Fixed-wing – Page 260
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NewsUAE firm studies civil twins for next armed helo
A UAE-based firm is evaluating twin-engined commercial helicopters for conversion to military gunships, having successfully delivered several armed Bell Helicopter 407s to its host country.
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Thai army to boost AW139 fleet size
The Royal Thai Army is to increase its fleet of AgustaWestland AW139 utility helicopters to 10 units, after awarding the manufacturer a follow-on order for eight of the intermediate twins.
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NewsIsrael flies upgraded C-130H
The Israeli air force has performed the first flight of an upgraded Lockheed Martin C-130H tactical transport, under a modernisation programme launched in 2012.
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NewsUK Puma crash kills five in Kabul
A Royal Air Force-operated Airbus Helicopters Puma HC2 transport crashed in Afghanistan on 11 October, killing five of the 10 personnel aboard the upgraded type.
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AnalysisANALYSIS: The complicated conception of KFX
South Korea’s indigenous fighter programme has always been ambitious, but a failure to gain US technology export licences makes the project that much more formidable
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NewsKEEP IT TIGHT: 10 flight display teams of note
With the South Korea air force “Black Eagles” display team featuring on the cover of this week’s Flight International, what better excuse to celebrate – somewhat at random and in no particular order – 10 military flight display teams that may be coming to an air show near you.
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KAI conducts maiden flight of KT-100 ab initio trainer
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has conducted the first flight of its KT-100 aircraft, the ab initio trainer variant of the KC-100 Naraon light aircraft.
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NewsLockheed reaffirms F-35 production target despite supplier statement
Lockheed Martin has re-affirmed the full-rate production goal for the F-35 programme remains 17 aircraft per month, despite a supplier’s statement on 7 October that it is significantly less.
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NewsSierra Nevada touts Dream Chaser as X-37B alternative
Sierra Nevada Corporation believes its Dream Chaser could be a viable alternative to the Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for long-duration, recoverable experimentation in space.
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NewsTaranis to enter third testing phase
The UK’s BAE Systems Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator will carry out a third phase of flight tests towards the end of the year, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.
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NewsMoD reveals Reaper derivative will be chosen for Protector
The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the unmanned air vehicle that it plans to acquire under its recently-announced Protector effort will be a derivative of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper that the Royal Air Force operates.
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NewsUS clears GA-ASI to export MQ-9s to Spain
The US State Department has cleared General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to export four MQ-9 unmanned air systems to Spain, says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in a notice to Congress on 6 October.
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NewsPoland to launch attack helicopter talks with bidders
The Polish defence ministry will soon start the next phase of technical dialogue with combat helicopter manufacturers under its Project "Kruk", which seeks replacements for its Mil Mi-24 fleet.
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DOD warns defence primes of high supplier profit margins
The Pentagon’s top acquisition office says first-tier subcontractors’ profit margins for production programmes are 7% higher on average than for the prime contractor, and this imbalance could be deterring major suppliers from bidding for new contracts as primes.
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NewsPentagon concerned about prime contractor consolidation
The Pentagon has very few tools in its arsenal to constrain major mergers and acquisitions between prime contractors – a fact that has become all too apparent to defence acquisition chief Frank Kendall with Lockheed Martin’s $9 billion acquisition of Sikorsky.
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NewsNorthrop builds first F-35 centre fuselage for assembly in Japan
Northrop Grumman has built the first F-35 centre fuselage destined for Japan’s domestic joint strike fighter assembly plant, operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).
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NewsLockheed considering laser weapon concepts for F-35
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 has not yet seen combat, but already the defence manufacturer is exploring “concepts” for installing and employing a high-power fibre laser weapon onto the new-generation combat jet for shooting down missiles and other airborne threats.
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NewsNorway reconfirms plans to acquire 52 F-35s
Norway's defence ministry has used a strategic defence review to underline its continued commitment to acquiring 52 Lockheed Martin F-35s, as well as outlining plans to acquire different types of manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft.
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NewsLockheed F-35C begins second round of sea trials as bombs drop
Two US Navy F-35C test aircraft have begun a second round of developmental testing at sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, aimed at smoothing the aircraft’s entry into service in 2018.
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Russia could agree to combat role inside Iraq
Following its deployment of combat aircraft inside Syria, Russia may also be considering placing some of its air force assets in Iraq.