Defence`s Feeds

While the feature was not fielded to operational units, the F-22 has also the capability to carry AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles externally. A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor has been recently spotted while flying in [...]

The post F-22 Raptor Spotted During Rare Flight With External AIM-120 Missiles appeared first on The Aviationist.

The first launch of the SM-6 is a ‘step-change’ in the lethality, air and missile defence, and long-range strike capabilities of Australia’s surface combatant fleet, as it undergoes a series of improvements to enhance deterrence [...]

The post Royal Australian Navy Fires SM-6 Missile from HMAS Sydney Destroyer for the First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $29.7 million modification, which adds scope to procure training systems and simulation design, development, integration, test, production, deployment, modifications, upgrades and sustainment services to improve and sustain F-35 training devices in support of distributed mission training for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp, and non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida; and Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in July 2026. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The US Air Force and Navy have tested a QUICKSINK live-fire anti-ship attack with a B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bomber aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico. The event saw techniques for neutralizing surface vessels using precision-guided bombs modified specifically to counter maritime systems at low cost. According to the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), QUICKSINK leverages a guidance kit equipped with a new Weapon Open Systems Architecture seeker solution. Middle East & Africa Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have added long-range missiles and drones to the force’s navy, official media said Friday, amid heightened regional tensions following Hamas leader’s killing in Tehran blamed on Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ideological arm of Iran’s military which […]

PhanCon 2024 allowed enthusiasts to get up close and personal with Andravida’s F-4s, among the few Phantoms still operational in the world. After the successful editions in 2022 and 2023, Andravida Air Base hosted once [...]

The post Greece Hosts 2024 Edition Of The European Phantom Conference appeared first on The Aviationist.

The four F-22 Raptors, preceded by a C-130, performed hot-pit refueling operations before departing again, improving the interoperability with Indonesia and increasing the awareness of Indonesian airspace operations. Four U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors landed [...]

The post U.S. F-22 Raptors Land in Indonesia for the First Time as Part of Dynamic Force Employment Exercise appeared first on The Aviationist.

With the achievement of the Milestone B, the FLRAA program now moves into the engineering and manufacturing development phase and becomes a Program of Record. The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), the U.S. Army’s [...]

The post U.S. Army’s New Tiltrotor Reaches Milestone B, Moving To Next Phase Of Development appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Boeing won a $2 billion modification for E-7A Rapid Prototyping. The modification is for the definitization of the UCA. Work will be performed in Tukwila, Washington, and is expected to be completed by August 28, 2029. There are no funds being obligated at the time of award. Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. The deal represents a significant milestone for both parties, who have been working to finalize terms since an initial agreement was signed in 2023. The path to contract finalization was fraught with challenges. The Air Force initially faced difficulties in aligning its requirements with those of the United Kingdom, which has also acquired E-7s. Moreover, Boeing was under pressure to avoid the financial pitfalls that have plagued its defense division. These factors, coupled with disagreements over pricing, led to protracted negotiations and a temporary halt to procurement funding for the program. The Canadian Department of Defense will open high-rise accommodation for warfighters at the Esquimalt base on Vancouver Island. The $120.1 million project covers 31,700 square meters (7.8 acres) of land and will consist of up to 480 single occupancy rooms, according to Ottawa’s press release. The center’s facilities will include administrative […]

The U.S. Air Force continues to make its exercises more and more realistic while preparing for a possible near-peer fight in the Pacific, training to defend against cruise missiles and UAVs simulated by microjets. In [...]

The post U.S. Air Force Uses Contracted JSX-2 SubSonex Microjets to Simulate Cruise Missiles in Exercise Northern Strike 24 appeared first on The Aviationist.

On Aug. 7, 2024, after 17 years of military service, Japan retired the first of its distinctive ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious air sea rescue aircraft. In a decommissioning ceremony held at the ShinMaywa Industries manufacturing plant [...]

The post Japan Retires First ShinMaywa US-2 Seaplane appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas SOFIS-TRG LLC won a $83 million single award contract for MQ-9 Aircrew Training Support. This contract provides for all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and all other items and services required to perform and support MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft aircrew academic instruction; courseware development; and air and ground intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance test and training support. Work is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2029. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Boeing won aa?$14.8 million bilateral modification for the?F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System Low-Rate Initial Production. Work will be performed at ?Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2026. This contract was a sole source acquisition. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Fighter and Advanced Aircraft Directorate, F-15 Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Ten people including at least four fighters were killed Wednesday when a bomb-laden truck exploded at a checkpoint in Syria’s Turkish-controlled northern city of Azaz, a war monitor said. An AFP correspondent in the area said a booby-trapped truck had detonated at a checkpoint inside the city. “Ten people have been […]

On July 15, 2024, the M-346 advanced jet trainer celebrated 20 years since its first flight, and is now being further upgraded to start the next chapter of its operational life. Jul. 15, 2024, marked [...]

The post Leonardo M-346: Two Decades of Cutting-Edge Training Excellence appeared first on The Aviationist.

Four F-35Bs of 617 Squadron have deployed to Iceland to begin a NATO Air Policing deployment, the first ever deployment of its type for the F-35 in British service. The NATO Icelandic Air Policing mission [...]

The post British F-35Bs Deploy on Air Policing Mission for the First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.

Similarly to other weapons, the 250 kg AASM munition is carried by a custom made pylon under the MiG-29’s innermost wing attachment point. After images and videos earlier this year showed the French-made AASM Hammer [...]

The post First Close-Up Image of the French AASM Hammer Bomb on a Ukrainian MiG-29 appeared first on The Aviationist.

A video shows an FPV drone attacking a Mi-28 helicopter during a low altitude flight, apparently hitting its tail rotor, however the fate of the helicopter is unclear. Demonstrating the high flexibility of the usage [...]

The post Ukrainian Drone Attacks Russian Mi-28 Attack Helicopter Mid-Air appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Lockheed Martin has selected Voyager Space to provide an advanced upper stage solid-propulsion subsystem for the US Missile Defense Agency’s Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) defense capability. Under the partnership, the Denver-based firm will lead the design and production of a “flight-qualified, production-ready subsystem” before the NGI’s expected delivery date. Callan Marine Limited, Galveston, Texas, was awarded a $105 million firm-fixed-price contract for Brazos Island Harbor channel deepening. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Brownsville, Texas, with an estimated completion date of August 28, 2026. Fiscal 2024 civil construction funds in the amount of $104,974,200 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa The United States military has completed its withdrawal from air base 201 in Niger, officials said on Monday, after Niger’s ruling junta ordered nearly 1,000 U.S. military personnel to leave following a coup last year. Air base 201, a drone base near Agadez in central Niger that was built at a cost of $100 million, had provided crucial intelligence about Islamist militant groups before the coup. Europe The Latvian National Armed Forces finally received its first […]

Both Ukrainian and Russian armies are using their expendable UAVs not only to strike targets on the ground, but also to strike each others’ drones in flight, in what could be defined as a low-cost [...]

The post Drone-on-Drone War Ensues As Ukrainian UAV With Wooden Stick Tries Disabling Russian ZALA Drone appeared first on The Aviationist.

Twelve U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor stealth fighters landed at RAF Lakenheath, UK, on their way to the Middle East, where they are deploying in preparation for a potential Iranian attack on Israel. Twelve F-22A [...]

The post Alaskan F-22 Raptors Are Deploying To The Middle East Amid Growing Tensions appeared first on The Aviationist.

The U.S. Air Force’s Accident Investigation Report says that the CV-22 crash could have been prevented had the crew decided to land earlier and at a closer airfield. The Nov. 29, 2023 crash of the [...]

The post Gearbox Failure, Pilot Decision to Keep Flying Blamed for Japan CV-22 Crash, Says Air Force Probe appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Northrup Grumman won a $24.7 million modification, which adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering risk reduction efforts to support the delivery schedule of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the government of Japan. Work will be performed is expected to be completed November 2024. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Boeing has delivered the first production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter to the US Air Force. This aircraft, part of a 13-helicopter initial order, will be stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The new helicopter is part of a Low Rate Initial Production order awarded to Boeing in 2023. The company has already secured an additional order for seven MH-139As this year, bringing the total number of aircraft on contract to 26. Middle East & Africa A rocket attack on a base in Iraq wounded multiple US personnel on Monday, officials said, adding to already heightened regional tensions over an expected Iranian counterattack on Israel. The rocket fire is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq, which hosts American troops as well as personnel from the US-led coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. Europe Poland has […]

AH-64 in Afghanistan (click to view full) The AH-64 Apache will remain the US Army’s primary armed helicopter for several more decades, thanks to the collapse of the RAH-66 Comanche program, and the retirement sans replacement of the US Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH). Apaches also serve with a number of American allies, some of whom have already expressed interest in upgrading or expanding their fleets. The AH-64E Guardian Block III (AB3) is the helicopter’s next big step forward. It incorporates 26 key new-technology insertions that cover flight performance, maintenance costs, sensors & electronics, and even the ability to control UAVs as part of manned-unmanned teaming (MUT). In July 2006, Boeing and U.S. Army officials signed the initial development contract for Block III upgrades to the current and future Apache fleet, via a virtual signing ceremony. By November 2011, the 1st production helicopter had been delivered. So… how many helicopters will be modified under the AH-64 Block III program, what do these modifications include, how is the program structured, and what has been happening since that 2006 award? The short answer is: a lot, including export interest and sales. The AH-64 Apache Program: Sunset, Sunrise Executive Summary The AH-64E/ Block […]