NAVAIR Issues V-22 Osprey Contracts Worth $1.17B

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

The USA's Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD has issued a series of contracts over the last week or so related to the twin-engine V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft. The V-22 Osprey remains controversial given its $100 million per plane cost perform...

DPRK: US carries out over 180 aerial espionage ops in December

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

It's time again for the monthly update on reported US spy flights over North Korea. In November, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reported 210 reconnaissance flights. Today, according to Chinese sta...

Arms sales to Pakistan, India in 2006: Rivalry could put US ‘on the hook’

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

WASHINGTON: The Bush administration is manoeuvring to balance possible big new US arms sales to archrivals India and Pakistan in the New Year. In the past week, US Vice President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have made separate visits, not announced in advance, to...

Poland Takes Over as NATO Policeman of Baltic Airspace

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

Poland on Dec. 30 became the first former communist state to patrol the airspace of the Baltic states when it took over a NATO air police mission from the United States at a ceremony in Lithuania. ”I believe that this mission will be successful. Polish pilots are in charge of their...

Russia to begin supplying Su-30MKM fighters to Malaysia in 2006

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

IRKUTSK, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - Russian aircraft-makers will begin supplying Su-30MKM fighters to Malaysia in 2006, officials at the Irkut research and production corporation told Itar-Tass on Thursday. Although the 900-million-dollar contract to manufacture 18 Su-30MKM aircraft w...

Boeing test-fires anti-ballistic-missile laser

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

The prospect of shooting down enemy ballistic missiles has tantalized the Pentagon for decades. But developing missile defense weapons is costly - about $100 billion has been spent on them since 1985 - and littered with failures.

El Al to install anti-missile systems on six passenger jets

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

El Al Israel Airlines will install anti-missile systems on six passenger jets that fly to areas where the Al-Qaida terror network has been active, a transportation official said Friday. Installation of the $1 million Flight Guard systems - meant to obstruct a ground-to-air missile fir...

£40bn Saudi fighter jet deal brings RAF shortage fears

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

SAUDI Arabia plans to buy more than 200 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the UK in a deal worth up to £40bn including spares, maintenance and training over the next 20 years, The Herald has learned.

'Pentagon to kill F-35 back-up engine'

Posted at: Fri Dec 30th, 2005

WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 30 : The Pentagon has decided to kill a planned back-up engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive U.S. warplane program ever, in a boost to United Technologies Corp. and a blow to rivals, a well-placed defense consultant said on Thursday.