Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Defense Agency seeks budget boost, 150 bil. yen for missile defense
Japan's Defense Agency is seeking 150 billion yen for missile defense in its fiscal 2006 budget. Japan's defense spending will increase to 4.88 trillion yen to fund for aircraft upgrades.
The agency is also seeking 5.8 billion yen for upgrading the antisubmarine capabilities of its P-3C patrol aircraft after a Chinese nuclear submarine intruded into Japanese waters last November.
Of the 150 billion yen for missile defense, 19.3 billion yen will be used to deploy the FPS-XX ground-based phased-array radar system to detect ballistic missiles and 85.2 billion yen for PAC3 missiles.
2.7 billion yen is needed to upgrade midair refueling capabilities of C-130s and a total of 960 million yen for research related to long-endurance unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.
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ATG lands Javelin in Colorado
Aviation Technology Group (ATG) will setup production of its Javelin two-seat very-light jet at Front Range airport in Adams County, Colorado.
ATG also expects the military trainer version to be assembled at multiple sites overseas.
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Russia Resumes Production of World’s Largest Aircraft
Aviastar-SP is resuming series production of the An-124 Ruslan. 36 Ruslans had been produced in the last 20 years.
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Pakistan acquires U.S. P-3C surveillance aircraft
Pakistan said on Wednesday that it had acquired eight P-3C Orions from United States.
A Pakistan Navy statement said the aircraft were being provided free by the United States and would be upgraded with modern avionics and missions systems by Lockheed Martin.
The eight aircraft is worth up to $970 million.
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F-14 at Reagan Library
Thanks to William Barto, Historian, Grumman Memorial Park. The Tomcat at Reagan Library has been identified.
Its BuNo 162592 repainted as BuNo 160403, AJ101, the jet that Cdr Hank Kleeman and Lt Dave Venlet of VF-41 flew when they shot down a Libyan Su-22.
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Air Force guidelines discourage public prayer
The U.S. Air Force released guidelines for religious tolerance yesterday that discourage public prayer at official functions and urge commanders to be sensitive about personal expressions of religious faith.
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Bell trying to find way to meet call for more capable copters (Free Registration)
Bell officials say they are still not sure how to respond to the U.S. Army's contract for 322 light utility helicopters.
Bell was surprise by the Army's requirement for higher-than-expected performance capabilities. The Army requested that the helicopters be equipped and licensed for instrument flights at night or in bad weather, which can easily add $1 million to the cost of the proposed Bell 210.
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US controls over fighter sale: India to ask for details
Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had instructed his officials to make sure all issues related to U.S. arms controls are ironed out when Lt Gen Jeffrey B. Kohler arrives in Delhi on his technical brief for the F-16 and F/A-18.
The issues include the AESA radar on both aircraft, missiles and armament on offer with the two aircraft, and issues related to the Avionics Suite Source Code.
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Five local squadrons to join the Roosevelt
Tomcatters of VF-31 and the Blacklions of VF-213 will leave for the last Tomcat cruise when Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group departs for the Persian Gulf.
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Military plane makers to show off wares at Plovdiv air show
Lockheed Martin will bring their F-16s while Boeing and Saab will be represented by F-18 and JAS-39C simulators at Plovdiv air show, Bulgaria.
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Funeral for RAF crew, 61 years on
The lost crew of an RAF plane shot down over Berlin are being officially laid to rest - 61 years after they died.
The Halifax LW430 went down after high winds blew the formation of 1,000 planes off course and into the line of fire of night fighters.
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'Valiant' creatures (Free Registration)
Disney's animated movie, Valiant, tells the story of pigeons who helped the British war effort during World War II.
The story is based on true facts.
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Rumsfeld criticizes BRAC results
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld criticized a decision to spare several high-profile U.S. military installations from being shut down.
He said commissioners had focused on some bases’ economic impact instead of their military usefulness.
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Raytheon Company Names Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II Team
Raytheon will partner with Aerojet, Goodrich and EFW for the upcoming Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) contract competition this fall.
APKWS II will fill the gap between the current Hydra 70 unguided rocket
and the Hellfire missile.
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China awards aircraft production licence to Egyptian manufacturer
Egypt's A.O.I Aircraft Factory was awarded on Monday a production certificate by China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation for K-8E basic fighter jet trainer.
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F-16s force planes to land
F-16s forced four small planes to land after they flew into restricted airspace during President Bush’s visit to Southern California.
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Indonesian military to buy 10 light transport planes from local firm
Indonesia will buy 10 Cassa 212 from West Java-based aerospace industry PT Dirgantara Indonesia.
The Cassa 212 can seat 12 passengers and can be modified for paratroop regiment, maritime patrol and medical plane.
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Long U.S. Air Force role in Iraq seen
Gen. John Jumper, the U.S. Air Force chief of staff, that U.S. warplanes would have to support Iraq's security forces well after ground troops eventually withdraw from the country.
He predicted that U.S. fighter and reconnaissance aircraft would continue flying missions over Iraq for a long time till Iraq is capable of fighting insurgents on their own.
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ARH contract signing marks step forward in aviation
U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody took the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter out for a test flight after a contract signing ceremony at Bell Helicopter Monday.
Labels: ARH
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Guam bomber swap set for this week
Six B-1B Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base will swap places with B-2s on Guam this week.
F-15E Strike Eagles from Mountain Home Air Force Base’s 391st Fighter Squadron had left Andersen in early August.
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Mission earns Marine a medal
USMC Lt. Col. Mike Franzak was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" for valor.
The mission in Afghanistan that earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross was in support of ground troops in southern Afghanistan.
He and his wingman stayed in the air for nearly five hours supporting the ground troops. They refueled three or four times from an air tanker.
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Lockheed Martin F/A-22 Raptor Enters Follow-On Test and Evaluation, Achieves Another Milestone Toward Operational Fielding
The U.S. Air Force has officially began Follow-On Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) of the F/A-22 at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada.
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Common air defense in Europe possible - Russian defense minister
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has proposed establishing a non-strategic ABM system in Europe.
Ivanov also said Russia could make a serious contribution to the European air defense system.
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Single headquarters controlled joint CIS Air Defense exercise
A single headquarters controlled the recent joint Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Air Defense exercise.
Another military exercise with Russian, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz armed forces will be held in Sary-Shagan, Kazakhstan in September.
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Seoul Launches T-50 Jet
South Korea began mass production of the T-50 Golden Eagle.
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Savannah worker injured by Marine Corps jet (Free Registration)
Aviation worker was injured from a USMC F-18 jet blast during a training exercise.
He was driving a golf cart near the jet when the F-18 started taxiing on the ramp. He swerved to avoid the blast and struck another F-18 parked on the ramp
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Connecticut Sues to Block Loss of National Guard Jets
Connecticut sued on Monday to stop the Pentagon's planned transfer and retirement of fighter jets from the Air National Guard base at Bradley International Airport.
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F/A-18 Airframe Logs 6 Million Flight Hours
The F/A-18 airframe design – which includes Hornet and Super Hornet generations – reached a milestone of having logged six million accumulated flight hours, Aug. 3.
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots accumulated most of the flight hours, with help from the air forces of Canada, Australia, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Switzerland and Malaysia.
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Singapore closes in on next-generation fighter
According to Flight International, Boeing’s F-15T is the favourite to win Singapore's Next Generation Fighter competition.
Singapore’s Defence Science & Technology Agency has completed its evaluation of the F-15T and Rafale and is believed to be recommending the Boeing fighter.
Singapore must make its selection by the end of September for deliveries in 2008, however it can delay the acquisition until 2006 and settle for 2009 deliveries.
Another delay beyond September would require new bids from the manufacturers.
The Eurofighter was dropped from the competition in April.
Personally, I feel that Rafale should be selected instead. As someone in a local forum said, if the F-15 wins the competition. Singapore should renamed the competition as Last Generation Fighter competition. Singapore will remain at the mercy of the United States for spare parts for its frontline fighters.
Could Singapore have been lured by the weapons package offered? Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of sale to Singapore 44 AN/AVS-9(V) Night Vision Goggles; 24 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER CAT and Dummy Missiles. For 8 F-15s? Was the country eyeing the package for deployment on its F-16s as well?
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Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Rally set to celebrate saving of air base
Niagara Military Affairs Council hosts a "Team Niagara Rally" to celebrate the saving of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
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BAE SYSTEMS Achieves First Flight of Its Next-Generation Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
BAE Systems recently achieved a successful first flight of its third-generation vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle at its Southern California flight test facility.
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B-1 bombers arrive for four-month stay
Two B-1s arrived at Andersen Air Force Base to begin a four month stay in Guam after a 15-hour, nonstop flight.
The B-2s currently there will be rotated out.
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Four grab Navy maritime surveillance work
Boeing Co., General Dynamics Corp, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. all won contracts from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command to study and proposal of solutions for an around-the-clock worldwide maritime surveillance capability.
Each contract is worth $1 million. After the initial five-month study, the Navy will down-select contractors to continue the study for another seven months.
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Pratt & Whitney Begins Assembly of First Flight Test F135 Engine for the Joint Strike Fighter
Pratt & Whitney has begun assembly of the first flight test F135 engine, a Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) variant.
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Taiwan monitored Sino-Russian war game: report
United Daily News said a Taiwan C-130 flew to Okinawa and landed at a U.S. air base. It was there to monitor the joint China-Russia war games.
This is the first time a Taiwan warplane has landed on Japanese soil and on a US military base in Okinawa since Washington recognise China in 1979.
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Aviation Transformation includes new aircraft, upgrades
The U.S Army's new Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters will bring about many changes for Army Aviation.
The Future Cargo Aircraft will also replace the C-23 Sherpa.
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Audit: Paint stripped too often from Hill F-16s
Inspectors from the U.S. Air Force Audit Agency found that F-16s at Hill Air Force Base were stripped and repainted so often that “the structural integrity of the aircraft may have been compromised.”
Hill officials countered that recent studies have shown the stripping process, which uses a high-powered stream of small, soft plastic beads, is safer than inspectors assume.
The Agency fount that the planes were stripped and repainted every time during scheduled maintenance because customer wings “wanted aircraft to look new when they returned.”
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Pilot gets to fly fighter jet home
Kelly Ladd a USN fighter pilot gets to fly a Super Hornet home for the weekend as part of a promotional activity.
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Monday, August 29, 2005
'Delaying Attack Chopper Project Will Open Defense Gap'
South Korea's National Assembly’s Budget Office reported that a delay of plans for attack helicopters could open a four-year hole South Korea's fighting strength after 2012.
The report mention that if attack helicopters are developed only once the transport chopper project is judged successful, their actual deployment would not happen until 2016. Most of the attack choppers currently in service retires in 2012.
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Keeping Cannon now means finding new mission
Local officials are confident that a new mission can be secured before the Dec. 31, 2009 dateline for Cannon Air Force Base.
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Guard found errors, saved C-130 unit
Delaware Air National Guard's 166th Airlift Wing was saved because they discovered that the USAF had made serious errors when calculating the military value of the unit and its base.
They discovered that the Air Force personnel who had calculated the estimated cost savings of moving the 166th's aircraft had used wrong assumptions.
The Air Force assumed the crew would move to a new location like regular Air Force units when in reality the pilots, navigators and air crews would have to be retrained.
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India to keenly watch PAF's `coming of age'
Pakistan Air Force's war game next month is being seen by the Indian Air Force as “coming of age” of the PAF's tactical air doctrine.
The exercise will involve 350 military aircraft and 20 air bases, including those on the frontier with India.
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Bigger French role against terrorism signals better ties
French Mirage-2000 fighters have been flying alongside U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthogs to assist American and Afghan ground troops again.
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'Mustang Ace' did what he had to do during World War II
Robert Goebel shot down 11 German planes during WWII but he never forgot the one flier whose parachute didn't open.
Goebel tracked down the German fighter group the pilot had flown with and found out his name.
Goebel wrote a letter to his surviving niece a few months ago, apologizing for the pain he had caused her family. She wrote back in German: Both you and Herbert were trying to do your duty.
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Yemeni military plane crashes
A Yemeni MiG-29 crash in al-Duha near the Red Sea.
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A legend in the air
Former Blackbird pilot, Brian Shul, talks to a group about his 24 years of experience flying the SR-71 at the Wah Chang Northwest Art & Air Fair.
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Sikorsky wins U.S. approval to sell helicopter without export clearance
Sikorsky can now export their helicopters overseas without special export clearances required for military aircraft.
The ruling could free the company to sell the S-92A to China, which is building up a maritime search-and-rescue fleet.
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Snowbirds cancel two shows, crash investigation continues
The Snowbirds have cancelled two of their upcoming shows while investigators continue to probe why one of the team’s CT-114 jets crashed earlier this week.
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Sunday, August 28, 2005
Unidentified drone crashes in Iran, ministry says
An Iran Interior Ministry official said that an unmanned “drone” aircraft has crashed into mountains in the central Iranian province of Lorestan.
The spokeman added that the drone has not been identified yet.
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Japan, U.S. eye Iwakuni Megafloat
Yomiuri Shimbun said that Tokyo and Washington are considering building a giant floating runway on the sea off Iwakuni.
This will allow U.S. forces' to carry out night-landing practice in an effort to reduce noise pollution.
About 70 fighter jets aboard the USS Kitty Hawk are being considered to move to the facility.
The Megafloat structure is to be built about four kilometers from a new offshore runway at Iwakuni Air Station.
Japan tested a one-kilometer long Megafloat off Yokosuka in 1999 and 2000.
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Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission
Ok, no more BRAC news. If you want to know more, go to the BRAC website and click on the two pdf files, Air Force Reserve Aircraft Laydown - Commission Recommendation and Air National Guard Aircraft Laydown - Commission Recommendation that will show the changes.
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OTIS dealt critical blow
Otis Air National Guard Base will close and 18 F-15 Eagles should be redeployed to Barnes Air Base in Westfield.
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Panel votes to keep Niagara Falls base open
BRAC strips the 107th Air Refueling Wing of its eight KC-135 tankers but keep the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station opened.
The commissioners also rejected the move of 914th Airlift Wing's C-130s to Little Rock Air Force Base.
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Guard tankers escape U.S. ax
117th Air Refueling Wing will stay in Birmingham after BRAC rejected Pentagon's recommendation to disperse it.
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Langley to get 18 F-15s
Langley Air Force Base will get 18 additional F-15s instead of 24.
The Pentagon had recommended giving Langley 24 planes but the BRAC decided to give six of those planes to the Air National Guard.
Some of the planes will come from Elmendorf Air Force Base.
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Air Guard may get replacement F-15 jets
Montana Air National Guard will trade in their F-16s for F-15s.
The F-15s are coming from Lambert Field in Missouri and the Portland International Airport Air Guard Station in Oregon.
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183rd losing its jets
Base Closure and Realignment Commission agreed to transferring the 183rd Fighter Wing's F-16s from Springfield to Fort Wayne.
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148th to keep flying mission
Duluth's Air National Guard 148th Fighter Wing gets to keep their F-16s.
BRAC voted 8-0 to reject the U.S. Air Force recommendation to mothballed the 15 aircraft starting as early as 2006.
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Lawyer for missile plot defendant claimes juror was coerced
The lawyer for the Briton convicted of trying to smuggle shoulder-launched missiles into the United States is asking a federal judge for a retrial.
He argued that the 70-year-old British businessman's conviction came after 11 jurors coerced a lone holdout.
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Israel envisions missile strikes from 2 fronts
Israel's military has begun to prepare for the prospect of missile and rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
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Commission OKs realignment of Beale mission
BRAC has approved the realignment of the 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale Air Force Base.
The wing's eight KC-135 air tankers will be divided between Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan and the Tennessee Air National Guard.
The tankers would remain at Beale until at least October 2008.
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China's navy prompts US concern
Admiral Gary Roughead, commander of U.S. Pacific fleet, is interested in learning what ships and aircraft the Chinese and Russians had deployed during the recent war games, how they operated together and how they integrated their commands and communications.
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Defense minister visits Russian weapon show
Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan Friday visited an exhibition of Russian military equipment that had been used in the just-concluded China-Russia joint military exercises.
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Third time’s a charm for new boss at Shaw
Col . James Hyatt will return to Shaw Air Force Base for the third time in his 25-year-long career.
This time he will assume command of the 20th Fighter Wing. Hyatt will be responsible for largest F-16 base in the U.S. Air Force.
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Former flying tiger still excited about China trip
Former flying tiger veteran, John Richard "Dick" Rossi, will be in Beijing early September to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the victory in World War II.
Rossi scored 6.25 kills during his combat operations against Japanese Air Force planes as a flight leader of the American Volunteer Group.
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‘Mr. Navy’ Display Begins CV 41 Story
The San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum unveiled the first display focusing on the USS Midway (CV 41) story Aug. 3.
The display highlights Ichiro Masuoka, who was senior secretary to the Japanese Speaker of the House and a naval enthusiast who strongly supported and negotiated for homeporting an American carrier in Japan.
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New Cold War Museum highlights U-2 spy case
Francis Gary Powers Jr. wants to create a museum devoted to his father Francis Gary Powers Sr. who was shot down over the Soviet Union.
The museum will be located at the former Lorton Nike Missile Site, off State Route 123.
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Air Force says pilot error caused fatal helicopter crash (Free Registration)
Pilot error caused a U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk to crash.
Bad weather and a general complacency among the three-member crew contributed to the crash.
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Northrop may protest spy plane program
Scroll down the page and its says that Northrop Grumman may protest to the U.S. Army that it could have avoided the plane weight problems of ACS by selecting it instead of Lockheed Martin.
The U.S. Navy also has launched a review of the Aerial Common Sensor program to make sure it's been properly handled.
Labels: ACS
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'Iran had designed N-capable cruise missiles'
A prominent Iranian dissident on Friday claimed Tehran had reverse engineered the Kh-55 cruise missile.
Alireza Jafarzadeh said the 12 weapons were now in the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
Two Kh-55 were obtain illegally from Ukraine.
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Lockheed plans new export version of joint strike fighter
Lockheed Martin is laying plans for special export version of the F-35 joint strike fighter.
Originally the U.S. and export versions of the plane were to be the same.
However Lockheed is working on a version to be released to foreign partners that will take account of the technical constraints imposed by Washington's export policy.
The design, called the SDD-Delta, should be finalised by December.
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Saturday, August 27, 2005
Russian air force equipment exhibition in Qingdao
Pictures of Russian Air Force Equipment Exhibition held following the Sino-Russian "Peace Mission 2005" military exercises, in Qingdao.
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Eielson spared: Base would lose A-10s, but stay open year-round
BRAC voted to leave the F-16s at Eielson Air Force Base, while approving the move of A-10s to Moody Air Force Base.
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"...Cannon Stays Alive;" Will Be Open 5 More Years in Much-Reduced Form
BRAC accepted the Pentagon's recommendation to move Cannon Air Force Base's three F-16 fighter squadrons elsewhere. It stopped short of closing the base.
It voted 6-1, with two abstentions, to put the base in a backup status and tasked the Pentagon to find new missions for the base.
If a new mission is defined by Dec. 31, 2009, Cannon can be designated an active base again; if not, the Department of Defense can close it.
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F-15 fighters will stay
Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing will not have to move 15 F-15 jets to Air Force bases in New Jersey and Louisiana.
Eight KC-135 tankers flown by the Air Force Reserve 939th Air Refueling Wing will stay too.
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Four Boeing Small Diameter Bombs Dropped in Final Development Test
The full capabilities of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) was tested recently when four SDBs were released from two separate carriages on a U.S. Air Force F-15E.
The test at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was conducted at an altitude of 15,000 feet, approximately 20 nautical miles from four separate targets.
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Uzbeks step up pressure on U.S. to leave air base
Uzbekistan on Friday put further pressure on the United States to withdraw troops from an air base near the Afghan border.
The Uzbek senate voted to demand U.S. forces leave the country.
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Judge sides with Pa. in base closings suit
U.S. District Judge John R. Padova ruled that Pentagon does not have the authority to deactivate the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.
He sais that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should have gotten consent from Gov. Ed Rendell for the move.
The lawsuit didn't challenge the Pentagon's authority to close Willow Grove, only whether the federal government could deactivate the 111th Fighter Wing based there.
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RAF avoids low-fly ban
RAF can continue to conduct low level flying at Lake District National Park.
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Army begins Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter initiative with Aug. 29 ceremony
The U.S. Army and representatives of Bell Helicopter Textron will sign the contract for the Army’s new Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter on Aug. 29.
Labels: ARH
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Jet fighter purchase to raise state debt, worsen trade balance
Czech Statistical Office claims that the loan of 14 JAS-39 Gripen for the Czech air force will increase government debt by CZK 10.3 billion.
The office switched from regarding the aircraft lease as financial leasing instead of operational leasing.
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Russia's Northern and Baltic fleets to conduct drills in late August
Russia's Northern and Baltic fleets will conduct joint exercises in the Northern Atlantic in late August.
Northern Fleet's aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov will be participating.
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Bush considering special session on Cecil Field reopening
Gov. Jeb Bush is considering a special legislative session to make it clear Florida is ready to put up money to help reopen Cecil Field.
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BRAC Commission: Grand Forks AFB can keep air tankers until 2011
BRAC agreed with the Pentagon to realign Grand Forks Air Force Base. However they decided to allow the base to keep some of its air tankers until 2011.
The USAF wanted to move the air tankers by 2009, BRAC says that there is a possibility of Grand Forks getting new generation of tankers in 2012.
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Redstone wins again
The headquarters of the USAF Space and Missile Defense Command will move from Washington, D.C., to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
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Russia to continue developing sea-based missile system
Russia will continue to develop the Bulava sea-based missile system.
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City will use grant to buy buffer land near base
The city of Tampa is using a $450,000 state grant to buy land around MacDill Air Force Base to create a buffer zone.
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Friday, August 26, 2005
Panel votes not to close Ellsworth Air Force Base
BRAC voted 8-1 not to close Ellsworth Air Force Base. It is home to half the USAF's fleet of B1-B bombers.
The commission found that closing Ellsworth wouldn't save any money over 20 years, and that it actually would cost nearly $20 million to move the planes to Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
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Morphing UAV rivals shape up for DARPA windtunnel examination
Lockheed Martin’s morphing unmanned air vehicle has entered windtunnel testing while NextGen Aeronautics’ rival morphing UAV will meanwhile enter tests in the NASA Langley transonic dynamics windtunnel next month.
Full-scale semi-span models of the morphing wings will be tested at speeds up to Mach 0.85 and altitudes up to 50,000ft.
The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works vehicle has a wing that folds upwards and inwards to reduce span and increase sweep for the high-speed dash.
NextGen’s wing has a scissors-like articulating structure, covered with a flexible silicone skin reinforced with metal mesh.
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KAL chases Black Hawk assembly
Korean Airlines (KAL) Aerospace has begun discussions with Sikorsky over fuselage production for the UH-60L Black Hawk utility helicopter.
Sikorsky hopes to outsource manufacturing of components for the UH-60L to create space at its Connecticut facility to produce new UH-60Ms.
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EADS North America to Offer the UH-145 for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) Mission
EADS will offer the UH-145 for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) mission.
The UH-145 is a version of the twin-engine EC145 helicopter.
For additional information see the website at: http://www.uh-145.com.
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Minuteman 3 missile launched in test at Vandenberg
A Minuteman 3 missile was launched early Thursday hitting a predetermined target at the Kwajalein Atoll.
The test launch was to verify the integration of a Safety Enhanced Re-entry Vehicle into the existing Minuteman 3 .
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Boeing a threat to alliance: Beazley
Boeing has hit back at claims that a lengthy industrial dispute at its RAAF Newcastle maintenance plant is damaging relations between Australia and America.
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Prosecutors suspect corruption at US air base
German prosecutors had expanded an inquiry into possible corruption during construction work at the U.S. air force base at Ramstein.
They found out that construction companies had been paid supplements that took the final costs 20 to 25 per cent higher than the tenders and these surcharges could not be explained by design changes.
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JFK faced India-China dilemma
President John F. Kennedy and his advisers pondered the feasibility of a nuclear strike against China if it attacked India for a second time.
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Excalibur 2005 winners announced
These are the results of Excalibur 2005. Top Gun is Maj Rich Murray, 23rd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem.
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Fierce tail winds most probable cause of Afghan crash, Bono tells Congress
Spanish Defense Minister José Bono told Congress representatives that high winds, rugged terrain and a low-level flight path probably caused the fatal crash of a Spanish army helicopter in Afghanistan last week.
The pilot of a second Cougar flying behind mistaken the explosions from the crash as an attack and took evasive action. By swerving left, the second helicopter also met the wind and crashed.
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Air Force's smaller bomb is more versatile
The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb will be available to U.S. Air Force wings late next year.
The F-15E is the first aircraft to get the bomb, but it eventually will be given to the F/A 22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The F-15E is now able to carry four times as many bombs per mission due to the smaller size and weight. It can also be launched 40 miles from the target instead of the current 10.
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Islamabad to buy 22 more K-8 trainers
Pakistan has decided to buy 22 K-8 jet trainers from China. Pakistan has earlier purchased 12 jet trainers from China.
The tandem-seat advanced jet trainer has been designed and produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra and China’s Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company (NAMC).
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Kh-29L guided missiles launched successfully
At the first Russian-Chinese joint military exercises, Chinese Su-30s and Russian Su-24s fired the Kh-29L semi-active laser guided air-to-surface missiles.
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EADS obstacle warning system for Royal Thai Air Force
Two Bell 412 EP helicopters of the Royal Thai Air Force, which are being deployed for transporting VIPs, were equipped with the HELLAS (Helicopter Laser Radar Warning) obstacle warning system.
The HELLAS helicopter laser radar is the only operational warning equipment in the world that can protect helicopters reliably against obstacles such as high-voltage transmission lines. It scans its surroundings with a laser beam, which is not harmful to the human eye and detects even thin wire at a great distance and with high precision.
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CAE to provide C-130H part task trainer to RNZAF
CAE has been awarded a contract by SPAR Aerospace to provide a C-130H part task trainer (PTT) and three CAE Simfinity™ C-130H flight management system trainers (FMST) to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
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Arkansas heat stifling to British crews
RAF C-130 crews spent five days at Little Rock Air Force Base last week in a joint training effort with American C-130 aircrews.
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Thursday, August 25, 2005
Agency seeks foreign fighter jets to replace F-4s
Japan has abandoned plans to develop its own fighter jets and will instead select foreign aircraft to replace its F-4s.
Six types of aircraft from the United States and Europe has been selected as candidates. They are the F/A-22, F-35, F-15E, F/A-18 and the Eurofighter. Most probably the other candidate is the Rafale.
The Defense Agency had planned to develop domestic fighters based on its F-2, but a flaw in its radar system scuttled that plan.
Labels: Japan FX
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Pakistani jet plane crashes, pilot ejects safely
A Pakistan Air Force Mirage crashed on Thursday and the pilot was able to eject safely.
The Mirage was on a routine flight when some technical fault occurred.
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Deal gives Oceana last chance
The Defense Base Realignment and Closure commission voted 7-0 with two abstentions to keep Oceana open with conditions.
The city of Virginia Beach must buy and eliminate homes, shopping centers and other development around the base. They must spend at least $15 million annually to buy land in high risk areas.
The move spells a death knell for Oceana as it leave the U.S. Navy no choice but to move its jets from Virginia Beach to Cecil Field.
City of Virginia Beach has neither the legal authority, the money, nor the political will to fulfill any of the commission’s conditions.
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Lockheed Martin Develops Technique to Integrate Advanced Weapons on Current Aircraft, Sooner and at Lower Cost
After sifting thru the marketing jargon in this press release, you will find what this article is trying to say is that LM has modified the operational flight program software of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) so it responds to the F-16 aircraft’s existing Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) interface.
Basically, the aircraft “thinks” it is carrying and launching a JSOW from its wing.
The same existing weapon interface has been used for integrating the Wind Corrected Muntions Dispenser (WCMD) on U.S. Air Force F-16s.
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Training of trainers of Intermediate Jet Trainers
The Indian Air Force has entered into a contract with British Aerospace Systems, for training of 75 IAF pilots on the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley, UK.
Each Hawk AJT training includes 12 courses with 6 to 8 IAF trainees in each course. Each training course is of a duration of 45 weeks.
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Pakistan offers military goods to Qatar
Pakistan has expressed strong interest in purchasing Qatar's fleet of Mirage 2000-5 fleet.
India had earlier indicated that it is interested in acquiring the Mirages. However they are put off by the high price.
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chase away stTaiwan Withdraws Budget for U.S. Arms
Taiwan's Cabinet on Wednesday withdrew a special budget for a massive U.S. weapons package.
A key item was to move the Patriot missile allocation of more than $3 billion from the special budget to the regular defense budget.
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Eagle to protect Gripens
Nope, the F-15 Eagle will not be protecting JAS-39 Gripens. A single golden eagle will join falcons and hawks at Czech air base in Caslav to chase away birds from the airport.
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Pa., Pentagon Argue Over Base Cut Plans (Free Registration)
Attorneys for Pennsylvania and the Pentagon faced off in a federal court Tuesday over plans to close Willow Grove Naval Air Station.
The outcome of the case could affect National Guard units nationwide as the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania National Guard is based there.
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Northrop Grumman to Supply Additional Navigation Systems for F/A-22 Raptor
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin Corporation to supply up to 108 additional global positioning inertial navigation systems (GINS) for the U.S. Air Force's F/A-22 fleet.
The GINS is part of Northrop Grumman's LN-100 inertial navigation system product line.
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Northrop Grumman Uses New In-Country Reprogramming Tool to Train Republic of South Korea's Air Force on Electronic Countermeasures System
Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed In-Country Reprogramming Tool training for representatives of the Republic of South Korea Air Force and Boeing Company on the operation and programming of its improved ALQ-135M electronic countermeasures system.
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Labor slams F-111 payouts
Australia's Labor Party critised the government's guidelines for compensation payments to former RAAF F-111 maintenance workers.
Labor said the guidelines were arbitrary. For example, the compensation is based on the days exposed to toxic chemicals while working. Those would are exposed to less than 30 days might have experienced more intense exposure than those who satisfied it.
And the difference between 29 days and 30 days exposure is $30,000 in payouts.
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RAAF crew treated after gas scare
An RAAF C-130 Hercules aircrew were taken to hospital in Sydney after a gas scare during a flight.
They were on a training mission in western New South Wales when the crew detected a faint smell of fumes.
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Japan to develop rocket for joint defense system
Japan is to develop a rocket engine and the United States a warhead for the joint sea-based missile defense system.
The system will use the enhanced SM-3 missile, fired from an Aegis-equipped destroyer.
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MTC Awarded $45 Million Contract for Air Force F-16 Aircraft Commercial Fire Control Computer
MTC Technologies, Inc. has been awarded a $45 million contract to modify the Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Reserve Command (ARC) F-16 Block 25/30/32 aircraft with a Commercial Fire Control Computer (CFCC).
MTC's subsidiary, OnBoard Software, Inc., will re-host the original software for the Operational Flight Program and adapt it to the new CFCC.
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Balancing Act
Rear Adm. Michael L. Holmes, commander of USN's Patrol & Reconnaissance Group gave this interview to the Sea Power Magazine.
Radm Holmes is reponsible for manning, training and equipping the U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissanc forces.
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Falcon finally lands at Misawa museum
An F-16A Fighting Falcon dating to 1978 — one of the first F-16s in the U.S. Air Force inventory — was officially dedicated to the Misawa Aviation Science Museum on Tuesday morning.
Brig. Gen. Bill Rew, 35th Fighter Wing and Misawa Air Base commander, who flew the plane as a young Air Force pilot at Hill Air Force Base helped cut the ribbon.
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IAF short of fighter pilots, admits govt
The Indian government admitted that Indian Air Force was short of 341 fighter pilots.
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Air Marshal AK Nagalia takes over as deputy chief of air staff
Air Marshal AK Nagalia has taken over as Deputy Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force.
Air Marshal Nagalia is a graduate fo the first Experimental Test Pilot course in India and has served as test pilot.
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Snowbird jet crashes at Thunder Bay, Ont - pilot safe
A Snowbird jet crashed on its way to an airshow Wednesday in Thunder Bay, in northwestern Ontario.
The pilot Capt. Andrew Mackay ejected safely. A local resident Dennis Trevisanutto Jr., drove the pilot to a hospital.
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GE, Rolls-Royce To Pick Assembly Site For JSF Engine In Mid-2006
General Electric and Rolls-Royce plan to pick a site in mid-2006 to assemble F136 engines for the U.S. Defense Department's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Sites under consideration include Evendale, Ohio; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Bristol in the United Kingdom.
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F-16 accident report released
The failure of a high-pressure turbine rotor in a F-16D engine cause it to crash in a marsh adjacent to the Ashley River near Charleston, S.C., on April 18.
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Military Photographers Reunion 2005
Canada's retired and serving military photographers will have their 10th Milfoto Reunion at 8 Wing Trenton.
128 retired members and 36 serving members have registered to attend.
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Its midnight here in Singapore, the BRAC will vote in a few hours whether to close Oceana. For those working and living there, good luck.
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Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Northrop Grumman's Viper Strike Added to the AC-130 Arsenal
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Viper Strike has been selected by the U.S. Special Operations Command to be develop as a stand-off precision-guided munition (SOPGM) on the AC-130 gunship.
The first phase of the contract will demonstrate the use of the SOPGM from the gunship. The second phase will demonstrate and assess the military utility of the SOPGM Weapon System on the AC-130.
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Elbit Systems and IAI to bid in $100m Indian Air Force tender
Elbit Systems and Israel Aircraft Industries will be invited to bid in a tender for setting up a command and control system for the Indian Air Force.
The tender is likely to test the U.S. veto power on Israel’s exports of weapons and technology to sensitive countries or regions.
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Lockheed uncertain over spy-plane airframes - WSJ
Wall Street Journal reported that Lockheed Martin was unsure the viability of its proposal for the U.S. Army Aerial Common Sensor before it secured the multibillion-dollar contract to build them.
The newspaper said a source close to the program said a Lockheed manager told him the company ultimately decided it was too late in the bid preparations to switch the plane, but that Lockheed would consider options if it won the contract.
Labels: ACS
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Singapore Yet To Choose Between Boeing, Dassault Jets
A spokeswoman for the Singaporean Defense Ministry clarified in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the ministry hasn't decided whether to buy the F-15 or Rafale for its NGF competition.
The announcement followed notification by the Pentagon to the U.S. Congress on Monday of a possible sale of $741 million in F-15 weapons, equipment and training support to Singapore.
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Turbulent times hit Oregon Guard's airborne rescue crews
Oregon Army National Guard's 1042nd Medical Company Air Ambulance is feeling the strain from the war on terrorism while carrying out its duty at home.
Four of its Black Hawk helicopters and one-quarter of its soldiers are deployed to Afghanistan for six months.
Inadequate funding has prevented the unit from buying much of the necessary survival equipment, medics bought their own equipment.
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Colorado is hub for hush-hush aerospace industry (Free Registration)
Aurora, a 144-square-mile city in Colorado is home to an aerospace-defense industry whose work are mostly classified.
Not even its Mayor Ed Tauer knows what's going on inside his city's borders.
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Survivors recall tragic Silmido uprising
After 34 years, survivors still remembers the uprising of Unit 684, a South Korean airforce special operations unit.
24 South Korean espionage agents killed 18 of their trainers in Silmido island. They escaped from the island, hijacked a bus to Seoul and ended a fierce gun battle with government troops by blowing themselves up with grenades. Four were captured and later executed.
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F-14 Tomcat joins Reagan Library
Rear Adm. David J. Venlet, RIO of Fast Eagle 102 that shot down a Libyan Su-22, unveiled an F-14 Tomcat at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Monday.
Thefighter was placed by a crane between the library's Peace Plaza and the new Air Force One Pavilion as a military band played "Anchors Away." Two F-14s gave a flypass to mark the occasion.
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Retired admiral says Oceana is best for the Navy
Retired Rear Admiral Fred Metz has come out to support Oceana from closing.
He argued that air encroachment around the Cecil Field is more severe than at NAS Oceana.
This is a copy of his statement to the BRAC.
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Panel sees feasibility of Oceana closure
The BRAC seems poised to close Naval Air Station Oceana.
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Orbital Successfully Launches Second Target Rocket For U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s CMCM-1 Progra
Orbital Sciences Corporation has successfully launched the second of two medium-range target vehicles that supported the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Critical Measurements and Countermeasures Program, Campaign 1.
The second medium-range Castor IVB target vehicle was launched from Kauai Test Facility on the Pacific Missile Range Facility, on Thursday, August 18.
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Navy seeks payment for air base land
The U.S. Navy may want money in exchange for turning over the remaining land at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station for development.
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Special ops commander says Oceana is only option
U.S. Army Gen. Bryan D. Brown, who heads the U.S. Special Operations Command, said in a letter that Oceana Naval Air Station is the only airfield that can meet the needs of his command.
Oceana has a classified role in supporting special operations forces, including Navy SEALs.
His letter contradicts testimony at a hearing Saturday that the special operations forces mission could be moved to another base in the Norfolk region.
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Airshow brings $1bn in contracts
Russian pilots set two flying records for the Su-27 during MAKS 2005.
Alexander Pavlov flew at a speed of 1,510km per hour on a circle route of 100km, and Anatoly Kvochur flew his jet at 1,644 km per hour on a 1,000km long circle route.
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Singapore, Brunei air forces hold bilateral air defence exercise
The Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Royal Brunei Air Force are conducting Exercise Airguard for the eleventh time.
This is the first time the exercise is held in Brunei.
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894 make it to shortlist for first Malaysian astronaut
A Malaysian will get to enjoy a six- to eight-day trip to the International Space Station as part of a package that Russia provided after the purchase of 18 Sukhoi Su-30 MKM by RMAF.
Those who want to be selected will have prove their physical fitness.
894 applicants will have to run a 3.5km course within 20 minutes to remain in the selection process.
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Six more Gripen fighter jets delivered, last two to arrive soon
Six more single seat JAS-39 Gripen fighters have arrived in the Czech Republic, the last two twin seaters will follow soon.
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Government funds firm selling missile components to US
A New Zealand company Rakon manufactures quartz crystals for use in GPS guided weapons.
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Hellfire Thermobaric Warhead Approved for Production
The AGM-114N version of the HELLFIRE II missile has been approved for an accelerated full-rate production run.
The thermobaric warhead also known as metal augmented charge (MAC) have already been combat-proven in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Missile programs face critical tests
Boeing's Ground-based Mid-Course Missile Defense and Lockheed Martin's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will undergo critical tests in the coming months.
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Missile programs face critical tests
Boeing's Ground-based Mid-Course Missile Defense and Lockheed Martin's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will undergo critical tests in the coming months.
THAAD will have its first major test since 1999. It can be maintain by any soldier using 30 standard tools and complete it in under 30 minutes.
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Kitty Hawk Concludes Successful Summer Underway Period
USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) returned to its forward-deployed operating port of Yokosuka, Japan, Aug. 20, after a three-month summer underway period.
Kitty Hawk and CVW-5 took part in Talisman Saber 2005, the third annual Orange Crush and Joint Air and Sea Exercise (JASEX) 2005 exercises.
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US aircraftHelicopter fleet 'not grounded': govt
The Australian govt. has rejected claims the Navy has grounded its entire helicopter fleet.
Defence Minister Robert Hill says there had been only a "pause" in operations related to a maintenance issue detected on one type of helicopter operated by the Navy.
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Russia's strategic bombers to carry non-nuclear cruise missiles in joint exercise with China
Russia's Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers would be carrying cruise missiles during the Russian-Chinese Peace Mission 2005 joint exercise.
The cruise missiles will have conventional warheads and include ones that had been tested recently and observed by the Russian president.
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Chinese, Russian troops conduct maritime blockade drill
Chinese and Russian fighters provided air cover for Russian and Chinese warships conducting a maritime blockade drill in the sea area to the southeast of the Shandong Peninsula.
The drill allows the Chinese to evaluate Russian weapons for possible use in the blockade of Taiwan Straits.
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Singapore – Weapons and Logistics/Training Support for F-15 Aircraft (PDF)
This Defense Security Cooperation Agency's document reveals the weapons Singapore requested for possible sale together with the F-15T.
The list includes AMRAAMs, JDAMs, Joint Standoff Weapons, AIM-9Xs.
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S.Africa state arms firm Denel says must reform
South African state-run arms firm Denel's new chief executive said the firm must be overhauled completely as it faces record losses with its business plan not viable.
Denel would switch away from developing products from scratch such as the Rooivalk attack helicopter and work with international companies to produce individual components instead.
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Pentagon announces possible fighter aircraft sale to Singapore
Melanie Yip of Singapore's 938 radio channel asks Dr Paul Mitchell, Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Singapore, how would the United States' benefit from its proposed aircraft and weapons sale to Singapore.
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Europe's EADS to make 'major' announcement on US helicopters
EADS is set to make a 'major announcement' on the US Army's Light Utility Helicopter, the company said.
EADS North America chairman and chief executive Ralph Crosby scheduled a conference call for early Wedneday to discuss the helicopter program.
Augusta is offering its A-109 while Lockheed Martin teamed with MD Helicopters to offer its MD Explorer.
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Navy rescues helicopter crash survivor
Indian naval marine commandos on Tuesday rescued one survivor and located a major portion of the crashed Kamov-28 helicopter.
Four of the crew members have been confirmed dead, and the search is still on for the sixth member.
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U.S. Air Force Believes It Is Making Progress In QDR
Director of U.S. Air Force strategic planning, Maj. Gen. Ronald Bath, is pleased with the pace of the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review.
He says the USAF is making progress promoting its views and the Air Force is winning appreciation for its ability to provide global mobility, persistent surveillance and precision strike.
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Minister of National Defence flies with the Snowbirds
Canada's Minister of National Defence, Bill Graham, went on a familiarization flight in a CT-114 Tutor belonging to the Snowbirds demonstration team.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Thales, Boeing submit joint bid for UK MoD deal worth 10 bln stg
Thales and Boeing have submitted a joint bid for the U.K. Ministry of Defence's Military Flying Training System programme.
The winner of the contract will have to provide aircrew training for personnel of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the Army from basic flying to operational conversion.
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RAF plane clocks up rescue record
An RAF Nimrod that was sent to
search for a yacht south east of Greenland is believed to have set a record for the furthest distance an aircraft of its type has been sent on a rescue mission.
Controllers at the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss believe it to have been the furthest distance a Nimrod has been deployed on a rescue.
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Russian defense minister to attend joint exercises
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov will join his chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan and the defense ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan at Qingdao, China to observe the Russian-Chinese Peace Mission 2005 military exercises.
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Fighter Jet Conference
Alert 5 is helping
IDGA feature its Fighter Jet conference on November 17 - 18, 2005 at Georgetown University Conference Center, Washington, DC.
This is the list of speakers who will be speaking at the two day conference.
- Colonel Louis M. Durkac, USAF Assistant Director of Requirements
Air Combat Command
- Captain Jeff Penfield, USN
Deputy PM for Systems Development, F/A-18 Strike Fighter
Naval Air Systems Command
- Colonel Mike Williams, USAF
Commander
Fighter/Attack Systems Wing
- Captain James G. Wallace, USN
Director of International Programs
PMA-265
- Colonel Bruce A. Litchfield, USAF
Commander
Agile Combat Support Systems Wing
- Lieutenant Colonel Rich Hyde, USAF
Program Manager
JDAM
- Colonel Richard D. Justice, USAF
Commander
Miniature Munitions Systems Group
- Lieutenant Colonel Joel C. Rush, USAF
Director of Operations
7th Fleet Squadron
- Colonel Jimmy R. Clark, USAF
Chief
F/A-22 System Management Organization
- Bill Sweetman
Aerospace Author and Writer
Jane's Defense Weekly
Click for a PDF brochure of the event.
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Crippled Finnish Air Force Chieftain lands at Tikkakoski airport
A Finnish Air Force Piper Chieftain on Monday landed safely at Finland's Tikkakoski airport with only one of its engines running.
The engine was shut down due to a fault in the fuel system.
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CIS air defense drill enters final stage
CIS air forces will hold the final stage of exercise Combat Partnership 2005 at the Ashuluk firing range, southern Russia.
S-300, S-125 and C-75 air defense systems, and some 40 planes are taking part.
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Belarus to purchase new combat aircraft after 2010
Belarus will start purchasing new combat aircraft after 2010. The country is interested in the Su-30.
Belarus also intends to purchase Il-76MF to replace earlier Candids. The An-74 is to replace An-26.
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Kamov, Rolls Royce sign engine contract
Rolls-Royce will supply 50 RR-250 engines for Kamov's Ka-226 helicopters.
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Iran Claims Ability To Fix Military Aircraft
Iran claimed it has the ability to repair and overhaul military aircraft.
Iran said it could overhaul more than 20 engine models, 80 fixed-wing aircraft and eight helicopters, both military and civilian.
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Northrop may source Hawkeye parts from India
Northrop Grumman team was recently in India scouting for suppliers of components and capabilities that could be used in the company’s Hawkeye 2000 aircraft.
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Rolls-Royce strike action starts
Workers at Rolls-Royce in Bristol have begun striking following the sacking of an Amicus union official.
The workers have earlier voted to strike over the sacking.
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Jumper: BRAC decisions needed to continue transformation
U.S. Air Force Chief Of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper told the Base Realignment and Closure Commission that decisions related to base closure are needed to allow the Air Force to continue to transform to meet the war-fighting demands of the 21st century.
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Northrop Grumman Unveils Newest Target for U.S. Navy
Northrop Grumman Corporation has unveiled its BQM-74F which is the U.S. Navy's next-generation subsonic aerial target.
The BQM-74F can fly twice as far, 15 percent faster and has a 70 percent increase in endurance over the E model.
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Thunderbirds continue their season after mishap
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are continuing their show schedule after reviewing their procedures following a mishap Aug. 20 at the Chicago Air and Water Show when two aircraft touched in flight.
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Fighter jet makes emergency landing at Lambert
A Boeing F-15K on a test run made an emergency landing Monday morning at Lambert Field.
A warning light illuminated signaling problems with the anti-skid brakes and as the pilot was about to land, he could not confirm that the landing gear was all the way down.
The pilot then make a fly past where experts could observe the plane. They determined the gear was down and it was safe for the plane to land.
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Pentagon preparing munitions deal to support possible F-15 sale to Singapore
The Pentagon notified the U.S. Congress of plans to sell Singapore up to US$ 741m worth of weapons, equipment and training as part of a proposed sale of F-15 to Singapore.
Singapore will purchase the airframes and engines commercially if the F-15T wins the competion.
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Czech Republic Chooses Finalists To Provide Personnel Carriers
You have to scroll down this article to read about aviation news. Czech Defense Minister Karel Kuehnl said 21 of Czech's obsolete Mig-21 fighters were sold for only $100,000 to an unnamed Czech company.
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France and India Discuss Missiles for Indian Fighter Aircraft
France and India are discussing the integration of Armament Air-Sol-Modulaire (AASM) range of precision-guided weapons on the Indian air force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighter aircraft.
The Su-30MKI likely would carry six AASM weapons on two triple-store launchers. The MiG-29 would be fitted with 4-6 rounds. Russia would qualify the weapon.
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GE, Rolls-Royce win $2.5B F-35 contract
General Electric Co. and Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command for six F-136 test engines for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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USAFE airmen to join NATO training at Bulgarian bases
Air forces from 14 NATO nations will take part in the Cooperative Key 2005 exercise in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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Former RAAF officer wins compensation
Former RAAF Air Vice Marshal, Peter Criss, won a five year battle for compensation from the Australian government.
He was as air commander in 1999 but reasons for his dismissal have never been made public.
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Lockheed Martin Successfully Tests Loitering Attack Missile Warhead
Lockheed Martin together with Raytheon Company recently performed four successful tests of the Non-Line-of-Sight – Launch System (NLOS-LS) Loitering Attack Missile (LAM) Multiple Explosively Formed Penetrator (MEFP) warhead.
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RAF Nimrod in longest ever rescue bid as yacht sinks
An RAF Nimrod is leading an international effort to save the crew of a sinking yatch off Greenland.
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Monday, August 22, 2005
Shop
The online shop has been setup for those who wants to buy the Tomcat posters. I'm printing only 10 posters. These are printed on heavy coated paper on a Canon large format printer. If the posters are popular I'll print another batch of 10 else I'll cease production.
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Air Marshal Joshi is Strategic Forces chief
Air Marshal Avinash Joshi is the new head of India's Strategic Forces Command.
He will be in charge of India's nuclear forces.
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Fighter pilots compete for 'gloating rights'
The USAF in Europe and the Royal Air Force recently concluded Excalibur, a fighter jet competition.
The competition tests the pilot's bombing and strafing abilities.
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Dyess AFB demonstrates B-1B's upgrades, combat capabilities
Two B-1B Lancers recently drop a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile as well as three dissimilar weapons from the same launcher on Jul 25 over the White Sands Missile Range.
The tests also validate the new offensive avionics software designated as Sustainment Block 10, it allows the Lancer to load more than one type of weapon in each of the it’s three weapons bays.
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New runway opens possibilities at Balad
A new runway is operational at Balad Air Base, Iraq.
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Object falls from jet, cuts short city air show
Two USAF Thunderbirds F-16s touched while in a diamond formation, causing part of a missile rail to dislogde and fell into Lake Michigan on Saturday.
The Thunderbirds season is suspended till investigations are completed.
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Polish air force chief dies in private plane crash
General Jacek Bartoszcze, the chief of Poland's air force, died in a crash on Saturday.
He was doing aerobatics with an unnamed Belgian friend in a two-seater plane.
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N.C. aircraft mechanics help Marines with helicopter shortage
Civilian maintenance workers at the Naval Air Depot at the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station will start restoring three mothballed U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragons into the Super Stallion.
The Marines have been forced into taking the extraordinary step because they have only 150 of their only heavy-lift workhorses left in their fleet.
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Pakistan cruise missile not supersonic: Indian expert
A scientific advisor to India's Defence Minister said that Pakistan's Hatf VII Babur was subsonic only.
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Admiral evaluating ideal spot for carrier
Adm. Gary Roughead says Oahu's traffic problem could influence the decision on basing a nuclear aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor.
The rest is of the article is an interview he gave to Star-Bulletin.
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Biannual ‘Buddy Wing’ training goes monthly at Osan
U.S. fighter pilots who currently train twice a year with their South Korean counterparts have found it so rewarding they plan to do it monthly.
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Irksome Firm Nearly Ejected From Air Show
Aviakonversia, which manufactures GPS jamming equipment, was asked to leave the MAKS 2005 airshow by Russian officials.
Agents from the Federal Industry Agency and the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control charged that Aviakonversia had not received clearance from the Defense Ministry to showcase its product.
GPS jammers made by Aviakonversia were effective against U.S. GPS guided weapons during the Iraq war in March 2003.
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Taiwan in talks with US firms on military copter deals - report
Taiwan and Bell Helicopter-Textron have launched talks on co-manufacturing UH-1Y Huey light utility and AH-1Z King Cobra attack helicopters, according to Jane's defense weekly.
UH-1Y is needed to replace Taiwan's fleet of Bell UH-1Hs, which are nearing the end of their service life after 32 years.
Sikorsky has proposed its UH-60 Black Hawk while Boeing is proposing the AH-64D Apache Longbow to fulfil the attack helicopter requirement.
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MAKS 2005 air show ends with firework on airdrome runway
A huge fireworks display on the runway of the Gromov Flight Testing Institute ended the Moscow International Aerospace Show MAKS 2005 Sunday night.
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Cunningham plans legal defense fund
Vietnam Ace Randy "Duke" Cunningham is planning to get a legal defense fund set up.
Federal authorities and a grand jury have been probing Cunningham's relationship with defense contracting firms MZM Inc. and ADCS Inc.
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Sunday, August 21, 2005
Russia to offer MiG-35 to Indian Air Force
The MiG-29OVT will now be marketed as the MiG-35. It will be offered to Indian Air Force to replace its ageing MiG-21.
The MiG-35 will have all the features of the MiG-29M/M2. This will lay to rest the rumours that 1.42 is to be named MiG-35.
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Over 500,000 people visit MAKS-2005 air show in five days
More than 500,000 people visited the MAKS-2005 airshow.
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General lends helping hand to Ellsworth effort
Retired Gen. Mike Loh, former head of Air Combat Command, will provided crucial support for Ellsworth Air Force Base.
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Florida, Virginia spar over Oceana
During last Saturday's testimony before the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Florida and Virginia call on facts and figures to bolster their cases.
Virginia argued that planes landing at Cecil Field would pass over 26 schools, as opposed to the seven at Oceana.
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Scots firm to develop anti-missile defence for US airliners
Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems, based in Edinburgh, is partnering Northrop Grumman to compete for a $10 billion U.S. govt. contract for a laser-based system for passenger planes.
Northrop Grumman contracted Selex SAS because the firm helped develop a missile defence system for U.K. military aircraft in the early 1990s.
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Army: Weather caused Afghanistan copter crash that killed 18
The U.S. Army has a CH-47 Chinook that crash in Afghanistan in April was caused by several weather-related factors.
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Runway trip in nuclear bomber is ultimate thrill for plane enthusiast
Andre Tempest owns a Handley Page Victor bomber. However he is unable to fly it because of Civil Aviation Authority rules relating to safety.
What he did was to run the bomber up and down the runway at the Yorkshire airfield where it is kept.
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Rough and risky but it’s rewarding
Royal Malaysian Air Force’s combat air rescue units face danger whenever they fly out on missions, even in peace time.
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Second phase of Russian-Chinese war games begins in China
The second phase of Russian-Chinese military exercise codenamed Peace Mission 2005 began on Saturday in China. The current phase includes a major air exercise.
Russian and Chinese strategic, frontline and interceptor jets will be doing joint training flights.
A Russian Il-78 will repeat the midair refuelling of Chinese Su-30, which it first did on August 16.
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442 Squadron Buffalo and Cormorant Medevac Seriously ill Woman from Cruise Ship
A Canadian Cormorant helicopter and Buffalo aircraft came to the aid of a seriously ill 74-year-old woman from the cruise ship off the West Coast of British Columbia.
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First Production MH-60R Delivered
Sikorsky Aircraft celebrated the delivery of the first new production MH-60R helicopter on Aug 19.
The aircraft will be flown to Owego, NY where the mission equipment package will be installed by Lockheed Martin, the mission systems integrator for the MH-60R.
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Andersen answers call for help
Eight commercial aircraft with more than 830 passengers were diverted to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam when a 747 with a collapsed nose gear forced the closure of Won Pat International Airport on Aug. 19.
Airmen and local custom agents and authorities worked together to process passengers on eight airliners.
Airmen directed the passengers from the aircraft through customs and onto airport chartered busses. The buses then took the passengers from Andersen to Won Pat International Airport.
U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III
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Saturday, August 20, 2005
Northrop Grumman vies for Air Force contract
Northrop Grumman will be competing against a team composed of Boeing Co. and BAE Systems to upgrade the B-52's defense electronics.
Paul Nisbet, a defense analyst says that Boeing could get the contract but then subcontract work to Northrop Grumman.
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HMLA 267 Marines help secure Texas border
USMC HMLA-267 deployed their FLIR-equipped AH-1W and UH-1N to the El Paso sector of the U.S.-Mexico border to assist the U.S. Border Patrol.
The border missions provided the Super Cobra and Huey aircrews with a realistic opportunity to develop and refine the FLIR reconnaissance skills which will be handy in Iraq.
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Galena predicted to close
Local officials and Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens predict the U.S Air Force base in Galena will be close by the BRAC.
The airstrip there is used by F-15s from Anchorage’s Elmendorf Air Force Base for training and emergencies.
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First Chinook arrives at G.I. base (Registration Required)
The first CH-47D Chinook flew into the Nebraska Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility on Thursday.
It will be the first of six Chinook helicopters to be stationed in Grand Island.
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Fighter Deals on the Way
Russia hopes to resume exports of its fighter jets next year. The bulk of this year's export are ships and submarines.
Negotiations are going on with Thailand, Indonesia and Algeria for export of Sukhoi fighters.
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8-year-old boy enjoys being pilot for a day
8-year-old Stoyan Pontius became an honorary second lieutenant at the 910th Airlift Wing under the "Pilot for a Day" program.
The program offers 7- to 16-year-old children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses the opportunity to tour the base.
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Iraq seeks to rebuild air force
Aljazeera looks at the new Iraqi Air Force being rebuild slowly with veterans of vast experience.
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Security breach
A hacker broke into the U.S. Air Force’s Assignment Management System and may have stolen the personal records of 33,300 officers and 19 airmen.
The breach occurred in the May-June time frame.
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HAL ranked 51st in the world
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has reached the 51st position in a list of the world's top 100 defence companies compiled by Defense News.
It also rank fourth position in the Asia Pacific region.
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Friday, August 19, 2005
Russian Air Force Museum on fire
The Central Russian Air Force Museum in Monino caught fire today. No other information given.
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Former workers declare 'war' over F-111 compo
Australia will give payout to hundreds of RAAF workers exposed to toxic chemicals when they were cleaning fuel tanks on F-111.
About 400 people will be able to claim $40,000 for working inside the tanks, while another 200 people will be eligible for a $10,000 payment for being involved in the project in other ways.
But the workers say the $40,000 payout is just enough for the legal action they will now have to take.
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The pilot who didn't know 6ft of wing was gone
This dude claims that he flew 2 hours in a C210 without realising that almost 6ft of his port wing and the wingtip tank is gone!
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IAF in 'dogfight' with Army over helicopters
The Indian Army Aviation Corps feels that attack and utility helicopters must come its command rather than the Air Force.
The Army also wants to replace its ageing fleet of light-utility Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with medium-lift utility helicopters.
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Jordan interested in buying Russian air defense systems
King Abdullah II of Jordan said at a meeting with editors-in-chief of Russian media outlets that his country is interested in getting Russian helicopter gunships and air defense systems.
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Historical road marker honors U-2 pilot
A highway marker was unveiled honoring U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers.
The marker is at the intersection of U.S. 23 and Business Route 23.
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Time slipping away for barrier-breaking pilots (Registration Required)
At the 34th annual convention of the Tuskegee Airmen, Retired Lt. Col. Eldridge Williams of Miami read out the names of of each airman who had died in the past year.
Members estimate that about 200 remain of the nearly 1,000 fighter pilots who trained at Tuskegee Army Air Base in Alabama.
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Bhavnani is new Vice Chief of Air Staff
The Indian Air Force has a new Vice Chief of Air Staff. He is Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, currently Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command.
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IAF welcomes Indo-Russian aircraft deal
Indian Air Force chief welcomes the licensed production of the AL-55 for use on the HAL's Intermediate jet.
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Drones heading to Ellington boost hope for keeping F-16s
12 Predators will be based at Ellington Field as part of the Texas Air National Guard's 147th Fighter Wing.
This could help offset the possible loss of F-16s under the Pentagon's base realignment program.
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A global balancing act for Marine Corps aviation
The USMC is migrating from a fleet currently comprising 13 different aircraft types/models/series to just seven types in future.
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RSAF C-130 aircraft arrive in Pekanbaru to help fight forest fires
Two RSAF C-130s delivered equipment and firefighters to Indonesia to help put out the forest fires there.
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Pilots adapt in an unconventional war
Strike fighters in Iraq are using their planes not to kill insurgents with bombs or rockets.
They are being used to pinpoint the locations of insurgents so that ground troops can move in to detain and interrogate them.
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U.S. Aircraft Security Handled Differently at Moscow Air Show
USAF Airmen from 48th Security Forces Squadron from Royal Air Force Lakenheath protecting U.S. aircraft at MASK-2005 are not armed.
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Unmanned aircraft capabilities expanding in war on terrorism
In the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030, released on Aug. 4. The Pentagon is changing from using the terminology Unmanned aerial vehicle to Unmanned aerial systems.
Unmanned aerial systems denotes that much more than just the vehicle is needed to make such systems useful to warfighters.
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Amarillo gives Bell $27 million for helicopter project
The Amarillo City Commission will give $27 million to Bell Helicopter Textron to build an assembly facility for presidential helicopters.
The building will be separate from existing facilities on Bell property due to high security standards.
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RAF Boulmer delivers 2,500 fish and chips meals to VE/VJ war veterans
Besides delivering bombs, the RAF proved that it can deliver fish and chips as well.
A Sea King and a truck delivered 2,500 fish and chip meals to VE/VJ war veterans celebrating the 60 th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
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Lockheed Martin Successful in Boosted Penetrator Test
Lockheed Martin has demonstrated a boosted penetrator warhead with a long-range cruise missile that can be used against hard and deeply buried targets.
In operation, the missile would carry the warhead from long ranges against a target. In the terminal phase, just before reaching the target, the warhead would be expelled from the nose of the missile, when a booster would ignite to propel the warhead to high velocity and impact on the target.
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Boeing gets $8.3 mln contract for Growler work
Boeing has received an $8.3 million contract modification for work on the EA-18G Growler aircraft for the U.S. Navy.
Labels: EA-18G
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