Air Force Archives - Page 15 of 2537

Outgoing Finnish Air Force chief confident in F-35 program’s success

Posted on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 by alert5

Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, outgoing Commander of the Finnish Air Force, recently offered insights into Finland’s progress toward transitioning to the F-35A. The first aircraft are due to arrive in Finland in late 2026, with full operational capability (FOC) scheduled for the end of 2030. Keränen is confident that the ambitious transition timeline, which sees the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet phased out completely by 2028, will be met. He was quoted as saying, “I see no major obstacles ahead of us – on a large scale we’re doing well and I’m pleased with the progress of the program.”

Photo: Finnish Air Force
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Elbit’s WACHUD to replace outdated displays in USAF F-16 Block 40/42 jets

Posted on November 29, 2024 by alert5

Elbit Systems of America has scored a major win with the U.S. Air Force, securing an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a ceiling of $89 million for replacing outdated Head-Up Displays (HUDs) in the service’s F-16 Block 40/42 fleet. The contract, announced on Nov. 21, calls for the installation of Elbit’s Wide-Angle Conventional Head-Up Display (WACHUD) in place of the existing Diffractive Optic HUDs currently in use. The first delivery order, worth over $57.5 million, was placed in September 2024, with work scheduled to be carried out at Elbit America’s Talladega, Alabama facility and systems expected to be delivered by September 2027.

A 138th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon from Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma, flies next to a KC-135R Stratotanker April 25, 2019. The Stratotanker, from the 507th Air Refueling Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, refueled four 138th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons during flight operations over Kansas. (Courtesy photo by Mike Killian)

New Zealand’s C-130J touches down in Antarctica for the first time

Posted on November 27, 2024November 27, 2024 by alert5

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has begun a new chapter in its long history of supporting Antarctic operations with the first flight of its new C-130J Hercules to the icy continent on Nov. 26.

Photo: RNZAF
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Romania bolsters NATO’s eastern flank with F-35 acquisition

Posted on November 22, 2024 by alert5

Bucharest is set to become the 20th nation to join the F-35 program after inking a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for 32 F-35A Lightning II fighters.

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Eurofighter’s Electronic Warfare capabilities set to extend operational life to 2060 and beyond

Posted on November 21, 2024November 21, 2024 by alert5

The Eurofighter Typhoon is undergoing a significant modernisation to ensure its continued dominance in the face of ever-evolving threats. The heart of this upgrade is a next-generation electronic warfare (EW) system, poised to extend the aircraft’s operational life to 2060 and beyond. This new system, built upon the legacy of the existing “Praetorian” Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS), promises to catapult the Eurofighter into a new era of electronic dominance.

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