March 2016 Air Force Military Aviation Defence Industry News
 
 

UAE signed a $361mn deal for 8 Piaggio P.1HH Hammerhead UAVs

UAE signed a $361mn deal for 8 Piaggio P.1HH Hammerhead UAVs
 
UAE signed a 361mn deal for 8 Piaggio P 1HH Hammerhead UAVs 640 001
The UAE on Monday signed a deal worth $361.2 million with Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Company (ADASI) for eight Piaggio P.1HH Hammerhead unmanned aerial vehicles, UAE Armed Forces General Headquarters announced on its website on Tuesday, March 8.
 

CAE expands its Tampa training center with new C-130H/L-382 simulator

CAE expands its Tampa training center with new C-130H/L-382 simulator
 
CAE expands its Tampa training center with new C 30H L simulato 640 001
CAE yesterday announced that CAE USA has expanded its C-130 training center located in Tampa, Florida with the addition of a new C-130H/L-382 full-mission simulator that is ready-for-training. The new CAE-built simulator features the Rockwell Collins integrated Flight2 glass cockpit avionics system, which Rockwell Collins offers to global C-130 operators considering avionics modernization programs for existing C-130 Hercules aircraft.
 

Finmeccanica started production of BriteCloud expendable decoy systems

Finmeccanica started production of BriteCloud expendable decoy systems
 
Finmeccanica started production of BriteCloud expendable decoy systems 640 001
Following the success of trials with Gripen in April 2015, Finmeccanica has begun Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of BriteCloud. The first production rounds will fulfil the testing and evaluation requirements of perspective clients, the Italy-based company said on Marh, 4, 2016.
 

China and Russia heavy-lift helicopter joint development project underway

China and Russia heavy-lift helicopter joint development project underway
 
China and Russia heavy lift helicopter joint development project underway 640 001
According to the state-run newspaper People's Daily, China and Russia have conducted the seventh round of negotiations on their joint development of heavy-lift helicopters. Both sides have reached a consensus on the core technology, said Yu Feng, President of AVIC Helicopter Co. Ltd. on Monday, March 7, 2016.
 

Héroux-Devtek to develop landing gear for South Korea's KF-X fighter program

Héroux-Devtek to develop landing gear for South Korea's KF-X fighter program
 
Héroux Devtek to develop landing gear for Korea s KF X fighter program 640 001
Héroux-Devtek recently announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Hanwha Corporation of the Republic of Korea for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase of the KF-X fighter aircraft.
 

USAF selects seven key partners to develop next-gen B-21 bomber

USAF selects seven key partners to develop next-gen B-21 bomber
 
USAF selects seven key partners to develop next gen B 21 bomber 640 001
The US Air Force has chosen several aerospace companies to work with prime contractor Northrop Grumman on the new long-range B-21 strategic bomber project, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James told a press conference. James said the companies are: Pratt & Whitney, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Rockwell Collins, Spirit Aerosystems and Orbital ATK.
 

USAF B-52 Stratofortress bombers join French-led exercise Serpentex

USAF B-52 Stratofortress bombers join French-led exercise Serpentex
 
USAF B 52 Stratofortress bombers join French led exercise Serpentex 640 001
U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses joined French aircraft and ground troops from a dozen nations to kick off a close air support exercise in the Mediterranean March 7. Serpentex, an annual French-led exercise, involves joint terminal attack controllers from 12 partner countries.
 

Poland's pilots started in-flight training with T-346A advanced jet trainer

Poland's pilots started in-flight training with T-346A advanced jet trainer
 
Poland pilots started in flight training on T 346A advanced jet trainer 640 001
Polish Air Force's pilot carried out the first flight on Finmeccanica's T-346A advanced jet trainer, the Italian Air Force (IAF) announced on its website on March 3. Polish Air Force (PAF) pilot took to the skies on March 2 from the Fortunato Cesari airbase, in Galatina, Italy. The PAF officer made this maiden flight with Finmeccanica's test pilot.
 

Lockheed Martin wins a $116mn contract from USAF for JASSM missiles production

Lockheed Martin wins a $116mn contract from USAF for JASSM missile production
 
Lockheed Martin wins a 116mn contract from USAF for JASSM missiles production 640 001
Lockheed Martin, under its Missiles and Fire Control division, has been awarded a $116,820,526 contract for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) program. The US-based giant will provide JASSM production, system upgrades, integration, sustainment, management and logistical support, the US Department of Defense announced on its website on March 4, 2016.
 

Paramount Group to partner with Boeing for light multirole aircraft production

Paramount Group to partner with Boeing for light multirole aircraft production
 
Paramount Group to partner with Boeing for light multirole aircraft production 640 001
According to The National, the US plane maker Boeing and the South African defence company Paramount said they would collaborate on light multirole aircraft. Boeing will provide advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and weapons systems for Paramount’s Mwari military aircraft, the companies said on Monday, March 7, 2016.
 

U.S. and South Korea kick off largest-ever joint military drills amid tension with North Korea

U.S. and South Korea kick off largest-ever joint military drills amid tension with North Korea
 
US and South Korea kick off largest ever joint military-drills amid tension withNorth Korea 640 001
South Korea and the United States on Monday, March, 7, 2016, kicked off their largest-ever annual war games weeks after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear test and long-range rocket launch, Combined Forces Command (CFC) said in a statement.
 

Denmark plans to send F-16 fighter jets to help in fight against IS in Iraq and Syria

Denmark plans to send F-16 fighter jets to help in fight against IS in Iraq and Syria
 
Denmark plans to send F 16 fighter jets to help in fight against IS in Iraq and Syria 640 001
The Danish government on Friday announced plans to send special forces and F-16 fighter jets into Iraq and Syria to join the fight against the Islamic State (IS). "The government wants to intensify the fight against the terrorist organization IS... It is a serious decision to send Danish men and women on mission in the world's trouble spots," said Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen in a press statement.
 

Boeing's second KC-46A multirole tanker aircraft took to the skies

Boeing's second KC-46A multirole tanker aircraft took to the skies
 
Boeing second KC 46A multirole tanker aircraft took to the skies 640 001
The Boeing test team successfully completed the first flight of the program’s second KC-46A tanker aircraft yesterday, taking off from Paine Field and landing later at Boeing Field in Seattle, the US-based defense giant announced on its website on March 3rd.
 

Rolls-Royce, MD Helicopters to launch new M250-C47E/3 engine for MD 530-series

Rolls-Royce, MD Helicopters to launch new M250-C47E/3 engine for MD 530-series
 
Rolls-Royce MD Helicopters to launch new M250 C47E 3 engine for MD 530 series 640 001
Rolls-Royce and MD Helicopters have reached agreement to launch the new M250-C47E/3 variant for MD 530-series and growth derivative airframes. Rolls-Royce is the exclusive engine provider for MD Helicopters’ single-engine platforms.
 

France & UK agree to invest $2bn in the Future Combat Air System project

France & UK agree to invest $2bn in the Future Combat Air System project
 
France UK agree to invest 2bn in the Future Combat Air System project 640 001
The French President François Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday announced a new $2bn project to build a prototype of the next generation of unmanned aircraft. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project builds on the successful $170 million joint feasibility study undertaken after the last UK France Summit in 2014.
 

Jordan receives 8 Black Hawk helicopters from US to help in fight against ISIS

Jordan receives 8 Black Hawk helicopters from US to help in fight against ISIS
 
Jordan receives 8 Black Hawk helicopters from US to help in fight against ISIS 640 001
According to ABC News, the United State gave Jordan eight refurbished helicopters on Thursday for the battle against Islamic State extremists along the kingdom's borders. Pro-Western Jordan is part of a U.S.-led military coalition against IS, which controls large parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq.
 

Finland's Border Guard receives its first Airbus H215 SAR helicopter

Finland's Border Guard receives its first Airbus H215 SAR helicopter
 
Finland Border Guard receives its first Airbus H215 SAR helicopter 640 001
Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first of two H215s to join the Finnish Border Guard fleet, announced yesterday at the Heli Expo Trade Show, where an H215 can be visited on the static display. The first H215 arrived in Finland on February 28 following a training session at the Airbus Helicopters headquarters in Marignane, France. The second is set to arrive upon completion of a second training session in April. More than 140 flight hours will be performed during the trainings.
 

MD Helicopters successfully test-flies MD 902 Explorer with upgraded flight deck

MD Helicopters successfully test-flies MD 902 Explorer with upgraded flight deck
 
MD Helicopters successfully test flies MD 902 helicopter with upgraded flight deck 640 001
MD Helicopters announced the successful first flight of the Universal Avionics InSight Integrated Flight Deck in the MD 902 Explorer. First Flight efforts were conducted by MDHI’s engineering and development teams in multiple phases at MD Helicopters’ Mesa, Arizona (USA) headquarters. Also on-site were the teams from Tucson, Arizona-based Universal Avionics and Fort Worth, Texas-based Howell Instruments.
 

USAF's Block 16 B-1 bomber performs first-ever long-range strike drill

USAF's Block 16 B-1 bomber performs first-ever long-range strike drill
 
USAF Block 16 B 1 bomber performs first ever long range strike drill 640 001
After more than a decade of performing precision strike operations in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility, the B-1 Lancers have returned home. While U.S. and coalition aircraft step in to continue the air campaign in Iraq and Syria, where B-1s from Dyess and Ellsworth Air Force Bases delivered devastating blows to Daesh forces, the Lancers are stateside, completing the largest fleet sustainment block upgrade in the program's history.
 

DARPA Announces VTOL X-Plane Phase 2 Design

DARPA Announces VTOL X-Plane Phase 2 Design
 
DARPA VTOL X-Plane Phase 2 Design
For decades, aircraft designers seeking to improve vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities have endured a substantial set of interrelated challenges. Dozens of attempts have been made to increase top speed without sacrificing range, efficiency or the ability to do useful work, with each effort struggling or failing in one way or another.
 

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