Fixed-wing – Page 7
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NewsUSAF crew ejects from B-1B in South Dakota crash
All four crew aboard a US Air Force Boeing B-1B supersonic bomber safely ejected from a crash on Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, for which the cause is not yet known.
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NewsFirst updated IAR-99SM trainer rolls out for Romanian air force
The first of 10 IAR-99S advanced jet trainers to be modernised to the SM standard for Romania’s air force was rolled out at Avioane Craiova’s Ghercesti site on 22 December 2023.
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NewsHermeus completes ground testing on first Quarterhorse hypersonic testbed
The non-flying Quarterhorse Mk 0 test article is the first of four aircraft in the Quarterhorse programme, through which US start-up Hermeus aims to produce a hypersonic vehicle capable of reaching Mach 4 and surpassing the all-time airspeed record held by Lockheed Martin’s SR-71 Blackbird.
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NewsPakistan air force chief indicates planned FC-31/J-31 acquisition
The development status of the Shenyang FC-31/J-31 is far from clear, but Pakistan appears interested.
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NewsTurkey seeking US permission to produce F-16 fighter engines domestically
The GE Aerospace F110 engine powers the Lockheed Martin F-16s used by the Turkish air force, as well as prototypes of Ankara’s domestically-produced Kaan fighter.
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NewsUS Navy expands fighter maintenance support to cover air force F-16s
Amid the ongoing retirement of older model Boeing F/A-18 strike fighters, the US Navy is using excess capacity at its fighter maintenance depots to assist the US Air Force in sustaining its Lockheed Martin F-16 jets.
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NewsUSAF tests reverse flow air refuelling using C-5M to top off KC-10
The reverse refuelling concept turns the US Air Force’s massive Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy strategic lifters into “floating gas stations”, freeing up more dedicated tanker aircraft to refuel tactical craft.
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NewsNetherlands prepares to transfer first 18 F-16s to Ukraine
Amsterdam says it will make an initial tranche of 18 fighter aircraft available to Ukraine, out of 42 F-16s the Dutch government previously committed to providing the Ukrainian air force from its own fleet.
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NewsUS Congress restores funding to F-35 adaptive engine programme
Although the Pentagon wants to move on from the Adaptive Engine Transition Programme, lawmakers in the US Capitol approved $280 million in 2024 to fund the research programme that generated two prototype adaptive cycle powerplants for the F-35 stealth fighter.
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NewsSlovenia takes delivery of its first C-27J Spartan transport
Slovenia has welcomed its first of two Leonardo C-27J Spartans, with the tactical transport having arrived at its Cerklje ob Krki air base in late December.
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AnalysisWhy 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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AnalysisWhy 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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NewsBoeing 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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NewsSpain 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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NewsUS 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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NewsUSS 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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NewsUS 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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NewsGovernment 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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NewsUS 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.