Saturday, August 28, 2004
Northrop Grumman Successfully Integrates LITENING Advanced Targeting Pod on U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18D AircraftNorthrop Grumman Corporation today announced the U.S. Marine Corps has successfully integrated and tested the company's LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT) system on the F/A-18D Hornet aircraft. The F/A-18D is the eighth U.S. platform with the system.
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Hornet Mishap in San DiegoAn F/A-18C Hornet pilot from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151 is in stable condition at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, after safely ejecting from his aircraft Aug. 26 at approximately 8:45 p.m.
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Background Brief on CH-53 Helicopter AccidentTranscript of an official briefing at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo regarding the Marine Corps CH-53D accident in Okinawa .
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Combat helicopter UH Tiger receives type certification and qualificationCombat helicopter Tiger clears its way towards in-service date. German military certification authority grants type certification for the German UH-Tiger version. Shortly afterwards the European organisation for armaments co-operation OCCAR expressed the respective qualification.
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BAE SYSTEMS F-35 JSF EW SUITE ‘READY TO FLY’BAE Systems made an early delivery of its low-cost, lightweight, Electronic Warfare (EW) suite to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., for development of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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Northrop Grumman Awarded $197 Million Contract for Work on USS Enterprise (CVN 65)Northrop Grumman Corporation was awarded a contract modification from the U.S. Navy valued at approximately $197 million for maintenance work on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65).
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Australian govt briefs Indonesia over missile planA day after the government expressed its concern over Australia's plan to boost its offensive capability, Canberra briefed Jakarta on Friday, regarding its plan to purchase long-range cruise missiles.
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Helicopter simulators prepare pilots for flightMarine Corps air station Miramar has invested more than $80 million in two state of the art flight simulators; one for both the CH-53 and CH-46 aircraft.
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Friday, August 27, 2004
LOCKHEED MARTIN RECEIVES $56.5 MILLION RISK REDUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER PROGRAMThe U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $56.5 million risk reduction contract to fund program management, engineering and logistics support for the Presidential Helicopter Program through November 30, 2004. These efforts will further reduce potential technical risks associated with the program before the Navy awards the presidential helicopter contract in December 2004.
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Sikorsky to Acquire Schweizer AircraftSikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., today announced an agreement to acquire Schweizer Aircraft Corp., a privately owned U.S. company specializing in the light helicopter, reconnaissance aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) markets.
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Two Romanian Warplanes Collide, Pilots SafeTwo Romanian Russian-made MiG-21 warplanes collided Thursday over the town of Cristesti in the centre of the country while on an exercise, a defence ministry spokesman said.
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Boeing Delivers 500th Apache Longbow Combat Helicopter, Milestone TrainerThe Boeing Company today delivered its 500th AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, and celebrated the delivery of the 22nd and final AH-64D maintenance trainer to the U.S. Army.
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Deployment of RAF Harrier GR7 Aircraft to AfghanistanThe Secretary of State for Defence announced on 25 August 2004 the UK's decision to deploy six RAF Harrier GR7 aircraft to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for an initial period of nine months.
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Marines recount rescue of helo crewLance Cpl. Christopher Teague, the first Marine to respond to a downed helicopter just outside the base fence line, had pulled a pilot out of the burning wreckage of a CH-53D Sea Stallion; he was about 10 steps from the helicopter when it exploded.
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General defends helicopter flight resumption in OkinawaThe commander of U.S. forces in Japan on Thursday defended the military’s handling of the Aug. 13 crash of a Marine helicopter in a university campus in Okinawa. Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas Waskow told the Japan National Press Club the United States resumed flights of the CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters Sunday because they had completed safety checks.
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Pratt & Whitney Resumes F135 STOVL Propulsion System Testing for F-35 Joint Strike FighterThe Pratt & Whitney led F135 Propulsion System Team has delivered and begun testing on its second F135 Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) Propulsion System, engine number FX643. Later this month P&W also anticipates the resumption of testing on FX641, the 1st STOVL configured F135 Propulsion System.
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ITALIAN ASSISTANCE FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AIRCRAFT CARRIERThe Indian government had approved construction of an Air Defence Ship (ADS) at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), Kochi. CSL, Kochi, has signed two contracts with M/s Ficantieri, an Italian Shipyard for undertaking design, integration, installation and commissioning of the Propulsion System for the ADS at a negotiated cost of 22 million EURO and for consultancy in detailed engineering and documentation at a negotiated cost of 6 million EURO.
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Thursday, August 26, 2004
McCain chides Air Force general for tanker 'folly'Republican Sen. John McCain, a key critic of a stalled $23.5 Air Force deal to lease and buy 100 Boeing Co. aerial refueling tankers, chided a top general for focusing on corrosion problems with existing KC-135s tankers, which McCain said had been disproved.
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E-2 Hawkeye Surpasses 1 Million Flight HoursThe one millionth flight hour of the E-2 Hawkeye was celebrated in early August in Norfolk, Va. The milestone was commemorated by the U.S. Navy and the aircraft’s manufacturer, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Aug. 14 at the annual East Coast Hawkeye-Greyhound Ball.
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AESA Radar Reaches One Year Flight Test MilestoneMore than a year since its first flight, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Strike Fighter Program office's F/A-18 Hornet Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) APG-79 Radar program continues to rapidly advance toward equipping the fleet with cutting edge radar technology.
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BAE SYSTEMS Proceeds to Phase II for U.S. Commercial Airliner ProtectionThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced that BAE Systems has been selected to participate in Phase II of its Counter-MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems) program to protect commercial aircraft against threats posed by infrared guided missiles.
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Belarussian defense minister to observe exercise on Russian training groundBelarussian Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev on Wednesday arrived at the Ashuluk training ground in Russia's Astrakhan region, where an exercise of the Belarussian air force and air defense units is taking place, Russian Air Force press service chief Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky told Interfax-Military News Agency.
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Australia buys new stealth missilesAustralia will become the first country in the region to be armed with long-range stealth cruise missiles to help safeguard its military advantage over regional neighbours when the ageing F-111 strike bombers are retired from 2010.
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City mayors ask Kadena to cancel Thunderbirds F-16 aerial demonstration after helo accidentThe mayors of the three municipalities that host Kadena Air Base want the U.S. Air Force to cancel a Thunderbirds air show scheduled for Sept. 15.
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Air Chief’s Israel trip may include an F-16 spinThe Indian Air Chief may just get to fly an F-16 fighter aircraft. Air Chief S Krishnaswamy could be presented this opportunity when he visits Tel Aviv on September 4 at the invitation of Israel’s Vice Chief of Defence Staff Dan Halutz.
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Stealth Comes Out of the DarkAn F-117 stealth fighter has been flying day and night missions with a new two-tone gray paint job, similar to what is used on the F-22.
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Frost & Sullivan's Analysis Of World Markets For Military Pilot TrainingRecent analysis from Frost & Sullivan estimates the aggregated global market for basic and advanced/fighter lead-in trainer aircraft at US$42.0 billion during the 2004 to 2025 timeframe.
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Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Goshawk Go!Lt.Cmdr. Jake Jacoby from Seattle, Wash., and Lt.Cmdr. (Select) Mark Sibon from Oak Harbor Wash., gives the go to a T-45A Goshawk assigned to Training Air Wing Two (TW-2) to launch from catapult one. Lincoln is currently conducting operations in preparation for its deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Geanine I. Ortez (RELEASED)
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Enterprise Shares 'Lessons Learned' From Summer Pulse '04Since USS Enterprise’s (CVN 65) (Big E) return from Summer Pulse ’04 July 23, the crew has had the opportunity to assess the experience to see what worked, what didn’t and how to best learn from it.
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TEAM US101 NAMES 13 ADDITIONAL CONNECTICUT SUPPLIERS TO SUPPORT NEXT MARINE ONE HELICOPTERTeam US101 has identified 13 additional companies in Connecticut to supply components for the American-built US101 medium-lift helicopter. Team US101 is competing to provide the President of the United States with a fleet of next-generation helicopters.
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Royal Maces to return to Atsugi with new F/A-18E Super Hornets In a move Navy leaders said will strengthen the U.S. commitment to peace in Asia, a new squadron of F/A-18E Super Hornets is to arrive at Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan, next month.
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Poles visit Aviano to get familiar with F-16sPolish Air Force Col. Lesnikowski and Swierkocz visited the 510th Fighter Squadron, Italy to fly the F-16.
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Lockheed, Bell combine on combat copterLockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter have reached a milestone in a joint effort to develop an unmanned combat helicopter for the Army.
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Air Guard Squadron Makes Mark in Operation Iraqi FreedomAir National Guard's 107th became the first F-16 Fighting Falcon unit to be based in Iraq when it established its base in Kirkuk when it deployed for three months in February. It also was the first F-16 unit to employ the Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System, or TARS, as well as the first to employ the Litening advanced targeting pod.
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Iran prepares for US, Israeli strikes on nuclear facilitiesThe US and its allies are increasingly concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran says only serves civilian purposes. If the EU powers and the IAEA fail to secure satisfactory guarantees from Iran, some analysts predict that either the US or Israel may attempt to destroy Iranian nuclear installations through military means.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Air power!A pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons launch flares during a mission Aug. 18. The aircraft are assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, Iraq, from the New Mexico Air National Guard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott Reed)
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Super Typhoon Chaba Turns, Kitty Hawk Returns to Sea after Brief Port VisitUSS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) returned to sea in the western Pacific Ocean Aug. 21, following an abbreviated port visit to Guam.
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6 Futenma CH-53Ds set off for IraqSix CH-53D Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopters left Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Sunday for duty with the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq.
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Two dead in French mid-air fighter plane collisionA French Mirage fighter plane collided in mid-air with a microlight aircraft during a training flight on Monday in central France, killing the two people on the microlight, the French army said.
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US military says missing part caused helicopter crashThe US military on Sunday said a helicopter accident in Japan that injured three Marines nine days ago was caused by a missing part and the problem was unique to the aircraft involved.
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Emergency landing area proposedThe Royal Malaysian Air Force may build an emergency landing area between Bakelalan and Miri, in Sarawak, in the wake of two recent helicopter accidents, if the present flight path is to be maintained.
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200,000 expected to attend Misawa festivalMore than 40 aircraft and 200,000 people from northern Japan are expected for the Sept. 5 Misawa Air Festival, a joint U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force event.
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F-35 Wing Assembly Begins at Lockheed MartinAssembly of the wing for the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter started at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, less than two months after the plant initiated the aircraft's forward-fuselage assembly.
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LOCKHEED MARTIN DEMONSTRATES COLLABORATION OF MANNED, UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AS PART OF UCAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMLockheed Martin successfully completed a demonstration of manned and unmanned aircraft collaboration as one of the advanced command and control concepts it is developing for its Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) program.
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Monday, August 23, 2004
Remaking Dover's C-5 fleetModernizing cargo jets could be crucial to new U.S. redeployment strategy.
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Governor, general at odds over Futenma flightsOkinawa island’s top U.S. general and governor were at odds Saturday over resumption of most air operations at Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.
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New strike fighters coming to Nellis Air Force BaseA notice that will appear in Monday's Federal Register calls for 36 of the nation's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets to be produced and delivered to the Nellis Air Force Base between 2009 and 2028.
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Sunday, August 22, 2004
LEADING REP. SUPPORTS AMRAAM SALE TO JORDANRep. Tom Lantos, a California Democrat, was said to have told Jordanian leaders that he supported the sale of the AIM-120C Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile to Amman.
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NEW IRAQI AIR FORCE TAKES FLIGHTThe Iraqi air force commenced operations Aug. 18, with the flights of two SB7L-360 SEEKER Reconnaissance Aircraft in "limited operations missions" intended to protect infrastructure facilities and Iraq's borders as part of the Iraqi government's continuing mission to provide peace and security to the citizens of Iraq.
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Air Force base sets Air Expo '04The 27th Fighter Wing will conduct Air Expo '04 on Sept. 25 at Cannon Air Force Base. The show is open to the public with free admission and parking.
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Squadrons gather at RAF Lakenheath for Excalibur competitionThe Top Gun crew was Capt. Ben “Thor” Heslin and 1st Lt. Mike “Trapper” Kelly from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath. The top wing was the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano, and the top flight was from the 510th Fighter Squadron at Aviano.
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RAF cuts leave 'Too Few' for new planesAnalysis by defence experts suggests the UK will have only 230 crews capable of flying next-generation fighters even though billions of pounds are being spent buying almost 500 jets.
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Dutch to send six F-16 fighters to Afghanistan for electionsThe Netherlands will send six F-16 fighter jets and up to 210 supporting troops to Afghanistan to boost security during elections there, said the Dutch Cabinet.
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