Saturday, October 02, 2004
U.S. Navy To Receive First Global Hawk Next WeekThe U.S. Navy is expected to take delivery of its first Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle next week, a spokeswoman for prime contractor Northrop Grumman said Sept. 30.
|
The Airlift GapThe U.S. Air Force faces an acute airlift shortfall. The U.S. Air Force requires a minimum of 222 C-17 strategic airlifters. USAF at present has only 180 such airlifters.
|
Indian Air force gets first woman air marshalThe Indian Air Force gets its first woman three-star officer on Friday when Padmavathy Bandopadhyay was promoted to the rank of air marshal.
|
Friday, October 01, 2004
Tech Project Brings Innovation to EP-3EA new technology project called Story Maker will bring critical improvements to the capability of the Navy EP-3E to identify potential hostile targets. The EP-3E is the Navy’s sole land-based signals intelligence reconnaissance aircraft.
|
USS John C. Stennis Visits Western AustraliaUSS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is in the port of Fremantle, Australia for the next several days.
|
Research lab experts test joined-wing demonstratorResearchers at Wright-Patterson air force base, Ohio flew a 7 percent scaled Joined-Wing Technology Demonstrator for the first time Sept. 22, putting the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft design through its initial paces.
|
WC-130J team tracks hurricanes with improved radar systemTogether with Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, a joint test team flew multiple times into hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne to test the WC-130J Hercules’ improved weather-radar system.
|
Officials release Predator accident reportCrew error caused an MQ-1L Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to crash during a training mission June 14 at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev., according to an Air Force report released Sept. 30.
|
IAF to get 5th IL-78 refueller soonA team from the No. 78 Squadron of the Indian Air Force left for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Monday to take delivery of the fifth Ilyushin-78 mid-air refueller for its squadron.
|
Russian company repairing Indian anti-submarine planesThe Taganrog Aviation company (Tavia) is implementing a contract for repairs of the Indian Air Force's TU-142ME Bear long-range anti-submarine planes, Tavia Director General Nikolai Savitskikh said on Tuesday.
|
AIRBUS HANDS OVER FIRST A310 MRTT AIR-TO-AIR REFUELLING AIRCRAFTThe first two Airbus aircraft with air-to-air refuelling capabilities, A310 Multi-Role Transport Tanker (MRTT) aircraft, were handed over to the German Air Force and the Canadian Air Force, during a ceremony in Dresden, Germany. A total of six A310 MRTTs, to be used both for passenger and cargo transport as well as for in-flight refuelling, are scheduled to be delivered to the German Air Force, which will receive four aircraft, and the Canadian Air Force, which will receive two.
|
SpaceShipOne Completes X Prize Flight Despite AnomalyScaled Composites' SpaceShipOne completed its first qualification flight to win the Ansari X Prize Sept. 29, reaching suborbital space despite an unexpected roll that caused pilot Mike Melvill to shut the vehicle's rocket engine off 11 seconds early.
|
Pakistan Air Force F-16s Fly Off to Turkey for exerciseA contingent of six F-16s of the Pakistan Air Force has reached Turkey to participate in a multi air forces exercise code named 'Anatolian Eagle'.
|
Helicopter test flight draws protest from OkinawansThe Marine Corps conducted a test flight of a CH-53D helicopter in Okinawa Thursday, prompting the local government to immediately file a protest with the Marines.
|
German home for spacecraftThe Russian spacecraft, Buran, stranded in Bahrain for two years is expected to be shipped to a German museum by the end of the year.
|
Ft. Bragg's Rapid Airfield ConstructionThe Joint Rapid Airfield Construction program aims to land aircraft in remote locations to deliver troops and supplies as quickly and safely as possible.
|
Germany pressures UK over EurofighterGerman Defence Minister Peter Struck has urged his British counterpart Geoffrey Hoon to commit the country to a second tranche of Eurofighter jets, a letter obtained by Reuters shows.
|
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Air Vector:The Grumman F4F WildcatOctober's Air Vector features the Grumman F4F Wildcat.
|
Pentagon to field more sophisticated surveillance on Pak-Afghan borderThe Pentagon is considering adding E-8 Joint Stars and RC-135 to trap Osama Bin Laden and his top aide, Al-Zawahri, along the Pak-Afghan border, reported CNN quoting official sources.
|
Grippens take shapeThe first JAS 39 Gripen fighter planes destined for the Hungarian Air Force are currently on the assembly line in Sweden, according to Imre Iváncsik, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense (HM).
|
13 Royal Maces to fly Super Hornets to AtsugiRoyal Maces, VFA-27, will be flying what could be their longest mission as they pilot their brand-new F/A-18E Super Hornets from California to Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan.
|
Pratt & Whitney's F135 Program Completes 1,000th Test HourEarlier this month the Pratt & Whitney led F135 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) team completed the program's 1,000 test hour. This testing milestone represents the cumulative hours of F135 SDD Testing and includes both the Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL/CV) engine tests, as well as the Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) system test runs.
|
Navy: Pilot caused crashA series of blunders by an inexperienced pilot caused a F/A-18 to crash during takeoff from Raleigh-Durham International Airport in March, according to a Navy report.
|
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Eurofighter hat in air force ringBuoyed by the contract to supply Advanced Jet Trainers to the Indian Air Force, a team from a British military equipment export organisation that is in New Delhi is offering to sell the Eurofighter Typhoon.
|
BELL DESIGNS INNOVATIVE COMPOUND HELICOPTER CONCEPT FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN UCAR PROGRAMBell Helicopter, a key member of the Lockheed Martin Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) team, has successfully completed preliminary design of a novel air vehicle to conduct reconnaissance and combat missions without sending aircrews into harm's way.
|
Lockheed's MEADS Wins $3 Bln ContractA transatlantic venture led by Lockheed Martin Corp. on Tuesday won a $3 billion contract to design and develop the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), which is slated to replace Patriot missiles in the next decade, the venture said on Tuesday.
|
Air Force may slash JSF purchaseIndustry analysts, defense experts and some retired generals say cuts to the JSF, also known as the F-35, may be on the horizon. With budget pressures intensifying, the Air Force is going to have to make some difficult decisions about what it will buy.
|
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Jolly Rogers Super Hornet ColorsAn F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the "Flying Eagles" of Strike Fighter Squadron One Two Two (VFA-122), flies an aerial demonstration in front of the crowd at the 2004 "In Pursuit of Liberty," Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show. The Super Hornet was painted in the colors of the "Jolly Rogers" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103), which will transition to the new aircraft after their current deployment. The air show, held Sept. 24-26, showcased civilian and military aircraft from the Nation's armed forces, which provided many flight demonstrations and static displays. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain
Jolly Rogers Final Tomcat CruiseVF-103 is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17), embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67).
|
Mission MarsThe IAF’s Agra-based 78 Squadron is working on a concept paper to show how mid-air refuelling needs to be doctrinally infused across all the three forces, to make all IAF fighter aircraft refuellable.
|
MiG Chief Fired, Head of Rival Irkut Takes OverRussian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov has fired the head of state-owned MiG Corp., Valery Toryanin, and replaced him with Alexei Fyodorov, the head of rival fighter manufacturer Irkut, in a move that analysts said may be the government's first step toward industry consolidation.
|
Locally developed misssile successfully test fired, report saysTaiwan has developed and successfully test fired surface-to-surface missiles that could hit coastal or interior Chinese cities, a newspaper reported yesterday. The missiles, dubbed Hsiung-feng 2A and Hsiung-feng 2E, have ranges between 150 to 300 kilometers, the mass-market Liberty Times said, citing unidentified military sources.
|
Birds-for-jets deal readied by WatanaFollowing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit to Stockholm last week to discuss bilateral cooperation between Thailand and Sweden, Commerce Minister Watana has been assigned to draw up the details for trading Thai chickens for Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen jet fighters.
|
India, South Africa begin air force exerciseThe air forces of India and South Africa Monday started a weeklong joint air defence exercise, marking the first time New Delhi has deployed its jet fighters for military manoeuvres on the African continent.
|
Sikorsky's Acquisition of Schweizer is CompleteSikorsky Aircraft Corporation announced that the acquisition of Schweizer Aircraft Corporation is complete.
|
Air Force’s Boeing deal flies into new troublesAir Force Secretary James Roche contacted his old company last year to help a brother of a top White House aide try to land a job, Northrop Grumman Corp. said on Friday.
|
Monday, September 27, 2004
Malta International Air Show endsThe Malta International Air Show came to an end on Sunday, following two days of spectacular performances by eight countries, including that of Italy with its world famous Italian national aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori.
|
F-16 cutback would affect HAFB missionThe Pentagon has declared the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet - the signature fixture of Utah's Hill Air Force Base - an endangered species.
|
Sunday, September 26, 2004
New leadership at test centerBrig. Gen. Curtis M. Bedke assumed command Friday of the Air Force Flight Test Center, succeeding Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson, who is retiring after a 34-year career.
|
Sikorsky, Lockheed fight public relations warSikorsky Aircraft Corp., locked in fierce competition with Lockheed Martin for a contract to build a fleet of 23 presidential helicopters, showed off its prototype in Washington this week as part of a nationwide public relations and lobbying blitz.
|
Amazing landingCol. Jimmie Jackson Jr., commander of the active-duty 305th Air Mobility Wing, was behind the controls as the first C-17 Globemaster III assigned to McGuire Air Force Base banked and landed perfectly on the runway yesterday afternoon. He then taxied it to a hangar filled with several hundred military personnel and civilians.
|
Refuelling aircraft add teeth to IAF:In just a little more than 18 months since the IAF acquired the Il-78s from Uzbekistan, the aircraft have helped jet fighters to make long journeys to Alaska and South Africa to join international military exercises.
|
Boeing could build unmanned planes hereThe head of Boeing Co.'s defense business vowed Friday to build next-generation, unmanned combat planes in St. Louis factories if the Pentagon gives the green light for large production.
|
IAF makes Il-78s operationalThe Indian Air Force has made operational in record time its Ilyushin-78 midair refuellers, the force multipliers it acquired a little over a year ago.
|
IAF gets bids for replacing MiGsThe Indian Air Force (IAF) is evaluating bids for a mega purchase of 126 aircraft from four foreign aeronautical majors to replace seven squadrons of its obsolete MiG 21, 23 and 27 fighter aircraft.
|
