Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Russia’s air force chief hits out at Sukhoi over spending priorities
Russian air force commander Gen Vladimir Mikhailov is unhappy that Sukhoi is spending too much time on the Russian Regional Jet instead of its T-50 next-generation fighter project.
He said the airframe’s configuration has been finalized and a prototype is expected to fly next year.
Labels: Russian 5th-generation fighter
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EADS likely to be admitted to bidding for US Air Force tanker contract - report
EADS, with its partner Northrop Grumman Corp, has good chances of being admitted to the bidding process for a US Air Force order for air refueling aircraft.
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Britain threatens to stop spares supply for navy aircraft
British High Commissioner to India Sir Michael Arthur said spares for Indian Navy's ageing Islander maritime aircraft will be cut if India sells the aircraft to Myanmar.
He said the supply cut will not affect the Sea Harriers and Sea King helicopters.
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Britain to conduct naval, air exercises with India
The Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy will be conducting exercises with India this year.
An aircraft carrier group will conduct an exercise with the Indian Navy in May while the RAF will send fighters in October.
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IAI unit wins $8m helicopter anti-missile system contract
Elta Systems Group has won the first order for its Self Protection System from a foreign customer.
It will be installed on military Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters.
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Major military exercise underway
The RAAF and the RNZAF are conducting an exercise from Monday to Feb. 10 in what is known as Exercise Ocean Protector.
It will be held in the Eastern Australia Exercise Area (EAXA) off the New South Wales south coast.
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'Hammer From Above' brings Marine aviation to the fore
Retired F/A-18 pilot, Jay A. Stout, details the U.S. Marine Corps aviation’s role in Operation Iraqi Freedom in his new book,
Hammer From Above: Marine Air Combat Over Iraq.
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Tories inherit Liberals' $1B chopper lawsuit
Canada's new Conservative government will inherit a lawsuit from the Liberals over the rejection of EH101 to replace Canada's Sea Kings.
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Request to place KC-130s at Iwakuni rejected
Tokyo has rejected request from Washingto that KC-130 tanker planes stationed in Okinawa be relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni instead of the JMSDF’s Kanoya base as initially agreed.
The Japanese government is concerned that partially revising an interim report the two countries agreed last October on the U.S. military realignment in Japan would result in the whole plan being revised.
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Six tough fighters vie for IAF pie
There are indications that the French may offer the Rafale for the 126 Multi-role Combat Aircraft competition for the Indian Air Force.
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Second Roosevelt flier marks aviation milestone
The commanding officer of VF-31 made his 1,000th cable-assisted landing at 12:39 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Persian Gulf.
Capt. William Sizemore, commander of Carrier Air Wing Eight, reached his 1,000th milestone in mid-December.
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IAF to exhibit firepower in March
The Indian Air Force will organise a three-day air show in March in Chandigarh.
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Ike Polishes New Pilots
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower hosted four training squadrons to help 32 both Navy and Marine student aviators get carrier qualified.
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Sick Jaguars to be back in fine fettle
The Indian Air Force is expected to get back seven upgraded Jaguars that were sent back for repairs after the upgraded components failed to meet the standards.
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VS-24 Scouts Take S-3B Viking to New Horizons
VS-24 now currently on board USS Theodore Roosevelt has a new mission besides conducting in-flight refuelling for CVW-8 and surveillance operations for Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.
They are now flying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in support of British-led coalition ground forces in southern Iraq as well.
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Boeing signals intent to offer SIGINT development of 737
The U.S. Army will take a close look at Boeing's new 737 SIGINT in a six-month study following the failure of the US Army/Navy Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program.
Labels: ACS
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Infrared laser jammer will identify missile type first
Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation and Tenix Defence Systems are considering developing a closed-loop infrared countermeasures (CLIRCM) system.
Compared to existing DIRCM, a CLIRCM will identify the missile type to be jammed and transmits a customised IR jam code sequence that causes the seeker to break its lock on an aircraft.
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Missile defense in 2006: now more controversial than ever
If the United States is to launch an air strike against Iranian nuclear capacity, it will have to reinforce its missile defence forces in the region before doing so.
Iran is expected to retaliate with its Shebab missiles and the U.S. and its allies might find they need to defend nations in Eastern Europe or Central Asia.
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'Dazzling' F/A-18E/F radar marred by software faults
While the new APG-79 AESA radar for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet impressed the U.S. Navy crew, it sometimes frustrate them with multiple shutdowns and restarts during ongoing evaluations.
The report however states that Raytheon is expected to resolve the software stability issues before the radar enters operational service in late 2007.
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Turkish F-16 crashes
A Turkish F-16 crashed in the south eastern province of Diyarbakir on Monday just after take off.
The pilot ejected safely.
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Japanese lawmakers want F-15 flights suspended
The Okinawa prefectural assembly adopted a resolution Monday calling for the USAF to suspend F-15 flights after a recent crash.
The resolution said the crash could have been a disaster as the plane crashed into fishing grounds in the Pacific.
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Reporter extends apologies for war game folly
The following is News-Miner reporter Sam Bishop's first-person account of playing a missile defense war game with other reporters last week in the U.S. Congress.
Related Articles
US stages missile defense "war games" for Congress
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Singapore receives first Skyblade II UAV
The Singapore Army has received the first of four Skyblade II UAVs this month. Two more will be handed over in Feb. and one more in March.
The improved Skyblade II has an interchangeable payload module and an endurance of 2 hours.
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An aircraft carrier for China?
Analysts are convinced that China will have an aircraft carrier before the end of the decade.
They point to the efforts being done on the Varyag as an example.
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Monday, January 30, 2006
Yamaha Motor exported copter to army-linked Chinese firm
Yamaha Motor had illegally exported a remote-controlled crop-spraying helicopter to Poly Technologies Inc.
Poly Technologies Inc. is a Beijing-based company that produces, exports and imports weapons. Its is controlled by the PLA.
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Wind farm risk to low-flying jets
The British Civil Aviation Authority is concerned that windfarm planned for one of Scotland's most scenic areas could pose a risk to low flying aircraft including military one.
The wind turbines are over 400ft tall and commercial airline pilots and the RAF have voiced worries about turbine interference with flight radar.
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Labors of Hercules draw to a close
Hawaii Air National Guard's last C-130H flew its last mission on Tuesday last week. The mission involved transporting supplies for the Hawaii Air National Guard's 291st Combat Communications Squadron.
It was also the last flight for Lt. Col. James "Jim" Yuki and Lt. Col. Kevin Garcia before they retire this year.
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Prosecutor General dismisses electronic jamming as cause of C-130 crash
Iran's Prosecutor General Qorban-Ali Dorri Najafabadi dismissed reports that the recent crash of a C-130 in Tehran was the result of electronic jamming by foreign spies.
Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Pour-Mohammadi had said recently that the crashes of two military planes in Iran were the work of United States, Britain and Israeli agents.
Related Articles
Iran accuses U.S., Britain and Israel of role in 2 plane crashes
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Ditched jet to stay on seabed
Five F/A-18s from USS Ronald Reagan were diverted to Brisbane International Airport on Saturday night after a Hornet ditched into the sea while landing on the carrier.
The pilots stayed overnight in Brisbane and returned to the carrier about noon.
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Yemen ready to return MiG-29 fighters to Moldova
Yemen is ready to return MiG-29s to Moldova which it bought in 1994. The deal has since been classified as illegal in Moldova.
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Revealed: UK's role in deadly CIA drone
Investigations by The Observer found that CIA Predator drones are sending back images to a secret base in the United Kingdom.
At RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, staff at the American Joint Analysis Centre study the images and then decide what action to take.
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Boeing to showcase F-18 at Delhi
Boeing will bring a F/A-18 flight simulator to the Defexpo 2006 armaments fair at New Delhi, India.
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USS Ronald Reagan FA/18-C Aircraft Mishap
The USS Ronald Reagan has lost its first jet. A single seat F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-25 ditched into the sea while attempting to land at night.
The incident occurred approximately 120 miles south-east of Brisbane, Australia, Jan. 28 at approximately 4:17 a.m. PST. The pilot was safely recovered.
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Sunday, January 29, 2006
Iran warns U.S., Britain of missile response if attacked
Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, the chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said on Saturday it would retaliate with medium-range missiles if attacked.
He also accused the United States and Britain behind bombings on Jan. 21 that killed at least nine people in the south western city of Ahvaz.
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MND opens bases to public during Chinese New Year
Taiwan's Hualien Air Base will be opened today to public. F-5s and F-16s will be on display.
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C-17 line could go on back burner
Boeing executives say that closing the C-17 line and mothballing the machinery for future production is a mistake.
They argued that suppliers not be able to financially keep up inventories and key technicians and workers would be lost as they looked for new jobs.
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ROC military targeted cross-strait flights, says Chinese language media
Chinese media reports suggested that the RoCAF carried out drills on commercial flights flying direct between Taiwan and China.
Chinese-language United Daily News said the F-16s and Mirages simulated launching missiles at the commercial flights in a drill in which Chinese planes were suspected of carrying biological weapons to be used on Taiwan.
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Surface-to-air missile test fired
India's Akash surface-to-air missile was tested twice yesterday from the Interim Test Range.
It was fired from a mobile launcher at 12:30 pm and then again at 12:35 pm.
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Saturday, January 28, 2006
Navy Establishes Trial Warrant-Officer-to-Pilot Program
The U.S. Navy is selecting 30 Chief Warrant Officers to be pilots and naval flight officers.
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Pentagon tanker study leaves time frame in air
The Rand report on the U.S. Air Force's tanker modernization plans recommends converting medium-to-large commercial planes to tankers but did not specify a time line.
The study, called the Analysis of Alternatives, recommends Boeing's 767, 777, 787 and 747, as well as the Airbus 330 and 340.
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Bell Helicopter’s Eagle Eye Vertical Lift Unmanned Aircraft System Achieves First Flight Milestone
The Bell TR918 Eagle Eye unmanned tiltrotor made its maiden flight on Jan. 26 and hovered for nine minutes.
The plane flew a second flight within 30 minutes of the maiden flight's landing.
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Iran accuses U.S., Britain and Israel of role in 2 plane crashes
Iran is accusing the United States, Britain and Israel for two military plane crashes in the last two months.
Tehran said the U.S, Britain and Israel's intelligence agents caused the crashes.
Related Articles.
Iran’s top military commanders die in plane crash
Iran blamed over Tehran air crash
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Ukraine scraps last strategic bomber
Ukraine has scrapped its last strategic Tu-22 Backfire witnessed by the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst.
Under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), Ukraine has voluntarily destroyed all it nuclear weapons and reduced strategic offensive arms.
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DOD Preserves Option of Future C-17 Buys
The Pentagon plans to disassemble its C-17 production line and store the tooling at an undisclosed site for future production.
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Fighter Jet Crashes But Pilot Ejects Safely
A South Korean F-16C from the 19th Fighter Squadron based in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province crashed at about 9:50 a.m. Jan. 27.
The pilot ejected to safety.
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New Chief Executive Appointed On Future Aircraft Carrier Project
Peter McIntosh, Managing Director of VT Shipbuilding, will be chief executive of the Alliance Management Team on the Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) project.
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IAF refuses to fly new Jaguars
The Indian Air Force has refused to fly two Jaguars newly delivered by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The IAF found that HAL used non-standard pipelines on the Jaguars and is concerned about who is responsible if it leads to a crash.
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Navy T-34 Crash Kills Two
A U.S. Navy T-34C crashed while conducting routine flight training near NAS Corpus Christi.
Both instructor and student were killed.
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Friday, January 27, 2006
JGSDF AH-64DJ 1st Flight
Both Tengu and Asagiri both send in links to the 1st Fuji AH-64DJ flight.
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Canadian plane-engine plant caught in squeeze
Pratt & Whitney Canada is caught in the middle of a spat between Washington and Venezuela over its aircraft engines.
The Bush administration is blocking the sale of C-295, CN-235 and Super Tucano that uses engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada.
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Japan protests alleged Russian intrusion into Japanese airspace
A Russian An-72 entered Japanese airspace late Wednesday and six F-15s were scrambled.
The plane entered Japan's airspace seven times between 7:07 p.m. (1007GMT) and 7:33 p.m. (1933GMT) Wednesday off the small island of Rebun in Hokkaido Prefecture.
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Tomassetti focused on VX-23 mission
U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Art "Turbo" Tomassetti is the new boss at VX-23. He was the lead government pilot for the
X-35 program.
Tomassetti was the VX-23 chief test pilot before assuming command.
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Aircraft maintenance standards questioned
The Thai House military affairs committee is concern over the number of crashes at the Air Force Pilot Training School.
The most recent crash occurred on Jan. 18.
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Thursday, January 26, 2006
Two Production RQ-4A Global Hawks Deploy in Global War on Terrorism
Photos of the first two production RQ-4A Global Hawks operating in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Mike Hammond
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Kyrgyzstan gives US new conditions for keeping airbase
Kyrgyzstan wants the United States to pay more rent for using its Manas Air Base in support of operations in Afghanistan.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said last month that Washington should pay "tens of times more" for use of the airbase.
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AFRL breakthrough furthers space optics
U.S. Air Force scientists have developed a deployable optical telescope that is just 4 feet 10 inches in diameter.
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Computer problems shut down Boeing assembly lines
Production of Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornets were disrupted Wednesday due to a computer problem.
The first and second shift was affected but the third shift work as scheduled.
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Robins Air Force Base cited in potential breach of security
U.S. Air Force auditors have singled out Robins and Hill Air Force Base and two other installations for failing to wipe data from surplus computers before selling them.
Robins, Hill and Tinker along with Lackland manage and repair the vast majority of Air Force weapon systems, components and related equipment, including some containing highly classified software and hardware.
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'Smart' cable helps protect aircraft
The USAF Warner Robins Air Logistics Center came up with a Smart Cable that upgrades the missile warning system of aircraft flying in Iraq.
It has been installed on 400 coalition aircraft -- none of which have been hit by missile attacks.
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Pyongyang may hold secret info on missiles
Confidential information on Japan's Chu-SAM missile system could have been leaked to a pro-Pyongyang group in Japan back in 1995.
A Japanese Defense Agency official who briefed reporters claimed the data would not reveal the capabilities of the currently deployed medium-range SAM.
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