Aircraft Carriers

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...

Updated post, originally published on March 3, 2016: The Russian navy is deploying its single aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, to head the Russian flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea. It will be the first combat operation for a Russian or Soviet aircraft carrier.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 planned arrival of amphibious support ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) in the Pacific Ocean introduces a new capability for amphibious support ships carrying the F-35B fifth-generation stealth fighters without relying on large aircraft carriers. Apart from the American LHD, both Japan and South Korea are interested in the new potential mating STOVL fighters with flat-deck helicopter carriers. Both countries already acquired the conventional take-off variant (F-35A), and consider operating the Short Take-Off / Vertical Landing (STOVL) B version from ships.

Egypt, France and Russia have reached an agreement to sell Egypt the two Mistral Helicopter Carriers originally built in France for the Russian Navy. The ships could be delivered to Egypt in March 2016. Egypt is also buying Russian Ka-52K helicopters, to be delivered from 2017.

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.

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.