Aircraft Carriers

The British Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin announced a £269M (US$327 million) deal for the procurement of 10 aerial surveillance systems to operate on the Royal Navy new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. Initial deliveries are expected in 2018 with initial operational capability in 2020.

LAAD 2014 Defense-Update: Following the Memorandum of Understanding announced on 11 July 2014, Saab and Embraer have signed today an agreement for the joint management of the F-X2 Project for the Brazilian Air Force. The sale of 36 Gripen NG aircraft to Brazil under a contract worth US$ 4.55 Billion provides for a complete, ‘turnkey weapon system’, with comprehensive logistic support that includes training, spare parts, support, planning and maintenance.

Brazil has purchased Royal Navy ship HMS Ocean, the helicopter carrier recently retired from the Royal Navy service. The UK Ministry of Defense is selling the Ocean for £84 million. The vessel will remain in the UK until the autumn of 2018.

On Friday, December 15, Lockheed Martin delivered the 66th F-35 aircraft for the year, meeting the joint government and industry delivery target for 2017. The delivery rate in 2017 represents more than a 40 percent increase from 2016, and the F-35 enterprise is prepared to increase production volume year-over-year to hit full rate of approximately 160 aircraft in 2023. As production ramps and additional improvements are implemented, Lockheed Martin's goal is to reduce the cost of an F-35A to $80 million by 2020.

The first prototype of the Navalaized Tejas Indigenous Combat Aircraft (LCA) developed for the Indian Navy has took off saturday (December 20, 2014) from the Ski-Jump facility of Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa.

A new milestone in the history of unmanned aircraft was made yesterday, as 'Salty Dog 502' X-47B, the first drone designed to operate from US Navy carriers linked to adrogue of an Omega tanker off the coast of Maryland.

HMS Queen Elizabeth II arrived today at its home port at Portsmouth, following its first sea trial last month; With its sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, the new carriers will become the centerpiece of the Royal Navy.

As the F-35 reaches higher production rates toward the end of the Low Rate Initial Production Phase, the US is pressing international partners and foreign customers to commit to F-35 orders. To be able to benefit from cost reduction, customers must commit to a multi-year block purchase of 450 aircraft.

Boeing and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the first test flight of the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueler. The MQ-25 will provide the Navy with a much-needed carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling capability. It will allow for better use of the combat strike fighters currently performing the tanking role and will extend the range of the carrier air wing.

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of first aircraft carrier of the new Ford class - the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). Ford will be commissioned into the fleet this summer, formally placing the ship into active service. Ford is expected to be operational in 2020 following achievement of initial operational capability.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) has formed an industry team to pursue the US Navy MQ-25 Stingray, the future carrier-based aerial refueling drone program. The most surprising member is the Autonomous Systems division of the Boeing Company. Boeing is also pursuing the MQ-25 opportunity with its own MQ-25 platform, developed by its rapid prototyping center - the 'Phantom Works'.

The British MOD is set to select soon the future Airborne Early Warning (AEW) system to be deployed on the future Royal Navy (RN) Queen Elizabeth II aircraft carriers. Thales UK and Lockheed Martin submitted final offers for the Crowsnest AEW solutions last month, competing for the £500 million ($761 million) contract.

Two F-35C Lightning II carrier variants conducted their first arrested landings aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) off the coast of the eastern United States yesterday. The operations are part of the second Developmental Testing (DT II) test phase, the second of three at-sea test phases planned for the F-35C.

2017 represents a turnaround year for the British Royal Navy. After years of budget cuts that resulted in diminishing the size and risk of obsolescence of maritime power, new investments, announced in the past two years are setting the pace for rebound. Construction of a new class of submarines, modern frigates, and ocean-going offshore patrol vessels are part of...