India will test fly, in 2012, its indigenous airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system integrated onboard a modified Embraer EMB 145, an official involved in the project said.
AIN Defense Perspective
February 19, 2010 - 4:59am
The Sikorsky S-92A will take over search-and-rescue helicopter (SAR-H) duties in the UK, following selection of the Soteria Consortium by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
February 19, 2010 - 4:42am
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is proposing aerial tanker versions of business jets such as the Gulfstream G550. At the Singapore Airshow earlier this month, a company official told AIN that its small and smart tactical tanker (SSTT) is still only a proposal, aimed at reducing the costs of aerial refueling training.
February 19, 2010 - 4:26am
Brazil’s purchase of 36 new fighters has pitted the air force’s preference for the Saab Gripen, backed by a 10-month technical report, against a presidential preference for the Dassault Rafale as part of a “strategic alliance” with France. Second in the air force’s ranking was the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet. According to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, France reduced the cost of the Rafale package from $12.2 billion to $8.2 billion.
January 18, 2010 - 7:17am
Limited funding for the Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland VH-71 presidential helicopter, which is based on the triple-engine AgustaWestland AW101, made it into the final FY2010 U.S. defense appropriations bill, reviving the model’s chances of one day flying U.S. presidents. At direction of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the Pentagon had terminated the program on May 15 last year.
January 18, 2010 - 7:10am
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) plans to order 22 new Chinooks, in its latest response to widespread criticism over the shortage of heavy helicopter lift to support British troops in Afghanistan. Last September, the RAF announced for its existing fleet of 38 Chinooks a $650 million upgrade program named Project Julius that consists of a cockpit upgrade and more powerful engines.
January 18, 2010 - 7:05am
Ten weeks after the deadline for comments on the draft RFP for the latest attempt to procure a new KC-X aerial refueling tanker, the Pentagon has still not released the final document. It now says to expect this by the end of the month, and that some changes have been made. Northrop Grumman said it would not bid unless the final RFP was changed to give credit for the greater capacity of the A330MRTT (aka KC-45).
January 18, 2010 - 6:59am
Boeing announced this month that India had formally expressed interest in acquiring 10 C-17 military transports. The company said the Indian air force wanted to “replace and augment” its fleet of Russian-made Il-76 and An-32 airlifters. The news followed closely on a confirmation that the U.A.E. had signed for six C-17s, as expected. Four will be delivered in 2011 and two in 2012.
January 18, 2010 - 6:28am
At a dramatic new year press conference held beneath the second A400M in the final assembly building in Seville, Spain, the chief executive officers of EADS and Airbus declared that they would stop funding the program at the end of this month.
December 17, 2009 - 5:50am
The first prototype of two-seater trainer version of India’s single-seat Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) made its maiden flight on November 26. Taking off from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Bangalore airfield, the aircraft achieved an altitude of 30,000 feet and speed of Mach 0.85. The flight was about six months behind schedule because the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) wanted to avoid a failed test. ADA chief P.S.
