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Pratt & Whitney F135 Completes First Engine Runs at Joint Reserve Base in Support of JSF Flight Tests

FORT WORTH, Texas, June 21, 2006 – The first flight test F135 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has completed successful runs at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The runs took place at an indoor engine test facility that was specially modified to handle the 40,000 pounds of thrust produced by the F135, the most powerful fighter engine ever built. Pratt & Whitney is a business unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
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Source: http://www.pratt-whitney.com/pr_062106.asp

so….any idea what aircraft to replace F-15???

Their F-15Is are only about six or seven years old.

Duotiga meant the F-15 A/B/C/D!

Great news for Australia and NH industries!

Dear folks,
what helicopters does the RAN fly?
Will they be replaced soon?

MRH 90 to Replace Australia’s Sea Kings and Black Hawks

The Australian Government has approved a $ 2 billion acquisition of thirty-four MRH 90 helicopters to replace Navy’s Sea King and Army’s Black Hawk helicopters.

The selection of the MRH 90 complements the Government’s decision in 2004 to acquire an initial twelve MRH 90 helicopters as Army’s additional troop lift helicopter. Delivery of the first twelve is scheduled from December 2007 through to December 2009.

The 34 additional MRH 90s will be assembled in Brisbane. When delivered, the MRH 90s will be based at RAAF base Townsville, Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney and HMAS Albatross in Nowra. A contingent will also be based at a joint training facility at Oakey in Queensland.

The new twin-engine troop lift helicopters will provide opportunities for joint fleet management. These benefits include greater operational flexibility and efficiency through common operational, training and logistic systems and a capability to rotate personnel, aircraft, spare parts and role-specific equipment between troop lift, special operations and maritime support commitments.

The MRH 90 is an extremely capable helicopter featuring a modern damage tolerant design, a large cabin volume with ramp and enhanced levels of marinisation.

The Sea Kings will be retired in 2010, followed by the Black Hawks which will be progressively replaced between 2011 and 2015.

As these MRH 90 aircraft will be assembled in Australia this acquisition of at least 34 aircraft will provide significant opportunities for Australian industry and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will gain an operating capability within a relatively short time-frame.

The emphasis of the Australian industry package, worth $1.2 billion, is on the development and sustainment of critical aircraft mission system capability. The long term viability of the Australian MRH 90 assembly line will be maximized, ensuring greater development of the skill base required to support the MRH 90 into the future through a strategy aimed at promoting Australian industry as part of the Eurocopter global supply chain.

Source: http://www.rotorhub.com – MRH 90 to Replace Australia’s Sea Kings and Black Hawks

I presume then, that both planes won’t have Camo paint.

I wonder, if you can soon use mobiles on the flight, could you also use CD/MD-Players and Laptops?
Of course, without disturbing other passengers! 🙂

First Great Britain, then Austrailia, now Canada and maybe next Sweden….
Great news for the C-17, Boeing and those countries.

Liberal defense spokesman Ujjal Dosanjh said Ottawa would buy the C-17s directly from the U.S. government, thereby ensuring that the maintenance of the aircraft would be done in the United States and not in Canada.

Source: Reuters

Très chic!!!