[Lightning]

Exercício "Vigiar e Actuar 2009"

Decorrerá entre os dias 30 de Março e 2 de Abril, no Campo de Tiro de Alcochete (CTA) e no Centro de Formação Militar e Técnica da Força Aérea (CFMTFA), na Ota, o exercício "Vigiar e Actuar 2009", organizado pelo Gabinete Coordenador de Segurança Militar da Força Aérea.

Neste exercício, constituído por quatro provas (Tiro, Orientação e Topografia, Combate Táctico e Pista de Obstáculos, participarão todas as Unidades da Força Aérea, que organicamente dispõem de uma Esquadra ou Esquadrilha de Polícia Aérea.

O "Vigiar e Actuar 2009" terá como objectivo fundamental testar e aferir a capacidade operacional das forças responsáveis pela segurança interna e defesa imediata das Unidades e Órgãos da Força Aérea, através da avaliação das suas capacidades físicas, técnicas e tácticas, bem como treinar procedimentos logísticos, administrativos e processuais, relativos à movimentação de significativos meios humanos e logísticos.

Este exercício envolverá cerca de 120 militares incluindo participantes, comissão organizadora, árbitros e pessoal de apoio.

http://www.emfa.pt/www/detalhe.php?cod=045.263&lang=pt

[Lightning]

Centro de Treino Cinotécnico da Força Aérea organiza o “Kanicross 2009”

Decorrerá entre os dias 16 e 18 de Março, no Aeródromo de Manobra Nº1, em Maceda, o “Kanicross 2009”, um exercício de avaliação de equipas cinotécnicas, organizado pelo Centro de Treino Cinotécnico da Força Aérea (CTCFA) desde 2004.

Neste exercício, constituído por 21 obstáculos ao longo de oito quilómetros, participarão não só todas as Secções Cinotécnicas da Força Aérea, mas também equipas da PSP e do Exército (Pára-quedistas). O “Kanicross 2009” contará ainda com uma delegação da GNR, como elemento de observação.

A competição é destinada a testar a capacidade física do cão e do seu treinador, assim como a capacidade de controlo do cão, por parte do tratador e as suas capacidades de tiro. É também tida em conta a motivação do cão em acompanhar o seu treinador sob circunstâncias difíceis e exigentes.

Este exercício destina-se a avaliar o grau de preparação das equipas Cinotécnicas para o cumprimento das missões que lhes são atribuídas, assim como suscitar e desenvolver em todo o pessoal ligado aos cães uma saudável competição que contribua para melhorar a instrução e o emprego das equipas Cinotécnicas.

A utilização de equipas Cinotécnicas na Segurança Interna e Defesa Imediata das Unidades e Órgãos da Força Aérea como meios activos do dispositivo implementado, implica um treino continuado, abrangendo variadas vertentes, com destaque para a componente técnica a que é necessário aliar a destreza física e o conhecimento mútuo dos componentes da equipa.

http://www.emfa.pt/www/detalhe.php?cod=045.262&lang=pt

[ShadIntel]

Murtha Wants Speedy Mixed Air Force Tanker Buy

The top U.S. House defense appropriator is pushing a plan on Capitol Hill to speed the Air Force's years-long saga to buy new aerial tankers by giving work to both the Boeing and Northrop Grumman-EADS teams.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., is chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense.

Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, told a conference in Washington on March 12 that he is in talks with House and Senate Appropriations panel leaders to increase supplemental defense funding to finally end the decade-long KC-135 replacement effort.

His idea, floated during a conference at the National Press Club sponsored by Aviation Week and McAleese & Associates, is to inflate the $67 billion supplemental request the Obama administration will send to Congress in coming weeks with funds tagged for the competition and "development work" on each team's planes.

By putting the funds in the second 2009 supplemental, the Air Force would "get the planes sooner" than if appropriators waited to put the monies in the 2010 defense budget, due to Congress late in April.

Murtha's plan, if included in the final version of the supplemental, would add a new twist to the tanker saga by requiring the Air Force to buy some number of both planes.

Boeing and Northrop-EADS still would compete under the Murtha plan, but not for the entire 179-plane, $35 billion contract. Whichever team the service deems "put forward the best proposal would get more" of the 179-plane pie, he said, and the other team would get a lesser number.

That differs from talk of a "split buy," under which the Air Force would buy an equal number from each team.

Senior Air Force and Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, oppose buying both planes under the KC-135 replacement program because they say sustainment and maintenance costs would be too high.

Asked by Defense News whether a mixed buy would keep the team awarded fewer KC-X tankers from protesting the decision, a move that could again delay the program by years, Murtha said lawmakers were still working through details of his plan.

"We hope we can work it out," Murtha said.

Asked whether a mixed or split buy would satisfy Boeing brass, Murtha grinned and replied: "Boeing will do what we ask them to do. They will be happy to get a tanker. ... Boeing has put a lot of money into this."

His comments came almost 24 hours after Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, House Armed Services air and land subcommittee chairman, told the same conference he supports splitting the contract between Boeing and Northrop-EADS.

Abercrombie told reporters that because the Boeing and Northrop-EADS planes have different attributes, the Air Force could simply operate them in different regions of the globe.

Murtha and Abercrombie shot down a March 10 CQ Politics article that the White House Office of Management and Budget had ordered the Pentagon to delay the KC-X competition by five years to cut costs as part of the soon-to-conclude 2010 defense budget deliberations.

"That is just not true," a stern-sounding Murtha told the conference.

Defense News

[P44]

Greece has ordered a total of 170 F-16s in four batches, and will begin to take delivery in May of the final batch of 30 Block 52+ aircraft. An earlier F-16D Block 52+ is shown here. (Photo I. Lekkas)

Lockheed Martin, Hellenic Air Force Celebrate Inauguration of Newest Advanced F-16 Fighter
   
   
(Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company; issued March 19, 2009)

FORT WORTH, Texas --- Ceremonies were held today at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, to commemorate the F-16 Peace Xenia IV program for Greece. The ceremony marks an important production milestone, demonstrating that the program is on schedule and on budget. This F-16 acquisition is the fourth for the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and the nation of Greece.

Lt. Gen. Ioannis Giagkos, chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, accepted the first Peace Xenia IV F-16 Block 52 advanced aircraft on behalf of his nation and expressed satisfaction with its timely delivery. "I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the design and construction of this ultra-modern weapon system. With these new aircraft, the defense and deterrent force of the Hellenic Air Force will be significantly enhanced," he said.

U.S. officials attending the ceremony included Bruce Lemkin, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. Hosting the ceremony were Ralph D. Heath, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin and president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; Dennys Plessas, vice president of business development in Greece; and John Larson, vice president of F-16 Programs.

"Lockheed Martin is pleased that through this government-to-government agreement, we are able to offer for the first time, a fully integrated and comprehensive weapon system, including a self-protection system, weapons and other subsystems which make this advanced version of the F-16 particularly effective for the operational needs of the Hellenic Air Force," said Plessas. "The recent completion of the infrastructure facilities as a special project in conjunction with this aircraft buy at Araxos Air Base, 116 Combat Wing guarantees the immediate use of this weapon system by the Hellenic Air Force."

"The F-16 we see before us today is a symbol of our 66-year friendship with the Hellenic Air Force, providing a path for the future to the next generation in aircraft with the F-35, as we continue to deliver on our promises between Lockheed Martin and the country of Greece," said Larson.

The Peace Xenia IV purchase program raises the total fighters ordered by the HAF to 170. The aircraft rolled out today is the first of 30 Block 52 Advanced F-16s being produced in the newest lot. The HAF received the F-16 Block 30 version starting in 1988, the Block 50 version starting in 1997 and the Block 52+ version in 2003. Greece has been a Lockheed Martin customer since 1943, when it acquired its first squadron of Martin A-30 Baltimore Mk III, IV and Vs.

The Peace Xenia IV program includes 20 F-16Cs and 10 F-16Ds, all powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine. This first aircraft - a single-seat F-16C model - was accepted by the U.S. government (as agent for Greece in the Foreign Military Sales process) in January 2009, one month ahead of schedule. The U.S. government also accepted the first two-seat F-16D version in January. The first four aircraft will be ferried to Greece in May with the remainder following in 2009 and 2010.(Emphasis added—Ed.)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The F-16 is the choice of 25 nations. More than 4,400 aircraft have been delivered worldwide from assembly lines in five countries. The F-16 program has been characterized by unprecedented international cooperation among governments, air forces and aerospace industries. Major upgrades to all F-16 versions are being incorporated to keep the fleet modern and fully supportable over the aircraft's long service life.


Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

-ends-

[pchunter]

Embraer vende 24 super tucano Para o Equador.

(Sao Jose dos Campos, March 23, 2009) -- Embraer confirms signing the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) for the sale of 24 Super Tucano turboprop aircraft, through a contract that was finalized last year. The tandem seat airplanes will be used on border patrol missions and for pilot training. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2009.

"We are honored to expand our relationship with the Ecuadorian Government, which already operates many Embraer aircraft models," said Orlando Jose Ferreira Neto, Executive Vice President, Defense and Government Market. "The Super Tucano is the ideal aircraft for surveillance and training missions and we are certain it will fully meet the needs of the Ecuadorian Air Force. With this contract, we have now sold a total of 169 Super Tucano planes."

Relations between Embraer and the Ecuadorian Government have become much closer in recent years. TAME Linea Aerea del Ecuador, a state-owned airline, currently operates two EMBRAER 170 and three EMBRAER 190 jets. In September 2008, Embraer delivered a 50-seat ERJ 145 jet to the state-owned Petroecuador company, which uses the aircraft to transport employees between its business units within the country, and in December FAE received a 13-seat Legacy 600 jet.

The deal with FAE includes an extensive Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) package and an advanced Training and Operation Support System (TOSS), covering not only the aircraft, but also ground support stations and a flight simulator.

This is the fourth export contract signed by Embraer to supply Super Tucano aircraft to a Latin American air force. In August 2008, the Company announced a contract with the Chilean Air Force (FACh) for the sale of 12 aircraft, and at the beginning of 2009 it confirmed the sale of eight planes to the Dominican Republic Air Force. The Super Tucano currently operates in the air forces of Brazil and Colombia, successfully carrying out border patrol and other missions.

Source : Embraer

http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail/19850/Embraer_Confirms_Sale_of_24_Super_Tucano_Airplanes_to_Equador.htm

[pchunter]

US Air Force F-22 Raptor crashes in California
By Jon Ostrower

A Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has crashed near Edwards Air Force base in California, the US Air Force confirms.

According to a US Air Force statement, the highly advanced fifth-generation fighter went down in the area of Harper Dry Lake about 35 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Based.

The crash occurred around 10:30 AM local time while the aircraft on a test mission.

The status of the pilot is currently unknown.

F-22 USAF

Edwards Air Force base is home to the 411th & 412th Flight Test Squadron responsible for developmental tests of F-22 enhancements and modernization.

In 2004, an F-22 Raptor crashed on a training mission in the Nevada desert.

A prototype YF-22 aircraft crashed on landing at Edwards Air Force Base in April 1992 during flight testing.

Most recently in October of 2007, an F-22 nearly crashed at Edwards after suffering a brief, dual-engine flameout while performing a negative-g 360-degree roll while testing a new weapons loadout.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/03/25/324350/us-air-force-f-22-raptor-crashes-in-california.html

[Lancero]

Northrop Grumman Announces Customer Order for 500th LITENING Advanced
Targeting and Sensor Pod

   ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. - March 26, 2009 - Northrop Grumman
Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced that the LITENING targeting and
sensor pod set another milestone by becoming the first 3rd generation
system to book customer orders for over 500 pods.

   The company's latest contract win from the United States Marine
Corp and Air National Guard for the LITENING G4 targeting and sensor
pods placed the company over the 500 pod threshold. Delivery of these
LITENING G4 pods will start in mid 2009.

   "100 percent of all target identification for 100 percent of
all weapons employed by my squadron was done using LITENING Video Down
Link to the JTAC and Ground Commander," said Major Rich Hunt, 104th FS
Weapons & Tactics Officer, Air National Guard, Martin State Airfield in
Baltimore. "The pod was used constantly to ensure 100 percent positive
identification of friendlies and civilians to prevent fratricide and
collateral damage. The pod just always worked."

   "With 543 total pods fielded or on order, LITENING has become
the pod of choice for both U.S. and coalition forces," said Mike
Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance programs at
Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division. "Currently, there are
more LITENING pods deployed and in use than any other advanced
targeting system, providing the warfighter with unprecedented
capabilities to survive, prosecute and destroy the enemy."

   LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT) pods have proven their combat
capabilities and inherent flexibility to adapt to changing operational
requirements. Rapid integration on a wide variety of aircraft (AV-8B,
A-10A/C, B-52H, EA-6Bs, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18s) serving all components
of the U.S. Air Force (active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force
Reserve Command), the U.S. Marine Corps (active duty and reserves), the
Italian and Spanish navies, the Israeli Air Force, the Royal Australian
Air Force, the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Finnish Air Force and
the Portuguese Air Force, in addition to the wide fielding of internal
data links, are just two examples of the benefits realized by the
warfighter. Additionally, LITENING has pioneered such advanced
targeting technologies as precisely aligned and stable sensors;
coordinated air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities through laser
spot search and track and laser markers; and J-series weapons
employment capabilities.

   LITENING Gen 4 is the next step in the evolution of the
LITENING family and applies the latest in sensor technology to achieve
unprecedented levels of target detection, recognition and
identification ranges. The LITENING Gen 4 technology and capability is
also available in a kit form that allows current LITENING users to
upgrade their currently fielded LITENING pods to this new and advanced
standard.

   Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security
company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products,
and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems,
shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial
customers worldwide.

[pchunter]

Cada cavadela sua minhoca! Desta vez o V-22

Fifth V-22 with loose bolts points to design problem
By Stephen Trimble

US Naval Air Systems Command confirms today that a fifth MV-22 -- and the first US-based aircraft – is afflicted with the same “loose bolts” problem that caused the fleet to be grounded earlier this week

This discovery means all “high-time” V-22 airframes may have a safety-critical design problem, and is not isolated to the four Iraq-based MV-22s previously found with the problem.

The bolts are used to attach a swashplate that controls the pitch of the propeller blade. If the swashplate comes loose during flight, the aircraft could crash.

“You would essentially lose control of the aircraft,” Col Matt Mulhern, V-22 programme manager, told FlightGlobal.com.

While a root-cause investigation is ongoing, NAVAIR officials believe a design change will likely be required to ensure bolts in the proprotor cannot come loose, which if left unchecked would cause the aircraft to spin out of control.

Mulhern notes that investigators have not ruled out potential defects in maintenance or manufacturing either. But the new fact that both aircraft in Iraq and the US are affected suggests that poor maintenance is not a driving factor.

“We’re going to eventually need a material fix for this” problem, Mulhern said.

The problem was discovered on Saturday after an MV-22 landed at Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq. The crew heard strange noises, and the inspection found the bolts rattling loose inside one of the MV-22’s two engine nacelles. The bolts appear to have shaken loose after the aircraft landed, which could offer a clue to investigators.

“That has raised questions about what happens [to the bolts] when you take the load off of [the prop-rotor],” Mulhern said.

Two days after the first discovery, the USMC grounded all 73 MV-22s and 11 CV-22s for inspections as a safety precaution. Immediately, the inspections identified three more MV-22s at Al-Asad with loose bolts on the same component, although the bolts had not fallen completely from their holes.

Programme officials had hoped the problem was contained to the MV-22s deployed to Iraq, which could have suggested that the more intense operations were a contributing factor.

Instead, the discovery of the MV-22 based at New River, North Carolina, on Wednesday, changed the focus of the investigation. All five MV-22s shared a common trait as among the most “high-time” airframes in the fleet.

The “loose bolts” problem comes at a sensitive time for the programme. The Pentagon is preparing the final version of the Fiscal 2010 budget request. The US Special Operations Command is interested in accelerating purchases of CV-22s over the next five years.

“This is an event that aircraft go through, and it was a precautionary grounding,” Mulhern said. “But you’re always worried about how the politics play out.”

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/03/26/324440/fifth-v-22-with-loose-bolts-points-to-design-problem.html

[Lancero]

Northrop Grumman's LITENING Precision Targeting System
Surpasses One Million Operational Hours Milestone

   ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. – April 13, 2009 – Northrop Grumman
Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced the achievement of over one
million operational hours for the company's LITENING precision
targeting and sensor systems currently deployed with U.S. and allied
forces.

   "LITENING continues to be the precision targeting system most
called on, indicated by the one million operational hours milestone,"
said Mike Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance Programs
at Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division. "LITENING has
pioneered such advanced targeting technologies as precisely aligned and
stable sensors, coordinated air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities
through laser spot search and track and laser markers, data links for
coordinated air-ground attack and J-series weapons employment
capabilities, and we continue to refine our system today as proven by
the cutting-edge LITENING G4."

   Of the more than one million hours accumulated to date, just
under half have been logged under deployed and combat conditions, with
an operational availability of over 97 percent for over two consecutive
years, performance unequaled in industry, Lennon noted.

   LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT) pods have proven their combat
capabilities and inherent flexibility to adapt to changing operational
requirements. Rapid integration on a wide variety of aircraft (AV-8B,
A-10A/C, B-52H, EA-6Bs, F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18s), plus the wide
fielding of internal data links are just two examples of the benefits
realized by the warfighter. Customers for LITENING include all
components of the U.S. Air Force (active duty, Air National Guard (ANG)
and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)), the U.S. Marine Corps (active
duty and reserves), the Italian and Spanish navies, the Israeli Air
Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Netherlands Air Force,
the Finnish Air Force and the Portuguese Air Force.

   Since its introduction in 1999 with the ANG and AFRC, the
LITENING system has undergone four spiral upgrades to ensure continued
combat relevance in an ever-changing battlespace. LITENING G4 is the
next step in the evolution of the LITENING family and applies the
latest in sensor technology to achieve unprecedented levels of target
detection, recognition and identification ranges. The LITENING G4 pod
includes an advanced 1k forward-looking infrared sensor, a 1,024 x
1,024 pixel charge-coupled device (1k CCD), laser target imaging,
advanced high power laser and advanced next-generation data links.
Deliveries of the LITENING G4 system will begin in mid-2009.

   The LITENING G4 technology and capability is also available in
a kit form that allows existing LITENING users to upgrade their
currently fielded LITENING pods to this new and advanced standard.

   Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security
company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products,
and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems,
shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial
customers worldwide.

[old]

La Fuerza Aérea italiana se podría enfrentar en un futuro cercano a una degradación de sus capacidades, incluyendo la disminución de su flota de aviones de combate y entrenamiento debido a la rebaja de presupuestos de las Fuerzas Armadas.

Según el AJJEMA italiano, si los recortes continúan, hay riesgo de que toda la flota de AMX sea dada de baja, además de la reducción del número de aviones de entrenamiento MB-339, cosa esta última que no se podría paliar del todo con el uso de simuladores. En el aire quedaría también la escuadrilla acrobática italiana, Frecce Tricolori.

En los pasados tres años, la AMI ha visto reducidas sus horas de vuelo de 116000 a 87500, con la intención en un futuro cercano de operar solo dos tipos de aviones de combate, el Typhoon y el JSF.

La flota actual de 95 Tornado y 65 AMX se ha de ver reducida a 50 aviones de cada avión para el 2014. Del JSF se espera la compra de cien aviones, 60 F-35A y 40 F-35B . Esta última variante entrará primero en servicio para sustituir a los AMX.

De los 121 aviones comprometidos del programa Eurofighter, se espera que se puedan comprar 100.

Enter los varios programas de adquisición y modernización de aviones, uno de los puntos importantes será el modelo que sustituya al único G-222VS de recogida de información electrónica, siendo al parecer favorito el Gulfstream G550 modificado por IAI/Elta, del cual se comprarían dos unidades.


http://eltiradorsolitario.blogspot.com/ ... e-una.html

[old]

Francia compra 6 C-295, a la espera del A400M

http://www.infodefensa.com/esp/noticias ... p?cod=1346

[Carlos Barbosa]

Muitas forças aéreas estão em programas de renovação a Força aérea Indiana também não escapa, no seu programa para a aquisição de 126 aeronaves de combate, um já está de fora, o Rafale. Estranho? Talvez não...

Fonte: Reuters
NEW DELHI, April 16 (Reuters) - France's Dassault Aviation is out of the running for a $10 billion contract to supply India with 126 multi-role fighter jets, an Indian defence ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Boeing (BA.N), Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), Russia's MiG-35, Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST) KAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, a consortium of British, German, Italian and Spanish companies, were the other parties that submitted bids last year for the contract, one of the biggest in the world.

"Rafale did not meet the usual requirement," the spokesman told Reuters.

"The other five companies are still in the race," he said.

In Paris, a Dassault Aviation (DAST.PA) spokesman had no immediate comment on the announcement.

Dassault's other leading partners in the Rafale project include Thales (TCFP.PA), which makes the radar, and engine maker Safran (SAF.PA).

India has said it will soon begin trials of the fighter jets, as it plans to replace its ageing Soviet-era fleet. Defence officials have said the trial process could begin by end-May and could take nearly a year to test the capability of the fighters.

"It will be a long process, as we will check various things, including the capabilities of the fighters in combat scenarios," the spokesman said.

India plans to spend more than $30 billion over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era weapons systems and is also launching its first military spy satellite next year. (Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by John Mair)

[old]

Francia compra 6 C-295, a la espera del A400M

http://www.infodefensa.com/esp/noticias ... p?cod=1346

La Republica Checa compra otros 4.

[HSMW]

Nova "insígnia"? da força aérea russa.

[HSMW]

Nova insígnia da força aérea russa