All Fixed-Wing news – Page 8
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Analysis
Why Lockheed Martin’s F-16 remains a prize fighter 50 years after flight debut
Still in production half a century after its unplanned first flight in prototype guise, the F-16 continues to punch above its weight for 25 nations, with service entry also drawing near for Ukraine’s air force.
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Analysis
Why air forces are joining formation for SAF transition
Air forces are engaging with a new strategic threat – climate change – via actions including efficiency gains and the use of sustainable aviation fuel.
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News
Boeing delivers two F-15EXs with two more expected by year-end
The delivery marks the third and fourth examples of the latest F-15 variant turned over to the US Air Force, which hopes to supplement its growing fleet of fifth-generation fighters.
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News
‘Franken-bird’ project attempts to splice together damaged F-35s
Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force say the salvage mission represents the first-ever attempt to remove viable airframe sections from damaged aircraft and re-connect them into an airworthy jet.
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News
Spain signs for 16 C295s adapted for maritime surveillance duties
Madrid has awarded Airbus Defence & Space a contract worth almost €1.7 billion ($1.8 billion) to produce 16 C295s adapted for maritime duties.
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News
US Congress halts KC-135 replacement until USAF produces stealth tanker acquisition plan
The 2024 defence spending plan approved by lawmakers in Washington bars the US Air Force from issuing a formal strategy to phase out the ageing Boeing KC-135 tanker fleet, until the service produces an acquisition strategy for the Next Generation Air-refuelling System survivable tanker.
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News
USS Carl Vinson deployment sees Block III Super Hornets teamed with F-35Cs
The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is deployed with the Block III version of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, boosting the effectiveness of its air wing.
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News
US defence spending bill could expose new details of sixth-generation fighter development
Language included in the 2024 US defence spending plan will require the Pentagon to provide greater insight into how it plans to develop and field the next generation of combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and autonomous support jets.
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News
Government auditor tells SOCOM to slow Armed Overwatch acquisition
The US Government Accountability Office says the Pentagon’s Special Operations Command is moving ahead too rapidly with the acquisition of Armed Overwatch turboprops from L3Harris-Air Tractor, failing to adequately justify the planned fleet size of 75 aircraft.
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News
US Congress approves nearly 12% reduction to A-10 fleet
For the second consecutive year, lawmakers who control US defence spending have approved the retirement of some Fairchild Republic A-10 attack jets, a move long-sought by US Air Force leaders.
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In depth
GE Aerospace achieves breakthrough in hypersonic engine development
Using a subscale demonstrator, jet turbine manufacturer GE Aerospace successfully ignited a dual-mode ramjet engine using rotating detonation combustion – a technique the company says holds promise for powering crewed hypersonic vehicles.
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News
GCAP fighter partners agree terms for trilateral organisation
The defence ministers of Italy, Japan and the UK have signed a treaty covering the joint organisation that will manage their Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
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News
UK reforms 809 NAS as second frontline F-35B squadron
The UK has stood up its second frontline squadron to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II: the Royal Navy’s 809 NAS.
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News
Sweden signs 10-year deal with Italy for military flight training
Sweden has become the latest country to sign up for the military flight training services offered by the Italian air force, contracting for the tuition of 100 students and four instructors over the next decade.
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News
Australia waves its last AP-3C Orions into retirement
The Royal Australian Air Force has ended operations with the Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orion, with its final two examples having left use in early December.
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News
Top Aces adds A-4 Skyhawk to Canadian adversary training fleet
The private provider of adversary air support has been providing aggressor training to the Royal Canadian Air Force using a fleet of modified Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets and Bombardier Learjet 35s.
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News
Lockheed Martin sues F-35 supplier over refusal to deliver titanium components
The F-35 prime contractor alleges ones of its sub-contractors, Pittsburgh-based Howmet Aerospace, breached its contract with Lockheed when the metallic components supplier refused to deliver titanium parts for the advanced stealth jet at previously agreed upon prices.
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News
A400M shows off enhanced firefighting credentials during test campaign
Airbus Defence & Space has demonstrated the operational utility of a firefighting kit adaptation to its A400M, recently completing a flight-test activity in Spain.
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News
Fuelled TalonA carried aloft as first Stratolaunch hypersonic flight approaches
Following a successful taxi test of its two-aircraft hypersonic flight system, California start-up Stratolaunch has carried a fully-fuelled TalonA hypersonic vehicle aloft under the company’s jet-powered Roc mother ship, a prerequisite for TalonA’s first self-powered flight.
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News
Boeing no longer competing to build USAF’s new ‘Doomsday jet’
The withdrawal of Boeing from the contest to build a new airborne command centre capable of managing a nuclear exchange leaves Sierra Nevada Corporation as the only bidder to replace the current Boeing E-4B Nightwatch.