Monday, May 31, 2004
First Raytheon ASTOR Aircraft for the U.K. Completes its Initial Flight
Taking to the air for the first time since its modification from a Bombardier Global Express to a Sentinel R Mk 1, the first ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off Radar) aircraft flew on May 26 for 4.4 hours. The flight was made from the L-3 Integrated Systems facility in Greenville, Texas, where the modification and integration work has been carried out under Raytheon's direction.
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BAE 'Unaware' of Helicopter Stake Talks
Aerospace group BAE Systems today downplayed claims that it was in talks to take a 40 per cent stake in helicopter maker AgustaWestland.
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British Aerospace experts in India to examine grounded Jaguar jets
Experts from British Aerospace were in India to study some 80 Jaguar fighter jets which were grounded after a string of crashes, the Air Force said.
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Lockheed challenges for new carrier role
Lockheed Martin, the American defence group, has emerged as a strong candidate to take on the role of project integrator on the Ministry of Defence's �10bn contract to build two aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.
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IAF to expand Bidar airbase
The Indian Air force (IAF) is expanding the runway at its airbase at Bidar in north Karnataka to accommodate the advanced jet trainers (AJTs) required to train pilots before they fly on supersonic fighters.
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Sunday, May 30, 2004
LOCKHEED MARTIN INCREASES JASSM MISSILE PRODUCTION IN TROY, ALABAMA
Lockheed Martin and members of the Department of Defense celebrated the expansion of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) production facility today at its Pike County Operations in Troy, AL. The expansion allows JASSM production to increase to a rate of 40 missiles per month.
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Boeing Completes Its Work on the Final Standard Missile-3 Kinetic Warhead
Boeing shipped the fifth Initial Deployment Round Standard Missile-3 Kinetic Warhead (SM-3 KW) today, bringing the Missile Defense Agency one step closer to providing the nation with a sea-based defense against short-to medium-range ballistic missile threats.
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Saturday, May 29, 2004
Wedgetail First Fligh Video (Windows Media)
Next-generation 737 AEW&C aircraft takes to the skies from Seattle's Boeing Field with Northrop Grumman's Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar on board.
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USS Lincoln to head to sea next week after overhaul
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will head to sea for training next week after 11 months of maintenance work at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
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Eurofighter's wings clipped
Air force pilots must restrict how they fly their newly delivered Eurofighter jets after a classified review identified safety risks, the Ministry of Defence says.
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Raytheon to supply new simulators
Defence company Raytheon Australia has been chosen to supply three new F/A-18 Hornet flight simulators for the RAAF under a $74 million deal, the government announced on Friday.
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USS Ronald Reagan Bids Farewell to Norfolk
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and its 3,000 crew members departed Norfolk Naval Station May 27 at 10 a.m. The Navy�s newest nuclear-powered and most technologically-advanced aircraft carrier will be heading for its official homeport at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego.
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F-16 technology links allied nations' aircraft
Warriors in future conflicts will see United States and coalition nations sharing more of the battlefield load thanks to U.S. and allied countries' F-16 Fighting Falcons getting an upgraded software program.
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Andersen welcomes new B-52s in swap
Six B-52 Stratofortresses from the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base will replace those from Minot Air Force Base at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
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Conservatives ponder reopening tender to replace Sea Kings
A Conservative government could reopen the long-standing tender process to replace the 40-year-old Sea King helicopters , party leader Stephen Harper said yesterday.
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RMAF trainer plane crashes
A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) PC7 trainer aircraft crashed into a muddy river bank in Kampung Padang Gellangang in Sanglang, about 25km north of Alor Star in Kedah Thursday.
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IAF suffering jet trainer crunch
With the first of the British-made Hawk Advance Jet Trainers at least two years away from arriving in India, the Indian Air Force is desperately seeking airplanes for training its pilots -- more trainers than combat aircrafts.
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IAF on lookout for multi-role fighters
With the gradual phasing out of the older MiG-21 variants, the IAF has made "adequate projections" to the government about acquiring new fighter jets to ensure there is no shortfall in the country's combat fleet.
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Friday, May 28, 2004
German Lawmakers May Block Eurofighter Financing, FTD Reports
German lawmakers may block an order for Eurofighter planes, Financial Times Deutschland said, citing legislators vexed by a plan to circumvent parliament to avoid possible opposition to the 4.6 billion-euro ($5.6 billion) deal.
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Reports of Super Hornet squadron coming to Atsugi called premature
A U.S. Navy spokesman said Tuesday that no decision has been made to bring a squadron of F/A-18E/F fighters to Atsugi Naval Air Facility and the USS Kitty Hawk, despite news reports that the new jets would arrive in September � and a Navy news release saying a Kitty Hawk squadron already was in California learning to fly the new jets.
Note : The earlier news of
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 leaving USS Kitty Hawk to begin a transition to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has been removed by the U.S. Navy website.
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Greece Will Shoot Down Aircraft Targeting Olympics, BBC Says
Greece will shoot down any aircraft trying to target the Olympic Games being held in the capital, Athens, in August, the British Broadcasting Corp. said, citing Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis.
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E-2 program prototypes COTS navigation system
NAVAIR has successfully prototyped a commercial off-the-shelf navigation system currently installed in two of the Navy's E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. The GNS-530, originally produced for commercial aviation applications by Garmin International of Olathe, Kan., will bring dual utility to the Hawkeye cockpit by simultaneously satisfying CNS/ATM (Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) enhanced display requirements while also providing precision approach to the E-2C fleet.
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Raytheon Delivers First Production Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missile
Raytheon Company has delivered to the U.S. Navy the first production model of the next-generation Tactical Tomahawk (Tomahawk Block IV) cruise missile at the company's Missile Systems operations.
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BAE to supply defence system to US Apaches
DEFENCE group BAE Systems has landed a contract to supply equipment to the United States army for use on Apache helicopters destined for Kuwait.
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Boeing Selects Goodrich ACES II Ejection Seat for Republic of Korea F-15K Fighter Program
Goodrich Corporation has been awarded a contract from the Boeing Company to produce the
Goodrich Advanced Concept Ejection Seat II (ACES) for the Republic of Korea's
F-15K fighter program. A total of 80 ACES II ejection seats will be delivered
to Boeing scheduled from August 2004 through December 2007.
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General returns to Robins to relinquish command, retire
Maj. Gen. John A. Bradley has been nominated by the president to the Senate for promotion to lieutenant general and appointment as chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command.
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Rabens retires as NTWP commander
Capt. Mike Rabens, a former head of the United States Naval Test Pilot School here and the first pilot to fire an AMRAAM missile from an F/A-18 Hornet, retired yesterday from a distinguished 25-year Navy career, turning over command of Naval Test Wing Pacific to another long-serving Navy captain with close ties to NAS Patuxent River.
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Northrop Grumman Begins Range-Testing Advanced Radar for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Northrop Grumman Corporation has begun rooftop integration range-testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's fire control radar, which features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) that enables near-simultaneous performance of multiple radar functions.
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Late aviator honored by secretive Army unit
Each building in the highly restricted and heavily guarded compound of the Army's "Night Stalkers" unit honors a fallen comrade who died on a secret mission abroad or during dangerous training at home. Maj. Curtis Feistner became the latest member of the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment to have a building named in his honor.
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Brazil minister sees no delay in fighter purchase
Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Viegas said on Wednesday he expects the country to go ahead with the planned purchase of new fighter jets, denying speculation it could be put off.
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Thursday, May 27, 2004
Air power demonstration
An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in a heritage flight formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on May 21. The formation displayed four generations of Air Force fighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker)
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LOCKHEED MARTIN BEGINS TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENSE MISSILE MANUFACTURING IN TROY, ALABAMA
Lockheed Martin began manufacturing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile today at its Pike County Operations facility in Troy, AL. The facility will perform final integration, assembly and testing of the THAAD missile, which is an integral part of the THAAD weapon system and the United States' network of layered defenses against ballistic missile attack.
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B-1B supports French, Afghan troops
A B-1B Lancer dropped four Joint Direct Attack Munitions to help French and Afghan troops fighting against Taliban forces in Afghanistan on May 25.
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BAE in �100m MoD deal
BAE Systems yesterday announced its Edinburgh avionics division had secured a �100 million contract with the Ministry of Defence to have the Foxhunter radars for the Tornado F3 fighter aircraft refurbished.
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70 MiG 21 aircraft to retire next year
The Indian Air Force will next year retire nearly 70 MiG 21 aircraft that were produced from 1966 to 1970 and have completed their expected life span.
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Defense ministry denies fighter jets provoking China
The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense yesterday dismissed a report in Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po newspaper that said Taiwanese military aircraft have been crossing the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.
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New Chinese Jets Superior, Eagle Loses to Flanker
China is about to receive 24 advanced Sukhoi Su-30MK2 Flanker fighters from Russia. The new fighter jets are reported to be the naval versions of the Sukhoi Su-30MKK fighter.
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Italians take controls at UK helicopter maker
GKN yesterday agreed to sell its 50pc stake in helicopter maker Agusta Westland for more than �1billion, signalling the end of Britain's direct involvement in the global helicopter industry.
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F-35 Production Facilities Near Completion at Lockheed Martin
An array of advanced and highly accurate manufacturing machines that will produce major subassemblies for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are in the final stages of assembly and testing on the factory floor at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Eurofighter delayed by landing gear problems
The troubled Eurofighter project was hit by further difficulties yesterday after it emerged that an independent safety report said that its landing gear computer could fail with "catastrophic" results.
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Army Copter Center Planned for KellyUSA
A military helicopter research facility is planned this year for a former air base in Central Texas, according to U.S. Army officials who want to develop new technology for their fleet.
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US urges sale of Patriot missiles to India
Leading New York Congressman Joseph Crowley has urged Secretary of State Colin Powell to strongly consider India's request to buy the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (Pac-3) missile weapon system.
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MAG-11, VMFA-323 Marines Perform Hollywood Heroics
Fans of the Fox television show �24� had the unique opportunity to watch the Marines of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 perform Hollywood-style heroics May 11.
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Missing MiG-27 search shifts to jumbo-back
Searchers seeking a MiG-27 ground attack fighter aircraft missing since the past one week in the thick forests of north West Bengal have taken to elephant-back.
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Locating IAF planes will be easier from '05
The IAF now says the use of personal rescue beacons, airborne locator systems and emergency locator transmitters in its fighter as well as transport aircraft will become the operational norm by early-2005.
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Russia's airforce to stage stunt flights in China
The elite Russian airforce team Strizhi (Martins) is scheduled to stage stunt flights for the first time during the Fifth China Air Show in early November, organizers of the show said Tuesday.
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Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Royal Navy Carrier Visits USS John F. Kennedy Crew
More photos of HMS Invincible making its first port of call to Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
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Stennis Leaves for Deployment
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) departed its homeport of San Diego for deployment to the Western Pacific on May 24.
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Eurofighter safety fears dismissed
The Ministry of Defence and the maker of the Eurofighter Typhoon have dismissed claims in a leaked classified evaluation report that the combat aircraft is unsafe.
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Pilotless planes coming to Alaska
Four Shadow 2000 UAVs will join the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Alaska.
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Hawk-5's Royal Maces Go Super
The "Royal Maces" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 left USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) May 6-13 to begin a transition from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
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First Pratt & Whitney F135 STOVL Propulsion System For F-35 Successfully Demonstrates Hover Thrust
For the first time, Pratt & Whitney's (P&W) Short Take-Off & Vertical Landing (STOVL) Propulsion System for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has demonstrated 39,700 pounds of thrust, the level required for the unique combat aircraft to hover. At the same time, weight reduction initiatives have brought the F135 engine system below its contracted target weight.
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Monday, May 24, 2004
F/A-22 Secrets Revealed
With long-term military budget cuts looming once again, the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin are finally talking about some of the F/A-22 Raptor's closely held secrets that they hope will keep Congress paying for the $132-million stealth aircraft.
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Sunday, May 23, 2004
Sikorsky hopes sale will work in its favor
Sikorsky Aircraft hopes that GKN sale of half its stake at AgustaWestland may bolster its competing bid to replace the Marine Corps� fleet of Presidential helicopters.
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Tyndall aircraft crashes
An F-15 Eagle crashed into the Gulf of Mexico at about noon May 21.
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MiG missing for 2 days
A missing MiG-27 fighter of the Indian Air Force that had taken off from the Hashimara airbase in north Bengal two days ago has still not been found despite a search and rescue effort that has been hampered by bad weather.
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Saturday, May 22, 2004
British Aircraft Carrier on First Coast
The British aircraft carrier HMS Invincible arrived at U.S. Naval Station Mayport, Thursday.
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Czech Republic backs down on radar sale to China
The Czech Republic on Thursday withdrew authorization for a deal to sell Czech radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft to China.
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Air Force To Switch To New Uniforms
U.S. Air Force leaders are pushing ahead with plans to outfit personnel with new tiger-striped utility uniforms of blue, gray and green.
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Czechs re-negotiate Gripen fighter deal
The Czech Republic is renegotiating a $770 million deal to lease 14 Gripen fighter jets. The Czech government wanted to get a better price for the 10-year lease arrangement and to ensure the fighters are equipped to carry U.S. AMRAAM anti-aircraft missiles.
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Singaporean pilot's body is recovered
The pilot of a Singapore Air Force F-16 jet fighter was found dead late Wednesday after a crash during routine flight training in southern Arizona, Luke Air Force Base officials said Thursday.
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Boeing Conducts Successful First Flight of Australia's 737 Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft
A new era in airborne surveillance and command and control began today with the successful first flight of the Boeing 737 airborne early warning and control, or AEW&C aircraft for Australia�s Project Wedgetail.
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'Mother of All Bombs' put on show
The largest air-dropped bomb, which was designed and made in record time for the start of the Iraq war, is displayed at Eglin Air Force Base's Air Armament Museum.
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French aircraft carrier home after three-month mission
France's nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier returned to the country's southern port of Toulon Friday, ending a three-month mission in the Middle East and Indian Ocean region.
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Guard facility will have Chinook copters instead of Apaches
The new U.S. National Guard facility to be established at Grand Island's airport will have Chinook helicopters rather than the Apache helicopters originally planned.
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Northrop Grumman Awarded $1.386 Billion Contract for New Generation Aircraft Carrier, CVN 21
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC - News) received a $1.386 billion construction preparation contract for work on the new generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, CVN 21.
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Last Randolph T-38A simulator shut down
After 26 years of training thousands of pilots, the last full-motion T-38A Talon simulators at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas was retired.
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Friday, May 21, 2004
Orbital Successfully Completes Flight Test For U.S. Navy's "Coyote" Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target Missile
Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that it successfully flight-tested the GQM-163A "Coyote" Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target (SSST) system for the United States Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on May 18, 2004.
Labels: SSST
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United Industrial's AAI Corporation Subsidiary to Deliver Soldier Training for U.S. Army's Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System
United Industrial Corporation announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary AAI Corporation, a leading manufacturer and provider of support services for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, has been selected to train U.S. Army soldiers in the operation of the service's new Raven UAV system.
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VX-1 completes KC-130J 2nd OPEVAL phase
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 successfully completed the second phase of the KC-130J's three-phase operational evaluation - OPEVAL.
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GKN in talks to sell AgustaWestland stake
Engineering firm GKN says it is in talks to pull out of helicopter maker AgustaWestland by selling its half stake to Italian partner Finmeccanica.
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Luke F-16 crashes
A Singapore air force F-16 assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing Luke Air Force Base crashed during a nighttime training mission May 19.
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Missile deployment denied
The Hungarian government has denied a story carried in the left-leaning Hungarian daily newspaper N�pszabads�g claiming that the government is considering a request from Washington to allow the deployment of Patriot missiles in Hungary.
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Lockheed Martin's Sniper XR Proves Sustainability in Cold Weather Conditions
Lockheed Martin's Sniper XR targeting pod successfully completed cold weather suitability tests, demonstrating that the Sniper pod is fully capable of being operated and maintained in winter conditions.
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Test Firings Lay Groundwork for Airborne Weapon System
International ballistics company Metal Storm Limited has completed test firings of its electronic ballistics weapon system from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in preparation for demonstration to US defense authorities.
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