Eurofighter in lead to sell 28 planes to Kuwait

The European Eurofighter consortium has signed a draft agreement to sell 28 of its fighter planes to Kuwait.
Of the 28 outline sales, which are not yet binding, four are covered by options to purchase.
Alenia Aermacchi, a member of the consortium, had obtained Kuwait's signature on the agreement a few days before Brazil announced that it had chosen to buy Gripen fighter planes made by Swedish company Saab.
Alenia Aermacchi is responsible alongside British aerospace and defence equipment group BAE Systems for promoting the Eurofighter Typhoon which is in competition for the Kuwait contract with the Rafale 3 and the Super Hornet.
Kuwait, which is already equipped with US-built F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter planes, wants to develop its fleet of fighters.
google.com/hostednews

Taiwan Apache elicopters set to be ungrounded next month

Taiwan is set to lift the grounding of its 12 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in February, more than a month after grounding the aircraft following a failure in the same model reported by the U.S. Army.
The grounding of the Apaches is set to be lifted in mid-February once they have received new main transmission boxes.
The U.S. Army has also started replacing the main transmission boxes on its helicopters.
The main transmission boxes for the next three batches of helicopters set for delivery will be removed for further checks before they are shipped from the U.S.
Those shipments have been scheduled for March, May and July.
Taiwan grounded its first two batches of Apaches for safety checks after receiving word from the U.S. mid-December of a main transmission failure in one of the Apache AH-64Es in service in the U.S. Army.
No problems have been found in the helicopters already in Taiwan, however.
Though the helicopters have been grounded, ground and simulation training have continued.
Taiwan received its first batch of six Apache helicopters to a base in Tainan last November, followed by a second batch in early January.
The aircraft are part of a 30-helicopter package purchased from the United States. The model E is the latest in the Apache attack helicopter series.
The U.S. and Taiwan are the only two countries that have used the latest Apache helicopter model so far.
focustaiwan

Agni-IV successfully test fired, ready for induction into Indian Army

India today successfully test fired its 4000-km range nuclear capable ballistic missile 'Agni-IV', making it ready for induction into the Army.
"The test firing was a total success. The missile travelled its full range.
The third consecutive trial of the missile was conducted at Wheeler Island off Odisha coast at 10.52 am. The serial production of the missile would begin now.
The test fire is the last one in the series of development launches.
Propelled by composite solid fuel rocket motor technology, Agni-IV was launched from its road mobile launcher, which is also indigenously developed.
The long range radars and electro-optical tracking systems which were located all along the coast tracked and monitored all the parameters throughout the flight.
Two ships located near the target point tracked the vehicle and witnessed the final event.
Agni-I, II, III and Prithvi are already in the arsenal of the armed forces, giving a reach of over 3000 km and the country an effective deterrence capability.
ndtv

Israel plans laser interceptor 'Iron Beam' for short-range rockets

Israel plans to deploy a new missile shield known as "Iron Beam" next year which would use a laser to blow up short-range rockets and mortar bombs.
The system is designed to deal with threats that fly on too small a trajectory to be engaged efficiently by Iron Dome, the Israeli interceptor credited with an 80 percent success rate against rockets fired by Palestinian militants.
Both shields are manufactured by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. While Iron Dome launches radar-guided interceptor rockets, Iron Beam's laser will super-heat the warheads of shells with ranges of up to 7 km (4.5 miles).
Iron Dome is complemented by Arrow II, an Israeli interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at atmospheric heights. Israel plans to integrate them with the more powerful rocket interceptors Arrow III and David's Sling, both of which are still in their testing phases.
The United States has extensively underwritten the projects, seeing them as a means of reassuring its Middle East ally as instability rocks the region.
reuters

Sochi’s Anti-Aircraft Missile Defense System

With less than a month to go before the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the Russians are wheeling out the big guns. Literally. Aside from the so-called ring of steel lockdown around the Black Sea resort city, the army has also deployed air defense systems—that’s military for missiles—to guard the airspace over the games.
While it may seem like a curious choice—the biggest threat to the games appears to be from homegrown terrorists who favor suicide bombs—there is precedent for this.
During the London Olympics, several anti-aircraft missile sites were set up around the city, much to the chagrin of residents of at least one apartment block who sued to have the weapons removed from the roof of their building. (They lost.) Similar missile systems were also deployed in Beijing in 2008 and Athens in 2004.
The Tor-M air defense systems are designed to “detect, track and destroy all kinds of ballistic and cruise missiles, aerial bombs, drones and conventional aircraft, including ones employing stealth technology.”
The Tor-Ms are not the only missile systems being deployed, according to Russian reports. Longer-range missile batteries are also in place, and Russian navy ships are armed with surface-to-air missiles on the Black Sea.
Sochi’s extraordinary security measures also include drones, tight restrictions on car access into the city and visible army patrols.
vocativ

Sandia conducts first impact test in years of B61 nonnuclear components

A ground-penetrating bomb, minus its nuclear components, rammed through a target at the remote Coyote Canyon test range last month in Sandia National Laboratories’ first such rocket-driven impact test in seven years. Engineers said the Sandia components on the weapon performed as expected.
The Sandia team hoisted the test B61-11, an earth-penetrating weapon, high above the target on a device attached to a rocket sled capable of thousands of pounds of thrust. The motors were lit and the rocket pulled the B61 down into the target.
The nuclear package, removed prior to the tests, is studied separately by the design laboratory, either Los Alamos or Lawrence Livermore national laboratory.
As flight test preparations moved forward Nov. 20, a radio on a table in the room crackled with updates: the explosives were wired; the test team pulled back to a control facility 5,000 feet away to arm the firing system remotely; the final countdown of 5-4-3-2-1 began. A camera that had been focused on the weapon panned down to the target at T minus 30 seconds to capture the B61 slamming through the concrete.
An unimaginable amount of detail and work goes into getting as much information as possible out of the tests. This test involved a series of calibration tests and qualifying reviews beforehand, along with dozens of people from Sandia, as well as researchers from Los Alamos who fielded components on the weapon and personnel who helped set up and monitor the test.
After the test, the radio continued to snap out updates: no fires — a possibility from burning rocket fuel debris; no debris from the weapon around the target; levels of toxic gas from the burning rocket propellant at zero; in short, everything at the scene indicated the test was safe.
The area was declared safe about 15 minutes after the test, and technicians began moving cables and cleaning up the site. Later, two large cranes moved the target so technicians could excavate the B61 in preparation for disassembly at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, where it was built. Data from the test will be used to update the annual assessment of the nation’s stockpile for President Barack Obama.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies and economic competitiveness.
sandia.gov

UK orders near for F-35 'stealth’ jet

Britain's Ministry of Defence is close to placing its first major tranche of orders for the F-35 fighter jet, with an award for about 14 of the “stealth” warplanes due in the next few weeks.
The aircraft is also of vital importance to UK manufacturing companies, with more than 500 British companies, led by the likes of BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, working on the project.
Britain is building 15pc of every jet in a project supporting 25,000 jobs.
telegraph

Two EC135s delivered to Spanish Army

Airbus Helicopters’ factory in Spain provided the setting early this week for the delivery of the two EC135 helicopters to the Spanish Army Airmobile Force (FAMET). The aircraft were the first to be delivered as part of a contract for eight EC135s signed on December 27.
The contract also includes a logistics package that will support fleet sustainability in the coming years. The remaining six helicopters will be delivered during the course of 2014, and will also be allocated to the CEFAMET Helicopter School Battalion. These two new units bring the Spanish Ministry of Defense’s total fleet of EC135s to 16 helicopters, making it the world’s leading operator of the EC135 for military use, which is also operational in countries such as Germany and Japan.
The new aircraft will meet the Spanish Army’s pressing need to provide its combat pilots with advanced training in tactical missions. Involving the use of night vision goggles and instrument flights, this training prepares pilots to perform maneuvers and combat missions in larger platforms such as the Cougar, Tiger and the NH90.
airbushelicopters

Pentagon should abandon nuclear role for F-35

Barring investment from European allies, the Pentagon should abandon the goal of a nuclear-capable F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in favor of spending funds elsewhere, according to former US Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz.
Schwartz, who headed up the Air Force from 2008 to 2012, argued instead that those funds should be put towards the Air Force’s new long-range strike bomber (LRS-B).
The LRS-B is the Air Force’s next-generation bomber program. Only general details of the heavily classified program have emerged. The platforms are expected to enter service in the mid-2020s and cost about $550 million each, with a potential buy of up to 100. The program has been largely unaffected by sequestration because the funding streams are relatively small in the coming years, according to Air Force officials.
defensenews

Airbus Helicopters to Supply Six Super Puma AS332 C1e Helicopters to Bolivia

The Bolivian Air Force has selected the latest high-power version of the Super Puma to fight drug trafficking and perform public-security and disaster-relief missions. The contract includes a logistics package that will support fleet sustainability in the coming years. The first two helicopters will be delivered this year and the remaining four before 2016.
The contract also includes a logistical support package that aims to provide the FAB with the resources and know-how it needs to ensure high fleet availability.
The Super Puma was chosen mainly because of its versatility, safety and, above all else, its ability to operate at high altitude.
The relationship between Airbus Helicopters and the Bolivian Air Force began several decades ago with the Lama and the Alouette. The FAB now operates the Ecureuil AS350 B3 and, as of last year, two EC145s, which are used to transport dignitaries and conduct missions in support of the population. With this latest purchase, the FAB will benefit from a technology transfer program that includes the training of more than 80 technicians and pilots in France and Bolivia. It will also be supplied with special tools for setting up a maintenance center, where intermediate inspections (every 500 hours) will be carried out, and two operational bases for smaller inspections (every 100 hours), the objective being for the FAB to acquire strategic autonomy.
airbushelicopters

High res. photo of J-20 #2011 with AAM

First image of F-35C carrying full load of weapons (externally)

"On Jan. 13, RAF Squadron Ldr. Andy Edgell flew first F-35C, the U.S. Navy’s carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, with external GBU-12s, AIM-9Xs air-to-air missiles and the centerline gun pod.
Obviously, a radar-evading plane loses some of its stealthiness with such an external payload…
Image credit: Andy Wolfe via Lockheed Martin"
theaviationist

Work under way on China's second aircraft carrier at Dalian yard

China is reportedly building a second aircraft carrier, estimated to be completed by 2018, on its way to expanding its fleet to four of the massive ships in the city of Dalian. The reports also quoted the port city was building two advanced 052D destroyers.
While the report did not specify the exact completion date, the new carrier is expected to be completed in 2018, based on the delivery date of Liaoning to the navy in September 2012.
It was the first confirmation by a senior official that China was building a second carrier, as well as the location and the timetable of its construction.
The South China Morning Post reported in November that China would build four medium carriers by 2020.
scmp

French Air France Conducts First Reaper Flight

The French Air Force Thursday flew a first flight, lasting 40 minutes, of a US-built Reaper surveillance drone based in Niger.
That flight was dubbed Dress Down Six, the flight name used by World War II French pilot and author Antoine Saint-Exupery.
The flight was in a local zone and it was still in the preparation phase of the first operational flight.
France has options to buy 10 additional Reaper units, which the government wants to modify to fit French or European payloads, including sensors and datalink transmission.
The two unarmed French Air Force Reapers, dubbed Block 1, use US equipment.
On the tactical UAV front, Sagem said Jan. 15 that France ordered at the end of December three more Sperwer drones and took options for two more units, to maintain the strength of the present four systems operated by the French Army. A Sagem spokesman declined to give financial details. The order follows acquisition of four units in 2013.
defensenews

No end in sight for 1-year-old US Air Force mission over Mali

The yearlong U.S. Air Force operation over Mali in support of the French mission there is set to continue for the immediate future.
January marks the one-year anniversary of the U.S. mission over the West African nation. While the Pentagon does not expect it to go on indefinitely, no end date has been set.
Although Mali has regained some stability, holding elections for a new government since French forces intervened to halt the advance of al-Qaeda-linked militants, the French continue to deploy a military contingent there.
French President wants to cut the French presence considerably in the near future and hand over security responsibility to African Union and U.N. forces. Paris plans to reduce the number of its troops in Mali to 1,600 next month, down from the 2,500 now serving there.
351st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, which runs the refueling missions out of Moron, Spain, continues flying almost every day to fuel French aircraft, but that the pace of operations has decreased.
Read more

Lockheed Makes Progress On Next Generation Anti-Ship Missile

Lockheed Martin has demonstrated that its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) can be launched from the Mk-41 vertical launch system with only software modifications.
Lockheed tested with the new weapon with the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS), MK 41 VLS and Mk-114 rocket booster with the new software during company-funded trials.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)—which is funding the overall LRASM effort—hopes to award Lockheed a sole-source contract for continuing development of the weapon next month according to a notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website on Dec. 20, 2013.
According to the notice, the contract will run for 24 months and will further the weapon’s sensor and avionics hardware development. DARPA will fund two further surface-launch LRASM tests in August and October 2014.
The LRASM, which is based on Lockheed’s stealthy AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range cruise missile, is being designed to give U.S. Navy surface warships the ability to “out-stick” enemy warships armed with advanced long-range anti-ship missiles.
Currently, only some Navy warships are armed with the Harpoon missile, which is greatly out-ranged by weapons used by potential adversaries such as the Russian-developed SS-N-22 Sunburn also known as the Raduga P-270 Moskit.
Lockheed officials expect that the LRASM—which can also be air-launched–will transition into a production program by 2018 with weapon being integrated onto the U.S. Air Force’s B-1 bomber and the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet.
In recent months, Navy leaders have renewed calls for more modern anti-surface weapons.
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Spanish Navy expects to receive the new S -80 in 2015 / La Armada confía en recibir el primer S-80 antes de un año y medio

The Spanish Navy expects to receive within a year and a half the new S-80 submarine class, in phase of correction of manufacturing problems that prevented him from surfing overweight.During manufacturing were detected in a technical review , some variations related underwater balance weights that have required further testing to assess the extent of these deviations . The scheduled delivery of four submarines to the Navy was 2015, 2016 , 2018 and 2019.Moreover, the Navy has decommissioned aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias for financial reasons. The Navy is not going to oppose sale and has confirmed that there have been many visits from countries inquiring about the ship , which is in the process of dismantling  , but so far has not received any offer to acquire the carrier.
________________________________________________________________________

La Armada confía en recibir antes de un año y medio el nuevo submarino S-80, en fase de corrección de problemas de fabricación que le impedían navegar por sobrepeso.
Tras reconocer que ha habido problemas con el programa de submarinos S-80 por problemas con el peso, dijo que Navantia, la Armada y la empresa estadounidense fabricante de submarinos Electric Boat tienen encarrilada la solución.
Durante su fabricación se detectaron, en una revisión técnica, algunas desviaciones relacionadas con el balance de pesos del submarino, que han requerido nuevas pruebas para valorar el alcance de estas desviaciones. Estaba prevista la entrega de los cuatro submarinos a la Armada en 2015, 2016, 2018 y 2019.
Por otra parte, la Armada ha dado de baja el portaaviones Príncipe de Asturias por motivos económicos. La Armada no se va a oponer a su venta y ha confirmado que ha habido muchas visitas de países interesándose por el buque, que sigue en proceso de desguace, pero hasta ahora no se ha recibido ninguna oferta para adquirir el portaaviones.
Leer más

Boeing Starts Assembly of Final KC-46A Test Aircraft

Boeing is assembling the fourth and final KC-46A test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueling tanker, keeping the program on track to deliver the initial 18 tankers to the Air Force by 2017.
All four test aircraft are moving through production to support our transition to ground and flight testing later this year.
The first flight of an Engineering and Manufacturing Development KC-46 tanker program test aircraft, without its aerial refueling systems, will take place at midyear, followed by the first flight of a KC-46A tanker in early 2015. The first delivery of a production aircraft to the Air Force is planned for early 2016. Boeing expects to build 179 tankers by 2027.
Read more

Greek fighter jets harass Turkish recon aircraft

A Turkish aircraft conducting a reconnaissance flight over Aegean international airspace was harassed by Greek F-16s five times, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) announced on Tuesday.
A CN-235 aircraft was harassed by Greek fighter jets for two minutes and 37 seconds while the radar lock of the Greek air defense system was kept on.
In a previous incident, four F4-E/2020 Phantoms were put under radar lock by Greece's Patriot missile defense system twice, for 15 seconds each time, at 3:20 p.m. Turkish time on Dec. 23. The jet fighters were on a training flight in international waters off Greece's Ikaria Island in the Aegean, the military said.
Media reports quoted military sources as saying this was the first time that Turkish military aircraft were threatened by Greece's long-range missile defense system. The military has also reportedly notified the Foreign Ministry about the incident.
Turkish and Greek warplanes have engaged in dogfights over the Aegean many times in the past but Greece has never activated its missile defense system against Turkish aircraft.
Turkey and Greece are at odds over boundaries of their airspace due to a long-running territorial dispute over the Aegean.
Read more

US Navy to move Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to Japan next year

The Navy said Tuesday it would move the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan from San Diego to Japan next year so another carrier could come home for maintenance.
The shuffle will allow the Navy to keep one carrier deployed in the western Pacific, where tensions have flared in recent months over a tiny Japanese-controlled island chain also claimed by China.
The Reagan's home port will be the Yokusuka naval base in Japan, replacing the George Washington, which will move to Norfolk, Va., for refueling of its nuclear reactor.
A third carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently undergoing maintenance, will be shifted to San Diego.
The move means San Diego will continue to be the home port for two carriers. The Carl Vinson is also based there.
The Navy currently has 10 carriers, one of which is usually undergoing maintenance that can take several years to complete.
The Pentagon has said that the disputed island chain, known as the Senkakus in Japan and as the Diaoyus in China, is covered by the U.S.-Japan defense treaty, which requires the U.S. to come to Japan's aid if it is attacked.
U.S officials have urged China and Japan to peacefully resolve the dispute, but tensions flared in November when Beijing declared all planes entering an "air defense zone" in the East China Sea near the islands would have to identify themselves.
The George Washington deployed in November to the Philippines to help with relief efforts after a typhoon hit the islands.
The U.S. also keeps a carrier air wing, consisting of several squadrons of strike aircraft capable of operating off a carrier, in Japan, along with several squadrons of the Air Force's most advanced land-based fighters.
The Reagan has operated from San Diego since 2004.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-navy-ronald-reagan-carrier-japan-20140114,0,7005230.story#ixzz2qbFNP4UW
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Eurofighter Typhoon flies with Taurus 350 cruise missiles

On Jan. 15, Airbus Defence and Space started the testing campaign of the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat plane with Taurus air-launched stand-off precision missiles.
The first flight took place at the Manching Military, north of Munich, and involved Instrumented Production Aircraft 7 (IPA7).
Taurus KEPD 350 is a German/Swedish missile that is manufactured by Taurus Systems GmbH, a partnership between MBDA Germany and Saab Dynamics. The missile has a range of +500 kilometres (300 mi), a speed of Mach 0.8-0.9 and stealth features.
According to Airbus Defense and Space concurrent testing of the two similar missiles “optimises the Storm Shadow integration and facilitates the future airframe integration of Taurus.”
theaviationist

Royal Navy ready to launch ScanEagle operations

The UK Royal Navy is poised to conduct its first operational flights with the ScanEagle unmanned air system, as the service continues to evaluate its long-term requirements for such equipment.
The activity will involve the service’s Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship Cardigan Bay, with the first embarked training flights having been conducted recently from the latter.
flightglobal

Indonesia Purchases Air Defense System From Thales

The Indonesian Army has turned to the British arm of Thales to plug a gap in its short-range air defenses with a deal to purchase its Forceshield integrated system of vehicle-mounted missiles and radars.
Under the deal, Thales operations in Britain and France will equip five Indonesian Army batteries with Starstreak missiles, ControlMaster200 radars and weapon coordination systems.
The Indonesians also purchased next-generation light anti-tank weapons developed by Saab for the British and Swedish armies.
The RapidRanger launcher and fire control system equipped with four Starstreak missile tubes will be integrated into the Spanish-designed Vamtac vehicle for the Indonesians. The vehicle is similar in appearance to the Humvee.
A version of the LandRover Defender will be used to mount a lightweight multiple launcher version of Starstreak. The lightweight launcher can also be used dismounted for firing off a man-portable tripod.
It’s the first sale of an integrated turn-key air defense solution by Thales since the company relaunched its offerings in the sector under the ForceShield banner nearly two years ago.
defensenews

Israel requets sale of 6 V-22B Block C

The Government of Israel (GOI) has requested a possible sale of 6 V-22B Block C Aircraft, and and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support
The principal contractors involved with this sale will be Bell and Boeing.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
dsca

Dutch F-35 could carry nuclear weapons

The Joint Strike Fighter may be used to carry nuclear weapons in the future by The Netherlands.
Last year a majority of MPs supported a motion stating the F-35 jet fighter should have no nuclear role. However, Hennis and Timmermans have now decided to set the motion aside because of the Netherlands' role within Nato.
The minister say they will continue to support nuclear disarmament but say the Netherlands does have a nuclear role for the time being.
The government made its decision to go ahead with the purchase of the controverial JSF fighters last September. They will replace the ageing fleet of F-16s.
The Netherlands will buy 37.
dutchnews

Swiss could vote in May on fighter deal

The Swiss public could vote in May on a deal to buy 22 JAS-39 fighter planes from Sweden, after opponents Tuesday submitted over 100,000 signatures seeking a referendum.
The goal of the campaigners is to block the purchase of the Gripen fighters
Under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, citizens can have the last word on a huge array of issues if campaigners muster enough signatures from voters in order to force a plebiscite.
Polls have shown that a majority of voters oppose the Gripen deal.
Approved by the government in 2011 and backed by parliament last year, it cannot be blocked as such.
But opponents have been able to contest the law that allows the purchase to be funded by drawing an annual 300 million Swiss francs from the army's budget over 10 years.
The coalition campaigning against the deal is steered by the left-leaning Socialists and Greens, as well as anti-militarists, but also includes economic liberals opposed to the price tag.
The opponents also argue that the model of Gripen chosen by the authorities only exists on paper, as its maker, Sweden's Saab, is still developing it.
The air force of neutral Switzerland currently has 32 Super Hornets in service, purchased in 1996.
There are currently 166 Gripen fighters in service globally, with 100 in Sweden, 26 in South Africa, 14 each in the Czech Republic and Hungary, and 12 in Thailand.
expatica

Uruguay considers plan to buy fighters from Ecuador

The Uruguayan Air Force (FAU) is considering a deal to acquire four Cessna A-37B Dragonfly combat aircraft from the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) as an interim measure because of the lack of a government decision on procuring a new fighter.
FAU has operated the A-37B Dragonfly as its main fighter since 1976. The service's six A-37B Dragonfly aircraft were augmented by two former US Air Force (USAF) O/A-37B aircraft in 1988 and six more in 1989.
janes

F-35 Weapons Tests in 2014 Focus On Amraam

With weapons testing becoming a more regular event for the F-35 program, developers are looking ahead to a fast pace of trials this year to prepare for the first operational use of the stealthy, single-engine fighter by the U.S. Marine Corps in 2015.
Delivering weapons is often described as the “business end” of a fighter's job, and the Marines are planning to declare initial operational capability (IOC) for the F-35B using the aircraft's 2B software release as early as July 2015, and no later than December 2015. Though limited to use of three weapons—the 1,000-lb. GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), GBU-12 500-lb. Laser-Guided Bomb and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (Amraam) AIM-120 series—the F-35B will surpass the current capability of the AV-8B Harrier jump jet and F/A-18C twin-engine Hornets.
aviationweek

Singapore To Buy Upgrade For Its F-16 Fighter Jets

Singapore is ready to modernize its F-16 fighter jets in an arms deal with the United States.
The planned sale that would involve new radar, navigation systems, missiles and other advanced equipment for Singapore’s aging fleet of F-16s.
The deal would provide new systems that project a display onto a pilot’s helmet visor, allowing the F-16 pilot to aim sensors and weapons where he or she is looking.
The deal also would deliver a number of different precision-guided bombs for testing, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales.
The modernization of Singapore’s F-16 aircraft will buy the country more time as it weighs a possible purchase of the F-35.
defensenews

Spain to Sell 3 C-295 to Philippines

Spanish firm Airbus Military has been declared the only eligible bidder for the supply of three new Air Force medium lift fixed-wing aircraft.
Airbus Military was the only one to meet the defense department’s technical and financial requirements. The Spanish company plans to deliver C-295 planes.
defense-studies