Saturday, January 22, 2005
Navy Takes Action to Balance Student Pilot PopulationCommander, U.S. Naval Air Forces has identified an excess of student naval aviators (pilots) in the training pipeline, based on current and near-term fleet needs. Starting immediately, several steps will be taken to meet future fleet requirements.
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Republic of Singapore Navy Acquires Six New Naval HelicoptersSingapore has signed a contract with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of the United States to acquire six new Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopters which will operate off the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) new frigates.
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Boeing unions say company is recalling workers againIn the last seven months, Boeing has recalled 1,371 machinists, 535 engineers and 420 technical workers. Some workers are being recalled to work on the Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft.
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Mice build nests in Dutch F-16 jetsMice seeking shelter in the cold Dutch winter found a short-lived home inside four Dutch air force F-16 fighter jets by building nests with wiring they had gnawed loose, an air force spokesperson said on Thursday.
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NM plans to bid for European air tanker factoryNew Mexico plans to submit a bid for a $600 million air tanker factory proposed by EADS.
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JSF may be too heavy, testing official says (Registration Required)Lockheed Martin Corp.'s JSF version for the U.S. Marine Corps is improved but still runs "significant risk" that it will be too heavy for some missions, the Pentagon's top testing official said.
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Roulettes crash in mid-airThe Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has confirmed two of its aerobatics team, the Roulettes, were involved in a mid-air collision near Sale in Victoria's east yesterday morning. The pilot of one of the planes was able to land it safely, while the other pilot ejected and parachuted to safety before his plane crashed.
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Pilot Killed, Another Injured in Kuwait Apache CrashA U.S. Army AH-64 Apache pilot was killed and a second was injured in a training accident that occurred northwest of Kuwait City, Kuwait, 21 Jan., U.S. Central Command officials reported.
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Friday, January 21, 2005
USS Ronald Reagan Helps With Relief EffortUSS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) departed San Diego Jan. 11 for routine carrier operations in the local area and to drop off two Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 C-2A Greyhound aircraft in Hawaii to help support Operation Unified Assistance.
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Smiths delivers first avionics for F-35 JSFSmiths Aerospace announces the delivery of industry’s first Mission Systems avionics for installation in the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
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Osprey flights on holdMV-22 Osprey flights aboard New River Air Station were put on what the military called "operational pause" Tuesday, after military officials observed that parts involved in sending power to the aircraft's rotors are wearing faster than anticipated.
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Russia completing tests of unmanned spy planeThe upgraded Pchela-1K UAV is about to complete state tests.
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Lockheed may cut 1,000 F-16 jobsLockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.'s west Fort Worth aircraft assembly plant will cut 1,000 jobs this year. All the current and projected layoffs will come from workers on the F-16 fighter jet program.
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Northrop Grumman Begins Testing in New X-47B J-UCAS Systems Integration LaboratoryNorthrop Grumman Corporation has begun acceptance testing the first of four new workstations that will allow it to reduce the time and cost to develop operational flight software for the Department of Defense's Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program.
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Louisiana to compete for aircraft plantLouisiana is competing for a European Aerospace Defense System North America project for a military modification and assembly line for the production of aerial refueling aircraft in the United States.
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Thales, Eurocopter group lands German contractA consortium comprising defence technology groups Thales, Rheinmetall, Eurocopter and CAE of Canada said Thursday they had landed a EUR 488 million (USD 634 million) contract from the German armed forces to build NH90 helicopter flight training simulators.
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PAF to begin induction of JF-17 fighter jet next yearPakistan Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat said his air force will begin induction of JF-17 (Thunder) fighter aircraft next year.
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Elta wins $150m radar system dealElta Systems, recently won a $150 million contract to supply satellite-based radar systems to a foreign customer.
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Thursday, January 20, 2005
Faults Cited in Lockheed's C-130J Plane (Registration Required)The Pentagon Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Thomas Christie said in his annual assessment of top weapons systems, that the C-130J continues to have problems that make it unreliable.
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Army to purchase new Chinooks, upgrade fleetAll of the U.S. Army’s CH-47 Chinooks will be upgraded to the new CH-47F models by 2018 as the result of a partnership between the service and Boeing, the helicopter’s manufacturer.
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India, Israel to conduct military exerciseIndia and Israel have agreed to hold joint exercises in which Israeli F-16 multi-role fighters will be pitted against India's Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30Mk1 multi-role fighters. The venue and schedule of the manoeuvres is yet to be disclosed.
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Boeing Accepts First C-130 for Avionics ModernizationThe Boeing Company marked the induction of the first U.S. Air Force C-130 into the Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) in San Antonio, Texas 19 Jan.
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V-22 Program Grappling With New Glitch As Key Review NearsThe V-22 Osprey joint program office is grappling with a gearbox problem in the tiltrotor aircraft's engine pod.
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AERMACCHI-GREECE AGREEMENT FOR M-346Aermacchi and the Greek Defence Ministry signed a Memorandum of understanding for the possible participation of the Greek industry in producing an advanced M-346 training jet.
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BHR’s HC-11 Det. Rescues Trapped Indonesian Tsunami VictimsThe crew of an MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter embarked aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) rescued more than 40 Indonesians off the coast of Sumatra Jan. 12, during a helicopter humanitarian disaster relief mission.
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Russia to export over 300 military helicopters by 2010Russia plans to sell more than 300 military helicopters to foreign customers in six years, an official with the Economic Development and Trade Ministry said Wednesday.
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C-17 to land in Kona (Registration Required)Kona International Airport, Hawaii has been chosen by the U.S. Air Force as the site of a 3,000- to 5,000-foot runway for test landings of C-17 cargo jets.
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Adm. Fallon selected to head Pacific CommandAdm. William J. Fallon has been selected by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to be the next head of the U.S. Pacific Command.
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Deployed C-130Js exceeding expectationsDuring the first few weeks of new C-130J's deployment, the J model has met and in some cases exceeded expectations of USAF Air Mobility Command.
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Joint Common Missile Seeker Successfully Tracks Tactical Target Vessel in Littoral TestingLockheed Martin has demonstrated the further maturation of its Joint Common Missile (JCM) tri-mode seeker with the successful acquisition and track of a tactical littoral target in a test series conducted during December 2004 at Eglin Air Force Base, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.
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Japan defense offical endorses plan for Marine air station off OkinawaJapan’s Defense Agency Director Yoshinori Ohno endorsed current plans to build a new Marine Corps air station in waters off northern Okinawa.
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Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Operation United AssistanceLocal personnel gather around a U.S. Navy SH-60F Seahawk assigned to Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Two (HS-2) while delivering needed food, water, and medical supplies to a village in Cot Daerah, Sumatra, Indonesia. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Jordon R. Beesley.
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Secretary Roche retiresUSAF Airmen, along with servicemembers from more than 14 nations, bid farewell to the 20th Secretary of the Air Force at Andrews Air Base Jan. 18.
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IAF to showcase Israeli UAVs in R-Day paradeThe Indian Air Force will showcase its Israeli Searcher-II spy drones during the forthcoming Republic Day parade.
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RUSSIAN AF BRINGS FIELD HOSPITAL TO TSUNAMI-STRICKEN INDONESIARussian Air Force planes have delivered a field hospital to Banda Aceh, the capital of the Indonesian province of Aceh.
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DOD Seen As Close To Deciding Missile Defense CutsThe U.S. Defense Department is close to deciding how to distribute a $5 billion cut in missile defense that it approved in December as part of a broader, six-year reduction in defense spending, according to sources.
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Helicopters to be developed only for utilityThe South Korean government will scale back the Korea Multi-role Helicopter project to develop a utility version and later determine whether to develop it for attack.
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MI-28N COMBAT HELICOPTER SUCCESSFULLY TESTEDThe successful testing of the MI-28N helicopter known as "Night Hunter" is over in Rostov-on-Don. Further tests will proceed in Moscow, according to the press-service of the Rostov helicopter manufacturers.
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DRDO: A stellar successIndia's Defence Research and Development Organisation's Vetrivale avionics package for the Su-30MKI impressed the Russians so much that they ask to incorporate some of the technology to the Su-30 variants they sold to Malaysia.
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Air Force Jet, Crop-Duster CollideAn USAF T-37 training jet from Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, struck a crop duster over a rural area southeast of Frederick, southwestern Oklahoma, killing the crop duster pilot, authorities said.
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Pilot error led to October F-15 collisionPilot error caused a midair collision between two F-15 fighter jets training near the southern Japanese island of Okinawa last October, the Air Force said Tuesday.
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Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Raytheon Delivers Revolutionary APG-79 AESA Radar Ahead of ScheduleRaytheon Company's Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) has delivered ahead of schedule its first revolutionary APG-79 radar to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis.
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Chinese air force to recruit more female pilotsChina's air force plans to recruit 30 female pilots in 2005, some of whom might join the country's astronauts training program and be sent into space some day, according to an officer in charge of pilots recruitment of the Chinese air force.
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Two AS532UL Cougars recently delivered to Spain for VIP operationsIn late 2004, Eurocopter España delivered two AS 532 UL Cougars in VIP version to the Spanish Defense Ministry.
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Aircrew officers awarded honoursOfficers from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury were receiving medals for their overseas service for Iraq.
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Turkey to re-open tender for attack helicopters next monthTurkey is set to launch a new tender to buy 50 attack helicopters for its army in February.
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Boeing Small Diameter Bombs Hit the Mark in First Live TestFor the first time, on December 13 and 15, two “live”; Boeing Small Diameter Bombs (SDB), were launched for the first time by the U.S. Air Force at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., scoring direct hits on each target.
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Iraqi air force squadron reactivatedOn Jan. 16, U.S. Air Force officers and their counterparts from the fledgling Iraqi air force gathered at a ceremony marking the presentation of three refurbished C-130E Hercules transports to the Iraqi air force. The planes will be assigned to the 23rd Iraqi Air Force Squadron and eventually will be based at Al Muthana Air Base in Baghdad.
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Air Defence Day celebratedThe Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) celebrated Air Defence Day at Masirah Airbase yesterday.
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Monday, January 17, 2005
VMA-311 airframe maintenance: blood and bones of HarrierAirframe maintenance Marines with U.S. Marine Attack Squadron 311, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, have a huge responsibility of ensuring the overall integrity of the Harrier.
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Japan hopes for Israel arms haltJapan has asked Israel to stop selling arms to its regional rivals, the country's foreign minister said during a visit to Jerusalem.
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Helicopter pilots' tactics adapt to changed mission (Registration Required)Over the last nine months in Iraq, U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry aviators have had to adapt their tactics to a guerrilla war in urban areas with no front lines.
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EADS wins £13bn RAF tanker dealSenior officials at the Ministry of Defence have given the green light to award Britain's biggest private finance initiative (PFI) deal to EADS, to supply the Royal Air Force with new in-flight refuelling tankers.
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Sunday, January 16, 2005
Army sends Huron aircraft to help commander's relief efforts in IndonesiaThe U.S. Army in South Korea has sent a C-12U Huron twin-engine turboprop, of the Army’s 17th Aviation Brigade, to Indonesia to help the U.S. military commander directing humanitarian relief efforts in the tsunami-stricken South Asia region, officials said Thursday.
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Army displays newly improved cargo helicopterU.S. Army aircrews, who operated the CH-47F and the MH-47G discussed the success of the aircraft at a media roundtable at the Pentagon Wednesday afternoon.
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Irish DOD signs AB139 dealThe Irish Department of Defence has signed a contract with Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co. for the delivery of four AB139 helicopters.
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Tire blows on plane carrying injured soldiersAn U.S. Air Force C-130 carrying soldiers injured in Iraq blew a landing gear tire Friday while landing at Fort Hood. No one was hurt.
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Victims of Tsunami: Pakistan sends more Relief AircraftsPakistan dispatched two more C-130 transport aircrafts Friday to help the Tsunami-hit people in Sri Lanka.
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