Ryan Finnerty
Ryan Finnerty is the Americas defence reporter for FlightGlobal.com and Flight International magazine, covering military aviation and the defence industry. He is a former United States Army officer and previously reported for America’s National Public Radio system in New York and Hawaii covering energy, economics and military affairs.
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NewsBoeing to upgrade KC-46 fleet with anti-jamming, better encryption
The US Air Force will pay Boeing $184 million for a package to upgrade communication systems on the problem-plagued KC-46A refuelling jet, including for better encryption and anti-jamming capability.
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USAF to drop Lockheed hypersonic weapon programme after failed test
The Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon had a mixed record, with numerous technical challenges early in development and a recent failed test.
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Nine dead in double Black Hawk crash
Two US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky during a night training exercise, killing nine soldiers.
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USAF adds 54 AESA radars to F-16 modernisation order
The $128 million contract adds to a similar order last November aimed at modernising the US Air Force’s fleet of multirole Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.
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Pentagon renews Philippines medevac contract with Erickson
The Oregon-based provider of cargo, casualty evacuation and MRO services landed a contract modification worth nearly $15 million on its existing agreement to provide aeromedical support to the US military in the Philippines.
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Pentagon selects Australia’s Hypersonix for reusable hypersonic test platform
The Australian firm Hypersonix was selected by the US military’s technology accelerator to produce a reusable, low-angle vehicle capable of flight speeds at or above Mach 5.
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Biden pick to lead FAA withdraws nomination after Republican criticism
Former Denver International Airport chief executive Phil Washington withdrew from consideration to oversee the US aviation regulator after being criticised by the opposition Republican party for lack of experience.
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First flight of FARA prototypes slip to 2024 amid further engine delay
The US Army says GE Aerospace will not deliver the new Improved Turbine Engine until the autumn of 2023 – affecting the first flight of Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft prototypes being developed by Sikorsky and Bell.
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Boeing and US Navy locked in dispute over lack of order for 20 F/A-18s
Congress has allocated funding for 20 additional Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets in the 2022 and 2023 defence budgets, but the US Navy wants Boeing to relinquish additional data rights on the type before it awards a production contract.
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NATO declares initial operational capacity on Airbus tanker fleet
Seven of NATO’s planned 10 Airbus A330 Multi-role Tanker Transport jets are now in service, owned and operated directly by the alliance.
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Losses on Boeing defence business expected to continue
The aerospace giant’s chief financial officer says while he is optimistic about returning Boeing’s beleaguered defence portfolio to profitability, the business will continue to post losses in the near term.
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Sea glider maker Regent secures investment from Lockheed Martin
Lockheed’s venture capital fund will make a “strategic investment” in Regent, which is currently developing an all-electric, wing-in-ground-effect maritime vehicle for commercial customers, potentially expanding the company into the defence realm.
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Northrop will supply MESA sensors to planned USAF E-7 fleet
Northrop Grumman will provide its Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array long-range sensor for the fleet of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control jets the US Air Force plans to purchase.
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US military aviators see substantially higher rates of cancer than general population
A congressionally-mandated investigation found, when compared to the general population, US military aviation personnel see significantly elevated rates of cancer, including 87% greater incidence of melanoma for aircrew and 19% higher rates of brain and nervous system cancer for ground crew over a 25 year period.
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Pentagon signals shift away from just-in-time production model
The US military’s top acquisitions official says the model of industrial production centred on minimising costs through limited warehousing of input materials will fail to meet the country’s materiel needs during a high-intensity conflict.
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Lockheed pleased with F-35 numbers in proposed US defence budget
The manufacturer of the advanced fifth-generation jet says the Pentagon’s current proposal for F-35 purchases in the next budget cycle would allow the company to meet its 2023 production target of 156 aircraft.
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US Army advances five rapid prototype developers for RQ-7B replacement
Following a competitive evaluation by the US Army, AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Textron, Sierra Nevada and Northrop Grumman have all received funding to support rapid prototyping of a replacement for the service’s RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle.
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Bipartisan group of US senators push for sending F-16s to Ukraine
Eight US senators from both major parties have signed a letter to secretary of defense Lloyd Austin calling on the Biden administration to provide Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to the besieged armed forces of Ukraine.
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Canada announces new air defence initiatives, eyes Eastern Europe
Ottawa has officially requested industry proposals for a range of air defence platforms, including anti-aircraft and counter-unmanned aerial systems, to support Canadian missions on NATO’s eastern flank.
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Pacific Propeller wins ‘urgent’ overhaul work for USAF’s C-130H fleet
Washington state-based MRO provider Pacific Propeller International has received what it describes as an “urgent contract” from the US Air Force to replace propeller barrels on the service’s fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130H transports still equipped with a legacy propulsion system.
