All articles by Ryan Finnerty – Page 20
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NewsUS defence spending bill could expose new details of sixth-generation fighter development
Language included in the 2024 US defence spending plan will require the Pentagon to provide greater insight into how it plans to develop and field the next generation of combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and autonomous support jets.
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NewsGovernment auditor tells SOCOM to slow Armed Overwatch acquisition
The US Government Accountability Office says the Pentagon’s Special Operations Command is moving ahead too rapidly with the acquisition of Armed Overwatch turboprops from L3Harris-Air Tractor, failing to adequately justify the planned fleet size of 75 aircraft.
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NewsCanada announces deployment of military helicopters to Baltic region
During a visit to fellow NATO member Latvia, Canada’s top defence leaders announced Ottawa will deploy Bell CH-146 Griffon and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters to the Baltic region starting in 2024 as part of a multi-national battle group – Canada’s first “persistent” deployment of tactical rotary aviation to Europe in roughly 20 years.
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NewsUS Congress approves nearly 12% reduction to A-10 fleet
For the second consecutive year, lawmakers who control US defence spending have approved the retirement of some Fairchild Republic A-10 attack jets, a move long-sought by US Air Force leaders.
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In depthGE Aerospace achieves breakthrough in hypersonic engine development
Using a subscale demonstrator, jet turbine manufacturer GE Aerospace successfully ignited a dual-mode ramjet engine using rotating detonation combustion – a technique the company says holds promise for powering crewed hypersonic vehicles.
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NewsBoeing lands SOCOM order for six MH-47G Chinook helicopters
The deal for six MH-47G special operations helicopters will help sustain Boeing’s Chinook Block II production line, while the manufacturer awaits a hoped-for acquisition decision by the US Army.
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NewsAnduril advancing Fury autonomous fighter after Blue Force acquisition
California defence start-up Anduril is integrating its proprietary autonomy software, along with expertise in propulsion and composite materials, into the Fury autonomous fighter platform, following the company’s acquisition of the jet’s original designer Blue Force Technologies.
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NewsUS grounds entire Osprey fleet following deadly crash in Japan
Both the US Air Force and US Navy say a preliminary investigation into the 29 November crash of a Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey indicates a “potential materiel failure” caused the deadly mishap, but the underlying cause remains unclear.
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NewsTop Aces adds A-4 Skyhawk to Canadian adversary training fleet
The private provider of adversary air support has been providing aggressor training to the Royal Canadian Air Force using a fleet of modified Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets and Bombardier Learjet 35s.
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NewsLockheed Martin sues F-35 supplier over refusal to deliver titanium components
The F-35 prime contractor alleges ones of its sub-contractors, Pittsburgh-based Howmet Aerospace, breached its contract with Lockheed when the metallic components supplier refused to deliver titanium parts for the advanced stealth jet at previously agreed upon prices.
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NewsFuelled TalonA carried aloft as first Stratolaunch hypersonic flight approaches
Following a successful taxi test of its two-aircraft hypersonic flight system, California start-up Stratolaunch has carried a fully-fuelled TalonA hypersonic vehicle aloft under the company’s jet-powered Roc mother ship, a prerequisite for TalonA’s first self-powered flight.
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NewsBoeing no longer competing to build USAF’s new ‘Doomsday jet’
The withdrawal of Boeing from the contest to build a new airborne command centre capable of managing a nuclear exchange leaves Sierra Nevada Corporation as the only bidder to replace the current Boeing E-4B Nightwatch.
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NewsSearch crews find wreckage of US Osprey tiltrotor that crashed off Japanese coast
Dive teams have located the fuselage of a US Air Force CV-22 Osprey that crashed in water off the southern coast of Japan on 29 November, killing eight crew.
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NewsSouth Korea approved for $271m purchase of F-35 armaments
Seoul has requested to purchase a suite of air and ground attack munitions for its F-35 fighter fleet, including AMRAAM missiles, JDAM bombs, Paveway II laser-guided bombs and Small Diameter Bomb glide munitions, valued at $271 million by US arms regulators.
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NewsAnduril unveils drone-killing ‘reusable missile’ designed for mass production
Part aircraft, part munition, the Roadrunner is a lethally-armed, twin-engined jet designed by US defence start-up Anduril to cheaply intercept and destroy high-density aerial threats, including cruise missiles, UAVs and some crewed aircraft – or return to base for refuelling and subsequent flights.
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NewsPratt & Whitney wins sole-source contract for F-35 engine upgrade
Although the Pentagon had already declared its intent to advance the Engine Core Upgrade programme for the F135 engine, the sole-source contract announcement solidifies Pratt & Whitney’s position as the F-35 propulsion supplier for another decade.
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NewsUS Osprey tiltrotor crashes off Japan with at least one fatality
The US Air Force Bell Boeing CV-22B tiltrotor crashed near Yakushima Island in southern Japan, with at least one fatality confirmed and several crew missing.
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NewsPentagon invests $3.7m in composites manufacturer Qarbon Aerospace
The contract with Texas-based Qarbon Aerospace will support the design and manufacture of advanced lightweight continuous fibre thermoplastic composite structures intended for national defence aviation applications.
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NewsUS Navy hopes to restore crashed Hawaii P-8 to flight status
Salvage operations are under way in Hawaii following the crash of a Boeing P-8 maritime patrol jet, with the US Navy optimistic that it can recover the aircraft and restore it to flight status.
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NewsSikorsky delivers first Polish-built S-70Ms to Romania
The four helicopters are part of an agreement that will see up to 12 Polish-built S-70M Black Hawks supplied to Romania over the next four years, with two more examples scheduled to arrive by the end of 2023.