GE Aerospace’s F110 engine is celebrating 40 years of continuous production, a remarkable achievement for a powerplant born from what some call the “Great Engine War” of the 1980s. This war saw GE challenge Pratt & Whitney’s dominance in supplying engines for the US Air Force’s F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. The F110 ultimately emerged as a champion, powering these aircraft for the US military and 16 other nations.
South Korean authorities investigating three Chinese students accused of illegally filming the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, while it was docked in Busan on Jun. 25 have found out that one of the accused have previously been recognised as a model member of the Chinese Communist Party. The incident has raised serious concerns as investigators believe the students may have been acting under the direction of Chinese intelligence.
The U.S. Air Force successfully released its new Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) from an F-16 over the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 7. The test, involving a jettison test vehicle (JTV), marked the first time the SiAW separated from an aircraft. The JTV lacked a rocket motor and internal electronics, focusing solely on the weapon’s safe separation from the aircraft.
A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH147F Chinook helicopter, tail number CH147310, crashed into the Ottawa River on the night of Jun. 19, 2023, killing two pilots. The accident occurred during a demanding night training exercise designed to challenge student pilots as part of the Tactical First Officer Course. The newly released accident report concludes that the crew experienced spatial disorientation, leading to a Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT).
The U.S. Air Force is temporarily relocating 17 B-1B Lancer bombers and 800 airmen from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, to Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. This marks the return of the B-1 to Grand Forks after 30 years. The move is necessary to allow for runway construction at Ellsworth AFB in preparation for the arrival of the new B-21 Raider.