December 2016 Air Force Military Aviation Defence Industry News
 

Leonardo's SW-4 Solo unmanned helicopter starts test campaign in Italy

Leonardo's SW-4 Solo unmanned helicopter starts test campaign in Italy
 
Leonardo s SW 4 Solo unmanned helicopter starts test campaign in Ital 640 001
With the first flight of the innovative remotely piloted helicopter SW-4 ‘Solo’ on Dec. 15 at the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport, Leonardo-Finmeccanica begins the test campaign in order to verify the aircraft’s operational characteristics and validate flight procedures, in both normal and emergency conditions.
 

Bell Helicopter and PGZ to jointly promote AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter in Poland

Bell Helicopter and PGZ to jointly promote AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter in Poland
 
Bell Helicopter and PGZ to jointly promote AH 1Z Viper attack helicopter in Poland 640 001
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), a Polish leader in defense technologies, recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) at the Bell Helicopter world headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. The two companies will cooperate in identifying specific industrial resources required in the support of the “Kruk” Program, an effort on the part of the government of Poland to acquire attack helicopters for the Polish Armed Forces.
 

Raytheon to develop new mission computer upgrade for USAF's F-16 fighter jets

Raytheon to develop new mission computer upgrade for USAF's F-16 fighter jets
 
Raytheon to develop new mission computer upgrade for USAF s F 16 fighter jets 640 001
The U.S. Air Force selected Raytheon Company to develop and produce its new F-16 Modular Mission Computer Upgrade. The new mission computer offers more than two times the current processing power and 40 times the current memory, equipping USAF pilots with near-fifth-generation aircraft computing power.
 

Lockheed Martin secures a $60 mn USAF contract for Minuteman III ICBM support

Lockheed Martin secures a $60 mn USAF contract for Minuteman III ICBM support
 
Lockheed Martin secures a60 mn USAF conctrat for Minuteman III ICBM support 640 001
Lockheed Martin won a new contract and extended a second contract to sustain and modernize the U.S. Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) reentry systems, it announced yesterday Dec. on its website The company won a competition in June to produce seven units of reentry field support equipment and four sets of additional support equipment for the Air Force's Minuteman III ICBM system.
 

Héroux-Devtek to produce landing gear systems for Gripen E fighter jet

Héroux-Devtek to produce landing gear systems for Gripen E fighter jet
 
Héroux Devtek to produce landing gear systems for Gripen E fighter jet 640 001
Héroux-Devtek Inc., a leading international manufacturer of aerospace products, today announced that it has signed a contract with Swedish defence and security company Saab AB (“Saab”) for the production of complete landing gear systems for the Gripen E fighter aircraft.
 

Russia's Il-76MD-90A airlifter starts second stage of factory tests

Russia's Il-76MD-90A airlifter starts second stage of factory tests
 
Russia Il 76MD 90A airlifter starts second stage of factory tests 640 001
The first new Il-76MD-90A airlifter began the second stage of factory tests, the Il Company said. "The first test model of the heavy military-transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A completed the test flight from Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield. The aircraft has an upgraded piloting and navigational complex, an onboard defense unit and new-generation communications complex," it said.
 

Argentina's government approves Air Force modernization program

Argentina's government approves Air Force modernization program
 
Argentina government approves Air Force modernization program 640 001
The president of Argentine Mauricio Macri approved yesterday a $2.5 bn modernization program for the country's armed forces. Besides new patrol vessels for the Navy and armored vehicles and combat rifles for the Army, the government plans to purchase new training aircraft, new fighter jets and new tactical transport aircraft, the President announced on Dec. 13.
 

Italian Customs & Border Protection Service orders six more AW139 helicopters

Italian Customs & Border Protection Service orders six more AW139 helicopters
 
Italian Customs Border Protection Service orders six more AW139 helicopters 640 001 Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced yesterday it has signed a contract to supply six additional AW139 intermediate twin helicopters to the Italian Customs and Border Protection Service (Guardia di Finanza), including integrated logistic support and training for pilots and technicians. The contract, valued at around €90 million, will increase the customer’s fleet of AW139s to eight units. 
 

Bulgaria issues RFP for the purchase of eight fighter jets

Bulgaria issues RFP for the purchase of eight fighter jets
 
Bulgaria issues RFP for the purchase of eight fighter jets 640 001
Bulgaria issued yesterday Dec. 12 a RFP for the purchase of eight new or second-hand fighter jets. The country already asked Italy, Portugal, the United States to make offers to deliver them. The Bulgarian parliament already approved this $808 mn program, which aims to replace the country's ageing MiG-29 fighters and would improve compliance with NATO standards.
 

Iraq about to take delivery of first new-built Aero L-159 fighter jet

Iraq about to take delivery of first new-built Aero L-159 fighter jet
 
Iraq about to take delivery of first new built Aero L 159 fighter jet 640 001
Thirteen years after delivery of the last aircraft to the Czech Air Force, Aero Vodochody manufactures new L-159 ALCA aircraft. The two-seater will be delivered to Iraq at the turn of the year, the Czech aircraft manufacturer announced yesterday Dec. 13, 2016.
 

BAE Systems launches flight-test phase of advanced UAV technology

BAE Systems launches flight-test phase of advanced UAV technology
 
BAE Systems launches flight test phase of advanced UAV technology 640 001 As part of collaborative efforts across the UK to assess how autonomous air vehicles could be integrated in UK airspace, scientists and engineers at BAE Systems have begun another tranche of ground-breaking unmanned aircraft technology trials using a Jetstream 31 as a ‘flying testbed’ which flies itself whilst having pilots on board who could take control at any time. The trials are being conducted from the Company’s military aircraft engineering and manufacturing facility in Warton, Lancashire, UK.
 

South Korea plans to develop Taurus-based air-to-ground missile

South Korea plans to develop Taurus-based air-to-ground missile
 
South Korea plans to develop based air to ground missile 640 001
South Korea will push to develop its own indigenous long-range air-to-ground missile to cope with the growing military threat from North Korea, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. According to the local media Yonhap, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) plans to start its research on relevant missile technologies from 2018 with a plan to produce some 200 air-to-surface Taurus-class missiles until 2031.
 

Boeing delivers first upgraded E-3A AWACS aircraft to NATO

Boeing delivers first upgraded E-3A AWACS aircraft to NATO
 
Boeing delivers first upgraded E 3A AWACS aircraft to NATO 640 002
Boeing today delivered to NATO the first of fourteen E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with cockpit upgrades that improve mission-readiness, decrease customer costs and reaffirm Boeing’s overall commitment to the fleet, the US-based defense giant announced on Dec. 13, 2016.
 

Indian Air Force test fires Astra BVRAAM in full operational configuration

Indian Air Force test fires Astra BVRAAM in full operational configuration
 
Indian Air Force successfully test fires AstraBVRAAM in full operational configuration 640 001
According to the New Indian Expres, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday test fired beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile Astra against an actual target in full operational configuration for the first time over Bay of Bengal paving way for its early induction in the armed forces.
 

Israeli Air Force's first pair of F-35I Adir fighter jets landed at Nevatim AFB

Israeli Air Force's first pair of F-35I Adir fighter jets landed at Nevatim AFB
 
Israel Air Force s first pair of F 35I Adir fighter jets landed at Nevratim  AB 640 001
The Israeli F-35I “Adir” stealth fighters have landed: the first pair of “Adir” jets have landed in Nevatim AFB and brought the IAF into the fifth generation era. Tomorrow, they will take off for their first flight and receive OTC in December, the Israel Air Force announced yesterday December 12.
 

First batch of 40 Taurus KEPD 350K cruise missiles arrived in South Korea

First batch of 40 Taurus KEPD 350K cruise missiles arrived in South Korea
 
First batch of 40 Taurus KEPD 350K cruise missiles arrived  in South Korea 640 001
South Korea took delivery of a first batch of about 40 Taurus KEPD 350K long-range air-to-surface cruise missiles, a military source said Monday December 12. According to the local newspaper Chosunilbo, the missiles were delivered to a port in Busan and taken to an air base in Daegu the following day.
 

Northrop wins a $9.7 mn contract to fit LAIRCM system on RCAF CH-147F helicopters

Northrop wins a $9.7 mn contract to fit LAIRCM system on RCAF CH-147F helicopters
 
Northrop wins a 9 7 mn contract to fit LAIRCM system on RCAF CH 147F helicopters 640 001
The US-based defense contractor Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $9,7 mn contract for integration and installation of Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures on Canadian CH-147 heavy-lift helicopters, the US Department of Defense announced on its website on Dec.12.
 

Safran wins 10-years contract to support European fleet of NH90 helicopters

Safran wins 10-years contract to support European fleet of NH90 helicopters
 
Safran wins 10 years contract to support European fleet of NH90 helicopters 640 001
Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a 10-year contract with NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency), to support RTM322-powered NH90 operated by the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) and French Navy, the French engines manufacturer announced on Monday Dec. 12, 2016.
 

German Air Force receives first Tactical Standard A400M airlifter

German Air Force receives first Tactical Standard A400M airlifter
 
German Air Force receives first Tactical Standard A400M airlifter 640 001
Airbus Defence and Space has delivered to the German Air Force its first A400M transport aircraft qualified for tactical operations and able to fly in areas subject to military threats. The aircraft is the sixth A400M in German service and the first with the new capabilities in addition to the world-leading performance of all A400Ms as strategic transports. All aircraft will be retrofitted to the new standard and receive subsequent enhancements as those are certified.
 

H3 Dynamics launches HYWINGS fuell cell powered UAV

H3 Dynamics launches HYWINGS fuell cell powered UAV
 
H3 Dynamics launches HYWINGS fuell cell powered UAV 640 001
H3 Dynamics unveils HYWINGS, a hand-launchable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of 10 hour flight durations and distances of up to 500km. At a total take off-weight of just 7kg, HYWINGS can cover larger areas of land faster, while removing the need for catapult launchers or runways typically required by larger, heavier and more expensive systems. This translates to less time spent in the field, greatly reducing costs for operators.
 

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