aircraft | Common News Update

Dec242020 by adminNo Comments

State Department approves $128.1M aircraft sale to Kazakhstan

Business

Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The State Department approved a possible $ 128.1 million deal this week to sell three King Air Scorpion aircraft to Kazakhstan, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The DSCA delivered the notification of sale to Congress earlier this week. Advertisement The deal would fulfill a request from Kazakhstan's government to buy three aircraft, three Raytheon AST TITAN Communications Intelligence Sensor Suites and three WESCAM MX-15HDi Elector Optical Infrared Turret Electro Optical Infrared Sensors. If the deal goes through the United States would also provide spare parts and technical and logistical support services, including technical documentation and training. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the ...

Dec162020 by adminNo Comments

Report: U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flies over Korean Peninsula

World

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. spy plane designed to detect missile launches flew over South Korean airspace Wednesday, ahead of North Korea's planned Eighth Party Congress in January. The RC-135W, or Rivet Joint, flew over South Korea's West Sea, or the Yellow Sea, between China and Korean Peninsula, South Korean military intelligence sources told local newspaper Chosun Ilbo. Advertisement The reconnaissance aircraft, designed to gather telemetry and other electronic intelligence data before rocket launches, has previously appeared unannounced on the Korean Peninsula in 2020. On Wednesday, the plane left the Seoul metropolitan area about 1:30 p.m. local time and flew west. Its capabilities would have allowed it to conduct reconnaissance activity near Chinese and North Korean territory, the repo...

Dec152020 by adminNo Comments

British military looking to move aircraft to sustainable sources of fuel

Business

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A plan to use sustainable sources for up to 50 percent of military aviation fuel was announced by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace this week. The British Ministry of Defense on Saturday said it would look to algae, alcohol, household waste, wood and biomass as potential sources of fuel for the nation's F-35 and Typhoon planes and Wildcat helicopters. Advertisement Aviation fuel consumes nearly two-thirds of fuel used by the British military, the ministry said. New aviation fuel standards in effect since November call for a reduction in emissions and carbon footprints, and complement the British government's goal of net zero emissions throughout the country by 2050. "[Britain] is leading the way in sustainability, and by refining our aviation fuel standards we are ta...

Sep62020 by adminNo Comments

Russian aircraft intercepts Norwegian plane in international airspace

Business

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A Russian military leader said Saturday that Russian fighter planes intercepted a Norwegian patrol aircraft over the Barents Sea for the third time in a row. The Russian state-run news agency TASS reported that on Saturday, Russian radars detected a target in international airspace headed toward Russian airspace and a fighter jet was scrambled to intercept it. Advertisement According to the Russian National Defense Control Center, an MiG-31 fighter with the Northern Fleet's air defense units identified the aircraft as a P-3S Orion maritime surveillance aircraft belonging to the Royal Norwegian Air Force. After the Norwegian aircraft turned away from Russian airspace, the MiG-31 returned to its home airfield, according to the Russian government. According to TASS, Saturday...

Jun102020 by adminNo Comments

Bell Textron delivers 400th V-22 Osprey tiltroter aircraft

Business

June 10 (UPI) -- The 400th V-22 Osprey was delivered to the Department of Defense, manufacturer Bell Textron Inc. announced on Wednesday. The newest tiltrotor VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing, CV-22 variant for Special Operations Forces was received by the U.S. Air Force at Hurlbut Field, Fla., home of the 1st Special Operations Group, on June 2. Advertisement The first V-22 Osprey flight occurred in 1989. The Army, Marines, Navy and the Japan Self-Defense Forces use the aircraft, and Israel, India, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are considering purchase. The plane's vertical lift capabilities make it useful in diverse environments, and it is regularly in use in combat, humanitarian and special operations missions. "It's been over 20 years since the first production V-22 wa...