BY: ITWeb Limited

Denel Dynamics, the smart weapons division of the state arms maker, is conceptualising a new high-performance radar-guided missile that, if it comes to fruition, will provide SA's fleet of Gripen advanced light fighter aircraft its main punch.

The advanced weapon will also have substantial export potential and could gain the country billions of rand in foreign exchange in addition to boosting the local ICT skills and know-how base.

BY : The australian

In a push to stem rising concern about the future of the aircraft, which is yet to go into full-scale production, senior company officials, including Lockheed's chief test pilot, yesterday sought to reassure Canberra that the JSF was still the best aircraft for the RAAF's strategic air combat needs.

Costing up to $16 billion, it will also be Australia's most expensive defence purchase.

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon is expected to decide later this month whether to proceed with the acquisition of up to 100 of the so-called fifth-generation jet aircraft.

BY : Finmeccanica PR



Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company, unveiled today the first M-346 new generation advanced trainer in the baseline industrial configuration.
The aircraft was rolled out from the Alenia Aermacchi factory at Venegono Superiore, in the presence of top-level military and industrial leaders.

The first pre-series M-346 simultaneously bears witness to and reinforces the great maturity of the program which - thanks to the intensive development work

BY : The Palm Beach Post


Shannon Bobbitt was on her way home from work on State Road 70 Monday, her 8-year-old son in the passenger's seat and her cell phone to her ear as she chatted with her husband.

Heading west on the familiar two-lane highway outside of Okeechobee, her view was blocked by a mini-van that suddenly swerved out of the way.

BY : Eurofighter Typhoon 2008

For the first time, all four Eurofighter Typhoon core Air Forces from Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom combined their skills for a mutual exercise at Morón Air Force Base, near Sevilla, upon invitation of the Spanish Air Force. Codenamed “Typhoon Meet”, the deployment commenced on Monday 10 March and officially ends on Friday 14 March.

In total, 20 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft take part in the exercise: the German Air Force deployed three aircraft from Fighter Wing 73 “Steinhoff” from Rostock-Laage; Italy’s Gruppo XII 36 Stormo, based at Gioia del Colle, and Gruppo IX 4 Stormo, at Grosseto, both sent two aircraft; a total of four weapon systems came out of the

BY : Typicallyspanish



Spain’s largest aircraft carrier was launched in Ferrol last night. ‘Juan Carlos I’ has cost 360 million € and will be handed over to the Spanish Navy in a years time, and be ready for service in two. She has four times as many features and abilities than the current carrier ‘Principe de Asturias’.

'Juan Carlos I' moved down the slipway at 6,09 pm last night, to coincide with the high tide, after Queen Sofia had blessed the ship and named her with the traditional bottle of Champaign. The Spanish National Anthem was played as the vessel entered the water, to the cheers of thousands of locals who had gone down to the docks to

BY : JANES

The UK has made a significant change to its weapons fit plans for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

The original UK intention was to clear four MBDA Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAMs) for internal carriage but this has been revised to include two internal and two external weapons instead.

The configuration change was agreed with the JSF Program Office in the United States late last year and was shown in public for the first time during the Singapore

BY : Dassault Aviation




Mr. Eric Trappier Rafale International Managing Director has inaugurated the Rafale International office, located 80-88 Syngrou Avenue, 117 41 Athens in presence of H. E. Mr Christophe Farnaud, Ambassador of France in Greece, during a ceremony held at the French Embassy.

Rafale International three partners have been supplying aircraft to Greece since 1974, with the purchase of 40 Mirage F1 at first, followed by the signature in 1985 of the TALOS contract for the acquisition of 40 Mirage 2000.

BY : Alamogordo Daily News

The first-ever woman to pilot a German air force Tornado fighter plane has graduated from the German Air Force Flying Training Center at Holloman Air Force Base.

"I think she is a hero in all of Germany because she is the first female pilot," Senior Master Sgt. Robert Meints, GAFFTC spokesman, said of 2nd Lt. Ulrike Flender.

Meints said stories about the pilot were aired on German television in November and December. She graduated in December.

"She's something kind of like a star in Germany," Meints said.

BY : webwire

Yesterday, a BAE Systems Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) destined for the Indian Air Force, became the first ever Hawk aircraft to make its maiden flight from the Brough site.

The jet, the 22nd aircraft out of 24 being built in the UK for the Indian Air Force (IAF), takes its place in history as the first aircraft designed, manufactured, fully assembled, tested and to make its maiden flight from the Brough site.

The history making flight is just the latest of recent successes on the Indian Hawk programme, which sees BAE Systems delivering a total training package to the IAF.