Alert 5

Northrop Grumman begins construction of first E-2D for French Navy

Posted on December 11, 2024December 11, 2024 by alert5

Northrop Grumman has commenced production of the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye for the French Navy, ushering in a new era of airborne command and control capabilities for the European naval air arm. The symbolic event took place at Northrop Grumman’s St. Augustine manufacturing facility and saw key representatives from the French Navy, Northrop Grumman, and US Naval agencies in attendance.

Graphic: Northrop Grumman
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Kazakhstan boosts airlift with first A400M delivery

Posted on December 11, 2024December 11, 2024 by alert5

Airbus has delivered the first A400M military transport to the Republic of Kazakhstan, marking a significant enhancement to the Central Asia nation’s air power projection capability.

Photo: Airbus
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Israel and U.S. target different threats in post-Assad airstrikes

Posted on December 10, 2024 by alert5

Amidst the power vacuum left by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, both Israel and the U.S. have wasted no time in conducting airstrikes within Syria.

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron takes off from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, May 12, 2019. This was the first mission of the Bomber Task Force deployed to U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in order to defend American forces and interests in the region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nichelle Anderson)

Osprey grounded again

Posted on December 10, 2024 by alert5

The Pentagon has once again grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. This comes after a worrying incident at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on Nov. 20, where a CV-22 Osprey experienced a near-crash shortly after takeoff. Initial investigations suggest that weakened metal components in a critical part may have been a contributing factor.

An Estonian Special Operations Forces operator prepares to be hoisted up to a
U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey, assigned to 352d Special Operations Wing, during Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction System training near Amari, Estonia, Sep. 3, 2019. During the week-long training, U.S. and Estonian special operation forces partnered on FRIES familiarization, casualty evacuation and rapidly loading and off-loading a tactical vehicle onto the aircraft. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Pena)

Exodus from Canada’s spy plane unit

Posted on December 10, 2024 by alert5

An internal Canadian Forces investigation found that a lack of leadership and training opportunities were to blame for the exodus of most of the specialists needed to operate a new fleet of military surveillance aircraft. This information comes from reporting by David Pugliese of the Ottawa Citizen. The investigation, completed in May 2023, found that sensor operators at CFB Trenton, Ontario, were left largely on their own with no training program or overall direction from the Special Forces headquarters in Ottawa or their home unit, 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron in Petawawa.

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