This columnist never did discover why the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor that displayed at this month’s Farnborough airshow, needed an escort from an F-15 fighter. The top-of-the-line stealth fighter flew from RAF Fairford, only 50 miles away, where it was due to make its international debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo.
When that show was abandoned due to heavy rain, the Raptor’s one scheduled appearance on the opening day of the Farnborough show became, by default, its international debut instead. A UK-based F-15C interceptor joined up with the F-22 after it took off from Fairford, and the pair flew in loose formation to and from Farnborough.
Just a few years ago, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter was widely viewed as the world’s leading next-generation, high-technology aircraft, with no strong Western competitor.
That’s no longer the case.
Saab, the Swedish industrial conglomerate better known in the U.S. for performance cars than airplanes, has impressed potential aircraft buyers with an aggressive marketing campaign for its upgraded Gripen fighter jet.
The Royal Navy was promoted into the maritime superleague yesterday when ministers signed the long-awaited contract for two 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers.
They will be the second biggest of their kind in the world, each the size of the QE2. Only the American Nimitz Class aircraft carriers, at 90,000 tonnes, have a more impressive tonnage.
The Ministry of Defence went ahead despite a stretched defence budget and murmurings about the near £4 billion price tag and the wisdom of building such huge warships.
Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said the signing - on board HMS Ark Royal, one of the existing, much smaller carriers - was
The Netherlands defense ministry refuses to include Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in an evaluation of potential candidates for its next-generation fighter requirement.
Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor also will not be considered, despite a direct request from the country's Parliament to include both U.S. fighters in an evaluation of potential alternatives to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Italian fighters were scrambled yesterday after an RAF transport plane apparently triggered a terror alert.
The C-130 Hercules flew over Rome but failed to respond to repeated efforts to make radio contact after it appeared to veer off course.
The Italian F-16 jets roared into the sky, prepared to shoot the aircraft down.t was identified as friendly only when the fighters made visual contact and communications were established.
Thales is in discussions with possible users of surplus maritime search radars acquired for the UK's BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft, with remanufactured Lockheed P-3 Orions having emerged as lead candidates for the system.
The UK Ministry of Defence ordered 21 Searchwater 2000 MR radars for its MRA4 fleet in 1996, but has so far signed a production order for just nine of the delayed aircraft, which were originally to have entered service in 2003. It also has options to productionise its three development aircraft.
The results of a £300m contract to supply a state-of-the-art tracker to the Royal Navy have now been unveiled. The navy's newly-updated Seawolf system was put through a dry run at the Qinetiq-owned Fraser test site, Eastney, as it tracked a target across the Solent. During the demonstration, the giant, one-ton tracker swivelled from position to position in an instant, panning, rotating and dipping as its target, a Cessna light aircraft, soared across the sea.
The United Arab Emirates is in talks with France to buy advanced Rafale fighter planes to replace its fleet of 63 Mirage 2000 jets, the French president's office said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement said commercial negotiations had not yet started and there was no timetable for a deal, but added that if an accord were struck the first planes, which are built by Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), could be delivered in 2012.
"The discussions will continue in the weeks ahead," President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said.
The Rafale was developed and built at a cost of 28 billion euros over the 20-year life
Aero Vodochody is to co-operate with Saab and Gripen International in the marketing and possible sale of the Czech manufacturer's L-159 advanced light combat aircraft, with their 20 May agreement also to cover the continued development and upgrade of the subsonic trainer for the Czech air force.
Company sources have declined to name potential target countries for the possible sale of L-159A/Bs, around 50 of which are in storage after having been deemed
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