RAF A-330 Voyager AirTanker Cleared To Begin Air-To-Air Refueling Operations

AirTanker, the company charged with providing the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) with air-to-air refueling capability, has been cleared to begin inflight refueling.
The long-awaited clearance, granted by the U.K. Military Aviation Authority (MAA) on May 16, means that RAF Panavia Tornado crews can now start refueling training from the new A330 Voyager tankers. Refueling clearances with the Eurofighter Typhoon will follow later along with other aircraft in the inventory.

Anthony Osborne-aviationweek

U.S. Air Force to move forward F-35 IOC target date for F-35 use

The U.S. Air Force plans to start operational use of Lockheed Martin Corp.-built F-35 fighter jets in mid-2016, a year earlier than planned.
reuters

Pakistan Delivers First Batch of Turkish UAV Parts to Turkey

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra handed over first batch of Turkish UAV (ANKA) parts to Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) in an impressive ceremony held during International Defence Exhibition & Fair (IDEF) at Istanbul, Turkey.

defencetalk

El buque de investigación oceanográfica ‘Hespérides’ llega a Cartagena tras finalizar su XIX Campaña Antártica

El buque de investigación oceanográfica (BIO) ‘Hespérides’ ha regresado hoy a su base en el Arsenal Militar de Cartagena, más de seis meses después de su salida y tras haber finalizado su ‘XIX Campaña Antártica’.
Durante los más de seis meses que ha durado la operación, el buque ha navegado 26.200 millas y ha llevado a cabo una doble misión; por una parte, la de apoyo a las Bases Antárticas Españolas ‘Juan Carlos I’ y ‘Gabriel de Castilla’, y por otra, la de realizar cinco proyectos científicos a bordo, apoyados por técnicos embarcados y por la dotación del buque.
armada

La Décima Escuadrilla de la Flotilla de Aeronaves alcanza las 3.000 horas de vuelo en la operación ‘Atalanta’

El pasado lunes 20 de mayo, la Décima Escuadrilla celebró a bordo de la fragata ‘Numancia’ y en aguas del océano Índico, un sencillo acto para conmemorar las 3.000 horas de vuelo que ha realizado en la Operación Atalanta.
Desde que esta operación comenzó en enero de 2009, la Décima Escuadrilla ha estado participando en la operación de lucha contra la piratería de forma casi permanente. En total, ha desplegado 22 Unidades Aéreas Embarcadas (UNAEMB) a bordo de las seis fragatas que componen la 41ª Escuadrilla, además de hacerlo en la fragata ‘Méndez Núñez’, el buque de acción marítima ‘Relámpago’ y los buques de asalto anfibio ‘Galicia’ y ‘Castilla’.
En Atalanta, estos helicópteros han tomado parte en acciones significativas, como ha sido la liberación del pesquero ‘Alakrana’ o la participación en varias capturas de piratas y evacuaciones médicas.

armada

New Philippines Navy Choppers to be Delivered December

The Navy is expected to receive this December three new helicopters that are seen to boost its maritime security capabilities.
The government is acquiring a total five AW 109 Power helicopters from the Anglo-Italian firm for P1.3 billion.
defense-studies

Russia, Peru to Sign MiG-29 Jet Upgrade Deal

Russia and Peru will sign a contract to upgrade Lima’s fleet of Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters by the end of May.

defencetalk

F-35 instructor pilots qualify in aerial refueling

F-35A Lightning II pilots navigate their aircraft toward a KC-135 Stratotanker to refuel May 13, 2013, near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The initial cadre of Air Force F-35 instructor pilots at the 33rd Fighter Wing here trained with others to qualify in aerial refueling for the joint strike fighter.
af.mil

Iran starts mass production of air defense system

Iran on Monday started mass-production of a highly mobile home-made air-defense system dubbed Herz-9.
presstv

Israel concerned at sale of S-300 missiles to Syria

Israeli sources believe at least one shipment of Russian-made NPO Almaz S-300 surface-to-air missiles has been sent to Syria in recent weeks.
flightglobal

El buque de accion maritima ‘Rayo’ finaliza su participacion en la operación Atalanta

El buque de acción marítima (BAM) ‘Rayo’ ha finalizado hoy su participación en la operación ‘Atalanta’ de lucha contra la piratería en aguas del océano Índico, tras 85 días integrado en la Fuerza Naval de la Unión Europea (EUNAVFOR).
A partir de hoy el buque pondrá rumbo a la costa africana para efectuar un despliegue, con escalas previstas en Tanzania, Mozambique, República Sudafricana, Namibia, Angola, Gabón, Nigeria, Costa de Marfil, Guinea, Senegal y Cabo Verde.
armada

UK confirms Brimstone trials plan for Reaper

A retained Royal Air Force fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Reaper remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) could soon gain the ability to use a UK-developed weapon system

flightglobal

Tres fallecidos y dos heridos en una explosión en la base de la Legión en Viator, en Almería

Tres personas han muerto y otras dos han resultado heridas como consecuencia de una explosión en el polvorín de la base militar Álvarez de Sotomayor, en Almería, en el cuartel de la Legión en Viator.
La deflagración se ha producido a las 14.20 horas, según fuentes del 112. Al lugar de los hechos se han desplazado cuatro equipos de emergencias del 061, dotaciones de bomberos de la capital, patrullas de la Guardia Civil y de la Policía Local.
rtve.es

USAF postpones T-X trainer industry day

The US Air Force has postponed a planned industry day for its T-X advanced trainer replacement programme.
"T-X industry day has been postponed until further notice," reads a USAF notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website.
The postponement is reflective of the USAF's lack of funds for the programme.
flightglobal

China deploys Su-27 fighters in Tibet, can target key Indian air bases

China's all-weather fighter base in Tibet is now widening its range of options in the event of a conflict with India. Intelligence intercepts and satellite monitoring has confirmed that China may have to some extent overcome Tibet's extreme altitude and temperatures to operationalise an all-weather airfield near the Tibetan capital Lhasa.
The airfield is Gonkar, where China has deployed Su-27 fighters. Sources told CNN-IBN that the Gonkar airfield will enable Chinese fighters to widen their selection of Indian targets from Ladakh to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Sources say Gonkar is a direct response to the Indian Air Force stationing Su-30MKI fighters in Chabua and Tezpur in Assam. These fighters with a combat radius of about 1,000 km can hit targets deep in Tibet and mainland China.
ibnlive

Presidential Ospreys Get a Paint Job

The first MV-22 Ospreys set to fly presidential support missions for Marine Helicopter Squadron One have arrived at Quantico, Va., and they received a new paint job.
The Ospreys will not be white tops like the VH-3D Sea King and VH-60 White Hawks, which get their nickname from the white paint job up top. These are the helicopters that carry the President of the United States. Instead, the Ospreys were painted green as they will carry presidential support staff and the media.

defensetech

Air strikes, dozens dead in Nigeria assault on Islamists

Nigeria's military on Friday attacked Boko Haram Islamist strongholds across the northeast, launching air strikes on insurgent camp with dozens of militants killed in the fighting, the military said.

spacewar

N. Korea test-fires another short-range missile

North Korea Sunday test-fired a short-range missile off its east coast, its fourth in two days, despite pleas from South Korea and the UN chief to halt the launches at a time of high tensions.
spacewar

HMS ARK ROYAL'S FINAL VOYAGE

The Royal Navy's former flagship, The HMS Ark Royal is expected to leave her Portsmouth home for the last time tomorrow. The decommissioned light aircraft carrier is heading for a Turkish scrap merchant.
The ship was left unused at the city's Naval Base for the last two years. She'll be transported to the shipyard in Turkey, where she'll be recycled. Although orginally due to retire in 2016, she was instead decommissioned as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010.
itv.com

First female Afghan graduates pilot training

Afghan air force 2nd Lt. Niloofar Rhmani made history by becoming the first woman to graduate from pilot training in 30 years.
She will fly the Cessna 208 after her graduation.
af.mil

Syria ready to fire missiles at Israel

Syria has put its most advanced missiles on standby with orders to hit Tel Aviv if Israel launches another strike on its territory, The Sunday Times reported overnight Sunday.
According to the Sunday Times newspaper, reconnaissance satellites have been monitoring preparations by the Syrian army to deploy surface-to-surface Tishreen missiles.

ynetnews

Russia Seeks New Arms Deals on Growing Latin American Market

Russia will actively seek new deals on the Latin American arms market, which it expects to reach a value of $50 billion in the next ten years.
en.rian

North Korea launches three short-range missiles

North Korea on Saturday launched three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, apparently as part of a military drill, South Korea's defence ministry said.
US and South Korean forces had been on heightened alert for a medium-range ballistic missile test in recent weeks amid tensions triggered by North Korea's nuclear test in February.

channelnewsasia

X-47B Accomplishes First Ever Carrier Touch and Go aboard CVN 77 'USS George H.W. Bush'

The Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) has begun touch and go landing operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) May 17.The various launch and landing operations of the X-47B on the flight deck of George H. W. Bush signify historic events for naval aviation history. These demonstrations display the Navy's readiness to move forward with unmanned carrier aviation operations.

navy.mil

EADS North America to transform CN235 aircraft into HC-144A maintenance training unit for U.S. Coast Guard personnel

Officials at the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center plans to transform a prototype CN235 aircraft into an HC-144A maintenance training unit, based on the Airbus Military CN235 tactical airlifter.
Engineers will transform the CN235, configuring it with systems from the HC-144. The systems will have built-in faults to provide maintenance personnel with the opportunity to learn troubleshooting on actual HC-144 aircraft.
avionics-intelligence

China’s ‘Sharp Sword’ UCAV is Spotted Taxiing

China’s first jet-powered stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Lijian or “Sharp Sword,” was recently spotted undergoing taxiing tests in that country. Analysts interpreted the sighting as indicating that the Lijian’s maiden flight is imminent.
ainonline

F-35A successfully starts air refueling

It was the first time the new F-35A was refueled with a nontest pilot in the cockpit, and for all the excitement, it was a “nonevent,” the pilots and boom operators said.
On May 13, test pilots stepped aside to allow instructor pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., fly the first F-35A formation to be refueled. The mid-May flights were also the first since the fleet was cleared to fly after the Defense Department restricted in-flight refueling in the Air Force fleet.

militarytimes

Russia Sends More Advanced Missiles to Aid Assad in Syria

Russia has sent advanced antiship cruise missiles to Syria, a move that illustrates the depth of its support for the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, American officials said Thursday.
Russia has previously provided a version of the missiles, called Yakhonts, to Syria. But those delivered recently are outfitted with an advanced radar that makes them more effective, according to American officials who are familiar with classified intelligence reports and would only discuss the shipment on the basis of anonymity.
nytimes

French Armeé de L'Air expects first A400M airlifter by July 14

The French army hopes to receive its first Airbus A400M military transport aircraft in time for the country's annual Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
The aircraft, which is about five years behind the original schedule, is also expected to win certification for military use in time for the biennial Paris Air Show starting on June 17.

reuters

Two more Sukhoi fighter jets arrive to Indonesia TNI-AU

Sukhoi fighter jet manufacturer Komsomolsk-na Amure Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) delivered on Thursday evening two additional Su-30 MK2 fighter jets to the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base in South Sulawesi.
The shipment was part of six fighter jets ordered by Indonesia.

thejakartapost