Military Aviation News and Discussion

oldsig127

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
It is 2020 so my question is are allied forces that have F-35s and depend on MRTTs confident they can do the job? Clearly the KC-46, at the moment, can’t. Then there are the QA problems which are a separate issue. Lastly, the “Pacific pivot“, IMO, made the MRTT a better choice for this reason due to capacity and range.
RAAF has been using them with F-35 for a couple of years now with no issues reported to my knowledge. There were a few teething problems at first (pre-F35) - hardly surprising for the launch customer. They flew operationally over Iraq from October 2014 supporting coalition air forces including the USAF

oldsig
 

swerve

Super Moderator
Source.

Summery: Airbus had to rewrite the Boom control software because it had issues with the asymmetrical receptival on F15.or perhaps better phrasing is F15 had issues with the A330MRTT. The Issue was noted well refueling F15SG models of Singapore. The fighter had a tendency to yaw left when boomed. The fighter also was flying into the boom on disconnecting. Australia noted similar issues in 2015.
From your report, it looks like a problem which could be handled by aircrew, & which has at least partly been fixed.
 

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
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  • #383
The Chinook has flown for the first time with the GE T408 engines, the same as those that power the Sikorsky CH-53K. These engines are rated at 7,500 shp, 2,500 shp more than the Honeywell Aerospace T55-GA-714A which current power the Ch-47F at 5,000 shp. The US Army has no intention of ordering Chinooks with the new engine, but there is nothing stopping foreign customers from doing so.

 

t68

Well-Known Member
The Chinook has flown for the first time with the GE T408 engines, the same as those that power the Sikorsky CH-53K. These engines are rated at 7,500 shp, 2,500 shp more than the Honeywell Aerospace T55-GA-714A which current power the Ch-47F at 5,000 shp. The US Army has no intention of ordering Chinooks with the new engine, but there is nothing stopping foreign customers from doing so.

I wonder how much it gains in either improved weight carrying capacity, speed or operating in hot and high altitudes
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
An Ukrainian militairy aircraft crashed today in the eastrrn part of Ukraine during landing, with 28 people on baord.
22 bodies are found and at least two persons on board survived the crash and are taken to the hospital.


Edit: it seems to be an An-26.
 
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John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Germany has canceled its intention to procure heavy lift helicopters due to cost and concerns with COVID. This must be a significant disappointment for the German military and it may be just the start. European members of NATO will also be disappointed but may see it as a green light to trim some of their programs as well (except Eastern members). At this point, I assume Germany doesn’t much care about Trump’s response.
 

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
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  • #388
This article provides some additional information on palletized cruise missiles launched from a C-17, basically turning the Globemaster into an arsenal plane. A shame C-17 production has ended.:(

Yep it is, but thems the breaks. Your beloved great leader could always launch them out of the back end of C295 that he bought :p They're cheaper to replace than a C-17 or C-130J.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Yep it is, but thems the breaks. Your beloved great leader could always launch them out of the back end of C295 that he bought :p They're cheaper to replace than a C-17 or C-130J.
A C-27J would have been a better choice for FWSAR but at least the C295 got ordered. No pointly end kit for the C295, that would hurt junior’s image of kumbya Canada.:eek:
 

swerve

Super Moderator
This article provides some additional information on palletized cruise missiles launched from a C-17, basically turning the Globemaster into an arsenal plane. A shame C-17 production has ended.:(

Airbus tried to persuade the UK & France to take an interest in a similar system quite a while ago, for launching Storm Shadow/Scalp. I seem to remember that they had suggestions for using A340s (the -200, IIRC) as missile launchers, & later, a proposal for pallets for dropping out of the back of the A400M similar to the system shown.
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group

Interesting, so US basically open both F-35 and F-18 packages. Finland it self already put the budget on USD 12 bio. Both packages over that, but F-35 is the closest one, although in my opinion Boeing offering attractive competitive ShorNet package on E/F/G variance.

Finland AF is long time Hornet users, and when many in Europe went with F-16, they went with F-18 just like Swiss and Spain. This is will be close competition between both US asset, and perhaps Gripen can also give close competition too.
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
Good news for china....

OCTOBER 2020

Nigeria to get more armed UAVs from China

by Jeremy Binnie

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will soon receive eight armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to its commander, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

The NAF has operated Chinese-made CH-3 UAVs that can carry guided weapons since at least January 2015, when photographs of one that crashed revealed their acquisition.

General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US military’s Africa Command, said in April 2019 that the NAF used its CH-3s infrequently due to their “poor quality”.

Complete article at: Nigeria to get more armed UAVs from China


I actually wonder about the quality of other chinese UAVs like the CH-4 (the MALE UAV which design is 'inspired by the MQ-9'). This model is already operated by several countries.
 
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ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
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  • #393
Boeing's having more bad press with the US Army immediately halting all deliveries of Apaches because of improper record keeping of parts being fitted to the aircraft during the manufacturing process. Just keeps on getting worse, especially as this is not the first time that the US Army has halted Apache deliveries because of Boeing incompetency.

 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member

Interesting, so US basically open both F-35 and F-18 packages. Finland it self already put the budget on USD 12 bio. Both packages over that, but F-35 is the closest one, although in my opinion Boeing offering attractive competitive ShorNet package on E/F/G variance.

Finland AF is long time Hornet users, and when many in Europe went with F-16, they went with F-18 just like Swiss and Spain. This is will be close competition between both US asset, and perhaps Gripen can also give close competition too.
Well, Spain will replace the EF-18 with more EF2000s, from the latest tranche, which is a logic decision.
 

Big_Zucchini

Well-Known Member

A Saudi report, eh?
Hmmm... smells like fake news.

I don't see how the F-22 program can be restarted especially when the US is already looking towards a 6th gen aircraft.
The hope was to maybe restart it with an F-35/F-22 hybrid for Japan, with Japanese funding. But that did not work.

But access to SBIRS is already a very good thing to have.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Too bad it’s fake, I am guessing there would be a few other customers besides Israel but all would be behind the the current user which could definitely use some additional jets unless the NGAD fighter is just around the corner.
 

Big_Zucchini

Well-Known Member
Tiny Israel cannot possibly foot the $10 billion bill for merely restarting production. But I think getting exclusive or at least very early access to the PCA would be a very good counterweight to Arab access to the F-35, along with SBIRS access.
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group
Israel cannot possibly foot the $10 billion bill for merely restarting production.
USD 10 Bio can be foot if Saudi also got involve with the restarting the program. After all the source of this info coming from Saudi.

Who knows Saudi's actually the ones that want to have F-22 Production line being restart. After all they're also looking for potential replacement for their F-15C/D.
 

Big_Zucchini

Well-Known Member
USD 10 Bio can be foot if Saudi also got involve with the restarting the program. After all the source of this info coming from Saudi.

Who knows Saudi's actually the ones that want to have F-22 Production line being restart. After all they're also looking for potential replacement for their F-15C/D.
The whole point of greenlighting an F-22 sale to Israel is to gain an edge over Arab countries that might gain access to the F-35.
Giving Saudis the F-22 beats the entire purpose.
 
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