Relevo del avión P.3 del Ejército del Aire en el destacamento Orión

El día 18 de junio de 2013, a las 08:40 aterrizó en Yibuti el avión P.3 del Ejército del Aire con número de fuselaje 22-35, y número de cola P.3M-12, para relevar al que actualmente está desplegado en Yibuti participando en la Operación Atalanta.
El avión que ha regresado a territorio nacional, numero de fuselaje 22-31 y número de cola P.3M-08, desplegó a Yibuti el 12 de diciembre del 2012, y desde entonces ha realizado 83 misiones en la Operación Atalanta, con una operatividad del 100%. Esta aeronave del Grupo 22 celebró su 45 cumpleaños recientemente, habiendo realizado un total de 153 misiones en sus diferentes despliegues al Cuerno de África, sumando 1.154 horas de vuelo sobre el Océano Índico. El motivo de su regreso a la base Aérea de Morón es la realización del mantenimiento programado de 224 días, que cumple el día 12 de julio.
ejercitodelaire

All Russian Missile Brigades to Get Iskander Systems by 2018

Iskander-M ballistic missile systems, which can effectively engage two targets within a minute at a range of up to 280 kilometers, will be provided to all Russian Ground Forces missile brigades by 2018, the country’s defense minister said.
RIA NOVOSTI

Powerful missiles from Qatar sent to Syrian rebels

As an intermittent supply of arms to the Syrian opposition gathered momentum last year, the Obama administration repeatedly implored its Arab allies to keep one type of powerful weapon out of the rebels’ hands: heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles.
The missiles, US officials warned, could one day be used by terrorist groups, some of them affiliated with Al Qaeda, to shoot down civilian aircraft.
But one country ignored this admonition: Qatar, the tiny, oil-and-gas-rich emirate that has made itself indispensable to rebel forces battling calcified Arab governments and that has been shipping arms to the Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar Assad’s government since 2011.
bostonglobe

Iraq to get the Russian Night Hunter Helicopters

Russia will supply over 10 Mi-28NE ‘Night Hunter’ attack helicopters to Iraq under a multi-billion dollar agreement. These helicopters are the export version of the Mi-28N, produced by the Russian Helicopter Corporation. Russian deputy general director at Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, said the $4.3 billion arms transfer agreement signed between Moscow and Baghdad includes the transfer of attack helicopters, training of aircrews and technicians, as well as the weapons systems typically employed with these helicopters.
defense-update

Israel Will Be First International Customer To Fly Operational F-35 Units

Though late to sign on to the network of nations purchasing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Israel will be the first international customer to operate the fifth-generation fighter.
defense-update

UCLASS will have minimum range of 600nm

The Navy aims to build a system of stealthy pilotless aircraft to patrol at a minimum range of 600 nautical miles around an aircraft carrier at a maximum cost of $150 million per orbit.
usni

First Hongdu L-15 for Zambia flown

The first Hongdu L-15 jet trainer for Zambia has made its maiden flight on Jun. 29.

jxgfgb

Special inspector general says Pentagon wasting money buying aircraft for Afghanistan

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in a report Friday that the Pentagon is spending $771 million on aircraft for Afghanistan that “could be left sitting on runways.”
Around $772 million are being spent to buy 18 PC-12s and 30 Mi-17s for the Afghan Special Mission Wing. However, the watchdog pointed out that the unit does not have the man power required to operate those aircraft nor the training.
The special inspector general is recommending the purchase be suspended until these shortcomings are rectified.

sigar

Luke AFB Expected To Get 3 More F-35 Training Squadrons

The number of F-35 Lightning II training squadrons coming to Luke Air Force Base has doubled, which should secure the West Valley base’s future as it draws down its F-16 inventory.
The announcement came Thursday with praise from a slate of dignitaries at the base in Glendale and in missives from the state’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.
azcentral

US Navy Should Delay Next Carrier Amid Troubles, GAO Says

The U.S. Navy should delay the award of a multibillion-dollar contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII) to build the second aircraft carrier in a new class as the first one faces failings from its radar to the gear that launches planes, congressional investigators said.
bloomberg

Leaked Cables Contained Classified Info

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning disclosed potentially damaging classified information in at least 117 of the more than 250,000 State Department cables he has acknowledged sending to WikiLeaks, according to evidence prosecutors presented at his court-martial Thursday.
yahoo.com

First CH-147F Chinook helicopter welcomed to Canada

The Canadian Minister of National Defence responsible for military procurement today welcomed the delivery of the Canadian Armed Forces' first new CH-147F Chinook helicopter at a ceremony at the Canada Reception Centre in Ottawa.

First two CV-22Bs arrive at RAF Mildenhall

The 352nd Special Operations Group resurrected a key capability June 24, 2013, when two CV-22B Ospreys touched down at RAF Mildenhall.
The Ospreys are the first of 10 slated to arrive as part of the 352nd SOG expansion, which will last through the end of 2014.
usafe

Russia to Open Airbase in Belarus Within Months

Russia is opening an airbase in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, within just a few months, a Russian Air Force general said Wednesday.
The airbase, modern Russia’s first on Belarusian soil, will consolidate bilateral defense collaboration as part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.
en.ria.ru

GENERAL ATOMICS to Develop Predator B Variant to Meet NATO/European Airworthiness Standards

General Atomics announced that it is undertaking an Independent Research and Development (IRAD) effort to develop a variant of its Predator® B RPA that is fully compliant with the airworthiness requirements of the U.S. Air Force and anticipated NATO foreign customers, as well as offers enhanced capabilities for integration into domestic and international airspace.
It is envisioned that the system solution will be a multi-nation, certifiable, exportable configuration built upon the company’s Block 5 Predator B aircraft capabilities and Advanced Cockpit Ground Control Station (GCS) layout.
media.ga.com

Boeing starts assembly of first KC-46A

Boeing workers in Everett  the first wing spar for the first U.S. Air Force KC-46A aerial refueling tanker, starting production of that aircraft and toward delivering 179 tankers during the next 14 years.The KC-46A is based on the commercial 767-200ER, a proven airframe in service as an airliner, freighter and tanker.

boeing

Potential Sale to France of 16 MQ-9 Reapers

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a
possible Foreign Military Sale to France of 16 MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft and associated
equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.
The Government of France has requested a possible sale of:
16 MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft
8 Mobile Ground Control Stations (GCS)
48 Honeywell TPE331-10T Turboprop Engines (16 installed and 32 spares)
24 Satellite Earth Terminal Substations
40 Ku Band Link-Airborne Communication Systems
40 General Atomics Lynx (exportable) Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target
Indicator (SAR/GMTI) Systems
40 AN/DAS-1 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS)-B
40 Ground Data Terminals
40 ARC-210 Radio Systems
40 Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems
48 AN/APX-119 and KIV-119 Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) Systems.
dsca

Italy's JSF Buy Still A Go, Despite Opposition

Italy’s plan to purchase 90 Joint Strike Fighters has survived a rebellion by Italian parliamentarians seeking to halt the program.
After a motion was presented opposing the program on Wednesday, a successive and watered down motion was eventually voted through authorizing the existing orders; a parliamentary vote will be required for further purchases.
Opposition to the JSF has mounted over the program’s rising costs as the country seeks to cut government spending — particularly since February’s parliamentary elections, which saw an influx former comic Beppe Grillo’s supporters.
defensenews

Israel Receives First C-130J Super Hercules: ‘Shimshon’

Lockheed Martin delivered the State of Israel’s first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter during a ceremony today at its Aeronautics Company’s production facility here. This is first of three C-130Js currently on order for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.
The IAF has bestowed the nickname “Shimshon” on its C-130Js. Shimshon is Hebrew for Samson,
defencetalk

China’s Fighters, Drone Look Like U.S. Aircraft

China’s models of military planes at the Paris Air Show bear resemblance to U.S. aircraft, drawing attention to the rising concern in the Defense Department that the country is using cyber espionage to obtain sensitive defense technology.
defensetech

F-35 Still Faces ‘Considerable’ Risks: Auditors

The Defense Department’s F-35 fighter jet program has recently made progress on several fronts, but still faces “considerable” challenges and risks, according to a new analysis from government auditors.
defensetech

Will Congress Let USAF Abandon the Global Hawk?

June is the start of the rainy season in the South Pacific, six months of storms that come in fast and unpredictable. And when the wind starts blowing, that takes its toll on U.S. intelligence-gathering far off in North Korea.
A substantial amount of the intel of the North Korea comes from the three massive Global Hawk unmanned surveillance planes based at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Because of special flight restrictions, the Global Hawks can’t fly over thunderstorms, nor, without a way to see the clouds ahead, can they go around them. So whenever a hint of bad weather arose on the route Global Hawk was assigned last year from Guam, the missions were canceled. Last year, the UAVs were grounded for an entire month.
This susceptibility to South Pacific cyclones is adding new energy to the political hurricane raging in Washington over the future of the expensive UAVs.

Aran Roston-defensenews

Mauritanian, Senegalese air forces order AW109 AgustaWestland helicopters

The Mauritanian Air Force has ordered two AW109 helicopters and the Senegalese Air Force a single AW139 from AgustaWestland.
The contract with Mauritania was signed on June 17 at the Paris Air Show.
The AW109 helicopters would be used for border patrol and reconnaissance missions, and would be delivered in mid-2014 in a multi-role homeland security configuration and the contract also includes training and support package.
Mauritania’s Air Force only flies two other helicopters – Chinese Harbin Z-9As delivered in 2003.
The Mauritanian Air Force has been growing in recent times, especially in response to Islamic terrorist organisations operating in the region. Four Embraer EMB-312F Tucanos were received from France in 2010 and 2011, while the nation began taking delivery of new Super Tucanos in October 2012.
Also at the Paris Air Show, AgustaWestland announced that it had signed a contract for a single AW139 medium helicopter, which will be operated by the Senegal Air Force. It will most likely be used for VIP transport.
The contract marks the entrance of AgustaWestland helicopters in the regional market, and includes in-country support services and training for both aircrew and maintainers.
Senegal is also expanding its air force, with the country recently ordering three A-29 Super Tucanos from Embraer. The contract was signed on April 10 this year.
defenceweb

Induction of LCA in Indian Air Force Tejas postponed to November

The much-awaited induction of the India's indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft in the Indian Air Force got further delayed with the Defence Ministry giving the LCA team a new deadline of November, 2013, to obtain the initial operational clearance-2, which will be the last but one hurdle before the LCA gets inducted into the air force.
The earlier deadline for the IOC-2 was September, which has been extended by two months now. The schedule for the final operational clearance will be December, 2014, though the top brass in the IAF is sceptical about the FOC deadline.
deccanherald

Iran needless of foreign aid for repairing copters

The commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces says the country’s air force has achieved self-sufficiency in repairing helicopters.
presstv.ir

Raytheon delivers first NASAMS High Mobility Launcher to Norway

Raytheon has delivered the first High Mobility Launcher (HML) for Norway's National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to provide Norway with advanced air defense capability.
raytheon

U.K. Typhoons Get Emergency Clearance To Refuel From Voyager

The RAF has given an emergency clearance for its Eurofighter Typhoon to refuel from the new Airbus A330 Voyager multi-role tanker transport aircraft.
The decision is understood to have been made about two weeks ago, and will allow Typhoons to refuel from the Voyagers despite the fact that the U.K. Military Aviation Authority (MAA), the certification agency that normally approves such clearances, has not yet given the aircraft combination a Release to Service notice.

Anthony Osborne-aviationweek

Australia seeks 7 MQ-4C Triton drones for Indian Ocean overwatch

Rising Indian Ocean rivalries as China seeks to safeguard key energy lifelines loom behind an Australian push for a $3 billion fleet of maritime superdrones, which will likely boost intelligence sharing with the United States.
With elections looming and pressure for budget savings, the purchase of up to seven MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft has emerged as rare point of bipartisan agreement between Australia's Labor government and conservative opponents, but both sides are reluctant to discuss their wider strategic aims.
reuters

Thailand approved approved the acquisition of Airbus ACJ320 for VIP purposes

Thailand approved on Tuesday the acquisition of Airbus ACJ320, as requested by the Defence Ministry's Royal Thai Air Force.
The Royal Thai Air Force said that the aircraft would be reserved for VIP guests.
According to Airbus, the ACJ320 features the most spacious cabin in the corporate jet market, with the same cross section as the ACJ318 and ACJ319.

defense-studies

El Ejército de Colombia confirma la adquisición del UAV Raven

El Ejército de Colombia ha confirmado la adquisición del sistema UAV RQ-11B 'Raven', cuyos vehículos ya han comenzado a ser operados y desplegados por la División de Aviación y Asalto Aéreo.
infodefensa

La Fuerza Aérea de Venezuela negocia la compra de doce helicópteros Eurocopter Cougar

El presidente de Venezuela anunció que para el fortalecimiento de la Fuerza Aérea Venezolana, está previsto adquirir doce helicópteros Cougar.
No se ha especificado la variante contemplada en la negociación; sin embargo, desde finales de 2007, cuando la FAV anunció que tenía proyectado adquirir un nuevo lote de helicópteros Cougar, trascendió que se trataba de la última versión EC725, o Súper Cougar.
La FAV es un antiguo operario de la familia Super Puma/Cougar. En 1988, adquirió ocho AS332B1 Super Puma, y, diez años más tarde, ocho Cougar: seis AS532AC y dos AS532UL. Los AS332B1/AS532AC operan con el Grupo Aéreo de Operaciones Especiales Nº 10, mientras que los AS532UL están asignados al Grupo Aéreo Presidencial Nº 4.
infodefensa

German navy Lynx to get new Titan sensor fit

Germany's defence ministry has signed a €5 million ($6.5 million) deal with Selex ES to acquire an undisclosed number of Titan 385ES-HD high-definition electro-optical/infrared sensors to equip part of its navy fleet of Westland Lynx 88A maritime helicopters.
flightglobal

Australia seeks Triton superdrones for Indian Ocean overwatch

Rising Indian Ocean rivalries as China seeks to safeguard key energy lifelines loom behind an Australian push for a $3 billion fleet of maritime superdrones, which will likely boost intelligence sharing with the United States.
With elections looming and pressure for budget savings, the purchase of up to seven MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft.
vagazette

El Ala 15 del Ejército del Aire comienza el despliegue de F-18 para el Artic Tiger 2013

El viernes 14 de junio despegaron seis F-18 del Ala 15 de la Base Aérea de Zaragoza con destino a su cita anual con los escuadrones de naciones OTAN integrantes de la Asociación Tigre; este año bajo la denominación Arctic Tiger 2013 (AT13), en honor al país anfitrión, Noruega.
Los más de 3.000 kilómetros que separan las Bases Aéreas de Zaragoza y Orland fueron cubiertas en 3,5 horas de vuelo, con el apoyo de un avión cisterna KC-135 de la Fuerza Aérea de Francia. La zona de reabastecimiento en vuelo se situó en Alemania, a unos 1.200 kilómetros de Zaragoza.
La finalidad del AT13 es proporcionar un adiestramiento táctico a todas las unidades participantes en un amplio espectro de misiones, dentro de un escenario conjunto y realista. En este sentido, se busca mejorar la interoperabilidad de todas las unidades, desplegar en una base con apoyo logístico limitado y adiestrar a las tripulaciones en operaciones aéreas compuestas (COMAO), integrando asimismo, a las unidades navales y terrestres.
Entre las unidades participantes en el AT13, destacan los F-16 de Polonia, Turquía, Holanda, Bélgica, Noruega y Grecia; los Rafale de Francia; Eurofighter y Tornado de Alemania; además de los F-18 de Suiza y España. Toman parte también medios de guerra electrónica, reabastecimiento en vuelo y AWACS de la OTAN. Gracias al alto nivel de preparación de las unidades, así como a la calidad de las 80 plataformas aéreas participantes, el Arctic Tiger 2013 será uno de los mejores ejercicios en los que participen fuerzas aéreas de la OTAN durante el presente año.
ejercitodelaire

Defense Ministry Mulls An-26 Cargo Plane Replacement

Russia is considering two possible designs for a replacement for the obsolete Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft
Russia is considering development of a light military transport plane based on the Antonov An-140, or the Ilyushin Il-112V.
The An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop aircraft designed and produced in the USSR from 1969 to 1985.
The An-140-100 was developed by Russia's Antonov design bureau as a replacement for the An-24 and An-26 series aircraft. It can carry up to six metric tons of cargo to a range of over 2,000 kilometers, and can be used for patrol, military transport and special-ops missions.
en.ria.ru

Sale of Decommissioned Royal Australian Navy Ships Manoora and Kanimbla

Australian Minister for Defence Materielannounced the disposal by sale of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) decommissioned ships HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla.
defense-studies

MC-27J passes initial gunship test phase

Alenia Aermacchi and partner ATK have completed initial ground and flight tests with their proposed MC-27J derivative of the Italian company's Spartan tactical transport.
The MC-27J has been adapted for the gunship mission via the installation of a palletised system, which houses an ATK GAU-23 30mm cannon and associated command and control equipment inside the aircraft's cargo hold. This will provide operators with the ability to rapidly convert their transport aircraft for the persistent strike role.
Part of the first test phase included proving the roll-on, roll-off nature of the system, which Alenia Aermacchi and ATK say "exceeded all test objectives". Conducted at Eglin AFB in Florida by company personnel.
flightglobal

South Korea to buy European Taurus missiles

South Korea will buy European bunker-busting missiles as the United States refused to sell the same kind of weapons to the country.
At a meeting presided over by Defence Minister , the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved a plan to purchase air-to-ground missiles with a 500-kilometre range from the German-Swedish joint venture Taurus System.
The number of missiles and proposed budget have not been confirmed yet, but Yonhap news agency said South Korea planned to buy about 170 Taurus bunker busters.
google

CASSIDIAN PROTECTS AIRCRAFT PASSENGERS AGAINST MISSILE ATTACKS

Cassidian, has developed an intelligent system for the protection of civil aircraft against attacks by missiles of the MANPADS type (Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems), which will allow aircraft to fly over crisis areas, to take off and land on civil airports and also to fly in civil airspace.
As reported by the company, following extensive investigations, the aviation authorities EASA and LBA have now given a positive answer to a preliminary query submitted by Cassidian, which means that the system now can be integrated into aircraft of the size of business jets, outside of scheduled traffic. This particularly concerns aircraft operators which offer air transport to crisis areas on behalf of governments or aid organisations and which are particularly exposed to attacks by light IR-guided missiles, the so-called MANPADS.
cassidian

Russian Scientist Proposes Satan Missiles to Fight Asteroid Threats

Russia can use Soviet-era SS-18 Satan heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles to destroy celestial bodies posing a threat to Earth, a Russian scientist said on Sunday, four months after a powerful meteor struck Russia’s Urals region.
en.ria.ru

Israeli David's Sling anti-missile system unveiled in Paris

David's Sling, designed to protect Israel from midrange missiles, is expected to be operational within two years • It will become part of Israel's multilayered missile defense network, which also includes the Iron Dome and Arrow systems.
israelhayom

2nd Russian Navy 'Mistral Class' Warship to Be Complete in 2014

Russia’s second Mistral-class, amphibious assault ship will be complete in October 2014, a deputy prime minister in charge of the defense industry said Sunday, adding that the first Mistral would enter the nation’s fleet this October.
en.rian

F35B getting ready for night time STOL operations

F-35B is in preparation for short takeoff night operations at the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River, Md., AM2 Mat vertical takeoff and landing pad.
The Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Office (PMA-251) VLA team at Patuxent River installed the two Next-Generation Visual Landing Aids for upcoming nighttime carrier landing practices. The systems provide pilots with rotation-line lighting cues for the simulated flight deck.
navair

Yak-130 Jets For Syria On Track for 'Political Decision'

Russia has manufactured several Yak-130 combat trainer jets for Syria as part of a deal signed in 2011, but no final decision on delivery has yet been made, an official source said Thursday.
An unspecified number of the aircraft have been produced by aircraft-builder Irkut as part of the $550 million deal for 36 Yak-130 jets.
themoscowtimes

US Navy Receives First F-35C Lightning II

The U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 received the Navy's first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft from Lockheed Martin today at the squadron's home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
navy.mil

Pakistani JF-17 to start mid-air refuelling by end of summer

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has successfully completed ground tests on mid-air refuelling probes fitted to its Chengdu Aerospace Corporation/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft and expects to carry out the first mid-air refuelling by the end of the summer.
janes

US Army AH-64 Apaches join USS Harry S. Truman for overseas deployment certification

The South Carolina Army National Guard 1st Battalion/151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) participated in joint exercises June 9-16 with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group off the coast of northeast Florida in the Atlantic.
Operating from NAS Jackson-ville, the ARB detachment of 45 aircrew, maintainers and ordnancemen flew their six AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters in support of the Truman Strike Group sustainment exercise (SUSTAINEX).

jaxairnews

La Armada crea la Sección de Ciberdefensa

La División de Sistemas de Información y Telecomunicación (DIVCIS) del Estado Mayor de la Armada ha dado luz verde a la Sección de Ciberdefensa. Este departamento, que sustituye a la Sección de Coordinación y Seguridad, asume los cometidos de ésta y, además, el planeamiento, dirección y control de la Ciberdefensa militar en el ámbito específico de la Armada.
armada.mde

Mirage F1 Spanish Air Force Farewell this weekend

Next Sunday, June 23rd, to mark the Farewell of the last remaing Ejército del Aire eight Mirage F1, will be held an open doors day at Albacete Air Base home of Ejercito Ala 14 (14th Wing). Here follows the events to occur next Sunday.












EVENTS:
10:30 AM Doors open to the public and static exhibitions
10:50 AM Formation of the participating forces.
11:00 AM Military honors ceremony and tribute to the fallen.
11:20 AM Police Dog Demonstration team unity and EOD
11:40 AM Parachute patrol Exhibition of Ejército del Aire-PAPEA
12:00 PM Aerobatic Patrol helicopter Exhibition of Ejercito del Aire, Patrulla ASPA
12:30 PM Exhibition of Ejército del Aire Canadair CL-215T
12:35 PM Patrulla Aguila Aerobatic Show.
13:10 PM Farewell pass of Mirage F1, along Eurofighter and Patrulla Aguila
13:30 PM End of the opened doors day.

EXHIBITIONS
- Mirage F.1 (on flight and static display)
- EF-2000 (on flight and static display)
- Patrulla AGUILA (on flight and static display)
- Patrulla ASPA (on flight and static display)
- PAPEA (on flight and static display)
- CL-215T (on flight and static display)
- C295 (on flight and static display)
- F-18 (on flight and static display)
- F-5 (on flight and static display)
- C-101 (on flight and static display)
- Antonov An-2 (FACV) (on flight and static display)
- FACV Bleriot XI Mock-up static display)
- Eurocopter Albacete Helicopter Factory (static display)*

*I hope to see EC665 Tigre HAP version for FAMET (Spanish Army)

Bon voyage 'Grandma', we'll miss you a lot...this little corner is named after you.

BAE and Northrop to announce T-X production location before year’s end

BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman are set to announce where they intend to build the Hawk jet trainer for the US Air Force's T-X advanced jet trainer replacement programme before the end of the year, says a top company official speaking at the Paris air show.
But there are questions as to whether the USAF has the money to pay for a replacement for the venerable Northrop T-38 Talon. Earlier in the year, Gen Edward Rice, head of the Air Education and Training Command, said that even before the cuts mandated by the Congressional sequestration law went into effect, the service did not have the money allocated to pay for a new trainer.
Later in the year, USAF chief of staff Gen Mark Welsh and outgoing air force secretary Michael Donley said that while the service needed a T-38 replacement, it does not have the money to pay for such a programme.
flightglobal