International Aerospace Discussion

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 02 Apr 2013 22:03

A good write up on Embraer plans and portfolio in Defence

IN FOCUS: Brazil defence growth opens new doors for Embraer

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Apr 2013 10:09

Super Hornet with conformal fuel tanks displayed as a mockup at LIMA '13.

link to FlightGlobal article

Boeing is displaying a mock-up of a proposed conformal fuel tank fit (CFT) for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia.

A US Navy F-model aircraft is on static display at the show with two above-wing CFT shapes installed. Boeing ground crew added the "strap-on" mock-ups following the aircraft's arrival from the USA. The same mock-ups were used on the Super Hornet that appeared on static display at the Aero India show in Bengaluru in February 2011.

The USN is currently considering the addition for its Super Hornets, and Boeing plans flight tests with a CFT-equipped Super Hornet "this summer".

The CFTs, which Boeing has pitched to potential buyers as part of its Super Hornet international roadmap, would allow the F/A-18E/F to carry more than 1,590kg (3,500lb) of additional fuel.

The Super Hornet is a contender in Kuala Lumpur's 18-unit multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) competition. A formal request for proposals has yet to be issued for the requirement, but the Royal Malaysian Air Force will need to replace its 10 RAC MiG-29 fighters some time after 2015. Only eight of the Russian-supplied type are currently operational, according to one industry source.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Apr 2013 10:58

Saab and Northrop eye Malaysia's AEW&C requirement. I wonder why DRDO didn't display our indigenous AEW&C and offer it to Malaysia as well? It'll certainly be cheaper than the Saab Erieye. The indigenous AEW&C actually seems to offer more capabilities than even the Erieye, although they need to be proven.

link to FlightGlobal article

Northrop Grumman and Saab are sizing up the potential to sell airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system aircraft to Malaysia.

For the first time since 2005's Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition, Northrop has a booth at the 26-30 March show. The focus of its presence is the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft, with its stand featuring a mock-up of an operator's tactical work station.

Tom Trudell, manager of international business development and AEW programmes at Northrop, says the company's presence at this year's LIMA is mainly to get a better feeling of Kuala Lumpur's future AEW&C requirements.

"One goal is to raise general awareness about the E-2D and the capabilities it provides," he says.

The US Navy's programme of record for the type is for 75 aircraft, and there is also capacity for international sales, Trudell notes. Four E-2Ds would allow Malaysia to maintain persistent surveillance, he says, adding that this is the same number deployed on board a USN aircraft carrier.

Thomas Linden, head of Saab Malaysia, is confident Kuala Lumpur will eventually buy AEW&C aircraft. The company's exhibit at LIMA contains a large model of an AEW&C-roled Embraer EMB-145 twinjet equipped with a Saab Microwave Systems Erieye radar system.

Any bid Saab may mount for a prospective Malaysian contest would involve the company's local partner, conglomerate DRB-HICOM, which would be the main beneficiary of any technology-transfer agreement contained within a procurement. Malaysian acquisition rules require that any foreign defence purchase in excess of M$50 million ($16.1 million) includes an offsets package worth 100% of the total contract value.

Linden notes the Swedish company has already integrated its Erieye system on a range of airframes, including the Saab 340, Saab 2000 and the EMB-145.

"We offer a very cost-efficient AEW&C solution," he says. "It provides 80% of the performance at 50% of the price."

Linden stopped short of linking an AEW&C deal with Malaysia's stalled competition for 18 multirole combat aircraft. Malaysia's northern neighbour Thailand has already received two Erieye-equipped Saab 340s (one pictured below) as part of a package also containing 12 Saab Gripen fighters.

Kuala Lumpur has long been interested in obtaining an AEW&C capability, but industry sources say funding has been a persistent challenge for the requirement.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Apr 2013 11:08

well people wont consider a proto system that is not in FOC'ed service with home user. and we dont have a history of prior system to claim we can do it quickly enough unlike the US who can show the hawkeye but market some hawkeyeNG version

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Apr 2013 13:41

Singha wrote:well people wont consider a proto system that is not in FOC'ed service with home user. and we dont have a history of prior system to claim we can do it quickly enough unlike the US who can show the hawkeye but market some hawkeyeNG version

yes but DRDO can always begin an engagement with the RMAF to get them aware of what the DRDO AEW&C capabilities are. Once the IAF evaluates the EMB-145I and it enters service, they'll be able to provide much more info to the RMAF. The issue at hand is whether DRDO intends to recover at least a portion of the investment made by the GoI and IAF on the EMB-145I by sales to friendly nations. The attitude that they have a large enough captive customer who'll keep them occupied and well fed is probably one that is leading to such lack lustre exports of products that should have been enthusiastically promoted- Brahmos, Rudra, ALH Mk4, LCH, Arjun, EMB-145I, etc..surely they can find buyers or at least make an attempt to find buyers for them.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Apr 2013 19:54

+domestic radars as well down to anti-personnel radars.

Eric Leiderman · Post by **Eric Leiderman** » 03 Apr 2013 21:12

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=zK ... re=popular

Assembly line magic

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Apr 2013 14:59

Boeing unveils updated F/A-XX sixth-gen fighter concept

Boeing is unveiling an updated version of its F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter concept at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington DC this week.

The tail-less twin-engine stealth fighter design comes in "manned and unmanned options as possibilities per the US Navy," Boeing says. The design features diverterless supersonic inlets reminiscent of those found on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Boeing concept also features canards, which is somewhat of a surprise because the motion of those forward mounted control surfaces is generally assumed to compromise a stealth aircraft's frontal radar cross-section. But the lack of vertical tail surfaces suggests the aircraft would be optimized for all-aspect broadband stealth, which would be needed for operations in the most challenging anti-access/area denial environments.

Also of note in the manned version of the company's F/A-XX concept is the placement of the cockpit-rearward visibility appears to be restricted without the aid of a sensor apparatus similar to the F-35's distributed aperture system of six infrared cameras.

The Boeing F/A-XX concept is a response to a USN request for information (RFI) from April 2012 soliciting data for a replacement for the service's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets in the 2030s. The Super Hornet fleet is expected to start reaching the end of the jet's 9000h useful lifespan during that time period.

"The intent of this research is to solicit industry inputs on candidate solutions for CVN [nuclear-powered aircraft carrier] based aircraft to provide air supremacy with a multi-role strike capability in an anti-access/area denied (A2AD) operational environment," the navy RFI stated. "Primary missions include, but are not limited to, air warfare (AW), strike warfare (STW), surface warfare (SUW), and close air support (CAS)."

Navy leaders had said at the time that they expect any new F/A-XX design to have greatly increased range and offer far superior kinematic performance compared to existing tactical aircraft.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Apr 2013 15:47

if looks are the key, looks a whole lot more powerful and streamlined compared to the JSF.
they might actually fast track the UCAV part of naval strike proposals and decrease the JSF purchase in concert.

with the superiority of american munitions, ELINT and targeting techs, all they need is a broadband stealhy ucav to fly through a set of points and deliver cargo before returning. automatic takeoff and landing is well proven on the global hawk and automatic takeoff on the super hornet as well.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Apr 2013 16:53

Chinese top guns killed in fighter crash
Two airhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia ... crash.html

force pilots were killed when their Russian-made Su-27 fighter crashed during a training mission.

Chinese top guns killed in fighter crash
Two air force pilots were killed when their Russian-made Su-27 fighter crashed during a training mission.

Our Foreign Staff
12:01PM BST 01 Apr 2013
The Defence ministry said the plane went down on a beach near the coastal city of Rongcheng in the northern province of Shandong. It did not offer any reason for Sunday afternoon's crash and said there were no reports of damage or injuries to people on the ground.

China began purchasing Su-27s in the early 1990s and many of the planes are near the end of their expected lifespans. China also manufactured a copy of the plane. The secretive People's Liberation Army and its air force have overhauled their training in recent years to make exercises more realistic, and details about accidents are rarely released.

Separately the Xinhua News Agency said an explosion at the Xinyu Group Iron Works destroyed its 100-ton No. 2 furnace killed four people and left 32 injured.

It said the injured were transported to hospital but gave no word on the cause of the accident.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Apr 2013 17:52

the ucav thing seems to have copied its wing shape and canards from the J20!

or oops the J20 designers stole it from a boeing computer hacking raid earlier

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 08 Apr 2013 18:24

Wikileaks publishes 1.7m US diplomatic records

It includes claims, being widely reported by the Indian media, that Rajiv Gandhi - of India's most famous political family - was employed by the Swedish firm Saab-Scandia as it tried to sell its Viggen fighter jet to India.

Mr Gandhi was working as a commercial pilot and not in politics himself at the time.

A US diplomat is quoted in a February 1976 cable as saying: "We would have thought a transport pilot is not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification."

Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister in 1984 and was assassinated in 1991.

Saab-Scandia did not win its bid to sell Viggen fighter jets to India; the contract went to Britain's Jaguar planes.

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 08 Apr 2013 19:23

Singha wrote:or oops the J20 designers stole it from a boeing computer hacking raid earlier

I wouldnt be surprised if Mig-1.42 designers were involved in J20.

Its interesting that Boeing went with DSI intakes. That would mean speed would be limited to Mach 1.8 or so.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Apr 2013 07:46

Sequester: US Air Force grounds combat planes

The US Air Force has begun grounding about a third of its combat aircraft in response to deep budget cuts that began to take effect in March.

The move will affect units in the US, Europe and the Pacific.

Air Force Gen Mike Hostage said aircraft would be grounded on a "rotating basis" to focus on "fulfilling critical missions".

Separately, the US Navy said the cuts will force it to ground its Blue Angels air show team for the rest of the year.

The Air Force's budget for the fiscal year ending in October is being reduced by $591m (£386m).
'Risk' to airpower

The cuts are part of the series of deficit reduction measures that began to take effect on 1 March.

About $85bn in across-the-board cuts for this year are divided roughly in half between military and domestic programmes.

The cuts took effect after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree to another plan to cut spending and reduce the US budget deficit.

The Pentagon had previously announced layoffs of 46,000 temporary employees in response to the budget pressures.

The Air Force says the aircraft stand-down is the result of cuts to the Air Combat Command's operations and maintenance account. The budget cuts have forced the service to reduce its flying by about 45,000 training hours.

Some affected units will stand down after current deployments, but the first units will be grounded on Tuesday 9 April.

A combat command spokesman said the Air Force will shift those units' focus to ground-based training exercises to maintain basic skills and aircraft knowledge.

Exceptions would be made for aircraft about to deploy to Afghanistan, as well as those poised to respond in North Africa, including Mali, Gen Philip Breedlove, commander of US Air Forces, said in March.

"The current situation means we're accepting the risk that combat airpower may not be ready to respond immediately to new contingencies as they occur,'' Gen Hostage said in a statement on Tuesday.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Apr 2013 09:53

a permanent reduction in the number of squadrons, carriers, air wings and bases is surely coming. global power on that scale is hyper expensive.

jai · Post by **jai** » 10 Apr 2013 23:05

Austin wrote:Russia’s Revived Il-76 Airlifter Now in Flight Test

Speaking to the media earlier this month, Ilyushin general director Victor Livanov said that the advent of the Il-76MD90A “means restoration of our in-country skills to design and manufacture airlifters. This was something we lost after the Soviet Union collapsed, since the Il-76 was in production in Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Antonov is now a Ukrainian company, and none of its designs is in series production right now. We recommended restarting production at Aviatar with a redeveloped Il-76 in 2006, and the Russian government agreed.” Livanov added that in 2006 Aviastar had only 10 design computers, and the Ilyushin design house only a few more. In addition to acquiring and mastering the computer-aided design technologies, Aviastar has restored 500 machine tools and modernized them with new reprogrammable units during the Il-76MD90A effort.

Redevelopment of the Il-76 began in earnest in 2008, with simultaneous digitizing of the old drawings. The new wing was modeled on that of the Il-96 and now features long structural members, lower weight and longer lifetime. “About 70 percent of the original onboard systems were replaced by new ones,” Livanov said, adding that only the hydraulics remain largely unchanged. Almost all vendor items for the Il-76 were out of production and have been replaced with newer items now available in the market. The Il-76MD90A received new avionics and a digital flight-control system.

Livanov said that Aviastar is on track to hand over the first pair of production aircraft to the Russian air force next year. A contract for 39 Il-76MD90As worth Rouble 139 billion was placed in October last year. The Russian air force operates nearly one hundred Il-76s as airlifters, plus another 50 in various special-mission roles. “We will need to replace them all at some point; some will be withdrawn by 2020, while the remaining ones will undergo a 15- to 20-year life extension,” Livanov said. “There is rule in aviation. If the airframe is good, make the longest possible use of it, and you can change engine and systems,” he added.

Good news for IAF - this opens the doors for an extensive refit and life extension for the Indian 76's in future.

jai · Post by **jai** » 10 Apr 2013 23:16

Singha wrote:a permanent reduction in the number of squadrons, carriers, air wings and bases is surely coming. global power on that scale is hyper expensive.

Good opportunity for iaf/ ia to pick up used and cheap transports, UCav's, and a host of other equipment.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 10 Apr 2013 23:19

jai wrote: Good news for IAF - this opens the doors for an extensive refit and life extension for the Indian 76's in future.

Are there plans to do that? I was under the impression that the idea was to retire the IL-76s around 2018-20 time frame. If at all I expect the newer version to be purchased and not extend the life of the old ones, only a few of the originals which are in use now.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 10 Apr 2013 23:22

Singha wrote:a permanent reduction in the number of squadrons, carriers, air wings and bases is surely coming. global power on that scale is hyper expensive.

Well, we can expect reduction in terms of what we see, but do not expect effectiveness to be reduced. Newer technologies are coming out.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 11 Apr 2013 02:10

Austin wrote:Boeing unveils updated F/A-XX sixth-gen fighter concept

Boeing is unveiling an updated version of its F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter concept at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington DC this week.

The tail-less twin-engine stealth fighter design comes in "manned and unmanned options as possibilities per the US Navy," Boeing says. The design features diverterless supersonic inlets reminiscent of those found on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Boeing concept also features canards, which is somewhat of a surprise because the motion of those forward mounted control surfaces is generally assumed to compromise a stealth aircraft's frontal radar cross-section. But the lack of vertical tail surfaces suggests the aircraft would be optimized for all-aspect broadband stealth, which would be needed for operations in the most challenging anti-access/area denial environments.

Also of note in the manned version of the company's F/A-XX concept is the placement of the cockpit-rearward visibility appears to be restricted without the aid of a sensor apparatus similar to the F-35's distributed aperture system of six infrared cameras.

The Boeing F/A-XX concept is a response to a USN request for information (RFI) from April 2012 soliciting data for a replacement for the service's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets in the 2030s. The Super Hornet fleet is expected to start reaching the end of the jet's 9000h useful lifespan during that time period.

"The intent of this research is to solicit industry inputs on candidate solutions for CVN [nuclear-powered aircraft carrier] based aircraft to provide air supremacy with a multi-role strike capability in an anti-access/area denied (A2AD) operational environment," the navy RFI stated. "Primary missions include, but are not limited to, air warfare (AW), strike warfare (STW), surface warfare (SUW), and close air support (CAS)."

Navy leaders had said at the time that they expect any new F/A-XX design to have greatly increased range and offer far superior kinematic performance compared to existing tactical aircraft.

Wait a minute, the plane is short and stubby and doesn't have a vertical tail surface. It couldn't be a very good dog fighter. Obviously Boeing doesn't understand the mission requirements! Please God, don't let India be talked in to buying such an ugly airplane from the US! Arrrrgh!

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 11 Apr 2013 02:20

^^^^^

India needs a high RCS plane, so that they can advertise to the Pakis/Chicom that they are coming and yet beat the crap out.

This plane is too stealthy for that purpose. No majjaa.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 11 Apr 2013 02:38

^^^ Yes, this would be necessary for the wet dream of India launching a surprise attack on either of those two countries. Kargil came and went. Mumbai came and went. The only surprise was that India didn't retaliate. What was not a surprise though was the US "urging calm" even as their Major Non-NATO Ally, Pakistan, intentionally trains "Kashmiri militants", not terrorists of course because America is not affected, in the full knowledge of everyone and his uncle, and as their joint spy, David Headley, planned the attack down to the GPS waypoint and the floor plans. This is the same US that provided immunity to the culpable.

The second wet dream would of course be that of using the latest American paper aircraft to attack Pakistan given these very real circumstances.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 Apr 2013 19:29

Russia to Field MiG-31 Replacement by 2020 - Commander

MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Air Force is hoping to receive a new long-range fighter-interceptor by 2020 and retire its existing fleet of MiG-31 interceptors by 2028, Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Thursday.

“We have started development of a new aircraft of this type and I think we can develop this plane before the state armament program ends in 2020,” Bondarev said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.

“The new plane should replace the existing fleet by 2028,” he said.

Bondarev spoke out against restarting production of the MiG-31, which was stopped 20 years ago, saying the country needs a totally new interceptor to meet modern requirements.

The Russian Air Force has 122 MiG-31 interceptors in service and more aircraft in reserve, he said.

The MiG-31, the fastest fighter-interceptor in service anywhere in the world, has recently been the subject of a comprehensive upgrade to MiG-31BM standard.

The MiG-31BM has a range of 900 miles (1,450 km) on internal fuel, which can be extended to 3,355 miles (5,400 km) with air-to-air refueling.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 11 Apr 2013 23:22

^^^^^Hopefully, it will be long and lean with multiple engines and great big jet intakes and exhausts.

I wonder what number the Chinese will give it?

pentaiah · Post by **pentaiah** » 11 Apr 2013 23:46

TS Jones wrote:
Wait a minute, the plane is short and stubby and doesn't have a vertical tail surface. It couldn't be a very good dog fighter. Obviously Boeing doesn't understand the mission requirements! Please God, don't let India be talked in to buying such an ugly airplane from the US! Arrrrgh!

Pray that it's not gifted to TSP to fight Taliban. That's hard to do but do try...

Misraji · Post by **Misraji** » 11 Apr 2013 23:51

--SNIP--

Also of note in the manned version of the company's F/A-XX concept is the placement of the cockpit-rearward visibility appears to be restricted without the aid of a sensor apparatus similar to the F-35's distributed aperture system of six infrared cameras.

The Boeing F/A-XX concept is a response to a USN request for information (RFI) from April 2012 soliciting data for a replacement for the service's Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets in the 2030s. The Super Hornet fleet is expected to start reaching the end of the jet's 9000h useful lifespan during that time period.

--SNIP--

And that is how you develop a super-power armed force. Not by running to Mother Russia at the drop of a hat!!

--Ashish

PS: AND THIS serves as ammunition next time some noob remarks on the 30-year LCA saga ....

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 12 Apr 2013 10:29

Bell unveils V-280 Valour tilt-rotor concept for the US Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program to replace its UH-60 Black Hawk fleet from 2030s.

link to FlightGlobal

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 14 Apr 2013 09:16

Su-35 - Sukhoi Su-35BM/T-10BM

SKrishna · Post by **SKrishna** » 15 Apr 2013 10:27

Here’s Russia’s Badass Next-Generation Stealth Strategic Bomber

...
With its flying wing shape and radar-evading capabilities, the subsonic PAK-DA is destined to replace Moscow’s aging fleet of 63 Tu-95 Bear and 13 Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers.
...

Interesting week! First F/A-XX then Lockheed UCLASS and now PAK-DA!

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 17 Apr 2013 18:50

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/326 ... aking.html
Japan joins jet age by making its own plane

Burned by the YS-11 flop, Japan shifted its aviation strategy to supplying, and learning from, the largest aircraft makers of the time, of which the largest was Boeing Japanese suppliers have played an increasingly bigger role in building Boeing aircraft, supplying 15 per cent of the 767 jet, 21 per cent of the 777, and 35 per cent of the 787.

The Japanese government quickly became one of the largest financial backers of those projects, handing out billions of yen in subsidies to help Japanese suppliers develop technology and win lucrative contracts from Boeing. Though the government declines to reveal exact numbers, estimates by researchers at the State University of New York of how much Japan has handed out to 787 suppliers in subsidies and loans over the past decade are as high as $1.6 billion. Boeing, which is based in Chicago, outsources its parts manufacturing to pare its investment in research and development, design, manufacturing and also its workforce.

At the same time, the Japanese government was ready to give passenger plane manufacturing another try, as it looked in the early 2000 for ways to bolster Japanese exports and revitalise the country’s stagnant economy. In 2003, Japan announced bold plans to finance the development of compact, fuel-efficient aircraft. By the mid-2000, Mitsubishi executives were gearing up to develop a passenger jet.

The company placed Mitsubishi Aircraft’s new headquarters in its prewar offices in Nagoya, where engineers designed the Zero. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, announced in 2008, is conservative in its use of new technologies and materials.

Mitsubishi drastically reduced its use of advanced carbon composite material, opting to use high-grade aluminum alloy wings after discovering that carbon fiber still did not deliver the weight savings that engineers had hoped for. (The weight savings from carbon composite materials are greater for the 787, a larger plane.)

After initially exploring the use of advanced lithium-ion batteries, Mitsubishi engineers also concluded that the technology was not tested enough to power a passenger jet, opting instead to use conventional cadmium nickel packs. (“It’s too dangerous. The technology isn’t mature enough for a plane like ours,” Kawai said of lithium-ion batteries.)

Still, Mitsubishi’s regional jet boasts about 20 percent in fuel savings compared to similar size Brazilian-built Embraer 190 jets. Much of the fuel economy comes from its use of new engines from the American manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney. The plane’s wings are thinner and are more aerodynamic than those on similar models, also improving energy efficiency. Mitsubishi says newly designed seats on the MRJ also offer wider seats than rival aircraft: 18.5 inches across compared with 17.3 inches on Canada’s Bombardier’s CRJ700 series.

Brando · Post by **Brando** » 17 Apr 2013 22:37

US Amasses B1 bombers on N.Korean threats

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Apr 2013 20:27

Iranian Airforce Mig-29 Fulcrum Pilot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEIizEZn4Rc

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 25 Apr 2013 15:06

US army seeks new technology to replace GPS - AFP

Posting in full.

WASHINGTON — The US army is working to limit its dependence on GPS by developing the next generation of navigation technology, including a tiny autonomous chip, the director of the Pentagon's research agency said Wednesday.

DARPA, the research group behind a range of spy tech and which helped invent the Internet, was also the driving force behind the creation of the Global Positioning System, director Arati Prabhakar said at a press conference.

"In the 1980s, when GPS satellites started to become widely deployed... it meant carrying an enormous box around on your vehicle," she said.

"Now it's got to the point where it's embedded not just in all our platforms but in many of our weapons," as well as in many civilian devices, she said.

But "sometimes a capability is so powerful that our reliance on it, in itself, becomes a vulnerability," she added.

"I think that's where we are today with GPS."

Among the fears: the GPS signal could be scrambled by an adversary, as happened recently in South Korea.

Starting in 2010, DARPA has been working on a variety of programs aimed at developing new navigation and positioning technology -- at first with the goal of extending their reach to places where satellites don't work, such as underwater.

But now, amid fears of over-reliance on -- and possible vulnerabilities with -- global positioning satellites, experts are looking to create not just a companion, but an alternative to GPS.

To that end, researchers at DARPA and the University of Michigan have created a new system that works without satellites to determine position, time and direction, all contained within a eight-cubic-millimeter chip.

The tiny chip holds three gyroscopes, three accelerometers and an atomic clock, which, together, work as an autonomous navigation system.

DARPA envisages using this technology to replace GPS in some contexts, especially in small-caliber ammunition or for monitoring people.

Another approach would use existing signals, such as those generated by broadcast antennas, radios, telephone towers and even lightning to temporarily replace GPS.

Prabhakar emphasized there "will not be a monolithic new solution, it will be a series of technologies to track and fix time and position from external sources."

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 26 Apr 2013 13:04

USAF leader confirms manned decision for new bomber
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... er-385037/

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said today at a Defense Writers Group breakfast that the service will initially field the new stealth bomber as manned aircraft. "It's likely that we'll start the bomber programme as a manned programme," Donley says. "It'll have the option to be unmanned at some point and so I think that option will be protected."

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 30 Apr 2013 21:58

VOA reports
Indonesia readies mass production of drones

....Funded by the Defense Ministry, Indonesia initiated its surveillance drone development program in 2004. A collaborative effort between several government agencies, the Wulung, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, is ready to be mass-produced for the Indonesian Air Force this year.

The Wulung prototype was locally designed and produced, and initially will be used for non-military purposes, such as monitoring active volcanoes, spotting illegal logging and patrolling the country’s huge maritime area.

....
China, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan all have UAV programs underway.

In 2011 the Asia Pacific spent $590 million on UAVs, which global consulting firm Frost and Sullivan estimates could rise to $1.4 billion in 2017.

member_20067 · Post by **member_20067** » 01 May 2013 04:12

The chilling crash video of National Air Cargo 747 at Baghram Air Base ....that happened yesterday

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 01 May 2013 06:35

wow

poor souls

RIP

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 01 May 2013 08:41

RIP , Sad Indeed

It seems the cargo was not firmly attached and as a result there was a load shift leading to stall.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 01 May 2013 16:14

Seoul Plans Phased-Development, Typhoon-Size Fighter

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 02 May 2013 18:36

U.K. Looks Ahead To F-35 Carrier Ops

With both the aircraft and the carriers still under construction and more than half a decade before the two actually meet for real, BAE Systems has been working to understand how the two systems will come together, not only learning lessons while preparing for the aircraft's scheduled entry into service at the end of the decade, but also influencing the methods used by other F-35B customers including the U.S. Marine Corps.

Test pilots originally used the simulator, located at BAE Systems' Warton facility in Lancashire in early 2012 to study how the conventional carrier landing, or F-35C, version of the aircraft could operate from the Queen Elizabeth II-class carrier. However, the coalition government's U-turn to go back to the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing F-35B in May 2012 resulted in major upheaval in the development process.

“It took about two or three months to turn it around,” said Pete “Whizzer” Wilson, BAE's F-35 test pilot, the third from the U.K. to have flown the aircraft. “We have made some significant progress with both aircraft and ship integration.

“The U.K. is very fortunate. In the U.S., they face the challenge of integrating the new aircraft onto old ships and existing systems, here we are able to start afresh and take a new look at how we carry out carrier operations.”

Simulator experiments have proven the validity of the deck parking layout for the aircraft. Because the U.K. ship in the simulator does not have an angled deck, landings are conducted down the length, but F-35s that are not flying can be parked on both sides of the deck. Initial experiments showed that at certain angles of parking on the port side, pilots on approach would adjust and push the aircraft to the right and closer to the ship's islands. However, by parking aircraft at a more acute angle to the stern of the ship, pilots were more comfortable touching down on the centerline.

“With a 60-knot SRVL, the bring- back capability is significant,” said Wilson. “With vertical landings, you are not going to be bringing back 2,000-pound bombs but when was the last time the U.K. was using 2,000- pound weapons? More often than not we are seeing 1,000-pound or 500-pound weapons being used.”

Wilson said the SRVL work was also influencing how the Marine Corps may also use their F-35Bs on larger vessels such as the U.S. Navy's big-deck nuclear carriers. Several Navy carrier air wings feature Marine squadrons, and the Marines are examining if it might be possible to use SRVL on the larger vessels without issues with systems such as the arrestor wires.

“The B model offers huge flexibility,” said Wilson. “The U.S. Navy has 10 large-deck carriers capable of delivering first-day strike, with the F-35B operating from LHDs [landing helicopter dockships], you have then got 20 carriers capable of doing that, and that's a very different concept.”

Wilson says the choice of the F-35B for the U.K. is significant mainly because the training burden is substantially reduced, particularly compared with the AV-8B Harrier but also for conventional carrier operations. During the DT-1 deck trials on the USS Wasp in October 2011, one of the test pilots, who had previously flown F/A-18s was cleared to land on the Wasp after conducting 18 vertical landings on ground.

The U.K. is now looking to make its first significant orders for the F-35 with plans for the purchase of 14 aircraft currently winding its way through the Defense Ministry. Those plans will reach the Treasury later this year. The U.K. wants to be able to deliver an initial operating capability from land bases toward the end of 2018 and a full capability, including carrier operations by 2023.

The U.K. has a program for the operation of 138 F-35s, however it has been reported that the number could be reduced to as few as 48, with just 12 flying from a carrier at one time. A final decision on the number to be procured will not be made until the next Strategic Defense and Security Review, which is due to be undertaken in 2015.