Defense Projects and News

Israel receives first C-130J airlifter

The Israeli air force received its first C-130J tactical transport at Lockheed Martin's Marietta site in Georgia on 26 June. The first of three stretched fuselage -30-model aircraft currently on order for the service, the asset is scheduled to be flown to Israel in "spring 2014", Lockheed says.

Lockheed Martin has now attained a $12.7-million contract to supply the final batch of automatic backup oxygen supply (A-BOS) systems for the US Air Force's (USAF) F-22 Raptor fleet. "This is the last of the A-BOS kits for fleet retrofit," Lockheed says. "There are no cost plus award fee or time and material line items in the contract."

The contract includes 72 retrofit kits for operational aircraft, two for test aircraft, trainer kits, support equipment and spares, according to a Department of Defense (DoD) announcement. The total cumulative face value of the overall contract is $5.1 billion, the DoD says.

The UK's third Lockheed Martin F-35B STOVL Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) arrived at Eglin AFB, Florida, on 25 June, 2013. The aircraft was flown in from Lockheed's Fort Worth, Texas, plant by US Marine Corps pilot Lt Col Roger Hardy on a flight that lasted 90min.

The United States Air Force (USAF) is looking to award Boeing a contract to develop and test a new laser-guided version of its 250lb small diameter bomb or SDB. The company says that the weapons can carry out many of the functions of Raytheon GBU-53/B SDB II, which has a tri-mode seeker with millimetre wave radar, infrared, and semi-active laser guidance capabilities, at far lower cost. The new weapon is based on Boeing's laser joint direct attack munition (JDAM) technology.

"This contract is for phase one part two engineering, integration and test, and production support and a Laser Small Diameter Bomb (LSDB) Weapon Simulator," Boeing says.

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Boeing starts building first KC-46A

Three years after winning the KC-X contract, Boeing workers in Everett, Washington, started building the first KC-46A refueller for the US Air Force on 26 June, the company says.

"The air force is really excited and pleased that our number one modernisation priority has begun fabrication and entered the factory at Everett," says Maj Gen John Thompson, the USAF's programme executive officer for tankers. "The Boeing team continues to make significant progress in the KC-46 development programme."

"The aircraft will be assembled in November and roll out of the factory in January," Boeing says.

At the Paris Air Show, Beechcraft Corporation announced the award of a 28-month contract extension for contractor logistics support for the Iraq Air Force King Air fleet, led by its Global Mission Support team. The Beechcraft Special Mission King Air 350ER platform was selected by the Iraq Air Force in 2006 and the company delivered six King Air 350 aircraft (five King Air 350ER and one King Air 350) via a Foreign Military Sale in 2007 and 2008. Also included with the sale were fixed and portable ground stations, training and logistics support.

The unmanned X47B has completed its first arrested carrier landing. It was conducted on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN77).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPaH8CCtRVU

catapulted take off and then another landing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=3i5iYKSuzfc&NR=1

I agree! New wave of technology for the Navy to get accustomed to now.

A look at the CN235 from Airbus Military for Cameroon Air Force...

Beechcraft Corporation today announced the appointment of Jim Grant as senior vice president of Military Programs. In this role, Grant is responsible for the new business initiatives of the company’s three military organizations – Trainer/Attack, Special Mission and Global Mission Support.

The Israeli and US air forces are carrying out a two-week joint drill designed to improve interoperability between the services. The joint exercise is called 'Juniper Stallion'.

Eurocopter has achieved the first flight of a Spanish-assembled Tiger Attack helicopter. Take a look at the new war-bird below.

Spain has moved to halve its planned fleet of Airbus A400M military transport aircraft by offering the rest for export. Contraints to the budget appear to have caused this new move.

1st #A400M for Turkish Air Force - msn9 - runs engines for 1st time.

http://www.airbusmilitary.com/Multimedia/A400MVideoGallery.aspx

Airbus Military and their A400M Transport aircraft has seen some success since the first one has been delivered to the French Air Force. According to the manufacturer, MSN7 "will initially be used for the continuing training of aircrew, before becoming part of the French air force operational transport fleet". It will be followed by two more French A400Ms this year, under a 50-unit order for Paris.

Not Aviation defense news but...maritime for a slight diversion.

So Japan launches newest and largest warship since WW2. They (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) insists that it is NOT an Aircraft carrier...but looking at it...Hmm I think differently...why build a destroyer looking like an aircraft carrier, that would be a waste of money. Something not right here.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/06/world/gallery/izumo-japanese-ship/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

The U.S. Navy recently flew Boeing [NYSE: BA] EA-18G Growler aircraft with sensor system upgrades and its newest data network, demonstrating how the enhanced technologies would allow aircrews to locate threats more quickly and accurately. Ultimately, the secure, high-speed network will allow aircrews to share targeting data in real time. The technology will be incorporated into deployed Growler electronic attack aircraft in 2018, sooner than all Navy aircraft other than the E-2D Hawkeye surveillance airplane.

"These enhancements provide a significantly faster, more accurate and adaptable targeting solution for the Navy and allied forces," said Capt. Frank Morley, U.S. Navy F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager. "The result is a more capable EA-18G that is better able to control the EA spectrum." The demonstration occurred July 15-19 during the Navy's fleet experimentation campaign at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. Integrating the technology onto the Growler involved a series of upgrades that provide "an affordable, low-risk approach to adding capability that allows us to deliver advanced technologies to the fleet more quickly," said Mike Gibbons, Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs vice president.

The upgrades are planned to be retrofitted into existing Growlers and included as a standard offering for future new aircraft sales. Boeing and the Navy will work closely with supplier partners Northrop Grumman, Harris Corporation, L-3 Communications and Rockwell Collins to add system upgrades to the fleet. The Growler is derived from the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet. It's the United States' newest and most advanced airborne electronic attack platform, providing electronic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to other aircraft. It has been combat deployed since 2010 by U.S. and allied forces around the world.

Tilt Rotor...

The first KC-46A tanker starts to take shape in our 767 factory.

http://www.boeingblogs.com/randy/archives/2013/08/cheers_to_that.html