV-8B Harrier from causing injury and damage onboard USS Peleliu Nov. 30.
Captain Derek C. Bibby was preparing to take off in his Harrier when the aircraft's brakes failed. He reposition the exhaust nozzles forward to brake the plane.
Corporal Frank A. Valenzuela then ran underneath the aircraft and quickly secured it by tying it down with chocks and chains.
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Future of the Chinese Air Force
Not sure if this picture is photoshoped but its a matter of time the two make an official appearance. Picture from China Defense Blog.
J-10 escorting an AWAC.
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Northrop Grumman, L-3 Turn F/A-22 Radar Into Wide-Bandwidth Data Link
Northrop Grumman and L-3 Communications researchers are turning the AESA radars for the F/A-22 and F-35 into advanced communications devices.
Researchers have already demonstrated the transfer of a 72-megabyte synthetic aperture radar image in 3.5 sec. at a data rate of 274 Mbps compared to 48 min. on today's standard Link 16.
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Israel: No plans to strike Iran
Israel is denying a report that it is preparing to strike Iran's nuclear facilities by end of March 2006.
Sunday Times reported that the order was relayed to the army after intelligence officials warned the government that Iran has already activated uranium enrichment facilities hidden at civilian locations.
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Iranian lawmakers want defense minister
Iranian lawmakers want to sack the country's defense minister over a C-130 crash that killed more than 100 people.
50 lawmakers have signed a petition calling for Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar's impeachment.
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LIMA '05: Success despite poor turnout
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that despite low turnout, the Lima 05 is still a success.
He said that those who turn up are decision makers like Defence Ministers and chief of armed forces.
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Egypt Produces 80 Chinese-Designed K-8E Aircraft in Past Five Years
Egypt has successfully manufactured 80 Chinese-designed K-8E aircraft in the past five years.
AOI/ACL began to assemble K-8E aircraft in July 2000. K-8E is an Egyptian version of the K-8 series.
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Four vie for Army contract (Free Registration)
Only one out of the four contestants trying to supply the U.S. Army with utility helicopters is design, developed and made in the United States.
Analysts say it's hard to pick a clear favorite.
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Sunday, December 11, 2005
PM, Kongsak deny latest Sondhi claim
Thai Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana said he is ready to be investigated over the claims by government critic Sondhi Limthongkul that he wants to profit from the sale of Su-30s to Thailand.
He said that no such deal was sign during his term as Air Force chief.
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Airmen play Santa in annual Christmas drop for Pacific islanders
Three USAF C-130 cargo planes dropped boxes containing gifts and supplies to the residents of 55 of the outer islands of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia.
This is the 53rd time that military and civilian personnel in Guam collected, boxed and parachuted donations to the people living on the islands.
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Army official says communication between C-130 pilot and tower recorded
An Iranian official said that the radio communication between the airport tower and the C-130 that crashed on Tuesday had been recorded.
One of the engines on the plane had failed and three other engines were working fine before the crash.
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Forces buy more crash-prone surveillance drones
The Canadian Forces is buying five new Sperwer UAVs for the Kandahar, Afghanistan mission.
They had previously bought six Sperwer to Kabul two years ago and there were 14 incidents in 36 launches.
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Saturday, December 10, 2005
Army to Build Three Combat Helicopter Squadrons
The Indonesian army will soon build three combat helicopter squadrons of Mi-17, Mi-35 and Bell helicopters.
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Prince's RAF jet 'lift' defended
The British Ministry of Defence is defending the flight of Prince William on a RAF Hawk on Wednesday.
The Ministry denied that the Hawk flew from Anglesey especially to take Prince William home.
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SONDHI STRIKES AGAIN: A Russian blitz
Thai media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul alleged that plans to buy the Su-30 by the government was a ploy to earn Bt3.5 billion of commission fees for some politicians.
Sondhi said that former Air Force Chief and now Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Wantana had pushed for the deal despite the Air Force rejecting the Sukhoi, which was considered to be too large and unsuitable for the RTAF.
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Air Force Chief idenitifes possible Cannon mission
The USAF has identified a new role for Cannon Air Base according to a press release from the offices of New Mexico’s U.S. senators.
The nature of the new mission is not revealed however.
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AgustaWestland Hands Over The First Malaysian A109LOH
During a ceremony held on Dec. 8 at Lima 2005, the first A109 LOH was handed over to the Malaysian Army Aviation.
A total of 11 A109 LOH will be delivered.
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Defective US F-16 gets new engine
A USAF C-130 arrived Thursday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to deliver the new engine for the F-16 that made an emergency landing there two weeks ago.
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T-Bolts, Sidewinders back from USS Enterprise
VMFA-251 and VFA-86 have completed a month-long training exercise with Carrier Air Wing One aboard the USS Enterprise Nov. 22.
Both squadrons will deploy on for a six month cruise this spring.
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RMAF Pilot Records 1,000 Flying Hours In MiG-29
RMAF 12th Squadron Commanding Officer Lt Kol Sunthon Eh Kaue is the first RMAF pilot to achieve 1,000 hours on the MiG-29.
It took him 1,400 flights to reach 1,000 hours.
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More C-17s too much
U.S. Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of the U.S. Transportation Command, said the service needs more tankers than C-17s.
What the Air Force need is a new tanker aircraft that can refuel airplanes but which can also be converted to carry troops and cargo.
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Navy's helicopter time bomb
Australian Navy's aviation squadrons are plagued by lack of experience and supervision, according to a survey.
There was also a culture of blame and an attitude that airworthiness manuals are for the "strict adherence of fools."
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Boeing's defense chief has doubts about a new tanker program
Chief of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems said that he doubts the Pentagon will replace its aging KC-135 soon.
So instead of waiting for the tanker program to materialise, he has a three-pronged plan to boost revenue.
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Friday, December 09, 2005
Jordan offers used F-5 jet fighters to Indonesia
Jordan has offered a number of its
F-5 fighters to Indonesia as a grant.
Indonesia has accepted the offer.
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U.S. Air Force Exploring Upgrading Or Replacing HC-130 Tankers
The U.S. Air Force has begun looking at possibly upgrading or replacing its aging HC-130 tankers.
The Combat Rescue Tanker Replacement (CRT-X) program will upgrade or replace the tanker.
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Contract Introduces Super Tucano Into International Market
The Super Tucano has its first export deal. Embraer is selling 25 Super Tucanos to Colombia.
The aircraft will be used for internal security and border patrol missions.
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U.S. looking to thwart $1 billion Israel-South Korea arms deal
After failing to convince the South Koreans to buy the Boeing 737 AEW&C, Washington said that the Israeli G550 would require export approval for U.S. parts.
IAI clarified that its in the process of getting the export approval and Seoul agreed to give Israel more time to obtain the permits.
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Trishul test fired in Orissa
India test fired its short range Trishul surface-to-air missile on Dec. 8.
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Family says journalist kidnapped in Pakistan
A Pakistani journalist has been kidnapped after photographing the metal remnants of what appeared to be a US missile that killed al-Qaida No. 3 leader.
Hayatullah Khan's picture showed a fragment with the marking 'AGM-114' on it.
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Sea King choppers grounded again
The Australian Navy has grounded it Sea King helicopters again after a maintenance defect was found.
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Wills is in the heir force
Britain's Prince William flew in a RAF Hawk on Dec. 7 as part of his work experience with the RAF in Wales.
He also flew in a Griffin rescue training helicopter.
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E-10A Program Proposes Delay To Absorb Budget Cut
The U.S. Air Force wants to slow down developement of the E-10A program by several years as part of a restructuring spurred by a late-2004 funding cut.
The USAF will now receive its fourth E-10A in 2018 instead of 2015.
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CTRM gets AirBus Military job
As part of the deal to buy four A400Ms from Airbus, Malaysia's Composite Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd will get to design and manufacture composite components for the transport.
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Hercules crew were not given vital warning that may have saved them
The Board of Inquiry into the crash of an RAF Hercules in Iraq on Jan. 30 found that vital intelligence that could have saved the crew was not passed to them.
Information about two U.S. helicopters that came under fire earlier in the area the C-130 was flying arrived by e-mail one hour and 20 minutes before the plane was shot down.
It also found that the Air Component Headquarters which handles such intelligence was not manned round the clock.
Findings of the Board of Inquiry into the loss of RAF Hercules XV179
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Airbus A400M to arrive in 2013
Malaysia will get two of the four Airbus A400M it just ordered in 2013 and the rest in 2014.
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Malaysia goes with Airbus
Malaysia signed an order on Thursday to buy four Airbus A400M with delivery from 2013.
Airbus said it is talking to Chile about another 3 aircraft, with a deal expected in the first quarter of 2006.
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Top US radar system for Indian defence
The United States may offer Raytheon's APG-79 AESA to India as part of a package for its 126 fighter contest.
Lt Gen Jeffrey Kohler, head of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, says the sale is under study.
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HSL-41 Receives Navy’s First MH-60R Helicopters
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) (HSL) 41 was the first squadron to receive two of the Navy’s new MH-60R Seahawk helicopters Dec. 5.
The MH-60R replaces the SH-60B and SH-60F Seahawk helicopters.
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Thursday, December 08, 2005
Reuters Summit-Boeing still confident on future tankers
Boeing is confident that it will have an aircraft for U.S. Air Force as a refueling tanker even if it has to shut its 767 production line.
Randy Baseler, Boeing's vice president of marketing for commercial airplanes, said a decision to close the line will be made next year.
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Iran blamed over Tehran air crash
Reports say that the Iranian C-130 that crashed into a building had experienced technical problems all morning before take off.
Iranian media also say the pilot had asked twice to return to Mehrabad airport to make an emergency landing but was refused due to heavy traffic.
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Thales and Elop to provide payloads for Watchkeeper UAV
Thales and Israeli firm Elop are to provide the mission payloads for the UK’s Watchkeeper WK450 UAV.
Both companies will supply their I-Master synthetic-aperture radar/ground moving target indication (SAR/GMTI) and Compass IV electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) systems.
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Boeing Completes Demonstration Flights for Combat Search and Rescue Vehicle
Boeing has successfully completed a series of MH-47G demonstration flights for the U.S. Air Force for its bid for the Air Force Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR-X) Program.
Conducted over three days, the exercise uses a MH-47G to represent the proposed HH-47.
Labels: CSAR-X
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Official: Air Force could reduce tanker order
The USAF could choose to overhaul its KC-135 fleet instead of buying new tankers.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said that to reporters at the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit in Washington, D.C.
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Joint STARS crew, aircraft help rescue downed pilot
A JSTARS from the USAF 116th Air Control Wing was diverted from an exercise to act as a airborne mission commander for 11 other aircraft and several surface ships looking for the pilot of a USMC AV-8B that ejected on Tuesday.
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Turkish Air Force $1.5bn Boeing deal back on
Turkey has resolved a contract dispute with Boeing over the supply of two 737 AWACS.
Turkey's procurement office, the Undersecrateriat for Defense Industries, wants to ammend some clauses related to the escalation rate in the original 2002 contract.
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Pearl carrier decision due in '06
USN Adm. Michael G. Mullen said a decision on whether a nuclear aircraft carrier will be based at Pearl Harbor is expected to be made next year.
Gen. Paul Hestor, head of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, last week said it would be complicated to have a carrier stationed there because limited space to base its nearly aircraft while at port.
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India planning more joint defence exercises
India plans to have joint defence exercises with countries like Britain, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia and Indonesia.
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India to set up new missile base in Haldia
The Indian Navy wants to build a naval battery with missile firing capabilities in Haldia, West Bengal.
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Akash missile test-fired
India test-fired its Akash surface-to-air missile yesterday from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
The missile was last fired on Dec. 3.
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Sikorsky Opens State-of-the-Art MH-92 Helicopter Fly-by-Wire System Integration Lab
Sikorsky has opened the company’s new MH-92 helicopter fly-by-wire system integration lab.
The new lab will develop, integrate and test the fly-by-wire and avionic systems for the MH-92, a military variant of Sikorsky’s medium-lift S-92.
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No defence missile arrangement with US: Pranab
India Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India has not entered into any missile arrangement with the U.S. under the defence framework with Washington.
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CSAR-X: Boeing’s Big Army Lifter Meeting USAF Challenges
Boeing’s CSAR-X team told reporters that the CH-47D can be disassemble in one hour 36 minutes and put together in two hours 58 minutes to meet USAF requirements.
It has 40 percent more cabin volume over rivals S-92 and EH-101.
Labels: CSAR-X
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Virginia Beach unveils Oceana plan
Virginia Beach City on Tuesday unveiled a series of proposals to save the master jet base at Oceana Naval Air Station.
A new item was a proposal to use condemnation as a last resort to acquire vacant land zoned to permit houses in Accident Potential Zone 1.
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Boeing's look at the future of war
David Koopersmith, Boeing's X-45 program manager, was in Seattle Tuesday with a full-scale mock-up of the X-45C to show the 300 or so Boeing engineers working on the software and ground computers.
Two X-45Cs are in development in St. Louis with the first flight scheduled for 2007.
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Two Russian firms plan one-stop service centre
Aerospace Technology Systems Corp Sdn Bhd will set up a joint one-stop service centre in Malaysia to service RMAF's MiG-29s and Su-30MKMs.
The RMAF will take delivery of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM by 2007.
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Navy eyes tech link on US aviation project
Boeing’s Vice-President Chris Chadwick had a short-notice meeting on Nov. 30 with Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash to brief the latter on the P-8A MMA.
Chadwick was in India to brief the IAF on the Super Hornet. India wants to be a technology partner on the MMA.
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WWII fighter pilot sells medals
RAF WW2 Squadron Leader, Neville Duke, has sold his medals to a private collector.
The medals included a distinguished Flying Cross with two bars and an OBE. His wartime diaries, his mother's scrap book of newspaper cuttings and log books were sold as well.
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Russia offers TU-22M3 strategic bombers to India
Russia has offered to sell several long-range Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers to India.
Russia made the offer to India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during talks in Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said.
The leasing of up to three TU-22M3 Backfire-C bombers was part of the aircraft carrier 'Admiral Gorshkov' package to India.
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Najib Says Malaysia Will Have Attack Helicopters In The Future
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia will have attack helicopters one day.
However when and the type have not been determined yet. Malaysia will build its capability starting with the Augusta 109 light observation helicopter.
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Russian plane accused of violating Estonian airspace
Estonia is accusing a Russian An-12transport plane on route to the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad of violating its airspace.
The plane flew about 3km into Estonian airspace near the island of Vaindloo and remain there for about a minute.
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Singapore Air Force with Arizona Army National Guard for Long Haul (Video)
KOLD News-13 interviews Lt. Col. Christopher Wong of RSAF's Peace Vanguard detachment at Pinal Air Park, Arizona.
Peace Vanguard is RSAF's AH-64D training detachment in the United States.
Video link
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U.S., Japan examines site for radar system
A site in northeastern Japan is being considered as a base for an X-Band radar system by United States and Japan.
Both countries are studying the site at a Japanese air force base in Aomori, 360 miles northeast of Tokyo.
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Five Killed in Helicopter Crash in Russia’s Far East
A Mi-8 medical helicopter has crashed near Russia’s Far Eastern city of Nikolayevsk-on-Amur.
Three crews and two doctors were killed.
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India set to get 2 US spy planes
Washington's plan to lease two Lockheed Martin P-3Cs to India is not expected to meet any resistance in Congress.
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767 tanker may have a new competitor: the 777
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the Boeing 777 is being favoured over the 767 as the next USAF tanker.
The thinking is that the larger 777 can carry more passengers and equipment, in addition to its role of inflight refueling.
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‘Golden Eagles’ become 2nd to house new MV-22 Osprey
USMC's HMM-162 will be the second squadron to transition to the Osprey and will be operational next November.
All 12 of the squadron’s CH-46E aircraft were transferred to other locations.
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Carrier announcement draws mixed reactions in Japan
Local leaders from Yokosuka are mixed over the replacement of USS Kitty Hawk by USS George Washington.
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LIMA: Jernas To Fortify Nation's Defence System
Malaysia's Jernas Air Defense System will be operational by early next year.
Jernas consists of Rapier MK2 guided missiles, the Blindfire detector radar and the Dagger monitoring radar.
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Harrowing night rescue earns MacKay award
Stars and Stripes is running an article describing the daring rescue by two HH-60G Pave Hawks that earn the crew the 2004 U.S. Air Force Clarence MacKay Trophy.
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Marine pilot rescued off Florida Coast
A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier crashed into the water about 20 miles east of St. Augustine on Tuesday.
The Coast Guard rescued the pilot after four hours of searching.
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RAAF Orion to show anti-terror power
An RAAF Orion will demonstrate its anti-terror capabilities in the Philippines this week.
The RAAF would demonstrate the AP-3C aircraft's maritime patrolling capabilities to senior Philippines government and military officials.
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Top guns to wait years for fighters
Australia would have to wait until at least 2014 to take delivery of its first combat squadron of 16 F-35s.
Lockheed Martin says the first aircraft would be available to Australia in mid-2012 with the rest by 2014.
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Made In Malaysia Drag Chute For RMAF MiG 29 Aircraft To Get Certification
Aerospace Technology Systems Corp Sdn Bhd (ATSC) and the RMAF has come up with a local design drag chute for the MiG-29 that suits the Malaysian environment.
The ATEV-29 had been tested in 40 landings. Compared to the present drag chute, the ATEV-29 is modular in design to reduce costs.
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Russia, India sign MiG fighter contract
Russia has signed a contract with the Indian Navy to deliver 16 MiG-29K Fulcrum D fighters.
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South Korean Jet Trainers Vie With Italian, UK Competitors
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is in a race against Aermacchi and BAE Systems to supply jet trainers to Greece.
The Hellenic Air Force needs 45 new trainers and will make a decision next month.
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India, Russia likely to share Tajik airbase
Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said that Russia and India is likely to share the Aini airbase in Tajikistan.
The Indian Air Force is currently modernising the base and Russia wants to base helicopter gunships and air force squadrons there.
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F-14 Program Builds Historic Business Bridge to Poland
The U.S. Navy approached a Polish aerospace company when it wanted to replace the transmitter bay access panel on the F-14 Tomcat.
PZL-Swidnik is the first foreign company has contributed to the F-14’s structure. It is also the first time the U.S. Navy has acquired a major aircraft part from a former East Block country.
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S.Africa talking to Saab for Denel partnership
South Africa is in talks with Swedish aerospace group Saab AB to partner state-owned arms firm Denel in some areas of operation.
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Boeing offers tradeoffs to clinch fighter deal
The Hornet Industrial Team (GE, Raytheon and Northrop) are exploring different sectors of India's industry to offer offsets to help the Super Hornet clich the deal to supply 126 fighters to IAF.
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Ramstein officials mum about alleged CIA flights
Ramstein Air Base officials are staying quiet about the alleged CIA flights used to transport terror suspects throughout Europe.
The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the CIA used two planes registered as private aircraft that accounted for 283 flights or landings in 2002 and 2003 in Ramstein, Berlin and Frankfurt.
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Agency will study military sites as possible locations for airport
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is looking at several military sites as possible locations for a joint-use regional airport.
Camp Pendleton, Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and North Island Naval Air Station are in the review.
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Second Boeing X-50A Dragonfly Canard Rotor/Wing Prototype Completes Hover Flight
The second X-50A Dragonfly canard rotor/wing (CRW) technology demonstrator has successfully completed a four-minute hover flight.
The aircraft reached an altitude of about 20 feet above ground at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in southwest Arizona.
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Ministry Examines Procedural Matters in AWACS Purchase
South Korea's plan to buy four G550 early warning aircraft from IAI has hit a snag as some key components are banned from being sold without an export license from the United States.
The components are Data Link (link 11 and 16), IFF (Identification Friend or Foe), SATCOM, UHF/VHF Have Quick Radio, and GPS P(Y).
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Lobbying continues as Eurocopter awaits KHP contract from Seoul
Eurocopter is expected to partner with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to develop and build 245 army utility helicopters for the Korea Helicopter Programme.
Sources say some factions within the defence ministry and programme office are refusing to support the Eurocopter proposal.
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Dutch ready to double C-130 fleet
The Royal Netherlands Air Force will double its fleet of the tactical transports when it receive two ex-U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules.
The aircraft will join the air force’s two C-130H-30s during 2007.
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Boeing and Cubic combine live and simulated training
Boeing and Cubic plan to demonstration in Alaska early next year by networking a Boeing-operated F-15 flight simulator into live exercises on Cubic-supplied air and ground combat training ranges.
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BAE assembles coalition to push case for JSF line
BAE Systems is studying the case for opening a final assembly and checkout line for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Italy is also trying to get approval for a final assembly line that can act as the European hub.
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Pratt & Whitney Completes First Flight Test F135 Engine for Joint Strike Fighter
Pratt & Whitney's has completed the F135 engine that will power the first flight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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Sino-Pakistani fighter improved
The FC-1/JF-17 has undergone a major redesign, including changes to its air intakes as well as the wing-fuselage join and rear fuselage section.
The fourth prototype (TP4) with new features has completed three months of trials.
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Two More New Fighter Planes Fly Toward Korea
Two more RoKAF F-15Ks are expected to arrive today in South Korea.
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Raytheon's APG-79 AESA Radar for the F/A-18 Super Hornet Sets a New Standard as it Delivers Multiple JDAMs Simultaneously on Target
Raytheon's APG-79 has successfully delivered multiple JDAMs using real-time targeting coordinates derived from a high resolution SAR image during recent testing at the U.S. Navy's China Lake facility.
The JDAM test also employed the ATFLIR system to provide imagery of the targeting area. ATFLIR recorded the impact of the weapons against two diverse targets, confirming simultaneous weapon delivery while providing post-impact bomb damage information.
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First A400M propeller ready for February test flight
Airbus Military A400M's first propeller has been completed and is ready for its first run next year.
A Lockheed Martin C-130 testbed will conducted the flight test in 2007.
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Lockheed finds room for optimism
Lockheed Martin is optimistic despite three of its major aircraft programs are being threaten by cuts.
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Russia's New Super-Missiles
Russia and the United States have revived the strategic nuclear arms race according to this article.
While the U.S. is pushing to develop its anti-missile system, Russia is pouring money to test and upgrade its intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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Moody rescue crews receive MacKay Trophy
Two USAF HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter aircrews received the Clarence McKay Trophy for a rescue mission in Iraq in April 2004.
Members of the 41st Rescue Squadron and the 38th Rescue Squadron rescued the five-person crew of an Army CH-47 that crashed in a sandstorm near Kharbut, Iraq, Apr. 16, 2004.
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Russia ready to supply anti-aircraft systems to Iran - Ivanov
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has confirmed that the Tor-M1 (SA-15) will be sold to Iran.
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Sea Harrier crashes in Goa, pilot dies
An Indian Navy Sea Harrier crashed at Goa’s Dabolim airport while on take-off roll.
It veered off the runway and smashed into a compound wall before bursting into flames.
The crash killed its pilot Lt Commander H S Pannu.
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'Enemy fire' forces down Chinooks
The two U.S. Chinooks helicopters that made emergency landings in Afghanistan on Sunday were brought down by enemy fire.
Both came down in seperate locations in South Afghanistan.
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Hiding behind the numbers
U.K's National Audit Office's annual Major Projects report has omitted all new cost information on the acquisition of 232 Eurofighter Typhoons.
NAO agreed to hide the numbers as revealing programme values at this stage would "give commercial advantage to others during the Tranche 3 [contract] negotiations already under way."
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RSK MiG sweetens Indian fighter offer
RSK MiG will offer the MiG-35 instead of the MiG-29M2 to India for its 126-aircraft lightweight fighter contest.
The MiG-35 comes with RD-33MK all-axis thrust-vectoring engines, an active phased-array radar and have an airframe life of 6,000h.
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Monday, December 05, 2005
U.S. Missile, al-Qaida Death May Be Linked
Pakistani tribesmen on Sunday displayed parts of a missile that could have killed al Qaeda operations chief Abu Hamza Rabia.
The metal pieces bore the designator "AGM-114," the words "guided missile" and the initials "US."
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Moscow Inks Arms Deal With Tehran
Besides selling the Tor-M1 to Iran, discussions are underway between the two countries to upgrade Iran's MiG-29s.
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Russia: Weapons to Iran for Defense Only
Russia clarified that the sale of up to 30 Tor-M1 missile systems to Iran is for defensive purposes.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the sales fully complied with nonproliferation commitments and Russian law.
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Santa arrives for party in an F-15E
Santa Claus arrived Saturday on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base at the 4th Maintenance Operations Group children's Christmas party in an F-15E Strike Eagle.
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U.S. Choppers Make Emergency Landings in Afghanistan
Two U.S. Chinooks made emergency landings in separate areas in southern Afghanistan on Sunday.
Five U.S. soldiers were injured in a landing north of Kandahar that seriously damaged the helicopter.
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Local Air Force Reserve wing head set for promotion
Col. Robert O. Tarter, a USAF reservist working with Delta Airlines, has been nominated by President George W. Bush for promotion to brigadier general.
Tarter is the wing commander of the 917th Wing, a combined B-52 bomber and A-10 fighter unit at Barksdale Air Force Base.
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Syria boosts accuracy of its Scud D missile
Syria is attempting to give greater guidance capability and accuracy to the Scud D missile.
The conclusion came from the examination of pieces of a Scud D missile that went off course after a test launch and landed in southern Turkey.
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LIMA '05: Langkawi sky abuzz with jets, copters
The Eurocopter Tiger has flown in to attend the Langkawi Air Show after spending sometime at Kuala Lumpur.
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Britain in battle with US over fighter plane
Britain is threatening to pull out of the Joint Strike Fighter, the Sunday Times reported, citing unidentified British defense officials.
London wants to pull out due to Pentagon’s reluctance to the transfer of technology, and because of likely increases in the price of each plane.
The alternative plan is to have the Eurofighter Typhoon adapted for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers.
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A ''wrenchturner'' helps keep the aging F-14s in the sky
Virginian-Pilot reporter Louis Hansen interviews Lt. Tommy Ober, maintenance material control officer, of VF-31.
Louis Hansen and photographer Hyunsoo Leo Kim are spending two weeks onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
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Indy drivers aid military with crash research (Free Registration)
USAF researchers are using data collected by Indy 500 drivers to help develop an ejection seat and harness for the Joint Strike Fighter.
Special earpieces embedded with accelerometers worn by the drivers help measure the speed of the head during an impact.
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Sunday, December 04, 2005
With the 5th Fleet: Pilots scan for hot spots of insurgent activity
60 airmen and five aircraft from VFA-15 and VFA-87 spent Nov. 17 -25 at Al Asad, Iraq working alongside with the USMC.
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Bitter Indian experience shadows Turk UAV choice
Turkey is concern about the recent UAV crashes experienced by India as they bought the same type of UAVs from Israel.
Turkey choose IAI and Elbit in April this year in a deal worth $183 million.
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USS George Washington to Replace USS Kitty Hawk as U.S. Navy’s Forward Deployed Carrier
The U.S. Navy announced Dec. 2 that USS George Washington (CVN 73) will replace USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as the forward-deployed aircraft carrier in the western Pacific and will arrive in Yokosuka, Japan, in 2008.
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Bolivia commander takes blame for missiles
Bolivia's army commander took responsibility Friday for sending 28 surface-to-air missiles to the United States for deactivation.
Evo Morales, a presidential candidate, has increasingly made the destruction of the missiles a campaign issue.
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Surface-to-air missile Akash tested
India tested a Akash surface-to-air missile on Saturday from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at around 11 am. The Akash was tested with the Rajendra surveillance and engagement radar.
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Dynamic Weasel sharpens combat skills
Exercise Operation Dynamic Weasel has started at Shawn Air Force Base to prepare aircrew for combat deployments.
Dynamic Weasel will test the abilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-15 Strike Eagle, E-3 Sentry, RC-135 Rivet Joint and KC-10 Extender aircraft in a diverse threat environment.
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Saturday, December 03, 2005
Condor lands at Pope
An Antonov AN-124 Condor landed at Pope Air Base to pickup five UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for peacekeepers in Egypt.
The Black Hawks will replace the UH-1H Huey.
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Russia set to conduct second Bulava-M missile test launch
Russia will conduct the second in-flight test of the sea-based Bulava-M strategic ballistic missile in December.
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Indian aircraft snoops to pry out Chinese submarines
India sent its Tu-142s to track two Kilo class submarines that are on their way to China.
The submarines, mounted on a massive Merchant Vessel Tai an Kou, left St Petersburg, passed around Atlantic Ocean and reached the Cape of Good Hope where the Bears track them.
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Boeing A160 Hummingbird Completes Flight Test
Boeing announced the A160 Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft made its first test flight from an airfield near Victorville, Calif., Nov. 30.
The new A160 successfully flew for about 30 minutes.
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Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout UAV Moves Closer to Production with Completion of Critical Design Review
Northrop Grumman has successfully conducted a critical design review of its MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Navy.
The review moves the program closer to full-scale production and delivery of the vertical takeoff and landing UAV to the Navy.
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Russia reportedly to sell missiles to Iran
Russia has agreed to sell the Tor-M1 missile systems to Iran over the next two years.
The Tor-M1 system could identify up to 48 targets and fire at two targets simultaneously at a height of up to 20,000 feet.
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AirTanker consortium seeks private finance
EADS-led AirTanker consortium is seeking private finance to raise funds for the program.
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Interceptor jet to reach for the stars
An English Electric Lightning from Thunder City set a 6000m record on Wednesday in one minute and 10 seconds.
It will try to set a record for reaching a height of 9000m today.
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Russia annoyed at Poland missile shield plan: paper
General Yury Baluyevsky, chief of Russia's general staff, told a Polish newspaper that Russia is annoyed at Poland's plans to host a U.S. anti-missile system.
He added that such a system in central Europe would only make sense in a conflict with Russia.
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'Arrow' Scud buster test a success
An Israeli Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile on Friday successfully intercepted a Black Sparrow test missile simulating an Iranian Shihab 3 missile.
This is the 14th test of the Arrow 2 and successfully intercepted the target at a higher altitude than ever before.
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Navy report foretold Sea King accident
An Australian Navy report sent anonymously to the inquiry of the Sea King crash in Indonesia said the helicopter squadron had insufficient staff and assets and was headed for 'an accident'.
The document, written last year, about three months before Sea King Shark 02 crashed on the Indonesian island of Nias, killing nine personnel, says that there is an 'embedded culture of shortcuts and workarounds' in maintenance.
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F5 and F16 Revived, Sukhoi Program Continues
Indonesia wants to get 10 F-16s flying again after the arms embargo is removed by Washington.
It will proceed with the purchase of eight more Sukhois.
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Drilling 'Incompatible' With Military, Rumsfeld Says
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee that oil and gas drilling in much of the eastern Gulf of Mexico will affect military activities.
The drilling will affect the F/A-22 missions flying in the Gulf.
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Iraqi aircrew flies milestone mission
A nine-member crew of the Iraqi Air Force’s 23rd Airlift Squadron flew the first all-Iraqi aircrew solo mission Nov. 28.
The C-130E Hercules flew from Ali Air Base to New Al Muthana.
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Chopper pilots injured
A OH-58D Kiowa Warrior from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division made a hard landing on Thursday afternoon.
Both crew suffered minor injuries and were in stable conditions.
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Bulgaria Inks Contract with Elbit Systems For Helicopters Upgrade
Bulgaria has signed a long-disputed deal with Israel's Elbit Systems to modernize its Russian-made helicopters.
12 Mi-24 combat helicopters and six Mi-17 transport helicopters will be upgraded.
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PACAF commander discusses possibilities for Guam's military future
Commander of Pacfic Air Forces Gen. Paul Hester says there will be more fighter deployments to Guam over the next several years.
There are also plans to setup a Global Strike Task Force there.
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Version of JSF may be spared
U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, in an interview with Bloomberg News, said that the Pentagon is leaning away from removing a version of the F-35.
Wynne, however, stressed that the decision isn't final.
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First female T-bird pilot to fly here -- first
U.S. Air Force first female Thunderbird Nicole Malachowsk will make her first appearance with the team at the Florida International Air Show Apr. 1-2.
She began training last month with the T-Birds in an F-16 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
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Friday, December 02, 2005
Lockheed Martin Cites Bomber, Anti-IED Raptor
Lockheed Martin Corp. is working to further develop the F/A-22 Raptor's electronic attack capability.
It also envision a larger bomber variant capable of delivering 100,000 pounds of ordnance.
The variant will have payload doors that open, launch ordnance and close all within 1.5 seconds, minimizing the aircraft's radar signature.
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N. Korea: U.S. conducted 210 November spy flights
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said American aircraft made 210 spy flights against the country last month.
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India's second aircraft carrier to arrive in 2008
Admiral Gorshkov will arrive in Mumbai in the first half of 2008. The carrier has undergone several modifications and has been fitted with some Indian equipment.
Labels: INS Vikramaditya
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Italian special forces to undergo training here
The Italian Air Force will be bringing its latest maritime patrol aircraft, ATR42MP, and the Aermacchi MB399CD to Lima 05.
The MB399CD will be used to prepare RMAF pilots for the Su-30MKM. Italian Deputy Defence Minister Fillipo Berselli will officially hand over the Agusta A109M Light Utility Helicopter to the army as well.
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917th Wing airmen to receive awards
Five aircrew from the USAF 93rd Bomb Squadron will receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, with valor device.
They are decorated for heroism exhibited while participating in flight as B-52 crew members with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group.
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Gripens help small plane that lost connection with controllers
Czech Gripens scramble for the third time to help a Cessna that failed to establish contact with air traffic control.
They accompanied the Cessna to Prague where its pilot succeeded in establishing contact with the controllers just before landing.
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Wings keep Minuteman ready
Hill technicians are working to ensure that after entering service for five decades, the Minuteman ICBM missiles are ready for active service.
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Gripen for Denmark – The Future has arrived!
The Gripen DK will be offered to Denmark in response to a Request for Information by the Royal Danish Air Force Air Material Command.
The Gripen DK is based on the C- and D-versions but further enhanced and tailored specifically to suit the needs of the Royal Danish Air Force.
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Israel pushes S. Korean Phalcon sale
A key South Korean defense delegation canceled a visit to IAI's Elta radar factory this week following Washington's pressure on Seoul to opt for an American system
Lee Young-hwan, deputy minister for acquisitions meet Amos Gilad, the head of the Defense Ministry's political desk and other top officials.
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Pentagon Proposes Extension of F/A-22 Fighter Production Line
The Pentagon is proposing to extend production of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F/A-22 by two years, until 2010.
The proposal calls for slightly reduced production levels in 2007 and 2008.
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F-35 chief test pilot to give brief
The Joint Strike Fighter Chief Test Pilot Jon S. Beesley will be giving a talk 11:30 a.m. Dec. 8 organised by the Naval Aviation Foundation.
He will give a progress report on the development of the Joint Strike Fighter.
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The unforgettable flight of Juan Francisco Alfonso
Cuban Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Juan Francisco Alfonso Doval was a volunteer in the People’s Republic of Angola and was nearly shot down during a bombing mission on Feb. 11 1988.
His MiG-23ML was hit in the wing fuel tanks and he was forced to make a belly landing on a landing strip.
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Malaysia to buy four A400M Airbus military transporter planes
Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will witness the signing ceremony to buy four Airbus A400M on Dec. 8 at Lima 05.
Malaysia wants to use the A400M as a tactical tanker as well.
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Air Force wants tanker flexibility
U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said contract to build a new aerial refuelling tanker likely won't start until 2007.
This is because the service wants a multimission aircraft that can carry cargo, reconnaissance sensors and troops as well as fuel.
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Harriers return to Pax River
The AV-8B Harrier is back at Patuxent River after ten years for a short visit to test some upgraded features.
VX-9 is bringing the Harrier back for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Testing. It wants to test out the H4.0 block upgrades which allow carriage of the Litening AT pod on multiple weapon stations.
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El Al jets to be fitted with anti-missile protection
Israel has completed testing a missile defense system for civilian planes and El Al planes will be fitted with the system soon.
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Missile draws curious crowds in Orissa
Some fishermen have found the remains of a test fired missile from Bay of Bengal.
Scientists belive that its part of the BrahMos missile that was test fired recently.
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Candidate sues Bolivian leader for sending missiles to U.S.
Bolivian presidential candidate Evo Morales has sued the president and defence minister for destroying Chinese HN-5 anti-aircraft missiles .
Defence Minister Gonzalo Mendez said that the shoulder-launched missiles were obsolete and were deactivated for safety reasons.
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Thursday, December 01, 2005
Air Vectors : Aermacchi MB-326, MB-339, & M-346
Greg takes a look at the successful jet trainers from Italy's Aermacchi.
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Missile maker MBDA eyes growth, overhaul - paper
Missile maker MBDA expects its sales to rise by around 8 percent this year.
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C-17 Called Key to Long Beach Economy and National Security
Officials from California meet U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne on Tuesday to secure the future of the C-17.
Without a new contract, the C-17 will cease production in 2008.
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Russian missile force: all test launches in 2005 successful
Russia has completed all its strategic missile tests this year successfully.
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India successfully test-fires supersonic cruise missile
India has successfully test-fired the land version of its supersonic BrahMos cruise missile.
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High court raises compensation level for victims of noise pollution near U.S. Yokota Air Base
A Tokyo High Court has ordered the government to pay about 3.25 billion yen to about 5,500 plaintiffs living near the U.S. Yokota Air Base.
The high court also said that its inappropriate for the government to deny responsibility for compensation or to ask for a reduction of the amount.
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Japan’s Hidden Arms Trade
While Japan has officially ban weapon exports for 40 years, some of its products are being used in military equipment.
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Kingsville trains sight on other Navy base
Kingsville Naval Air Station thinks they have a 50-50 chance of snagging Oceana Naval Air Station's mission.
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Mi-26s head for Russia for repairs
An Indian Air Force Mi-26 helicopter has returned from Russia after undergoing major engine, airframe and avionics upgrade.
The second of four Mi-26 will be heading for Russia in a week's time.
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Chinese Company to Sell 250 More K-8 Aircraft in Next Decade
China expects to sell 250 K-8 trainers to overseas market over the next 10 years.
CATIC has sold 249 K-8 trainers since 1994.
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China works to develop cruise missiles
The People's Liberation Army has been working hard on developing its own long-range land-attack cruise missile, or LACM.
China's LACM research and development is focusing on acquiring the relevant technology from Russia and Ukraine and it may have also obtained blueprints of the Kh-65SE.
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Report outlines possible future of Otis Air Guard base
Otis Air National Guard base is looking at options to keep itself alive after its 102d Fighter Wing is transferred out.
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As Ties Wane, So Does Taste for US Arms
If IAI's G550 is selected over Boeing's 737 in South Korea's AWACS competition, it could mean the end of preferential treatment for American military equipment.
It also reflects the subtle change in Korean-American military relations.
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Jets will roar at Ysterplaat show
South African Air Force (SAAF) will celebrate their 85th anniversary at the Ysterplaat Air Force Base on Saturday.
An English Electric Lightning will attempt a new altitude record on that day.
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Boeing Begins Production Retrofit on NATO AWACS Fleet
Work has started on the first of 17 NATO AWACS aircraft as part of their Mid-Term Modernization program.
Upgrades include new work-station consoles and mission computers.
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Email warned of helicopter disaster
The Royal Australian Navy's aviation commander warned his superior six days before a fatal Sea King helicopter crash of a possible disaster.
Commodore Geoff Ledger told the then maritime commander, Rear Admiral Rowan Moffitt, that he was not told until last minute about serious incidents.
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Israel evaluates UAV
The Israel Army has begun trials of the SkyLite-B UAV for tactical missions for infantry battalions.
It will be used for urban warfare and counter-insurgency missions.
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Pratt & Whitney Logs 4,000 SDD Test Hours on F135 Engine for Joint Strike Fighter
The F135 ground test engines have logged more than 4,000 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) ground test hours so far.
The number represents the combined total test hours of F135 SDD development engines including both Conventional Take-Off and Landing Variant and Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing engines.
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Guam to be hub for spy planes
The commander of Pacific Air Forces, Gen. Paul Hester, says that six Global Hawk will be station in Guam in future. The island may also become an international hub for Global Hawks.
If other countries were to buy the Global Hawk, they may join the USAF Global Hawk fleet at the island to become a centre of excellence.
Hester also said that there are plans to base 12 aircraft tankers permanently there.
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China may have upper hand in five years: US report
U.S. aircraft carriers and support ships will need ten days to reach east of Taiwan from the West Coast if China invades the island.
It would take just under two days from Japan, 2.2 days from Guam and seven days from Pearl Harbour.
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EMBRAER To Bring EMB 145 AEW&C Aircraft To LIMA 2005
Embraer will bring a EMB 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft to the Lima Air Show this month.
This is the first time this aircraft is displayed in South-east Asia. Before coming to Lima, it was at Subang Air Base for the RMAF to evaluate the plane.
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