The first flight of the A-10 was in May 1972, and a total of 713 aircraft were produced. The production of A-10 aircraft came to an end in 1984. Originally manufactured by Fairchild, since 1987 the prime contractor for the A-10 has been Northrop Grumman, which carries out support and structural upgrade programmes from the Integrated Systems and Aerostructures Divisions at Bethpage, New York and at St Augustine in Florida.
Over 367 A-10 aircraft are in service with the US Air Force, Air Combat Command, the US Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard. The aircraft variants currently in service in the US Air force are A-10 (143), and A-10C (70); Reserve A-10 (46) and OA-10 (6); ANG, A-10 (84) and OA-10 (18).
In June 2007, Boeing was awarded a $2bn contract for the A-10 wing replacement programme. Boeing will supply 242 replacement wing sets by 2018.
In September 2009, the US Air Force awarded two contracts worth $4.2m to Boeing for modernising its fleet of 365 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft for a period of three to 18 months. The contract was awarded as part of the total $1.6bn A-10 Thunderbolt life-cycle programme support (TLPS) contract.
The two contracts included A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) which involves providing engineering services to the aircraft and upgraded data transfer unit (UDTU) which include trade study analysis and operational assessment / proof of concept. Both the contracts aim at upgrading the aircraft with avionics architecture to improve memory and data capability.
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947.It is the most recent branch of the U.S. military to be formed, and is the largest and one of the world's most technologically advanced air forces. The USAF articulates its core functions as Nuclear Deterrence Operations, Special Operations, Air Superiority, Global Integrated ISR, Space Superiority, Command and Control, Cyberspace Superiority, Personnel Recovery, Global Precision Attack, Building Partnerships, Rapid Global Mobility and Agile Combat Support.
The U.S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, and is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation. The highest-ranking military officer in the Department of the Air Force is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who exercises supervision over Air Force units, and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Air Force combat and mobility forces are assigned, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, to the Combatant Commanders, and neither the Secretary of the Air Force nor the Chief of Staff have operational command authority over them.
The U.S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces[10] and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service operates more than 5,137 military aircraft, 450 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 307,001 active duty personnel, 177,221 civilian personnel, 69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personne
Also known as the "Bushmaster," this weapon is a navalized version of the "Chain Gun®," an externally-powered weapon developed by Hughes for the US Army as the Mark 242. The name "Chain Gun" derives from the use of a loop of roller chain to drive the bolt back and forth. A single electric motor, located in the receiver group, powers all moving parts for the ammunition feeding, loading, firing, extraction and cartridge ejection operations. The weapon can be fired in both the single-shot mode and in automatic mode.
This gun had a long road to travel to gain acceptance onto USN ships. In 1977 the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) approved their use to replace aging 20 mm Mark 16 guns, which were difficult to maintain and did not use standard NATO ammunition. However, the gun was not operationally evaluated for naval use until the summer of 1987. Then, with the urgent need for such weapons in the Persian Gulf, production of this weapon was greatly accelerated. Much of the necessary work was done at Naval Weapons Support Center Crane which was responsible for the design of the Mark 88 mounting.
The Mark 38 Machine Gun System (MGS) denotes the Mark 242 when mounted on the Mark 88 Single Mounting. The Mark 38 MGS was employed aboard various combatant and auxiliary ships in the Mid-East Force escort operations and during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The weapons are maintained in a rotatable pool, available for temporary installation on various deploying ships and permanent installation on certain amphibious and auxiliary ships, patrol craft and Coast Guard cutters. In the event of a major malfunction, the gun can be removed from the mount and another one installed in its place in five minutes by two people.
As the Mark 88 is manually trained and lacks stabilization, target tracking is difficult when the MGS is used on a small combatant ship. For this reason, the Navy started a program to develop a low-cost, remotely controlled and stabilized version designated as the Mark 38 Mod 2. Improvements compared to the Mark 38 include an on-mount electro-optical sight, improved ammunition loading, improved man/machine interface, an embedded trainer and ship roll compensation. The new system also provides the capability to have two different ammunition types loaded and selecting between them from the remote console. The remote operator console is a 12-inch (30.5 cm) color LCD equipped with 12 soft keys. The picture on the computer screen is extremely clear, displaying a real-time, 360-degree, 7,000 - 8,000 yard (6,400 - 7,300 m) picture. In 2003, successful testing was conducted aboard the USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Howard (DDG-83). USS Princeton (CG-59) was the first ship to have this weapon system permanently installed. Tests on Princeton demonstrated a very robust capability during day and night tracking and firing on a high speed maneuvering surface target (HSMST). During the live fire against the HSMST, the system gained a kill of the target at more than twice the range of the current Mod 1 gun. Other tests have shown a two to three fold increase in Probability of Hit (POH) versus the Mod 1.
In 2004, United Defense received a $395.5 million contract to produce the Mark 38 Mod 2 weapon system. The contract runs through 2010 with the first eight units and spares to be delivered in 2004, 13 in 2005 and 67 in 2006.
The Mark 96 Mod 0 is a two-axis stabilized mounting that contains both a 25 mm M242 chain gun and a 40 mm Mark 19 grenade machine gun. The system combines elements from the Mark 3 Mod 9 and Mark 38 gun mounts to provide a lightweight, low-cost solution to small-caliber gun requirements including a "man-in-the-loop" system for low-intensity combat situations. The operator sits on the mount, which moves to compensate for the pitch and roll of the ship.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least ten other countries.
The Republic of China Armed Forces (Chinese: 中華民國國軍; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Guójūn), also known as the ROC Armed Forces, encompass the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force and Military Police Force. It is a military establishment, which accounted for 16.8% of the central budget in the fiscal year of 2003. Since 2002, the military comes under the full civilian control of the Ministry of National Defense and oversight by the Legislative Yuan. It was the National Revolutionary Army before being renamed as the Republic of China Armed Forces in 1947 due to the implementation of the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC).
Until the 1970s, the military's primary mission was to retake mainland China from the communist People's Republic of China (PRC) through the Project National Glory. The military's current foremost mission is the defense of the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other Taiwanese islands against a possible military invasion by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which is seen as the predominant threat to the Republic of China (ROC) in the ongoing dispute over the political status of Taiwan.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least ten other countries.
Underwater Egress Training
Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 prepare to enter the helo dunker during water survival training at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Apr. 28, 2016. The Marines used a simulated helicopter body while training for different underwater escape scenarios as qualification to be attached to a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. --
Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 conducted underwater egress survival training to maintain combat readiness at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, April 28.
The Marines used a simulated helicopter body while training for different underwater escape scenarios as a qualification to be attached to a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“There were three stages to the exercise,” said Pfc. Connor Bunch, a helicopter mechanic with the unit. “We had classroom training, Shallow Water Egress Training, and the [Modular Amphibious Egress Trainer] in the deep end.”
The classes covered basic water safety, use of the equipment, and hands-on training and emergency procedures since it was the first time many of these Marines conducted the Modular Amphibious Egress Trainer and SWET.
The SWET is a small, enclosed, chair with buoys that represents a cockpit of an aircraft. It flips Marines upside down in the water, allowing them to practice escaping by pushing through a side window of a sunken aircraft.
After Marines showed proficiency in the shallow water training, they advanced to the deep end of the pool.
USS Detroit (LCS-7) is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy. The ceremonial “laying of the keel” was in early November 2012, at Marinette, Wisconsin. The ship was launched on 18 October 2014.
Boston Dynamics and its terrifying BigDog pack mule robot might not have taken the military world by storm as some predicted it would, but that doesn’t mean the military is giving up on autonomous robots — not by a long shot. The Marine Corps announced a new round of testing for its promising Unmanned Tactical Autonomous Control and Collaboration (UTACC) robotic combat assistance program. It could help make troops safer, give them better battlefield awareness, and even collaborate with other autonomous systems so fewer troops are needed in the first place.
The UTACC (I’ve decided that this is pronounced YOUtack) program apparently includes a number of different robotic solutions, each crucially designed to interact intelligently with the others. One might notice an enemy, signaling another to start following that enemy from far above. In the testing revealed this week, they tried out little rolling robot packed with sensors, various communications systems, and a quadcopter drone on its back. According to its creators, when this “ground and air robot” detects a problematic hole in its sight, it can automatically launch the air unit and stitch the readings together into one useful, unbroken picture for soldiers and commanders.
The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant is the world’s first supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft. It is designed to operate from austere bases and a range of air-capable ships near front-line combat zones. It can also take off and land conventionally from longer runways on major bases. The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B aircraft reached initial operational capability (IOC) on July 31, 2015, when a squadron of 10 F-35Bs was declared ready for world-wide deployment.
The Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin (formerly the ATD-X) is a Japanese experimental aircraft for testing advanced stealth fighter aircraft technologies. It is being developed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) for research purposes. The main contractor of the project is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Many consider this aircraft to be Japan's first domestically made stealth fighter. ATD-X is an acronym for "Advanced Technology Demonstrator – X". The aircraft is widely known in Japan as Shinshin (心神?, meaning "spirit of the heart"),although the name itself is an early code name within the Japan Self-Defense Forces and is not officially in use. The aircraft's first flight was on 22 April 2016.
Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) was designed to provide direct fire support for infantry units. The MGS is one of 10 variants of the Stryker series of wheeled armored vehicle. The M1128 was designed for low-intensity combats and takes some of the main battle tank roles. Deliveries of first pre-production vehicles commenced in 2002 and vehicle entered service with the US Army in 2007. However only relatively small number of these vehicles were built.
The M1128 Mobile Gun System is fitted with a General Dynamics Land Systems (formerly Teledyne Vehicle Systems) Low-Profile Turret. The same turret was previously used on the Expeditionary Tank. This fire support vehicle is armed with a M68A1E4 105-mm rifled tank gun. It is a modified version of the tank gun, used on the M1 Abrams and M60 series main battle tanks. This gun is fitted with an autoloader. It is worth mentioning that in 2005 vehicle's autoloader was redesigned due to jamming problems. The gun is fully-stabilized and can fire accurately on the move. The Mobile Gun System fires high-explosive, anti-tank and canister rounds. Despite its anti-tank capability the Stryker MGS is intended to support infantry rather than to fight tanks. Its 105-mm gun poses little threat to modern main battle tanks, unless the tank is attacked from the flanks or rear. Only 18 rounds for the main gun are carried by the vehicle.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, the core of the Amphibious Ready Element, commence integration training at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016.
Twenty-seven nations, 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise scheduled, June 30 - Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and southern California.
As the world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
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nside Look at the Black Hawk UH-60M. The latest version of the Black Hawk includes some nifty updates to its controls – and its Army pilots give us a walk-through at the Farnborough Air Show.
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61.
The UH-60A entered service with the U.S. Army in 1979, to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois as the Army's tactical transport helicopter. This was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Improved UH-60L and UH-60M utility variants have also been developed. Modified versions have also been developed for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. In addition to U.S. Army use, the UH-60 family has been exported to several nations. Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East.
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The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant is the world’s first supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft. It is designed to operate from austere bases and a range of air-capable ships near front-line combat zones. It can also take off and land conventionally from longer runways on major bases. The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B aircraft reached initial operational capability (IOC) on July 31, 2015, when a squadron of 10 F-35Bs was declared ready for world-wide deployment.
Aerial view of the decommissioned USS Thach (FFG-43) being hit by missiles and torpedoes during a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of RIMPAC 2016 near Hawaii. Units from Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the U.S. participated in the SINKEX to gain proficiency in tactics and targeting against a surface combatant. The USS Thach was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate of the U.S. Navy and was decommissioned and struck in November 2013. RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) is the world's largest international maritime exercise, including twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel
HMAS Canberra is the lead ship of the two ship Canberra class Amphibious Assault Ships otherwise known as a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD). Based on the Buque de Proyección Estratégica (Strategic Projection Ship) design by Spanish shipbuilders Navantia.
At 27,000 tonnes, the LHDs are the largest ships ever constructed for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and are being built by contractors BAE Systems Australia and Navantia. The ships will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with one of the most capable and sophisticated air-land-sea amphibious deployment systems in the world.
Inclement weather is no match for a Typhoon, as the multirole fighter puts on a stirring aerial display at the Farnborough Air Show 2016.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed and is manufactured by a consortium of Alenia Aermacchi, Airbus Group and BAE Systems that conducts the majority of the project through a joint holding company, Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH formed in 1986. NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency manages the project and is the prime customer.
The aircraft's development effectively began in 1983 with the Future European Fighter Aircraft programme, a multinational collaboration among the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Disagreements over design authority and operational requirements led France to leave the consortium to develop the Dassault Rafale independently. A technology demonstration aircraft, the British Aerospace EAP, first took flight on 6 August 1986; the first prototype of the finalised Eurofighter made its first flight on 27 March 1994. The aircraft's name, Typhoon, was adopted in September 1998; the first production contracts were also signed that year.
Political issues in the partner nations significantly protracted the Typhoon's development; the sudden end of the Cold War reduced European demand for fighter aircraft, and a debate over the Eurofighter's cost and work share. The Typhoon entered operational service in 2003. The type has entered service with the Austrian Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the German Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the Spanish Air Force, and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The Royal Air Force of Oman and the Kuwait Air Force are export customers, bringing the procurement total to 599 aircraft as of 2016.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft, designed to be a supremely effective dogfighter in combat. Later production aircraft have been increasingly better equipped to undertake air-to-surface strike missions and to be compatible with an increasing number of different armaments and equipment including Storm Shadow and the RAF's Brimstone. The Typhoon saw its combat debut during the 2011 military intervention in Libya with the Royal Air Force and the Italian Air Force, performing aerial reconnaissance and ground strike missions. The type has also taken primary responsibility for air-defence duties for the majority of customer nations.
BAE Systems' Striker helmet has received an upgrade to full color and 3D audio and noise reduction. At the Farnborough Air Show 2016 the latest developments of Striker II Helmet, in Living Color were presented.
With decades of combat-proven experience, the new platform-agnostic Striker II helmet-mounted display (HMD) builds upon BAE Systems’ current Striker HMD, which has been successfully deployed in theatre on Eurofighter typhoon and Gripen fleets. Striker II is a fully digital solution that provides today’s combat pilot with exceptional night vision and target tracking technology within a fully integrated visor-projected HMD system.
BAE Systems’ Striker helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) is based on the company’s unique two-part helmet design. It provides comfort, protection, and helmet stability for fixed- and rotary-wing platforms. The Striker helmet design has also been adopted for use on the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen multirole fighter aircrafts, and is now in production for customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries.
The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant is the world’s first supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft. It is designed to operate from austere bases and a range of air-capable ships near front-line combat zones. It can also take off and land conventionally from longer runways on major bases. The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B aircraft reached initial operational capability (IOC) on July 31, 2015, when a squadron of 10 F-35Bs was declared ready for world-wide deployment.
The BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) turns a standard unguided 2.75-inch (70 millimeter) rocket into a precision laser-guided rocket to give warfighters a low-cost surgical strike capability.
APKWS Laser-Guided Rocket shots with the M282 warhead during tests at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
In 2013, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy conducted the APKWS Fixed Wing Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) to determine the performance and utility of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rocket.
APKWS is approximately one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload. As of October 2015, BAE Systems had manufactured 5,000 APKWS units.
Textron AirLand’s light fighter is in the running to become the training jet of choice for the UK’s Air Defense program and at Farnborough International Airshow Trade 2016 we get some background on the jet.
The Scorpion is a tandem-seat twinjet aircraft with an all-composite material fuselage designed for light attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Production costs were minimized by using common commercial off the shelf technology, manufacturing resources and components developed for Cessna's business jets; such as the flap drive mechanism is from the Cessna Citation XLS and Cessna Citation Mustang, the aileron drive mechanism is from the Citation X. Textron AirLand calls the Scorpion an ISR/strike aircraft, instead of a "light attack" aircraft. The joint venture also states the Scorpion is intended to handle "non-traditional ISR" flights such as those performed by U.S. fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Scorpion is designed to cheaply perform armed reconnaissance using sensors to cruise above 15,000 ft, higher than most ground fire can reach, and still be rugged enough to sustain minimal damage.
The Scorpion is designed to be affordable, costing US$ 3,000 per flight hour, with a unit cost expected to be below US$ 20 million. Although it is a two-seat aircraft, it can be flown by a single pilot. Textron AirLand selected Cobham plc to design the cockpit, which will feature modern flat-panel displays. The aircraft will not have fly-by-wire to keep costs down and simplify the design. The demonstrator, as well as production versions, are powered by two Honeywell TFE731 turbofans producing 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of thrust total. According to Textron AirLand, endurance is optimized for spending 5 hours carrying out a loiter up to 150 miles from base. Kaman Composites, a subsidiary of Kaman Aerosystems, provided several components for the Scorpion prototype, including the wing assembly, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, wing fuel access panels, main landing gear doors, and several closeout panels.
Except for the landing gear and engine fittings and mounts, the airframe is all-composite with an anticipated service life of 20,000 hours. The Scorpion is to have a 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) payload of precision and non-precision munitions or intelligence-collecting equipment in a simplified and reconfigurable internal bay. The 14.4 m (47 ft) wings are largely unswept and have six hardpoints. A modular design allows for the wings to be removed and replaced by different wing designs. The internal payload bay has a payload capacity of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg). The external hardpoints have a payload capacity of 6,200 lb (2,800 kg).
Proliferation of ballistic missiles poses an increasing threat to Allied populations. NATO’s Ballistic Missile Defense capability protects European Allies’ territory using a network of multinational resources.
In 2010, Allies decided to develop a territorial BMD capability to pursue NATO’s core task of collective defence.
NATO has the responsibility to protect its European populations, territory and forces in light of the increasing proliferation of ballistic missiles and against threats emanating from outside the Euro-Atlantic area.
NATO BMD is purely defensive; it is a long-term investment to address a long-term security threat.
In 2012, Allies declared an Interim NATO BMD Capability, as a first step towards Initial and Full Operational Capability.
NATO BMD capability combines assets commonly funded by all Allies and voluntary contributions provided by individual Allies.
Several Allies already offered their contributions or are undergoing development or acquisition of further BMD assets such as upgraded ships with BMD-capable radars, ground-based Air and Missile Defence systems or advanced detection and alert capability.
The M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) was designed to provide direct fire support for infantry units. The MGS is one of 10 variants of the Stryker series of wheeled armored vehicle. The M1128 was designed for low-intensity combats and takes some of the main battle tank roles. Deliveries of first pre-production vehicles commenced in 2002 and vehicle entered service with the US Army in 2007. However only relatively small number of these vehicles were built.
The M1128 Mobile Gun System is fitted with a General Dynamics Land Systems (formerly Teledyne Vehicle Systems) Low-Profile Turret. The same turret was previously used on the Expeditionary Tank. This fire support vehicle is armed with a M68A1E4 105-mm rifled tank gun. It is a modified version of the tank gun, used on the M1 Abrams and M60 series main battle tanks. This gun is fitted with an autoloader. It is worth mentioning that in 2005 vehicle's autoloader was redesigned due to jamming problems. The gun is fully-stabilized and can fire accurately on the move. The Mobile Gun System fires high-explosive, anti-tank and canister rounds. Despite its anti-tank capability the Stryker MGS is intended to support infantry rather than to fight tanks. Its 105-mm gun poses little threat to modern main battle tanks, unless the tank is attacked from the flanks or rear. Only 18 rounds for the main gun are carried by the vehicle.
At the Farnborough International Air Show 2016, Bell presents what’s new in the development of its tilt-rotor aircraft and showcases some nifty cockpit displays and a mockup in the process.
The Bell V-280 Valor is a third-generation tiltrotor being developed by Bell Helicopter, as prime contractor, with Lockheed Martin and an aerospace industry team for the United States Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. The aircraft was officially unveiled at the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America's (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Fort Worth, Texas, with a projected first flight in 2017.
The V-280 is reported to be designed for a cruising speed of 280 knots (320 mph; 520 km/h) (hence the name V-280), a top speed of 300 knots (350 mph; 560 km/h), a range of 2,100 nautical miles (2,400 mi; 3,900 km), and an effective combat range of 500 to 800 nmi (580 to 920 mi; 930 to 1,480 km). Expected maximum takeoff weight is around 30,000 lb. In one major difference from the earlier V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, the engines remain in place while the rotors and drive shafts tilt. A driveshaft runs through the straight wing, allowing both prop rotors to be driven by a single engine in the event of engine loss. The V-280 will have retractable landing gear, a triple-redundant fly by wire control system, and a V-tail configuration. The wings are made of a single section of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composite, reducing weight and production costs. The V-280 will have a crew of 4 and be capable of transporting up to 14 troops. Dual cargo hooks will give it a lift capacity to carry a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) M777A2 Howitzer while flying at a speed of 150 knots (170 mph; 280 km/h). The fuselage is visually similar to that of the UH-60 Black Hawk medium lift helicopter. When landed, the wing is in excess of seven feet from the ground, allowing soldiers to egress easily out of two 6-foot (1.8 m) wide side doors and door gunners to have wide fields of fire. Although the initial design is a utility configuration, Bell is also working on an attack configuration. Whether different variants of the V-280 would fill utility and attack roles or a single airframe could interchange payloads for either mission, Bell is confident the Valor tiltrotor platform can fulfill both duties; the U.S. Marine Corps is interested in having one aircraft to replace utility and attack helicopters, but the Army, which leads the program, is not committed to the idea and wants distinct platforms for each mission. Bell and Lockheed claim an AV-280 variant can launch rockets, missiles, and even small unmanned aerial vehicles forward or aft with no rotor interference, even in forward flight and cruise modes with the rotors forward.
Asymmetric threats and patrols in insecure areas demand not only the highest level of protection but also great agility and maneuverability. From the long-standing collaboration with the Bundeswehr, KMW has developed a command vehicle together with Rheinmetall, which resembles a modern SUV in terms of handling and versatility whilst readily fulfilling the requirements of modern army operations. The AMPV* sets international standards in terms of safety and security and thus belongs to an innovative, powerful and future-oriented generation of armored vehicles.
A number of characteristics make up the special appeal of this highly flexible vehicle: a small turning circle of 15m in connection with a 200kW (272 hp) engine guarantee a high mobility in confined urban areas. The self-supporting safety cell made from armor steel and composite armor increases the safety of the crew to a maximum. Furthermore, it is easily possible to operate the vehicle in heavy terrain. This is ensured by a high-performance chassis with independent suspension – and proven by the ability to climb gradients of more than 70%.
The version Type 2a of the AMPV has an empty weight of just 7,3 tonnes and an intended payload of up to 2,6 t. For self-defense the vehicle can be fitted with a weapon station on the roof which is either equipped with a machine gun up to a caliber of 12,7mm or a grenade launcher of 40mm caliber.
The F-35A Lightning II arrives for the first time in the United Kingdom at RAF Fairford. The British F-35 Lightning II jump jet flown by RAF Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols, 38, arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after a ten-hour crossing of the Atlantic.
The high-tech jet - described as the most advanced ever - touched down against the backdrop of a double rainbow, accompanied by two F-35Bs of the US Marine Corps.
They had to refuel in mid-air 15 times on the 4,000-mile crossing from their training base at Beaufort in South Carolina, US.
The arrival was two years late due to technical problems, including an engine fire that forced it to pull out of an airshow and a problem with the ejector seat.
It’s expected that the supersonic jets will be displayed at the royal International Air Tattoo and the Farnborough Air Show.
The jet, which is capable of short take off and vertical landing, should enter service with the RAF and Royal Navy in 2018.
Britain has said it will eventually buy a total of 138 of the aircraft, which are described as the most advanced warplanes ever built.
Eurosatory has just closed its doors and is once again a success: 1,572 exhibitors from 56 countries and 57,018 visitors from 151 countries came as well as 1018 journalists received accreditation to take part to this well-balanced exhibition between Defence and Security.
This world leading event continues to develop with an increase in attendance of Asian exhibitors, a high expansion in cyber, unmanned global systems and robotics.
An important growth of high-profile visitors has been recorded: 213 official delegations from 94 countries (i.e 827 VIP) visited the exhibition. Eurosatory also received the visit of 13 Defence ministers, 23 Defence Vice Ministers and State Secretaries. 25 National Armaments
Directors and 19 Armed forces and Army Chiefs of Staff were also welcomed.
Already recognized as an international exhibition, a technology showcase and a business platform, Eurosatory is now identified as a strong pole of reflection, with the organisation of more than 80 conferences where military, manufacturers, politicians, media and researchers have thought together on ways of making a safer world for the future.
The organisers thank all the participants who have made this 2016 edition a brilliant success and invite you for the 26th edition of Eurosatory, to be held in June 2018, from the 11th to the 15th.
The Mark 8 (Mk.8) 114mm cannon in action aboard one of the Inhaúma Class corvette vessels of the Brazilian Navy. The 4.5 inch Mark 8 is a British naval gun system which currently equips the Royal Navy's destroyers and frigates, and some British destroyers and frigates sold to other countries.
The 4.5 inch gun has been the standard medium-gun calibre of the Royal Navy for use against surface, aircraft and shore targets since 1938. The current 55-calibre Mark 8 gun replaced the World War II era 45-calibre QF 4.5 inch Mk I - V naval guns. Like all British 4.5 inch naval guns, it has a calibre of 4.45 inches (113 mm).
A completely new type of 4.5 inch gun with a longer 55-calibre barrel, it was designed in the 1960s for the Royal Navy's new classes of frigates and destroyers. The new weapon, built by Vickers Ltd Armament Division, was developed by the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment using the Ordnance, QF 105 mm L13 of the Abbot self-propelled gun as a starting point (it used electrical primers). The outer shell of the gunhouse is built from glass-reinforced plastic (GRP).
The new weapon emphasised reliability and rapid response to fire first round from shutdown state (particularly for defence against missiles)over a high rate of fire, allowing a switch to a lighter, single barrel mounting and ammunition of a one-piece design.
The gun system has a combination of electrical and hydraulic components and the full system penetrates up to three deck levels below the weather deck; deep magazine, gun control room and power room, gunbay and the gunhouse.
The weapon is semi-automatic and can be operated by a smaller crew than its predecessors. With no personnel in the gunhouse, loading is supported by personnel in the gunbay to load the feed ring and in the deep-magazine to pass ammunition to the gunbay. The captain of the gun in the control room ensures continued weapon readiness and the gun controller in the operations room aims and fires the weapon. The gun has a rate of fire of about 25 rounds per minute and a range of 12 nm (22 km; 27.5 km with the newer High Explosive Extended Range round).
The first recipient of the new gun and mount, the Mark 8, was the Iranian frigate Zaal in 1971. The gun entered Royal Navy service in 1973 on the new destroyer Bristol.
These guns proved to be less reliable than the older 4.5 inch Mark V gun (redesignated Mark 6 gun mounting) during the Falklands War, being forced to cease fire on several occasions due to faults.
The first major modification to the mounting, the Mod 1, was developed in 1998 in two tranches - replacing the gunhouse with a reduced radar cross section assembly and replacing the hydraulic loading mechanism with an all-electric system. This particular gun has been nicknamed the "Kryten gun" by members of Royal Navy, after the odd shaped head of a robot from the British Sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf. Babcock upgraded 13 guns to Mod 1 standard between 2005 and 2012.
The Inhaúma Class corvettes are five escort vessels operated by the Brazilian Navy. They were named after Joaquim José Inácio, Viscount of Inhaúma. These ships were built in Brazil and designed with assistance from the German company Marine Technik. It was originally planned to build 12 to 16 ships but the economic situation in Brazil did not permit this and only five vessels were built. The programme was considerably delayed due to funding issues and the Brazilian Verolme yard's insolvency in 1991 which forced V32 and V33 to be completed by Arsenal da Marinha.
The ships were fitted with a Ferranti CAAIS 450 (Computer Aided Action Information System) combat data system and a SAAB EOS-400 fire control system. Further vessels were planned to have indigenous Brazilian missiles but this was shelved. Conway's reports the ships as being top-heavy.
The JB-9 uses a carbon-fiber corset that straps to the pilot's back, with the majority of the "backpack" section carrying fuel. Mounted to each side is a small jet turbine engine that provides upward thrust. These engines mix ambient air with their exhaust gases to bring temperatures down to a comfortably warm airstream, but Mayman still wears a fireproof Nomex suit just in case. JetPack Aviation test flight of the JB-9 Turbojet Pack took place outside of NYC on November 3, 2015.
The JB-9 already has some pretty fearsome capabilities. JB-9 fits the required standards, which is 55 knots, or just over 100 kilometers per hour and will be capable of well over 200 kilometers per hour-horizontal speed.
Vertical speed depends more on your fuel payload, but an initial climb rate of 500-1000 feet a minute is to be expected. As the fuel burns off, you get extraordinary vertical rates. Turbine engines, they don't run out of performance as the air thins. They'll just keep going, they're compressing the air like a turbocharger, so one could keep going up to 10,000 feet.
Jetpack Aviation is the brainchild and passion project of Australian businessman David Mayman.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a unified combatant command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. AFSOC provides all Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified combatant commands.
Before 1983, Air Force special operations forces were primarily assigned to the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and were generally deployed under the control of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) or, as had been the case during the Vietnam War, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Just as it had relinquished control of the C-130 theater airlift fleet to Military Airlift Command (MAC) in 1975, TAC relinquished control of Air Force SOF to MAC in December 1982.
AFSOC was initially established on 10 February 1983 as Twenty-Third Air Force (23 AF), a subordinate numbered air force of MAC, with 23 AF headquarters initially established at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. On 1 August 1987, 23 AF headquarters moved to Hurlburt Field, Florida.
On 22 May 1990, 23 AF was redesignated as AFSOC and became a separate MAJCOM, responsible for all USAF special operations forces (SOF), aircraft and personnel in the Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard.
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing intelligence on foreign air and space forces, weapons, and systems. NASIC assessments of aerospace performance characteristics, capabilities, and vulnerabilities are used to shape national security and defense policies and supports weapons treaty negotiations and verification.
The NASIC's video clip presents dynamic explosions, missile launches and air-to-air dogfights, rather than read a stack of intelligence reports filled with military jargon and technical data.
Belgian B-Hunter UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) filmed at Koksijde Air Base, Belgium on June 28, 2016.
The IAI RQ-5 Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was originally intended to serve as the United States Army's Short Range UAV system for division and corps commanders. It took off and landed (using arresting gear) on runways. It used a gimbaled EO/IR sensor to relay its video in real time via a second airborne Hunter over a C-band line-of-sight data link. The RQ-5 is based on the Hunter UAV that was developed by Israel Aircraft Industries.
In 1998 the Belgian Air Force purchased three B-Hunter UAV-systems, each consisting of six aircraft and two ground control stations.
Specifications-General characteristics
Capacity: Payload: 90 kg (198 lb)
Length: 7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 8.9 m (29 ft 2 in)
Gross weight: 727 kg (1,603 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Moto Guzzi twin cylinder, 4 stroke engines
Performance
Endurance: 11.6 hours at 260 km (140 nmi; 162 mi)
Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,092 ft)
