March 2017 Air Force Military Aviation Defence Industry News
 

Seoul eyes "Korean-style" drone swarming capability

Seoul eyes "Korean-style" drone swarming capability
 
Seoul eyes Korean style swarming drones technology 640 001
The South Korean Army plans to study ways to introduce "swarming warfare" in its tactical operations, which uses scores of drones equipped with high explosive bombs, a military official here said Sunday. "We're planning to make a full-fledged research on applying military swarming, which is already in operational use in the United States, China and Russia, to our ground and naval operations," the official said.
 

India successfully test-fires Brahmos Extended Range missile

India successfully test-fires Brahmos Extended Range missile
 
India successfully test fires Brahmos Extended Range missile 640 001
As part of capability enhancement endeavour, a major milestone was achieved on 11th March 2017 when an enhanced version of India's BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile with an Extended Range (ER) was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur at sea in Balasore, off the coast of Odisha.
 

China's homegrown J-20 fighter jet enters service with PLAAF

China's homegrown J-20 fighter jet enters service with PLAAF
 
Airshow China Homegrown J 20 stealth fighter likely to make first public appearance 640 001
According to a brief announcement on Friday, March 10, made on CCTV, China’s most advanced fighter jet, the J-20, officially enters service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Developed since the late 1990s, the J-20 is a stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft China hopes will narrow the military gap with the United States.
 

Lockheed Martin lands $53 mn contract for US Multi-Object Kill Vehicle Technology effort

Lockheed Martin lands $53 mn contract for US Multi-Object Kill Vehicle Technology effort
 
Lockheed Martin lands 53 mn contract for US Multi Object Kill Vehicle Technology effort 640 001
Lockheed Martin was awarded a $53,052,807 from the US Missile Defense Agency for a 36-month period with no options for the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle Technology Risk Reduction (TRR) effort, the US DoD announced on its website on March, 9, 2017.
 

Russian Defense Ministry details fighter jets orders for 2017

Russian Defense Ministry details fighter jets orders for 2017
 
Russian Defense Ministry details fighter jets orders for 2017 640 001
The Russian Aerospace Force (RusAF) and the air branch of the Russian Navy will take delivery of 17 advanced Sukhoi Su-30SM (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C) multirole fighters and Yakovlev Yak-130 (Mitten) combat training aircraft in 2017, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said. The RusAFs shall also receive 10 Su-35S fighter jets.
 

Belgium lower house approved RFP for F-16 fighters fleet replacement

Belgium lower house approved RFP for F-16 fighters fleet replacement
 
Belgium lower house approved RFP for F 16 fighters fleet replacement 640 001
Belgium will start retiring its fleet of fighter jets from 2023. By 2028, all 54 remaining F-16 AM/BM jets currently in service will have left the Belgian inventory. For months, the Belgian Air Force, the Belgian Air Force has been pushing for the “Request For Government Proposal” (RFP) promised by the Belgian government. According to Belgian public broadcasting organization RTBF, the long-awaited RFP has been finally approved today by the country’s Chamber of Representatives.
 

Safran wins 17-year contract for UKMFTS H145 and H135 helicopters engines support

Safran wins 17-year contract for UKMFTS H145 and H135 helicopters engines support
 
Safran wins 17contract for UKMFTS H145 and H135 helicopters engines support 640 001
Safran has signed of a Support-By-Hour (SBH) covering engines operated by the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) program. The 17-year agreement between Safran Helicopter Engines UK and Airbus Helicopters is worth more than 100 million euros and relates to Arrius 2B2Plus and Arriel 2E engines powering new fleets of H135 and H145.
 

CASIC reportedly launched development of long-range stealth drones

CASIC reportedly launched development of long-range stealth drones
 
CASIC reportedl aunched development of long range stealth drones 640 001
Accroding to China Daily, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the nation's largest missile-maker, has begun to develop military drones that can evade radar and anti-aircraft weapons. The company is focusing on the development of a long-endurance stealth drone and a near-space drone, said Wei Yiyin, CASIC deputy general manager and a member of the CPPCC National Committee.
 

Thales introduces ultralight autopilot system for helicopter at Heli-Expo 2017

Thales introduces ultralight autopilot system for helicopter at Heli-Expo 2017
 
Thales introduces ultralight autopilot system for helicopter at Heli Expo 2017 640 001
On the opening day of HAI Heli-Expo 2017 exhibition, Thales has unveiled the smallest and lightest helicopter autopilot in the market. The Thales Compact Autopilot opens up the use of autopilot systems to all sizes of rotorcraft, the defense & security giant said in a press release. System architecture drastically simplified to equip new built helicopters and upgrade existing fleets especially for SAR, EMS and HLS operators.
 

Lockheed Martin Unit lands $1bn USAF contract for KC-10 tanker aircraft support

Lockheed Martin Unit lands $1bn USAF contract for KC-10 tanker aircraft support
 
Lockheed Martin Unit lands 1bn USAF contract for KC 10 tanker aircraft support 640 001
Lockheed Martin Commercial Engine Solutions, formerly known as Kelly Aviation Center, L.P., has been awarded a $1,001,978,024 IDIQ contract from US Air Force for KC-10 tanker aircraft engine contractor logistic support.
 

Israel Air Force details future improvements for its F-16I Sufa fighter jets

Israel Air Force details future improvements for its F-16I Sufa fighter jets
 
Israel Air Force details future improvements for its F 16I Sufa fighter jets 640 002
The “Sufa” (F-16I) jets are the back bone of the Israel Air Force’s fighter division. 13 years after they arrived in Israel and with years of operational activity ahead of them, the aircraft’s operators, on the ground and in the air, met to discuss the future, the IAF said on March 7 on its website.
 

Russian Air Force takes delivery of fourth upgraded A-50U AEW&C aircraft

Russian Air Force takes delivery of fourth upgraded A-50U AEW&C aircraft
 
Russian Air Force takes delivery f fourth upgraded A 50U AEW C aircraft 640 001
Beriev Aircraft Company, part of UAC, recently delivered a fourth upgraded A-50U AEW&C aircraft (N°41 "Taganrog") to the Russian Air Force. The A-50U is an improved variant of the Beriev A-50 "Mainstay" aircraft featuring new radar, increased maximum takeoff weight, and increase of the range and mission time performance.
 

USAF retires first HC-130N/P "King" configured for CSAR missions

USAF retires first HC-130N/P "King" configured for CSAR missions
 
USAF retires first HC 130N P King configured for CSAR missions 640 001
After more than 50 years of faithful service and rescue missions spanning the globe, King 52, the first HC-130P/N configured for US Air Force rescue in 1964, retired March 6, 2017, the service announced today on its website.
 

Iran unveils new homegrown Saba 248 utility helicopter

Iran unveils new homegrown Saba 248 utility helicopter
 
Iran unveils homegrown Saba 248 utility helicopter 640 001
Iran unveiled a new homegrown helicopter dubbed “Saba-248” which has been fully designed and manufactured by domestic experts at the Iranian Defense Ministry, Tasnim News announced on March 7, 2017. The helicopter was unveiled during a ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari.
 

Lockheed Martin introduces new Paragon laser-guided bomb

Lockheed Martin introduces new Paragon laser-guided bomb
 
Lockheed Martin introduces new Paragon laser guided bomb 640 001
Lockheed Martin has announced that its Dual Mode Plus laser-guided bomb (LGB) will be branded Paragon. The Paragon direct attack munition is an affordable, effective alternative to current dual-mode weapons, the company said on March 2, 2017.
 

Hybrid Air Vehicles' Airlander 10 airship almost ready for third test flight

Hybrid Air Vehicles' Airlander 10 airship almost ready for third test flight
 
Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10 airship almost ready for third test flight 640 001
The Airlander team announced yesterday March 6, 2017, that the structural damage sustained to the Flight Deck during its second Test Flight last August has now been repaired. Following this successful repair of the Flight Deck structure, Airlander is now structurally complete ahead of Hangar Exit and resuming the Flight Test Programme.
 

PACAF's first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter landed at Yokota AFB

PACAF's first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter landed at Yokota AFB
 
PACAF first C 130J Super Hercules airlifter landed at Yokota AFB 640 001
Members of Team Yokota came out to welcome the first of 14 C-130J Super Hercules being assigned to the US Air Force 374th Airlift Wing during an arrival ceremony held at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 6, 2017. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, PACAF vice commander, along with U.S. Air Force Col. Kenneth Moss, 374th Airlift Wing commander, accompanied the aircraft on the final leg of its journey from Kadena Air Base, Japan to Yokota Air Base, its new home in the Pacific.
 

Fokker signs 5-year support contract with Royal Netherlands Air Force

Fokker signs 5-year support contract with Royal Netherlands Air Force
 
GKN Aerospace signs 5 year support contract with Royal Netherlands Air Force 640 001 On 3 March GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) have signed a multi-million Euro total support agreement for a five-year period, covering standard parts supply and services for all of the RNLAF’s aircraft, helicopters and multiple support systems. After the five year period the contract can be extended twice with a period of one year.
 

Airbus Helicopters H160 to replace French Air Force Gazelle and Fennec helicopters

Airbus Helicopters H160 to replace French Air Force Gazelle and Fennec helicopters
 
Airbus Helicopters H160 to replace French Air Force Gazelle and Fennec helicopters 640 001
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian announced today that 160 to 190 helicopters will be ordered from Airbus Helicopters. "I came here to tell you that I decided [...] to make the H160 the basis of the future joint light helicopter," the minister said during his visit to the factory in Southern France.
 

Rheinmetall to supply new 25mm FAP ammunition for the USAF F-35A fighter jets

Rheinmetall to supply new 25mm FAP round for the USAF F-35A fighter jets
 
Rheinmetall to supply new 25mm FAP round for the USAF F 35A fighter jets 640 001
Rheinmetall has just booked an order from the US Air Force to supply ammunition for the F-35 stealth multirole fighter. The contract, worth over US$6.5 million (6.2 € million), encompasses the supply of several ten thousand rounds in four lots. Delivery starts in December 2017.
 

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