EADS aborts on bid to develop speedy rotorcraft for US Army

EADS North America is withdrawing from the US Army's Joint Multi-Role/Future Vertical Lift (JMR/FVL) programme.
"We will withdraw from further consideration for the JMR/FVL concept development effort," writes chief executive officer of EADS North America in a letter addressed to assistant secretary of the army for procurement.
EADS faces financial constraints in light of the Congressional sequestration law that automatically cuts projected US defence outlays by 10% every year for 10 years and the implementation thereof.
Sequestration forced the army to reduce funding for the EADS UH-72A Lakota. The army had planned to buy 31 UH-72As in Fiscal 2014 and 10 the following year, but instead now plans to buy only 10 during the next fiscal year that begins on 1 October.

Germany signals it will stick with NATO drone plan

Germany dropped plans to buy its own drones but will maintain commitment to NATO project drones, minister says.
The decision not to buy the planes raised concerns over whether Germany would continue to back a NATO plan to acquire five high-altitude unmanned Global Hawks, also from Northrop Grumman, as part of the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) project.

reuters

RAF Merlin helicopters pulled out of Helmand

In the first clear and visible sign of the planned rundown of Britain's military presence in Afghanistan, the UK's fleet of Merlin helicopters is being brought home.
The six aircraft – specially adapted to cope with the dry and dusty conditions in Helmand province – were deployed in 2009 after military commanders called for more helicopters for help in increasingly intense operations.
defencemanagement

Philippines DND Finalizing Terms of Reference for Acquisition of 12 Fighter 12 FA-50 fighter jets fromm South Korea

To beef up the security capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Department of National Defense (DND) is finalizing the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the acquisition of 12 fighter jets from South Korea.
DND Undersecretary said that the acquisition of fighter jets remains a priority. He also said that the TOR for the acquisition of 12 FA-50 fighter jets may be completed in a month.
defense-studies

U.S. Navy awards $6.2B in contracts to build 9 new destroyers

The U.S. Navy will acquire at least nine new destroyers between this year and 2017 after General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls won contracts worth more than $6 billion for the shipbuilding project.
spacewar

Putin holds back on Syria missile delivery

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow has held back on delivering sophisticated S-300 missiles to the Syrian regime, while UN investigators said they have "reasonable grounds" to believe both sides in the conflict have used chemical weapons.
spacewar

Lockheed Martin Completes LRASM Vertical Launch System Tests

Lockheed Martin has completed MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) "push-through" testing of a simulated Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
Four consecutive tests verified that the simulated LRASM can break or "push through" the MK 41 canister's forward cover without causing damage to the composite structure, air data probe or coatings of the missile.
spacewar

U.S. publishes details of missile base Israel wanted kept secret

Israel’s military fumed Monday over the discovery that the U.S. government had revealed details of a top-secret Israeli military installation in published bid requests.
The Obama administration had promised to build Israel a state-of-the-art facility to house a new ballistic-missile defense system, the Arrow 3. As with all Defense Department projects, detailed specifications were made public so that contractors could bid on the $25 million project. The specifications included more than 1,000 pages of details on the facility, ranging from the heating and cooling systems to the thickness of the walls.
kansascity

Brazil closer to buy Boeing Superhornets on jets deal after Biden visit

Brazil is closer to choosing Boeing Co.'s F-18 for one of the developing world's most sought-after defense contracts after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden addressed the government's main misgivings during a visit to Brasilia, officials told Reuters.
Biden met with President Dilma Rousseff on Friday and assured her that the U.S. Congress was likely to respect Boeing's agreement to transfer sensitive technology to Brazil as part of the deal, three officials who were present said on condition of anonymity.
The deal will involve 36 jets worth about $4 billion, with probable follow-up orders that would greatly increase the value of the contract over time. That makes it a critical prize for defense companies at a moment when the United States and many European countries are tightening military budgets.
The other finalists are France's Dassault Aviation SA and Sweden's Saab AB .
Rousseff has not made her final decision, and the timing for an announcement remains unclear, the officials stressed.

chicagotribune

Raytheon receives Paveway II supply contract from international customer

Raytheon has received a contract to supply its combat-proven Paveway II precision-guided munitions to an undisclosed international military customer.
Valued at $106m, the direct commercial sale contract covers delivery of Paveway kits for both GBU-12 and GBU-58 laser guided bombs (LGBs).
airforce-technology

Australia shortlists contenders for military helicopter training deal

Australia has shortlisted three contenders for a contract to provide its military with rotary wing training.
The three parties selected to contest Canberra's Air 9000 Phase 7 requirement are Eurocopter's local unit, Australian Aerospace; Boeing/Thales; and Raytheon/Bell.
A final decision is likely by the middle of 2014, and the DMO calculates the project value at A$1 billion ($960 million).
flightglobal

Russia Plans to Launch 16 ICBMs This Year

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) plan to launch 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) of various types this year.
spacewar

RAC MiG to design Skat-based unmanned combat air vehicle

RAC MiG has signed a research and development contract to build an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) based on its previous Skat design.
The deal, is for an autonomous system which requires minimal oversight once in flight. The Skat - a stealthy flying wing design - is the most sophisticated Russian UAV known. The country has had mixed success with developing unmanned systems, and has in the past purchased systems from Israel.

flightglobal

Sikorsky awarded $435 million contract for four CH-53K test aircraft

The US Navy is awarding Sikorsky a $435 million contract modification to build four more CH-53K prototype helicopters for operational evaluation purposes.
Instead of awarding a separate contract for the four system demonstration test articles, the Naval Air Systems Command has decided to add the machines to an existing $3.5 billion system development and demonstration contract that was awarded in April 2006.
flightglobal

Iraq warns Israel on using airspace in Iran strike

Baghdad has warned Israel that it would respond to any attempts by the Jewish state to use Iraqi airspace for a strike against Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

spacewar

Russia Deploys Advanced Missiles To Armenia

Russia has deployed an advanced new missile system to its base in Armenia,amid deteriorating relations with Armenia's rival, Azerbaijan. A source in Armenia's Defense Ministry confirmed to RFE/RL's Armenian service the deployment of "several" Iskander-M systems.
eurasianet

Boeing EMARSS makes first flight

A U.S. Army and Boeing team completed the first flight of the first of four Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) Engineering, Manufacturing and Development aircraft on May 22. The aircraft was in the air for more than four hours and completed all first-flight test objectives, including evaluation of aerodynamic handling qualities, aircraft systems performance, and autopilot functions.
The flight took place at the Beechcraft facility in Wichita, Kan., following ground tests that included a high-speed taxi. This milestone is a key event on the path to Limited User Tests and the Milestone C low rate initial production decision. EMARSS will provide the Army the ability to detect, locate, classify, identify, and track surface targets in nearly all weather conditions, day or night, with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.

boeing.mediaroom

U.K. test pilot completes first F-35B vertical landing

Royal Air Force Squadron Leader James Schofield completed the first vertical landing by a United Kingdom military test pilot May 28, 2013 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Schofield flew F-35B Lightning II test aircraft BF-1.
navair.navy.mil

Sanctions led to delay in LCA project

Facing flak for time slippages in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme, DRDO chief V K Saraswat has attributed the delay to "setbacks" caused by international sanctions and inadequate development of aerospace industry in the country.
brahmand.com

Israeli Arrow II ready for Syrian missiles

“Syrian batteries are in a high state of operability, ready to fire at short notice,” said an Israel Air Force Colonel in special briefings to international media Friday. He disclosed that Israel tracks every missile fired in the Syrian civil war, since southward launches would give Israel mere seconds to determine it was not the true target.
debka.com

A-10 USAF Jets Arrive at Lithuania for NATO Exercise

Four American A-10 fighter aircraft landed in Estonia on Friday, in anticipation of NATO's Sabre Strike exercise, which begins today and runs through June 14.
news.err.ee

Indian Air Force to get BrahMos missile by year-end

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which can travel three times faster than sound, is expected to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) by end of 2013, According chief executive officer and managing director of BrahMos Aerospace.
newindianexpress

Lijian UCAV taxiing test

5/6/2013 marks the first test run on taxiing for the Sharp Sword UCAV, China's first killer drone dubbed as Chinese X-47B.

RAF Grob Tutor grounded since January

The RAF has had to ground an entire fleet of training aircraft following two incidents when propellers came off in mid-flight, meaning they have been unable to teach new pilots for almost five months.
Defence sources have described the grounding of the Grob 115E Tutor aircraft, which are maintained by defence contractor Babcock, as a 'complete fiasco'.
The aircraft have not flown since January 9th following an incident at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire when a plane's propeller broke off in flight forcing an emergency landing.

dailymail

Indian Air Force inducts PC-7 Mk-II turbo trainer aircraft into service

Swiss-made Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II turbo trainer aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a ceremony held at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad on Friday.
The aircraft, which meets all basic training functions of ab-initio pilots including aerobatics, tactical and night flying, has been customised to meet the requirements of IAF.
thehindu

Russia to sell 10 MiG-29 jet fighters to Syria

Russia's MiG aircraft maker said Friday it plans to sign a new agreement to ship at least 10 fighter jets to Syria, a move that comes amid international criticism of earlier Russian weapons deals with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
cbsnews

115th FW USAF Airmen train with Polish air force

Nearly 100 Airmen assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, arrived at Lask Air Base, Poland, to train in a joint theater security cooperation event with the Polish air force.
This event, hosted by the U.S. Aviation Detachment 1, is geared toward enhancing the skills of U.S. and Polish F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft pilots as they conduct simulated air combat scenarios with other aircraft to include MiG-29s and Su-22s.
spangdahlem.af.mil

U.S. to Send Missile Defense to Jordan for Military Exercise

The Pentagon plans to deploy missile-defense batteries and possibly F-16 fighter jets to Jordan as part of a coming military exercise, a show of support for the kingdom as a civil war rages in neighboring Syria.
wsj

F-35′s IOC dates

America's newest warplane, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, will reach operational milestones in 2015 for the Marine Corps, 2016 for the Air Force and 2019 for the Navy, according to details formally provided to the U.S. Congress on Friday.
reuters

Niger: New Drone Base Highlights A Shift In US-West African Relations

In January 2013, US military officials finalized a Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement with the government of Niger to increase military involvement throughout the country. While the move clearly reflected developments in neighboring Mali, it had long been an operational goal of the Pentagon to establish a drone base in the region.

defencetalk