The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a $1.3 billion contract on Mar. 19 to deliver 17 advanced F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornet fighter jets, bolstering its fleet of carrier-based combat aircraft. This agreement also includes a critical technical data package that will ensure the long-term operational readiness and maintenance of these jets. The agreement comes after previous negotiations for the Navy’s final batch of Super Hornets stalled in late 2023 due to rising aircraft costs.
150608-N-EH855-654 WATERS NEAR GUAM (June 8, 2015) Capt. William Koyama, commander, carrier air wing (CVW) 5, prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) in an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the “Dambusters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195, after completing his 4000th flight hour. George Washington and its embarked air wing, CVW 5, are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Mai/Released)
The dream of equipping the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship with a high-energy laser weapon system has come to an end. The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has officially shelved its Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) program due to “technical challenges” encountered during integration and ground testing.
South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae indigenous fighter jet has achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of an air refueling test on Mar. 19. This achievement comes on the heels of the aircraft’s successful development flight tests earlier this year.
The Swiss Federal Office for Armaments (armasuisse) has begun delivery of 22 decommissioned F-5E/F Tiger II fighter jets to the United States. The first aircraft was picked up by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) on Mar. 18 from Emmen Air Force Station aboard a Lockheed KC-130J transport aircraft.
Eglin Air Force Base in Florida played a critical role in providing humanitarian aid during the 1999 Kosovo conflict. The challenge arose from the need to deliver Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) to refugees scattered across the region. Traditional cargo aircraft were deemed unsuitable due to bad weather conditions and the threat of surface-to-air missiles.
