Saturday, June 12, 2004
Northrop Grumman Begins Flight-Testing New Radar for F/A-22 RaptorNorthrop Grumman Corporation has successfully conducted the first flight test of a new, fourth-generation variant of the AN/APG-77 active electronically scanned array radar for the U.S. Air Force's F/A-22 Raptor air dominance fighter aircraft.
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Boeing Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System Wins $86 Million ContractThe U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Boeing an $86 million contract for the first full-rate production lot of Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS).
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German Auditor Criticizes Eurofighter Plan, Handelsblatt SaysGermany's Federal Auditors Court criticized a plan by Defense Minister Peter Struck to sign for a batch of Eurofighter combat planes without consulting parliament, the Handelsblatt said, citing a report by the budget watchdog.
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Friday, June 11, 2004
22nd MEU (SOC) Harriers join the fight against Taliban insurgentsAV-8B Harrier II attack jets from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) recently conducted ground attack missions against anti-coalition militia in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province in support of the MEU's ground forces.
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S-92 Receives EASA/JAA Type CertificationSikorsky’s S-92 has become the first helicopter in the world certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency/Joint Aviation Authorities (EASA/JAA) to the latest and most rigorous safety standards.
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Former Pax E-2C pilot to command Carrier Group 8Rear Adm. William J. McCarthy, a former E-2C Hawkeye pilot and Naval Test Pilot School graduate who made several tours at NAS Patuxent River in the 1980s, is going to command Carrier Group 8 headquartered in Norfolk but currently deployed aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) in the Persian Gulf.
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Civilian leaders see USAFE capabilitiesCivilian leaders participating in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference got a firsthand, and sometimes hands-on, look here June 8 at how U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen support the war on terrorism.
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Russian MIG to resume multi-role tactical fighter programThe Russian MIG aircraft building corporation decided to resume the fifth generation multi-role tactical fighter program (codenamed Project 1.44).
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IRAN SEEKS CRUISE MISSILE TO SUPPORT SHIHABIran has been developing a cruise missile capability to support its arsenal of Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
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US Air Force chief calls for European competitionThe US Air Force secretary has called for European defence contractors to get more access to Pentagon contracts to stimulate stiffer competition in the US domestic aerospace industry.
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NATO fighters sent on first real missionThe NATO F-16 fighter jets stationed at the Zokniai airfield in northwestern Lithuania as part of the Baltic air-policing mission got their first taste of action last week when the planes were dispatched to intercept a suspicious aircraft approaching Estonian airspace.
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'Roto' Reuter takes reigns of VX-23Cmdr. Bill "Roto" Reuter formally took command of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 at NAS Patuxent River from Capt. Stephen "Chewy" Rorke in a June 3 change-of-command ceremony keynoted by NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. Walter Massenburg at VX-23's Hangar 115.
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Reagan Sailors Visit RioUSS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) crew members arrived for a brief visit to Rio de Janeiro June 9.
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Thursday, June 10, 2004
24th MEU to set sailThe 24th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit's first elements are leaving for Iraq this week, marking the start of a month-long flow for forces that will deploy more than a month ahead of schedule.
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No decision yet from Army on helicopterThe Taiwanese Army has not yet decided which attack helicopter to purchase, a high ranking officer said yesterday.
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Lockheed lays off 140, plans more cutsAbout 140 employees from the F-16 production line were laid off Monday by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, and 250 more are expected to get pink slips this week or next, company officials say.
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SLAF MiG-27 crashes into Negombo lagoonA Sri Lanka Air Force MiG-27 swing-wing fighter jet crashed into the Negombo lagoon yesterday shortly after takeoff from the Katunayake Air Force base.
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Eurofighter Typhoon Single-Seat Production Aircraft Takes FlightPS002, the fifth Eurofighter Typhoon Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA5), successfully carried out its first flight on 7 June 2004, at BAE SYSTEMS Warton, United Kingdom. IPA5 took off from Warton at 1602h, piloted by Typhoon Project Pilot, Mark Bowman, and landed at 1630h. This new Eurofighter Typhoon production test aircraft was assembled by BAE SYSTEMS on behalf of the Eurofighter partners and will now join the four nation flight test programme.
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Czech government approves lease of 14 Gripen fighter jets from SwedenThe Czech government agreed on Wednesday a final contract to lease 14 JAS-39 Gripen fighter planes from Sweden, Defence Minister Miroslav Kostelka said.
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U.S. air bases' future in doubtTHE future of U.K.'s two U.S. air bases was thrown into doubt last night after American defence chiefs revealed fleets of F-15 fighters could be moved to eastern Europe.
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Britain, France see future in aircraft carrier cooperationBritain and France took a new step Wednesday toward cooperation in building future aircraft carriers, setting a timetable for developing common ground within a year.
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Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Boeing Begins X-45C Unmanned Aircraft AssemblyBoeing started assembling its Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) X-45C aircraft today, loading the aft “carry-through” frame into a holding fixture inside the company’s St. Louis manufacturing facility. The 86-pound aluminum part, which spans the back end of the vehicle, will soon be mated with the two X-45 engine keels.
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Cold War plane found 52 years after crashThe wreck of a Swedish search plane which was shot down by Stalin's air force 52 years ago has been located at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, media reported on Tuesday
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Body of MiG-27 pilot found near wreckageTwenty days after Flying Officer Ajit Sinha and his MiG-27 went missing after taking off from the Hashimara airbase in West Bengal , his body has finally been found near the wreckage of the ill-fated aircraft.
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Lockheed Martin Awarded $30 Million Contract to Improve B-52H Mission ComputerLockheed Martin has been awarded a $30 million contract to increase the performance and memory of the mission computer in the U.S. Air Force's B-52H bomber.
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Israel announces first surface-to-surface cruise missile: Jane'sIsrael's main arms manufacturer, Israel Military Industries (IMI), has announced the creation of the country's first surface-to-surface missile, Jane's Defence Weekly reported on Tuesday.
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Cooperation on Joint Strike Fighter will continueNorway's cooperation with the US on the development of the military aircraft Joint Strike Fighter will continue, despite the lack of contracts for Norwegian defence industry so far.
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Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Boeing X-45A Unmanned Aircraft Taxi Together; Ready for Multi-Vehicle FlightTwo Boeing X-45A unmanned aircraft taxied together recently when they moved under their own power in a coordinated ground operation at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
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Northrop Grumman to Provide New Tactical Cockpit for Advanced Hawkeye AircraftNorthrop Grumman Corporation has been competitively selected to provide the integrated tactical cockpit for the U.S. Navy's E-2 Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The new cockpit goes beyond allowing the pilot to fly the aircraft. The mission computer and software of this integrated system has been designed to allow either the pilot or the co-pilot to participate as a fourth mission-system operator.
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Feds look to expand jets' R&DThe Defense Department will spend $4 billion over the next five years to continue the development of unmanned combat jets, including new versions of the X-45 being tested at Edwards Air Force Base and the X-47 built in Mojave.
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Midway's opening draws thousands of visitorsThe decommissioned carrier Midway attracted long lines today when it opened to the public along San Diego's Embarcadero as a floating naval history museum, nearly six decades after the warship first went to sea.
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Controversy over cooperation with US on new jet fighterA controversy has developed over Norway's cooperation with the US on the development of the new military aircraft, Joint Strike Fighter. The Progress Party (FrP) demands that Norway pull out of the agreement, since Norwegian industry has so far not received any of the contracts promised by Lockheed Martin.
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Raytheon Awarded $16 Million Contract for LAU-115 and LAU-116 Missile Launcher ProductionRaytheon Technical Services Company LLC, a subsidiary of Raytheon Company, has been awarded a $16 million U.S. Navy contract for the production of LAU-115 and LAU-116 missile launchers. Both launchers are required to support the Navy's F/A-18E/F aircraft production deliveries that are scheduled through 2012.
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U.S. Air Force C-5 Fleet to Gain Advanced Capabilities as Lockheed Martin Begins Avionics Upgrade InstallationsLockheed Martin began field installation of Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits into the U.S. Air Force's fleet of C-5 Galaxy strategic airlifters on June 4. The first aircraft is a C-5B flown by crews from both the 436th Airlift Wing and the Reserve Associate 512th Airlift Wing here. The Air Force plans to modify all 112 aircraft in the C-5 fleet over the next several years.
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Iraqi MiG to become new Aussie tourist spotTourism operators want to sink a captured Iraqi MiG jet fighter off Australia's east coast in hopes of attracting thousands of tourists to an artificial diving reef, officials said Monday.
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Monday, June 07, 2004
1st MAW Marines fly Alaskan skiesApproximately 600 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Marines from Iwakuni and Okinawa departed June 1 to participate in Exercise Northern Edge ’04.
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Govt procures 13 Russian choppersThe Pakistan government has purchased 13 new MI-17 helicopters from Russia, including 12 for the Army, for $50.7 million, informed sources told Dawn. They said Pakistan had done the deal with the Kazan Helicopter Plant through a UK-based firm and the last consignment of four choppers had reached Pakistan three days ago.
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U.S., U.K. Firms Winning Big In JSF Contracting, Report SaysU.S. and British companies have won nearly all of the subcontracts awarded by the prime contractors and their teammates for the development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to a new report by the General Accounting Office.
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Sunday, June 06, 2004
Russia to exchange its MIGs for Islamic $$$Besides selling 50 MiG-29s to Algeria, another deal is expected to be signed with Yemen. This country intends to purchase 12 helicopters KA-52.
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A-10 pods help track bad guys, protect friendly forcesThe Litening navigation pod provides A-10 pilots with more options to search out enemies and protect friendly forces.
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Sikorsky announces 75 layoffs in canceled Comanche programSikorsky Aircraft announced 75 layoffs Friday and said it will shut down a large production plant in Bridgeport Conn. due to the cancellation of the $39 billion Comanche helicopter program.
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Officials collect vital evidence of MIG-27Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel today collected vital evidence of the wreckage of MIG-27 from the Sukna forest and held that the chances of survival of flight lieutenant Ajit Sinha was almost bleak as debris was strewn over an area of one sq km in the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Turkish Foreign Minister Gul: Any New Demand For Incirlik Base Is Out Of QuestionTurkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that the United States did not make any new demand to use Incirlik base.
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Carrier role for shipsAUSTRALIA is expected to get two ships capable of aircraft carrier-style operations.
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Spectacular displays as KAF celebrates 40th anniversaryKenya Air Force yesterday celebrated its 40th birthday with pomp at a ceremony witnessed by President Mwai Kibaki, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
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