Aircraft

Boeing has been awarded a sole-source $11.9 Billion  indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to support the fleet of B-52H bombers operated by the U.S. Air Force for the next eight years. The contract provides for the all acquisition and sustainment activities needed to support the aircraft and its systems, through their life extension and modernization. The award sets the framework for...

The Indian Navy is mulling acquisition of nine amphibious aircraft to keep an aerial tab on the Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands off the Bay of Bengal, a senior official said. The Navy has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for such aircraft, to be used for maritime surveillance on the islands. The Indian Navy has been acquiring sophisticated...

Alenia Aermacchi is back at the Singapore Airshow 2012 with the first two T-346 jet trainers built for the Italian Air Force. These jets are of special interest for Singapore, since the Singapore Air Force is about to receive its own 12 aircraft of this type, ordered in 2010 under an international contract to supply these aircraft through the...

The wide availability of Mi-24/35 "Hind" helicopters in the third world and Eastern European countries is attracting aviation industries specializing in modernizations to offer upgrading packages for this rotorcraft. More than 3,000 Hinds designed by the Russian design bureau Mil, were built and produced in Moscow, Rostov and Arsenyev factories since their 1970 inception. About 1,500 are believed to...

Laser Packed 747 Prepares for Firing Demonstration The Boeing Company , industry teammates and the U.S.Missile Defense Agency have begun Airborne Laser (ABL) flight tests with the entire weapon system integrated aboard the ABL aircraft. On April 21, 2009 the team completed the functional check flight April 21 from Edwards Air Force Base with the beam control/fire control system and the high-energy laser...

A U.S. Air Force investigation of a fatal crash of a C-17A Globemaster III aircraft on July 28, 2010 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska was caused by pilot error. The accident occurred when the  aircraft (tail number 00-0173) practiced for the Arctic Thunder Air Show scheduled at the base on that weekend. After the initial climb out and left turn, the pilot...

The planned production of 50 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters, soon to begin at its Brazilian subsidiary Helibras new assembly line Itajubá in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil will lead to Helibras doubling its staff strength to that of 600 persons with a reinforced engineering centre. So far Eurocopter has established a strong presence in Latin America, through three subsidiaries...

UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson unveiled today a concept model of a brand new next-generation combat aircraft being developed exclusively in the UK. The Tempest, as the futuristic fighter plane is called, could be ready for operations with the Royal Air Force in less than two decades, as the first Typhoons begin to be phased out of service.

The upcoming Zuhai airshow taking place in China next month will provide an opportunity to get first impressions of the new stealth jets and modernized fighter aircraft currently under development or recently delivered to the People's Republic of China Army, Air Force, Navy.

RD-93 engines made in Russia will power the Chinese J-31 fifth generation fighters, Sergei Kornev an official from the Russian Rosoboronexport said. He mentioned that there is a solution to the problem of China's reverse engineering of Russian weapons.   "J-31 with the Russian engine RD-93 is considered to be an export program, able to compete with the American F-35 fifth generation aircraft on the regional...

The U.S. Navy took delivery of the first Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) pod developed and produced by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC). The ALMDS system is designed to operate from the MH-60S helicopter, using a Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging blue-green laser to detect, localize and classify near surface, moored and floating sea mines. The U.S. Navy...

Aero India - 2007 India has a large fleet of transport aircraft, but most of these aircraft have become obsolete and need replacement. On January 2007 HAL of India signed an agreement with Russian Irkut and Rosoboronexport companies, to participate in the development and production of the Multirole Transport Aircraft, (MTA). The twin engine aircraft will have a load capacity of...

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is seeking to buy six new flying tankers to augment its existing aerial refueling capability. The two companies are competing on this tender, expected to cost around 9,000-crore (US$2 billion) include Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and EADS. Both offers include the planes they put forward for the first tender. U.S. aircraft maker Boeing considered...

The US Department of Defense released details about the proposed sale of six V-22B Block C Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft to Israel. Notifying the planned planned Foreign Military Sale to the US congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the estimated cost of the package, that includes six aircraft, associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support could cost up to $1.13 billion....