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September 2022 news
Defense Aviation and Aerospace Industry |
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The Nigerian Navy has taken delivery of at least four AR-500 carrier-based drones from China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Lionel Ekene reports in Military Africa. The AVIC AR-500B and AR-500C UAVs first flew in November 2020 at the Poyang test flight base.
According to information published by Infodron on September 30, 2022, Morocco has purchased 150 WanderB and ThunderB VTOL drones, manufactured by the Israeli company BlueBird and is evaluating the purchase of more types of Israeli-made UAS. Part of the production of these drones will be carried out in Morocco, both for ISR missions and those that are armed.
MCAS IWAKUNI, Japan – Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12 conducted an AIM-9X missile live fire from the southern coast of Japan to exercise their air-to-air warfare capabilities. Fourth generation F/A-18 Hornets and 5th generation F-35B Lightning II aircraft from the group’s fighter squadrons, Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA(AW)) 533, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, and VMFA-242 respectively, participated in the exercise. This also marked VMFA-242’s first missile live fire since achieving full operational capability in May 2022.
The fourth-generation Lockheed Martin AC-130 gunship of the US Air Force, called the “Ghostrider”, is finally set to test-fire a high-energy laser in flight, seven years after the idea was first floated. Sakshi Tiwari reports on Eurasian Times.
Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), one of Australia’s key regional engagement activities, returns to Southeast Asia and the Northeast Indian Ocean from September to November this year, visiting a record 14 countries in this iteration.
The São Paulo Aeronautical Material Park (PAMASP), through the Integrated Maintenance Center (CIM), held, on September 14, 2022, a military ceremony alluding to the delivery of another H225M aircraft of the Brazilian Navy (MB), due to completion of a scheduled inspection. The graduation was presided over by the Director of the Directorate of Aeronautical and War Material (DIRMAB), Air Brigadier Major Rodrigo Fernandes Santos, and was attended by the Commander of the Naval Air Force, Rear Admiral Augusto José da Silva Fonseca Júnior; as well as civil and military authorities.
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) took another step towards the objective of expanding the defense capacity and guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country's airspace and its borders. On September 25, two more F-39 Gripen aircraft landed in Brazil. They are in addition to two other series production fighters already received in April.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announces that Indian Artificial Intelligence (AI) Company 114ai has become one of its first partnerships as part of GA-ASI’s “Make in India” roadmap. In November 2021, 114ai made headlines as the only Indian company to win a U.S.-U.K. Joint Space Contract.
Embraer delivered the first two SABER M60 2.0 version radars to the Brazilian Army, which will be used in their Anti-Aircraft Artillery Units. In addition to these two radars, Embraer announced a new contract that includes four additional radars of the same model, which was revealed in April this year.
Since July, a group of pilots and on-board technicians from the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměště nad Oslavou have been training on the new types of UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters at the US Marine Corps Base Pendleton. In September, the initial theoretical training was replaced by the first practical flights.
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced on September 28 that it was awarded a contract valued at $120 million to supply Hermes 900 Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and training capabilities to the Royal Thai Navy. The contract will be performed over a three-year period.
The US Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing site’s Advanced Electro-Optical System, or AEOS, the Department of Defense’s largest telescope, measuring 3.6 meters or 11.9 feet, has received a face-lift.
MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS-DEFENSE/. Upgraded Ka-52M helicopter is equipped with heated blades against icing, a defense industry source told TASS.
RNZAF No. 40 Squadron personnel are attending the Advanced Airlift Tactical Training Centre (AATTC), with a C-130 Hercules, to develop the crew’s proficiency to conduct tactical missions in austere environments.
During the exhibition DX Korea, held from September 21 to September 25, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) unveiled a variant of its LAH (light attack helicopter).
The first digital air traffic control tower is now live and in operation at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany. The base is equipped with a state-of-the-art Saab r-TWR system.
Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, approved the KC-46A Pegasus for worldwide deployments to meet combatant command taskings effective Sept. 14, 2022.
On September 26, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is enhancing its air mobility operations based in Europe as it conducts ongoing missions there and around the world.
Soldiers from B Company, 3-2 General Support Aviation Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade conducted deck landings with CH-47F Chinook helicopters on the the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), in the East Sea on September 26, 2022.
Aircraft from 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron based at RAF Coningsby conducted a long-planned live fire exercise with the Royal Navy, and United States counterparts on a decommissioned United States Navy warship.
