CamoFix

Kazakhstan Air Force has received new Sukhoi Su-30SM. The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan April 17, 2015 to announce the arrival at the air base in the city of Taldykorgan new Su-30cm.

This multi-purpose aircraft will greatly enhance the combat potential of the Air Defense Forces. In addition, the technical capabilities of the aircraft will achieve a high level of training of flight crews, “- said Air Force Major General Nurlan Ormanbetov.

Recall that in the near future Kazakh Air Force extended with new fighter Su-30cm 4 ++ generation. This will significantly increase the reliability of the protection of the air borders of our country – the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakh army every year is growing, the troops received modern military equipment, increasing the professionalism of our military personnel.

The UK government is unlikely to block any request by Argentina to buy Saab Gripen NG fighters, Brazilian defence minister Jacques Wagner told reporters on 15 April.

The statement at the Latin American Aviation and Defence exhibition comes nearly six months after Argentinian defence minister Agustin Rossi expressed interest in Brazilian-assembled Gripen NGs, despite a need to import key technologies such as the ejection seat and the radar from a historic rival in the UK.

So far, there has still been no official request by Argentina to import British technologies for either Gripen NGs or Embraer KC-390s, Lt Gen José Crepaldi, head of Brazilian air force acquisition programmes.

Argentina is one of the three international industrial partners in Embraer’s KC-390 tactical transport. Several KC-390 systems are supplied by British or British-controlled firms, such as BAE Systems flight control computers and active side stick controllers, Ultra Electronics electronic controls and sensors as well as Cobham’s fuel tanks, inflight refueling equipment and composite material nose radomes.

Wagner mentioned that to overcome any “obstacles” Embraer might have to substitute these blocked components by other international suppliers. Wagner did not elaborate on whether Brazil or Argentina would be required to pay for such redesign and recertification of the KC-390 or the Gripen NG.
According to Wagner, the full resolution of restrictive export policies will only be possible once the UK accepts to “discuss the issue of the Falklands Islands sovereignty with Argentina through UN-mediated talks”.

Separately, Wagner also acknowledged that the Brazilian government recently owed Embraer around $200 million in unpaid bills for the KC-390 development, but about $40 million of that total was paid last week.

The LCA Tejas has completed hot and high & winter trials, including cold soak starting tests of its engine and ensuing flight performance. The success of the January 2015 tests allows the flight team to heave a sigh of relief given that there had been trepidation about full load trials at high altitude.

According to ADA, with three consecutive start-ups of its engine after overnight soak in extreme cold (around -15ºC) conditions of Ladakh, that too without any external assistance, Tejas, the Indian Light Combat Aircraft has achieved yet another rare distinction.

Starting the fighter aircraft under such extreme condition without any external assistance or heating is a technology breakthrough.

The requirements become further stringent when the starting is to be done three times consecutively with a partially charged battery. Team LCA led by AERD&C of HAL, and members from ADA, NFTC, IAF, CEMILAC and DGAQA have succeeded in achieving this.
Progress on LCA Mk.2 cockpit config ::

The look and feel of the all-glass cockpit that the LCA Tejas Mk.2 will sport is fructifying with the Aeronautical Development Agency announcing that the main display will involve two 6×8 Smart MFDs and one 5×5 smart MFD in centre console “based on the latest and best design technologies currently available in the market.

The ADA is looking for a full solution to its SMFD needs for the LCA Mk.2 programme. The capability exists in country, though a competitive process will now ensue. The ADA is looking for active matrix TFT color liquid crystal display SMFDs with separate LED backlight for day and night modes with redundancy for backlighting in both the modes, touch screen capability (will be the first Indian aircraft to sport touch screen panels), anti-reflection coating, full sun readability and night vision capability, compatibility as per NVIS Class B MIL-STD-3009B, EMI protectio, the bezel shall have push buttons, rocker switches and rotary knobs, auto brightness control (ABC) of the display using illumination sensors placed on bezel, capability for windowed image overlay driven by the display processors, dual channel video to support redundant display processors, continuous health monitoring with periodic built-in-test reporting along with its normal operation, provision for operator Initiated Built-In-Test, In-situ programming capability. Conduction Cooled with no external cooling for the entire range of operating temperature.

Embraer and Saab today have signed an agreement that establishes a partnership for joint management of the F-X2 Project for the Brazilian Air Force following the Memorandum of Understanding announced on July 11th, 2014. The partnership agreement is part of Saab’s commitment to deliver industrial co-operation in relation to the F-X2 project. Under this agreement, Embraer will have a leading role in the overall performance of the programme. Embraer will also undertake an extensive share of work in the production and delivery of both the single and two-seat versions of the Gripen NG, Brazil’s next-generation fighter jet. 

Embraer will be responsible for extensive work packages in systems development, integration, flight test, final assembly and aircraft deliveries. Embraer will also participate in the coordination of all development and production activities in Brazil. Furthermore, Embraer and Saab will be jointly responsible for the complete development of the two-seat version of the Gripen NG. Beginning in the second half of 2015, a team of Embraer engineers and technicians will be based in Sweden to conduct initial training in the maintenance and development work for the Gripen NG. This skill and competence will subsequently be transferred to Brazil. Embraer and Saab will build an Engineering Centre at Embraer's industrial plant in Gavião Peixoto, in the state of São Paulo, to support operations of the Gripen NG fighters with the Brazilian Air Force.

“With this agreement, Embraer and Saab establish a long-term partnership on a strategic project for Brazil and for the Brazilian Air Force,” says Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “The Gripen NG will raise the operational standard of our Air Force and enable it, with the appropriate means, to fulfill its primary mission, which is the defense of our territory.”

“Through this partnership we will secure an excellent result for the Brazilian Air Force and we will establish solid ground for success with future business opportunities and customers. Not only do we share experience in the defense and aeronautical markets, but both organisations have a clear dedication to customer satisfaction that validates Gripen as the most capable and modern fighter system on the market”, says Lennart Sindahl, Deputy CEO at Saab.

“The Brazilian Air Force sees with great enthusiasm this additional incentive to the Brazilian industry, through the companies of the defense sector. This new strategic partnership confirms that we are building a promising future. The defense industry needs to be increasingly strengthened as it is one of the main drivers of scientific and technological development of our country”, said Aeronautics Commander, Air Force Brigadier General Nivaldo Luiz Rossato. 

The implementation of the partnership for joint programme management between Saab and Embraer is subject to the F-X2 contracts between Saab and COMAER (Brazilian Air Force Command) becoming effective. The contract between Saab and COMAER for Gripen NG and the associated industrial co-operation contract will come into effect once certain conditions have been fulfilled. These conditions are expected to be fulfilled during the first half of 2015.

The Gripen NG is a true multi-role fighter aircraft, based on the proven Gripen C/D platform. It is built to adapt to all of the changing threats and operational requirements currently faced by modern air forces. Gripen’s combination of very advanced operational capabilities with moderate through-life costs make the fighter absolutely unique on the world market.

The new Indian government’s decision ‘in principle’ to buy 36 Rafale combat aircraft direct from the Dassault production line in France, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 10, appears to spell the end of the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) acquisition process. Speaking on Indian television two days later, defense minister Manohar Parrikar acknowledged that the protracted delay in closing the MMRCA deal, caused largely by difficulty in agreeing terms and conditions for licensed production of the Rafale in India, had not served India well.

Under the MMRCA plan, the Indian Air Force (IAF) would have received its first squadron of 18 Rafales from France, 12 single- and six twin-seaters. A further 108 would have been produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Now, the IAF will form only two Rafale squadrons, with a possible third to follow if an option for 18 more jets is taken up. The new deal is worth $4.25 billion, according to Dev Mehta, an analyst with London-based Strategic Defence Intelligence (SDI), although “various design and pricing issues need to be worked out,” he continued.

Modi said given “the critical operational necessity,” India wanted the Rafales on an urgent basis and “the terms and conditions [of the contract] would be modified’ accordingly. India apparently now hopes to receive its first Rafales in 2017, but this will require Team Rafale to significantly increase the production rate, which has been only 11 per year. The recent order by Egypt must also be accommodated. Further Rafale deliveries to the French air force may be almost suspended in favor of the export customers, to the benefit of the stretched French defense budget.

Parrikar said that the Rafale acquisition should have been a “government-to-government” deal from the outset. He added that a new defense procurement policy would be announced soon, and would be less complicated than the current policy, with its “Make in India” provisions. Mehta said the new Rafale deal “has given the IAF much-needed breathing space while keeping other options open. It is likely to free up funds that can partly be used for scaling up production of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft [LCA] and the faster induction of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft [FGFA] in collaboration with Russia.” AIN has learned that an additional 30 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs will be ordered in the meanwhile.

Coalition air forces have now conducted nearly 3,000 airstrikes on Iraq and Syria since Operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) began more than six months ago. But although Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have retaken some territory, notably Tikrit west of Baghdad, ISIL remains in control of large areas. The situation in Syria is very confused, with independent reports suggesting that Islamist extremist groups have gained ground. Some Iranian troops are deployed in Syria, and Iran advised and armed the Shia militias that accounted for two-thirds of the force that retook Tikrit. 

In the first days of April, airstrikes by fighters, bombers and UAVs continued at an average of 10 per day over Iraq and five per day over Syria. Targets were almost 100 percent tactical, according to U.S. Central Command, including anti-aircraft guns, artillery pieces, excavators and vehicles, plus “checkpoints, command and control facilities, fighting positions, military garrisons and staging areas.” Canada extended its mandate to include Syrian airstrikes, joining Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the U.S. in that effort, plus possibly Qatar. Six other coalition partners—Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the UK—are limited to striking only Iraq. 

Centcom gave mixed signals on progress last month. On March 5, Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin told Congress that the counter-ISIL campaign was still “in the early stages.” But on March 26 a spokesman said that “the tables are turning. Iraqi security forces are gaining ground.” The same day, Austin was back in Congress stating that ISIL could no longer seize and hold new territory in Iraq, although the group had greater freedom of movement in Syria.

The Jordanian F-16 shot down over northern Syria remains the only known coalition casualty. Its pilot was subsequently murdered by ISIL. The U.S. moved V-22 Ospreys used for combat SAR into Iraq following criticism from Arab partners that they were stationed too far away in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, another air war got under way over Yemen on March 26. With F-15s, Tornados and Typhoons, Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition that also comprises Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan and the UAE. Aircraft from all of these countries are trying to reverse the takeover of Yemen by Shia rebels backed by Iran.

Raytheon Company recently completed two milestones for the newest Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM®), the AIM-120D. The U.S. Air Force successfully completed testing and fielded the AIM-120D. The U.S. Navy achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on the weapon.

"AMRAAM is the most capable air-to-air weapon ever produced," said Ron Krebs, AMRAAM program director for Raytheon Missile Systems. "The AIM-120D represents a significant improvement in air-to-air weapons capabilities and the technologies it brings to the battlefield give U.S. warfighters an unmatched advantage in the air-to-air arena."

With the Air Force, the new AMRAAM was subjected to several scenarios designed to represent realistic combat conditions. AIM-120D demonstrated outstanding capability against challenging targets, and it performed superbly in all regimes of flight. Airborne testing verified that AIM-120D is ready for overseas deployment.

IOC follows extensive flight testing, where the Navy integrated and tested Raytheon's AMRAAM AIM-120D missile on the F/A-18 Hornet and the Super Hornet aircraft. The Navy plans to deploy with the D later this year.

The AIM-120D is the newest air-to-air weapon in the U.S. arsenal and has significant capability improvements, including increased range, GPS-aided navigation, two-way data link and improved weapons effectiveness.
About AMRAAM
AMRAAM is a combat-proven missile that demonstrates operational flexibility in both air-to-air and surface-launch scenarios and provides today's warfighter with enhanced operational capability, cost effectiveness and future growth options/solutions. Procured by 36 countries, the combat-proven AMRAAM has been integrated on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, Harrier, F-4 and the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. It is also the baseline missile for the NATO-approved National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.

The highly anticipated F-3, Japan’s first domestically-made stealth jet, is aiming to conduct test flights this summer, reports the PLA Daily, a China-based media outlet for the People’s Liberation Army.

If the tests are successful, the F-3 will represent a breakthrough for Japan in terms of stealth capabilities and high-powered engine technology, the report said. The advanced fifth-generation fighter, which originates from Japan’s advanced technology demonstrator-experimental (ATD-X) program, has been designed to deliver superior performance in the four major quality indicators of stealth, supersonic cruise capability, maneuverability and integrated avionics systems.

In terms of stealth technology, the F-3’s exterior is said to contain absorbing materials that can reduce radar reflection. Apart from evading radar detection, the aircraft also aims to eliminate visible light signals, electronic signals, heat and noise in order to minimize detectability.

The cruise capability of the F-3 will rely on its 15-ton-level high-powered engine co-developed by Japan’s IHI Corporation and the Technical Research and Development Institute of the country’s Ministry of Defense. The engine will reportedly feature XF5-1 low-bypass turbofan technology and composite ceramic materials highly resistant to heat.

Ordinarily, fighter jets need to make a compromise between stealth and maneuverability, but the F-3’s design is said to be able to resolve the conflict. The jet has been designed to be light and multi-purpose, with diamond-shaped wings with no empennage. It has also borrowed advantageous designs from other American fighter jets, with an intake ramp similar to that of the X-32 and a Y-shaped tail that resembles the YF-23.

The F-3’s avionics system integrates a high-performance active phased array radar, electronic warfare systems and multi-function RF sensors, with fiber cables to enable high mobility control and improved radar technology to expand the detection area and distance.

Despite its impressive design, the F-3 still faces many practical obstacles before it can become a reality, the PLA Daily said. Researchers are still exploring engine capabilities and need to figure out problems such as compressors and burners for such a high-powered engine. The fact that engines in the older F-2, which are less powerful than those in the F-3, have malfunctioned during flights, with reports of strong vibrations during high speeds, demonstrates that Japan’s engine technology is not sufficiently mature, the PLA Daily added.
The aircraft’s avionics system is also problematic because it is split into software and hardware, and Japan’s lack of experience dealing with complex air flows could make the system vulnerable to poor weather conditions. The hydraulics system is also believed to be a concern for a stealth jet designed to be so agile.

Additionally, Japan’s fighter materials technology has reached a bottleneck. The US F-15, for instance, has a titanium proportion as high as 26.5%, but it is not practical for Japan to simply copy the Americans as the former is completely reliant on imports for such raw materials.

The development of the F-3 carries significant strategic meaning for Japan, the PLA Daily said. On the one hand, the aircraft is viewed upon as a return to form for Japan’s aviation industry and represents a show of strength against China, especially given Tokyo’s efforts to lift its constitutional prohibition against collective self-defense. On the other, a successful F-3 program shows that Japan can stand on its own in developing a superior fighter. Japan has been over-reliant on the US in developing fighter jets in the past, rendering its own technologies lagging. America’s guarded attitude towards Japan has led to the US suspending cooperation on multiple occasions, so the F-3 could end up being a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

The crash of three military aircraft in late February and early March have prompted Turkey’s defense procurement officials to accelerate their efforts to choose a conceptual trainer aircraft, a program that should progress in tandem with a plan to build an indigenous Turkish fighter jet.

Turkish officials said the twin crashes were a forceful reminder of a pressing need “to go faster” in selecting a fighter aircraft model based on which Turkey would also build a trainer.

“The new trainer will be constructed to cater for the chosen fighter model,” one senior official said. “The top [defense procurement] management is aware of a need to go faster with both programs. They will go with a ‘priority’ tag.”  

Turkey is looking for a commercially available fighter model to build its indigenous program on. It will then build an aircraft to train its pilots for the TX-F, the Turkish fighter.  

Military rules out technical problems
Military officials say that ideally by 2017, the Turkish trainer fleet will comprise screeners, the Korean-made KT-1, the Turkish-made Hürkuş, the upgraded T-38 (T-38T) and the F-16. By 2025, the trainer fleet will have the screeners, the Hürkuş, the indigenous trainer designed and developed for the fighter Turkey intends to build, the TF-X, and a combination of the F-16s, TF-Xs and F-35s.

Two Turkish RF-4E reconnaissance jets crashed into a hill on Feb. 27 near Malatya, eastern Turkey, killing all four pilots aboard. On March 5, an F-4E fighter crashed over an electronic warfare test field near Konya in Central Anatolia, killing the two pilots aboard. 
The Turkish military ruled out technical reasons for both mishaps. A statement from the military headquarters March 10 blamed the accidents on piloting errors. Although the military denied technical failures about the aircraft, it said March 11 that it would decommission the remaining eight RF-4E aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory by March 12. 

To augment its trainer aircraft fleet, Turkey has signed a deal with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to buy 10 Hürkuş trainers, but is also pushing for a follow-on order from Korean Aerospace Industries for 15 KT-1s in an approximately $150 million deal. In 2007, Turkey and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a contract for the sale of an initial batch of 40 KT-1s, with an option for 15 more. Aviation experts say the Turkish military is not comfortable about the Hürkuş’s delivery schedule, targeted for 2017-2018.

According to Japanese newspaper "The Japan Times", Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Monday his government is considering the possibility of buying the US-2 amphibious aircraft from Japan.

“We feel (there’s a match) and we wish to buy. We’re still mulling (this), and if we already finish (the assessment) we will report to the president about this,” Ryacudu said in an interview.

ShinMaywa is the prime manufacturer of the world's only amphibian aircraft capable of open-sea landing and takeoff. According to ShinMaywa: Remarkable capabilities of our US-1A and US-2 STOL Search and Rescue Amphibians enable the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force to transport emergency patients from outlying islands and rescue victims of disasters at sea.
Indonesian Navy already evaluated the Aron littoral combat WIG craft two years ago. According to various sources, Indonesia is also evaluating the procurement of Be-200 multipurpose amphibious aircraft from Russia.

Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri reported over Easter that the Swedish Jas Gripen jet is a strong candidate for successor to the soon obsolete Finnish Hornet fighter jets. However, Defense Minister Carl Haglund emphasised that the various options have only been tentatively explored.

Dagens Industri this Easter resurrected conjecture that Swedish fighter jets may be used to replace outdated Finnish Hornets. The paper also claimed that the use of Gripens would facilitate Finnish-Swedish defense cooperation because the air force would be able to utilise other bases.

A deepening of defence cooperation between the two nations has strong support from both sides.

However, Defense Minister Carl Haglund threw cold water over such speculation, saying on Sunday that the issue is far from decided, and that it is subject to standard preliminary studies, which began last October.

“Swedish fighter jets don’t have special status when Finland ponders the Hornet’s successor,” Minister for Defence Carl Haglund responded to an e-mail to STT on Sunday.
"Part of normal preparations"
The Ministry of Defence, the Defence Command and Air Force representatives have joined forces to conduct a broad foundational study, which will be completed at the end of May.

The new government will begin a feasibility study after the actual procurement preparations are made this year. The final procurement decision should be made in the early 2020s, meaning that the it will be made by the next government’s successor.

The new jet fighters would be manufactured and delivered between 2020-2030.

Ovanes Mikoyan, son of the famous creator of the Soviet MiG jets, aircraft builder and adviser to director of the Structural Engineering Centre of the Mikoyan Design Bureau said in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets, that the future of aviation is in drones.

Russia is developing a series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Active work in this area began in 2008, when the conflict with Georgia showed a need for reconnaissance and combat drones, and the Soviet Pchyola (Bee) and Reys (Flight) no longer met modern battlefield needs.

“This theme (of UAVs) must be developed,” said Ovanes Mikoyan, son of the famous creator of the Soviet MiG aircraft. “A pilot need not be always sent to the front line. It is enough to have an operator on the ground, who can fly a drone to the destination, and perform almost all the same tasks as a pilot, albeit a little worse than now, but with lower losses,” said Mikoyan, also an aircraft designer and adviser to the Structural Engineering Centre of the Mikoyan Design Bureau.

In Russia, according to Mikoyan, “all and sundry” are working on the development of drones, with the Mikoyan Design Bureau having its own projects as well.
“We have lots of ideas at the Design Bureau. The important thing is that the state provides support. Then the future will not be only in the company that bears my father’s name, but in the overall Russian aviation industry,” said Mikoyan.

It is worth noting that the MiG Design Bureau, together with Klimov OJSC, presented the concept of a full-sized model of a stealth jet-powered UAV – the Skat, back in 2007, during the MAKS-2007 Air show. Despite its promising features, (maximum takeoff weight of 10 tons, and practical range of 4000 m), stealth, and consequently ultramodern appearance (vaguely reminiscent of the American carrier-based UAV X-47B, it was first presented to the public in 2008) this program was soon cancelled.

Instead, in July 2012, the “overpowering” Sukhoi was officially declared the developer of a heavy UAV, with a take-off weight of 10 to 20 tons, after a closed tender floated by the Ministry of Defence.

In October 2012, the companies Sukhoi and MiG (both design bureaus being part of the United Aircraft Corporation, led then by Sukhoi’s Mikhail Pogosyan) signed a cooperation agreement for the development of UAVs. Thus, the MiG will be taking part in this project, the tender for which was earlier won by Sukhoi.

According to reports, the results of the collaboration may be ready by 2018.
Earlier, Pogosyan had announced that the future UAV would be using systems and solutions common to the fifth-generation fighter jet – the T-50.
The Ministry of Defence had allocated 5 billion rubles for the development of Russian UAVs but, by 2010, there were no tangible results.

Then, to assist the domestic defence industry, Russia purchased Israeli UAVs, the IAI Searcher Mk II and IAI Bird Eye 400, made in Russia from assembly kits called Forpost (Outpost) and Zastava (Frontier Post), respectively.

The Transas Company (St. Petersburg) and Sokol Design Bureau (Kazan) have been involved in the creation of long-endurance drones since 2011. Their work is continuing. Earlier this year, it became apparent that a prototype-demonstration UAV – the Altius-M (Altair) - would be test flown before the end of 2015.

The “Russian equivalent of the Predator” – the Dozor-600, which, according to combat performance characteristics, is similar to the American prototype, but since this data was unproven, the unit remains at an experimental stage.

Currently, in addition to the Israeli aircraft, the Russian Defence Ministry uses short-range UAVs – the Orlan-10 and the portable Grusha (Pear). Recent reports suggest that Russian paratroopers have been training with the portable UAV – the Iskatel (Seeker). There has, however, been no confirmation that these have entered service with the armed forces.
[Mir robotov]

Initially developed in partnership with Bell, the AW609 has racked up test flights and turned into an all-Italian program after the US firm went its separate way.

But now, there's new interestin the aircraft by the Italian Navy and Army as both look to tilt-rotors to boost capabilities.

Strategy documents issued in recent months by the Army and Navy listed tilt-rotors as high on their shopping lists, just as AgustaWestland announces a series of planned upgrades for the AW609.

On March 3, the Italian firm said it was planning to increase maximum takeoff weight to 18,000 pounds thanks to engine upgrades, landing gear modifications and better flight control techniques. In short, the firm said, the AW609 would now be able to fly 500 nautical miles in two hours carrying nine passengers.

The firm also said it was working on placing extra fuel tanks under the wings to boost maximum range to 1,100 nautical miles, or allow an 800-nautical-mile flight with six passengers in just over three hours.

The cabin door is also being enlarged to help the AW609 qualify for a search-and-rescue role, and a Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck is being added. AgustaWestland said it was aiming for FAA civil certification in 2017.

The firm sees the AW609 as ideal for oil and gas rig flights, and on March 19, Mauro Moretti, the CEO of parent company Finmeccanica, said the aircraft would prompt a "revolution" in the market.
Meanwhile, the Army and Navy are eyeing the aircraft. Last November, the Navy issued a strategy document that identified the tilt-rotor as a key future acquisition.

"It is a way to obtain capabilities that the Navy has been denied due to its small size," said one official.

"With a tilt-rotor, you have an increase in the projection of troops and material, as well as an increase in the sustainability of vessels at sea, giving a small Navy operational possibilities it would not have otherwise," said the official. "It's the piece of a jigsaw we have never had."

Thanks to its range, speed and altitude, a tilt-rotor could provide other capabilities a shipborne helicopter could not, the official added.

"One possibility is as an early warning platform, which could see farther than a helicopter thanks to its higher altitude," he said. "Or as a refueling platform for STOVL joint strike fighters."

Navy officials have looked at the AW609 as well as the Osprey, with Marine Ospreys making landings on the Italian carrier Cavour.


"Companies are now looking at how to solve the problem of hot exhaust from tilt-rotors damaging flight decks," he said. "One solution they are considering is way to use gearing to allow the engine to remain fixed as the rotor changes position. Then the exhaust can be directed behind the tilt-rotor at all times."
In a strategy document released by the Army, planners called for development of a family of tilt-rotors from 8 to 14 tons, including an 8-ton version for six passengers for transport, evacuations and an aerial command post. A 14-ton version could then be developed to fly 15 passengers or a load of 2.5 tons.

The document goes on to describe the planned development of a family of tilt-rotors for dual use ranging from eight to 14 tons. "A first aircraft of eight tonnes for six passengers would allow the rapid transport of personnel and material, host an aerial command post," and carry out medical evacuations, the document said.


"The tilt-rotor in the lightweight configuration would be able to extend dramatically the range and speed available for liaison, medevac and command post missions," said an official.

An Army tilt-rotor might add a chin-mounted machine gun for self-defense and a targeting radar, he added.

Given the common interest by the Army and Navy, the Army official said that shared development of requirements could be considered.

The second aircraft has joined the Falcon 8X flight test campaign as the ultra long range trijet continues to pass key development milestones.

Falcon 8X s/n 02 took to the skies from Dassault Aviation’s Bordeaux-Mérignac facility on Monday, March 30 at 3:24 PM local time with test pilots Hervé Laverne and Etienne Faurdessus at the controls. The flight plan was similar to that of the maiden flight on February 6.

After initial checks on the digital flight controls and engine system, the pilots took the aircraft to 43,000 feet and Mach 0.8 for performance tests. After the test routine, the aircraft ran a series of additional checks before touching down after 2 h and 45 min in the air.

“We are very pleased with the way the aircraft responded and flew,” said Laverne. “It demonstrated the same flawless handling qualities as s/n 01, a very positive development at this early stage of the flight test campaign.”

The aircraft will now join s/n 01 at the Dassault flight test center at Istres, near Marseille, where it will mostly serve for performance testing.
The full program will total about 200 flights and 500 flight hours through final EASA and FAA certification which is anticipated in mid-2016.

Unveiled in May 2014 at European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), the latest addition to the growing Falcon business jet family rolled out on 17 December. It will offer the greatest range and the longest cabin in the Falcon line, along with the most extensive selection of cabin configurations available on any business jet.

The F-35 Lightning II is one of the most complicated weapons systems ever developed, a sleek and stealthy fighter jet years in the making that is often called a flying computer because of its more than 8 million lines of code. The Joint Strike Fighter comes in three versions, including one that is designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier and another that lands vertically, as if it were a helicopter.

But to truly understand the most expensive weapons program in the history of the Pentagon, forget the plane for a minute. Consider the helmet.

It's designed to protect the pilot's head, of course. But compared to everything the helmet does, protection becomes something of an afterthought.

The helmet sees through the plane. Or rather it helps the pilot see through the plane. When the pilots look down, they don't see the floor of the plane; they see the world below them. If the pilots look back, they see the sky behind them. Embedded in the skin of the aircraft are six cameras, and when the pilots move their heads to look in a particular direction, they are actually seeing through the corresponding camera, which sends an image to projectors inside the helmet that beam an image of the outside world on the helmet's visor.

Which makes the visor not really a visor. It's a screen that posts information the way some cars are now posting fuel and gas mileage on the windshield in what's called a heads-up display. But beyond speed and altitude, F-35 pilots would see things such as the location of enemy aircraft or weapons on the ground.

"When the helmet's tuned correctly to the pilot's eyes, you almost step into this other world where all this information comes in," said Al Norman, an F-35 test pilot for Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor. "You can look through the jet's eyeballs to see the world as the jet sees the world."
Like the plane, the helmet is enormously expensive. The cost of each custom-made helmet is more than $400,000. And like the plane, which is years behind schedule and millions over its original budget, the helmet has encountered problems.

Earlier versions were jittery when the plane hit turbulence. There was a latency in the video, which caused pilots motion sickness. The night vision technology didn't work as well as it should have. There was a "green glow" that obscured the pilots' view. Things got so bad that in 2011 the Pentagon hired BAE Systems to build a back-up helmet in case the one in development couldn't be rescued.

Two years later, it decided to go with the one being built by Rockwell Collins, saying that the competition helped get the program back on track and solve the problems. The program's executive officer, Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, recently told reporters that the helmet, once a concern, was no longer "on my top 10 worry list."

Pilots have recently started flying tests with the third iteration of the helmet, which has a new night vision camera and software improvements. But there have also been problems with the software that gathers information and then shares it among the F-35s flying together in formation, Bogdan said.
If one or two jets are flying together, they have been able to share information seamlessly, he said. But when there are four jets, communication problems emerge, which can "create an inaccurate picture for the pilot," he said.

The issue won't affect the jet's delivery date or combat readiness, he said, and should be fixed shortly. But it will cost prime contractor Lockheed Martin a portion of its $300 million incentive fee.

Recent flights have shown that progress on the helmet is continuing as well, Norman said. Many of the previous issues have been resolved, but there are still issues with the green glow, and the way the pilots see the images projected on the visor.

"There's still a little bit of tweaking we might want to do with how we stitch together the imagery," he said. "Testing is an ongoing process. And if you find problems we try to fix them and look ahead."

- See more at: http://readingeagle.com/ap/article/f-35-lightning-ii-fighter-jet-pilots-will-wear-400000-helmets#sthash.uJIS7DpB.dpuf

France’s Dassault Aviation may be about to enjoy government financial support of the type that would enable its Rafale fighter to push into export markets. Both the contract announced earlier this year for 24 aircraft to be sold to Egypt, as well as a proposal made in mid-March for what is anticipated to be a request for proposals for a 16-18 aircraft buy from Malaysia, feature loans backed by French government guarantees as the financing mechanism for the sales.

The twin-engine French fighter has a number of attractive features from the perspective of the nations that have considered purchasing it. One is that the design is not speculative; the major systems like the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar from Thales and the Snecma M88-2 engine are all already in service on operational French Rafales.

Another positive is that the aircraft is available in both land- and carrier-based variants. This is an attractive set of options for nations looking to acquire aircraft carriers in the near future in that they could be flying one basic type of fighter across more than one service branch.
Thirdly, the Rafale is fitted with a full array of European-made weaponry that gives whoever purchases the aircraft the ability to operate weapons that do not fall under the umbrella of US export control guidelines. Dassault also offers more lenient terms on access to software source code and other technology compared to, for example, US manufacturers, so that the nations that purchase the aircraft would have greater autonomy when deciding how to modify the aircraft for their own mission requirements.

China is developing a new stealth all-weather attack aircraft / fighter-bomber to firm up the PLA bomber force.

The new Chinese front-line bomber is designed to penetrate hostile territory and destroy ground and surface targets in any weather conditions, by day and night.

The new Chinese front-line bomber has a maximum speed of 1,600km/h and a range of over 4,700km. The service ceiling is 17,000m and the maximum rate of climb is 9,000m a minute.

Even though the PLA Air Force has said virtually nothing regarding their plans, the new Chinese stealth front-line bomber completion is rumored to fall somewhere around 2025.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has selected AeroVironment and Northrop Grumman as prime contractors for the second phase of a program to design an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capable of operating from small naval ships. The agency will choose one of the two contractors for the program’s third phase to build a full-scale demonstrator, initially for ground testing.

Darpa and the Office of Naval Research are sponsoring the Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) program to develop a medium-altitude long-endurance UAS capable of being launched and recovered by small ships. The TERN vehicle would provide long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and other capabilities over greater distances and time frames than currently possible with manned and unmanned helicopters. The agency has said that a flight demonstration could be conducted in 2017.

Darpa originally awarded contracts to five companies to conduct conceptual design trade studies under the first phase of the TERN program. Last September, the Department of Defense announced that Darpa had awarded $19 million contract modifications to both AeroVironment and Northrop Grumman “adding (the) Phase II base period” within the scope of their cost-plus-fixed fee contracts. The agency expected the second phase of the TERN program to be completed by this September.

In a press release on March 23, Darpa announced that the two companies have been selected as prime contractors for the TERN program’s second phase. “To offer the equivalent of land-based UAS capabilities from small-deck ships, our Phase 2 performers are each designing a new unmanned air system intended to enable two  previously unavailable capabilities: one, the ability for a UAS to take off and land from very confined spaces in elevated sea states and two, the ability for such a UAS to transition to efficient long-duration cruise missions,” stated Dan Patt, Darpa program manager.

For the program’s third phase, one contractor will build a full-scale demonstrator for initial ground testing. That would lead to a “full-scale, at-sea demonstration of a prototype UAS on an at-sea platform with deck size similar to that of a destroyer or other surface combat vessel,” Darpa said.

Russian deputy defense minister General Yuri Borisov told Russian media that production of the Sukhoi PAKFA fifth generation fighter aircraft (manufacturer’s designation T-50) might be slowed, compared with previous plans. Since the PAKFA first flew in January 2010, six prototypes have been built and flown. Another four prototypes are due to be completed this year.

During a visit to Sukhoi’s KnAAPO plant at Irkut, where PAKFA production is being set up, Borisov suggested that the Russian Government’s Armament Program 2020 (GPV2020) might be revised to reflect the difficult economic situation in the country. According to sources in the Russian defense ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, the current version of GPV2020 calls for 52 PAKFA aircraft to be procured in the 2016-2020 time frame. During 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Russian air force expects eight aircraft annually, after which the rate of production would grow to 14 a year.

KnAAPO is ready to commence serial production of the PAKFA starting in 2016, and Borisov confirmed that an initial production batch will be taken by the air force as planned next year. Today, the defense ministry is considering forming a single squadron of 12 aircraft, and then pausing production until such time as the initial batch of aircraft prove their advertised performance during operational trials. Borisov said that, on the whole, the military pilots are happy with PAKFA design and performance as demonstrated by the prototypes.
The slowdown could make additional funds available for procurement of more Su-30SM and Su-35 fourth generation fighters “so as to squeeze the maximum possible out of them,” Borisov suggested. In 2015, KnAAPO is scheduled to produce five Su-30M2s and fourteen Su-35s.

In 2010, Russian president Vladimir Putin said that 30 billion roubles ($518 million at today’s exchange rate) had been invested into the PAKFA project and a similar amount is needed to complete development of the aircraft. Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) expects the total orders from Russia and India for the PAKFA and the FGFA (the Indian air force version) to exceed 400 aircraft.

The Netherlands has confirmed its decision to purchase eight F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters that will arrive in the country in 2019, the Ministry of Defense announced today. The deal was signed in Washington DC last night.

“It is good that after 12 years of political debate there is now clarity about the successor of the F-16″, said Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of Defense. “This is the point of no return. The F-35 is the most modern fighter aircraft that can be used for various tasks.

Several comparisons have shown that the device complies with the Dutch requirements. This unit is important for the entire armed forces. Men and women who are sent on mission, must have access to the best equipment. Air support is indispensable and the device’s good sensors will strongly  improve the information  position of troops on the ground.”

In 2013 the Netherlands decided to replace the F-16’s with F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The Netherlands intends to buy at least 37 of these devices. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this deal, with questions asked about whether Defense’s plan with the JSF’s is feasible and Minister Hennis getting into trouble about price guarantees. 

Last month the D66 announced that they would be voting against the purchase as there are too many uncertainties surrounding the purchase. As a large majority already decided to vote for the purchase, the D66’s vote against had no affect.