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– The United States and South Korea today announced a series of military exercises designed to send a strong, clear message to North Korea to stop its provocative and warlike acts. Video U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Republic of Korea National Defense Minister Kim Tae-young released a joint statement on the exercises following meetings here. The first in a series is a combined maritime and air readiness exercise named Invincible Spirit. About 8,000 U.S. and ROK military personnel will participate. The exercise is in response to the unprovoked attack on and sinking of the South Korean frigate Cheonan...

The Boeing Company successfully launched a missile from the F-15 Silent Eagle's newly designed Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB) on July 14. Demonstration aircraft departed from Point Mugu Naval Air Weapon Station, Calif., at 5:59 p.m Pacific time, launched an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) from its left-side CWB, and returned to base at 6:52 p.m. The test demonstrated the CWB's flightworthiness and ability to deploy an AMRAAM in flight with no adverse effect on the performance of the aircraft or the CWB itself. "I've been flying F-15s for more than 20 years, but this flight...

Boeing yesterday revealed a number of surprising development efforts in the strike fighter market, including an external weapons bay for the F/A-18E/F and the existence of an in-production product stamped "proprietary". The briefing appeared staged to showcase Boeing's long-term commitment in the manned fighter market despite losing the Joint Strike Fighter contract nearly nine years ago to Lockheed Martin. Boeing now anticipates that production of F-15s and F/A-18E/F will continue through the mid-2020s, although both lines are scheduled for shutdown in 2012 and 2015 in the absence of new orders. After unveiling a package of radar cross-section improvements for the...

U.S. Air Force scientists have performed their own rocket propellant test without contractor assistance and eye continued in-house experimentation. The Armed Forces News Service reported that officials at the Air Force Research Laboratory said the 3-second, 15-pound Ballistic Test and Evaluation System, in which a small-scale apparatus is used to test rocket propellant and designs in a standardized rocket motor casing, yielded extraordinary amount of data due to new high-speed digital video cameras used for recording it. "What's special about this test is that it was entirely in-house," said 1st. Lt. Rob Antypas, the AFRL program manager and a developmental...

BAE Systems is starting to reconfigure its F-35 aft fuselage assembly line to speed up production, the company said Monday. The company, in a news release from the Farnborough Air Show, said first steps in the redesign project took place recently at its Samlesbury site in the United Kingdom, where the F-35's aft fuselage is built. A team from across BAE Systems' Military Air Solutions business stripped one of the six work stations to its bare floor and walls to examine the approach and techniques needed to achieve a production rate increase. Every stage of the manufacturing process – from...

The 5th generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter will serve as the centrepiece for 21st century global security while strengthening international political and industrial partnerships, a senior Lockheed Martin F-35 executive said Monday at the Farnborough Air Show. "As we continue to define what a next generation multirole fighter is and bring to the world a profound increase in capability over the best existing fighters, I’m most proud that we’re able to do it affordably—at about the price of fourth generation aircraft," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration. "The program continues...

Although the US government last year opted to halt production of the Lockheed Martin F-22 without approving an international sale of the air superiority fighter, the Raptor is making a welcome return to the show. Deployed to the UK from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, the US Air Force's Raptor will better its brief appearance on the opening day of the last Farnborough show by flying each day this week. The service flew four of the type to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk to support its appearances here and at the Royal International Air Tattoo last weekend

The United States may dispatch its high-tech F-22 Raptor stealth fighter to the Korean Peninsula for the upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea aimed at sending a warning message to North Korea for its continued provocative acts, a government source said Sunday. "Chances are high that the F-22 fighter jet will take part in the South Korea-U.S. joint drills to be held in the East Sea within July, in which a U.S. aircraft carrier will also participate," the source said on the condition of anonymity. "The U.S. is considering the F-22's participation in the training."In response to the March...

Development of the next generation of warplane is already over budget and behind schedule. Hidden in a hangar at the US Navy's Patuxent River Air Base, in Maryland, away from prying eyes and shaded from the intense sun, US and British ground crew made the final preparations before the plane took to the clear blue skies. RAF and Royal Navy personnel are already working alongside American crews as they conduct the final trials before it goes into production. There's nothing particularly unusual about the Lockheed Martin JSF's appearance. It looks like a modern jet fighter. It's what you can't see...

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the Navy's 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, received a visit from its namesake, former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, while underway July 14. Bush and Barbara were escorted on board by Adm. J.C. Harvey, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. During his two-day visit to the aircraft carrier, Bush toured the ship, observing day-to-day operations and spending time with the crew, as well as taking part in a reenlistment ceremony for nearly 60 Sailors, which he said was an honor. "I am proud of every man and woman on...

The Canadian government formally committed today to buy 65 Lockheed Martin F-35s six years ahead of first delivery in order to qualify national industry to bid for more work in the multi-national programme. Since the first aircraft will arrive in 2016, the commitment by Ottawa does not need to be sealed by a contract until at least 2013. By then, Lockheed expects the F-35 to be approaching peak production rates, with one aircraft delivered every working day. Canadian officials have valued the cost of the acquisition at C$9 billion ($8.5 billion), or about C$138 million per aircraft, including engines, weapons...

Fast jet fans in the UK are set for a real treat at this weekend’s Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as the US Air Force’s F-22A Raptor is finally set to make its debut at the airshow after the aborted event in 2008. Major Dave "Zeke" Skalicky performed a rehearsal display this afternoon that can only be described as “stunning” – the USAF’s experience with the jet has provided an even more dynamic display than two years ago that knocks the typical F-16 and Typhoon display into a cocked hat. With the Vulcan and F/A-18F also...

Extending development by three years on two F-35 variants would not be enough to keep the restructured programme on track. But Lockheed Martin's flight-test programme gained significant new resources to reduce the risk of further delays in the overall restructuring announced on 1 February. Namely, the US Department of Defense will buy another flight-test aircraft in the fourth lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP). The US Marine Corps and US Navy also would "loan" three operational aircraft to Lockheed to participate in the flight-test programme. Doug Pearson, Lockheed vice-president for the F-35's integrated test force, explains how the new resources...

Just after the new year, DARPA put out a broad agency announcement requesting a flying car, specifically a one-to four-person, vertical takeoff and landing-capable vehicle that can negotiate off-road conditions as well as take to the skies. Today, Fort Worth-based AVX Aircraft has responded with a proposal, releasing some mock-ups of a dual-rotor, ducted-fan driven aircraft that’s also road-ready. AVX says the four-seater will be able to carry a 1,040-lb. payload 250 miles on a single tank of fuel, peaking at 80 miles per hour over land and 140 miles per hour in the air. It’s coaxial rotor design would...

B-1B Lancer achieved 10,000 flight hours here, June 12. After 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit professionals braved temperatures in excess of 110 degrees Fahrenheit preparing the aircraft for the flight, the aircrew stepped in and performed the milestone mission, despite an 18-hour duty day. "The tremendous amount of man-hours spent maintaining the B-1 and the sacrifices the maintainers endure away from their families, working extremely long hours in austere locations, has facilitated this historic event," said Master Sgt. Mathias Stewart, 34 AMU Airframe Powerplant General B-1 flight chief. "I am an extremely big fan of all maintainers, especially the crew chiefs...

The first MH-60R avionics maintenance trainer (AMT) built by CAE USA for US Navy has entered for training services at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) in Jacksonville, Florida. The MH-60 AMT avionics and electronics technicians will get demonstration, instruction and also hands-on training on maintaining the MH-60R Romeo helicopter, which is used by the US Navy for anti-submarine warfare and surface attack. “We are pleased as the US Navy has declared the first CAE-built MH-60R avionics maintenance trainer ready-for-training, the US Navy has now put into service the comprehensive MH-60R Romeo training systems from CAE that...

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 began carrier qualifications July 12 off the coast of Southern California. Carrier qualifications test both CVW 11 and the Nimitz crew. "The Nimitz and Air Wing 11 team did a great job of refreshing flight deck currency," said Capt. Eric Wright, Nimitz's air department head. "These operations aren't always fast or error-free, but we operated deliberately and safely. It was a great first day back." Nimitz and CVW-11 will continue to launch and recover aircraft throughout the week of July 12 to qualify and re-qualify pilots, extending...

In the last month, three of the four American SSGNs (former ballistic missile subs each now carrying 154 cruise missiles and SEAL commando teams) appeared in the Pacific and Indian oceans (the Philippines, South Korea and Diego Garcia). Some through this was a message for China, but, in fact, the SSGNs go where the potential trouble is. When questioned, U.S. Navy officials responded that, for the first time, all four SSGNs were operating at sea, in locations distant from their bases. Two years ago, the U.S. Navy completed the conversion of the last of four Ohio class ballistic missile submarines...

A Northrop Grumman-led Prime Team supported the recent test of a Minuteman III missile that struck a target near Kwajalein Atoll, the company said. The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Prime Team delivered information regarding site selection for test assets and reviewed flight test hardware configuration before, during and after the launch for the 526th ICBM Systems Group at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "Minuteman III has been alert ready for nearly four decades (and) we help the Air Force ensure the weapon system remains a credible deterrent force now and far into the future," said Tony Spehar, vice president and program...

The military has more than enough large transport planes, and the appropriation of any more in the next budget year will force some into premature retirement, Defense Department officials told a congressional panel today. “We have enough C-17s,” Mike McCord, principal deputy undersecretary of defense (comptroller), said. “Money spent on things we don’t need takes away from those we do need.” Along with McCord, Air Force Maj. Gen. Susan Y. Desjardins, director of strategic plans for Air Mobility Command, and Alan Estevez, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for logistical and materiel readiness, repeated Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ position...