Monday, July 31, 2006
JASDF F-4 emergency cable arrested landing video
From Asagiri: A JASDF F-4 made an emergency cable arrested landing at Kadena Air Base on Jul. 26 after it encountered hydraulic problems.
The aircraft was diverted to Kadena because Naha Air Base was busy with civilian flights.
The original article comes with a Real Video of the landing, we have one here in WMV for those who don't have Real Video player installed.
Source
嘉手納基地 空自のＦ４戦闘機が緊急着陸
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US firm offers sophisticated radar to India
Raytheon is promoting its AMRAAM missiles, ATFLIR targeting pods and AESA radars to India.
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USS Kitty Hawk Video Cast Part 2
Part 2 of our tour of USS Kitty Hawk.
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New Radio Enhances Strike Eagle Capability
USAF F-15Es now comes equipped with VHF radios. This allows the Strike Eagles to communicate with ground troops and civilian aircraft.
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Creative Troops, Maintenance Keep Vintage Tankers Airborne
The unseasonably warm summer weather in Europe is helping the USAF 100th Air Refueling Wing's fleet of KC-135s maintain a mission-capable rate of 84 percent.
Cold weather usually cause the plane's struts and fuel bladders to leak.
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Arirang-2 on Orbit
South Korea has successfully orbit its Arirang-2 satellite that has the ability to spy on North Korea.
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Early-morning F-15 flights irk Kadena's neighbors
F-15s from Kadena had to cancel their early morning flights twice in a week forcing them to return back to Kadena.
Two groups of Eagles were supposed to depart on Wednesday and Thursday for Hawaii but the refueling tankers from Guam encountered problems and both missions were canceled.
They eventually managed to depart on Friday and Saturday.
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Lincoln Wraps Up RIMPAC, Heads Home
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) departed Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Jul. 29, after the final weekend of the biennial Rim of the Pacific 2006 (RIMPAC) exercise.
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Spitfires in all their glory
A special commemoration will be held at the Imperial War Museum Duxford to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Spitfire on Aug. 13.
Visitors will be able to view a selection of Spitfires at closer quarters than normal and meet former and current crew and pilots.
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Eisenhower Strike Group Completes JTFEX 06-2
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) completed an eight-day Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 06-2 "Operation Bold Step," Jul. 28, off the East Coast.
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Attack choppers to make air show debut
Sky Soldiers Demonstration Team, a civilian team flying the AH-1F, made its debut at the Vectren Dayton Air Show.
The team is the air show arm of the nonprofit Army Aviation Heritage Foundation.
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Russian bomber crashes on way to navy celebration
A Russian Su-24M that was on its way to a military parade marking Russia's Navy day celebrations crashed after take off on Sunday.
Both pilots failed to eject and did not survive. Flight data recorders from the airplane that crashed in the Kaliningrad region has been recovered.
Sources
Russian bomber crashes on way to navy celebration
Black boxes from crashed Su-24 found
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Air crews engaged in aerial combat re-supply drops
Canada's Air Force is back into the combat re-supply business since the Korean War with CC-130 Hercules supplying troops in southern Afghanistan.
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Lockheed Martin Wins $13 Million U.S. Army Contract to Improve Helicopter Survivability Against Small Arms Fire
Lockheed Martin will develop, integrate and flight-test two systems that will protect helicopters from small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs).
The first system, the Hostile Fire Indicator (HFI), uses sensors to detect muzzle flashes from small arms fire and RPGs, and precisely compute the bearing to the threat’s location. The second system, a Visual Acquisition Disruptor, will inhibit the ability of enemy combatants to acquire an accurate shot at the aircraft.
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How missiles miss the target
Another problem has plague the RAAF F/A-18 upgrade program. The Litening pod has been found unsuitable for carriage on station 4 of the Hornet by the U.S. Navy and withdrew the flight certification.
This means the Litening can only be carried on station 5, the centreline pylon. Australia may have to spend extra millions to correct the problem and fund the further flight tests.
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Sunday, July 30, 2006
Tomcat Chapter Draws to a Close
112 from VF-31, piloted by Lt. Blake Coleman and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Cmdr. Dave Lauderbaugh, is the last F-14 Tomcat to catapult from an aircraft carrier. Last time Baby! U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird.
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Report: U.S., Japan to discuss Patriot missiles
Japanese officials will ask their U.S. counter parts to accelerate the delivery of PAC-3 missiles when both sides meet in August.
Tokyo also wants Washington to send an Aegis destroyer with SM-3 missiles in addition to one that is set to be deployed in mid-August in Yokosuka.
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Missile defense plans have their skeptics
Japanese experts are also questioning the effectiveness of missile interceptors against North Korea's ballistic missiles.
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Syrian Downing of Israeli drone Raises Specter of Syrian Scuds
Israel lost a UAV on Friday in the mountains east of Beirut and DEBKA claims that the drone was actually shot down by Syria.
This was to prevent Israel from monitoring a shipment of weapons from Syria into Lebanon.
Israel claimed that the aircraft encountered technical problems.
Sources
Syrian Downing of Israeli drone Raises Specter of Syrian Scuds
Israeli drone crashes in Lebanon, jets attack
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Who's to Blame for the U.N. Attack?
The Israeli Air Force and the Northern Command of the Israeli Defense Forces are pointing fingers at each other over the deadly attack of a U.N. compound in Lebanon.
One version of the story is that an army spotter saw Hizballah firing from an area near the U.N. building but locked into the U.N. building by mistake, the wrong coordinates were then passed to the Air Force.
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Stealth fighter fleet logs 250,000 flight hours
The F-117 fleet hit the 250,000 hour mark during a flight Tuesday by Col. John "Ripper" Forsythe.
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U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin F-16 Mission Planning Delivery Order
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a Mission Planning Enterprise Contract (MPEC) delivery order to upgrade the F-16 Mission Planning Environment software.
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F-22A Set for Showdown in Congress
A showdown is expect at the U.S. Congress over the multi-year procurement of 60 F-22As.
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Russian general criticizes American National Missile Defense program
In a rare move, Russia's Chief of Staff, has published an article criticizing the U.S. National Missile Defense program. His article can be considered a policy statement by the Russian defense establishment.
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Made in the UK, bringing devastation to Lebanon - the British parts in Israel's deadly attack helicopters
Israel's Apache combat helicopters, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets all uses British made parts which goes against government guidelines banning the sale of weapons likely to be used "aggressively against another country" or fuel regional tensions.
Israel's use of the warplanes in Lebanon is causing an uproar in London and a Commons committee on arms export controls is expected to issue a strong statement on exports to Israel late next week.
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Two F-16s reach milestone
88-0471 and 88-0428 are the first F-16 Blk 40s to pass 6,000 flying hours. Only one other F-16 Blk 40 in the U.S Air Force inventory has reached the 6,000 flying-hour mark.
Aircraft 88-0428 was accepted into service in September 1989 and aircraft 88-0471 was accepted in January 1990 and assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
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Navy officer takes charge of Iwakuni's Marine Aircraft Group 12
U.S. Navy Capt. David B. Emich is the first Navy aviator to lead a Marine aviation group when he took over Marine Aircraft Group 12 on Friday.
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Final farewell to Canberra spy plane
The RAF said goodbye to the Canberra bomber on Jul. 28 at RAF Marham. The 39 (1PRU) Squadron was disband as well.
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Lakenheath Strike Eagles return from Bulgaria
The USAF 48th Fighter Wing encounter a few problems during their recent deployment of 10 F-15Es to Bulgaria.
The An-124 Condor that ferried the airmen and their equipment could not land at Graf-Isnatievo Air Base and had to land at other airport.
Fuel for the F-15Es had to be truck in from Turkey as Bulgarians used a different type of fuel.
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Saturday, July 29, 2006
USS Kitty Hawk Video Cast
LTJG Peter Bissonnette from VAW-115 was our host during the tour of Kitty Hawk. This is the first of three videos from the tour.
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USS Kitty Hawk Singapore 28 July 06
A tour of the U.S. Navy's oldest active warship yesterday.
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AirLaunch Breaks C-17 record again (PDF)
AirLaunch successfully dropped its QuickReach rocket weighing 72,000 pounds from a C-17 on Wednesday. The previous record was 65,000 pounds.
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Pilot hits new heights in flying feat
Flight Lieutenant Chris Stevens from the RAF has clocked 10,000 hours flying fighter aircraft.
In a career spanning 40-years, he has flown the Spitfire, Hunter and Lightning.
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Taiwan seeks 66 F-16 fighters -US official
An anonymous U.S. official has confirmed that Taiwan is seeking to buy as many as 66 F-16 Blk 50/52s.
Taiwan is expected to seek JDAMs and HARMs to go along with the aircraft purchase as well.
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Birds may have caused Russian MiG-29UB crash - air force
The Russian Swifts lost its MiG-29UB in the Perm Territory in the Urals Thursday after it took off from Bolshoye Savino Airport.
Both crew ejected and one has been hospitalized with a broken leg. Preliminary investigations found that the MiG encounter bird strikes.
Sources
Russian aerobatics team plane crashes in Urals
Birds may have caused Russian MiG-29UB crash - air force
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Military plane crashes in Konya
A former member of Turkey's Turkish Stars aerobatic team was killed when his F-5A crashed after take-off Thursday.
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Boeing chief isn't happy with defense operations
Boeing's CEO is not happy at way things are going at its defense unit after fumbles at the unit triggered Boeing's first quarterly loss in three years.
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Langley set for jets' return
Langley Air Force Base is all set to welcome back its Raptors and Eagles this weekend after work on resurfacing its runway have been completed.
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Navy to upgrade Hornet fleet
The U.S. Navy is helping the Finnish Air Force upgrade its fleet of 63 Hornet aircraft.
Under the current Mid Life Upgrade 1 plan, the Finnish F-18s will incorporate the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, Tactical Aircraft Moving Map Capability and digital wingtip wiring for AIM-9X missiles.
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Korea to Develop Blackout Bomb
South Korea is starting work to develop a bomb that can knock out the enemy's power grid.
It will take three years to design and test the weapon before mass production begins.
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Bahrain - UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters (PDF)
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain of 9 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
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Two more US arms planes given permission to refuel in Britain
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has given the green light for Washington to use British airports to refuel planes shipping bombs and missiles to Israel.
His Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, had earlier embarrassed him by threatening to lodge a formal protest over two chartered Airbus A310 cargo planes use of Glasgow Prestwick Airport as a refuelling stop.
She claims that the Americans failed to follow proper procedures during the shipment of bombs.
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Saudi Arabia – Remanufacture and Upgrade of AH-64A to AH-64D Apache Helicopters (PDF)
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of the remanufacture and upgrade of 12 AH-64A to AH-64D Apache helicopters.
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United Arab Emirates - UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters (PDF)
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Arab Emirates of 26 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
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Stealthy giants sneak in, drop their load and slip out
The U.S. Air Force has resumed bombing runs at an Australian outback test range with one B-2 landing in Darwin Thursday.
The bomber was empty but an pair of B-2s each dropped two 2,000-pound non-explosive blivets on Wednesday.
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Poland – Shadow 200 RQ-7B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (PDF)
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Poland of Shadow 200 RQ-7B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Systems.
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Besby Frank Holmes; WWII Fighter Pilot
Lt. Col. Besby Frank Holmes, 88, a World War II fighter pilot who in 1943 took part in the famous mission to kill Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, died of a stroke Jul. 23.
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The cost of fighting close up comes home to Israeli officers
The high losses in Israel's officer corps could force the IDF to change tactics and employ special forces to pinpoint Hizbollah's bunkers for destruction by laser-guided bombs.
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Boeing suspends C-17 testing
Pentagon has stopped Boeing from carrying flight testing of new C-17s after it noted some issues with the processes and procedures.
Work on the assembly line continues.
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First Sonar Images of 'Nazi Aircraft Carrier'
The Polish Navy is 99 percent certain that the Nazi carrier, Graf Zeppelin, has been located. First images of the site are available as well.
The Polish navy mounted a two-day expedition to the site after oil company Petrobaltic discovered the wreck.
Sources
First Sonar Images of 'Nazi Aircraft Carrier'
'Nazi aircraft carrier' located
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Friday, July 28, 2006
Radar Vector
Radar Vector is one year old today. I'll taking a break. News will be back tomorrow.
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Thursday, July 27, 2006
Famous flying ace no hotshot after all
Two researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles claims that German aces including the Red Baron achieved their kills by luck rather than skill.
They studied the records of all German fighter pilots of WW1 and found they often scored easy victories against poorly armed or less manoeuvrable aircraft.
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Second Eurofighter Typhoon for Austria in Final Assembly
The second Eurofighter Typhoon destined for Austria has started final assembly at EADS Military Air Systems at Manching north of Munich.
AS002 (Austrian Single-seat) will be delivered to the Austrian Air Force in 2007 with the contracted capability.
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NAS Oceana Hosts Air Force Raptors, Crew
Video from the U.S. Navy on the current deployment of F-22As at NAS Oceana.
Sources
NAS Oceana Hosts Air Force Raptors, Crew
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Sun sets in the West for the S-3
I guess I don't have the chance to see an S-3 Viking again as the U.S. Navy has disestablish the last squadron in the Pacific, VS-41, at North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado.
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Russia Rejects U.S. Call to Reconsider USD 1 Bln Military Contracts With Venezuela
Russia has rejected a call from Washington to reconsider the sale of Su-30s and helicopters to Venezuela.
Defense minister Sergei Ivanov stressed that Moscow will honour the contract.
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MBDA shows updated Sea Skua concept
MBDA is showing an improved Sea Skua anti-ship missile known as Sea Skua Mk 2 which the company hopes to arm on the AgustaWestland Future Lynx.
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Yak-130 training aircraft crashes in Moscow region
A Yak-130 has crashed at Zhukovsky airfield, both pilots managed to eject to safety.
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Analysis: USAF adds $1.7B to F-22 costs
The Government Accountability Office said Pentagon's proposal to buy 60 F-22As under a three-year, multi-year contract will cost the taxpayers $1.7 billion more.
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Getting to grips: Gripen users' group formed
Sweden, Hungary, South Africa and Czech Republic have formed a Gripen Users' Group.
The main goal is to initiate closer collaboration between the Gripen users concerning efficiency in both operational and technical aspects.
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Rell says Bradley air base will keep planes, get new mission
Cargo aircraft will replace Air National Guard A-10s at Bradley International Airport. The cargo planes are expected as soon as September.
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Poland reluctant to give US sovereignty over missile base
Poland's president has expressed reservations over Washington's insistence that a proposed missile defence site in north-eastern Poland would be a sovereign U.S. installation.
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Upgraded EP-3 aircraft goes to full rate production
The U.S. Navy has granted production of the EP-3E Joint Airborne Signals Intelligence Architecture Modernization Common Configuration (JCC) Program spiral one aircraft.
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Group questions independence of F-22 study
The Project on Government Oversight is questioning the cost data of an F-22 study by the Institute for Defense Analyses.
The institute was asked by the Pentagon to study the case of buying 60 F-22s in a multi-year program.
PGO claims that the Institute's president, Retired Admiral Dennis C. Blair, stands to gain from the study as he is on the board of a Raptor subcontractor.
Sources
Group questions independence of F-22 study
Financial Conflicts of Interest Plague Institute for Defense Analyses’ F-22A Report
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Divers find Hitler's aircraft carrier
The location of Nazi Germany’s only aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, has been determined.
Polish divers found the ship at the bed of the Baltic Sea near the Bay of Gdansk while exploring for oil.
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Boeing and U.S. Army Sign Block III Apache Longbow System Development and Demonstration Contract
Boeing has been given the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase contract for the Block III AH-64D Apache Longbow program.
The delivery of the first production Block III Apache is scheduled for 2011.
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No F-16s to Pakistan without security vow - Rice
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has promised Congress that no F-16s or weapons will be supplied to Pakistan until the country gives written security assurances.
Some lawmakers have expressed concerns that Pakistan will transfer F-16 technology to China.
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Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Fighters tipped to be top spy planes
Australia's F-35 Lightning IIs will have advanced electronic spying capabilities.
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Disaster averted: UAV fires at IDF, IAF halts fire
An Israeli Air Force UAV fired at Israeli troops on Monday after being given wrong coordinates.
The IAF realized its mistake and stop the attack before any soldier was hurt.
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Another Chinese AWACS photo
Picture from China Defense Blog.
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Airbus wings made in UK
Final assembly for the first set of wings for MSN001, the first A400M military transport aircraft has began in Britain.
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Czechs may host US missile base
United States experts have found the three sites in the Czech Republic suitable for a missile defence base.
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Spain to carry out NATO patrol in Baltic countries
Its Spain's turn to patrol the Baltic countries and they will send three Mirage F1s on Aug. 1 to take over from Turkey.
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Boeing makes promotion flights above Bulgarian air-base
Two F/A-18 Super Hornets are in Bulgaria on a promotion tour at the Grav Ignatievo Air Base.
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Tuesday, July 25, 2006
US bombers take runs over !! Australia
USAF B-1s, B-2s and B-52s will fly non-stop from Guam to conduct bombing runs in Australia's Delamere bombing range, 240 miles south of Darwin, this week.
This is the first time that American aircraft have used the ranged since an agreement was signed in 2004 at a bilateral meeting in Washington.
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Another MiG-29 OVT video
Another MiG-29 OVT video! This video was taken on the second day of MASK 05.
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U.S. military aircraft racing to sinking ship
Aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard are rushing to save the crew of a vessel that is taking on water south of the Aleutian Islands.
A Coast Guard helicopter, two Pave Hawk helicopters, two refueling planes and a C-130 plane were en route from an Air National Guard base in Anchorage.
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Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is in the UAV race with Polecat demonstrator
Aviation Week looks at how Lockheed Martin is trying to catch up with Boeing and Northrop in the UAV arena with the Polecat.
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F-111 fleet cleared to fly
RAAF's F-111 fleet has been cleared to fly again after an investigation found that the installation of the main wheel nut caused an F-111 to loose its wheel after take-off last week.
The planes are to be checked before resuming flying.
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Two IAF pilots killed in Apache helicopter crash in Upper Galilee
Israel lost another Apache Longbow on Monday when one crash-landed and burst into flames north of Safed near the Lebanese border.
Eye witnesses describe seeing the aircraft spinning 20 to 30 times before crashing.
Conflicting media reports say that the helicopter could either have been shot down by the Hezbullah or Israel's own "Destroyer" multiple launch rocket system.
Sources
Two IAF pilots killed in Apache helicopter crash in Upper Galilee
Was chopper hit by IDF fire?
Names of crash victims: Tzvi Luft, Tom Farkash
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Farnborough: First export for Su-25T
Rosoboronexport has completed deliveries of six Su-25T attack aircraft to Iran. This is the first export for the Su-25T or Su-39.
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Farnborough: US Navy shows RQ-4 can be early-warning platform
The U.S. Navy has successfully demonstrated the air-to-air of the Global Hawk's synthetic-aperture radar.
During trials in February and March, the aircraft was able to achieve an air surveillance range of 160km (100 miles) from an altitude of 60,000ft.
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Farnborough: Lockheed works to define next F-16
Lockheed Martin is working on the F-16NG that will combine "the best of Block 50 and Block 60, with elements from the F-22 and F-35."
Enhancements could include uprated versions of the General Electric F110 and Pratt & Whitney F100 engines.
Raytheon could be allowed to bid its AESA radars against Northrop offerings as well.
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GW Returns to Norfolk After Completing CQs, TCQs
USS George Washington (CVN 73) returned to Norfolk Naval Station July 24, after spending two weeks at sea completing carrier qualifications (CQ) and training carrier qualifications (TCQ) for several squadrons, as well as a number of training requirements for the crew.
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BMD Focus: Japan debates first strike idea
The Japanese media are debating the possible need to abandon one of the most venerable aspects of Japan's national identity and strategic doctrine over the past 55 years: its commitment to abandoning any first strike or preemptive strike against any potential enemies.
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India tests surface-to-air missiles
India tested its Trishul surface-to-air missile again yesterday. This time two were fired from the same site as Sunday.
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159th lands new F-15 fighter jets
The Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing has received the first two of 18 F-15Cs.
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Second German Air Force Wing Takes Eurofighter Typhoon - Seventh Eurofighter unit in Operation
Fighter Wing 74 (Jagdgeschwader JG 74) of the German Air Force will take delivery of its first four Eurofighter Typhoons today at their air base in Zell.
Fighter Wing 74 will focus purely on operational and tactical flying.
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Pentagon said urged to buy more Lockheed F-22s
Pentagon's program analysis and evaluation office suggests that more F-22As should be purchased in order to save the USAF $500 million.
A draft of the study said the Air Force could save over $500 million in the long term by buying at least two more batches of 20 Raptors.
An earlier report by Virginia-based consulting group Whitney, Bradley & Brown (WBB), also said the USAF needed at least 40 more F-22s.
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N. Korea says missile launch "completely safe"
North Korea defended its decision to conduct missile tests this month saying that it made sure ships and aircraft were not in the area before the launch.
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Monday, July 24, 2006
Defence Department confident it can make dumped Danish drones fly
Canada wants to buy 10 French-made Sperwer UAVs from Denmark which has been found to be problematic and mothballed last year.
Canada has been operating Sperwers since 2003, but they were initially plagued by accidents.
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MiG-29 OVT Promotion Video
I figure that you folks can't get enough of those MiG-29 OVT videos, here is another one. Views from an on board camera!
Related Videos
MiG-29 OVT Farnborough Video
MiG-29 OVT Demo Video (WMV)
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Navy to Test all Personnel Attached to Air Wing 14, USS Ronald Reagan for Tuberculosis
All 4,800 crew members of USS Ronald Reagan and 1,200 guests will be screened for tuberculosis after 34 out of 776 people were tested positive in the initial screening.
A Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 sailor was found to have active tuberculosis after the ship returned home.
The 1,200 guests that requires screening were those who join the ship on the cruise from from Hawaii to San Diego.
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Pilots turned up drunk for work: ADF
The Australian Defense Force has admitted that its helicopter pilots turned up for work still tipsy from a drinking session the night before.
The pilots were from the 161 Reconnaissance Squadron, which is phasing in the Tiger attack helicopter.
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Trishul missile test fired
India on Sunday test fired its Trishul short-range surface-to-air missile.
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Saudi to get jets earlier
British and Austrian Eurofighters will be diverted to Saudi Arabia as the oil kingdom has requested for early delivery due to the worsening situation in the Middle East.
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IAF probes crash for human error
An investigation into the collision of two IAF Apaches last Thursday has began. A preliminary inquiry found that the collision may have occured after the rotor of one helicopter hit the tail of the other helicopter.
Both were flying at high altitude in formation with lights off when the accident occurred.
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Sunday, July 23, 2006
U.S. to restock Israelis with guided bombs
The Bush administration is to expedite the delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel after the latter started its air campaign in Lebanon.
The weapons were approved last year and allows Israel to draw them when needed. Analysts say the request could mean that Israel still has a long list of targets to hit in Lebanon.
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Senate committee accepts amendment to save attrition reserve B-52s
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment Thursday that would delay a Pentagon plan to cut the number of B-52s.
The USAF intends to shrink the fleet by retiring the attrition reserve B-52s.
Earlier this week the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee rejected including funding in an appropriations bill for the attrition reserve B-52s.
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Russia, India to Produce, Sell 1,000 Supersonic Cruise Missiles
Russia and India has the capability to produce 100 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles a year and half will be exported.
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Iran saw missile test, US says
The North Korean missile tests this month were witnessed by Iranian observers according to Washington.
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RAF accused on jet set landings at air base
RAF Northolt in west London is being investigated for giving preferential treatment to a corporate jet company partly owned by Warren Buffett.
Other private jet owners are complaining that NetJets Europe took half of the annual total available landing slots for civilian flights.
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France and Saudi Arabia Sign Defense Deal
France and Saudi Arabia signed two defense deals on Friday that could pave way for purchase of French helicopters, submarines, tanks and possibly Rafale fighter jets.
No details of the deals were released.
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Saudi Arabia - UH-60L Utility/Assault Black Hawk Helicopters (PDF)
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of UH-60L Utility/Assault Black Hawk helicopters.
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Mundt: Budget cuts could delay JCA production
Brig. Gen. Stephen D. Mundt, head of the U.S. Army Aviation Task Force, warned that budget cuts now under consideration by Congress could raise the price as well as delay production of the Joint Cargo Aircraft by as long as two years
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China lodges representations on U.S. agreement to sell fighter planes to Taiwan
China has officially lodge a protest to the United States over the possible sale of 66 F-16 Blk 52s to Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry says such a move may cause serious damage to the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits and to the China-U.S. relations.
Related Article
MND mulls US$4b budget for 66 fighters
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Saturday, July 22, 2006
MiG-29 OVT Farnborough Video
The CNN article on the MiG-29 OVT display at Farnborough attracted a lot of interest. We now have a local copy of the video as well.
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Eurocopter contract on hold after protest lodged by competitor
Work on the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter program has been suspended as MD Helicopters has filed a protest against the decision to award the contract to Eurocopter.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has imposed a 90-day freeze. This will add pressure to Eurocopter as it needs to supply eight UH-72As to the Army by the end of the year.
Sources
Eurocopter contract on hold after protest lodged by competitor
MD's 'sham' claims stall work on EADS UH-145 LUH helicopter contract, as US congress investigates deal
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Bell Quad TiltRotor (QTR) In Wind Tunnel
Bell has begun testing a highly instrumented 20% scale, semi-span Quad TiltRotor (QTR) model at the NASA Langley Research Center Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) in Langley.
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Exposed: $200m missile bungle
The Australians just cannot get their defence programs moving smoothly. This time, its has been exposed that the ALR2002 radar warning receiver cannot be integrated with its F/A-18 Hornets.
The BAE system was chosen over Raytheon's design which has been proven to work with Hornets.
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Japan mulls launching third spy satellite in September
Japan will launch an optical spy satellite on Sept. 10 by an H-2A rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center.
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Pilot’s widow: You taught me to love the land
Major Ran Kochva, an architect doing his reserve duty in the IDF Apache squadron, was killed when two Apaches collided Thursday.
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MiG 27 Fighter Bomber Will Have New Engines
India's MiG-27 fleet will be getting the new AL-31F engine as part of its modernization program.
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Russia signs $1bln aircraft contract with Venezuela-Ivanov
Russia has signed a deal with Venezuela to supply 30 Su-30s and 30 helicopters for $1 billion.
The deal was announced by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.
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Showdown Brewing over F-22 Sales
It seems that the U.S. Senate is unwilling to export the F-22A to America's closest allies. The House last month approved an FY-07 defense appropriations measure that would allow the Pentagon to export F-22As to friendly nations.
The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee this week moved to keep in place the so-called "Obey Amendment."
The amendment was introduced in FY-98 to prevent the USAF from selling the Raptor overseas in order to protect its secrets.
Related Article
US seeks to lift export sales ban on F-22A
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Shaw hosts Operation Iron Thunder
F-14 Tomcats join F-22 Raptors in Operation Iron Thunder this week, a large scale exercise simulating the full-scale invasion of the North Carolina coast.
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Turkey Requests New Bid from Eurofighter
The Turkish Air Force requested a new bid from Eurofighter as the number of aircraft that may be purchased has increased.
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ARH-70A First Flight
The Bell ARH-70A made its first two flights Thursday Jul. 20. Bell test pilot Jim McCollough and Army pilot CW5 Alan Davis flew the flights.
Labels: ARH
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Friday, July 21, 2006
IDF fighter jet crashes during take-off in Negev; no injuries
An Israeli F-16I crashed while taking off laden with weapons late Wednesday. Initial reports say a tire burst while the aircraft was rolling.
Both crew ejected safely.
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Israeli choppers collide over border (Picture)
Two Israeli Apaches crashed in northern Israel near the Lebanon border early Friday, there are conflicting reports on the casualties. A picture of the wreckage is available in the article.
The choppers collided with each other.
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F-14 delay all about war games, not war
News-Register says that erroneous information from Evergreen Aviation Museum lead to the wrong story about Tomcats heading back to combat in the Middle East. But there is something fishy about the Navy's reply as well.
The Navy said the F-14s are to be deployed for Operation Bold Step, an exercise with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. But why send a four-member crew from Titan Corp. to Oregon to prepare for the jet's arrival when its scheduled to participate in a war game?
Related Article
Museum's fighter called back to duty
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Taiwan Has Largest-Ever Military Exercise
Taiwan fired 2 Patriot missiles and F-16s made simulated attacks against incoming "Chinese" ships in its largest exercise in two decades.
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Canadian troops escape U.S. bomb attack
Soft ground prevented Canadian troops from being seriously injured when an A-10 mistaken them for the Taliban during a 12-hour fire fight early this month.
The A-10 dropped a 500lb bomb on their position but soft ground made the bomb penetrate deeper and the blast was upwards.
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MiG stunt pilot wows Farnborough
Standing under a tree to escape the heat, Pavel Vlasov took the last deep drag of his thin cigar before walking to preflight his MiG-29OVT at the Farnborough Air Show.
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Air Force to earmark billions for new bomber
The U.S. Air Force will earmark billions of dollars in its next five-year budget plan to develop a new long-range bomber by 2018
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Barksdale bomber accidentally targets Kansas lake
A B-52H from the 2nd Bomb Wing accidentally dropped nine practice bombs into a Kansas lake Wednesday.
It was doing a practise bomb run at the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range in Salina, Kansas when the crew experience a bomb release system problem.
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Boeing CEO McNerney wrong on tankers, EADS says
EADS North America chief Ralph Crosby reacted strongly against comments by Boeing CEO James McNerney that Airbus' tankers are not subjected to certain burdensome U.S. regulatory requirements.
McNerney had said at the Farnborough Air Show that because it must comply with the federal International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) laws and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, its tanker offering is at a disadvantage.
Ralph Crosby pointed out that EADS is only a subcontractor to prime contractor Northrop Grumman so it is still subjected to all U.S. legislation.
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Cabaniss: Czechs oppose missile base due to lack of information
In a survey of 354 Czechs, 83 percent said they do not want Washington to build bases in their country.
The U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic admitted that it could be due to lack of information.
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Air cargo competition fraught with politics
Politics was one reason L-3 and its team members picked Florida as a site to build the C-27J aircraft for the JCA program.
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GE's T700 Engines To Power Korean Helicopter Program (KHP)
GE's T700/701K turboshaft engine has been selected by South Korea to power 245 helicopters in the Korean Helicopter Program (KHP).
T700/701C engines power Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks in Korea.
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Vandenberg launches Minuteman III
The USAF launched an unarmed Minuteman III missile early Thursday. The launch was part of an operational test to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy.
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Swedish Gripen fighters arrive at Eielson
Seven JAS-39Cs from the Swedish Air Force have arrived in Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska to take part in Cope Thunder.
The entire trip took more than five days and 2 C-130s accompanied them.
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Japan, U.S. to Deploy Missile Interceptors
Most of you who have faithfully visit our web page would have know this new last month but here is the official announcement.
Japan and the U.S. on Thursday announced a plan to deploy PAC-3 missiles on Okinawa by the end of the year.
Related Article
Report: Japan to Get U.S. PAC-3 Missiles
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Navy probe blames faulty intelligence for missile ship hit
The crew on board INS Hanit had 20 seconds to react to the incoming C-802 but failed to do so due to lack of intelligence about anti-ship missile threat.
The missile exploded above the ship and it was saved from sinking as a second missile hit a Cambodian ship nearby.
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Lawmaker Calls for Study on Small Carriers
Roscoe Bartlett, chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services projection forces subcommittee, has called for the U.S. Navy to conduct a study on the building smaller aircraft carriers to meet future threats.
The subcommittee members meet Defense Department officials, Navy leaders and defense analysts last week to discussed the benefits and limitations of smaller carrier platforms as an alternative to the supercarrier.
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Thursday, July 20, 2006
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works Reveals High Altitude Unmanned System
Lockheed Martin has unveiled the existence of a new high altitude, unmanned aerial demonstrator to reporters attending the Farnborough International Air Show.
The P-175, nicknamed "Polecat", was developed in only 18 months, using internal funding.
Aviation Week says the twin-engine tail-less "Horton" flying wing has made 2 flights below 15,000 ft. It is capable of carrying 1,000 lbs. of weapons or sensors in a bay on the underbelly of the aircraft.
Sources
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works Reveals High Altitude Unmanned System
Lockheed Unveils Secret Polecat UAV Design
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Airbus Military says A400M on time, sees Chile return
Airbus Military said on Wednesday its A400M airlifter programme was on schedule after French newspaper La Tribune had reported that the A400M faced delays of 18 to 24 months.
Airbus Military is also confident that Chile will return back to the negotiation table for three aircraft.
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Raytheon Company and U.S. Air Force Conduct 100th Launch of AIM-9X Sidewinder
The U.S. Air Force 40th Test Squadron successfully conducted the 100th live fire of an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at Eglin Air Force Base.
The test confirmed the missile's ability to function as a "node in the battlespace network" in future air battles and confirmed the missile's ability to cue to previously impossible off-bore sight angles.
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Senate group rejects funding for reserve B-52 bombers
The U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee has rejected plans to allocate funding for reserve B-52 bombers.
18 bombers that have been put on so-called "attrition reserve" status are affected.
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Denmark plans to join NATO C-17 plan, says Boeing
Denmark has signed a letter of intent with Boeing to join a team of NATO nations sharing a pool of C-17s.
Denmark is the first NATO member to publicly commit to the plan and Boeing said other NATO nations were close to signing similar agreements to join the initiative.
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Museum ready to move Navy F-14 Tomcat
Prairie Aviation Museum folks have moved the VF-32 Tomcat from the tarmac near the old airport terminal to a concrete pad in the museum’s display area.
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Boeing Announces C-130 Total Life Extension Program
Boeing has announced a new program that will extend the service life of C-130 aircraft up to 30 years.
The C-130 Total Life Extension (TLE) program feature Center Wing Box upgrades without having to remove the box from its structure.
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Cause of Cormorant crash not mechanical: air force
The Canadian Air Force has ruled out mechanical causes for the CH-147 Cormorant crash last week.
It has ruled out the tail rotor as a possible contributor to the crash as well.
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Northrop Grumman Delivers Key F-35 Lightning II Subsystem Ahead of Schedule
Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully delivered its first F-35 Lightning II integrated communications, navigation and identification (CNI) system ahead of schedule.
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Air Force secretary says service to cut 30 generals
The U.S. Air Force plans to cut 30 generals from its rolls, according to Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne.
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Indonesia CASA-212 crash
An Indonesian Cassa 212 military trainer crashed onto a fish pond area near Semarang's Ahmad Yani airport, Java, on Wednesday morning.
Both crew were killed.
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Dutch F-16 crashes in sea, pilot unharmed
The Dutch lost an F-16 on Wednesday in the Wadden Sea, the pilot ejected and was recovered.
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Fighter Engine Team welcomes funding breakthrough for F-35 fighter
General Electric and Rolls Royce have welcome the move by the U.S. Senate Appropriation Committee to allocate $340 million for the F136 engine in 2007.
The move means all four congressional committees responsible for allocating funding further development of the engine in the 2007 defence budget have now backed it.
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Center Performs Mission Critical Tests on F-35
Arnold Engineering Development Center recently conducted successful aerodynamic loads testing on a 12-percent scale model of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the center’s 16-foot transonic wind tunnel.
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Lockheed defends F-35 at Farnborough show
Lockheed Martin is using the Farnborough International Air Show as a forum to defend its plans against criticisms by the Government Accountability Office.
Dan Crowley, Lockheed executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 program, said the GAO criticisms have “influenced a lot of stakeholders” in the U.S. and foreign governments.
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F-16s to Pak worry IAF chief
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi is worried over Washington's plan to sell F-16s to Pakistan.
He has taken several measures to counter this threat. Deliveries of the Su-30MKI are being accelerated.
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Boeing Persistent Munition Technology Demonstrator Achieves Autonomous Flight
The Boeing Persistent Munition Technology Demonstrator (PMTD) flew autonomously for the first time during a test in April.
EDO Corporation funded the PMTD composite airframe development, and Boeing funded all PMTD flight tests.
Future plans include sensor integration and enhanced weapon terminal guidance demonstration, as well as possible in-flight refueling and munitions dispense testing.
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Northrop Grumman Begins Flight Testing of New Radar Technology for Global Hawk
Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a $90 million contract, to be completed in September 2009, from the U.S. Air Force to integrate the MP-RTIP radar into the Global Hawk.
Labels: MP-RTIP
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China helps Rumsfeld with mystery
China's most senior military officer gave U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld new documentation Tuesday on the 1956 Chinese shootdown of a Navy pilot who was a friend of Rumsfeld's.
Gen. Guo Boxiong handed over archival material that included "a little bit more information" on the shot down of a Martin P4M-1Q Mercator.
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Indian Navy eyes 100 aircraft by 2020
The Indian Navy is shopping for up to 100 aircraft in a mix of fighters, patrol planes and trainers by 2020.
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Saab signs new agreement with UK´s Empire Test Pilots´ School
Empire Test Pilots' School has decided to expand its training on the Gripen fighter.
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Navy Probes Multiple V-22 Surges, Stalls
The U.S. Navy is investigating a series of compressor surges and stalls on the V-22 fleet.
It has emerged that the other MV-22 that flew successfully across the Atlantic for Farnborough Air Show had experienced a compressor surge that was imperceptible during the flight.
A backup MV-22 also experienced an imperceptible compressor surge during its return flight to New River.
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Portuguese Air Force Receives 12th and Final EH101
AgustaWestland has flown the 12th and final EH101 Merlin helicopter to the Portuguese Air Force.
The Combat SAR variant was flown from Vergiate in Italy to Montijo, near Lisbon in Portugal.
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It's S. Korea vs Brazil in Turkish aircraft contest
KAI's KT-1 and Embraer's Tucano are the only competitors left to supply 45-60 basic trainer aircraft for the Turkish Air Force.
Raytheon's failure to submit its T-6A surprise many in the industry.
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Rookie's perfect belly-flop sends sparks flying
An RAAF F-111 had to carry out a belly landing in Queensland after its left main wheel fell off shortly after take off on Tuesday.
The young pilot has just completed his F-111 conversion course only two weeks ago. Circling for hours to burn fuel, senior F-111 pilots used a simulator to determine what happens when the fighter lands with its wheels up and gave the young pilot instructions on how to land.
The incident happened at Amberley air base near Brisbane.
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Museum's fighter called back to duty
A VF-31 F-14D was expected to be flown into Oregon's Portland International Airport where it will be dismantled and ship by road to McMinnville Airport for display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.
But the fighter is now on standby at NAS Oceana as the Navy plans to send USS Theodore Roosevelt to the Middle East.
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美週刊：我國盼買30架攻擊直昇機 國防部：不予評論
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense will not comment on reports that it is buying 30 Bell AH-1Zs to strengthen its attack helicopter fleet.
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93rd Bomb Squadron is Litening pod combat-capable
The U.S. Air Force Reserve's 93rd Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base on Thursday became the first B-52 squadron to complete training of the LITENING AT pod.
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Danish Air Force Selects EDO/Terma Enhanced Smart Triple Ejector Racks
The Danish Air Force has selected the EDO/Terma Enhanced Smart Triple Ejector Racks (ESTER).
The TER-9 racks adds the capability to carry modern "smart" weapons including the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), Enhanced Paveway II (EGBU-12), and future Small Diameter Bomb (SDB).
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First British Pilot to Finish Raptor Training
Flight Lt. Dan Robinson from the RAF has completed his F-22 Raptor training and will be posted to Langley Air Force Base. An American pilot will get to fly the Eurofighter with the RAF in return.
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50 miles from Beirut, 'we are in charge of the sea'
The Jerusalem Post says INS Hanit's Barak anti-missile system was operational at the time of the attack, although in a particular mode that did not enable it to intercept the incoming missile.
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Hizbullah hits Israel's INS Hanit with anti-ship missile
Janes has revealed that Israel's INS Hanit's electronic countermeasures and electronic support measures, as well as the Vulcan Phalanx close-in weapon system failed to block or intercept the C-802 missile.
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Barak Anti-Missile System May Be Used in Haifa
The Israeli Navy may deploy its warships armed with Barak anti-missile system in Hafia to defend against missile attacks from Lebanon.
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服役33載終需別 F5戰機退出一線 未來擔任教練機
Taiwan will retire its F-5 fighter fleet from front line service next year. They will be redeployed as lead-in fighter trainers and aggressor aircraft.
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2006驚爆4月！空軍戰機遭共機鎖定 空中對峙只隔38公里
It has emerged that China has repeatedly targeted Taiwanese fighters with radar in April. The S-300 missile system's Flap Lid-B radar was used for the first time as well.
The RoCAF fighter that was radar locked by the S-300 later encountered a Chinese J-7 and both come within 38 km of each other.
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N.Korea May Have Tested New Longer-Range Missiles
North Korea may have tested two new intermediate-range ballistic missiles on Jul. 5.
They are believed to be based on the Soviet Navy SS-N-6 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
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US aircraft carrier in South Korea
USS Enterprise has arrived in the South Korea port of Busan for a scheduled visit.
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Raytheon turning trainer into fighter
Raytheon Aircraft has announced a new version of its T-6A Texan II capable of launching weapons in a light-attack role.
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Northrop Grumman's LITENING Precision Targeting System Achieves 500,000 Operational Hours Milestone
The LITENING targeting system has achieved 500,000 operational hours. Over 250,000 have been logged in combat hours with an operational availability of over 95 percent.
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Hickam AFB welcomes its final C-17
The last of Hickam's eight C-17s has been delivered Jul. 18.
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Raytheon Demonstrates Enhanced Paveway II Data Link Capability
Raytheon Company successfully demonstrated that its Enhanced Paveway(TM) II dual-mode
GPS/laser guided bomb can be retargeted in flight using a data link.
Two Enhanced Paveway IIs were dropped from a RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft. Each weapon was twice updated in flight with new target coordinates, and the precision guided munitions accepted the retargeting coordinates and successfully flew to their new final targets.
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BAE SYSTEMS Showcases Rotorcraft Enhanced Vision Solution
BAE Systems has developed a day/night, all-weather, all-obscurant capability that enables helicopter pilots to fly safely and avoid obstacles, including cables, in darkness, bad weather, and brown-out conditions.
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Talks on Su sales to Venezuela could be positive - Sukhoi head
Mikhail Pogosyan, head of Sukhoi, said he hoped the talks on the possible sales of Su-30MK aircraft to Venezuela would yield positive results.
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"Exceptional" new maritime patrol aircraft announced for RAF
The RAF is to get 12 Nimrod MRA4 aircraft under a £1.1bn contract.
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Northrop Grumman Teams With Royal Australian Air Force On Risk Mitigation Test and Evaluation of LITENING AT System
Northrop Grumman Corporation recently participated with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on the successful Risk Mitigation Test and Evaluation (RMT&E) of the company's LITENING AT advanced targeting system.
Members of the RAAF's 77 Squadron worked alongside the Northrop Grumman team to demonstrate the installation and removal of a LITENING AT from the fuselage stations of two F/A-18s. Installation and removal was repeated with a fuel tank loaded on the (adjacent) aircraft station three, representing a worst case scenario.
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Canadian Forces Cormorant Helicopters Resume Normal Operations
Canadian CH-149 Cormorants are back in the air again.
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First Boeing KC-767 Tanker for Japan Begins Test Readiness Review
The first Boeing KC-767 Tanker for the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) has begun an important Test Readiness Review (TRR) in Wichita.
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Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Eurofighter casts doubt on quoted Typhoon price
Eurofighter GmbH has cast doubt on the Typhoon unit production cost published in the 2005 UK National Audit Office (NAO) Major Projects Report.
The NAO quotes the fighter price at £64.8 million.
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Russian air force aerobatic display team seeks help naming MiG-29OVT manoeuvres
If you are attending the Farnborough Air Show, here is your chance to win a ride on a MiG-29.
RSK MiG is seeking names for the four new aerobatic manoeuvres flown by its vectored-thrust MiG-290VT in its Farnborough display. The winner will get a free trip to Russia and a flight on a MiG-29.
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Pilots prepare for advanced missiles
The Israeli Air Force has changed its tactics out of concern that Hezbullah might have highly-advanced anti-aircraft missiles.
The change in operational procedures came after an Israeli warship was hit by an advance anti-ship missile.
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Ultra signs £56m laser deal
British firm Ultra Electronics has secured rights from Rafael to supply and adapt the Litening pod for Britain's Eurofighter Typhoon.
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Greece moves towards new jet purchase
The Greek Defense Ministry said the Foreign Affairs and Defense Council is expected to announce a decision for new jet fighters later this month.
The statement, issued on Jul. 14, did not elaborate.
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Smiths Aerospace provides In-Flight Refuelling Probe for the A400 aircraft
Smiths Aerospace has been awarded a contract to supply the in-flight refuelling fuel probe for the Airbus A400M.
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IAF pilots to evaluate Boeing's F-18 warplanes
A pair of test pilots from HAL will be at the Farnborough air show to test out the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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Raytheon Upgrading ATFLIR Video Data Link Capability for Ground Mission Support
Raytheon is upgrading the video data link capability for its Advanced Targeting Forward-looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pod to transmit video to ROVER III stations.
12 ATFLIR targeting pods from the U.S. Navy will be modified.
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Raytheon's Paveway IV Precision Guided Weapon Hits on U.K. Test Flight
An RAF Harrier GR9 has successfully dropped a Paveway IV dual-mode precision guided weapon.
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Sikorsky Aircraft To Develop New Versatile BLACK HAWK Offerings
Sikorsky Aircraft today announced plans to develop two new Black Hawks for the global market.
The first will be the International Black Hawk that will be produced with global partners and delivered from outside the United States.
The other is the Armed Battle Hawk with an integrated electronics warfare suite and full compliment of armaments offered either as a new build aircraft or as a kit that can be retrofitted onto existing Black Hawks.
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One-stop warrior
A meticulous flight test report of the Aermacchi M346 by Peter Collins for Flight International.
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EADS and India join forces to develop a missile warning system
EADS Defence Electronics and the Indian Defence Avionics Research Establishment will jointly develop a missile warning system.
The new system will be based on EADS' MILDS AN/AAR-60 warning system. 36 sensors will be supplied initially with a long term commitment to start a local production of MILDS AN/AAR-60 in India.
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Crash team seeks clues
The RAF Harrier GR9 that crashed while on its way to RIAT could have been struck by birds before crashing.
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Pratt & Whitney WSK PZL-Rzeszów Launches F100 Assembly and Testing Capabilities For Poland’s F-16 Fleet
Pratt & Whitney WSK PZL-Rzeszów, in Poland, now has the capability to assemble and test F100-PW-229 engines. The engines will be installed in the Polish Air Force’s new fleet of 48 F-16s.
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U.S. Air Force, BAE SYSTEMS Complete Concept Testing of Retrievable Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy
The U.S. Air Force and BAE Systems have completed design, development, and testing of a conceptual deployment and retrieval mechanism for BAE Systems' AN/ALE-55 fiber-optic towed decoy for use on the U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft.
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Accident report released on Predator crash
Pilot error caused an MQ-1L Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to crash March 20 during a reconnaissance mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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RAF Marks 70th Anniversary Of Formation Of Fighter Command At Historic HQ
A dozen of surviving aircrew from the Battle of Britain gathered Jul. 12 at their historic HQ to mark the 70th anniversary of the formation of Fighter Command.
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Britons preparing to flee Lebanon
Britain is preparing for its largest evacuation since Dunkirk as the first Chinook flew 37 Britons out of Lebanon.
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Bahrain Air Force gets first Hawk jet trainer
The Royal Bahrain Air Force has formally accepted the first of six Hawk advanced jet trainers in a ceremony at the Farnborough International Air Show.
Piloted by BAE Systems test pilot Nat Makepeace and Lt Col Omar Ebrahim Mohamed Al Mahmood, instructor pilot of the RBAF, the aircraft flew into Farnborough with the Red Arrows before being handed over to Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain and Commander in Chief of the Bahraini Defence Force.
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M'sia To Build Two Frigates, Buy Eight Aermacchi Aircraft
Malaysia plans to buy eight Aermacchi trainers to add to its fleet of ten.
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Northrop Grumman to Supply Infrared Countermeasures for U.S Air Force
Northrop Grumman has been awarded the first delivery order of an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to deliver Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system hardware and support for the C-17 and C-130 transport aircrafts.
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Northrop Grumman Reveals First Advanced Hawkeye Fuselage
Northrop Grumman Corporation has mated the major subassemblies of the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye test aircraft at its St. Augustine, Fla., manufacturing center into a single fuselage structure.
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Boeing Begins Airworthiness Testing of Upgraded AWACS Aircraft
Boeing has conducted a successful first test flight of an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft upgraded under the Block 40/45 program, the largest enhancement in the history of the U.S. Air Force E-3 AWACS fleet.
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Monday, July 17, 2006
Hawker Hunter F.58 J-4061crashed at Oregon International Air Show (Video)
Former Swiss
Hawker Hunter F.58 (F.6)
J-4061 FAA registration N58WJ has crashed during a flying display at the
Oregon International Air Show at 4:30pm PST Sunday. We have a video of the crash.
The plane crashed into a residential neighborhood near the Hillsboro Airport hitting three homes. The crash destroyed three homes and damaged a fourth.
The pilot and owner is Robert Guilford from California. He failed to eject from the aircraft.
Video from KGW-TV.
Sources
Four Hillsboro homes damaged in plane crash
British Vintage Jet Crashes Into Hillsboro Neighborhood
Picture of J-4061 in its last colors
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JSF risk-reduction flights resume
Qinetiq's VAAC Harrier trials aircraft has resumed test flights in support of the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version.
The rear cockpit of the Harrier has been modified to include new controls representative of the Lightning II.
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US Navy to advance Hawkeye testing
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye's new APY-9 radar will tested on a modified Lockheed Martin NC-130H later this year.
The only difference between the two is that the radar on the NC-130 testbed has a silicon-based transmitter, while the APY-9 is silicon carbide-based.
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Troubled squadron pilot hit tree
An Australian Army pilot from 161 Reconnaissance Squadron had his status downgraded after his aircraft hit a tree on take-off. A host of other problems at the squadron were uncovered as well.
The incident happened during an exercise at Tindal air base in early 2005. The pilot tried to cover up the incident and was downgraded to a "category D", meaning he could not fly unsupervised.
Investigations also found that two other pilots were charged and another two cautioned for turning up to work under the influence of alcohol during a training exercise on the east coast in 2004.
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Summary of attack on IDF missile ship
We got more news and a video of the Hezbollah C-802 missile strike on the Israeli missile boat Ahi Hanit.
The Navy said it did not turn on the missile interception system on the boat as there was a lot of Israeli planes in the area. They stressed that if they have known that the Hezbollah possess such missiles, the system would have been activated.
Israeli jets on Sunday destroyed all the coastal radar of Lebanon as it suspects that the radars could be used to target its warships.
Sources
Summary of attack on IDF missile ship
Inquiry: Navy was unaware of missile threat
Israel batters Hezbollah HQ, wipes out radar sites
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IAF may not get to fly LCA before 2010
India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will have its initial operational clearance pushed back to 2008.
It is not expected to achieved fully operational status until 2010.
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Italian air force to field C-130J tanker capability
Italy's 12 short-fuselage Lockheed Martin C-130Js will gain a in-flight refuelling capability by year-end.
An aircraft fitted with hose-and- drogue refuelling pods is currently involved in flight trials in United States.
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SANDF receives its first Gripen
South Africa's first of 28 Gripen fighter was towed through Cape Town to Ysterplaat Air Force Base from Cape Town Harbour on Sunday afternoon.
At Ysterplaat, it will be ferried to the Air Force's Test Flight and Development Centre at Overberg Air Force Base.
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Ospreys traverse Atlantic
The MV-22 that successfully flew across the Atlantic last week non-stop to England flew back to Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland with a spare engine for the other stranded MV-22.
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Air Force chief: More attacks to come
Israeli Air Force chief, Maj.-Gen. Elyezer Shkedy, warns Hizbullah that attacks from his service will intensify.
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Misawa fighter pilots need to be well-suited for water survival
Fighter pilots from Misawa Air Base, Japan travels to Lake Ogawara every three years for their water survival training.
Part of the training includes being pulled from a rope off the back of a motorboat, a drill simulating the drag of a parachute.
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Women make great fighter pilots
A report by India's Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Services advocates the induction of women as fighter pilots.
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RIAT: Omega Air’s first modified McDonnell Douglas
Omega Air folks is showing their first modified McDonnell Douglas DC-10 tanker-transport at RIAT.
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Air Force increases tanker order
The U.S. Air Force will increase the number of refuelling tankers it seeks to buy from 100 to 189.
The new figure came out when a Northrop-EADS team was briefed by the Air Force.
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Moscow: Pakistani sought nuke technology
A Pakistani spy tried to get missiles and nuclear technology for its weapons program from Russia using subterfuge.
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S. Korea Plans Army Missile Defense Command
South Korea plans to create an Army missile defense command later this year to deal with missiles and long range artillery threats from North Korea.
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Rafale, the French fighter, scrambles for export orders
With the introduction of the Rafale into the French Air Force, officials hope that export sales for the fighter can finally take off.
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Sunday, July 16, 2006
BAE close to landing order for Nimrod jets
BAE Systems is close to clinching a contract for up to 12 Nimrod MRA4s. The British Ministry of Defence hopes to award the contract during the Farnborough Air Show.
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Helicopter shortage puts our troops at risk - what Charles told MoD six months ago
The Prince of Wales told John Reid, the former British defence secretary, that more helicopters were needed for troops in Afghanistan six months ago.
Prince Charles was "surprised" to learn last week that helicopter shortages were still a problem there as he was given the impression that the issue would be resolved before troops deploy.
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HMS Illustrious sent to Lebanon as Britons told: get ready to flee
HMS Illustrious has been ordered to sail to Lebanon for possible evacuation of thousands of British nationals trapped inside Lebanon.
The government has advised an estimated 10,000 British citizens and up to 15,000 dual nationals in Lebanon to prepare for a possible urgent evacuation.
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No one hurt after C-5 jet's rear landing gear buckles
A main rear landing gear on a C-5 Galaxy buckled while it was taxiing out to the runway for takeoff on a flight to Spain.
The massive jet is now stranded at the approach end of one of Charleston Air Force Base's two runways.
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3 Patriot batteries stationed in Haifa
Three Patriot missile batteries have been deployed in Haifa, Israel Saturday. Two were deployed in the morning, and the third one in the afternoon.
This is the first time since the Gulf War that Patriots have been deployed in a city.
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台灣防空火網 飛彈變第一線
Taiwan has changed its air defence model and will use missiles as its first line of defence.
It seeks to preserve its fighter force by hiding them in its mountain base in Hua Lian and use them to strike landing ships.
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Vietnam-era pilot hero enjoys Luke visit
Retired Col. Leo Thorsness, a Medal of Honor winner, was invited to spend a day with the 310th Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base.
He flew the back seat in an F-16 on a two-plane mission, dropped a laser-guided bomb, shot rockets and fired the plane's gun.
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Damaged Cormorant helicopter arrives in Halifax for investigation
The Canadian CH-149 Cormorant that crashed this week has been shipped back to Halifax on Friday.
The helicopter was recovered mostly intact except for its rotor blades.
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Hornets’ arrival verified
The U.S. Navy have been confirmed in writing that it will based 2 F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons at Cherry Point in 2009.
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MND mulls US$4b budget for 66 fighters
A Taiwan newspaper said that Taiwan will manufacture, assemble and maintain the F100-PW engines for its F-16 if a deal for 66 F-16 C/D Blk 52s is approved.
Pratt & Whitney officials have inspected the Taiwanese facilities and are confident that they can handle the job.
Citing sources in the Ministry of National Defense, the daily said the proposal will be submitted to lawmakers later this year.
Sources
新購66架戰機 要花40億美元
MND mulls US$4b budget for 66 fighters
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Israel: Iran Aided Hezbollah Ship Attack
The Chinese might not want to brag about it but it was their C-802 anti-ship missile that struck an Israeli warship on Friday.
Israeli intelligence said Iran's Revolutionary Guard helped import, equip and fire the missile at INS Spear, a Saar 5 missile corvette.
The ship did not turn on its defensive systems as it was not anticipating such an attack.
Related Article
Israel Says Warship Hit by Hezbollah Drone
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Saturday, July 15, 2006
Pictures: Rockwell B-1 lifted from Diego Garcia runway after wheels-up landing forced base closure
Flight International has exclusive pictures of the operation to lift a B-1B, which made a wheels-up landing in Diego Garcia, in a 10-hour operation.
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Blue Angels announce newest members
The Blue Angels have announced six new officers on Friday for the team's 2007 season.
Marine Capt. Clint C. Harris and Marine Maj. Nathan M. Miller will be the F/A-18 pilots while Marine Capt. Drew R. Hess will fly the team's C-130.
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Seven injured as Russian military helicopter crashes near St. Petersburg
A Russian Mi-8 helicopter went down near the town of Pushkin just outside St. Petersburg Friday.
