U.S. Navy Sees Joint Standoff Weapon Gains

The U.S. Navy is satisfied with the results of a recent critical design review for Raytheon’s Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1, though the program manager notes that adding a datalink to an existing weapon is likely to meet challenges.

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Hawker Beechcraft Awarded $171 Million Contract for 23 King Air 350ER Turboprops

WICHITA, KS – The United States Air Force (USAF) has awarded Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) a contract with an estimated value of $171 million. The contract is for 23 extended-range (ER) special mission Beechcraft King Air 350ER turboprops. Deliveries will take place in 2009.

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Boeing, Northrop tanker news

The Boeing Co. announced it was laying off 800 defense workers in Wichita, Kan., due in part to the delay in the U.S. Air Force tanker competition.

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Pentagon defends decision on Lockheed fighter jet

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer on Wednesday defended as a “prudent approach” his decision to initially provide less money than Congress mandated for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-22 fighter jet program until the next administration can assess its aircraft needs.

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Lockheed gets $156 million Canadian military pact

NEW YORK (Associated Press) – Lockheed Martin Corp. said Wednesday it received a $156 million contract for work on Canadian military aircraft.

Under the contract, Lockheed will provide new outer wings, stabilizers and other parts to extend the lifetimes of 10 Canadian CP-140 Aurora aircraft.

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DynCorp International to Maintain Kuwaiti Apache Aircraft

The United States Army Aviation Missile Command (AMCOM) has awarded DynCorp International a contract to support the Kuwait Air Force(KAF) with a Maintenance Augmentation Team (MAT) for its Apache AH-64D aircraft fleet. The firm-fixed-price contract is valued at approximately $11.2 million for the first two years and will increase to more than $16 million if an option year is exercised to extend the contract through December 31, 2011.

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EADS Delivers the Sixth HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard

ARLINGTON, VA, Nov 19, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — The U.S. Coast Guard has accepted the sixth HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft platform from EADS. This new medium-range surveillance maritime patrol platform significantly enhances the mission execution capability of Coast Guard aircrews.

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Maj. Paul Kirmis, U.S. Air Force pilot

Nellis Air Force Base has the unique mission of hosting foreign militaries for combat training. In recent weeks, pilots from Singapore, Greece, France and Spain have flown over our valley.

One exercise, called Green Flag, helps pilots coordinate with ground forces. Red Flag hones air-to-air combat skills. Maj. Paul Kirmis, a 36-year-old pilot who was last deployed to Afghanistan, participated in recent Green Flag training with the French.

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US Air Force shares skills with Botswana Defense Forces

BOTSWANA – Thirty Ramstein Airmen traveled to the southern region of Africa in early October, 2008 to share their knowledge and experience with counterparts from the Botswana Defense Force (BDF).

The team of U.S. Air Force pilots, navigators, flight engineers, loadmasters and personnel from security forces, supply and public affairs stayed in Botswana four days before continuing on to Cape Town, South Africa, where they participated in an air show.

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Apache Needs Cockpit Upgrades, AATD says

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – If the U.S. Army’s Apache AH-64D Longbow aircraft is to keep pace with its own manned-unmanned common architecture program, it will require extensive technological upgrades to the cockpit, according to the Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD), a driving force behind the technology.

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