All articles by James Drew – Page 7
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NewsLockheed’s long-running F-16 line in Fort Worth going cold
On the 45th anniversary of the F-16 lightweight fighter’s first flight, Lockheed Martin faces the very real prospect of turning off "Fighting Falcon" production as prospective customers like Pakistan struggle to clear the US government’s regulatory and funding processes.
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NewsUSAF still does not know why its Block 1 MQ-9s fail
The US Air Force says it has avoided 17 more MQ-9 Reapers crashes since last April thanks to a backup electrical system that has been installed as a safeguard against a still-undetermined problem with the starter-generator on the Block 1 version's Honeywell turboprop engine.
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NewsUSAF to begin converting L-model Back Hawks into HH-60Gs
The US Air Force expects to begin converting 21 second-hand US Army L-model Black Hawks to the HH-60G Pave Hawk standard for combat rescue missions “later this year”.
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NewsUSAF eyes 41 UH-60Ms for $1.4 billion to recap patrol Hueys
The US Air Force says it needs 41 new helicopters to help guard and escort nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, more than 400 of which are on alert at three air force bases in America’s far north.
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NewsLockheed pushing $1 billion Mach 6 airbreather
Lockheed Martin’s unmanned SR-72 aircraft concept has surfaced again with renewed vigour, with company leadership now pushing it as an “affordable” way to achieve speeds of Mach 6.0 in a reusable, air-breathing hypersonic vehicle.
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NewsLockheed's 30-aircraft TR-X plan priced at $3.8 billion
Lockheed Martin’s plan to construct a fleet of 30 high-altitude, single-engined tactical reconnaissance aircraft from cannibalised U-2S Dragon Lady and RQ-4B Global Hawk components would take 10 years and cost approximately $3.8 billion if adopted, a company official says.
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NewsCH-53K project expands to 120kt and two test helicopters
Sikorsky's first CH-53K King Stallion has achieved speeds of 120kt (222km/h) as the heavy-lift helicopter development project presses forward with flight envelope expansion and adds a second test aircraft to the effort.
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US Navy orders 28 H-1s as Army seeks more UH-72s
The US Navy has ordered 12 UH-1Y Venoms and 16 AH-1Z Vipers from Bell Helicopter for $461 million as the Army seek another 16 UH-72A Lakotas from Airbus Helicopters.
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NewsUS Navy descoping stealth requirement for Stingray tanking UAV
The US Navy plans to “descope” the stealth requirement for its future carrier-based aerial refuelling drone, which is now called the MQ-25 Stingray.
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NewsF-35 chief expects P&W's bomber work to reduce F135 cost
The head of the multinational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme expects Pratt & Whitney to significantly reduce the cost of the F135 now that it has been named as the propulsion system supplier for the Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber.
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NewsUS Army pushing new light reconnaissance helicopter
The US Army has confirmed its pursuit of a light reconnaissance helicopter that will assume the role left vacant by the retirement of the Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
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NewsPentagon worried about dwindling USAF fighter numbers
US deputy secretary of defence Robert Work has expressed concern about the size of the US Air Force’s tactical fighter force, which has dropped from 88 squadrons before the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to just 54 squadrons today.
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NewsSupport builds for USAF to replace Hueys with Black Hawks
The US Air Force will decide in “next couple of weeks” whether to procure Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to replace the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1N Hueys that protect America’s nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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NewsPenalty for breaking Northrop's B-21 contract is '$300 million'
The US Air Force says it would cost the US government upward of $300 million to breaks its cost-plus contract with Northrop Grumman to develop the B-21 strategic bomber.
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NewsUSAF wants on-time F-X, not more F-22s
The US Air Force has no interest in restarting production of the Lockheed Martin F-22, partly because it too expensive and because it wants to move quickly on a next-generation fighter.
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NewsUSAF studying future attack aircraft options
The US Air Force has begun studying future close air support aircraft to succeed the Fairchild Republic A-10 as the Pentagon evaluates the weaponry it needs for “prolonged operations” of one year or more.
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NewsUS general backs fighter sales to three Gulf states
The head of US Central Command Gen Lloyd Austin has declared his support for the sale of American fighter jets to Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
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NewsRAAF KC-30 to begin P-8A refuelling trials in early 2017
The Royal Australian Air Force is preparing to add the Boeing P-8A Poseidon to the growing list of aircraft that can be refuelled by its Airbus KC-30A multirole tanker type.
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NewsUSAF names seven top-tier Northrop B-21 suppliers
The US Air Force has named the seven top-tier suppliers for the Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber, including propulsion system provider Pratt & Whitney.
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UAE seeks Northrop LAIRCM upgrade for C-17As
The United Arab Emirates Air Force could protect its eight Boeing C-17A strategic transports with Northrop Grumman’s missile-dazzling large aircraft infrared countermeasures (LAIRCM) system under a $225 million deal recently approved by the US government.