Aerospace report
J-20, China’s New Fighter Takes Off!
Defense Update Aerospace Channel - January 2011
- AESA Equipped Strike Eagle Begins Flight Testing at Eglin
- Samson – the New Name for the Israel Air Force C-130J
- MMRCA Competitors Set for Aero-India Showdown
- Bolivia Orders K-8 Karakorum Jet Trainers from China
- ‘Operational Capable’ Tejas to Fly Again at Aero-India 2011
- New Indian C-130J expected at Bangalore for Aero-India 2011
- Public Debut for HAL’s Light Combat Helicopter at Aero India 2011
- Pakistan’s Falcons to Fly Five New Recce Pods
- EADS, Russia’s UAC Compete on Delivering Six new Tankers to the Indian Air Force
- Reevaluation of Brazil’s FX-2 Fighter Program Could Help Saab
- U.S. Air National Guard to Test Northrop Grumman’s Guardian DIRCM on KC-135
- Embraer to Overhaul 43 AMX Fighters for Brazil’s Fighter Modernization Program
- Tejas – India’s First Indigenous Combat Aircraft Cleared to Operate by Indian Air-Force Pilots
- India Floats a New Bid for Six New Tankers
- India Seek To Expand AEW Fleet to Extend Airspace Coverage
- J-20, China’s New Fighter Takes Off!
- Defense Update ‘Airshow-Live’ debut at Aero-India 2011
- Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to start procuring Ka-52 Alligator helicopters for Russian Air Force
- Brazilian AS350’s getting upgrades
- Gates: STOVL Variant F-35B is ‘On Two Year Probation’
- Pentagon Cuts to Fund New Unmanned Aircraft Developments for the Air Force, Navy and Army
- U.S. Congress Asked to Pre-Approve Apache Block III Sale to India
- Russian Air Force Suspends An-22, Tu-95M Operations after an An-22 Crash
- China’s 5th Generation Fighter Exposed?
AESA Equipped Strike Eagle Begins Flight Testing at Eglin
An F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with new and improved APG-82(V)1 electronically scanned array technology (AESA) radar began flight testing in Florida last week. The APG-82(V)1 upgrade is part of through the F-15E service life extension, intended to maintain the Strike Eagle operational beyond 2035. (Read More...)
Samson – the New Name for the Israel Air Force C-130J
Although the first C-130J is not expected to arrive in Israel before 2013, the IAF has already named the new transporter – Samson. Providing Hebrew names to its aircraft is a tradition with the IAF. The actual name represents a change in the tradition – until now IAF planes were named after birds or animals. (Read More...)
MMRCA Competitors Set for Aero-India Showdown
The ongoing tender for the selection of the future Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft for the Indian Air Force is fuelling a fiery competition between the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers. Lockheed Martin from the U.S., European Dassault and Eurofighter, Saab from Sweden and Russian Rosoboronexport representing the MiG corporation. (Read More...)
Bolivia Orders K-8 Karakorum Jet Trainers from China
Following the footsteps of Venezuela, Bolivia is becoming the second operator of the Chinese K-8 Karakorum jet trainer. Bolivia announced it is buying six jets at a cost of US$58 million. The aircraft will be modified into a light fighter/attack aircraft, joining the fight against drug trafficking in the country. (Read More...)
‘Operational Capable’ Tejas to Fly Again at Aero-India 2011
The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is expected to fly again at Aero India 2011, this time not as a prototype or test aircraft but an ‘operational capable aircraft’ of the Indian Air Force. Both the single seat and two-seat versions will be displayed. While Tejas is far from ready for operational capability, it will symbolize India’s technological capability to meet that challenge and progress toward flying an more advanced, indigenous combat aircraft in the future.
New Indian C-130J expected at Bangalore for Aero-India 2011
The first C-130J arriving in New Delhi this week is planned to deploy to Bangalore for the airshow. These planes will support India’s special forces’ operations, and operate from the Indian Air Force (IAF) base Hindan air near New Delhi. When fully operational, the C-130J will dramatically increase the rapid deployment of India’s special forces from the capital to other regions in India and abroad. (Read More...)
Public Debut for HAL’s Light Combat Helicopter at Aero India 2011
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) will display its new indigenous attack helicopter for the first time at the upcoming Aero-India airshow in Bangalore next month. The first prototype of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) developed by HAL and due for induction into the Indian Air Force by 2012-13, will make its first flight during the airshow. (Read More...)
Pakistan’s Falcons to Fly Five New Recce Pods
Goodrich Corporation has been awarded a US$72 million contract to equip Lockheed-Martin F-16 fighters of the Pakistan Air Force with five DB-110 dual-band (visual/IR) reconnaissance pods. The systems will be delivered with two fixed ground stations and one mobile ground station, each equipped with one datalink receiving system (a total of four ground receiving datalinks will be delivered). (Read More...)
EADS, Russia’s UAC Compete on Delivering Six new Tankers to the Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is seeking to buy six new flying tankers to augment its existing aerial refueling capability. The two companies are competing on this tender, expected to cost around 9,000-crore (US$2 billion) include Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and EADS. Both offers include the planes they put forward for the first tender. (Read More...)
Reevaluation of Brazil’s FX-2 Fighter Program Could Help Saab
Brazilian new President Dilma Rousseff is apparently pushing back the decision on the acquisition of the new fighter aircraft for Brazil’s Air Force sometime to 2012. Local reports are citing reduced government expenditure as the reason for the delay. (Read More...)
U.S. Air National Guard to Test Northrop Grumman’s Guardian DIRCM on KC-135
The Air National Guard have initiated modifications to a KC-135 air refueling aircraft in preparation for the Operational Utility Evaluation of the Guardian directional missile countermeasure system developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation. (Read More...)
Embraer to Overhaul 43 AMX Fighters for Brazil’s Fighter Modernization Program
Embraer will overhaul 43 AMX jet fighters for the Brazilian Air Force, under a new contract signed with the air forces FAB (Comando da Aeronáutica – COMAER). The current contract complements a previous one signed in 2003, for the modernization of the AMX fighters. (Read More...)
Tejas – India’s First Indigenous Combat Aircraft Cleared to Operate by Indian Air-Force Pilots
On January 10, the Indian Air Force (IAF) formally announced the country’s new, indigenous fighter, the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was received ‘initial operational clearance’ (IOC). Once its entire flight envelope and weapons are cleared for operation, the new aircraft, developed for the past 20 years, will equip the first fighter squadron operating 20 aircraft in about two years. (Read More...)
India Floats a New Bid for Six New Tankers
The Indian Air Force is seeking to buy six new flying tankers to augment its existing aerial refueling capability, based on Russian built IL-86 flying tankers. The IAF currently operates 6 Ilyushin IL-78MKI. These planes are customized variants of the Il-78ME built in Uzbekistan, designed specifically for the Indian Air Force. They are fitted with a aerial refueling system designed by IAI Bedek, capable of refueling 6-8 Su-30MKIs on each sortie. (Read More...)
India Seek To Expand AEW Fleet to Extend Airspace Coverage
India is integrating several versions of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems, integrated on board Russian and Brazilian aircraft, providing the Indian Air Force (IAF) a capability to detect targets and manage air operations beyond the range of conventional ground-based radars and tethered radars currently used by the Air Force. (Read More...)
J-20, China’s New Fighter Takes Off!
After two weeks of hot debates whether China’s J-20 fighter is real or virtual, the mystery was solved today at Chengdu, as the new J-20 took off on 12:50 Beijing time on its first 18 minute test flight. The J-20 was followed by two J-10 escort planes on its flight. Defense Update will continue providing photos, video and updating details as they become available online. (Read More...)
Defense Update ‘Airshow-Live’ debut at Aero-India 2011
Defense Update is introducing its latest online project – Airshow-Live, providing on-site coverage of major airshows and defense exhibitions and conferences. Airshow-Live will debut at Aero-India 2011 providing fresh reports from the airshow, including news highlights and ‘buzz’ from the exhibition halls, press conferences, national pavilions, flight line and aerial displays. (Read More...)
Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to start procuring Ka-52 Alligator helicopters for Russian Air Force
Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to start procuring Ka-52 Alligator helicopters for the Russian Naval Air Arm. The new helicopters could be deployed on the French built Mistral-class helicopters carriers. (Read More...)
Brazilian AS350’s getting upgrades
The Brazilian army fleet of AS350 Ecureuil helicopters is to undergo modernization by the Brazilian subsidiary of Eurocopter. Upgrading of 36 aircraft will span over 7 years and is expected to be completed in 2018. Work will be performed at Eurocopter’s Helibras facilities in Brazil (Helicopteros do Brasil) in the state of Minas Gerais. (Read More...)
Gates: STOVL Variant F-35B is ‘On Two Year Probation’
In an effort seen as a way to head off attempts by the White House and some in Congress to cut defense spending in a time of extreme budget pressure, Robert Gates is expected to announce major cuts in arms procurement. These measures follow the plan outlined by Gates in June 2010, cutting about $101.9 billion between fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2016. (Read More...)
Pentagon Cuts to Fund New Unmanned Aircraft Developments for the Air Force, Navy and Army
As part of the Pentagon’s wide scale budget cuts reducing military spending by over $100 billion over five years, the Air Force expects to share $34 billion of the total amount, mostly by improving operating efficiencies. Consolidation of two air operations centers in the U.S. and two in Europe, reducing fuel consumption within the Air Mobility Command, improving supply chain and business processes at depots centers and reducing the communications infrastructure costs are part of these measures. (Read More...)
U.S. Congress Asked to Pre-Approve Apache Block III Sale to India
India is interested in buying 22 AH-64D Block III APACHE Helicopters from the USA. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress on a possible Foreign Military Sale of these helicopters, as part of a package worth about US$1.4 billion. The Indians are evaluating the Block III Apache among several other options for the Air Forces’ next generation attack helicopter. (Read More...)
Russian Air Force Suspends An-22, Tu-95M Operations after an An-22 Crash
The Russian Air Force command has grounded the entire fleet of its Antonov An-22 transports and Tupolev Tu-95MS bombers after an An-22 crash yesterday killing all twelve crew on board. (Read More...)
Chengdu J-20 - China's 5th Generation Fighter
Reports coming form internet sites in China have published images of a large, stealth-like aircraft that, if confirmed, could be the first hard evidence of China’s new 5th Genaration multirole aircraft. The images show the parked aircraft being inspected, and taxiing along a taxiway at an unnamed airport. (Read More...)