International Aerospace Discussion

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 05 Nov 2010 10:46

Designing an aircraft without a Verical Stabilizer is not a new idea and one can see that in many concept plane including MCA , but it was considered technically very challenging even for the US industry , iirc even Boeing had put forward such a concept for JSF early on but quickly withdrew it for the risk involved.

There is a good chance to realise the concept in unmanned fighters and UCAV

Gaur · Post by **Gaur** » 05 Nov 2010 15:06

Rahul M wrote:that looks like the original MCA !

manned fighters would be around for 3-4 decades at least if not more.

Marten wrote:Now, where have we seen this wing design? hmmm...

Added: Rahul M beat me to it! Dada, I bet we'll see a 6th gen projet of our own soon, with simple shaping and lo objectives.

Come on guys! Jingoism is all well and good but we surely cannot claim to have been the first to come up with the idea. Flying wing, Bird of Prey, X-36 etc came much before MCA concept. Even the pics shown in this thread have been floating around for years.

IMO, these concept pictures look much closer to Boeing X-45

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 05 Nov 2010 19:44

@ Gaur

I think it closely resembles the concept/CGI diagrams for the FB 22, the strike version of the F22 Raptor

Here's an article by Bill Sweetman in 2002 - http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation ... ter-bomber

@ sumshyam - probably that what made you associate it with the F22 Raptor

nrshah · Post by **nrshah** » 05 Nov 2010 21:23

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/11/hu ... egins.html

From the above link,

The CRFI [doc] puts down that the primary mission in the future Next Gen TACAIR definition is Offensive and Defensive Counterair to include subset missions including Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), Close Air Support (CAS) and Air Interdiction (AI). It may also fulfill airborne electronic attack and intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities... The future system will have to counter adversaries equipped with next generation advanced electronic attack, sophisticated integrated air defense systems, passive detection, integrated self-protection, directed energy weapons, and cyber attack capabilities. It must be able to operate in the anti-access/area-denial environment that will exist in the 2030-2050 timeframe.

Similar for F 22 and Pak fa,
Looks like every new air craft designed by US is a generation in itself....

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 05 Nov 2010 23:36

Gaur wrote:
Rahul M wrote:that looks like the original MCA !

manned fighters would be around for 3-4 decades at least if not more.
Marten wrote:Now, where have we seen this wing design? hmmm...

Added: Rahul M beat me to it! Dada, I bet we'll see a 6th gen projet of our own soon, with simple shaping and lo objectives.
Come on guys! Jingoism is all well and good but we surely cannot claim to have been the first to come up with the idea. Flying wing, Bird of Prey, X-36 etc came much before MCA concept. Even the pics shown in this thread have been floating around for years.

IMO, these concept pictures look much closer to Boeing X-45

None of the examples you listed are manned fighters. Flying wing is a bomber. Bird of Prey is a kind of proof of concept. And others are just UAV/UCAVs. But MCA is manned figher. A similar profile was chosen for the next gen fighter competition by Boeing.

Gaur · Post by **Gaur** » 06 Nov 2010 00:16

^^
I was just pointing out that tailless designs have been floating around for a long time. I do not understand how manned/unmanned angle fit into this.

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 06 Nov 2010 00:23

^ Its kind of OK to loose a UAV....but highly not OK to loose a manned fighter. Being manned, the design should have high reliability. And being fighter, the manoeuverability demand increases tremendously that gives lot of problems in making the design safe enough to be manned without tail and vertical fin.

abhik · Post by **abhik** » 06 Nov 2010 00:57

While the older iterations of the MCA did have a completely tail less design, over the years it has become rather more vanilla transforming into 4.5 gen looking aircraft (with canards if my memory serves me right) to the latest JSF like conservative design that was shown in AI09. Moving backwards or or being more realistic WRT design capabilities?
And by the way the two concepts being shown are actually concepts Boeing is pushing to the US navy for air dominance role, this request if I am not mistaken is for the US AF, though we probably see similar designs.

dinesha · Post by **dinesha** » 08 Nov 2010 18:47

Japan eyes procuring F-35 fighters; gives up on more F-2 jets
http://www.japantoday.com/category/nati ... e-f-2-jets

The Defense Ministry has set its sights on procuring the F-35 fighter as Japan’s main next-generation fighter aircraft for the Air Self-Defense Force, giving up on an earlier plan to buy more F-2 fighters, ministry and Self-Defense Forces sources said Sunday.

The ministry plans to seek procurement costs for the F-35 in its budget request for fiscal 2012 and is slated to begin full-fledged arrangements for the procurement plan early next year through a selection committee to prepare for the budget request deadline next summer, the sources said.

The ministry was planning to retool its current main F-15 fighters and buy more F-2 jets as a stopgap measure, given the delay in the development of the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter capable of flying at supersonic speeds as well as its price increase.

But the ministry has determined that procuring the less functional F-2 aircraft additionally would not be expedient from the standpoint of deterrence and cost, the sources said.

Also considering that China has been mass-producing its own fighter planes that are comparable to the F-15 jets and is seeking to develop a next-generation aircraft, the ministry is eyeing the deployment of about 40 units of the F-35 or other fifth-generation fighters, they said.

Japan’s move would bring an end to domestic production of jet fighters for the first time since 1955 when Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. began licensed production of the F-86, as the company will have to terminate its production of the F-2 after delivering the aircraft for fiscal 2011 through March 2012.

The Japanese ministry has requested 680 million yen in the fiscal 2011 budget as expenses to obtain information on the capacity of the F-35, which is being jointly developed by nine countries including the United States, Britain and Italy.

But as priority will be placed on deploying the aircraft to countries that are developing them, it is unclear when Japan would be able to procure them. The price tag has also soared from the original quote of about $50 million per unit to $95 million.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Nov 2010 18:53

Japan have only themselves to blame for the woeful state of the F2 - they never invested enough in radars to make its set competitive, corralled it into a maritime strike role than develop all-round sensors and munitions to hit targets on the mainland and never really invested rolling upgrades or a successor a.c whether twin or single engined.

even their F-15J are way behind the cutting edge and armed with sparrow missiles iirc. the F-15K/S is far more modern.

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 08 Nov 2010 20:03

Japan really had no excuses - unlike India they had the technology base and at one point the money to be able to do it.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 09 Nov 2010 12:14

Qatar is now beginning a new competition to replace its perfectly adequate Mirage-2000-5s..I tell you these oil-rich Sheikhdoms really seem to love buying new toys just for the heck of it! And they're evaluating the broadest spectrum of fighter jets, ranging from 5th gen F-35 to Gripen NG to F-15s to F-18s..any criticism of them not knowing what to buy forthcoming like those who criticize the IAF's decision to evaluate 6 types?

article link

LONDON — The competition to supply a new fighter to the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) is now formally underway.

Evaluation of program candidates has begun, the service’s commander, Brig. Gen. Mubarak Bin Mohammed Al-Khayarin, tells the Shephard Air Power Middle East conference here. The goal is to make a type selection before the end of 2012.

The size of the program is still under discussion, with 24-36 fighters likely to be acquired. The aircraft would replace Dassault Mirage 2000-5s.

The service is evaluating a broad spectrum of aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale, says Al-Khayarin. Saab officials note they also have entered the competition.

Qatar’s is only one of several military aircraft contests in the region. The United Arab Emirates’ effort to buy a new fighter appears open again, after an apparent impasse between front-runner Dassault and the government following prolonged negotiations. The UAE has signaled interest in the F/A-18E/F, with European officials also believing the type selection is again in play.

Likewise, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain remain potential buyers of new aircraft.

Meanwhile, discussions continue between the U.K. and Saudi Arabia regarding a follow-on purchase of Typhoons on top of the 72 already on order.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Nov 2010 13:38

Kartik wrote:Qatar is now beginning a new competition to replace its perfectly adequate Mirage-2000-5s..I tell you these oil-rich Sheikhdoms really seem to love buying new toys just for the heck of it! And they're evaluating the broadest spectrum of fighter jets, ranging from 5th gen F-35 to Gripen NG to F-15s to F-18s..any criticism of them not knowing what to buy forthcoming like those who criticize the IAF's decision to evaluate 6 types?

If they plan to sell M2K-5 and if these can be refurbished with 20 years of more service life then its worth buying it for IAF and acceptable cost.

I wont be surprised if F-35 or F-18 wins it speciall the former , the LM badly needs customer for the cost/time escalated F-35 and Qatar will be obliged to buy it as US provided security guarantees in that region.

wig · Post by **wig** » 10 Nov 2010 08:42

'Missile' fired off California coast

The Pentagon is trying to find out if a missile was fired off the California coast, and who launched it.
What appeared to be a large missile was seen shooting into the air about 35 miles west of Los Angeles and leaving a long vapour trail, or contrail, over the Pacific Ocean.

The US Navy, Air Force, and other military organisations are examining video of the event captured from a passing news helicopter.

Colonel Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "Nobody within the Department of Defence that we've reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is, where it came from.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... coast.html

wig · Post by **wig** » 10 Nov 2010 10:27

Mystery vapor trail over California was left by plane, not missile, experts say

series of U.S. government agencies said Tuesday that they could not explain what created a vapor trail that lit up the sky Monday night over Southern California.

But a series of civilian experts said they could. It was not a missile, they said, as many conjectured, but an airplane.

Video posted online showed an object flying off the Pacific coast near Los Angeles, leaving a large condensation trail, or contrail, that turned pink in the setting sun. A news helicopter owned by KCBS, a CBS affiliate in Los Angeles, shot the video. At sunset, the contrail looked like one created by a missile launch.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... v=hcmodule

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Nov 2010 11:05

Serial produced Superjet takes to Air
Russian Aviation Market 2010

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Nov 2010 11:13

Third Mi-26TC transferred to China

October 12, 2010 with the flight-testing station Rostvertol went to China a new Mi-26TC, received the registration number B-7807 (Serial № 31-01). Contract to supply to China was signed between Rostvertol and the Chinese company Lektern Aviation ( Lectern (Lectern Aviation Aviation Supplies Supplies Co ., Ltd ). Co., Ltd) In March of this year. This is the third such helicopter sold in China. Chinese Company plans to purchase another Mi-26TC.

The first Mi-26TC (B -7802, serial № 30-09) China at the end of May 2008 was acquired by the "Flying Dragon» (China Flying Flying Dragon Dragon Special Special Aviation ). Originally, in September 2007, the helicopter was handed to her on lease for three years, but the Mi-26TC showed himself so well during the fighting of several major fires in China, as well as the transport of oversized cargo and removing the effects of earthquakes, which was bought by "Flying Dragon" before the end of the lease term.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 11 Nov 2010 06:46

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... rsist.html
"durability issue involving a bearing-retention feature in the door's forward hinge".

A solution is being installed "immediately", Lockheed says, but STOVL flights are ruled out until the modification clears airworthiness certification.

The STOVL fleet has struggled to overcome a series of reliability problems. Four F-35Bs have logged 141 flights to date, or 40 fewer than scheduled.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 11 Nov 2010 07:01

http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/11/stories ... 190700.htm
U.S. military officials confirmed the Chinese satellite rendezvous occurred but released few details, citing security concerns.........

. “It's not like driving a car,” said Mr. Weeden. Only a few other countries have shown they can pull it off, including the U.S., Russia and Sweden

security concerns?

koti · Post by **koti** » 11 Nov 2010 09:24

There was a crash in Israel involving an F-16.

It reported to be the first crash of the AC and the Pilots are still missing.
The entire F-16 fleet is temporarily grounded.

dinesha · Post by **dinesha** » 13 Nov 2010 09:58

Air Sarko One aircraft – The New Air Force One From French
http://www.dglobalnews.com/air-sarko-ai ... /2184.html

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 13 Nov 2010 20:13

Lockheed expects 2nd anti-ship U.S. missile contract
By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:58pm EST

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp said it expected a Defense Department contract for further development of an air-launched long-range anti-ship missile, alongside one just received for a ship-based version.

The weapons are designed to knock out enemy ships using onboard sensing and computing capabilities. They would reduce U.S. dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems as well as data links and the space-based Global Positioning System.

Such onboard capabilities could be critical in war if U.S. eyes in the sky were blinded by anti-satellite weapons, for instance, of a type that China demonstrated in January 2007, when it pulverized one of its own orbiting weather satellites.

Lockheed has already won a $157.7 million follow-on contract to develop the ship-launched, high-speed, liquid-fueled version. The Pentagon said Wednesday that work on this was expected to be completed by April 2013.

"We and our customers believe this technology fills a critical capabilities gap in anti-surface warfare," the company said in a statement on Thursday.

It anticipated a "Phase 2" contract in the near future for the air-launched version, derived from Lockheed's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) system, the statement said.

"We have great confidence in our ability to develop and ultimately produce an effective, affordable, highly-accurate precision air- and ship-launched weapon system for the naval warfighter," added the company, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier by sales.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an incubator for leap-ahead technologies for the military, awarded Lockheed the first contract under the long-range anti-ship missile program in June 2009.

The joint DARPA-U.S. Navy program aims to demonstrate a mature enough weapon "to support rapid transition to operational use," DARPA said at the time.

The project is moving ahead amid Pentagon concerns over China's development of anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of putting U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships at risk.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in a May 3 speech to the Navy League of the United States, said a virtual U.S. monopoly on precision-guided weapons was eroding, "especially with long-range, accurate anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles that can potentially strike from over the horizon."

"This is a particular concern with aircraft carriers and other large, multibillion-dollar blue-water surface combatants," he said.

The new U.S. anti-ship missile would have sufficient range to engage targets from "well beyond direct counter-fire ranges of projected threats," DARPA said last year.

Arunkumar · Post by **Arunkumar** » 14 Nov 2010 15:06

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/msl/msl2 ... 090226.swf

A video about mars science laboratory rover construction. liked the concept of soft landing using the air crane

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 15 Nov 2010 18:58

Mi-38 Medium Transport Aircraft ( Air International )

part-1
part-2

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 15 Nov 2010 19:36

Chinese plans for a VTOL manned stealthy aircraft at Airshow China in Zhuhai.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... d=blogDest

Another plan for a unmanned stealthy aircraft.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... d=blogDest

SriSri · Post by **SriSri** » 16 Nov 2010 08:46

Sukhoi conducts flight tests of Su-34 fighter bombers

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 16 Nov 2010 17:10

Russia plans to sell additional RD-93 jet engines to China

"We are holding new talks with the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation [CATIC] on another option for additional 100 RD-93 engines," Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev said at the Airshow China 2010, which is being held on November 16-21 in Zhuhai.

Russia ready to sell Su-35 fighter jets to China

"We are ready to work with our Chinese partners to this end [Su-35 deliveries]," Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev said at the Airshow China 2010, which is being held on November 16-21 in Zhuhai.

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 16 Nov 2010 20:25

Chinese plan their commercial jet to rival Boeing and Airbus.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/articl ... and-airbus

t’s been a tough couple of weeks for the world’s two premier builders of large commercial jets. An Airbus A380, the new crown jewel in Airbus’s fleet, suffered an engine explosion after taking off from Singapore earlier this month, forcing a harrowing emergency landing. Then a test-flight of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner had to make an emergency landing after smoke filled the passenger cabin. But if the Big Two thought things couldn’t get any worse, they were wrong: China today unveiled the first full-sized models of its own large jetliner, the C919, a 156-seat passenger aircraft that will go toe-to-toe with Boeing and Airbus’s offerings by 2016.
The C919 isn’t a massive superjet like the Dreamliner or the double-decker A380, but a high-capacity, domestic-haul jet that will stack up against Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’s A320. With China itself being the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, that’s a tough pill to swallow for Boeing and Airbus. China will need an estimated 4,000-plus jets over the next 20 years, costing some $480 billion. Boeing and Airbus currently share the Chinese market fairly equitably, but that won’t be the case should the C919 prove successful.And that is an “if.” Building jetliners is by no means child’s play, and the challenges of building and maintaining large passenger airplanes explains why there are so few players in the arena to begin with. But China isn’t starting from scratch. Although the C919 design belongs to Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, the guts of the plane will come from some of the West’s biggest aviations technology company’s, including Honeywell, GE Aviation, and Eaton Corp.
China is leveraging its massive market to bring to bring the best in aviation technology to its shores by forcing Western companies who want a piece of the action to form joint ventures with Chinese companies. It’s a slick move; China offers access to its vast marketplace (THE marketplace of the next few decades), and in exchange Western companies supply technologies to Chinese companies that may one day be direct competitors.

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 17 Nov 2010 12:49

For those who are interested in Hypersonic technology.

http://www.afa.org/Mitchell/Reports/MP6 ... s_0610.pdf

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 17 Nov 2010 15:23

Kremlin set to buy Ukrainian jet for Medvedev

"I have seen the new plane myself, I have been onboard," Kozhinov said. "It suits us because it is able land on any runways."

This is especially important in Russia, where "you can count airports meeting international standards on the fingers of one hand," he said.

Kozhinov dismissed speculation that the Russian leader was going to change over to foreign-made aircraft. The speculation arose after the Kremlin bought a French-made Falcon jet for Medvedev earlier this year.

Here is some thing on the new An-158 A New Antonov - An-158

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 17 Nov 2010 15:27

Austin,

This is an aricraft if selected by the Russians will kill the Il project which is slated to become the MRTA.

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 17 Nov 2010 20:03

4G communications satellite with Largest Antenna reflector launched in the space.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/articl ... owers-wont

Boeing has received the first signals from SkyTerra 1, a communications satellite it built for LightSquared that was hurled into orbit aboard a Proton rocket launched from Kazakhstan yesterday. The satellite, which will provide signal coverage where terrestrial towers can’t reach, is part of a new LightSquared 4G-LTE mobile broadband wireless system and boasts the largest antenna reflector ever launched into space.
The mesh structure on SkyTerra 1 is an ultra-wide 72 feet across, and the increase in hardware up there should lead to space savings down here. The larger reflector will reduce the need to build bigger antennas and receivers into next-gen 4G devices, so a larger footprint in the sky translates into real estate savings in your pocket.
Boeing and Lightsquared will next initiate on-orbit maneuvers to move the 6-ton satellite into its geosynchronous orbit. It will be joined by SkyTerra 2 next year, and over the next 15 years will augment LightSquared’s ground coverage of North America, which should serve 90 percent of the U.S. population by 2015 under a deal inked with the FCC.

From Boeing website some more details.

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1519

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received the first on-orbit signals from LightSquared's SkyTerra 1 following the satellite's launch at 12:29 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 14 on an International Launch Services Proton vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Controllers at the ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa, confirmed initial contact with the spacecraft at 9:50 p.m. Eastern time.
Signal acquisition indicates that the satellite is healthy and ready to begin operational testing and on-orbit maneuvers.
SkyTerra 1 is a Boeing 702HP satellite designed for geomobile services that will provide satellite coverage as part of LightSquared's new broadband mobile wireless network in the United States.
"There is a large and rapidly growing demand for data services to U.S. businesses, individuals and other end users, and Boeing has accomplished the first step in delivering this capability to LightSquared with the successful launch of SkyTerra 1," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "Boeing has been designing advanced geomobile satellite systems for the past 13 years, and our experience enables us to provide LightSquared with a high-value solution."
When operational, SkyTerra 1 will combine with ground-based beam-forming (GBBF) equipment and ground stations to form LightSquared’s first Space-Based Network (SBN), which will enable faster service and broader access to smaller mobile devices for millions of users in the United States. The Boeing-built SBN will benefit from the satellite's 22-meter L-band reflector, which reduces the need for larger antennas and battery-draining receivers inside mobile handsets.
LightSquared's SBN will combine with a ground network of more than 40,000 base stations built to offer ground coverage, satellite coverage or a combination of the two. LightSquared plans to begin rolling out its nationwide wholesale 4G LTE wireless network in the first four markets in the second half of 2011.
Boeing and LightSquared will soon begin on-orbit maneuvers to move SkyTerra 1 into its test orbit location, where the spacecraft will begin deployments and signal testing. After validating the satellite’s subsystems and the SBN with ground stations, LightSquared will accept the SBN from Boeing in early 2011.
Boeing, the prime contractor for LightSquared's satellites, built SkyTerra 1 at its integration and test complex in El Segundo. Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Fla., developed the satellite’s L-band reflector. ViaSat's Comsat Laboratories in Germantown, Md., is providing the GBBF equipment, the uplink beacon stations and the ground stations' control and monitoring system. SED Systems of Saskatoon, Canada, is providing the antennas, RF elements and integration services at the gateway stations.

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 17 Nov 2010 22:11

More articles from Airshow China Zhuhai.

Predator clone from Avic corp,china
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... d=blogDest

Morphing wing UAV from China's Xi’an ASN Technology Group

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... d=blogDest

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 17 Nov 2010 22:14

Meanwhile F-22 raptor goes missing in Alaska in a training mission.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... aptor.html

The US Air Force launched a search operation last night after one of its Lockheed Martin F-22 fighters failed to return to its base following a training mission.
“An air force F-22 assigned to the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson lost contact with air traffic control at 7:40pm Alaska time today while on a routine training mission,” the USAF says in a brief statement.
The service confirms that “a search is underway”, and says: “more information will be released as it becomes available”.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 17 Nov 2010 22:34

Pratyush wrote:Austin,
This is an aricraft if selected by the Russians will kill the Il project which is slated to become the MRTA.

An-158 is a civilian aircraft , there is no question of it replacing MRTA

DavidD · Post by **DavidD** » 18 Nov 2010 04:13

Surya wrote:Japan really had no excuses - unlike India they had the technology base and at one point the money to be able to do it.

That's a bit unfair to Japan, as they're essentially required to rely on the U.S. for their high end military equipment. They could've made a 5th gen aircraft by themselves, but no way the Americans would've allowed that to happen. The F-35 doesn't fit their requirements as well as the F-22 did, which is part of the reason they didn't participate in the F-35 program, but who could've known back then that the F-22 was gonna be cancelled.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 18 Nov 2010 08:31

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123231186

F-22 wreckage found, pilot still missing . $300 M craft gone!

11/17/2010 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AFNS) -- Search and rescue crews have found the apparent wreckage of an F-22 Raptor Nov. 17 that was assigned to the 3rd Wing here.

The jet lost contact with air traffic control at 7:40 p.m. local time while on a routine training mission Nov. 16.

A search was coordinated by officials with the Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center. Airmen in HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters and an HC-130 King combed an area northeast of Cantwell, Alaska, the last known location of the aircraft.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this missing Airman, and we thank all Alaskans for their continued support and prayers during this trying time," said Col. Jack McMullen, 3rd Wing commander. "Finding the missing pilot is our top priority."

To continue searching for the missing pilot, a rescue team is being dispatched to the area, approximately 100 miles north of Anchorage, by the Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center, the 3rd Wing and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Colonel McMullen held a press conference at 1 p.m. to make a statement and answer questions from the media.

"Last night a two-ship (flight) of F-22s, Rocky One and Rocky Three, were finished with training ... about 100 miles north of here," Colonel McMullen said.

Everything was normal until about 7:40 p.m., he said, when Rocky Three fell off the radar scope and the pilot lost communications.

"The other pilot (Rocky One) went to a tanker, got gas and then continued to look for the mishap pilot," Colonel McMullen said. "He could not find him. At that time, the Alaska Air National Guard scrambled a C-130 and rescue helicopters. They searched the entire night."

About 10:15 a.m., an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter found a site that fits the data and the description of where rescuers thought the mishap probably occurred, Colonel McMullen said.

"They found the crash site," he said. "They were unable to land at the crash site and take a closer look. We scrambled another helicopter that should be in the area in the next few moments."

Colonel McMullen thanked the Alaskan community and Alaska Air National Guard for their support at such a difficult time.

The name of the pilot is being withheld until the pilot's status is determined.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

(Courtesy of 3rd Wing Public Affairs)

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 18 Nov 2010 09:13

And China is preparing ANOTHER Russian derived aircraft, a basic trainer this time around. The Hongdu L-7, basically a Yak-152 is due to complete its first flight next month. This is after the Hongdu L-15 which was nothing more than a slightly modified Yak-130 for AJT stage training.

article link

ZHUHAI, CHINA—China’s version of the Yak-152 basic trainer, the L-7, is due to complete its first flight next month.

The piston-engine aircraft is making its first public appearance here at Airshow China. The aircraft is designed to replace the ChuKiao-6 in the Chinese air force (Plaaf) inventory.

China will initially fly the aircraft with a Romanian engine, although it hopes to have an indigenously developed piston engine, the 400-hp. HS-6, power the second prototype. An Avic official says the production engine has not been selected, and that both types could be offered to customers.

The L-7, which is basically a Yak-152 tailored to meet some Plaaf requirements, is being developed by a joint venture between Yakovlev and Hongdu. The 1,430-kg. (3.150-lb.) maximum-takeoff-weight aircraft is expected to have a maximum flight speed of 360 kph. (225 mph.), with an 11-mps. (36-fps.) maximum rate of climb.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 18 Nov 2010 09:30

Austin wrote:
Pratyush wrote:Austin,
This is an aricraft if selected by the Russians will kill the Il project which is slated to become the MRTA.
An-158 is a civilian aircraft , there is no question of it replacing MRTA

It has a been proposed by the Antanov that a military version can be designed reletavely quickely from the current airframe. They had invited the HAL for the effort.

The aircraft will be as capable as the MTA / C 130. As per Antanov. If the russians go for it it will take away the rational for them to invest in the MTA. That is where the threat is comming from.

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 18 Nov 2010 14:34

Israel's Next Generation Spy Satellite could be Operational by Late 2012.

http://defense-update.com/products/o/15 ... t3000.html

IAI unveiled more details about Israel's next generation spy satellite, expected to be ready for launch by late 2012. The satellite known as 'OpSat 3000' is assumed to become the next in the Israeli Ofeq series of spy satellites, supposedly 'Ofeq 10'. The 400 kg satellite will orbit at an altitude of 600 km, incl. 98.23 deg. heliocynchronous orbit, with a period of 99 min. It will carry 30 kg of fuel to sustain maneuvering for at least six years in orbit. Despite the increased weight IAI confirms OpSat 3000 satellites can be launched into orbit by current Shavit satellite launchers or by other launchers. The current satellite leading Ofeq series in space is Ofeq 9, launched in June 2010.

The new satellite employs IAI generic satellite bus system, which has already been used with the Tecsar SAR satellite. OpSat 3000 will provide a vast improvement in performance over previous generations of EO imaging satellites in all principal system characteristics. The same bus is already employed on the IAI Tecsar (Ofeq 8?) satellite, and will also be utilized on the next generation Eros C – the future high resolution satellite planned by space imagery provider Imagesat International.The new satellite will carry a new multi-spectral EO payload known as 'Jupiter' developed by Elbit Systems' electro-optical division El-Op. The payload integrates PAN and multi-spectral (MS) imaging cameras, sharing a common optical assembly and capable of simultaneous operation (enables creating PAN-sharpened images). The payload is strapped to the satellite platform, and line-of-sight is controlled by maneuvering the satellite with Reaction/Momentum Wheels. The satellite can also change altitude, further refining the images captured at its orbit when at the lowest point above earth. Propellant storage on board has also been increased, extending the satellite's lifespan over 50% over current platforms, exceeding six years.

The Jupiter payload will cover a swath 15 km wide, comprising a 30,000 pixel panchromatic Time Delay and Integration (TDI) sensor offering resolution of 50 cm from an altitude of 600 km (compared to 70 cm in current generation satellites). The payload will also operate a parallel 7.5 Megapixel multispectral sensor capturing color images at a resolution of 200 cm. The Jupiter camera characteristics are an aperture of 70 cm, fixed focal length of 15.6 meters with F# 22.3.

This high performance space camera will be designed to capture dozens of targets in a single satellite pass. On board data storage with over half a terabyte memory will increase the number of images captured in orbit. Download speed will also increase, dumping this huge storage in a short time as the ground station enters the satellite's communications footprint. Mission responsiveness will be shortened dramatically, with users receiving new targets within less than three hours from planning to image download.

While current satellite imagery supports intelligence gathering at the strategic level, the high resolution to be provided by the new payload can also support users at the tactical level. The fine resolution enables differentiation between similar looking objects, discriminating specific types of weapons, such as surface-to-surface missiles, rocket launchers or air defense missiles. Analysts can identify entrances to underground facilities, identify doors or windows and other openings in small urban structures or spot individual people from space. These images could provide a useful tool for battle damage assessment as well as an information gathering means for counter-terrorism warfare.