Archive for the ‘Air Forces’ Category.
12th September 2008, 11:33 pm
13/09/2008 01h58
Agence France Presse
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’ »
28th August 2008, 01:05 am
25 Aug 2008, 0143 hrs IST,TNN
The Times of India
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’ »
16th August 2008, 01:04 pm
Featured, Added: Aug 14 2008 by natej740
Liveleak
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
Continue reading ‘F-22 Raptors Drop JDAMs’ »
16th August 2008, 12:32 pm
RUVR, the voice of Russia
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’ »
27th July 2008, 02:37 pm
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.
Continue reading ‘J-8 Fighters Collided in North China’ »
26th July 2008, 02:26 am
Air Force Link
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’ »
26th July 2008, 01:21 am
23-Jul-2008 12:41 EDT
Defense Industry Daily
Morocco’s combat air force currently flies 2 squadrons of old F-5s, and 2 squadrons of only slightly newer Mirage F1s; T-37 light jets serve as key transitional trainers. Their neighbor and rival Algeria flies MiG-23s of similar vintage, but adds far more modern and capable MiG-29s. The Force Aerienne Algerienne also flies SU-24 Fencer and SU-25 Frogfoot strike aircraft, and is set to receive 36 multi-role MiG-29SMTs and 30 multi-role SU-30MKs as part of a multi-billion dollar weapons deal with Russia. Morocco is looking for replacement aircraft that will prevent a complete overmatch, and provide it with a measure of security.
Initially, they looked to France. France’s Rafale is part of a set of European 4+ generation fighters that were developed and fielded during the 1990s-early 21st century, with the aim of surpassing both existing offerings among America’s “teen series” fighters, and Russia’s Mig-29 Fulcrum and SU-27/30 Flanker family. “Dogfight at the Casbah: Rafale vs. F-16” discussed the French sales slip-ups that cost Dassault its first export order for the 4+ generation fighter. That outcome is now official. Just to make things worse, the final multi-billion dollar deal involves new-build F-16s, at a price comparable to the rumored figures for the Rafale. Not to mention an accompanying request to replace Morocco’s T-37 trainer fleet with 24 T-6B Texan trainer aircraft with very secondary light attack capability.
Continue reading ‘Morocco’s Air Force Reloads’ »
25th July 2008, 01:02 am
by Olivier Knox
Thu Jul 24, 3:34 PM ET
Yahoo News
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House confirmed Thursday that it wants to shift 230 million dollars in aid to Pakistan from counter-terrorism programs to upgrading Islamabad’s ageing F-16 fighter jets.
The news came as US President George W. Bush prepared to host Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday for talks set to focus on cooperation to fight Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists and Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said a New York Times article detailing the shift was “accurate,” but rejected criticism that Pakistan chiefly views the jets through the lens of its nuclear rivalry with neighbor India.
“The F-16s that they have are used in counter-terrorism operations. We made them available to the Pakistanis and they need to be maintained,” Perino told reporters.
Continue reading ‘US to help upgrade Pakistan fighter fleet’ »
24th July 2008, 06:34 pm
Monday 21 July 2008 04:00.
By Wasil Ali
Sudan Tribune
July 20, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — A shipment of new Russian MIG-29 tactical fighters has recently arrived into Sudan from Belarus, a source familiar with the matter told Sudan Tribune today.
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that a dozen MIG-29 combat fighters were shipped discreetly by planes through a Belarusian company two weeks ago.
However he could not confirm whether the fighters were actually sold by Belarus or they simply came through the East European country.
Continue reading ‘Sudan receives new shipment of Russian fighter jets’ »
21st July 2008, 01:35 pm
By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 1 minute ago
Yahoo News
HONOLULU - Rescue crews were searching a vast area of floating debris and a sheen of oil Monday for crew members of an Air Force B-52 bomber that crashed off the island of Guam, officials said.
At least two people from the bomber’s six-man crew were recovered from the waters, but their condition was not immediately available, the Coast Guard said.
Maj. Stuart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman, said the aircraft was unarmed.
Six vessels, three helicopters, two F-15 fighter jets and a B-52 bomber were involved in the search, which had covered about 70 square miles of ocean, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Lt. Elizabeth Buendia.
Continue reading ‘Rescuers search off Guam for crew of crashed B-52’ »