The US Navy plans to buy or lease two Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainers, "or equivalent aircraft", to use as chase aircraft for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor flight-test programme. The aircraft will be required for five years beginning in April 1997. The Navy is calling for a level-flight speed range of 110-260kt (200-480km/h), with a dive speed of at least 280kt.
Source: Flight International
Athens signed a long-sought letter of offer and acceptance with airframer Lockheed Martin covering 20 F-35 stealth fighters, with options for a further 20 jets.
The joint North American Aerospace Defense Command dispatched fighter aircraft from both the USA and Canada on 24 July to intercept a combined flight of bombers from Russia and China operating in international airspace around Alaska.
Leonardo Helicopters has based its initial Proteus uncrewed technology demonstrator on the AW09 light-single, FlightGlobal can reveal.
