February 2015
The Air Force, with congressional authorization, will convert 18 primary combat-coded A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from active units and place them into Backup-Aircraft Inventory (BAI) status with the possibility to convert another 18 at a later date in fiscal year 2015. The secretary of Defense has authorized the Air Force to place up to a total of 36 A-10 aircraft into BAI status. Although Congress has authorized 36 of the ...
Category: Military Aviation
India has announced that a deal to buy 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation is “effectively dead”. The reason is the announced high cost of the overall project, according to the country’s online newspaper Business Standard. The global tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) was the first time the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) had awarded a contract based on life cycle ...
Category: Military Aviation
The Russian Air Force is set to receive the first batch of Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA jet fighters this year amid its strained business relationship with co-developer India. Compared with the aircraft’s previous version, the variant has been fitted with a number of new features, according to the manufacturer. Despite this, Russia will need to cope with the increasing criticism voiced by India, which is partnering with Moscow on developing ...
Category: Russian Aviation
The Russian Armed Forces began to accept into service the first fifth-generation aircraft, the T-50 (PAK FA), announced Yury Slyusar, head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), on January 30 during an interview on the TV channel Russia-24. The PAK FA will be subjected to qualification testing directly in the service of the armed forces. Currently, all T-50 prototypes are being tested in special flight centers. Mass delivery of the ...
Category: Russian Aviation
Four-year-old Steve Rainey sat on the hood of his father’s car at a local airshow watching the small airplanes and helicopters at the airport. When the Thunderbirds in their F-100s sped by, Rainey fell off the car, looked up at the sky and thought, “I’ve got to do that.” Jan. 22, the now chief test pilot flew his 1,000th hour in an F-22 Raptor. Rainey is the second person at ...
Category: Military Aviation
