Defence`s Feeds

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 constitutive meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) took place in Brussels on 23 July 2024 following the appointment of members in the plenary sitting of 16-19 July 2024. At the constitutive meeting, Marie-Agnes STRACK-ZIMMERMANN (Renew, Germany) was elected as SEDE Chair. Four Vice-Chairs were also elected for a two-and-a-half year mandate.

The next meeting of the SEDE Subcommittee is scheduled to take place place on Wednesday, 4 September 2024 from 14.30 to 18.30hrs in room SPINELLI 1E2 (Brussels).

_______________________

SEDE missions 2023:

• India - 17-21 December 2023
• Israel and OPT - 8-10 December 2023
  
• Germany and Poland - 24-26 July 2023
  
• Armenia - 19-22 June 2023
  
• Romania and Moldova - 15-18 May 2023
  
• Djibouti and Somalia - 1-4 April 2023
  
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - 20-23 February 2023
  

Draft SEDE meetings' calendar 2nd half of 2024 - 10th legislature
AFET-DROI-SEDE calendar of meetings - 2nd half of 2024
SEDE meetings' calendar 2024
EP calendar 2024
Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

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 […]

The 36th Fighter Squadron will be part of a year-long test to optimize combat capability and training effectiveness with a larger number of F-16 aircraft assigned to the “Super Squadron”. The U.S. Seventh Air Force, [...]

The post Osan and Kunsan Air Bases Join Forces To Create “Super Squadron” With 31 F-16s appeared first on The Aviationist.

Video footage emerged online shows a Russian pilot filming himself after ejecting from his stricken combat jet, visible in the distance spiraling out of control and in flames. A video recently emerged online, taken by [...]

The post Russian Pilot Films Aftermath Of Ejection From His Damaged Flanker Fighter Jet appeared first on The Aviationist.

AFSOC’s MC-130J, AC-130J, and C-146A try their hands at operating in austere, contested environments, such as a highway used as an improvised runway. On August 4, 2024, the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command’s 1st [...]

The post U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command Carries Out Highway Operations Exercise in Arkansas appeared first on The Aviationist.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command’s Light Attack becomes a reality, with the start of the training for the Sky Warden in both active duty and ANG units. On July 29, 2024, the 137th Special [...]

The post Oklahoma Air National Guard Receives First AT-802U, Begins Training for OA-1K Sky Warden appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Load Adaptable Modular Pylon, installed under the B-1B bomber’s fuselage, is designed to carry a variety of weapons with fewer constraints compared to older systems. The U.S. Air Force’s 412th Test Wing recently tested [...]

The post U.S. Air Force Demonstrates New Modular Weapons Pylon On The B-1B Bomber appeared first on The Aviationist.

Additive manufacturing makes the Mako a scalable, cost-effective hypersonic weapon that allows for salvo fires, unlike weapons such as the Russian Kh-47M2 Kinzhal or the US’s AGM-183 ARRW. The hallmarks of Lockheed Martin’s Mako hypersonic [...]

The post Lockheed’s Mako Missile Is A Mass-Producible, Salvo Fire-Capable Hypersonic Menace appeared first on The Aviationist.

Looking like a holdover from the First World War, this flimsy, antiquated, and slow biplane was all Great Britain had to throw against the mighty German Battleship in one of the greatest sea chases of [...]

The post The Fairey Swordfish: an Unsung Hero of the Hunt for the Battleship Bismarck appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been selected as the Lead Systems Integrator for Project Red 5, a US. Department of Defense initiative aimed at developing advanced autonomous air-to-air capabilities. The $98 million contract will see GA-ASI utilize two MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aircraft systems to prototype full-profile autonomous air-to-air missions. GA-ASI will equip the MQ-20 Avengers with cutting-edge sensors, data links, and mission systems to enable complex air-to-air maneuvers. BlueHalo, a leading provider of counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) solutions, announced a significant milestone in the development of its Freedom Eagle (FE-1) missile. The company successfully completed multiple rounds of testing, including a critical firing of the dual-thrust, solid rocket motor. FE-1 is being developed under the U.S. Army’s Next-Generation C-UAS Missile program. The missile is designed to counter Group 3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and other larger aerial threats. BlueHalo’s rapid development of the FE-1 demonstrates the company’s ability to deliver innovative solutions to meet evolving threats. Middle East & Africa The United States military has announced the deployment of additional resources to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier, amid growing concerns about the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. On Friday, the Pentagon revealed it would […]

Spain has been seeking a new generation jet trainer, of the same category of the Hurjet, to replace the 19 Northrop SF-5M aircraft, with plans to induct the new jets by 2028. The prototype of [...]

The post Turkish Hurjet Prototype Arrives In Spain For Evaluation To Replace SF-5M Jet Trainers appeared first on The Aviationist.