Friday, March 31, 2006
VF-213 Final Tomcat Flights (Update 4)
March 29 - 211-159629 – Kenner LA
April 01 - 210-163897 - McClellan AFB - Now at Amarillo, TX due to engine problem206-163893 - Arnold AB TN
207-161166 - Evergreen OR
April 13 - 204-161159 - Pensacola FL
April 13 - 205-161163 - Bloomington IL
March 28 - 200-164347 - AMARC
March 28 - 203-164348 - AMARC
March 28 - 213-164602 - AMARC
AMARC - 212-164349
201-164341 To VF-31 Tomcatters
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Navy divers out to salvage wreckage of F-16 that crashed off Korea
U.S. Navy divers are looking for a USAF F-16C that crashed 25 miles off South Korea’s west coast in a bid to recover the jet.
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Fighter Jet Crashes Near Utah's Salt Lake (Video)
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet from the 388th Fighter Wing's 421st Fighter Squadron crashed at 2:11 p.m., approximately 30 miles west of Hill Air Force Base.
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Jaguars leave RAF Coltishall
13 Jaguars left RAF Coltishall for RAF Coningsby on Mar. 30. The final four Jaguars will leave the base at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, following a parade and flypast of classic fighter planes.
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RAF 'spy in sky' tested
The RAF's Sentinel RI aircraft is in Greenville Texas to carry out flight testing.
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Air Force wants Cannon’s future mission settled soon
The fate of Cannon Air Force Base will be decided this year. BRAC voted last year to move Cannon’s three F-16 fighter squadrons elsewhere but ordered the USAF to find a news mission for the base.
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CCS clears Army acquiring 20 Dhruv ALH
Approval has been granted for the Indian Army to acquire 20 indigenously-built Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters.
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Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk receives an industry first
Goodrich has shipped the first, electrically-actuated, production brakes for installation on the Global Hawk UAV.
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Fighter battle heats up
Two defence analysts told an Australian parliamentary committee hearing different views on the capabilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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Shephard’s Asia Pacific UAV Day One: National Perspectives Underlined
Lt. Col. Stephen Sim from Singapore told audiences at Asia Pacific UAV conference that the island recently carried out tests with an armed UAV. The vehicle was a VTOL helicopter and fired a series of 40 mm grenades at targets.
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IAF first bomber jet Canberra turns 50
The Indian Air Force will celebrate 50 years of service of the Canberra bomber.
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Air Force leaders again seek more C-17s
U.S Air Force leaders reiterated their concerns that the extensive use of C-17s may require the purchase of seven more transports than the 180 currently planned.
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V-22 that apparently flew itself under investigation (Free Registration)
Preliminary investigations found that the MV-22 that suffer damaged on Monday at New River took off on its own without the pilot's input.
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Indonesia to Buy 8 Russian Sukhoi Jet Fighters
Indonesia will buy two Sukhoi Su-30 fighters from Russia each year for a total of eight planes starting this year. This will bring the fleet to 12 fighters.
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Pakistan gets women combat pilots
The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) now has four women as fighter pilots.
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S-400 air defense systems to be put on duty in 2006
Russia will put the S-400 (NATO SA-20 Triumf) missile system into combat service this year.
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Tuskegee Airmen say congressional honor 'long overdue'
The Tuskegee Airmen is just one president's signature away from being recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award that may be bestowed by Congress.
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Burns urges Air Force to keep missiles
U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns Wednesday urged Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, in a Defense Appropriations subcommittee meeting to retain 500 land-based nuclear missiles in the U.S. arsenal to deter terrorist attacks.
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Air Force secretary says F-22 too costly without long-term deal
U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told Dow Jones Newswires that Congress must approve a multiyear contract plan to buy 60 F-22As.
He said that Pentagon cannot afford to buy those planes unless they are under a multiyear contract.
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Tanker RFI 'Very, Very Near,' Air Force Leaders Say
The United States Air Force is expected to release a Request for Information for aerial refueling tankers "in the very, very near future," which will be followed by a request for proposals in September.
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Air force commander talks up future plans with foreign officers
General Vladimir Mikhailov, head of the Russian Air Force, meet military attaches in Moscow to outline the service's future plans. He reiterated that development of a fifth-generation stealth fighter will be completed next year.
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Thursday, March 30, 2006
Sikorsky Strike Hurts Navy Parts Supply;Air Force,Army OK
A strike at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is hurting the U.S. Navy's supply of spare helicopter parts.
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Russian choppers still Indonesia's main choice: Official
The Mi-17 is the top choice for Indonesia as it modernised its fleet, said Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono.
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Merkel, Chirac reach agreement on EADS-Thales merger
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac have agreed to a merger of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co (EADS) and Thales when they met last week in Berlin.
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Air Force releases report on accident that damaged SDANG F-16
The USAF has release an investigation on an accident that damaged a South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 during mid-air refueling.
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NetFires LLC Successfully Conducts Navy Ballistic Flight Test for the NLOS-LS Precision Attack Missile
The NetFires Limited Liability Company (LLC), composed of Raytheon Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control recently fired the NLOS-LS Precision Attack Missile (PAM) from a motion simulator.
The simulator created conditions equal to 3-to-5-foot seas and a brisk 15-knot wind.
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BAE Systems To Submit Report On Failed Missile To RMN
BAE Systems will give the Royal Malaysian Navy its investigation report on the failed firing of a Sea Skua anti-ship missile on Mar. 16 today.
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Turkey on the market for 100 new generation fighters (Free Registration)
Turkey will choose between the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Eurofighter by the end of the year to replace its F-4 and F-16 fleet.
A total of 100 planes will be purchased.
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B-52 retirement plan raises questions on Hill
U.S. Senators Conrad Burns and Byron Dorgan expressed concerns at a Senate hearing yesterdy over the Air Force plans to retire 38 B-52s before there is a replacement.
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VMM-263 Marine makes historic flight
Captain Elizabeth A. Okoreeh-Baah is the first female ever to pilot the MV-22 Osprey.
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Unmanned aircraft kills three insurgents
A USAF MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle fired an AGM-114 Hellfire missile at three insurgents in the process of planting a homemade bomb along a road near Balad Air Base, Iraq, Mar. 28.
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Leeming Aircrew To The Rescue In Emergency Mission
A RAF Tornado F3 crew from RAF Leeming came to the rescue of a Beechcraft Super King Air that had lost everything except its altimeter and engines over Scotland.
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Marines launch investigation into MV-22 Osprey ‘mishap’
The USMC will investigate the hard landing mishap of a MV-22 Osprey at New River Air Station on Monday. The incident occured while the engine was doing a routine maintenance check.
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Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration Vehicle Delivered and Ready for U.S. Navy's Next Global Exercise
Northrop Grumman has delivered the first RQ-4A Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) unmanned air vehicle to Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, and is being prepared for participation in the U.S. Navy's Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment (JEFX) 2006.
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Northrop Grumman Uses a Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Enhance Network-Centric Capabilities for the Warfighter
Northrop Grumman and the Office of Naval Research used a RQ-8A Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) to demonstrated the ability to extend communications range and capability.
The event also marked Fire Scout's 200th flight.
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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
VF-213 Final Tomcat Flights (Update 3)
March 29 - 211-159629 – Kenner LA
March 30 - 210-163897 - McClellan AFB
206-163893 - Arnold AB TN
207-161166 - Evergreen OR
April 13 - 204-161159 - Pensacola FL
April 13 - 205-161163 - Bloomington IL
March 28 - 200-164347 - AMARC March 28 - 203-164348 - AMARCMarch 28 - 213-164602 - AMARC AMARC - 212-164349
201-164341 To VF-31 Tomcatters
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Czechs participate in Baltic airspace protection
The Czech Republic has started to participate in the airspace protection of the Baltic countries under NATO.
There are rumors that Czech may send its JAS-39 Gripens to the Baltic states next year.
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U.S. and Japan to hold joint service for WWII crash victims
A joint American-Japanese memorial ceremony will be held on Sunday for the first time for the crew of Filthy Fay II, a B-29 that crash into a mountain in Ome, a city near Yokota Air Base during WW2.
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N Korean report raises Pong Su compo claim
The sinking of Pong Su has taken a new twist with the North Korea government hinting that it wants compensation for the ship and the crew.
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Engine Tests Continue for Spirit Stealth Bomber
The Arnold Engineering Development Center is currently testing the F118-100 for the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, in the center's Engine Test Facility J-1 Test Cell.
This particular test is part of GE's service life extension program, which is under the Air Force's Component Improvement Program that replaces several components of the F118, F110 and F101 engines with a common core system.
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Main Cdn. base in Afghanistan attacked apparently by mortars, army says
The main coalition airbase in Kandahar, Afghanistan came under mortar attack on early Tuesday.
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Lockheed supplier gets 7 years for fraud
A Lockheed Martin supplier was give a seven-year, three-month jail sentence for overcharging the aerospace company for drill bits and other cutting tools used to make the F-16 and F-22 fighter jets.
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Grumman's F-14 flies into history
Northrop Grumman plans to hold an F-14 Day at its Bethpage facility in June to mark the decommission of the Tomcat.
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Bill in works to officially allow military use of space
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party announced plans Tuesday to draft a bill that would authorize Japan's military to use space for self-defense.
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Pentagon OK For Initial F-35 Production Seen On Track
Rear Adm. Steven Enewold say the Defense Acquisition Board is expected to approve low-rate production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter during a meeting on Friday.
If approved, this would be the first of seven low-rate, initial production decisions.
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Center Adapts Technology for F-35 Wind Tunnel Tests
The Arnold Engineering Development Center help Lockheed Martin's F-35 team analyze high-speed F-35 inlet data in near-real time with a series of wind tunnel testing.
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Congress buys F136 time
The U.S. Congress could help the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 engine team by giving them one year to convince the Pentagon that competition will reduce cost and improve reliability.
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China Plans to Make Russian Aircraft Carrier Into Artificial Reef
A marine specialist has proposed that China turn the ex-Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk into an artificial reef in Hong Kong waters.
The carrier could be towed to the waters off Hong Kong's eastern New Territories and sink between two islands near Sai Kung. This will help rejuvenate the underwater life for the entire eastern coastline of Hong Kong.
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Investigators question Lockheed fighter programs
U.S. Sen. John McCain held a hearing of a subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday where he raised questions over Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet programs.
McCain question why the USAF change the way it pays for the last 60 F-22As and he also raised concerns about the Bush administration's decision to cancel F136 engine for the JSF.
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New Airlifter Could Become C-130 Surrogate
Joint Cargo Aircraft likely will become a 'surrogate' to the C-130 airlifter as Pentagon predicts the U.S. military will operate more and more in rugged outposts like mountains in Afghanistan.
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THALES and RAFAEL Announce Firing Success for Defender
Old news that I missed out. Thales and Rafael' DEFENDER system has successfully test fired a BARAK missile against a target drone.
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Navy command 'told of Sea King errors'
The leadership at Australian Navy was told of maintenance problems inside 817 Squadron in the months before the fatal crash of one of its Sea King helicopters.
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IAF Jaguar packs more firepower
The Indian Air Force is opting for twin-seater variants of the Jaguar to improve its deep strike capability.
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Fly-In to Showcase 'Absolute Best Fighter Plane Ever Built'
Lt. Col. Michael Shower will bring the F-22A back to his hometown in Lakeland for the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In from Apr. 7 to 9.
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Costs surge for unmanned vehicles for war
The United States is expected to spend nearly seven times more on unmanned aircraft than it did before the 9/11 attacks.
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Thanks a million, C-17
A rally was held on Monday at Boeing Co.'s C-17 plant in Long Beach to mark one million hours of flight for the cargo aircraft.
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Failed Missile May Be Destroyed, Says RMN
The Royal Malaysian Navy may destroy the Sea Skua anti-ship missile that failed to launch on Mar. 16.
Divers have found the missile submerged about 62 metres under the sea bed.
Related Articles
Sea Skua Missile Misfires In First Test In Southeast Asia
Navy to test missile
RMN To Test Fire Latest Anti-ship Missile Next Week
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UAV comes down in Vavuniya
A Sri Lanka Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed after collided with a television antenna in a private house Tuesday morning in Vauniya.
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GW strike group will head south for training
USS George Washington carrier strike group will deploy to Caribbean and South American waters for training exercises in April.
Some defense analysts suggested that the unusual two-month-long deployment could be interpreted as a show of force by anti-American governments in Venezuela and Cuba.
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Hover and out: UK Royal Navy retires the Sea Harrier
Flight International looks at the last few days of Royal Navy's Sea Harrier FA2s.
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Farewell to the Harrier jump jet
A military parade and the flypast by the 801 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton mark the decommissioning of Royal Navy's last Sea Harriers.
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Cope Thunder exercise now Red Flag - Alaska
Cope Thunder exercise held in Alaska will be renamed Red Flag - Alaska. It will provide training on the same level as the current Red Flag exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base.
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Northrop Grumman Completes Deliveries of ``Smart'' Bomb Rack that Enhances Weapons Payload of B-2 Stealth Bomber
Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed an upgrade of the U.S. Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber with the smart bomb rack assembly (SBRA).
A SBRA-equipped stealth bomber can deliver 80 500-pound smart weapons, each targeted against a different aimpoint.
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Lockheed Martin Submits Final Proposal Revision for APKWS II
Lockheed Martin has submitted its final proposal revision for the U.S. government’s Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) System Design and Development (SDD) program.
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Marine Corps' Osprey damaged in `hard landing'
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft suffered damaged to its right wing and engine after a hard landing.
The Osprey belongs to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204, which is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville.
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Tuesday, March 28, 2006
VF-213 Final Tomcat Flights (Update 2)
March 29 - 211-159629 – Kenner LA
March 30 - 210-163897 - McClellan AFB
206-163893 - Arnold AB TN207-161166 - Evergreen OR
April 13 - 204-161159 - Pensacola FL
April 13 - 205-161163 - Bloomington IL
AMARC - 200-164347
AMARC - 203-164348
AMARC - 212-164349
AMARC - 213-164602
201-164341 To VF-31 Tomcatters
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Last Royal Navy Sea Harrier FA2 take off (Video)
Video from BBC showing the last Royal Navy Sea Harrier take off from HMS Illustrious.
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Base spells out farewell message
More than 1,000 Royal Naval personnel from RNAS Yeovilton and 50 school children spelt out "Farewell Sea Harrier" to mark the closing of Royal Navy's Sea Harrier squadron.
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China missile build-up points to 'unifying Taiwan by force'
Japan's National Institute for Defence Studies is warning that China's military modernisation, especially in nuclear and missile capabilities, will allow it to unify Taiwan by force.
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Pakistan to slash F-16 requirement
Pakistan is now likely to request for 24 or 36 new F-16s instead of the original 55 that it requested last year.
Plans to buy used F-16s from Belgium and the Netherlands has also been dropped.
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T700 engine conversion signals fleet-wide project
The U.S. Army will begin a fleet-wide conversion of the service’s entire Boeing AH-64 Apache and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk engine fleets to the T700-701D.
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Raytheon Team Successfully Demonstrates APKWS(TM) II Rocket Motor Tailfin Improvement
Raytheon has tested a new rocket motor tailfin for the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS(TM) II) 2.75-inch guided rocket.
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Sea Harriers to be phased out in next six years
The Indian Navy plans to replace the Sea Harrier with MiG-29s and the Naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft in the next six years.
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Chinese purchase still stands
Pakistan will go ahead and purchase the Chengdu Aircraft (CAC) JF-17/FC-1/Super-7 fighter despite a delay in the program.
The FC-1 was redesigned last year to incorporate improved air intakes and wing leading-edge strakes.
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Presidential Helo Schedule 'High-Risk'
David Duma, the Pentagon's chief weapons tester, said in a three-page memo that the U.S. Navy is a "high-risk" schedule to develop the White House's new VH-71 presidential helicopter.
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Merlins pass CSAR trial
The Royal Air Force’s EH101 Merlin HC3 transport helicopters have completed their first year of operations in Iraq without incident.
Two of the aircraft also recently completed a successful three-day exercise which assessed the HC3’s suitability for use as a rescue vehicle to deliver a ground extraction force and recover downed aircrew under simulated combat conditions.
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Northrop targets Killer Bee UAV at US forces
Northrop Grumman has demonstrated its pusher-propeller blended wing-body Killer Bee low-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle for the U.S. Air Force.
The Killer Bee has a payload of up to 13.5kg with a 24h endurance at 3,000ft and 60kt.
Labels: Killer Bee
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Boeing, ATK Team for Israeli Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense Competition
Boeing has selected Alliant Techsystems to support the new Israeli Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense (SRBMD) program it is pursuing with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
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U.S. official sees F-35 deal with UK by mid-June
U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Gordon England said that Washington and London's differences over technology transfer issues related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is now within 1 percent.
He expects the issues to be resolved by middle of June. At the same time, Australian Ambassador Dennis Richardson said his country wants the job to be delivered on time, and to avoid rising per-unit costs.
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Low-flying lessons for Little Bird UAV
The Little Bird unmanned helicopter could fly nap-of-the-earth autonomously using software-enabled control (SEC) technology according to Boeing Phantom Works.
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F-15K Makes History with SLAM-ER Release
A Boeing F-15K has become the first F-15 to release a Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) weapon.
The SLAM-ER was released at 25,000 feet at Mach 0.8 approximately 100 nautical miles from its target. The SLAM-ER scored a direct hit.
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F-35 Fuel Tests Confirm Solid, Well-Built Design; Structural Testing Begins at Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has completed "leak-free" fuel-system checkout testing.
Structural tests on the aircraft will begin soon.
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Red Arrows begin training in Greece
The Red Arrows have begun the spring phase of their 7-month training season at HAF Tanagra in Greece.
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Su-27s practice missile launches near St. Petersburg - official
Two Russian Su-27 regiments conducted air-to-air missile firings at the Ladoga testing site in the Leningrad Region on Monday.
The aircraft are from the 6th Air Army.
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Indian Air Force will buy 20 Mirages for now
The Indian Air Force is proposing to buy 20 new Mirage fighters from France and overhaul its existing Mirage fleet for Rs7,000 crores.
This will increase the Mirage squadrons from three to four. The proposed new Mirage 2000-5 will have Israeli and Russian avionics and weapons.
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Harriers Return to USS Bonhomme Richard
AV-8B Harriers from VMFA-311 returned to USS Bonhomme Richard after an absence of nine months Mar. 23.
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U-2 maintainers boast streaking hot record
The USAF 99th Aircraft Maintenance Unit has launched 155 U-2 missions consecutively without a maintenance-related cancel.
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CF-18's to Conduct Forward Operating Location Familiarization Training in Canada's North
Two Canadian CF-18's from 4 Wing, Cold Lake will fly to Yellowknife and Inuvik next week for familiarization training in Canada's northwestern Forward Operating Locations.
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Monday, March 27, 2006
中國「愛國者」試射成功
Hong Kong's Wenweipo reported that China has successfully test fired a Patriot class surface-to-air missile.
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Iran's air force not a threat to IAF
A high-ranking Israeli Air Force officer has told The Jerusalem Post that Iran's air force does not pose a threat to the
Israeli Air Force.
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Legacy of B-2 Bomber Innovations Apparent in J-UCAS and Other Programs
Aviation Week & Space Technology takes a look at the development of the B-2 stealth bomber and how the design techniques, technologies and management approaches are applied to modern day programs.
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Indo-French war games take off
Indian Air Force pilots look forward to meeting the French Atlantique-II maritime patrol aircraft during the Varuna joint exercise.
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Barksdale A-10 pilots snag top bombing award
The USAF 47th Fighter Squadron was awarded Top Bombing Team honors Saturday at Hawgsmoke 2006.
It won four other awards in the A-10 meet held this year at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
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Role for F-15 pilots expanded at Klamath Falls base
The 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field, Oregon is expect to increase its
F-15 fleet to 21 with seven in reserve.
This is to increase the training of pilots as one or two F-15 squadrons in Florida is closed.
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BMD Watch: Pentagon anger at MDA
Pentagon's Inspector General's Office is upset with the Missile Defense Agency over delays when the former carries out audits at MDA.
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India tempts US with $6bn aircraft deal
India is delaying its Request for Proposal for 126 Medium Range Multi-Role Combat aircraft until U.S. lawmakers complete the process for the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Labels: MRCA
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H.A.M.M. HOLDS DEDICATION FOR F-4D PHANTOM
The Historic Aviation Memorial Museum held an aircraft dedication ceremony Saturday to honour Bill "Gunfighter" Curnutte.
The F-4D Phantom No. 66-8812, that Curnutte flew with the 390th Tactical Fighting Squadron was restored after 10 months.
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More Royal Air Force personnel arrive at Hill
RAF personnel from the Marham Air Base, U.K., took nine Tornado fighter jets to Hill Air Force Base for bombing practise at Utah Test and Training Range.
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"“The third tranche of Eurofighters is absolutely essential"
From Isaac: Air Vice Marshal Klaus Peter Stieglitz, Chief of Staff, German Air Force, discusses the present situation of the Luftwaffe and outlines its future prospects against a background of new challenges and tight budgets.
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Bid to end Saudi probe over arms deal threat
Britain's attorney-general, Lord Goldsmith, has been asked to block a criminal investigation into a slush fund allegedly run by BAE Systems in order to safeguard the Eurofighter contract.
Related Article
Saudi Arabia commits to Eurofighter Typhoon deal
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US seeks to end dispute with UK on fighter jets
The U.S. State department is considering several options, including a presidential waiver, in order to give Britain technology access for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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Sunday, March 26, 2006
VF-213 Final Tomcat Flights (Update)
March 29 - 211-159629 – Kenner LA
March 30 - 210-163897 - McClellan AFB
206-163893 - Arnold AB TN ???
207-161166 - Evergreen OR
April 13 - 204-161159 - Pensacola FL
April 13 - 205-161163 - Bloomington IL
AMARC - 200-164347
AMARC - 203-164348
AMARC - 212-164349
AMARC - 213-164602
SARDIP - 206-163893 ???
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RAF hero in AK47 storm
RAF helicopter pilot Squadron Leader Shane Anderson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for holding his helicopter steady under fire for 25 minutes so that an SAS sniper could hit a key terrorist in Iraq.
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U.S. May Be Holding Pakistani Journalist
The family of a Pakistani journalist kidnapped in December said Thursday that they believe he could be in U.S. custody. He created headlines all over the world when he revealed that a suspected Al Qaeda operative was killed by a U.S. missile attack.
Related Article
Family says journalist kidnapped in Pakistan
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U.S. grapples with missile defense command, control
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said U.S. military officials are still trying to figure out critical operational details of the ballistic missile defense system.
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Wings of death
Flt Lt Aniket Kolhe, who was killed in a
MiG-21 crash on Tuesday, was a role model for his village in India.
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Bell building $31 million facility at Alliance Airport
Bell Helicopter is building a $31 million, 204,000 square-foot hangar and office complex at Alliance Airport where final assembly of the U.S. Army's Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter is carried out.
Labels: ARH
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Aircraft carrier returns to its final resting place
Former aircraft carrier USS Oriskany arrived at Pensacola on Wednesday where Navy crews and contractors will spend the next two months cutting holes in the bulkhead and securing its doors hatches to prepare for the May sinking.
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Saturday, March 25, 2006
VF-213 Final Tomcat Flights
March 29 - 211-159629 – Kenner LA
March 30 - 210-163897 - McClellan AFB
206-163893 - Arnold AB TN
207-161166 - Evergreen OR
204-161159 - Pensacola FL
205-161163 - Bloomington IL
AMARC - 200-164347
AMARC - 203-164348
AMARC - 212-164349
AMARC - 213-164602
SARDIP - 206-163893
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DoD reviews Air Force helicopter; said not to intervene
Pentagon's successful investment review of the U.S. Air Force CSAR-X program on Thursday has paved the way for a Defense Acquisition Board review this summer.
Labels: CSAR-X
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Indian Navy - French Navy Joint Exercise 'Varuna 06'
After the recent joint exercise with USS Ronald Reagan, Indian aircraft carrier Viraat will join French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle for a 12-day exercise off India's west coast.
For the first time, the Indian Air Force will field its land-based Jaguar and Canberra jets as well.
Indian Navy's Sea Harriers will carry out Dissimilar Air Combat with the Rafales and Super Etendards.
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US general says DoD could shift gears on missile warning tech
Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, head of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, said the alternative system to the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) will use newer technology than the main SBIRS system.
The SBIRS alternative is intended to force the main SBIRS program back on track.
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Military Deploys Guided Missile Systems
South Korea has deployed three, domestically-built advanced guided missiles for the Army and Navy.
The Shin Kung (New Bow) is a shoulder-launched short-range surface-to-air missile with a range of 7 kilometers and maximum speed of Mach 2.1.
The Hae Song (Sea Star) is a long-range ship-to-ship cruise missile with a range of up to 150 kilometers.
The Chong Sango (Blue Shark) is an anti-submarine torpedo that can be launched from P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and Super Lynx helicopters.
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UK chosen as possible 'Star Wars' site
Britain has joined Poland and the Czech Republic as a possible location to host interceptor missiles for Washington's ballistic missile defence system.
This will be the third site after Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
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U.S. missile science slumping
The Defense Science Board is worried that the United States will lose much of its expertise in long-range missile technology as veteran engineers and scientists retire.
The report said that there are only 20,000 research and development scientists and engineers working in the industry as a whole, down from more than 140,000 in the mid-1980s.
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Air Force Chief Takes Over
Brigadier-General Ng Chee Khern has taken over as RSAF's Chief of Air Force from Major-General Lim Kim Choon yesterday at Tengah Air Base.
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The U.S. drive for nuclear intelligence
Spying on the Bomb - American Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea by Jeffrey T. Richelson traces American nuclear intelligence efforts from Nazi Germany to modern day Iraq.
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Miffed U.K. Still Wants JSF
Despite positive talks between British and Pentagon officials on the Joint Strike Fighter, British embassy spokesman Steve Atkins was quick to point out last week's talks are not a sign that British officials are ready to back down from pulling out of the program.
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Chenevert says Pentagon will save billions by leaving JSF engine to Pratt
United Technologies Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Louis Chenevert has told the Senate Armed Services Committee that using his company's Pratt & Whitney F135 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will save the Pentagon as much as $6 billion over the 30-year life of the project.
He added that Rolls-Royce is a partner with Pratt & Whitney with the F135 project and it stands to win whether there is an alternative engine or not.
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V-22 Osprey adds achievements but criticism lingers
The Pentagon is preparing to start a multiyear contract for 185
V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
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Friday, March 24, 2006
Pong Su sinking video
Video of Royal Australian Air Force F-111 fighter bombers sinking North Korean ship Pong Su with laser guided bombs, hitting the fore and aft on the starboard side of the ship.
Related Articles
Sinking of MV Pong SuRAAF bombing run sinks heroin shipPong Su to be sunk by air force
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Northrop Grumman Selected by U.S. Department of Defense to Design First-Ever Supersonic 'Oblique Flying Wing' Aircraft
DARPA has selected Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems to build the first supersonic 'Oblique Flying Wing' aircraft. First flight of this "X-plane" is envisioned in 2010 or 2011.
High res pictures
here
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Introduction of Su-34 will create export potential - official
Sukhoi holding Director General Mikhail Pogosyan said the introduction of the Su-34 fighter bomber into the Russian Air Force would boost the export chances for the plane.
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Russian Air Force to add 24 newest warplanes by 2010 - Russia's Defense Ministry
Russia's Defense Ministry would acquire two Su-34s in 2006, six in 2007, and a further 10 in 2008 until there is a fleet of 24 Su-34s for the Russian Air Force by 2010.
The plan is to 10 aircraft each year to replace the Su-24.
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Russia to react properly to U.S. anti-missile base in Europe
Russia will study the capability of a proposed U.S. missile-defense base in Europe before responding to it, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said.
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Flights will mark end of RAF Coltishall
RAF Jaguars, a Spitfire, a Harrier GR9 and a Hurricane will mark the closing of RAF Coltishall.
The base has been operational for 66 years since the days of Battle of Britain.
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The Rise of U.S. Nuclear Primacy
This article on Foreign Affairs claims that the days of mutual assured destruction among the major nuclear powers is coming to an end and the United States has rise to dominate.
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Pre-owned APACHE AH64 A / D Longbow American Spec
Want to buy a AH-64 Apache helicopter? There is one selling on EBay right now.
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RI considers buying Chinook choppers
Indonesia wants to buy Chinook helicopters to support humanitarian and other nonmilitary activities in the country, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said Thursday.
The ministry's Director General for Planning Affairs, Yuwendi, said Boeing did make an offer to supply Chinooks after the tsunami struck in Dec. 2004 but the offer was turn down.
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Report: Deteriorating Shearwater needs big fix
Many facilites at Canada's 12 Wing Shearwater is in an advanced state of deterioration.
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NATO Hires Russian Venture to Fly Cargo in Soviet-Era Antonovs
The Strategic Airlift Interim Solution program which allows NATO access to two Antonov An-124 in Leipzig, Germany has come into force.
15 NATO countries signed a contract with Volga-Dnepr for two AN-124-100 aircraft on full-time charter, two more on six days notice and another two on nine days notice in January.
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USMC veteran John H Young Jr Named CEO of EADS North America Defense
John H. Young, Jr. has been named Chief Executive Officer of EADS North America Defense.
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Area 51: Aviation Icon Dies at 84
Lt. Colonel Hank Meierdierk, one of the few men to test fly the U-2 and SR-71 at Groom Lake, died Tuesday in Las Vegas.
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Air Force pilot becomes one of newest astronauts
Former F-22A Raptor test pilot, Lt. Col. James Dutton, became an astronaut with NASA in February.
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C-17s would help USAFE’s air mobility business
The USAF in Europe hopes to get a squadron of C-17s to keep pace with its airlift requirements.
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Brit's shot at Raptor is envy of pilots worldwide
Flt. Lt. Dan Robinson from the RAF will be the first non-U.S. pilot to be train to fly the USAF F-22A stealth fighter.
He will serve three years at Langley Air Force Base after completing his training in July.
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Air Force to Recruit Online Gamers
The South Korea Air Force wants to recruit professional online gamers to help test out its simulation programs.
This is good news to professional gamers as they can carry out their military service without losing their skills.
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Thursday, March 23, 2006
Sinking of MV Pong Su
Four RAAF F-111s and a AP-3C Orion took part in the sinking of North Korean vessel Pong Su 140 kilometres off Jervis Bay today. Two 2000 lb high explosive laser guided bombs were used to sink the ship.
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RAAF bombing run sinks heroin ship
North Korean freighter Pong Su has been sunk by a bomb from an RAAF F-111 in a military exercise this morning.
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Carrier Strike Group 9 Enters 7th Fleet AOR
Carrier Strike Group 9 has entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility in late March.
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Fears grow over new Dubai revolt
There are growing concerns that the purchase of a privately-held British aerospace manufacturer that works on the F-35 by a UAE company could create tensions in the U.S. Senate.
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Missile shield to face tough tests
U.S. Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering said the agency planned three more operationally realistic tests of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System this year.
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Laser on track for intercept test
Boeing's YAL-1 ABL prototype is on track for a ballistic missile shoot-down test in 2008.
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A-10 pilots are vying for top-gun title
A-10 pilots from around the world will converge on Tucson for Hawgsmoke 2006 - a bombing competition.
68 A-10s will take part in the competition.
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Russian bombers launch cruise missiles during exercises in Far North
Russian Tu-95MC bombers launched eight cruise missiles during a four-day exercise in the Far North.
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New Russian fighter-bomber in final test stages
The Su-34 is in the final stages of testing with the Russian Air Force and will enter service in 12 to 18 months.
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N.Korea upgrades mobile missile arsenal -report
The California-based Centre for Nonproliferation Studies reported that North Korea does not have a missile that could hit the continental United States yet.
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QinetiQ announces first flight trial for Zephyr UAV
QinetiQ has completed the first flight trials of Zephyr HALE UAV at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
The 27kg aircraft is solar-electric powered, autonomous and is designed to fly at altitudes in excess of 50,000 feet.
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JSF consortium offers $3.5 billion work for Turkish defense industry
Lockheed Martin is offering to build advanced composites and center fuselage for the F-35 at Tusas Aerospace Industries, Turkey.
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IAF to ground Cobra helicopters
The Israeli Air Force has decided to ground its AH-1 fleet after an emergency landing by a Cobra helicopter on Wednesday night.
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An Oceana offer the Navy can't refuse
Virginia Beach council has unveiled its plans to limit development around Oceana Naval Air Station as demanded by BRAC.
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Barksdale now home to new fighters
Seven A-10s arrived at Barksdale Air Force Base about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday to join the Air Force Reserve’s 917th Wing.
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U.S. Plans New Bases in the Middle East
The Pentagon will double the tonnage of air munitions stored in the Middle East and Central Asia to prepare for regional war contingencies by 2016.
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ADF assists victims of Cyclone Larry
The Australian Defence Force has deployed seven Black Hawks, two Sea Hawks, three Iroquois and a Chinook helicopter to support victims of Cyclone Larry.
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Small part sucked into engine damaged expensive new F-22 Raptor
A F-22A suffered a $6.7 million damage on Oct. 20, 2005 after a small metal pin and streamer was accidentally sucked into the right engine.
The accident occurred during a night training exercise at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
A report blamed the accident on an inadequate and incomplete training manual which failed to instruct mechanics to pull the nose landing gear pin before starting the jet engines.
The accident report. (PDF)
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Medals decades belated
Leo S. Bach, a former B-17 bombardier, was finally awarded with his Purple Heart for injuries suffered while bailing out of a B-17 near Berlin on April 11, 1944.
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GCN Insider: Flight control
Athena Technologies Inc. wants to be the Microsoft of unmanned aerial vehicle operating systems market.
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Bids fall short for ex-Soviet aircraft carrier
An attempt to auction off ex-Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk has failed after three potential buyers said the starting price of 128 million yuan was too high.
The ship had to be auction off after its owner Minsk World Industries Co. Ltd. was declared bankrupt.
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Finnish military to take delivery of first NH90 choppers by year's end
Finland will receive the first four NHIndustries NH90 tactical transport helicopters by the end of the year.
A total of 20 NH90s will be delivered.
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Lockheed Martin Qualifies Upgraded Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force recently qualified an upgraded version of its Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb.
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Lockheed Martin Qualifies Upgraded Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force recently qualified an upgraded version of its Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb.
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Wednesday, March 22, 2006
FIDAE 2006: Looking for a new trainer of choice
The EMB-314 Super Tucano and upgraded AT-63 Pampa will be at FIDAE 2006 in Santiago, Chile to attract South American buyers.
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Oldest WWI survivor to get freedom of home town
The last founder member of the RAF and oldest World War One survivor, Henry Allingham, will receive the freedom of his home town.
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Arab pilot to join Armored Corps
An 18-years-old Arab-Israeli who wants to become the first Arab to join the IAF's pilot training course has join the Armored Corps instead.
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Fighter pilot ejects to safety over Albacete
A Spanish Air Force Mirage F1 has has crashed near the town of La Roda. The pilot ejected with minor injuries.
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FIDAE 2006:On the scope
Embraer is studying special-mission versions of its E-170/190 large regional-jet family.
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Budget document discloses existence of secret US Air Force UAV programme
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works could be developing a high-altitude, stealthy unmanned aircraft system for the USAF.
It could be capable of operating at the 70,000-80,000 ft and uses General Electric J97-GE-3 that has been in storage since the 1970s.
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Koizumi, Nukaga reject big changes to base relocation plan
The Japanese government will go ahead with the relocation of USMC helicopter operations from Futenma Air Station in Okinawa to Nago.
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Nederlanders moeten JSF testen
Netherlands wants Dutch pilots to participate in the testing of the Joint Strike Fighter so that Dutch requirements can be incorporated into the final version.
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Pakistan test-fires cruise missile
Pakistan has test fired a Hatf VII cruise missile for the second time with President General Pervez Musharraf witnessing the firing.
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Indian officers for key US Strategic Command
India has been invited to post liaison officers in the U.S. Strategic Command. This is to create a link between Stratcom and India’s Strategic Forces Command.
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Strike Eagles Nab Terrorists
Two F-15E Strike Eagles with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing help nab three suspected insurgents accused of mortaring Balad Air Base, Iraq, Mar. 16.
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Nuclear Weapons Center to Open at Kirtland Air Force Base
The U.S. Air Force Materiel Command has open a Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base.
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Korean, Canadian Air Force Chiefs Meet
Canada's chief of the Air Staff, Lt. Gen. Steve Lucas, is in South Korea for a nine-day visit.
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Security flaws could cripple missile defense network
A Pentagon Inspector General’s report found that the Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) communications network could be hacked.
It found that MDA and Boeing allowed the use of group passwords on the unencrypted portion of the network. Pentagon policies require a system to conduct automated log audits on unencrypted communications and monitoring systems.
Copy of the report here.
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HALE: High-altitude aspirations
Japan, South Korea and Singapore are exploring high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) systems for their needs.
All three recently sought to buy the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
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Pentagon's plan to maintain older jets may aid Boeing
Boeing is expected to benefit from delays encounter by next-generation U.S. fighters.
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The peace eagle has landed
Boeing Peace Eagle program head Mike Brewer discusses the AEW&C aircraft and its implications for the Turkish defense industry in an exclusive interview with Turkish Daily News.
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Pong Su to be sunk by air force
A North Korean freighter will be used as a F-111 bombing target during a defense exercise later this week.
The ship was seized in 2003 after it tried to smuggle 150kg of heroin into Australia.
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Russian Air Force to get new Su-34 fighter-bombers
The Russian Air Force will receive a regiment of new Su-34 fighter-bombers by 2010. There are currently 10 Su-34 undergoing flight tests with the Air Force.
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MQ-1 Predator crashes in Iraq
A USAF MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed at about 3:30 a.m. in Iraq on Tuesday.
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CV-22 delivered to Air Force
The USAF first operational CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft has arrived at Kirtland Air Force Base.
The 58th Special Operations Wing will get four CV-22s by the end of June.
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Arms firm accused by S. Korea of data theft
Thales main representative in Seoul has been arrested by South Korean police for allegedly holding classified data on the South Korean Navy's next-generation warships.
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Hungarian Gripens have arrived
Five Hngarian Gripen fighters, the latest C and D versions of the aircraft, have arrived in Hungary on Tuesday.
The aircraft were flown by four pilots from the Hungarian Air Force and three from the Swedish Air Force.
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2 pilots die as MiG crashes in Rajasthan
An Indian Air Force MiG-21 trainer crashed after getting airborne from Uttarlai airbase in Rajasthan Mar. 22.
Both pilots did not survive the crash.
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Lockheed Martin Delivers New Integrated Weapons System to A-10C Flight Test Program
The Lockheed Martin-led A-10 Prime Team has delivered the Digital Stores Management System (DSMS).
The new system is integrated with the Sniper and LITENING targeting pods to give the aircraft a ‘smart’ weapons capability.
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Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Blackstar A False Messiah From Groom Lake
Jeffrey F. Bell, a former space scientist and recovering pro-space activist, argues that the Blackstar article by Aviation Week is bogus.
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USAF KC-10s for upgrade
The USAF wants to upgrade its 60 McDonnell Douglas KC-10 tanker/transports with new equipment.
The list includes integrated flightdeck displays, enhanced flight management system, GPS navigation, satellite communication, colour weather radar, electronic charts and manuals, and flight data and flightdeck voice recorders.
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GoldenEye-50 Passes 100 Flight Milestone
The GoldenEye-50 unmanned aerial system (UAS) completed its 100th flight recently.
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Pentagon rejects call to limit Global Hawk output
Pentagon has rejected calls by Government Accountability Office to limit RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle to just flight-test articles rather than operational aircraft.
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Grand plans
Asian manufacturers wants a bigger pie of the global market by focusing on the close- and short-range tactical UAV market.
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China to Remain Russia’s Main Arms Market — Expert
Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director of Russia's Center of the Strategies and Technologies Analysis, said that the focus of Russia's military industry is to help China improve its Air Force and Navy.
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Govt determined to equip PAF with latest equipment: PM Aziz
Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that Pakistan Air Force will be provided all necessary resources for its upkeep and modernization.
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Joint Strike Fighter program crucial to future air dominance
Lt. Gen. Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Air Force, told the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on tactical air and land forces that the F-35 is an important complement to the F-22A.
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B-52 pilot shares her Air Force experience, contributions
Maj. Andrea Jensen, 40th Expeditionary Group B-52 pilot, shares her Air Force experience, contributions.
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Single C-17 breaks airdrop record
A single U.S. Air Force C-17 airdropped 32,400 pounds of humanitarian aid within 40 minutes to four locations in central and eastern Afghanistan March 16.
This feat marked the most cargo airdropped to this many drop-zones in the shortest amount of time from a single aircraft in the history of U.S. airdrop operations.
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Langley Fighter Pilots Begin Nighttime Training Missions
F-15s and F-22s from the USAF 1st Fighter Wing will carry out night flying exercises from Mar. 20 to 23 and 27 to 30.
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Laser JDAM turns attention to precision bomb battle
Boeing's JDAM is facing competition from dual-mode variants of the Paveway laser-guided bomb as it plans to add a laser seeker to its JDAM guidance kit.
Boeing is expecting a USN contract for dual-mode JDAM while Lockheed is under contract to develop a dual-mode version of the 500lb Paveway II for the USMC. Raytheon, meanwhile, is already producing the dual-mode Enhanced Paveway II for the RAF.
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Wing Commander 'Bunny' Currant
Wing Commander "Bunny" Currant, one of the RAF's most successful fighter pilots, has died aged 95.
He had 13 kills from WW2.
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Air Force bombers to get cruise-missile launch practice
15 Russian Tu-95MC bombers will practise launching cruise missiles during a tactical exercise in the Far North.
The four day exercise will see the bombers carry out day- and night-time midair refueling with Il-78 tankers.
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U-S military searching for stinger missiles in Afghanistan
The U.S. military is searching for Stinger missiles in Afghanistan but has not found any.
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Seoul nears decision on AEW&C choice
Seoul has given Boeing and IAI a Apr. 30 deadline to submit required licences and additional technical data on their solutions to its E-X AEW&C requirement.
IAI is behind the race as it has not applied for a license to provide classified data or secured technical assistance agreements.
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Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Reaches Million Flight Hour Milestone
The Boeing C-17 fleet has reached one million flying hours. This is equivalent of one of the cargo jets flying every minute of every day continuously for more than 114 years.
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NATO to knit anti-missile defences
NATO wants to create an integration testbed to ensure the anti-missile radars and interceptors owned by its member nations will work together in any operation.
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Thais issue requirement
Thailand is shopping for three aircraft "capable for AEW&C" with two of them fully equipped.
Embraer ERJ-145 and Saab 2000 are the main contenders. Sweden has already offered to sell Thailand Saab 2000s with Ericsson Erieye radars as part of a proposal to supply the country with the Gripen fighter.
Related Article
Sweden in further bid to entice deal on jets
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Lockheed Martin Completes First Pathfinder Seeker For Missile Defense Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle System
Lockheed Martin has completed the first kill vehicle pathfinder seeker for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Multiple Kill Vehicle System.
A single interceptor equipped with the Multiple Kill Vehicle payload system will destroy the reentry vehicle along with any countermeasures deployed to try and spoof the missile defense system.
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Britain sees progress in F-35 tech transfer talks
A British embassy spokesman said that London is more optimistic about the prospects of buying the F-35 after crucial talks with U.S. officials over technology transfers went well.
Lord Drayson had "extremely constructive" talks with top U.S. officials after his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee and progress had been made but some areas still need work.
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Monday, March 20, 2006
Congress, Pentagon Battle Over JSF Alternative Engine
Congress and the Pentagon are battling to control the fate of the Joint Strike Fighter's alternative engine program.
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"Russian Knights" finish aerobatic show in China
The Russian Knights have completed its three-day aerobatic show in Zhangjiajie. The three-day show attracted 100,000 aviation enthusiasts and spectators.
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Oceana battle may take years
If Virginia Beach's plans to cut down the encroachment around Oceana Naval Air Station fails to impress the Pentagon, it is prepared to file a federal lawsuit that could drag for years.
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Russia hardsells MiGs to IAF
Indian Air Force pilots prefer the F/A-18 with its AESA radar over the F-16.
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Elta close to selling Phalcon AWACS system to South Korea
Boeing tried but failed to block Elta's bid to get an export permit for sensitive equipment on its Phalcon AWACS to South Korea.
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ISGQ-2003-M0008110 (PDF)
The U.S. Foreign Military Studies Office Joint Reserve Intelligence Center recently released newly declassified captured Iraqi documents, this audio file transcript shows someone explaining the Mirage 4000 to Saddam Hussein.
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Diapers for high flyers
The introduction of Il-78 mid-air refuellers to the Indian Air Force meant longer flying duration for a fighter jet. This introduce several physical problems for the pilots.
Solutions are need for pilots to empty their bladders while flying for six to seven hours. Lower torso stiffness is another problem as they are strapped to ejection seats for long hours.
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Australia Embraces Net-Centric Warfighting
Australia's Wedgetail project has been transformed from searching a target with an airborne radar to become a hub of net-centric operations and conduct a wide range of active and passive surveillance.
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Turf battles hit Indian spy in the sky(SPECIAL)
India's Aviation Research Centre, whose responsibility is to carry out SIGINT along the borders with Pakistan and China, is facing difficulty in modernizing its equipment.
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Enemy subs a tricky target
Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, has made it mandatory that aircraft carrier group or amphibious strike group undergo three days of intensive anti-submarine warfare in Hawaii before deploying to the western Pacific.
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Combat-ready for 50 years: B-52s fly past another milestone
The B-52 Stratofortress reached a milestone Mar. 12 with the 50th anniversary of the first B-52 wing being declared combat-ready.
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JSF Fracas Risks Bad Blood Between Allies
The fued over the Joint Strike Fighter could spill over to other transatlantic aircraft programs.
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Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Conducts Undersea Warfare Training
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Group gathered in Hawaiian waters in mid-March to conduct an undersea warfare exercise.
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Sunday, March 19, 2006
Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood formally takes over the PAF command
Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmad has formally taken over the command of Pakistan Air Force as new Chief of the Air Staff.
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Canada to use pilotless aircraft in Afghanistan
Canada will soon operate a flight of Sperwer tactical UAVs in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
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US official accuses China over build-up
Peter Rodman, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for international security affairs, accused China of changing the "status quo" in the Taiwan Strait by its missile buildup aimed at Taiwan.
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Hawks coming, training on MiGs to go
The arrival of the Hawk AJT will lead to a gradual phasing out of training on MiG-21s in phase 4 and 5 of the Indian Air Force pilot training.
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Unidentified Aircraft Heard Over Johor Not In M'sian Airspace, Says PM
An investigation by the Royal Malaysian Air Force found that a UAV that was reported circling in the airspace over Gelang Patah in Johor two days ago was in Singapore airspace.
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M'sia Planning To Procure UAV, Says Army Chief
The Malaysia army has set its sights on getting UAVs.
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Admiral makes nostalgic visit with focus on the future
Rear Adm. Brian Prindle, commander of USN's Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, visits the building that was named in honor of his father at Misawa, the Rear Adm. Charles O’Brien Prindle Naval Tactical Support Facility.
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Doolittle Raiders' survivors to meet at Air Force museum
Nine of the 16 surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders are scheduled to celebrate the raid's 64th anniversary next month at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
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Low-flying bomber disperses mob
A Tornado GR4 flew 250ft over a mob in Iraq that is beseiging three Warrior armoured vehicles.
The mob fled and the detachment from the 1st Battalion The Highlanders were able to escape.
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Arms dealer guilty of illegally exporting military hardware
A Pakistani arms dealer working in Mexico was convicted in a San Diego federal court Friday for illegally exporting military aircraft parts to Iran.
The parts were for the CH-47C, the F-5, the T-38 and the J85 engine that fits both airplanes and the T55 engine on the Chinook.
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Rooivalk helicopter. WILL TURKEY TAKE THE CHOPPER?
A technical evaluation team from Turkey is in South Africa to evaluate the Rooivalk attack helicopter.
Labels: Turkey Attack Helicopter
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Surya Kiran jet crashes in Bidar, 2 pilots dead
India's Surya Kiran aerobatics team has suffered its first crash, killing two pilots. The aircraft came down minutes after taking off from the Bidar Air Force base on Saturday morning.
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Turkey puts off utility helicopter competition
Turkey's defense procurement officials have postponed a March 15 deadline for submission of a RFP for the country's utility helicopter program.
Most of the contenders had filed requests for an extension.
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Saturday, March 18, 2006
Tomcat tribute
A video tribute to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Last time, Baby!
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Tomcat Sunset Event Registration Online
The Tomcat Sunset online registration form has been activated.
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Time has come to market Brahmos: India
India's President A P J Abdul Kalam told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov that it is time to market the Brahmos cruise missile.
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Boeing Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System Wins $96 Million Contract
Boeing has received a contract for the third full-rate production order of the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS).
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機長の判断、操縦ミス原因＝陸自ヘリ水没事故－三重
An accident report has been the pilot of a JGSDF OH-6D for its crash in Nov. 2005. He misjudged the height while dodging birds and crash into a lake.
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米軍ヘリ墜落で４７００万円賠償、日本が２５％負担
From Asagiri Yohko : A total of 47 million Yen has been paid the 70 of the 77 claims from the USMC CH-53 crash in Okinawa International University in August 2004.
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所沢航空発祥記念館：純国産練習機「Ｔ―１Ｂ」、常設展示－－１９日から
From Asagiri Yohko : A T-1B will become a permanent static display at
Tokorozawa
Aviation Museum, Tokorozawa City, Dasaitama Prefecture tomorrow.
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Russian aircraft not to fly through tourist mountain hole
The Russian Knights will not fly through Tianmen Hole in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province.
The team is worried that the act may damaged the aircraft and the cave.
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Billionaire buys historic warplane
Paul Allen, the sixth wealthiest man in the world, has just added a Hawker Hurricane Mk. II to his aircraft collection.
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Barksdale soon will welcome new A-10s
Barksdale Air Force Base will soon have seven A-10s from New Orleans-based 926th Fighter Wing.
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Senate approves move to update B-52 fleet
The U.S. Senate has approved an aamendment to the fiscal year 2007 budget for keeping and upgrading all of the Air Force’s B-52 bombers.
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Belfast makes smart missile much smarter
The Star-streak anti-helicopter missile will be getting a computer upgrade to allow it to hit smaller targets.
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Operation Swarmer
Pictures from Operation Swarmer : the largest air assault in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion three years ago.
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L-3, Boeing, EADS, Raytheon vie for US jobs in DoD race
Both L-3 and Raytheon are looking for possible manufacturing sites if either company wins the Joint Cargo Aircraft program.
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Air Force May Combine Commands
The USAF may consolidate three or more of its 10 major commands in order to trim its budget and axe up to 59,000 military and civilian personnel from its ranks.
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U.S. offers SDF first 'full-time' offshore site
Washington has offered Japan the use of its military bases on Guam for training purposes. Japan can deploy aircraft squadrons on Guam on a "full-time" basis for training.
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DoD OKs winner-take-all plan for Army-Air Force plane
Pentagon's undersecretary for acquisition has approved a plan to pick a single aircraft for the Joint Cargo Aircraft program.
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Friday, March 17, 2006
Celebrated carrier begins its final voyage
U.S.S. Oriskany has left the Beaumont Ready Reserve Fleet for Pensacola, Florida where it will sunk later to become the world's largest manmade reef.
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US Navy acquires armed Predators
The USN has received its first two MQ-9A Predator Bs in December 2005 with an inherent armed mission capability.
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F-15s, MiGs are allies in the sky
Eight USAF F-15 Eagles from Kadena will join Royal Malaysian Air Force MiG-29 Fulcrum, Hawk 208 and the F/A-18 for Cope Taufan ‘06.
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Sign up for fighter or pay more later, says US company
Australia needs to sign up for the F-35 program this year or faced "a penalty associated with the disruption of production planning," according to Lockheed Martin project leader Tom Burbage.
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US budget watchdog calls for suspension of Northrop Grumman RQ-4B UAV full production
U.S. Government Accountability Office wants the serial production of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk suspended until the proposed signals intelligence and imaging radar payloads have matured.
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Top Gun commander recalls spills and thrills of flying career
Rear Admiral Mark T. Emerson, the incoming commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, recalls some exciting moments during his flying career.
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Iwakuni mayor: Scrap relocation plan
Iwakuni's mayor has asked the Japanese government to scrap plans to move U.S. Navy planes from Atsugi to Iwakuni.
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Guard: Our planes did not cause mystery sound
The Portland Air National Guard has denied claims that its F-15 fighters are to blame for loud booms heard throughout the area on Saturday.
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Iceland Unhappy U.S. Pulling Defenses Out
The U.S. ambassador to Iceland said Thursday that Washington will withdraw all of its fighter jets and helicopters from the country later this year.
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U.S., Iraqis Launch 'Operation Swarmer'
U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched the largest air assault dubbed Operation Swarmer since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion Thursday.
A military statement said it was the largest number of aircraft used to insert troops and the largest number of troops inserted by air.
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俄罗斯空军张家界天门山飞行表演
This website has the latest news and photos of Russian Knights at Zhangjiajie.
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Five Die in Turkey Army Helicopter Crash
A Turkish helicopter crashed in eastern Turkey Thursday, killing five officers, and seriously injuring another.
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Plan for extra F-16s grounded
Greece's plan not to exercise options for 10 F-16 Block 52+ has fueled speculation that it may buy the Eurofighter instead.
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GE exec asks Congress to spare fighter engine
Scott Donnelly, GE Aviation president and chief executive officer, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee not to kill the F136 engine.
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Air Force wants to turn coal into fuel
The USAF is looking for sites to set up factories that would turn coal into fuel for jets and trucks.
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US investigators urge F-35 funding slowdown (Free Registration)
Government Accountability Office, Congress's audit and investigative arm, is recommending that Pentagon should slow funding of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter until it is proven in flight tests.
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MND says it will station marines on Taiping Island
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has admitted that an airstrip on Taiping Island, South China Sea has strategic value.
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Largest Ever F-16 Modernization program Enhances Aircraft
The largest ever F-16 modernization program continues to advance to approximately 650 Block 40, 42, 50 and 52 U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard F-16s.
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Boeing Completes Successful Autonomous Flight Control Technology Program
Boeing and a team of university scientists have completed a highly successful multi-year research program to develop and demonstrate flight control technologies that dramatically enhance the autonomous operations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
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Intel Allegedly Falsified to Justify Weapons Purchases
Former intelligence analyst William L. Cruse said U.S. Army officials altered data to justify fundings for the Comanche helicopter program.
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Russian Aircraft to Stunt-Fly in Hunan
Pictures of Russian Knights practising for their show tomorrow at Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province.
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When Pressed, DoD Says It Could Build F-35 Without UK
The United States could go ahead and develop the F-35 without its international partners, if current disputes over export controls and engine makers escalated to a point of no return.
Ken Krieg, the Pentagon's undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said continuing the program without U.K. is possible.
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"Tridents" of VP-65 Disestablished
U.S. Naval Reserve Patrol Squadron (VP) 65, stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Point Mugu, was formally disestablished during a ceremony at the VP-65 hangar March 4.
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U.S. airstrikes in Iraq surge in past 5 months
A Knight Ridder report shows that daily bombing runs and jet-missile launches in Iraq by U.S. forces have increased by more than 50 percent in the past five months, compared to the same period last year.
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Northrop Grumman's Newest Aircraft Carrier Takes a Bow
Northrop Grumman Corporation has attached the upper bow section to George H. W. Bush (CVN 77).
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Decision on salvage of downed F-16C is pending
The U.S. Air Force in South Korea is working with South Korean maritime police to determine whether to salvage the F-16C that crashed in the West Sea on Tuesday.
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DoD tries new plan to avoid past spy plane, space errors
The Pentagon now plans to decide what kind of information it wants before deciding what kind of spying sensor to use.
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Potential flaw found in F-22A fighter jets
Bill Young, chairman of a House defense panel, said the F-22A may have a structural flaw that would require redesign or major modifications to most of the planes delivered to date.
Young said the problem lies with an engine casing made of titanium which may not meet Air Force standards. Both the Air Force and Lockheed agree there's a potential flaw that must be investigated but the Air Force said flight safety is not at issue and no redesign or modification is necessary.
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Sea Skua Missile Misfires In First Test In Southeast Asia
The first Royal Malaysian Navy Sea Skua missile test has failed. The missile was fired from Super Lynx 300 at a wreckage of a ship eight nautical miles away and it failed to hit its target and fell into the sea without exploding.
Matra BAE Dynamics would carry out an investigation to determine the cause of the problem in two or three days. The next firing is scheduled a week from now.
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A day in the life of the BMDS (PDF)
The 2006 edition of the Ballistic Missile Defense System overview booklet is now available.
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Thursday, March 16, 2006
Greece decides against purchase of additional F-16s
The Greece has decided not to exercise its option of buying 10 F-16 Block 52+ that was made available when it bought 30 aircraft in December.
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Fuji Heavy Industries Delivers First Apache Longbow Helicopter to Japanese Government under Boeing Licensing Agreement
Fuji Heavy Industries yesterday delivered the first AH-64D Apache Longbow to the Japanese government during a ceremony in Japan.
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Taiwan opposition can't agree on US arms deal
Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party favours buying 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.
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Raytheon's Cobra Judy Replacement Program Completes Critical Design Review for X-Band Radar
Raytheon Company's Cobra Judy Replacement (CJR) Mission Equipment (ME) Program successfully completed its X-Band Critical Design Review last month.
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Raytheon Awarded $346 Million for Block IV Tomahawk Missile Production
Raytheon Company has been awarded a $346 million contract increment to supply the U.S. and United Kingdom navies with the Block IV (Tactical) Tomahawk cruise missile.
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Pilot safe after F-16C crashes off Korean coast
The USAF F-16C pilot whose jet crashed Tuesday morning off the west coast of the Korean peninsula spent 55 minutes in frigid waters before being rescued.
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Thunderbirds are ready to make history
USAF Capt. Nicole Malachowski will create history on Mar. 25-26, in the skies over Fort Smith by being the first woman to perform with the Thunderbirds.
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French air force delegation visits Viet Nam
Gen. Richard Wolsztynski, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, is leading a delegation to Vietnam.
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Five SU-27 fighter jets for aerial aerobatics arrives in central China province
Five Russian Su-27s have arrived at the airport of Zhangjia National Forest Park in central China's Hunan Province on Wednesday for their upcoming aerobatic stunt through a natural mountain cave.
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Two Apache copter accidents in Germany under investigation
The U.S. Army is investigating two separate Apache helicopter accidents in Germany in late February that resulted in no serious injuries but caused damage to both aircraft.
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SU-24 pilots' condition "satisfactory" after crash
A Su-24M bomber crashed crashed in a field in central Russia at about 9.00 GMT Wednesday during a routine training mission.
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Poland F-16 has successfull first flight
The first Polish F-16 made its first flight at Ft. Worth, Texas on Mar. 14.
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Lockheed Martin Reports Close Match Between APKWS II Simulations and Results of Guided Flight
Lockheed Martin says post-flight analyses of the first guided flight of its 2.75-inch precision air-to-ground guided rocket shows high correlation between simulations and the trajectory.
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Wednesday, March 15, 2006
JASDF T-1B last flight
From Asagiri Yohko : Video and photos of T-1B's last flight from Komaki Air Base.
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Pakistanis accused of aiding Taliban with missile parts
American and Nato forces are following up reports that Pakistani intelligence service, ISI, has provided the Taliban with new battery packs for shoulder-fired Stinger missiles.
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Iraqi Leader, in Frantic Flight, Eluded U.S. Strikes
Saddam Hussein was nowhere near the site of two failed bombing raids intended to kill him during the U.S.-led invasion.
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BMD Watch: Japan now top US BMD partner
Japan has become the United States' largest international partner in missile defense.
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Defence officials air concerns over US fighter jet deal
Australia has made it clear that access to necessary JSF data and technology to allow Australia to operate and support the JSF will be required before Canberra join the next phase of the project.
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BAE delivers first shipment of raw materials for 'Hawk'
BAE Systems has delivered 300 tonnes of raw materials to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., for the production of Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) in the country.
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US Air Force rescue helicopter plan faces review
The USAF Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR-X) program will faces its first Pentagon investment review.
Labels: CSAR-X
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Britain in clash over US fighter secrets
Lord Drayson, the British Minister for Defence Procurement, told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday that his country will pull out of the Joint Strike Fighter program unless technology transfer is given.
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U.S. Aircraft Carrier Abe to Come to Korea
USS Abraham Lincoln will visit South Korea for the first time for a joint U.S.-Korean military exercise called Reception, Staging, Onward movement and Integration (RSOI).
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Italian budget blow hammers air force projects
Italy's plan to acquire a common aircraft type to meet national airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C), maritime patrol and airborne ground surveillance requirements has been delayed.
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Chief of Naval Operations ''encouraged'' that Oceana can be saved
Chief of U.S. Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Mullen, said he remains "encouraged" by state and local efforts to preserve NAS Oceana.
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Air Guard commander to retire
Lt. Gen. Daniel James, director of the Air National Guard, has put in for retirement.
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Ghana : Brain drain threatens Air force
Pilots from Ghana Armed Forces are quiting the service and seek greener pastures within the United Nations and commercial air operators.
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China orders Russian equipment for J-11, but continues to develop local content
China remains heavily reliant on Russia for the local manufacture of J-11. The J-11 is based on Russia's Sukhoi Su-27SK fighter.
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Women expanding the ranks of the NFTC program
There are an ever-increasing numbers of female pilots participating in the NATO Flying Training in Canada Program.
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Lockheed Martin's Compact Kinetic Energy Missile Reaches Major Milestones
Two tests of Lockheed Martin’s Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) were successfully conducted at Aerojet Corporation and ATK Tactical Systems Company.
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Tuesday, March 14, 2006
CVW-8 Fly-in
Dave Parsons called it a mystical event. Well our gallery is full of pictures for that event.
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INS Vikrant to be used as training platform
India's decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant will be used to provide shipboard training to cadets.
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Oceana Fly-In
Bill Paisley shares with us his experience of the last Tomcat fly-in.
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US Air Force divided over new tankers
Senior USAF officials are divided about whether the service should acquire medium or large tankers to replace the KC-135.
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EADS CEO bullish on winning US tanker contract
Thomas Enders, EADS co-chief executive, is confident that his company can win all, or a large part, of a multibillion-dollar contract to supply the U.S. Air Force with tanker planes.
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India tests air-to-air missile, aerial vehicle
India carried out a live firing of an unnamed short range, air-to-air missile on Monday.
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Snow tests C-130 prop
Snow Aviation has completed initial flight tests of Hamilton Sundstrand’s eight-blade NP2000 propeller on a company-owned C-130E.
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The true meaning of the Moscow-Algiers arms deal
Russian oil and gas companies are the real winners in a deal to sell MiGs and Sukhois to Algeria.
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Navy to test missile
Malaysia will test fire its Sea Skua anti-ship missile near Kuala Beruas in the Straits of Malacca on Thursday.
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Boeing Delivers First Peace Eagle Aircraft for Airborne Early Warning and Control Modifications
Boeing has delivered a 737-700 to TUSAS Aerospace Industries for modification to an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform.
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Raytheon Delivers Software Design Lab for P-8A MMA Radar Integration
Raytheon has delivered the P-8A MMA Software Design Lab (Radar) Protocol Emulator (SDL-PE) to Boeing.
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Navy to acquire new spy planes soon: Naval Chief
The Indian Navy will decide which aircraft meets its requirement for nine long-range maritime reconnaissance planes by end of this year.
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Six killed in Argentina air crash
An Argentine air force plane carrying six people crashed in the Andes mountains after dropping medical supplies to the eastern city of El Alto.
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Military operations: Spanish steps
The Spanish air force is on track to declare its Eurofighter ready for NATO operations from 2009.
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Defence to outsource F-111 unit
Australia will outsource the engine maintainence of its ageing F-111 fleet.
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Contest for Early Warning Aircraft in Full Swing
IAI ELTA has obtained Washington's technology export authorization for key components in its AWACS bid for South Korea.
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U.S. offers Bulgaria 3 options for purchase of F-18 fighters
Washington has proposed 3 options for the supply of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to Bulgaria.
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Melco starts F-15J radar upgrade
Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric will begin license-production of the APG-63(V)1 radar as part of an upgrade to the JASDF’s F-15J fighters.
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Randolph to land more pilots, jobs
The USAF Air Education and Training Command will shift its Talon and Texan II aircraft from Moody to five bases.
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IAF cream says no to creamies
The Indian Air Force has told the Royal Air Force not to use 'creamies' to train its pilots at RAF Valley.
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KC-135 gear to use computer-developed alloy
U.S. Air Force KC-135 tankers will changed to a corrosion-resistant alloy, Ferrium S53, for its landing gear.
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Chopper pilot a top gun in Iraq combat
U.S. Army Capt. Sarah Piro has proved so skillful in combat missions to support U.S. ground troops in Iraq that she has earned the nickname Saint.
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RAF Red Arrows to spend Midsummer in Finland
Red Arrows will join Finnish Air Force's Midnight Hawks display team at Finland's traditional pilots' Midsummer night festival in Kauhava.
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U.S. Air Force F-16 crashes in Yellow Sea
A U.S. Air Force F-16 crashed Tuesday morning in waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The pilot ejected and was rescued by the South Korean Air Force.
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Air force official predicts big international demand for F-35 plane
U.S. Air Force chief of staff said that he expects international demand for the F-35A to be so strong that some of the jets from the Air Force will go to foreign buyers.
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New $15bn stealth fighters not so speedy
Australia has expressed concern that Pentagon has downgraded the stealth capability of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from "extremely low observable" to "very low observable".
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said he is taking the news "seriously" but that will not cause Canberra to abandon the project.
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Monday, March 13, 2006
Tomcat Sunset Online Store
The Tomcat Sunset store is now ready to take your orders. Go grab them!
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Plans for nuke-less missiles stir worries
Some American security analysts feels that a conventional armed Trident missile could trigger a nuclear retaliation against the United States if Russia thinks its under attack.
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A fast blast into past
It was bittersweet for Rear Adm. Sandy Winnefeld when he saw the 22 Tomcats flew past USS Theodore Roosevelt for the last time.
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Iwakuni voters reject realignment plan
21,000 Iwakuni residents voted "no" in a plebiscite to the central government's plan to move USN's planes at Atsugi Naval Air base to Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station.
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U.S. eyes return of 3 facilities in Okinawa
Training for U.S. fighter pilots in Japan will move to the following bases: Chitose Base, Hyakuri Base, Komatsu Base, Tsuiki Base and Nyutabaru Base.
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Suryakiran team to display aerial prowess in Chinese sky
India's Suryakiran Aerobatic team plans to visit China and Hong Kong. The time of the visit to China has not been finalized yet.
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Russia-Algeria defence deal may benefit India
Indian companies may benefit from the recent sale of Su-30s to Algeria as the version sold is similar to India's MKI which contains Indian avionics.
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Focus: Britain's secret nuclear blueprint
A new generation of British scientists are working on a new nuclear warhead for the Trident missile that can be designed, constructed and maintained without full-scale testing.
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Sunday, March 12, 2006
Guam seen as pivotal U.S. base
The Pacific island of Guam is shaping up to be an important base for U.S. military forces in the western Pacific and Asia.
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We could take out Iran N-sites: Israeli general
Moshe Ya'alon, former chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, told the Hudson Institute in Washington on Thursday that Israel could neutralise the Iranian threat for several years by hitting dozens of targets spread around the country.
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Preparations for induction of Hawk begins
The Indian Air Force is preparing for the arrival of its Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers with infrastructure development projects at Bidar Air Station.
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Wind blows for fighter girls
There are calls within the Indian Air Force to allow women to fly combat aircraft.
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Ex-Bolivian leader in treason charge over missiles
Former Bolivian President Eduardo Rodriguez has been charged with treason for sending the South American country's only Chinese-made surface-to-air missiles to be destroyed in the United States.
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MoD sets out ultimatum to US over joint strike fighter
British Defence procurement minister Lord Drayson will meet the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee next week and he'll ask for more technology transfer for the F-35.
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Saturday, March 11, 2006
F-14D flyover video
From WAVY-TV.
For those who cannot view the video in your browser or you want to download the file. Link
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Squadron Homecoming Marks End of Era for Tomcats
VF-31 and VF-213 flew the last operational flight of the F-14D Tomcat as they return to NAS Oceana.
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Russia Strikes $7.5Bln Arms Deal with Algeria
Algeria has signed a deal for 40 MiG-29SMTs, 20 Su-30 MKs, 16 Yak-130 trainers and eight battalions of S-300 PMU2.
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NKorea missiles tested are quantum leap: US general
General B.B. Bell, commander of the U.S. military in South Korea said the missiles test-fired by North Korea this week are "a quantum leap forward."
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Tribute to bombers to highlight BAFB air show
Boeing's B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress and B-52 Stratofortress will fly a joint formation for this year’s Barksdale Air Force Base Defenders of Liberty Airshow.
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Singapore Air Force Chief On Farewell Call
Singapore's Chief of Air Force Major General Lim Kim Choon is in Brunei on a farewell call.
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Air Force Eyes Future Bomber 'Fly-Off'
The USAF's new long-range bomber could be decided by a fly-off competition.
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Overruns on military contracts proving costly to Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter is absorbing cost overruns in the H-1 upgrade program. The program upgrades AH-1W Cobra and UH-1N Huey with new rotors and drive trains, avionics, sensors and weapons.
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Boeing eyes Japan for airborne laser help
Boeing says the Japanese are interested in the Airborne Laser program.
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U.S. may reduce its defense of Iceland
Iceland is fighting to keep a fleet of USAF F-15s that help defend the island.
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Report: China plans to build carrier
Pro-Beijing daily Wen Wei Po quoted People’s Liberation Army Lt. Gen. Wang Zhiyuan that the country is currently planning to build an aircraft carrier.
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Proposal may keep C-17 flying
Congress has given $100 million to keep alive contracts between Boeing and suppliers of raw materials and parts for the C-17 factory until the military decides whether to order new planes or Congress approves money for new purchases.
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Quonset berth beckons another carrier (Free Registration)
U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy wants aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy to berth at Aquidneck Island as a museum.
President John F. Kennedy trained there before World War II.
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Boeing Awarded $240 Million JDAM Contract
Boeing will make 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits for existing 500-, 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs purchased by the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
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Friday, March 10, 2006
Boeing Wedgetail Team Completes Major Radar Testing Milestone
The Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar for Australia's Project Wedgetail completed ground testing, clearing it for flight testing at full power.
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国産初のジェット戦闘機、Ｆ―１が引退
From Asagiri Yohko: The last six of seven JASDF F-1 fighters flew its last flight recently.
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Russian UAVs making a comeback
Dr. Eugene Kogan looks at the development of UAVs in Russia.
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Conventional Missile System to Provide Diverse, Rapid Capabilities
Pentagon is asking Congress for the authority to build a $503 million conventional version of the nuclear-armed Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile.
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CCS clears proposal for procurement of Prithvi
The Indian Air Force will be getting 54 Prithvi missiles.
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Russia launches production of new military helicopter
The Mi-28N Night Hunter has completed its first-stage flight tests and will soon be in service.
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Eurofighter flies full swing for Turkish contract
Eurofighter has responed to a Turkish Request for Information to replace its F-4s.
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Top Gun to get new commanding officer in June (Free Registration)
Rear Admiral Mark T. Emerson, commander of the U.S. Navy's Strike Force Training Command, Pacific, has been named the new Commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) at NAS Fallon.
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MH-60S armed helicopter pilots 'fly' combat missions from Pax
The only MH-60S Armed Helicopter Weapons System (AHWS) flight simulator recently participated in a virtual flag exercise.
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Patriot problems nearly resolved, Army says
Upgrades to the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system are nearly finished and will prevent future friendly-fires.
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Military's fuel costs spur look at gas-guzzlers
With soaring fuel prices, this article argues that the B-52 fleet should be re-engine with more fuel efficient ones.
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Outcome unclear in Iwakuni referendum
On Sunday, the city of Iwakuni will vote on the relocation of U.S. carrier-based aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps' Iwakuni Air Station.
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New missile ready soon: Lee Jye
Taiwan Minister of National Defense Lee Jye on Wednesday discussed a new type of cluster bomb with lawmakers on the National Defense Committee.
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Ceremony Commemorates First Military Flight
Fort Sam Houston commemorated the 96th anniversary of the first military flight Mar. 2.
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RMN To Test Fire Latest Anti-ship Missile Next Week
The Royal Malaysian Navy will test fire its Sea Skua anti-ship missile from a Super Lynx 300 next week.
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Thursday, March 09, 2006
Two-Stage-to-Orbit 'Blackstar' System Shelved at Groom Lake?
Aviation Week's big story on the possible existence of a highly classified two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system .
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NATO, European Commander Call For C-17s, Satellites
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe suggests that the alliance commonly fund a fleet of C-17 and A-400M.
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Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Demonstrates New Japan Clamshell Nosecone Design
A Raytheon SM-3 missile successfully demonstrated proper separation of a Japanese clamshell nosecone during a flight test mission off Hawaii Mar. 9.
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Soldiers on aerial mission attacked
A Philippine UH-1H helicopter was damaged after coming under hostile fire Tuesday afternoon on the island of Jolo.
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Downed air crew safely at home
The EA-6B Prowler that crashed last Friday has three men and a woman on board.
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Israeli pilot recalls smashing a rival's nuclear ambitions
Retired Israeli Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Zeev Raz recounts his 1981 mission to bomb the Osiraq nuclear reactor near Baghdad.
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23 IAF pilots complete training on Hawk aircraft
23 pilots from the Indian Air Force have completed their training on the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer.
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Report: North Korea fires missiles
Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that North Korea fired two surface-to-air missiles near its border with China.
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Sea King rescued after a week in the snow
The RAF Sea King rescue helicopter that was stranded 3000 feet up in the Cairngorm Mountains during a rescue last week, was finally flown out of the hills Mar. 6.
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Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Omega Refueling Services
Gerry managed to hitch a ride on
Omega Refueling Services' 707 tanker. Here are the photos of the trip.
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Heritage flight
An F-22A from Langley Air Force Base, Va., an F-4 from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., an F-16 and an A-10 fly in diamond formation over Tucson, Ariz., Sunday, March 5, 2006, during the Air Combat Command Heritage Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker.
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Hooligans outfoxed on safety record
North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Fighter Wing was hoping to celebrate 70,000 hours of flying the F-16 without accident when it found that the 169th Fighter Wing beat them with 101,000 hours.
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Iraqi air force stands up its first operational C-130 squadron
The first operational Iraqi C-130 transport squadron stand up on Tuesday.
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Iran achieves stealth technology
Iran has gained access to stealth technology and is currently constructing the biggest L band test room in the Middle East in order to conduct further studies.
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Taiwan says it now faces 784 Chinese missiles
Taiwan now faces 784 missiles from China which could paralyze Taiwan's communications and transportation and command centers in a 10-hour bombardment.
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New Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer to make Middle East debut in UAE
The BAE Systems Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer is stopping in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Greece to allow local pilots to have familiarisation flights after attending Asian Aerospace.
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Yeager visits Bell
Chuck Yeager visit the Bell Helicopter Textron plant on Monday.
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WWI aircraftswoman dies aged 107
Alice Baker, a Leading Aircraftswoman for the Royal Flying Corps during WWI, has died aged 107.
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Fate of F-111s to be decided soon
The fate of Australia's F-111 fleet will be decided within the next couple of months.
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Pentagon hopes to replace lost aircraft
The Pentagon seeks to replace 16 AH-64s lost in Afghanistan and Iraq, and buy three C-130J to replace three C-130Hs taken from the US Air Force inventory and converted to special-operations MC-130Hs to replace aircraft lost in operations.
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C-17 Reaches Milestone
A crew of U.S. and Royal Air Force members will fly a representative mission Mar. 19 to commemorate the C-17 fleet reaching its 1 millionth flying hour.
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Turkey scraps two defense deals with Israel (Free Registration)
Turkey has scrapped two defense deals with Israel, one for a high-value strategic reconnaissance program and the other for anti-radar drones.
Elop Ltd was supposed to deliver 42 of its Long Range Oblique Photography (LOROP) pods for Turkey's F-4Es.
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Northrop Grumman to Provide Hellenic Air Force F-16 Fleet With Advanced Capability Fire Control Radar System
Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract to provide AN/APG-68(V)9 airborne radars for F-16 Block 52+ aircraft for the Hellenic Air Force.
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Lockheed Martin Conducts Successful Paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb Flight Tests
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy conducted a series of successful flight tests releasing four GBU-12 Paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bombs from a single F/A-18 aircraft.
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Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Ｔ１練習機が引退飛行 国産初の実用ジェット機
From Asagiri Yohko: Four Fuji T-1B jet trainers of the JASDF flew a retirement memorial flight on Mar. 3.
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MiG general director to head aircraft-building giant
MiG company’s General Director Alexey Fyodorov will be the head of a yet-to-be created aircraft building corporation.
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Kyrgyz Minister Rules Out Air Base Use for US Attack on Iran
Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Alikbek Dzhekshenkulov said that Washington cannot use Manas airport as a base to attack Iran.
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Group claims Iran hiding long-range missiles
An Iranian exile group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, claimed that Tehran is hiding more than 300 long-range missiles in two Iranian towns.
North Korean weapons experts are working with Iranian officials at the Hemmat Missile Industries Complex to develope a new missile as well.
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Iran said to step up plans for Shahab missiles
Iran's Project 111 aims to arm its Shahab-3 missiles with nuclear warheads.
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France targets Saudi defence deals
There is hope that Saudis may still consider the Rafale after a recent visit by French President Jacques Chirac.
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Britain and France sign aircraft pact
France and Britain signed an accord on Monday to jointly construct three aircraft carriers.
The Royal Navy will receive the first of two new aircraft carriers sometime around 2012, while France gets one ship by about 2014.
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Putin to visit Algeria, jet sale on agenda
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to conclude the sale of MiG-29s during his visit to Algeria on Thursday.
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Alenia pitches C-27J at new campaigns
Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica expects Greece to confirm a three-aircraft option to its 12-strong C-27J deal by April.
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F-15 conducts great GIG in the sky
Boeing’s F-15E1 technology demonstrator recently demonstrated the ability to link itself in flight to the Pentagon's Global Information Grid.
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The Spitfire marks 70 years
Five Spitfires flew in a V formation above Southampton on Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of its first flight.
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Australia brings HALE UAV project forward by a year
Australia, Japan and Singapore are considering proposals by the USAF’s Pacific Command for a common regional "pool" of Global Hawks, based in Guam.
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Italian aircraft delivery signed in Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry signed a deal on Feb. 24 to buy five C-27J Spartan transport aircrafts from Alenia Aeronautica.
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Lockheed upbeat on MPA contracts
Lockheed Martin is confident of selling P-3 Orions and S-3 Vikings to several countries in Asia over the next two years.
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'Pakistan negotiating F-16 deal with Belgium, Netherlands'
Pakistan is currently negotiating with Belgium and Netherlands for purchase of used F-16s.
Sources confirmed negotiations had reached a fairly advanced stage but recently ran into some snags.
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Swiss precision for Malta Airshow
The Swiss Air Force will be sending the PC-7 Team to participate in this year’s Malta International Airshow.
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Nevada base to get Predator squadron
The USAF 19th Attack Squadron will begin operating Armed Predator spy planes later this year from Creech Air Force Base.
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Air Force chief tied to steering of contract
U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley pushed a $49 million publicity project for the Thunderbirds air show to a Pennsylvania company whose senior partners included a recently retired four-star Air Force general.
Strategic Message Solutions won the contract through a public bidding process, although its bid was $25 million higher than a competing proposal.
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Monday, March 06, 2006
U.S. spy drone tested over Japan
The U.S. Air Force flew a Global Hawk in Japanese airspace last month to showcase its capabilities.
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Museum is a top gun with F-14
A Blacklions F-14 is heading to Prairie Aviation Museum in Bloomington for permanent display.
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Crash landing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
An F-86 Sabre participating in the Air Combat Command Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base suffered a landing gear failure on Saturday.
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Quebec firm trains top guns
Top Aces is the first and only Canadian civilian company to provide airborne combat training support to Canadian Forces.
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Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force Takes Delivery of First EH101
The first of 14 EH101 helicopters for the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force was delivered on Mar. 3.
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New attack helicopter among fruits of new €50m EU defence research fund
A new €50 million EU defence research fund could be used to study into the needs of a new common attack helicopter for Europe.
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Defense Dept. will investigate MIT's missile defense research
The Pentagon has agreed to investigate allegations of fraud in missile defense research at MIT.
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Navy jets grounded for review after crash
The U.S. Navy will hold a safety stand down for half a day this week after the crash of an EA-6B.
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Drayson to divert £250m from Lynx
U.K. defence procurement minister Lord Drayson wants to cut 10 of the 80 Lynx helicopters that the MoD has procured.
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Troops ‘still at risk’ from friendly fire
The British National Audit Office says that the Ministry of Defence still has not come up with a system to prevent soldiers and airmen being killed by friendly fire.
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NAS Whidbey Island Air Crew Safely Recovered
An EA-6B Prowler crashed in an unpopulated area in northwest Oregon Mar. 3 and all four crew were safely recovered.
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Lawmakers Slam B-52 Retirement Plan
The chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee this week expressed dismay over the U.S. Air Force’s proposed plan to retire nearly half of its B-52 bomber fleet.
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Missile defense radar to be deployed in Japan
The United States will deploy the mobile X-band radar at Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force base in Tsugaru, Japan, in the latter half of this year.
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MV-22 Osprey squadron has become operational
The first operational MV-22 Osprey squadron was unveiled at New River Air Station on Friday.
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Arrow can block 'any Iranian missile'
Brig.-Gen. Ilan Bitton, head of Israel's Air Defense Forces, said the Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile system is capable of intercepting and destroying any Iranian missiles.
It was recently improved so that it can intercept Iran's Shihab-3 missile.
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New Heavy Airlift Capability for the Royal Australian Air Force
Australia will buy four C-17s with the first aircraft expected to be delivered this year.
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Sunday, March 05, 2006
US Air Force starts final F-22 talks with Lockheed Martin
The U.S. Air Force has started talks with Lockheed Martin Corp. and Pratt & Whitney on the final round of F-22 stealth fighter purchases.
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Ships, planes of Theodore Roosevelt strike group return next week (Free Registration)
USS Theodore Roosevelt will return home next week from six months supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The jets are expected to be back at NAS Oceana on Friday.
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AP: AC-130 gunships returning to Iraq
The U.S. Air Force has begun moving AC-130s to a base in Iraq. Four are expected to be deployed.
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BG Ng Chee Khern to be new Chief of Air Force
Brigadier-General Ng Chee Khern will take over from Major-General Lim Kim Choon as Singapore's new Air Force chief from March 24.
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Saturday, March 04, 2006
Air Vectors : Rocket Fighters
Greg chronicles the rise and fall of rocket-propelled fighter aircraft during World War 2 in this month's Air Vectors.
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空自の中型輸送機に初の女性機長誕生
From Asagiri Yohko: Captain Satou Kanae is the JASDF female captain ("kichou" = captain or main pilot of aircraft, not necessarily rank) of the C-1 medium transport.
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Arms sales to China resume
Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Ya'acov Toren revealed on Wednesday that arms sales to China has resumed despite the 2004 crisis over the upgrading of Chinese UAVs by IAI.
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Indonesia welcomes Aussie missile deal
A spokesman for Indonesian Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said his country is not against Australia's purchase of the JASSM missile.
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Pioneer UAV support hits 40,000 flight hours
The Pioneer has flown 40,000 flight hours since its first flight in 1986 including more than 13,000 combat hours.
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Russia could quit missile treaty
Gen. Vladimir Vasilenko, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's research institute, said his country could redeploy intermediate range missiles.
A treaty signed by Washington and Moscow in 1987 banned production and deployment of medium-range missiles.
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Lockheed Martin Successfully Conducts Guided Flight Test of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II
Lockheed Martin recently conducted a successful ground-launched medium-range guided test vehicle flight of its "Hellfire Junior" precision missile.
The test is part of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II program that turns the 2.75-inch rocket into a guided missile.
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US ready to sell advanced arms to India: Pentagon
Pentagon announced that Washington is prepared to offer Lockheed Martin F-16 and Boeing F/A-18 jet fighters to India.
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Eurofighter 'terror target'
British anti-terror officers swing into action after the public alerted them to a possible plot to target the Eurofighter Typhoon factory in Warton, Lancs.
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Bell delivers first Special Ops Osprey (Free Registration)
Bell Boeing delivered its first Special Operations CV-22 Osprey to the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command Wednesday.
The CV-22 will have a Directed Infrared Countermeasures System and terrain-following, terrain-avoidance radar systems.
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Hooligans prepared for dual flying mission
The North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Fighter Wing is currently in transition from F-16s to a dual mission of UAVs and light cargo planes.
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Indian military attaché scouts Navy aircraft for purchase
Two Indian military attaché flew a U.S. Navy H-3 Sea King for possible purchase from the U.S. Navy.
The plan is to acquire six H-3 aircraft for USS Trenton that India plans to buy.
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Air Force, Army agree on light cargo aircraft
The U.S. Air Force and Army have agreed to use Joint Cargo Aircraft as the name for the joint program to develop a fleet of light cargo aircraft.
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Senate committee to hold hearing on JSF alternate engine
U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner on Thursday said he would soon call hearings on the Pentagon's plan to kill the F136 engine.
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Lawmakers question Air Force plans to cut end strength
U.S. lawmakers grilled the Air Force leadership Wednesday about the service’s plan to cut tens of thousands of full-time positions from its workforce over the next six years.
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Bulgaria signs MiG modernization deal
Bulgaria on Wednesday signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Russian company RSK-MiG to modernize its MiG-29 fleet.
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F-22 squadrons slated for Hawaii, New Mexico
Holloman and Hickam Air Force Base will be getting the third and fourth F-22A squadrons.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley said environmental analysis must be completed before finalizing the decisions.
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UAVs need new runway
Grand Forks Air Base will need a new runway to accommodate the Predator drones when they arrive next year.
The base lacks a runway that allows the Predator to avoid landing in strong crosswinds.
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Boeing Installs MESA Antenna on First Peace Eagle Aircraft
Boeing has installed a Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) antenna on the first of four 737-700s for Turkey's Peace Eagle airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) program.
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Boeing shifts unmanned jet program to Navy
Boeing's X-45C program will cease development to provide the U.S. Air Force with an unmanned combat jet and shift its focus to develop one for the Navy.
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Thursday, March 02, 2006
Air Force wants ban lifted on plane retirements
U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told the House Armed Services Committee that his service has identified an unfunded requirement for seven more C-17s in Iraq.
He urged lawmakers to lift the congressional ban on retiring the oldest C-5 cargo aircraft so that money can be freed up to buy more C-17s.
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Marines deploy with Sea Stallions
10 Sea Stallions from HMH-463 will be in Iraq for duty for seven months.
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RAF helicopter stuck on mountain
The RAF Seaking that was abandoned during a blizzard could be stranded in a mountain corrie until next week.
It was there to airlift an injured climber but the rotors iced up. Members of RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team have set up camp at the scene to guard against trophy hunters or someone trying to start up the helicopter.
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Long-Range Strike: The Future
Air Force Association looks at the possible paths the USAF may take to develop its Next Generation Long-Range Strike Aircraft program.
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Row over training flight to Italy
The RAF insisted that six Jaguar pilots who flew their planes to Italy for the weekend were simply engaged on a routine training exercise.
The Sun newspaper alleged that they were flying there to spend the weekend at a ski resort.
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Pigeon brings down RAF helicopter
A RAF Chinook encountered a bird strike Feb. 15 that cracked the windscreen forcing it to make an emergency landing in a field in Yarrowford, Selkirk.
The helicopter was grounded for about four hours while a repair team flew in from RAF Leuchars.
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Pacific airmen join Singapore troops for exercise
Commando Sling, an annual exercise between the RSAF and USAF, will take place this week in Singapore.
Six F-16s from the 80th Fighter Squadron from Kunsan Air Base, South Korea will hold "dissimilar" training with Singapore F-16s and F-5s.
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Wednesday, March 01, 2006
USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group excursion
David Boey recently organised a trip for a few locals to the USS Ronald Reagan while the carrier was in town. This is his write-up.
Lots of pictures in the
gallery as well.
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SU-30 Buddy Refuelling System Acheives Successful Final Design Review
Cobham Air Refuelling & Auxiliary Mission Equipment division's 754 buddy refuelling system has achieved final design review (FDR) for the Su-30.
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Russian plane stunt to attract tourists
More information on the Russian Knights stunt through Tianmen Cave, China. A Su-27 will fly through the cave from March 17-19.
20,000 tickets will be sold for the three-day performance with VIP tickets selling for as much as 6,800 yuan (US$840).
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RAF's reach for the ski
Six RAF Jaguars from 41 fighter squadron flew from RAF Coltishall, Norfolk to Aviano air base in Italy for the crew to have a weekend skiing break last week.
Wing Commander Dick MacCormac, commanding officer, lead the formation on Friday.
The pilots, crew, and engineering officers forlick in the snow at a ski resort nearby after reaching Aviano.
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Report: Guam to get Global Hawks
Three to six Global Hawks will be deployed at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, by the end of 2009.
From Guam, the unmanned aircraft could conduct aerial surveillance over the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula for about 20 hours.
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Titanium price increases and shortages may affect JSF programme
The Joint Strike Fighter program may be hit by rising titanium prices. Commodore Simon Henley, the British team leader for the program, said JSF unit cost is dependent on titanium supplies.
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US Air Force: New Tanker Costs Rise As Delays Drag On
The USAF said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday that it costs $1.9 billion to $3.2 billion every year to replace its aging tanker fleet.
The Air Force thinks it can save about $6 billion by retiring some of its oldest models.
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Marines to bring tilt-rotor aircraft to Yuma for training
The USMC is expected to bring their V-22s to Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma for training in April.
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Last signal for Unst radar base
The RAF will close its Saxa Vord early warning radar station in Unst today at 1130GMT after 50 years of service. An RAF Nimrod is due to make a flypast to mark the occasion.
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Boeing ScanEagle UAV Surpasses 10,000 Combat Flight Hours
ScanEagle has surpassed 10,000 combat flight hours in less than two years supporting U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy operations.
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Snowbirds website gets new look
Snowbirds' website is sporting a new and improved look with more photos, exciting video clips and other bells and whistles.
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New missiles for the Australian Defence Force
Australia has selected Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (or JASSM) as the new long range air-to-surface missile to equip it’s F/A-18 Hornet fleet.
The missile is planned to be operational on the aircraft by December 2009 and plans to equip them on the AP-3C has been abandoned.
Related Articles
Australia to get longer range missiles
Australia buys new stealth missiles
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