All articles by Ryan Finnerty – Page 26
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NewsUS Coast Guard searching for survivors of Hawaii tour helicopter crash
Fixed- and rotary-wing assets have been deployed to the rugged Napali Coast on the north shore of Kauai, after a Robinson R44 tour helicopter went down in the area with one pilot and two passengers aboard.
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NewsPentagon to resume new F-35 deliveries while awaiting full flight certification
The Pentagon will begin accepting new F-35 fighters for the first time in nearly a year, despite manufacturer Lockheed not yet completing flight certification for a new package of hardware and software for the advanced stealth jet.
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NewsUkraine seeks permission to strike Russian territory with donated F-16s
Speaking at the annual NATO summit in Washington DC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is seeking formal permission to strike military targets within Russian territory, including with F-16 fighters being donated by NATO member states.
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NewsCommercial air refuelling provider Metrea acquires entire French KC-135 tanker fleet
The US company will acquire all 14 of the French air force’s Boeing KC-135 tankers, including both the KC-/C-135FR and KC-/C-135RG variants, as Paris transitions to an all-Airbus tanker fleet.
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NewsNorway ups Ukraine F-16 commitment to six jets
The plus up from Oslo brings the total number of F-16s pledged to Ukraine to 97, with other fighters on offer from France.
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NewsF-16 deliveries to Ukraine underway as NATO leaders assemble
Speaking in Washington at the annual NATO summit, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken says NATO members have begun the long-anticipated process of transferring the first Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
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NewsNATO signs $700m contract for Stinger anti-air missiles
NATO’s internal procurement agency will spend some $700 million to purchase heat-seeking shoulder-launched Stinger anti-air missiles from US munitions manufacturer Raytheon on behalf of several member states.
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In depthUS regulators sanction former UK, South African test pilots over Chinese military training
The US government has blacklisted more private companies over alleged connections to the training of Chinese military aviators, including two firms operated by former test pilots in the UK Royal Air Force and South African Air Force.
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NewsUS Army takes delivery of first Block II CH-47F
The delivery of a remanufactured CH-47F Chinook in the latest Block II standard marks a milestone in the US Army’s strategy to modernise its aviation fleet.
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NewsBoeing to maintain Spirit AeroSystems’ defence contracts
The troubled aerostructures manufacturer has become an important supplier of several key US defence programmes, including the air force’s new stealth bomber and the army’s next-generation tiltrotor.
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In depthWith deliveries underway, US pilots begin transitioning to F-15EX
With Boeing having delivered the first operational example of its latest F-15EX multi-role fighter, US Air Force pilots who previously flew the F-15C are beginning the process of transitioning to the new jet.
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NewsSpaceX wins contract to build vehicle for returning International Space Station to Earth
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
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NewsDenmark to repatriate F-35s stationed in USA as delivery halt drags on
Denmark’s first six F-35A fighters had been stationed at the USA’s Luke AFB, where they were being used to train new pilots and maintenance crews from the Royal Danish Air Force.
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In depthBoeing bets big on next-generation fighter manufacturing facility
The US airframer has begun construction of a $1.8 billion advanced combat aircraft assembly facility in St. Louis, at a time when support for sixth-generation fighter programmes appears to be waning at the Pentagon.
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NewsNew leadership at Sikorsky amid Lockheed leadership shuffle
The pioneer of rotorcraft manufacturing has a new chief, with parent company Lockheed Martin reshuffling several senior executives.
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NewsB-52 modernisations delayed until 2033
Upgrades to the iconic US Air Force heavy bomber, which include new engines and an improved radar, are meant to keep the Vietnam-era jet flying into the 2050s.
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NewsNATO defence spending surges ahead of Ukraine summit
A record 23 NATO member states are now spending at least the equivalent of 2% of gross domestic product on defence, as the alliance prepares to approve a new industrial strategy.
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NewsLockheed delivers 2,700th C-130
The handover of the milestone aircraft, a KC-130J refueller variant operated by the US Marine Corps, comes as airframer Lockheed Martin reports “robust demand” for the venerable tactical transport.
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NewsFirst flight of Air Force One replacement delayed to 2026
The issue-plagued Boeing programme to deliver two new presidential jets to the US Air Force is absorbing fresh production delays that will push the type’s first flight into 2026.
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NewsPratt & Whitney picks Patria as partner on engines for Finnish F-35s
The state-owned Finnish defence firm will assemble Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofans at a new production facility near the city of Nokia, starting in 2025.