All Fixed-Wing news – Page 1342
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News
USN eyes common support aircraft to replace S-3/E-2
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC THE US Navy will determine over the next two years whether a new Common Support Aircraft (CSA) should be developed to replace about 260 aging in-service aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin S-3B Viking and ES-3A Shadow, and the Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye and ...
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Lockheed Martin confirms follow-on transport plan
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA LOCKHEED MARTIN is looking for partners to develop a multi-purpose large aircraft to replace Boeing KC-135 tankers, Lockheed C-141 transports and tanker/transports such as the Lockheed TriStar and McDonnell Douglas KC-10. The aircraft, dubbed the "World Airlifter", would also be offered as a ...
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Liberty digitises USAF X-rays
LIBERTY TECHNOLOGIES has sold a RADView radiographic-film digitiser and workstation to the US Air Force. It will be used by the Warner-Robins logistics centre, at Robins AFB in Georgia. The system will archive and manage radiographic images from the centre's inspections of Lockheed Martin C-5 and C-141 transports, and McDonnell ...
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737 crashed using 'primitive' navigation aid
THE US AIR FORCE Boeing T-43A (737-200) which crashed on 3 April on approach to Dubrovnik, killing US Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, was using a single, relatively primitive non-precision navigation aid in weather which was significantly worse than forecast, the USAF has revealed (Flight International, 10-16 April). When ...
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Precision acquisition
Precision Aerospace (PAC) has acquired the assets of Kent, Washington-based Pacific Propeller, which overhauls a wide range of propellers for commercial and military aircraft. Pacific Propeller is one of the largest independent propeller-service centres in the world. PAC, which already owns Twin Commander Aircraft, Precision Airmotive, Precision Engine Controls, Precision ...
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Egypt plans to buy additional F-16Cs
Egypt is to buy an extra 21 Lockheed Martin F-16Cs to complete the re-equipment of two airbases. A letter of request has been received by the US Government. Authorisation for the deal is expected by the end of May, enabling deliveries to begin in 1999 and continue into 2000. ...
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Pentagon plans aerostat cruise-missile defence
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US military is moving ahead with plans to field helium-filled aerostats to help support cruise-missile defences. A new tri-service project office, called the Joint Aerostat Project Management Office for Cruise Missile Defence is being established under US Army auspices at the ...
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DarkStar rises over California
The Lockheed Martin/ Boeing DarkStar high-altitude endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) had its first flight at Edwards AFB, California, on 29 March. The 21m-span UAV had a fully automated flight lasting 20min from take off to landing using differential global-positioning-system (GPS) navigation signals for guidance throughout. "The ...
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Kuwait opts to buy armed Black Hawk
KUWAIT HAS agreed to buy an armed version of the Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk to meet its attack-helicopter requirement, rather than the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) AH-64A Apache. The Black Hawk will be supplied without the sophisticated combined forward-looking infra-red (FLIR)/laser designator used on armed Black Hawks operated by ...
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USAF 737 was 'off course' before crash
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA A US AIR FORCE Boeing T-43A is believed to have been off course when it crashed into a hill in stormy weather with poor visibility on the approach to Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia on 3 April. All 33 passengers and crew, including US ...
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White House blocks Turkish Cobra deal
THE CLINTON Administration is sitting on a year-old request from Turkey, for ten additional Bell Helicopter, Textron AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters. The White House has held up the foreign-military sales transaction for fear that the gun-ship sale to Turkey would damage US relations with Greece. The ...
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Pacific Rim
SEVERAL F-16 operators including Singapore have begun to consider which aircraft will succeed the Lockheed Martin product in their fighter inventories. Australia has also begun to examine its future fighter options beyond the McDonnell Douglas F-18. The Royal Australian Air Force, has for instance, been kept informed of the availability ...
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Aermacchi refuelling tests of MB-339 nearly complete
Aermacchi is completing in-flight refueling tests of its MB-339 advanced jet trainer at the Italian air force base of Pratica di Mare. The aircraft has already been qualified with the Panavia Tornado strike aircraft fitted with a centre-line buddy pod and a Boeing 707 T/T tanker. Tests are continuing to ...
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Comparing notes seems a good idea
Sir - Do civil and military flying organisations ever discuss their accidents and incidents with each other? If they do, then they do not seem to learn from them. The report, "Disconnected ailerons are blamed for RAF Hawk crash" (Flight International, 13-19 March, P4), bears an uncanny resemblance ...
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Norway briefed on JAST/JSF
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA Norway has been briefed formally on the US Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), as a potential candidate for its next combat-aircraft purchase. The Royal Norwegian Air Force is looking to replace its Northrop F-5s and is already evaluating the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter EF2000, Lockheed Martin F-16, ...
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The usual suspects
With all the expected hopefuls lining up for a Gulf contest for 50 to 80 strike fighters, companies are scrambling in the wings in anticipation. Graham Warwick/AtlantaDouglas Barrie/London If it were any where else, the finalists would be collectively sitting on the edge of their ...
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Eurocopter is close to clinching Cougar sales
Julian Moxon/MARIGNANE Eurocopter president Jean-Francois Bigay claims that the Franco-German consortium is aiming to conclude orders for "around 100" AS.532 Cougar military-transport helicopters this year. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and a further unnamed country are among those which could, says Bigay, make ...
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BAe names Hawk team partners
British Aerospace has named Qantas, Hawker de Havilland, Hunter Aerospace and maintenance group AirFlite as its major partners in a 16-company line-up for the supply and support of up to 40 Hawk 100 lead-in fighter (LIF) trainers for Australia. The Hawks are shortlisted as replacements for the RAAF's ...
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Europe
Poland is likely to be the first former Warsaw Pact nation to buy Western combat aircraft, with US and European manufacturers offering their wares. MAPO-MiG has also been offering licence-production. A defence ministry commission reported in February that co-operation with Saab in producing the JAS39 Gripen would be the best ...
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Holding out
Israel Military Industries is looking for partners in adesperate effort to restore its fortunes. Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV ISRAEL MILITARY Industries' new president and chief executive Shlomo Milo is looking at new ways to slim the business after an often painful rationalisation programme failed to return the company ...