http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/navair/ en-us Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:15:32 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415357/posts More than six months after government officials seized his rare vintage military aircraft, Claude Hendrickson said he is still in the dark about why the airplane was confiscated and when and if it will be returned to him. Until the 1952 airplane -- believed to be one of only a handful of Douglas AD-4N Skyraiders in the U.S. -- is released from federal custody, Hendrickson said the aircraft will slowly deteriorate because he can't maintain it. ---- Virginia Dabbs, spokeswoman for Customs and Border Patrol, said she could not comment on Hendrickson's claims. "We don't harass people," Dabbs said. Birmingham (AL) News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415357/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:15:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414857/posts TOKYO — Two homemade mortar launchers found within possible striking distance of Naval Air Facility Atsugi on Wednesday are being investigated as a planned guerrilla attack, Japanese police said. The time-triggered devices contained projectiles and were found at 10:20 a.m. in a wooded area about 500 yards north of the main base gate in Ayase City by a Japanese neighbor, a Kanagawa Prefectural Police spokesman said Wednesday. No projectiles had been launched from the devices, the spokesman said. Further details on the launchers and whether the projectiles were explosive were unavailable Wednesday, according to the spokesman. Police suspect an attack... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414857/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:33:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413676/posts Sea Gripen landing on carrier (image : Scenium) Saab Touts Sea Gripen for India and Brazil Saab is responding to an Indian Navy (IN) request for information (RfI) regarding future carrier-capable fighters with a new development of the Gripen NG, dubbed the Sea Gripen. India's RfI, selectively released to bidders over recent weeks, seeks detailed information on a common aircraft design for conventional aircraft carrier operations and short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) operations. Beyond the (much delayed) entry into service of the INS Vikramaditya (the rebuilt former Russian Navy vessel Admiral Gorshkov ), India has ambitious plans to build... Jane's Defence Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413676/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412594/posts AL ASAD AIR BASE — U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron-269 gathered at their headquarters building here for a bittersweet ending to their six-year presence in Iraq, Dec. 15. "For more than half a decade, HMLA-269 has made Iraq a second home," said Lt. Col. Jon Hackett, commanding officer of the unit. "This marks the end of an era." During every year since 2004, HMLA-269 has had elements of the squadron conducting operations in the Al Anbar province. As part of their end-of-mission ceremony, the commanding officer and sergeant major cased their unit's colors for the final time,... Multi-National Force-Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412594/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:57:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406758/posts A potential deal that would see France selling advanced military technology to Russia has been causing concern among former Soviet states. Moscow is said to be getting closer to buying from the French a Mistral-class assault warship - capable of transporting and deploying up to 16 helicopters, 13 battle tanks and 450 troops - costing between $600m (£368m) and $750m. But critics of the potential deal in nations neighbouring Russia - such as Ukraine, Georgia and the Baltic states - say it would dramatically increase the military threat from Russia, increasing tensions in some already difficult relations. Nika Laliashvili, of... bbc http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406758/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:00:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401896/posts Lockheed Martin has marked successful entry into low rate initial production on the F-35 Lightning II Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The first production units have been delivered to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, TX, for integration onto the aircraft. Embedded into the F-35's fuselage with an innovative faceted sapphire window, the low-drag, stealthy EOTS is the world's first and only sensor combining forward-looking infrared and infrared search and track functionality. The F-35 EOTS will provide Lightning II pilots with significant air-to-air and air-to-ground situational awareness in a single compact and completely passive sensor. "Our team looks forward to meeting... Space War http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401896/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 08:34:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399179/posts The Australian defense department’s uphill struggle to control acquisition programs is progressing, but it is far from reaching fruition. The government’s decision to go ahead with the purchase of up to 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will test what lessons have been learned from delays on airborne early warning aircraft, tankers and helicopters. Schedule performance has long been a thorn in the side of the department, which in recent years has rolled out a range of reform measures to try to curb these costly failings. Even more efforts are on the drawing board, in large part out of concern that... Aviation Week and Space Technology http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399179/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 12:18:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398717/posts PHILADELPHIA -- The U.S. Navy plans to give away the retired aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy for a museum or memorial. The ship is currently in docked in Philadelphia with other retired warships. The Navy says the deadline for submitting initial applications is Jan. 22. Bidders have to be a government or nonprofit group that pledges to use the ship as a museum or memorial. theindychannel.com / AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398717/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 20:58:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398028/posts The French Mistral helicopter ship will have a joint drill with Russian helicopter teams in St. Petersburg, the captain said on Tuesday. The ship arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday. here are the boys landing ka-52 for the bird itar http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398028/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 00:35:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2397543/posts <p>WAUKGAN -- A historic World War II F6F-3 Hellcat fighter plane was raised from Lake Michigan on Monday and was greeted by the CEO who financed the operation, the grandson of the pilot and the son of the man who built the airplane to challenge Japanese Zeros.</p> LakeCount News Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2397543/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 13:52:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396185/posts End of an era: Aircraft depart Brunswick Naval Air Station as Maine base readies for closing. The two last planes at Maine's Brunswick Naval Air Station lifted off Saturday in blustery winds, ending nearly 60 years of maritime patrol operations at New England's last active-duty military air base. The P-3 Orions of the VP-26 squadron lumbered down an 8,000-foot runway before heading off to a six-month deployment in Central America. After that, they fly to their new home at Florida's Jacksonville Naval Air Station. The planes took off without any speeches or fanfare ... Brunswick, once home to 4,000 sailors... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396185/posts#comment Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:06:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2395378/posts 091126-N-8960W-015 GULF OF OMAN (Nov. 26, 2009) Rainbow side boys render honors to Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are currently deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Robert Winn/Released) 091126-N-9760Z-005 GULF OF OMAN (Nov. 26, 2009) Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command, address the crew before a reenlistment ceremony in the forecastle of the aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air... United States Navy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2395378/posts#comment Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:18:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394079/posts Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force escort ship Kurama (L) sails during 2009 fleet review in Sagami Bay, October 25, 2009 The nation's Maritime Self-Defence Force is reportedly planning to construct a new 284 metre long destroyer capable of transporting 14 helicopters, 4,000 people and 50 trucks. The purchase is part of a wider military build up in which Defence Ministry has sought funds to purchase around 40 F-35 fighter jets which will become the future mainstay of the nation's air force, according to Kyodo News. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), is projected to cost around £61 million (nine billion yen)... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394079/posts#comment Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:09:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392987/posts ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – A cutting-edge French warship sailed into St. Petersburg Monday to show off its capabilities to potential buyers in the Russian navy, whose pursuit of an amphibious assault capacity is frightening some neighboring countries. Russia's once-mighty navy was severely degraded after the fall of the Soviet Union and it currently has no big ship with the power to anchor in coastal waters and deploy troops onto land. Russian officials announced this year that they were planning to make their first arms deal with a NATO country by buying a French vessel like the Mistral, a 23,700-ton (21,500-metric... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392987/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:32:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392154/posts Indian Navy keen to buy newer generation aircraft By Gulshan R. Luthra New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) The Indian Navy has floated a Request for Information (RFI) for a newer generation of aircraft which can operate from the two indigenous aircraft carriers it will commission over the next 10 years. The Ministry of Defence and industry sources indicate that the RFI, issued recently, is of a “generic” nature, looking for newer platforms and airborne technologies and what is on offer from some of the well-known manufacturers. The US Boeing and French Dassault have confirmed receipt of the RFI for their... Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392154/posts#comment Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:35:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391129/posts THE RAAF's plan to acquire up to 100 F-35 joint strike fighters faces a further delay until next year as budget pressures continue to bear down on the Rudd government. In a long-awaited decision, cabinet's national security committee was due to sign off on the $16 billion purchase before Christmas. But defence budget pressures and Defence Department concerns about Australia becoming the lead foreign customer for the initial production models of the F-35 fighter are expected to force a postponement until the new year of a government green light for the acquisition. The expected delay in the NSC's consideration of... The Australian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391129/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:44:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2389141/posts After 60 years in a watery Hawaiian grave, two World War II-era Japanese attack submarines have been discovered near Pearl Harbor, marine archaeologists announced today. Specifically designed for a stealth attack on the U.S. East Coast--perhaps targeting Washington, D.C., and New York City--the "samurai subs" were fast, far-ranging, and in some cases carried folding-wing aircraft, according to Dik Daso, curator of modern military aircraft at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, speaking in the new National Geographic documentary Hunt for the Samurai Subs. When World War II ended in 1945, the U.S. Navy seized the Japanese fleet in the Pacific,... nationalgeographic http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2389141/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:50:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388318/posts t's now official. The new generation of high-tech hovering aircraft - namely the famous V-22 "Osprey" tiltrotor and the upcoming F-35B supersonic stealth jump-jet - have an unforeseen flaw. Their exhaust downwash is so hot as to melt the flight decks of US warships, leading Pentagon boffins to look into refrigerated landing pads.g Stories of buckled flight decks caused by Osprey exhaust have been circulating for a while, but confirmation that the issue is seen as serious comes with the issue of a military request for proposals yesterday for "thermal management systems (TMS) for aircraft landing decks". The proposal makes... The Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388318/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:37:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2388516/posts Now that the V-22s have landed in Afghanistan, it’s time to take a look at how they will be used. Robbin Laird, a defense consultant who works for the Marines — among other clients — got a chance to interview the flight crews of VMM-261, headed by Lt. Col. A. J. Bianca, about the concepts of operations they expected to follow. We’ve got links to the interviews, an interview with Laird and links to video of the V-22 teams undergoing deployment to Afghanistan and some of their training. The top benefit of the V-22 in Afghanistan is a simple one,... DoD Buzz http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2388516/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:14:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387802/posts ABOARD USS NIMITZ IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, Nov. 16, 2009 – Two soldiers working deep inside this aircraft carrier serve as liaisons between the aviators of Carrier Air Wing 11 and coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. Army Maj. Johnnie Gallegos and Army Sgt. 1st Class Percy Patterson joined Nimitz Carrier Strike Group as ground liaison officers when Nimitz entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Their work directly supports a tactical directive issued in July by Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, that places limitations on the use of force that could... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387802/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:04:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387513/posts The British warship that India wants: quantum leap on the high seas November 16th, 2009 Dipankar De Sarkar London, Nov 16 (IANS) A futuristic aircraft carrier that India is reported to be keen on buying from Britain is envisaged as a giant guardian of the high seas, capable of travelling thousands of kilometres from home and wreaking massive destruction on enemy targets, experts said Monday. India has reportedly “lodged a firm expression of interest” in buying one of two huge aircraft carriers that are currently under construction - the largest warships ever built by Britain, and designed to be the... Indo-Asian News Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387513/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:03:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387229/posts MoD may sell aircraft carrier to India to limit cuts Sale would leave Royal Navy with just one replacement Tim Webb The Observer, Sunday 15 November 2009 Article historyOne of Britain's new £2bn aircraft carriers could be sold off under cost-cutting plans being considered by the Ministry of Defence. India has lodged a firm expression of interest, the Observer has learned. The sale of one of the two 65,000-tonne vessels would leave the Royal Navy with a single carrier and could force Britain to borrow from the French fleet, which itself has only one carrier and is reluctant to build... The Observer,UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387229/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:58:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386272/posts Researchers on Thursday announced the discovery of two World War II Japanese submarines, including one meant to carry aircraft for attacks on American cities and the Panama Canal, in deep water off Hawaii, where they were sunk 63 years ago. > One of the Japanese craft, the I-201, was capable of speeds of about 20 knots while submerged, making it among the fastest diesel submarines ever made. Like other Japanese subs, it had a rubberized coating on the hull, an innovation intended to make it less apparent to sonar or radar. The other, the I-14, was much larger and slower... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386272/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:50:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384498/posts India's plight: A carrier running out of jets; fighters without their carrier Rajat Pandit, TNN 12 November 2009, 02:33am IST NEW DELHI: Sheer lack of long-term strategic planning, coupled with a dose of bad luck, has landed India in a peculiar situation. If it did not expose a gaping hole in the country's military capabilities, the predicament would have actually been quite ludicrous. On one hand, it has an ageing but newly-refurbished aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, which is fast running out of fighters which can operate from its deck. On the other, it's soon going to induct another type of... The Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384498/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:49:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382062/posts FLIGHT TEST: Dassault Rafale - Rampant Rafale By Peter Collins Most advanced Allied air forces now have operational fleets of fourth-generation fighters (defined by attributes such as being fly-by-wire, highly unstable, highly agile, net-centric, multi-weapon and multi-role assets). These Western types include the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen NG. The Boeing F-15E and Lockheed Martin F-16 have an older heritage, but their latest upgrades give them similar multi-role mission capabilities. Of the above group, only the Super Hornet and Rafale M are capable of aircraft-carrier operations. As these fourth-generation fighters' weapons, sensor systems and... Flight International http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382062/posts#comment Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:40:07 GMT