October 2011
When the most senior U.S. military officer admits that the largest defence procurement program in history has affordability issues, then you can bet that the situation is dire. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has even put forth the likelihood that at least one variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may be cancelled, and total numbers reduced. Even if the F-35 eventually meets reasonable cost ...
Category: F-35 Lightning II
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has landed after taking its first paying passengers aloft on Wednesday, showing off a carbon-composite design its maker says is lighter, more economical to fly and more comfortable than its metal rivals currently plying the airways. The special charter flight by the twin-engined jet from Tokyo to Hong Kong comes after years of delays as Boeing engineers had to deal with glitches and parts delays, leaving ...
Category: General Aviation
Canada’s new multibillion-dollar stealth fighters are expected to arrive without the built-in capacity to communicate from the country’s most northerly regions a gap the air force is trying to close. A series of briefings given to the country’s top air force commander last year expressed concern that the F-35’s radio and satellite communications gear may not be as capable as that of the current CF-18s, which recently went through an ...
Category: F-35 Lightning II
Two aircrew were killed on Thursday when a Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft crashed at the Ukrainka military airfield in Russia’s Far East, military prosecutors said. “A Su-24 aircraft crashed while landing at about 12.00 local time (02:00 GMT) in the Amur region. Both pilot and navigator were killed in the crash,” a statement said. The plane, which was flying in from the Central Russian city of Voronezh for planned ...
Category: Russian Aviation
Oct
19
300th Eurofighter delivered
The 300th Eurofighter Typhoon produced by the four partner companies of the European consortium, was delivered today by Cassidian to the Spanish Air Force, Ejercito del Aire. This milestone makes the Eurofighter Typhoon the only new generation multi-role aircraft to reach the impressive figure of 300 examples in service. The Eurofighter Typhoons ...
Category: Military Aviation
Warplanes bearing the bright red Rising Sun logo roared overhead Sunday as Japan held a once-every-three-years display to showcase one of the best air forces in Asia. The only problem most of its fighters were grounded. Underscoring Japan’s uphill battle in an increasingly heated race to control the skies over Asia, the air review came just a week after the country’s entire F-15 fleet was ordered into its hangers for ...
Category: Military Aviation
Oct
14
Indian Air Force – Top news
Indian Airforce will also be getting 126 fighter aircrafts from French Rafale or Britain’s Eurofighter Typhoon from December 2014 onwards. It will cost $10.4 billion. IAF will also induct 132 more Sukhoi-30MKI aircrafts from Russia (already it has inducted 140 such aircrafts) at a cost of $12 billion. It is the most potent fighter in combat fight. India is jointly developing with Russia fifth generation fighter aircrafts with their super ...
Category: Military Aviation
An innovative solution from the Air Force Research Laboratory is expected to save the Air Force upwards of $40 m. The $35 “snubber” developed by the Propulsion Directorate is a vibration damper that will prevent cracks in the J-seal on the F119 engine’s inlet case, a spoked, ring-like device that helps control the air going into the engine. Previously, if cracks were discovered, the engine would need to be pulled ...
Category: Military Aviation
Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned stealth plane achieved cruise mode flight for the first time recently, a major step toward using the bomber aboard aircraft carriers. During a flight at Edwards Air Force Base on September 30, the robo-plane retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time. The test helped prove its navigation hardware and software. The flight was part of the X-47B’s “envelope expansion” under ...
Category: Military Aviation
The Navy and Marine Corps Team made more remarkable naval aviation history today as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp’s (LHD-1) flight deck, the first at sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF- 2 at 3:12 pm. “It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But that’s because of ...
Category: F-35 Lightning II
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to acquire six more C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft in addition to the six already ordered. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, told India Strategic defence magazine that the aircraft had performed well in the recent earthquake relief operations in north-eastern India and that the IAF would utilize the multi-role capability of the aircraft as required. The C-130J ...
Category: Military Aviation
