All articles by James Drew – Page 6
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NewsUS Army explores 'Block III' engine upgrade for RQ-7B Shadow UAV
The US Army has begun its search for a new “Block III” engine to power its enhanced Textron Systems RQ-7B Shadow UAV that is paired with the Boeing AH-64 Apache gunship in the scout role.
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NewsBAE's APKWS rockets go to war on AV-8B Harrier
BAE Systems’ laser-guided rocket has been rushed into combat on the AV-8B Harrier, seven months after it was requested by the top brass of the US Marine Corps.
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NewsLockheed venture lifts off with LOI for 12 hybrid airships
Lockheed Martin has bested its British rival, the Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10, by signing a launch customer for its LMH-1 airship: Straightline Aviation (SLA).
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NewsPentagon touts "Loyal Wingman" for combat jets
US Air Force plans to insert a “brain” into current-generation fighter jets to create autonomous flying wingmen paired with the Lockheed Martin F-35 were given a bump today, with the Pentagon’s second-in-charge saying he expects to see “unmanned wingman in the air” before convoys of driverless Humvees.
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NewsSlimmed-down F-35 Gen III helmet to be introduced sooner
The Pentagon is bullish about resolving issues with the F-35 Lightning II’s escape system that has restricted lightweight pilots of from flying the fifth-generation combat jet, with the joint programme office (JPO) now expecting delivery of a slimmed-down “Gen III” helmet from Rockwell Collins by November for rollout in 2017.
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NewsLockheed advancing Dual Mode Plus and Scalpel bombs
The performance and accuracy of Lockheed Martin’s proposed alternative to the Boeing laser-guided joint direct attack munition are being validated on a US Navy F/A-18 at the China Lake complex in California's Mojave Desert and the weapons maker is also pushing for trials with an Air Force F-16.
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NewsUS Navy extends Orbital ATK AGM-88E production
The US Navy has extended production of AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) multi-mode seekers, built by Orbital ATK, by three years to fiscal year 2023 with an added requirement for 556 more missiles.
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NewsUK's Boeing P-8 purchase gets US tick of approval
The UK has moved a step closer to filling a maritime patrol void left by the retirement of the Nimrod MR2 in 2010 after being approved by the US State Department to acquire nine torpedo-carrying Boeing P-8A Poseidons for the Royal Air Force.
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NewsRaytheon and Northrop contracted for JSTARS radar battle
The US Air Force has locked in Raytheon and Northrop Grumman as its two competing radar vendors for the new-generation Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) programme. Each has been awarded “no-to-exceed” contracts with ceiling values of $60 million and $70 million, respectively, according to a contract announcement ...
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NewsLockheed F-35 service life extended to 2070
The projected life of the F-35 Lightning II has been extended by six years to 2070 after the US military services tweaked the number of flight hours their fleets should log before retirement.
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NewsPentagon lowers F-35 acquisition cost estimate
The estimated cost of acquiring 2,457 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs has dropped by $12.1 billion, or 3%, compared to Pentagon estimates one year ago.
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NewsF-35 goes on global publicity tour in battle for hearts and minds
The F-35 Lightning II might be the most sophisticated combat jet on the market today, but US programme officials and lawmakers worry that the fifth-generation stealth aircraft is losing the battle for hearts and minds.
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NewsFrance eyes Bombardier 415 in search for 'Tracker' replacement
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – France’s civil defence agency Sécurité Civile needs to replace its nine long-serving Conair Turbo Firecat fire bombers and might even consider new Bombardier CL-415 Superscoopers, which “paused” production in 2015.
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NewsRaytheon's Ktech nabs contract for counter-electronics missile
Raytheon’s acquisition of directed energy firm Ktech in 2011 is paying dividends following the US Defense Department’s award of a $4.8 million contract to repackage two air-launched cruise missiles as high-power microwave weapons.
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NewsIsraeli "Fire Birds" to be declared fully operational
The Israeli air force’s elite aerial firefighting squadron, that operates 14 quick-reaction AT-802F Air Tractors, could be declared fully operational within weeks, according to the group's commander.
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NewsPICTURES: 747-400 Global SuperTanker gets ready for action
The world’s largest aerial firefighting asset, the Boeing 747-400-based Global SuperTanker, is almost ready to begin commercial operations.
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NewsUS Army weighs first rotorcraft variant for Future Vertical Lift
The US Army’s requirement for a next-generation armed scout platform to replace the acclaimed Bell OH-58 Kiowa has been around since the Light Helicopter Experimental (LHX) programme of the 1980s.
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NewsLebanon and Kenya to receive Bell Huey IIs
Lebanon and Kenya will become the latest nations to procure zero-timed Bell UH-1H-based Huey II helicopters through the US Army.
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NewsUS Navy purchases CAEW-based Gulfstream 550 for range support
The US Navy has ordered a single Gulfstream G550 business jet based on the special-mission Israeli airborne early warning type for adaptation into a long-range, high-speed test range support aircraft.
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NewsSkunk Works pushes investment in F-22 and F-35 over new aircraft
Lockheed Martin has warned against rushing into a sixth-generation fighter programme without first boosting F-35 Lightning II numbers and implementing a “robust” modernisation programme to keep fifth-generation F-22s and F-35s capable against new counter-air threats.