All articles by Ryan Finnerty – Page 30
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NewsBAE to produce electronic countermeasure pods for US Navy P-8s
The $95 million contract will see the US Navy’s Boeing P-8 maritime patrol jets equipped with a BAE electronic warfare pod intended to expand the non-stealth aircraft’s operating range in contested environments.
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NewsFirst operational Boeing F-15EX arrives with USAF for frontline service
The latest variant of the venerable fourth-generation air superiority fighter will begin operational service in the state of Oregon with the US Air National Guard, which is responsible for homeland defence and air-interdiction missions.
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NewsChina using private companies and ‘lucrative contracts’ to recruit Western military pilots
Intelligence agencies from the so-called “Five Eyes” alliance of the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand say China continues to recruit current and former Western military pilots to train its own forces, using privately-owned shell companies offering “lucrative contracts and the opportunity to fly exotic aircraft”.
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In depthRide along for an aerial tour of Normandy on the 80th anniversary of D-Day
FlightGlobal accompanied the US Air Force’s 86th Air Wing for a C-130J transport flight on 6 June 2024 as part of the ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
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In depthD-Day at 80: a legacy of air power
When Allied troops stormed ashore at Normandy 80 years ago, the success of their campaign to retake Western Europe would cement the role of air power as a critical dimension in modern warfare – a legacy that endures today.
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NewsIsrael to add 25 more F-35s under latest $3bn deal
The agreement between Israel and USA will increase the Israeli air force’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35s to 75 aircraft, with the new jets forming a third squadron of the fifth-generation stealth fighters.
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NewsGeneral Atomics lands first order for modernised Gray Eagles
On the heels of successful engine testing for the new type, uncrewed aircraft manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems scored its first order for the GE-25M Gray Eagle, a modernised version of the venerable MQ-1C UAV, from the US Army National Guard.
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NewsGeneral Atomics completes durability testing on new heavy fuel engine
The new powerplant will be incorporated into the modernised MQ-1C Gray Eagle, with manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems promising reductions in field maintenance and 40% more time between engine replacement compared to the current engine.
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NewsCanada’s Hawk jet trainers report for retirement duty
Although Ottawa retired the single-engined trainers in March, the Royal Canadian Air Force plans to make continued use of its CT-155s as an instructional platform for new maintenance technicians.
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NewsCanada announces $8bn acquisition of 71 trainer aircraft for RCAF
While Ottawa has not yet selected a new training jet for the instruction of new fighter pilots, the government is contracting for more than 70 smaller turboprops and helicopters under the Future Aircrew Training programme.
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NewsNext-generation Bell tiltrotor advances in DARPA X-plane competition
Bell’s proposal for the Speed and Runway Independent Technologies project involves a tiltrotor-like aircraft, with the addition of a third, jet-powered flight mode in addition to the rotor-driven vertical and horizontal flight modes found in existing designs.
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NewsCanada to integrate Smith Myers mobile phone tracking system into search and rescue fleet
UK technology firm Smith Myers will integrate its Artemis mobile phone detection package into Ottawa’s fleet of CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters as part of a Leonardo-led mid-life upgrade programme.
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NewsBelgium pledges 30 F-16 fighters to Ukraine
At a bilateral meeting in Brussels, the leaders of Belgium and Ukraine signed a $1 billion agreement, including a pledge of 30 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to the beleaguered Eastern European country.
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NewsDARPA reveals six concepts for new ship-based VTOL
Known as the Advanced Aircraft Infrastructure-Less Launch and Recovery – or ANCILLARY – programme, the effort aims to radically improve the range, payload, endurance and weight of vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
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AnalysisSierra Nevada plans to purchase five commercial jets from Korean Air
Although the US defence contractor would not confirm the intent behind the purchase, the acquisition comes just weeks after Sierra Nevada secured a $13 billion Pentagon contract to build a new fleet of nuclear command and control aircraft.
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NewsAirbus to demonstrate unmanned UH-72 helicopter for US Marines
The demonstration project comes as the USA’s maritime combat force is exploring methods for resupplying shore-based troops in contested environments from ships at sea.
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NewsAustralia and New Zealand launch military evacuation flights from New Caledonia
More than a week of unrest in the overseas French territory of New Caledonia has stranded thousands of civilians from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, for whom the South Pacific island is a popular holiday destination and mining hub.
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NewsUSA agrees to terms for withdrawal from Niger air base
Niger has cleared the US military to operate evacuation flights in support of a plan for US forces to withdraw from the country by 15 September.
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NewsAurora reveals new details of experimental fan-in-wing design
The fan-in-wing prototype recently advanced in DARPA’s Speed and Runway Independent Technologies project to develop a new high-speed jet aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing.
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NewsLatest F-35 configuration may not be ready for service until 2025
Already months behind schedule, US government auditors now predict the latest Technical Refresh 3 configuration of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter will not be ready for service until 2025, as the airframer struggles to resolve technical issues hindering flight certification of the new systems.