All articles by Ryan Finnerty – Page 22
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NewsCanadian helicopter repeatedly intercepted by Chinese J-11 fighters
Ottawa says the crew of a Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone underway with a Royal Canadian Navy ship in the South China Sea was repeatedly intercepted by Chinese J-11 fighter jets acting in an “unsafe” manner.
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In depthUS strikes targets in Syria after attacks on American bases
Without revealing how the operation was carried out, the Pentagon says it has struck targets in eastern Syria, including sites used by Iranian military operatives, after militant groups in the area attacked American bases in the area, injuring more than 20 US personnel and killing one contractor.
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NewsNorway orders six MH-60R Seahawks from Sikorsky to replace NH90s
Oslo’s purchase of Seahawk helicopters for the Norwegian coast guard comes just weeks after Madrid signed a deal with Sikorsky to supply MH-60Rs for the Spanish navy.
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NewsBeta delivers first electric aircraft to USAF
The Vermont-based aircraft manufacturer flew one if its conventional take-off variant Alia types from the northeastern USA to Eglin AFB in Florida, delivering the fully-electric platform to the US Air Force for evaluation.
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NewsNorthrop expects B-21 low-rate production contract by year-end
Defence contractor Northrop Grumman says it remains on track to fly the secretive B-21 Raider stealth bomber before the end of 2023, with the US Air Force expected to issue the company a low-rate initial production contract for the type shortly after that milestone.
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NewsNorthrop begins B-21 taxi testing ahead of first flight
The US Air Force confirms its next-generation stealth bomber is conducting ground taxi activities as part of a testing regimen leading up to the jet’s first flight by year-end.
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NewsPipistrel joins USAF electric aircraft effort
Textron subsidiary Pipistrel joins other electric aircraft manufacturers in the US Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative, which aims to explore potential military applications for battery-powered aviation.
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NewsFixed-price defence contracts to weigh on Boeing until at least 2025
Led by cost challenges on the VC-25B presidential aircraft programme, Boeing’s defence business lost $924 million in the third quarter of 2023, with top executives warning recovery will not come until as late as 2026.
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NewsTest pilots push F-35B limits in UK carrier trials
Test pilots with the US Marine Corps are seeing how far they can stretch the ability of the short take-off and vertical landing F-35 variant to operate from the UK Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers with ultra-heavy weapon loads and alternative landing techniques.
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NewsRAF begins MQ-9B flight trials
The first of 16 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B long-endurance UAVs arrived at RAF Waddington for flight testing, ahead of an expected entry into service in 2024.
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NewsUS Army delivers FARA engines to Bell and Sikorsky
The delivery of the GE Aerospace T901 Improved Turbine Engines to the two finalists for the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft competition sets up Sikorsky and Bell to fly their prototype designs in 2024.
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NewsLockheed Martin withdraws bid to produce new USAF aerial tanker
The military airframer’s withdrawal from the US Air Force’s tanker-fleet recapitalisation effort makes it all but certain the service will opt to procure more KC-46 refuellers from Boeing.
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NewsBaykar completes first flight of TB-3 UAV destined for Turkish aircraft carrier
Turkish uncrewed aircraft manufacturer Baykar Technologies says it completed the first take-off and landing test of its TB-3 naval unmanned aircraft designed to operate from Turkey’s first aircraft carrier.
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NewsBeta logs first electric aircraft flight to Washington, DC air force base
The flight to Andrews AFB near Washington, DC is part of a multi-leg trip from Beta’s headquarters in Vermont to Eglin AFB in Florida, where the company will deliver its all-electric Alia aircraft to the US Air Force for testing.
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NewsPentagon unveils maintenance partnership with South American operators
US Southern Command is rolling out an initiative with partner nations in South America to improve logistics on the continent and operator-level maintenance of US-built platforms, such as the Lockheed Martin C-130.
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NewsRegent lands first military contract for ‘seaglider’ concept
While the Rhode Island start-up is primarily focused on developing commercial customers for its wing-in-ground-effect seaglider vehicle, the company has also been pitching the concept for military logistics in the Indo-Pacific.
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In depthPentagon details ‘sharp increase’ in aggressive intercepts by Chinese aircraft
Military officials in Washington say they have logged some 300 incidents over the past two years in which aircraft from China’s People’s Liberation Army conducted what the Pentagon calls ‘coercive and risky’ intercepts of US and allied crews operating lawfully in the East and South China Seas.
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NewsF-35 delivery projections drop below 100 for 2023 amid TR-3 delays
Lockheed Martin now estimates it will deliver just 97 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in 2023, despite producing the fifth-generation jets at a rate of 156 per year.
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NewsRussia sourcing ‘almost all’ UAVs from China
Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov recently told lawmakers in the Duma that ‘almost all’ of Russia’s UAVs are currently sourced from China, but Moscow hopes to reduce dependence by 2025 with a $615 million investment in domestic production.
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NewsStratolaunch secures USAF funding for second reusable hypersonic vehicle
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will fund a second example of a reusable hypersonic flight vehicle built by American start-up Stratolaunch.