PDX Independent Defense Website
Archive for the ‘Air Forces’ Category.
By THOMAS NEWDICK
Published: 3 Oct 10:29 EDT (14:29 GMT)
BERLIN - German Air Force officials have confirmed that the air-to-ground version of the Eurofighter Typhoon EF2000 will enter service before the end of 2009.
Continue reading ‘Germany Awaits New Capabilities of Air-to-Ground Eurofighter’ »
Dated 17/9/2008
Defence ministry sources said the first of the three Awacs, initially slated to be delivered in November 2007 under the $1.1-billion deal signed in March 2004, will now land in India by January-February 2009.
Continue reading ‘Indian Air Force PHALCON AWACS to be Delivered by Jan-Feb 2009’ »
Australian Department of Defense | Sep 19, 2008
Greg Combet, the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, today announced that one of the world’s largest cargo planes, an Antonov An-124, delivered Australia’s second F/A-18 Hornet to RAAF Williamtown after undergoing centre barrel replacement in Canada.
Continue reading ‘An-124 Delivers Second Hornet Centre Barrel Aircraft Home to Australia’ »
Obstacles, ocean depths make Raider 21 search uncertain.
By John Andrew Prime • jprime@gannett.com • September 17, 2008
Shreveporttimes.com
Hard work has begun in the search for evidence of a Barksdale B-52 that went down in the Pacific Ocean in late July.
Continue reading ‘Searchers for B-52 wreckage face daunting challenges’ »
13/09/2008 01h58
WELLINGTON (AFP) - A pilot has successfully landed an aircraft in Antarctica using night-vision goggles, a feat hailed Saturday as historic and could lead to year-round flights to the frozen continent.
The pilot of the US Air Force Globemaster flew from Christchurch in New Zealand to the US Antarctica base at McMurdo Sound overnight Thursday in the first such mission described as risky.
Continue reading ‘US Air Force: Night landing in Antarctica hailed as historic’ »
25 Aug 2008, 0143 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: Impressed with the combat skills of IAF top-gun pilots flying Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, IL-78 mid-air refuellers and IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft, the US would like IAF to take part in the “Red Flag” wargames on a regular basis.
“IAF is a world-class air force, with great aircraft and great leadership. It’s a great training opportunity for USAF and IAF to integrate our assets in a training environment. We would like to have IAF here as a regular participant,” said Captain Marcus ‘Spike’ Wilson, leader of American F-15s and F-16s, during the ongoing exercise at Nellis US Air Force base in Nevada.
In its largest-ever overseas deployment, IAF’s six Sukhois, two IL-78 and one IL-76 aircraft, along with 247 personnel, are now in the final “run” phase of the Red Flag exercise, pitting their skills against American F-15s and F-16s, as also French Rafale fighters and South Korean F-15K jets.
Continue reading ‘India: US wants IAF to be part of wargames on regular basis’ »
Featured, Added: Aug 14 2008 by natej740
F-22 Raptors assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska drop Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) as part of an exercise in Guam.
The JDAM is a guidance kit that converts existing unguided gravity bombs, or “dumb bombs”, into all-weather “smart” munitions. JDAM equipped bombs are guided to their target by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled with a Global More..Positioning System (GPS) receiver for enhanced accuracy, giving them a published range of up to 15 nautical miles (28 km) from the release point
Russia and Peru have signed a 106-million-dollar contract for repair and modernization of MIG-29 fighters possessed by Peru; 19 of them Peru bought in late 1990s from Russia and Belorussia.
Under the contract Russia pledged to increase combat abilities of the aircraft. Money for the purpose will be allocated in keeping with the government’s goal-oriented programme stipulating modernization of that country’s armed forces.
13.08.2008
related article:
Brief Description of Potential Upgrades to Mig-29 FAP
Batzepita, through its blog Cota 1061
Continue reading ‘Russia to modernize MIG-29 fighters possessed by Peru’ »
25 June 2008
Sino Defence
Chinese official Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday 25 June that two air force fighter jets crashed in northern China after colliding in mid-air.
The two J-8 fighters collided during a training mission over Qingshuihe County in the suburbs of Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The incident took place at 8:50 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
7/22/2008 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFNS) — A joint-agency search continues for missing crew members following the crash July 21 of a B-52H Stratofortress bomber 25 miles off the northwest coast of Guam.
The bodies of two of the six Airmen on board the aircraft have been recovered. Identities of the crew members are being withheld pending family notification.
On-scene in a 900-square mile search area are crews with two U.S. Coast Guard vessels and the USS John McCain, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. Additionally, Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 and U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron joined a Navy P-3 Orion from Kadena Air Base in Japan. Guam police and fire department rescue units also joined the search.
“The U.S. Coast Guard-led search effort has been extensive and the joint military and civilian team is thoroughly scouring the area in the search for survivors,” said Brig. Gen. Douglas Owens, commander of the 36th Wing here.
Continue reading ‘Search effort continues following B-52 crash’ »