Brunei receives first S-70i helicopters
Sikorsky delivered the first four of 12 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) in early December. One of the helicopters, which were delivered under a USD325 million contract...
View ArticleOusted USAF chief continues controversial fight for F-22 production
Key Points General Michael Moseley, the former USAF chief of staff, once again called for additional F-22 production on 5 December Gen Moseley's remarks come five years after his F-22 advocacy led to...
View ArticleNorthrop Grumman developing new stealth UAV for USAF
Key Points The USAF has selected Northrop Grumman's RQ-180 to fill a void in penetrating ISR platforms News of the existence of the RQ-180 came to light on 9 December Northrop Grumman is understood to...
View ArticleF-35 achieves new training sortie record
Key Points The F-35 programme conducted a record number of 45 training sorties on 4 December The sorties were conducted at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter...
View ArticleBoeing and Saab to team for USAF T-X requirement
Boeing and Saab AB have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to offer a solution for the US Air Force's (USAF) T-X trainer requirement, the companies announced on 6 December. Boeing will lead the...
View ArticleAVIC and Ukraine's Ivchenko-Progress to deepen aero-engine development ties
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Ukrainian engine manufacturer Ivchenko-Progress have agreed to expand collaboration in developing and producing aero-engines. Citing an official...
View ArticleTyphoon Tranche 3 makes maiden flight
The first Tranche 3 (T3) Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft has made its maiden flight from BAE Systems' Warton production facility in Lancashire, the company announced on 9 December. The first flight...
View ArticleSelex ES targets 'affordable' AESA market with Grifo-E
Selex ES is looking to widen the market for active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars as development work on the Grifo-E is now starting in earnest. "We are now concentrating on the future...
View ArticlePhilippine 'Huey' crashes
A Philippine Air Force (PAF) Bell UH-1H 'Huey' utility helicopter crashed on 6 December, injuring eight people onboard, local media reported. The helicopter came down off the island of Leyte after...
View ArticleHagel calls for collective GCC missile defence
The US government will encourage the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states to collaborate more closely on ballistic missile defence (BMD), US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told a conference in...
View ArticleFrance outsources air training centre operations for first time with Thales...
France will outsource air training centre operations to the private sector for the first time with the award of an A400M training contract to Thales, it was announced on 4 December. According to a...
View ArticleFrance mulls Mali campaign lessons
As France launches another military mission in Africa, the country is still drawing lessons from its Operation 'Serval' intervention into Mali. A total of six strategic and four operational factors...
View ArticleFrance launches CAR operation
France has launched Operation 'Sangaris' to stabilise the chaotic Central African Republic (CAR) and secure the strategic land routes to Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)....
View ArticleAustria requests additional Black Hawk helos
Austria has requested from the United States the sale of three additional Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters. Announced by the US Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 6...
View ArticleTejas to get IOC on 20 December
India's indigenously designed Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) Mk I is scheduled to secure its long-delayed initial operational capability (IOC) in Bangalore on 20 December. Indian Air Force (IAF)...
View ArticleNorway abandons Archer artillery programme
Norway has decided to pull out of its joint Archer self-propelled artillery (SPA) programme with Sweden, it has been revealed. Talking to IHS Jane's on 9 December, Major Eystein Kvarving, spokesperson...
View ArticleEDA figures confirm continued decline in European defence spending
European defence spending logged a 0.6% fall in 2012, the latest survey of annual defence spending statistics from the European Defence Agency (EDA) has confirmed. Published on 10 December, the EDA's...
View ArticleCongressional defence authorisers propose rush legislation as year-end looms
Key Points Heads of the House and Senate armed services committees hope to pass a full NDAA before year's end Some DoD authorities would lapse after 31 December if Congress cannot finalise the bill...
View ArticleBrazil approves army's 4x4 project
In a step closer to buying new 4x4 protected tactical vehicles, the Brazilian Army has approved a viability study for procuring multirole lightweight wheeled armoured vehicles under the emerging...
View ArticleAstrium, Raytheon join for NATO BMD engineering bid
Key Points A command-and-control system and testing plans are to be delineated in the contract The deal is expected to be worth USD91 million EADS subsidiary Astrium and Raytheon have signed a teaming...
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