Alert 5

JMSDF Selects SeaGuardian for Maritime Surveillance

Posted on December 4, 2024December 4, 2024 by alert5

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has taken a decisive step into the future of maritime defence, selecting General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s (GA-ASI) SeaGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems for its Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program. The selection, announced in December 2024, follows over 1.5 years of rigorous testing and evaluation by the JMSDF. The service began its trial operation project with the SeaGuardian in April 2023, putting the system through its paces to assess its suitability for Japan’s challenging maritime environment. This move mirrors a similar decision by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). On Aug. 15, the JCG signed a contract for the purchase of two SeaGuardian RPAs from GA-ASI, with delivery expected in 2025. This follows the JCG’s ongoing Company-Owned, Contractor-Operated agreement with GA-ASI, which began in April 2022 and has seen SeaGuardians actively supporting a range of JCG missions.

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The GE F110: A Forty-Year Legacy of Power and Innovation

Posted on December 4, 2024December 4, 2024 by alert5

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.

The 35th Maintenance Squadron test cell, or hush house, provides a testing area for an F110-GE-129 engine March 4. Because of the engine’s proven safety track record and heritage of high reliability, the F110-GE-129 has been chosen to power more than 75 percent of the U.S. Air Force’s single engine F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft.

Communist Party member among Chinese students accused of spying on U.S. carrier in Busan

Posted on December 3, 2024 by alert5

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.

BUSAN, Republic of Korea (June 25, 2024) Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol, middle, tours the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) as he’s accompanied by Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, far right, commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine, in Busan, Republic of Korea, June 25, 2024. Theodore Roosevelt is in the Republic of Korea for a scheduled port visit, supporting operational readiness and ROK-U.S. alliance. Theodore Roosevelt is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group Nine and is currently conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher J. Crawford)

SiAW cores first flight test milestone

Posted on December 3, 2024 by alert5

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 40th Flight Test Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon releases a Stand-in Attack Weapon for the first time Nov. 7 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The mission marked the first time the weapon was successfully released from an aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)

Chinook crew’s spatial disorientation cited in fatal Ottawa River crash

Posted on December 3, 2024December 3, 2024 by alert5

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).

Photo: RCAF
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