Additional Orders For DRAC Air Vehicles For The French Army
Cassidian has been notified by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) of the confirmation of additional orders for DRAC air vehicles and systems for the French Army.
The DRAC mini-UAV close-range reconnaissance system is intended to enhance the intelligence seeking and reconnaissance capabilities of front-line army units.
Indonesia set to purchase 16 T-50 jets
Indonesia will buy 16 T-50 Golden Eagle trainers from Korea next year to beef up the country’s Air Force capabilities, an Indonesian newspaper reported yesterday.
An ejector seat containing a test dummy is fired out of a replica F-35 cockpit being propelled along at more than 600mph
Yonhap: S. Korea beefs up air offensive posture against N. Korean threats: commander
Park said he is hurrying the acquisition of the Joint Direct Attack Munition, a precision-guided bomb better known as JDAM.
Aviation Week: New F-35 Cost Concerns Emerge
The embattled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is facing the threat of $3 billion or more in higher costs related to taxes and tariffs on components and subassemblies traveling around its international supply network.
A pic is worth…..
Good day all, Tay.
The Rafale’s wingtip rail and outboard pylon appears to have some EW function?
Air Force to Fly Hypersonic Aircraft in Global Strike Test
The U.S. Air Force on Thursday intends to test a developmental hypersonic drone aircraft as part of an initiative to provide the United States with the ability to deliver conventional warheads to any location across the globe in just minutes, the Los Angeles Times reported
“In fiscal year 2012, we will begin weaponizing the X-51 research vehicle,” Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science Stephen Walker informed Congress earlier this month.
Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted Again by Amateur Skywatchers
After an intense search, a crew of amateur satellite sleuths has spotted the U.S. Air Force’s second X-37B space plane – a robotic spacecraft that launched into orbit March 5.
The mission of the unmanned X-37B space plane, which is known officially as the Orbital Test Vehicle 2 (OTV-2), is shrouded in secrecy.
NASA and U.S. Air Force eye chicken fat as jet fuel
Maybe it’s to offset the high price of chicken, but NASA and the U.S. Air Force could soon be fueling their aircraft on jet fuel derived from recycled chicken fat.
Seventeen organizations are participating in Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment II, or AAFEX II, to see if hydrotreated renewable jet fuel is a viable, eco-friendly fuel for jets.
PICTURES: Italy’s first T-346A trainer makes flight debut
The Italian air force’s first T-346A advanced jet trainer made a 40min debut flight from Alenia Aermacchi’s Venegono production site on 31 March
Global Observer [UAV] crashes at Edwards
The Global Observer crashed about 2:30 a.m. near the southwest corner of Rogers Dry Lakebed, according to a statement from the base.
Edwards officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
India approves buy of four more Boeing P-8s
The four P-8Is come on top of the eight India ordered in 2009, for delivery between 2013 and 2015, and would be delivered after 2015, Boeing Military Aircraft President Chris Chadwick told Dow Jones.
What matters is overall cost per target.
BTW, who said cheap? For the same performance*, they’ll be cheaper than piloted aircraft, but they won’t be cheap.
*But a Taranis/Neuron derivative will have lower performance than a piloted multi-role aircraft, in most respects. It’ll probably be superior only in range.
Agree that cost per target is important. UCAVs could possibly be cheaper than stand off munitions like Tomahawks, AASM and Storm Shadow.
They’ll have lower performance if they’re are powered by non-reheat turbofans but’ll probably have higher persistence. They do not need to carry the weight of pilots, ejection seats, OBOGs, canopy.
The lower performance can be made up with numbers and combat radius. e.g. UCAVs enforcing no fly zones with BVR missiles. A UCAV and Typhoon each with 6 Meteor have similar firepower but there can be more UCAVs loitering around at lower cost. Most current combat aircraft fly at transonic speeds to maximize range and persistence.
It might be interesting to have 2 seat F15 silent eagles as mini sentinels and controllers for UCAVs carrying the munitions.
People’s Liberation Army Air Force 2010
by National Air & Space Intelligence Centre (NASIC) 01-08-2010
NZ Air force selling off mothballed Devons
The De Havilland Devons – bought in the early 1950s as navigation trainers – have been put up for sale, joining the 34 mothballed Skyhawk and Aermacchi jets that have been in storage since they were put up for sale 10 years ago.