Military Aviation News-2013

[Tango III]

Mixed reaction over US plans for new prototype attack helicopter

[Tango III]

AirTanker performs first airline operations with A330 Voyager

[tantrum]

Chinese Physicists Build “Ghost” Cloaking Device

The 'ghost cape' that could make fighter jets look like passenger planes

[Tango III]

French Need A400M, Due This Year

[Tango III]

Weapon hits two stationary land targets during integrated test phase

[Tango III]

Raytheon, US Air Force Complete Small Diameter Bomb II Fit Check on F-35 Aircraft

[Tango III]

UK confirms September retirement for aged VC10s

[Tango III]

India's first C-17 enters flight testing

[KERVYN]

yes, see also posts # 650 & 653 in ;

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showt...116739&page=22

friendly, Etienne

[Tango III]

Eurocopter España’s First Assembled NH90 Helicopter Takes Flight

[Tango III]

F-35 JSF Testers Report Progress, Problems

[sdk]

150 kilowatt lasers will be installed in US Fighter planes as early as 2014
Star wars are closer than expected?

[obligatory]

Sounds like specs for 6th gen. but even more so for heavy UAV

Jesus Diaz over at Gizmodo has the story: The United States Navy and Air Force will be installing “liquid-cooled, solid-state lasers” in combat airplanes. Why? Why not! But if you insist on utility: much like the Reagan-era “Star Wars” program, these lasers will offer a line of defense, shooting down missiles and rockets targeted at the planes. Firing tests will happen as soon as next year.

DARPA is calling this program the High Energy Laser Area Defense System, or HELLADS for short. DARPA says that these lasers will be ten times smaller and lighter than current lasers that pack the same punch (150 kilowatts), “enabling integration onto tactical aircraft.” Ultimately the goal is to have these systems weigh less than five kilograms per kilowatt.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view...rs-writ-small/

[Tango III]

Vietnam takes delivery of last Spanish-built C212

[Tango III]

Sukhoi Delivers 5 Su-34 Bombers to Russian Air Force

[Fedaykin]

I must admit Vietnam's gentle move into buying Western equipment is fascinating.

That they also considering allowing the USN back into Saigon Naval base as a counter to China is also an interesting development.

[Tango III]

12 Z-9 helicopters

Cambodia to buy 12 Chinese helicopters

[Nils]

Russian AF re-introduces old-style soviet markings

apparrently, the reason is that the new markings and national flag dont show that well on camoflaged aircraft, so now all combat aircraft are going back to the old soviet-era red star, as it was/is the most recognisable feature on Russian aircraft.

article in dutch:
http://www.standaard.be/artikel/deta...MF20130125_065

[KERVYN]

The aircraft of the Russian Air Force will now again with the five-pointed red star painted. Russian media report that have learned from the Ministry of Defence. The star replaces the national tricolor, a good camouflage of the aircraft would hinder.


Russian military experts react satisfied with the return of the Soviet Star. "The whole world knows the red star", said the former chief of the Air Force, Anatoli Kornukov.

Symbols of the Soviet era, like the red star with hammer and emblems, sickle and laurel remain until today very popular in Russia and are still everywhere in the country can be found.

[Rii]

I must admit Vietnam's gentle move into buying Western equipment is fascinating.

Perhaps Vietnam isn't as safe a bet for T-50/PAK FA in future as it once seemed. F-35 for VPAF...? A lot can change in 10-15 years.

[giganick1]

UN to probe drone attacks by Israel, United States and Britain

[jbritchford]

UN to probe drone attacks by Israel, United States and Britain

And if any of you have been naughty we're going to send you a strongly worded letter!

Not to justify the drone attacks that is, but I doubt the UN investigation will come to anything.

[Freehand]

Perhaps Vietnam isn't as safe a bet for T-50/PAK FA in future as it once seemed. F-35 for VPAF...? A lot can change in 10-15 years.

Let's not get carried away. There will be flankers over the skies of Vietnam for decades to come.

[ink]

Let's not get carried away. There will be flankers over the skies of Vietnam for decades to come.

Yeah, J-11s. Mwahahaha! :diablo:

[Freehand]

Yeah, J-11s. Mwahahaha! :diablo:

I don't think so, you're a riot, btw.

[giganick1]

And if any of you have been naughty we're going to send you a strongly worded letter!

Not to justify the drone attacks that is, but I doubt the UN investigation will come to anything.

I totally agree with you there, but then again the UK's Drones only operate in Afgan so what is wrong with that, I mean they do their best over civilian casualties, remember the Harrier that redirected its Paveway to avoid casulties...

[Tango III]

The Boeing Company, Dassault Aviation, EADS Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin and Saab Group—will be asked.

Industry Engaged to Advance Evaluation of Options to Replace Canada's CF-18 Fleet

[tantrum]

Explosion at Fordow Nuclear Facility, Iran.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21230686

Not much hard news on this story yet but some agencies are suggesting that an aerial attack may have taken place.

Massive Ordnance Penetrator?

[jbritchford]

Explosion at Fordow Nuclear Facility, Iran.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21230686

Not much hard news on this story yet but some agencies are suggesting that an aerial attack may have taken place.

Massive Ordnance Penetrator?

I think we'll have to wait to see, but I have been wondering if the recent Israeli strikes on Sudan were something of a practice run.

Let's hope peace prevails, whatever has happened.

[Nicolas10]

And if any of you have been naughty we're going to send you a strongly worded letter!

Not to justify the drone attacks that is, but I doubt the UN investigation will come to anything.

Those attacks are plain assassination. It's only right that they are getting probed. I don't trust the UN all that much, but at least this is a nice step for once.

Nic