All Defence articles
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NewsGeneral Atomics to demo MQ-1C Gray Eagle as tactical ballistic missile spotter
The purpose of the flights is to show the US Army that the aircraft, when fitted with long-range radar and air-launched effects, can serve as a target spotter for the service’s next generation of tactical ballistic missiles, the Long Range Precision Fires system.
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News
F-35 sensors help ground interceptors engage “air-breathing” targets
The Lockheed Martin F-35 has demonstrated has demonstrated a capability to downlink targeting data about multiple “air-breathing threats” to ground forces. The work took place at White Sands Missile Range in December 2019, according to Lockheed Martin. A pair of US Air Force F-35s were integrated with the US ...
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News
Saab commences production for T-7A Red Hawk programme
Saab has commenced assembly production for the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer. The Swedish company says it is producing seven aft fuselage sections in Linköping, Sweden which will then undergo final assembly at Boeing’s factory in St. Louis, Missouri. Source: Boeing The Boeing ...
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News
US Navy’s Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey completes first flight
The US Navy envisions using the CMV-22 to ferry Pratt & Whitney F135 turbines to and from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is powered by the F135 and the service needs the ability to replace the stealth fighter’s power plant while at sea.
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News
New Delhi’s Su-30MKIs get hard-hitting anti-ship capability
The Indian Air Force has added a powerful anti-shipping capability with the induction of the first Su-30MKI squadron to be equipped with the Mach 2.8 BrahMos cruise missile. To mark the addition of the capability, New Delhi has resurrected the 222 Sqn ‘Tigersharks’ squadron designation. Source: ...
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News
BAE launches $2.2bn bid for Collins, Raytheon units
BAE Systems intends to acquire two parts of the Collins Aerospace portfolio mandated for sale as part of regulatory requirements enabling the US giant’s formation last year.
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News
Falco Xplorer soars with first flight success
Leonardo completed a successful first flight of its Falco Xplorer unmanned air vehicle on 15 January.
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News
Dynetics X-61A Gremlins makes first flight, but destroyed after parachute fails
The aim of DARPA’s Gremlins is to create low-cost UAVs that could be air-launched and recovered in swarms. The aircraft could be used for a variety of applications including as a surveillance platform or as a loitering munition.
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News
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant continues flight testing, passing 100kt
The release of a video by the joint Sikorsky-Boeing team on 17 January helped to quell questions swirling around the status of the helicopter, a development and test effort which was in doubt after gearbox troubles put it behind schedule.
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News
X-60A hypersonic test vehicle completes rocket hot firings
The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) X-60A rocket recently completed engine test firings while on the ground at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, Florida.
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News
US Navy flies F/A-18F Super Hornet with Infrared Search & Track Block II pod
The US Navy (USN) for the first time in late 2019 flew an F/A-18F Super Hornet carrying an Infrared Search & Track (IRST) Block II pod under the centerline of its undercarriage.
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News
Dassault, Thales to provide France with SIGINT Falcon 8X
Paris has tapped Dassault and Thales to provide three signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft based on the Falcon 8X business jet under its ARCHANGE requirement. The project will see the Thales CUGE system installed on two aircraft initially, with a third to follow, say the two companies. ...
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News
India’s LCA makes arrested landing, as twin-engined fighter planned
The Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Light Combat Aircraft technology demonstrator has successfully performed an arrested landing on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya , followed by a maiden ski jump take-off. The fighter is undergoing additional carrier trials, following which it will return to the Shore Base Test Facility (SBTF) ...
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News
Sikorsky CH-53K and Boeing CH-47F bids submitted for Germany’s heavy-lift competition
Sikorsky and Boeing submitted final bids for Germany’s New Heavy Lift Helicopter programme, known as Schwerer Transporthubschrauber, on 13 January.
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News
US Navy picks Leonardo TH-119 for next helicopter trainer fleet
The deal represents a hard-fought win for Leonardo, who defeated Bell’s light, singe-engined 407GXi and Airbus Helicopters’ light, twin-engined H135.
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News
Lockheed Martin to deliver up to 50 C-130J Super Hercules to US military
Lockheed Martin has won a $3 billion multiyear contract to deliver up to 50 C-130J Super Hercules to the US Air Force (USAF), US Marine Corps (USMC) and US Coast Guard.
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In depth
Experts detail factors that may have led Iranian missile crews to down Ukrainian 737
Though the cause of the Ukraine International Airlines crash remains unconfirmed, defence experts suspect high stress and poor civilian-military coordination led ill-trained missile units to mistakenly shoot down the Boeing 737-800.
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News
US Air Force requests information on new anti-radiation missile for F-35A
The US Air Force (USAF) is requesting information for modifications to the US Navy’s (USN) Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) programme that would make that weapon suitable for its Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter.
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Opinion
Can Lockheed repeat F-35 production success in 2020?
One year ago, many observers doubted that Lockheed Martin would succeed in keeping its aggressive production ramp-up for the F-35 on track, given the programme’s troubled past.
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News
USA approves Singapore to buy up to 12 F-35B stealth fighters
The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of up to 12 Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters to Singapore for an estimated $2.75 billion.
