Turkey says it shoots down regime helicopter, Syria TV reports it was drone

Turkey has announced that Turkish jets on May 16 shot down a Syrian helicopter violating its airspace, while Syrian state TV reported that it was a surveillance drone that was shot down.
A Turkish F-16 that took off from the Incirlik airbase in the southern province of Adana shot down the Syrian aircraft with two Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on May 16, military officials told.
It was not immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down.
Turkish locals told daily Hürriyet that a Syrian military plane violated the Turkish border twice in the Dursunlu-Emek area of the southern border province of Hatay. They added that the aircraft fell into the Syrian side of the border in three pieces.
Syrian state media said that what had been shot down was a small, remotely controlled surveillance drone.
In the evening, Turkish Defense Minister said a Syrian helicopter that entered Turkish airspace shortly after 2 p.m. (1100 GMT) and flew seven miles inside, over a period of five minutes, was fired upon and shot down.
Prime Minister later confirmed that the aircraft was a helicopter.
The May 16 incident was not the first time that the two countries’ air forces have engaged militarily.
A Turkish F-4 Phantom warplane crashed into the Mediterranean on June 22, 2012, after being shot down by Syria.
On Sept 16, 2013, the Turkish Air Force shot down a Syrian helicopter at the border after it reportedly violated Turkey's airspace.
Turkish fighter jets also downed a Syrian jet on March 23, 2014, after it crossed into Turkish airspace, a week before local elections.
hurriyetdailynews

Russian Navy Aircraft Carrier Kuznetsov in Dry Dock for Unknown Reasons and Length of Time

Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, The Admiral Kuznetsov, went into the dock of a shipyard in north Russia for repairs, the Northern Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday, giving no timeframe for the repairs. "The repair workers will first make the ship’s inspection in the dock, after which a decision will be made on the scope of the repairs."
The aircraft carrier performed its last long-distance voyage in May 2014, mostly sailing in the Mediterranean Sea.
navyrecognition

USAF student test pilots trial Textron’s Scorpion and AT-6, Before Fligth to Undisclosed South American Country

USAF student test pilots recently trialed Textron Scorpion jet and the Beechcraft AT-6 light attack turboprop, conducting 12 flights in the Scorpion and seven with the AT-6.
After each flight, Scorpion rapidly returned to the air, with an average aircraft turn time of 31 minutes, and a best turn time of 20 minutes. The AT-6 also turned in an excellent performance, with 100-percent aircraft availability and 100-percent mission accomplishment.
After the student’s visit, the Scorpion flew from Wichita to South America to demonstrate its capabilities to an undisclosed air force in that region.
The Scorpion will make its debut at the Paris Air Show next month. The aircraft will then go on a European tour, which includes a visit to the United Kingdom.
flightglobal

Iranian AF F-14 Tomcat about to land at Mehrabad

Iranian AF F-14 Tomcat about to land at Mehrabad https://t.co/nyJ0L5LzPO Shahram Sharifi GFDL-1.2 #avgeek pic.twitter.com/F9RQwJNNu9

— Commons Aviation (@commonsaviation) May 16, 2015

Poland begins evaluation tests of H225M Caracal

Poland has commenced tests of the H225M Caracal as part of its effort to acquire a total of 50 new rotorcraft for all three branches of its armed forces.
The trials are the final step in the evaluation process ahead of a likely contract signing later this year.
Poland on 21 April announced that it had selected the Caracal for the multirole helicopter requirement ahead of the Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk/S-70B Seahawk and the AgustaWestland AW149.
Airbus Helicopters provided a H225M destined for the Brazilian navy for the evaluation efforts. That was armed with twin door-mounted machine guns.
flightglobal

Russia Unveils New Aircraft Carrier Design

Russia has developed a new multipurpose heavy aircraft carrier design called Project 23000E or Shtorm (Storm).
A scale model of the ship is going to be demonstrated for the first time at the International Maritime Defence Show 2015 in St Petersburg from 1-5 July.
The Project 23000E multipurpose aircraft carrier is designed to conduct operations in remote and oceanic areas, engage land-based and sea-borne enemy targets, ensure the operational stability of naval forces, protect landing troops, and provide the anti-aircraft defence.
The design has a displacement of 90-100,000 tons, is 330 m in length, 40 m wide, and has a draft of 11 m. It has a top speed of 30 kt, cruising speed of 20 kt, a 120-day endurance, a crew of 4-5,000, and designed to withstand sea state 6-7. Currently it has been designed with a conventional power plant, although this could be replaced by a nuclear one.
The ship carries a powerful air group of 80-90 deck-based aircraft for various combat missions. The model features a split air wing comprising navalised T-50 PAKFAs and MiG-29Ks, as well as jet-powered naval early warning aircraft, and Ka-27 naval helicopters.
The carrier's flight deck is of a dual design, features an angled flight deck, and four launching positions: two via ski-jump ramps and two via electromagnetic catapults. One set of arrestor gear is included in the design. The design also features two islands; a feature only previously seen on the latest UK design.
Protection against air threats will be provided by four anti-aircraft missile system combat modules. An anti-torpedo armament suite is available.
The electronic support complex includes integrated sensors, including a multifunction phased array radar, electronic warfare system, and communications suite.
These specifications are subject to change, correction, and modification during the ship's design and development at every stage of work.
janes

Study To Be Signed on European MALE UAV

A plan by companies in France, Germany and Italy to launch a European medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV program will get a boost Monday when defense ministers sign a Declaration of Intent for a two-year definition study.
The agreement is for a definition study and for preliminary project for design.
The two-year study will also involve the European Defence Agency.
In March, French Defense Minister said a new European drone would be ready by 2025 and able to fly in European skies.
Monday's deal is in response to lobbying efforts for a European MALE program by the firms Dassault, Alenia Aermacchi and Airbus.
They jointly called for a MALE program on the eve of the Paris Air Show in 2013, claiming it would pool resources, allow for the incorporation of emerging European certification requirements, and safeguard jobs and know-how, while guaranteeing "European sovereignty and independence in the management of information and intelligence".
Since then, little progress has been made and the European MALE market is currently dominated by the US Reaper and Israeli-designed machines.
defensenews

Royal New Zealand Air Force To Retire UH-1H Iruquois next July

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s fleet of Iroquois helicopters has provided almost 50 years of service to New Zealand and has been a stalwart of Defence Force operations since its purchase. The Iroquois is scheduled to cease flying operations with the Air Force on 01 July 2015. Ahead of this withdrawal from service, No.3 Squadron from Ohakea who fly the Iroquois are making various stops around New Zealand in May.
The Iroquois is being replaced by the NH90 helicopter.
The RNZAF UH-1H Iroquois were first brought into service in 1966, two of the aircraft have been donated to the air force Museum, while an airframe will be donated to the Waiouru Army Museum for public display. Another airframe will be loaned to the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology for training technicians. Ten airframes would be sold by tender for commercial use after they had cleared US State Department approvals as ex-US military technology.
defense-studies

India’s Plan To Buy 6 A330 MRTT Refueler Aircraft On Course

India’s plan to procure midair refueling aircraft is progressing well, the country’s defense minister says, marking a major step to increase the operational reach of the Indian air force.
India selected Airbus Military in 2013 to supply six A330 air refueling tankers.
The A330 works as a transport aircraft as well as a midair refueler, carrying about 110 tons of fuel and cargo of up to 45 tons. The A330 is capable of refueling several fighter aircraft simultaneously.
The IAF has been operating midair refuelers for about a decade. But in 2012, it decided all its combat aircraft and helicopters needed to have a midair refueling capability.
According to the IAF’s latest policy, only aircraft with this capability will be considered for future acquisition deals.
The IAF already has a fleet of Russian IL-78MK aerial tankers, but it plans to acquire more to cater to its increasing fleet of combat aircraft.
aviationweek

Spanish Air Force Takes Over Airbus A400M Crash Probe

Spain's air force has taken over the investigation of the crash of an Airbus A400M military cargo plane near Seville which killed four men.
The Spanish government intially charged a civilian team made up of experts from the transport and defense ministries to probe the crash, the first of an A400M airlifter.
The civilian team "took the decision to withdraw because they understood that the plane has specific characteristics due to its military configuration which they were unfamiliar with".
Spain's military air crash investigation agency, CITAAM, took charge of the investigation at the beginning of the week.
The A400M plane that crashed in a field and burst into flames just north of Seville's airport on Saturday was several minutes into a test flight before it was due to be delivered to Turkey in July.
Spain on Tuesday became the fifth country to ground its A400Ms pending the outcome of the crash investigation, following similar decisions by Britain, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia.
France, which has six of the planes in active operation, said it would only carry out the most pressing flights until more details emerge on why the plane went down.
German newsweekly Der Spiegel reported that the plane experienced multiple engine failure, citing comments by one of the crash survivors.
defensenews

United States to deploy B-1B bombers and Global Hawk UAVs in Australia

The US plans to station B-1B Lancer bombers and surveillance aircraft in Australia amid rising tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The US plan comes as the Obama administration moves to boost US naval forces and air power in the South China Sea to assert the right of free passage and challenge China's efforts to buttress its maritime territorial claims through the construction of airfields and artificial islands.
US B-52 bombers have previously been temporarily deployed to Darwin, to take part in exercises with the Royal Australian Air Force, in 2012 and in late 2014.
About 1150 US Marines began arriving in Darwin this week for six months training during the Top End's dry season. The marines are the fourth rotation of US troops deployed to the Northern Territory since 2011. The plan is to gradually increase the number of US Marines rotating through Darwin to 2500 troops by 2017.
Disclosed ahead of any statement by the Australian government, the US plan to deploy B-1 bombers and high-altitude remotely piloted Global Hawk surveillance aircraft to Australia comes as part of the US military's broader "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region.
The US intends to challenge China's claims to sovereignty over large parts of the South China Sea.
airrecognition

White House Says F-35s Not For Sale to Gulf Arab States

President Obama’s Camp David summit with the Gulf Arab states on Thursday will seek to boost arms sales to the Gulf neighbors but the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been taken off their wish list.
White House officials on Monday sought to tamp down speculation that King Salman of Saudi Arabia canceled his attendance at Camp David when the U.S. made clear that his country would not be permitted to buy F-35s.
Saudi Foreign Minsiter also denied that the F-35 or U.S. policy on Iran were factors in King Salman’s absence.
The F-35 might not be on the table, “but keep in mind under this administration we moved forward on a package for the Saudis that will provide them the most advanced F-15 aircraft in the region”.
“The Emiratis fly the most advanced F-16s in the world. They’re more advanced than the ones our Air Force flies.
dodbuzz

New USAF bomber on track despite possible $460M cut

Two-star general in charge of the US Air Force’s nuclear mission says the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) programme is “going exceedingly well” and meeting its major milestones despite a four-month delay to downselecting a prime contractor.
Maj Gen Garrett Harencak says he agrees with the $460 million funding reduction recently proposed by the house armed services committee for fiscal 2016, since the air force won’t be able to spend big on the programme until the contract is awarded anyway. Northrop Grumman and a Boeing-Lockheed Martin team are vying for the contract.
The air force wants to buy 80 to 100 stealthy, nuclear-capable bombers at a cost of about $550 million per copy to supplement and then eventually replace the aging B-1 Lancer and B-52 fleets. Air force acquisition spokesman says the service expects to award a contract this summer.
The new bomber will also support conventional operations.
flightglobal

Norway Cleared To Buy 200 AIM-9X

The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Norway for 200 AIM 9X Block II Sidewinder Missiles and associated equipment.
Norway requires these capabilities for mutual defense, regional security, force modernization, and U.S. and NATO interoperability.
The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company.
dsca

India Clears Deal To Buy 56 C295 Transport Aircraft

The India Defence Acquisition council (DAC) on Wednesday cleared a slew of proposals including the lone bid of Airbus-Tata consortium to replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing fleet of Avro transport aircraft.
The defence ministry had set the process to replace the Avro transport aircraft in May 2013 when it invited original equipment manufacturers, including US firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin, European multinational Airbus Defence and Space and Antonov of Ukraine, to come up with their proposals.
They were required to tie up with an Indian private firm. However, only Airbus and Tata responded to the invitation. Under the current defence procurement policy, single- vendor situation is not entertained unless cleared by the DAC.
As part of the deal, 16 aircraft would be bought off-the-shelf and 40 manufactured in India.
hindustantimes

Indonesia looks to procure Japan's US-2 aircraft

Indonesia and Japan are looking to develop a procurement plan featuring Indonesia's potential purchase of US-2 amphibious search-and-rescue (SAR) aircraft.
An MoD statement said that Indonesian Defence Minister and Indonesia's ambassador to Japan,discussed the potential US-2 procurement on 5 May.
It added that any move to buy the US-2 would be linked to the defence memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Indonesia and Japan in March that outlines a commitment from both countries to collaborate on military equipment and technologies.
The Japanese government is now waiting for systems specifications required and a purchase plan from the government of Indonesia.
janes

F-22 Fires First Guided AIM-9X Sidewinder

The USAF F-22 has fired a guided Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile for the first time.
USAF test pilots fired two guided AIM-9X missiles earlier this year, but the event was not revealed until now. The first shot was taken on 26 February and the missile successfully shot down a BQM-34 drone.
The second guided firing was conducted on 29 April and targeted a BQM-74 drone. The second shot was done in a much more stressing flight regime.
Lockheed Martin was awarded a USD33.4 million contract in October 2014 to modify the Raptor to carry the AIM-9X. The contract provided for the upgrade of 220 AIM-9 Configurable Rail Launchers (CRLs) to be compatible with the AIM-9X.
The AIM-9X has the same rocket motor and warhead as previous versions of the missile, but its guidance section features an imaging infrared seeker. Unlike older variants of the missile, it includes fixed forward canards and smaller fins. Operational F-22s currently carry the AIM-9M.
The AIM-9X is already in service with several of the USAF's combat aircraft, including the F-15C Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F/A-18A+ Hornet, F/A-18C/D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and F-16. Integration work on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is also in progress.
janes

Spain halts Airbus A400M test flights pending crash cause

Spain on Tuesday withdrew permission for test flights of Airbus A400M military transport planes that are still in production until an investigation determines the cause of a deadly weekend crash.
The move, announced by Defense Minister Pedro Morenes, sparked new uncertainty about planned deliveries of the cargo plane to national militaries that have ordered it by the dozens.
In a statement, Airbus said it was too early to say how Spain's decision would affect the delivery schedule for the planes, and it was working with military authorities and customers "to manage the situation."
"It's not a good idea for those planes in the production phase and about to do tests to fly without knowing what really happened with the (crashed) plane," Morenes said in an interview.
Spain's air traffic controllers said on Twitter that the pilots had communicated just before the crash that an unspecified problem was affecting the flight.
The pilot evaded a much worse disaster by landing the plane in a field, avoiding a possible crash into a nearby shopping mall or factories.
Morenes said the permits were being temporarily rescinded by Spain's National Institute for Aerospace Technique, which means that A400Ms in final stages of assembly cannot go on test flights.
Morenes declined to provide initial findings of the crash investigation, stressing that the probe will be complicated. Also, a judge in Seville in charge of the crash probe ordered that it must be conducted in secret.
Separately Tuesday, Airbus sought to promote the plane's safety by conducting a test flight of another A400M. The plane flew safely from Toulouse, France, to Seville.
That flight was not affected by Spain's halt on test flights because the plane owned by Airbus is a test plane not scheduled for delivery.
Fernando Alonso, who heads Airbus Defense and Space, took part as a flight engineer in a symbolic show of confidence.
Four of the five countries that already have A400Ms — Britain, Germany, Malaysia and Turkey —grounded the plane after the crash. France, which has six, says it will only use the aircraft in urgent operations.
news.yahoo

Airbus Holds First A400M Test Flight Since Crash

Airbus on Tuesday carried out the first test flight of a new A400M since one of the military transport planes crashed in Spain over the weekend, killing four people.
In a sign of the company's confidence in the plane, the boss of Airbus Military Fernando Alonso was onboard the test flight, which took off from the company's Toulouse, France headquarters bound for Seville.
The A400M behaved normally, all scheduled tests were carried out.
The huge transport plane landed at Seville airport at 4:35 p.m (1435 GMT) after doing a loop above the runway.
The A400M that crashed in a field and burst into flames just north of Seville's airport was several minutes into a test flight, and due to be delivered to Turkey in July.
Earlier Tuesday, Spain became the fifth country to ground its A400Ms awaiting for the causes of the accident to become clearer, following similar decisions by Britain, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia.
France, which has six of the planes in active operation, said it would only carry out the most pressing flights until more facts emerge on why the plane went down.
Spanish authorities on Sunday located the two cockpit recorders and handed them over to the judge investigating the cause of the accident.

The plane experienced multiple engine failure, according to a report in German newsweekly Der Spiegel, which cited comments from one of the crash survivors.
A total of 174 A400M planes have been ordered by eight nations, which are seeking to replace their ageing Hercules fleets.
About 20 of the planes are currently on the assembly line in different stages of production.
There are a total of 12 A400M planes currently in service — in addition to the six operated by France, Britain and Turkey have two each and Malaysia and Germany both have one.
defensenews

RAF fighter jets scrambled to intercept Russian Il-20 spy plane in Baltic

RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian spy plane flying close to Estonian airspace.
The two RAF planes, which are currently policing the Baltic skies, were alerted after the Russian Ilyushin IL-20 Coot surveillance aircraft was spotted.
The incident took place in international airspace.
express

India to buy two 777-300ERs for VVIP duties

India will soon have a desi version of US’s Air Force One aircraft for the exclusive use of Prime Minister and President.
The aircraft will be highly-secure, plush and fitted with advanced self-protection suites to jam and beat hostile incoming missiles and encrypted satellite communication facilities.
At present, the prime minister and other VVIPs use Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jets' under 'Air India One' call sign after pulling them out from commercial duties as and when required. "These old aircraft do not have anti-missile defence systems, which the SPG holds is necessary. The decision was taken after a committee of secretaries from top ministries and aviation experts examined the matter," according sources.
The India defence acquisitions council, will take up acquisition of two Boeing 777-300 (ER extended range) aircraft for extra long-haul flights.
The two 777-300 (ER) aircraft will be bought from Air India, which has a dozen such relatively new wide-bodied planes, and then specially configured for VVIP travel and retrofitted with the sophisticated self-protection suites by Boeing.
The two modified 777-300 (ER) aircraft will be based with the Air HQ Communication Squadron at Palam, which is tasked with ferrying the President, PM and other VVIPs.
business-standard

Iberia readies final Saudi MRTT for delivery later this year

What is believed to be the last of the six Airbus Defence and Space A330-200 MRTT for the Royal Saudi Air Force has been spotted leaving the plant of converters Iberia Mantenimiento near Madrid Barajas airport.
The aircraft was photographed on returning to the Airbus plant at Getafe, just south of Madrid, after reportedly flying south from Barajas to a traditional testing area of the Mediterranean, just east of the Strait of Gibraltar.
janes

UK Set To Start C-130J Upgrade Flight Tests

A Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules is set to take to the air in the next few days to recommence trials of a major upgrade to the aircraft that is so late it has already been rolled into a subsequent improvement program.
Fitted out with an extensive suite of software and hardware improvements known as Block 7, the British C-130J kit installation trials aircraft is set to undertake months of operational test and evaluation work ahead of being further modified by prime contractor Lockheed Martin with additional capabilities known as Block 8.1.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said British flight trials on the Block 8.1 improvements are set to be completed in 2019.
The updates are crucial to the British and other C-130J fleet operators around the world as they provide additional capabilities for special operations forces and others.
The modifications will also allow operators to meet the latest civil air traffic management regulations. Without the update, C-130J aircraft will not be able to effectively operate in prescribed airspaces.
All seven members of the users group — Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Norway, the UK and the US — are contributing to the development, evaluation and trial kit installation phases of the program.
Britain operates 24 C-130Js but is scheduled to run that fleet down starting next year as the Royal Air Force begins operations of the first of 22 Airbus A400M airlifters it has on order.
Two aircraft have been delivered to the RAF with a third scheduled to be handed over soon. A further six machines are expected to be delivered by the end of this year.
As things stand, the British are scheduled to take the C-130J out of service by 2022, although there is a debate within the military as to whether seven or eight of the fleet are kept on for special forces duties.
defensenews

France could sell Russian Mistral warships to China

The ongoing saga over France's potential sale of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia took a new turn Monday with Chinese media reporting that representatives from the French in Shanghai could propose a deal to sell the warships to China.
In recent weeks Moscow has taken a firm, if conciliatory, stance on the Mistral deal. Last month President Vladimir Putin announced that his officials did not intend to seek any penalties or fines from France over the postponed sale but instead would seek only repayment of the costs incurred on the Russian side if the sale were to fall through.
The problem with a China deal is that the ships have been built to Russian specifications. The first of the two, the Vladivostok, has already been taken on sea trials by Russian naval personnel, while the second ship, the Sevastopol, now also appears to be ready for sea trials.
Since the onset of the crisis in Ukraine, the French government has agonised over the €1.2 billion contract (£863 million, $1.3 billion). After tense negotiations, France succeeded in getting existing contracts excluded from the European Union's package of sanctions against Russia over its role in supporting rebels in eastern Ukraine.
With last September's deadline for the handover of the Vladivostok fast approaching, however, Hollande imposed two conditions necessary for the sale: a cease-fire in Ukraine and progress toward a settlement over Ukraine's future.
Both of these conditions are unlikely to be met before Russia pulls the plug on the deal. So a new buyer has to be found, or the ships could end up as scrap.
But there's a one problem with the theory: It would still cost hundreds of millions of euros to refit the ships to meet China's requirements.
businessinsider

Philippines Coast Guard to Acquire 4 'Sherpa' Transport Aircraft

In a bid to boost its air monitoring capability, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced that it is now conducting talks with the US military for the acquisition of four Short C-23 "Sherpa" transport aircraft.
Two of the aircraft will be brand-new while the remaining two will be "Excess Defense Articles".
The C-23s will augment the existing Norman Britten Islander planes being operated by the PCG for maritime patrol missions.
defense-studies

Malaysia Halts A400M Flights

Malaysia Defence Minister Monday confirmed that Malaysia has temporarily halted the operations of its military Airbus A400M fleet following a crash involving the transport carrier during a test flight in Seville, Spain last Saturday.
The incident prompted Malaysia, Germany, Britain and Turkey to ground their fleets of the new troop and cargo carrier.
Malaysia has ordered four A400Ms, and has received delivery of the first aircraft on March 9, after they were purchased in 2005.
Malaysia is expected to receive two more of the aircraft by the end of this year and the last one next year.
defense-studies

Thailand, Romania Select Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod for F-16 Fleets

The Romanian Air Force and Royal Thai Air Force recently selected Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod for their F-16 fleets.
Lockheed Martin will integrate and field Sniper ATPs on existing RoAF and RTAF aircraft and provide initial sustainment support. Pod deliveries began in early 2015 to meet operational need requirements.
Sniper ATP will provide the RoAF and the RTAF with precision targeting capability to locate targets using high-resolution imagery. It detects, identifies, automatically tracks and laser-designates small tactical targets at long ranges.
Sniper ATP’s interoperability also enables coalition air forces to use the pod across multiple platforms, including U.S. Air Force and multinational F-15, F-16, F-18, A-10, B-1 and B-52 aircraft.
lockheedmartin

The Royal Netherlands Air Force's Pilots Will Train On The M-346 Of Italian Air Force

The Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Pilots will train in Italy on M-346 jets in service with the Italian Air Force, thanks to the agreement that has been signed by the Chiefs of Staff of the two Air Forces in Milan last week that envisages the detachment of an instructor and two student pilots of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, to be stationed at ItAF's Lecce-Galatina AFB Flight School.
The instructor and the two students will follow the standard training programmes of the Italian military pilots.
The new training programme, recently reconfigured to catch up with operational and technological advances, thanks to the entry in service of the new M-346 trainers , is evaluated with great interest by several air forces that plan to operate new-generation aircraft.
aleniaaermacchi

Lockheed urges more X-47B testing

Lockheed Martin wants to see the continuation of the X-47B demonstrator programme led by Northrop Grumman as the US Navy’s unmanned carrier-launched airborne surveillance and strike (UCLASS) competition enters a “waiting period” with no firm requirements so far revealed.
Lockheed’s director of unmanned systems strategy, says that industry and the navy still have much to learn about unmanned operations within a battle carrier group that is swarming with manned aircraft.
flightglobal

Moroccan F-16 jet from Saudi-led coalition in Yemen goes missing

A Moroccan F-16 warplane taking part in the Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting in Yemen went missing on Sunday, the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces said in a statement.
The pilot of a second jet in the same squadron could not see if the pilot had ejected from the jet, which was hit at 6 p.m. local time.
An investigation is under way.
trust