ALITALIA PRESENTA LA SUA NUOVA LIVREA

LINK PER INFORMAZIONI: Huffington Post

ITALIA - Alitalia - Società Aerea Italiana S.p.A. è la principale compagnia aerea italiana e seconda per numero di passeggeri trasportati in Italia. Nata nel 2014, inizia le attività il 1º gennaio del 2015 rilevando il marchio e le attività della ex compagnia aerea di bandiera, chiusa per permettere l'ingresso di Etihad Airways nel capitale.

La compagnia fa parte dell'alleanza SkyTeam e serve 92 destinazioni principalmente in Italia, Europa, Nord America e Medio Oriente, raggiunte dall'hub di Roma Fiumicino e dalle altre basi presenti sul territorio nazionale. Dispone di una sussidiaria regionale, Alitalia CityLiner. In totale la compagnia offre 168 destinazioni e una flotta di 118 aeromobili.

Alitalia fa inoltre parte del network Etihad Airways Partner (Etihad Equity Alliance) che comprende Etihad Airways, airberlin, Air Seychelles, Air Serbia, Darwin Airline/Etihad Regional e Jet Airways.

Il presidente della compagnia è Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, il vicepresidente è James Hogan presidente Etihad Airways, mentre l'amministratore delegato è Silvano Cassano, in passato a capo del gruppo Benetton. Nel consiglio di amministrazione siedono anche Giovanni Bisignani, già amministratore delegato Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane dal 1989 al 1994 e direttore generale IATA, Antonella Mansi, ex presidente della Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Paolo Colombo, ex presidente Enel e Roberto Colaninno presidente di Alitalia Cai nei suoi primi sei anni di vita.

CANADA LOOKS AT FORMER US PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTERS FOR SAR MISSIONS

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Calgary Herald

CANADA - The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel is a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101) built to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. It was developed and built by the Lockheed Martin–led "US101 Team" of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration – Owego (LMSI), AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter.

In February 2009, President Barack Obama asked Secretary of Defense Robert Gates about placing the project on hold or canceling it because of its high cost: over $13 billion for the planned 28 helicopters. In June 2009, the U.S. Navy terminated the contract after spending about $4.4 billion and taking delivery of nine VH-71s. The helicopters were then sold to Canada for $164 million for use as spare parts for its fleet of AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters.

PHILIPPINES COULD ACQUIRE P-3C ORION FROM JAPAN

LINK TO THE INFORMATION - Reuters

TOKYO, JAPAN - The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily distinguished from the Electra by its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD Boom", used for the magnetic detection of submarines.

Over the years, the aircraft has seen numerous design advancements, most notably to its electronics packages. The P-3 Orion is still in use by numerous navies and air forces around the world, primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. A total of 734 P-3s have been built, and in 2012, it joined the handful of military aircraft including the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and C-130 Hercules that have served 50 years of continuous use by the United States military. The U.S. Navy's remaining P-3C aircraft will eventually be replaced by the P-8A Poseidon.

LITHUANIA RECEIVES THE FIRST SAR DAUPHIN

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Shephard

LITHUANIA - The Eurocopter SA 365/AS365 Dauphin 2 (Dolphin) is a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter currently produced by Airbus Helicopters. It was originally developed and manufactured by French firm Aérospatiale, which was merged into the multinational Eurocopter company during the 1990s. Since entering production in 1975, the type has been in continuous production for more than 40 years. The intended successor to the Dauphin is the Airbus Helicopters H160, which is yet to enter operational service as of March 2015.

The Dauphin 2 shares many similarities with the Aérospatiale SA 360, a commercially unsuccessful single-engine helicopter; however the twin-engine Dauphin 2 did meet with customer demands and has been operated by a wide variety of civil and military operators. Since the type's introduction in the 1970s, several major variations and specialised versions of the Dauphin 2 have been developed and entered production, including the military-oriented Eurocopter Panther, the air-sea rescue HH/MH-65 Dolphin, the Chinese-manufactured Harbin Z-9 and the modernised Eurocopter EC155.

INDIA REQUEST ISTAR AIRCRAFT FROM UNITED STATES

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: DefenseNews

INDIA - ISTAR stands for information, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing the information they gather.

Information is collected on the battlefield through systematic observation by deployed soldiers and a variety of electronic sensors. Surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance are methods of obtaining this information. The information is then passed to intelligence personnel for analysis, and then to the commander and his staff for the formulation of battle plans. Intelligence is processed information that is relevant and contributes to an understanding of the ground, and of enemy dispositions and intents.

ISTAR is the process of integrating the intelligence process with surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance tasks in order to improve a commander’s situational awareness and consequently their decision making. The inclusion of the "I" is important as it recognizes the importance of taking the information from all of the sensors and processing it into useful knowledge.

ISTAR can also refer to:

• a unit or sub unit with ISTAR as a task (e.g.: an ISTAR squadron)
• equipment required to support the task

KUWAIT AND ITALY DISCUSS AN EUROFIGHTER BUY

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: DefenseNews

KUWAIT - The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed and is manufactured by a consortium of three companies; Alenia Aermacchi, Airbus Group and BAE Systems, who conduct the majority of affairs dealing with the project through a joint holding company, Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, which was formed in 1986. The project is managed by the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, which also acts as the prime customer.

Development of the aircraft effectively began in 1983 with the Future European Fighter Aircraft programme, a multinational collaborative effort between the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Because of disagreements over design authority and operational requirements, France left the consortium to develop the Dassault Rafale independently instead. A technology demonstration aircraft, the British Aerospace EAP, first took flight on 6 August 1986; the first prototype of the finalised Eurofighter made its first flight on 27 March 1994. The name of the aircraft, Typhoon, was formally adopted in September 1998; the first production contracts were signed that same year.

Political issues in the partner nations significantly protracted the Typhoon's development; the sudden end of the Cold War reduced European demand for fighter aircraft, and there was debate over the cost and work share of the Eurofighter. The Typhoon was introduced into operational service in 2003. Currently, the type has entered service with the Austrian Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the German Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the Spanish Air Force, and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The Royal Air Force of Oman has also been confirmed as an export customer, bringing the procurement total to 571 aircraft as of 2013.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft, designed to be an effective dogfighter when in combat with other aircraft; later production aircraft have been increasingly better equipped to undertake air-to-surface strike missions and to be compatible with a likewise increasing number of different armaments and equipment. The Typhoon saw its combat debut during the 2011 military intervention in Libya with the Royal Air Force and the Italian Air Force, performing aerial reconnaissance and ground strike missions. The type has also taken primary responsibility for air-defence duties for the majority of customer nations.

VIETNAM EYES WESTERN WARPLANES TO COUNTER CHINA

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Reuters

VIETNAM - The Vietnam People's Air Force (Vietnamese: Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam) is the air force of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North Vietnamese Air Force and absorbed the Republic of Vietnam Air Force following the re-unification of Vietnam in 1975. The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) is one of three main branches in the Vietnam People's Army which is a part of the Ministry of Defense. The main mission of the VPAF is the defense of Vietnamese airspace and the provision of air cover for operations of the Vietnam People's Army.

RUSSIA WILL COMLETE TU-160 UPGRADES AHEAD OF TIME

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: IHS Jane's 360

RUSSIA - The Tupolev Tu-160 (Russian: Туполев Ту-160, NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Although several civil and military transport aircraft are larger in overall dimensions, the Tu-160 is the world's largest combat aircraft, largest supersonic aircraft and largest variable-sweep aircraft built. Only the North American XB-70 Valkyrie had higher empty weight and maximum speed. The Tu-160 has the heaviest take off weight of any military aircraft besides transports.

Entering service in 1987, the Tu-160 was the last strategic bomber designed for the Soviet Union. The Long Range Aviation branch of the Russian Air Force has 16 aircraft with fewer in active use. The Tu-160 active fleet has been undergoing upgrades to electronics systems since the early 2000s. The Tu-160M modernisation programme has begun with the first new updated aircraft delivered in December 2014.

TRES DE LOS MOTORES DEL A400M SINIESTRADO SE QUEDARON CON LA 'POTENCIA CONGELADA'

ENLACE A LA INFORMACIÓN: rtve

SEVILLA, ESPAÑA - El Airbus A400M Atlas, apodado Grizzly durante la fase de prueba en vuelo, es un avión de transporte militar de largo alcance y avión cisterna propulsado por cuatro motores turbohélice, diseñado por la corporación europea Airbus Military para cubrir las necesidades de transporte aéreo de los países adheridos al programa.

Se han encargado un total de 194 aparatos, por parte de 8 países, para reemplazar a varios modelos más antiguos, principalmente el Lockheed C-130 Hercules y el Transall C-160. Airbus Military entregó la primera aeronave a la Armée de l'air francesa a comienzos del año 2013.

El accidente del Airbus A400M en Sevilla ocurrió el 9 de mayo de 2015. Un Airbus A400M Atlas de carga se estrelló en La Rinconada (Sevilla, España). El avión, número de serie MSN23, estaba realizando un vuelo de prueba tripulado por personal de Airbus Defence & Space.

THE FBI HAS A SECRET SURVEILLANCE AIR FORCE

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: CNN

UNITED STATES - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, which simultaneously serves as the nation's prime Federal law enforcement organization. Operating under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI is concurrently a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. A lead U.S. counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime.

Although many of FBI's functions are unique, its activities in support of national security are comparable to that of the British MI5 and the Russian FSB. Unlike the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which has no law enforcement authority and is focused on intelligence collection overseas, FBI is primarily a domestic agency, maintaining 56 field offices in major cities throughout the United States, and more than 400 resident agencies in lesser cities and areas across the nation. At an FBI field office, a senior-level FBI officer concurrently serves as the representative of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Despite its domestic focus, FBI also maintains a significant international footprint, operating 60 Legal Attache (LEGAT) offices and 15 sub-offices in U.S. embassies and consulates across the globe. These overseas offices exist primarily for the purpose of coordination with foreign security services and do not usually conduct unilateral operations in the host countries. It is of note that FBI can and does at times carry out secret activities overseas, just as the CIA has a limited domestic function; these activities generally require coordination across government agencies.

FBI was established in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation (BOI). Its name was changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1935. The FBI headquarters is the J. Edgar Hoover Building, located in Washington, D.C.

SLOVAKIA HAS INTEREST IN UPGRADING ITS S-300 MISSILE SYSTEMS

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Sputnik

RUSSIA - The S-300 (NATO reporting name SA-10 Grumble) is a series of initially Soviet and later Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by NPO Almaz, based on the initial S-300P version. The S-300 system was developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.

The S-300 system was first deployed by the Soviet Union in 1979, designed for the air defence of large industrial and administrative facilities, military bases, and control of airspace against enemy strike aircraft. The system is fully automated, though manual observation and operation are also possible. Components may be near the central command post, or as distant as 40 km. Each radar provides target designation for the central command post. The command post compares the data received from the targeting radars up to 80 km apart, filtering false targets, a difficult task at such great distances. The central command post features both active and passive target detection modes.

The project-managing developer of the S-300 is the Russian Almaz corporation (government owned, aka "KB-1") which is currently a part of "Almaz-Antei" Air Defence Concern. S-300 uses missiles developed by MKB "Fakel" design bureau (a separate government corporation, aka "OKB-2").

The S-300 is regarded as one of the most potent anti-aircraft missile systems currently fielded. An evolved version of the S-300 system is the S-400 (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler), which entered limited service in 2004.

Slovakia's S-300 were inherited from Czechoslovakia when the country dissapeared.

IBERIA VOLVERÁ A CONTRATAR NUEVOS PILOTOS

ENLACE A LA INFORMACIÓN: Flynews

MADRID, ESPAÑA - Iberia (IATA: IB, OACI: IBE, y callsign: Iberia BME: IBLA), es una aerolínea española, fundada en 1927 con el nombre de Iberia, Compañía Aérea de Transporte. Su denominación social actual es Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S. A. Operadora Unipersonal.5Actualmente es una de las compañías aéreas más antiguas del mundo. Tiene su sede social en Madrid8 y cotizó en la Bolsa de Madrid desde abril de 2001 hasta enero de 2011, cuando fue sustituida por su matriz International Airlines Group, producto de la fusión con British Airways en 2011, actual accionista único de la compañía. La compañía tiene actualmente su domicilio social en la Calle Martínez Villergas, 49, 28027 Madrid.

Su principal base es el Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas. El Grupo Iberia vuela a 108 destinos en 42 países. El 12 de noviembre de 2009, Iberia confirmó que había llegado a un acuerdo preliminar de entendimiento con British Airways para fusionarse con ella con la firma de un acuerdo vinculante, que solo se dio paso cuando el valor de las acciones de British superaron a las de Iberia, siendo en abril de 2010 la firma del contrato de fusión. En julio de 2010 la Comisión Europea aprobó la operación. Para su culminación, en noviembre de 2010, los accionistas de Iberia y British Airways dan el visto bueno a la fusión de las dos compañías, último requisito necesario para llevar a cabo la fusión de uno de los grupos más potentes del sector.

La nueva sociedad holding resultante, llamada International Airlines Group (IAG), es la tercera aerolínea del mundo por ingresos (después de Delta Air Lines y American Airlines). Actualmente Iberia posee dos filiales (Iberia Express y Vueling Airlines) y una compañía franquiciada (Air Nostrum).

DASSAULT A PRESENTÉ SON NOUVELLE FALCON 5X

LINK À L'INFORMATION: Les Echos

BURDEAUX, FRANCE - Le Falcon 5X est un avion d'affaires de la famille Falcon construit par la société Dassault Aviation. Il est présenté le 21 octobre 2013 à Las Vegas à l’occasion de la convention annuelle de la National Business Aviation Association

C'est un biréacteur (Silvercrest, Safran Snecma) destiné à franchir une distance de 9 630 km et voler à une vitesse maximale de Mach 0,90.

Proposé à un prix d’environ 45 millions de dollars US (valeur de 2013), le Falcon 5X devrait effectuer son premier vol à l'été 2015 et obtenir sa certification avant la fin de l’année suivante pour une entrée en service en 2017.

BOEING STARTS TO BUILDING THE FIRST 737 MAX JET ON SCHEDULE

LINK TO THE INFORMATON: Reuters

SEATTLE, UNITED STATES - The Boeing 737 MAX is a family of aircraft being developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The new family is based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation family, which it is to replace. It will be the fourth generation of the 737 family. The primary change is the use of the larger and more efficient CFM International LEAP-1B engines. The airframe is to receive some modifications as well. The 737 MAX is scheduled for first delivery in 2017, 50 years after the 737 first flew. Boeing has firm orders for the 737 MAX totaling 2,715 as of March 2015.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES ARE TECHNICALLY BUNKRUPT, CEO SAYS

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Reuters

SUBANG, MALAYSIA - Malaysian Airline System (MAS; Malay: Sistem Penerbangan Malaysia; branded as Malaysia Airlines; (Malay: Penerbangan Malaysia MYX: 3786 as Malaysian Airline System Berhad) is a major airline operating flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and from secondary hubs in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to destinations throughout Asia as well as a handful of destinations in Europe and Oceania. Malaysia Airlines is the flag carrier of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. The company's headquarters are located on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor, Greater Kuala Lumpur. In August 2014, the Malaysian government's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional—which then owned 69.37% of the airline—announced its intention to purchase remaining ownership from minority shareholders and de-list the airline from Malaysia's stock exchange, thereby renationalising the airline.

Malaysia Airlines owns two subsidiary airlines: Firefly and MASwings. Firefly operates scheduled flights from its two home bases Penang International Airport and Subang International Airport. The airline focuses on tertiary cities. MASwings focuses on inter-Borneo flights. Malaysia Airlines has a freighter fleet operated by MASkargo, which manages freighter flights and aircraft cargo-hold capacity for all Malaysia Airlines' passenger flights. Malaysia Airlines also provides aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and aircraft handling services to other companies.

The airline began as Malayan Airways Limited and flew its first commercial flight in 1947. A few years after Singapore's independence, the airline's assets were divided in 1972 to form Singaporean flag carrier Singapore Airlines and Malaysian flag carrier Malaysian Airline System. Its logo is the wau bulan, a traditional Malaysian kite design.

Despite numerous awards from aviation industry, such as the five-star rating from Skytrax (2005-7, 2009, 2012–13; one of just seven airlines in the world with this rating in 2013) and recognition from the World Travel Awards as the leading airline in and to Asia (2010–11, 2013), the airline struggled to cut costs to compete with new, low-cost carriers in the region since the early 2000s. In 2013, the airline initiated a turnaround plan after large losses beginning in 2011 and cut routes to prominent, but unprofitable, long-haul destinations, such as the Americas (Los Angeles and Buenos Aires) and South Africa. Malaysia Airlines also began an internal restructuring and intended to sell units such as engineering and pilot training.

In 2014, on March 8 and on July 17, Malaysia Airlines lost two aircraft—Flight 370 and Flight 17—less than five months apart with a combined 537 people killed, exacerbating the airline's financial troubles and leading to the renationalisation of the airline. Prior to 2014, MAS had one of the world's best safety records—just two fatal accidents in 68 years of operation, including the hijacking in 1977 of Flight 653 that resulted in 100 casualties.

TARANIS UCAV SET FOR THE NEW FLIGHT TESTS

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: DefenseNews

UNITED KINGDOM - The BAE Systems Taranis (also nicknamed Raptor) is a British demonstrator programme for Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) technology, under development primarily by the defence contractor BAE Systems Military Air & Information. The aircraft, which is named after the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, first flew in 2013. A semi-autonomous unmanned warplane, the Taranis is designed to fly intercontinental missions, and will carry a variety of weapons, enabling it to attack both aerial and ground targets. It will utilise stealth technology, giving it a low radar profile, and it will be controllable via satellite link from anywhere on Earth. An operational derivative of the Taranis is expected to enter military service some time after 2030.

KC-46A TEST AIRCRAFT RESUMES FLIGHTS

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: IHS Jane's 360

UNITED STATES - The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is a military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was selected by the United States Air Force (USAF) as the winner in the KC-X tanker competition to replace older KC-135 Stratotankers. The first 18 combat-ready aircraft are to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force by August 2017 under the terms of the development contract.

MEXICAN AIR FORCE SELECTS BOEING 737-800 TRANSPORTS

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: IHS Jane's 360

MEXICO - The 737-800 is a stretched version of the 737-700, and replaces the 737-400. It also filled the gap left by the decision to discontinue the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 following Boeing's merger with McDonnell Douglas. The −800 was launched by Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly) in 1994 and entered service in 1998. The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a two-class layout, or 189 in one class, and competes with the A320. For many airlines in the U.S., the 737-800 replaced aging Boeing 727-200 trijets.

The 737-800 is also among the models replacing the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series aircraft in airline service; it burns 850 US gallons (3,200 L) of jet fuel per hour, or about 80 percent of the fuel needed by an MD-80 on a comparable flight, even while carrying more passengers than the latter. According to the Airline Monitor, an industry publication, a 737-800 burns 4.88 US gallons (18.5 L) of fuel per seat per hour. Alaska Airlines replaced the MD-80 with the 737-800, saving $2,000 per flight, using jet fuel prices of $4 per gallon (2008 prices).

On August 14, 2008, American Airlines announced 26 orders for the 737-800 (20 are exercised options from previously signed contracts and six are new incremental orders) as well as accelerated deliveries. A total of 2,135 -800, and 16 -800 BBJ aircraft have been delivered with 1,521 unfilled orders as of January 2011. Ryanair, an Irish low-cost airline is among the largest operators of the Boeing 737-800, with a fleet of over 300 aircraft serving routes across Europe and North Africa.

HMS OCEAN CONDUCTS FIRST-TIME OPERATIONS OF 'WILDCAT' HELICOPTER

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Naval-technology.com

ON BOARD HMS OCEAN - The AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat (previously called the Future Lynx and Lynx Wildcat) is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx military helicopter designed to serve in the battlefield utility, search and rescue and anti-surface warfare roles. In British service, common variants are being operated by both the Royal Navy and British Army to replace their old Lynx rotorcraft. The AW159 has also been offered to several export customers, including the Republic of Korea Navy which placed an order for 8 in 2013.

F-35 WILL TAKE PART IN MAJOR MILITARY EXERCISE FOR THE FIRST TIME

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Reuters

UNITED STATES - The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters undergoing testing and final development by the United States. The fifth generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack, aerial reconnaissance, and air defense missions. The F-35 has three main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C carrier-based Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) variant.

The F-35 is descended from the X-35, which was the winning design of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by Lockheed Martin. Other major F-35 industry partners include Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney and BAE Systems. The F-35 took its first flight on 15 December 2006. The United States plans to buy 2,457 aircraft. The F-35 variants are intended to provide the bulk of the manned tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps over the coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled to be completed in 2037.

F-35 JSF development is being principally funded by the United States with additional funding from partners. The partner nations are either NATO members or close U.S. allies. The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey are part of the active development program; several additional countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the F-35.

JAPAN COULD BUY 4 E-2D HAWKEYE

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: Defense Security Cooperation Agency

JAPAN - The Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. This twin-turboprop aircraft was designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft Company for the United States Navy as a replacement for the earlier, radial piston-engined E-1 Tracer, which was rapidly becoming obsolete. The aircraft's performance has been upgraded with the E-2B, and E-2C versions, where most of the changes were made to the radar and radio communications due to advances in electronic integrated circuits and other electronics. The fourth version of the Hawkeye is the E-2D, which first flew in 2007. The E-2 was the first aircraft designed specifically for its role, as opposed to a modification of an existing airframe, such as the Boeing E-3 Sentry. Variants of the Hawkeye have been in continuous production since 1960, giving it the longest production run of any carrier-based aircraft.

The E-2 also received the nickname "Super Fudd" because it replaced the E-1 Tracer "Willy Fudd". In recent decades, the E-2 has been commonly referred to as the "Hummer" because of the distinctive sounds of its turboprop engines, quite unlike that of turbojet and turbofan jet engines. In addition to U.S. Navy service, smaller numbers of E-2s have been sold to the armed forces of Egypt, France, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and Taiwan.

UAE REQUIRES 1000 GBU-31 AND 600 GBU-12

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - The United Arab Emirates has requested a possible sale of 500 GBU-31B/B(V)1 (MK-84/BLU-117) bombs, 500 GBU-31B/B(V)3 (BLU-109) bombs, and 600 GBU-12 (MK-82/BLU-111) bombs, containers, fuzes, spare and repair parts. The estimated cost is $130 million. The principal contractors will be Boeing and Raytheon.

The GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb is an American aerial bomb, based on the Mk 82 500-pound general-purpose bomb, but with the addition of a nose-mounted laser seeker and fins for guidance. A member of the Paveway series of weapons, Paveway II entered into service c. 1976. It is currently in service with U.S. Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force, Colombian Air Force, Swedish Air Force, and various NATO air forces.

RMAF TO RATAIN MiG-29 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: New Straits Times

MALAYSIA - The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: "Fulcrum") is a twin-engine supermaneuverable jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the larger Sukhoi Su-27, was developed to counter new American fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983.

While originally oriented towards combat against any enemy aircraft, many MiG-29s have been furnished as multirole fighters capable of performing a number of different operations, and are commonly outfitted to use a range of air-to-surface armaments and precision munitions. The MiG-29 has been manufactured in several major variants, including the multirole Mikoyan MiG-29M and the navalised Mikoyan MiG-29K; the most advanced member of the family to date is the Mikoyan MiG-35. Later models frequently feature improved engines, glass cockpits with HOTAS-compatible flight controls, modern radar and IRST sensors, considerably increased fuel capacity; some aircraft have also been equipped for aerial refuelling.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the militaries of a number of former Soviet republics have continued to operate the MiG-29, the largest of which is the Russian Air Force. The Russian Air Force wanted to upgrade its existing fleet to the modernised MiG-29SMT configuration, but financial difficulties have limited deliveries. The MiG-29 has also been a popular export aircraft; more than 30 nations either operate or have operated the aircraft to date, India being one of the largest export operators of the type. As of 2013, the MiG-29 is in production by Mikoyan, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) since 2006.

The Royal Malaysian Air force has 12 MiG-29 in inventory at this moment.

USAF'S A-10 THUNDERBOLT II LIKELY TO KEEP FLYING

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: The Hill

UNITED STATES - The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American twin-engine, straight wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. It is the only United States Air Force production aircraft designed solely for close air support, including attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with limited air defenses.

The A-10 was designed around the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon that is its primary armament. The A-10's airframe was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb a significant amount of damage and continue flying. The A-10A single-seat variant was the only version built, though one A-10A was converted to an A-10B twin-seat version. In 2005, a program was begun to upgrade remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration.

The A-10's official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, a fighter that was particularly effective at close air support. The A-10 is more commonly known by its nicknames "Warthog" or "Hog". Its secondary mission is to provide airborne forward air control, directing other aircraft in attacks on ground targets. Aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10's service life may be extended to 2028, though there are proposals to retire it sooner.

QF-4 TARGETING DRONE TAKES ITS LAST FLIGHT

LINK TO THE INFORMATION: AirForceTimes




FLORIDA, USA - McDonell Douglas QRF-4C, QF-4B, E, G, N and S was retired aircraft converted into remote-controlled target drones used for weapons and defensive systems research by USAF and USN.