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April 2022 news
Defense Aviation and Aerospace Industry |
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According to information published by Hensoldt on April 29, 2022, the sensor solutions provider has been awarded a contract worth a mid-three-digit million euro amount for the next phase of Eurofighter maintenance.
Boeing and Saab on April 28 unveiled the first T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer jet to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force. The jet, one of 351 the U.S. Air Force plans to order, was unveiled prior to official delivery.
According to AzerNews.az, Turkey’s Defence Industry President Ismail Demir has stated that the National Combat Aircraft (MMU) will leave the hangar in 2023, Yeni Shafak newspaper reported. Demir answered questions regarding the agenda in a broadcast on TRT Haber: “We have trust in this initiative, which is really ambitious. We're on our journey, and we're hoping to make it to our goal. This will be accomplished by the nation's youth and engineers. We aim for our National Combat Aircraft to leave the hangar in 2023,” Demir stressed.
According to a tweet published by Ryan Chan on April 28, 2022, Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A conducts air-to-air refueling compatibility test with Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2.
As reported by Mark Phelps in AVweb, fans of Sonex Aircraft will find familiarity in the latest jet-powered unmanned air vehicle (UAV) released at the AUVSI Xponential convention in Orlando, Florida. Warminster-Pennsylvania-based Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) has partnered with Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based Sonex on a twin-engine version of its SubSonex Personal Jet kitplane. Known as the NASC Tracer, the newly announced aircraft is described as “a low-cost, high-performance UAV designed for speed, versatility and survivability.”
Sensor solutions provider Hensoldt has achieved a technological leap in the development of products for the electronic protection of aircraft. By combining artificial intelligence, digitisation and Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA) technologies, Hensoldt has developed a jamming system ("jammer") called 'Kalaetron Attack', which jams even the latest Russian radars, protecting aircraft against enemy air defence.
According to information published by Tass on April 26, 2022, Russian Su-25SM jets of the military Kant base in Kirgizia destroyed close to a hundred targets at tactical drills.
Based on market research, the U.S. Air Force has decided to replace a portion of its Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System fleet with the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail. A contract award is planned for the fiscal year 2023.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has integrated the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E V2 multi-mode radar onto an MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft and performed its first test flight on Apr. 14, 2021. The maritime-focused radar is also being fitted for the MQ-9B SeaGuardian RPA. “The benefits of this Maritime Patrol Radar (MPR) in the complex littoral and maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) environment will add world-class situational awareness for our RPA,” said GA-ASI Vice President of International Strategic Development Robert Schoeffling.
According to information published by Bild on April 26, 2022, Germany plans to buy 60 CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from the US company Boeing amid the Ukraine crisis.
Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the development and integration of a new launch system for Gripen C/D and Gripen E. The order, valued at approximately SEK 400 million, was placed during the first quarter.
An Italian Air Force F-35A fighter detachment is lined up to deploy to Iceland in support of NATO's enduring Air Policing efforts in the High North, Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office reports.
The U.S. Marine Corps declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter, validating the platform's operational readiness to forward deploy Marines and equipment across the globe. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, designed and manufactures the CH-53K, which enables the U.S. Marine Corps and international militaries to move troops and equipment from ship to shore, and to higher altitude terrain, more quickly and effectively than ever before.
Embraer delivered on April 20 the 7th and last modernized AF-1 fighter jet (an AF-1B) to the Brazilian Navy (Marinha). The ceremony was held at Embraer's industrial unit in Gavião Peixoto, in São Paulo state. Under the AF-1 program (the Navy designation for the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk), five single-seat AF-1Bs and two two-seat AF-1Cs.
As the Netherlands Defense Ministry announced on April 20, a milestone in the history of the Dutch armed forces took place: a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper made its 1st training flight. This happened on April 20 from Curaçao, where the Air Force will test the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the coming period. In addition, the unit can directly collect intelligence in support of (military) organizations in the Caribbean.
Sabca and Sabena Aerospace, part of the Blueberry Group, Belgium's first sustainable aerospace ecosystem, and the Kingdom of Morocco as well as Lockheed Martin announced on April 14 that they recently signed a strategic partnership implementing the Moroccan joint venture Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM), in the presence of Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Moroccan Government in charge of National Defence Administration.
The Republic of Angola has placed a firm order for three Airbus C295s to perform multirole operations. Two aircraft will be specifically equipped for maritime surveillance and one for transport missions. The aircraft configured for transport missions will be able to carry out tactical cargo and troop transport tasks, para dropping, load dropping or humanitarian missions.
On April 19, the Indian Air Force (IAF) tweeted that, in coordination with the Indian Navy, it successfully tested the BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi Su-30-MkI on the Eastern seaboard: “Today on the Eastern seaboard, IAF undertook live firing of BrahMos missile from a Su-30 MkI aircraft. The missile achieved a direct hit on the target, a decommissioned Indian Navy ship. The mission was undertaken in close coordination with the Indian Navy", the IAF tweeted.
Laurent Lagneau recalls on opex360 that, on December 3, 2021, the United Arab Emirates signed an order for a total amount of approximately 16 billion euros to procure 80 Rafale fighter-bombers of the F-4 standard and the associated ammunition. However, a contract never comes into force immediately after being signed: for this, the customer must pay an initial deposit to the manufacturer concerned. And so that's what just happened.
Romania is set to accelerate a planned acquisition of second-hand F-16A/B fighters from Norway, Reuters reported quoting the country’s Defence ministry. Romania, a NATO member since 2004, grounded its MiG-21 LanceR C fleet due to their high accident rate, Air Force Technology reports. This forthcoming acquisition is not related to the war in Ukraine. Alongside, Romania will continue to operate the older F-16s obtained from Portugal.
