DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US Launches Biggest Allied Airborne Drills Since Cold War

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  US Launches Biggest Allied Airborne Drills Since Cold War

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources AFP
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 18, 2015: The United States said Tuesday it has launched the biggest allied airborne drills in Europe since the Cold War ended, as fighting involving pro-Russian separatists escalated in eastern Ukraine.

Nearly 5,000 soldiers from 11 NATO allies are taking part in four weeks of "simultaneous multinational airborne operations" across Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Romania that began in Saturday, the US Army said in a statement.

"Swift Response 15 is the largest Allied airborne training event on the continent since the end of the Cold War," according to the statement from the US Army in Grafenwohr in southern Germany.

It is designed to help allied "high-readiness forces" act as one and "demonstrate the alliance's capacity to rapidly deploy and operate in support of maintaining a strong and secure Europe," it said.

The statement made no reference to the crisis in Ukraine where government troops have been fighting pro-Russian separatists since April last year, which has claimed the lives of nearly 7,000 people.

While the conflict eased after a truce in February, fighting has escalated in recent days.

The fighting has stirred the highest tensions since the Cold War ended more than two decades ago as the West accuses Russia of not only arming the rebels but sending in troops to support them. Moscow denies the charges.

NATO, a 28-country alliance led by the United States, last week defended the number of military exercises it has staged as a response to "growing Russian aggression" and refuted suggestions that they were helping make war in Europe more likely.

The US Army said the highlight of the drills will take place on Aug. 26 when allied warplanes will drop more than 1,000 paratroopers and equipment the to Hohenfels training area in Germany.

A similar drill will also take place the same day at the Novo Selo training area in Bulgaria, a former Soviet ally.

Participating in the exercises until Sept. 13 are more than 4,800 soldiers from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Britain and the United States.

It said the exercise marks the first time the US 82nd Airborne Division has operated in Europe since supporting NATO operations in Kosovo in 1999.

*Related Images - courtesy AFP

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources AFP
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Moves Forward On Second JSF Squadron

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Moves Forward On Second JSF Squadron 
*Decision to continue comes despite reports of possible delays, rising costs. Israel could have 40 aircraft by end of decade
*Team goes to US to tailor F-35s for IAF
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Yaakoov Katz - Jerusalem Post
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 12, 2012: The IDF plans to approve the procurement of a second squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at a meeting of the General Staff later this month that will convene to finalize the military’s multi-year program.

Called Oz (Hebrew for Strength), the new multi-year program is scheduled to go into effect towards the end of the year. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz will oversee deliberations on the program over the next few weeks and will bring the final plan to the government for approval.

One of the plan’s key elements is expected to be the procurement of a second squadron of F-35s despite reports of possible delays and a rise in cost.

On Tuesday, the US Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the quality of production of the aircraft by Lockheed Martin citing a “potentially serious issue” with its electronic warfare capability.

“The committee is... concerned about production quality and whether it is sufficient to ensure the delivery of JSF aircraft to the US and its allies at an affordable price,” the committee said in a report accompanying its fiscal 2013 defense budget bill.

Israel placed an order for its first squadron of F- 35s in October 2010 for $2.75 billion. Under the deal, Israel was supposed to receive 20 aircraft but the number could drop due to the rising cost per plane. The aircraft are expected to begin arriving in Israel sometime in 2017.

The fifth-generation stealth F-35 is purported to be one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world with the ability to fly undetected in enemy territory. Its uniqueness stems not only from its stealth capabilities but also due to its integrated sensor suite which provides pilots with unprecedented situational awareness and enables the sharing of information between the various aircraft.

The second contract would likely be of a similar number of aircraft and could mean – depending on when the second deal is signed – that the IAF could have 40 operational aircraft by the end of the decade.

Senate questions over the quality of production of the F-35 will compound the mounting woes of the $396b. Pentagon program, which has already been restructured three times in recent years to extend the development phase and slow production.

Italy has already scaled back its planned orders for the new, radar-evading warplane and several other countries are slowing their orders, citing budgetary pressures. Japan has warned it could cancel its order if the cost per plane rises from what it was offered.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Yaakoov Katz - Jerusalem Post
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - BOEING NEWS: Boeing Announces Sixth Leg of 787 Dream Tour

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - BOEING NEWS: Boeing Announces Sixth Leg of 787 Dream Tour
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 11, 2012: Boeing (NYSE: BA) will bring the 787 Dreamliner to seven more cities on the sixth leg of the Dream Tour later this month and continuing into May. Stops include cities in the U.K., Norway, Italy and the U.S.

"The Dream Tour has provided us with a great platform to show customers, partners, government officials and other stakeholders just what the team has achieved with the 787," said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "It's an honor to showcase this airplane as we bring it around the world."

The airplane will depart from Seattle on April 21. The dates listed below are landing dates for each city or airport. Customers, employees, partners, government officials and other stakeholders will be invited to attend tour events at each location. There are no general public tour opportunities.

• April  22– London's Heathrow Airport
• April  23 – Manchester Airport
• April 25 – London's Gatwick Airport
• April 27 – London's Heathrow Airport
• May 1 – Oslo, Norway
• May 4 – Taranto, Italy
• May 7 – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - Washington, DC
• May 11 – Dallas, Texas
• May 14 – St. Louis, Missouri

More than 44,500 guests from around the world will have toured the airplane at the end of the fifth segment of the tour later this week and the airplane will have logged more than 82,366 nautical miles (152,542 km). The sixth segment will add an estimated 12,750 more guests and an additional 15,500 nmi (28,702 km).

The Dream Tour airplane, ZA003, is outfitted with the 787's special cabin features including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting. The airplane is configured with a luxurious business-class cabin, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section.

Dates and locations for additional tour stops will be announced approximately one month in advance. At many of the stops, local media will have the opportunity to participate in tours of the airplane and discussions with Boeing executives and pilots.

For updates on the 787 Dream Tour, including videos, photos and reports from the tour stops, visitwww.newairplane.com/787/dreamtour.

Contact:
Lori Gunter
787 Communications
+1 206 931 5919

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: The Israeli Red Flag

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: The Israeli Red Flag
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Strategy Page
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 24, 2012: For the third time in the last six months the Israeli Air Force has hosted foreign fighter pilots for tactical training. Israeli fighter pilots are considered the best trained in the world, and Israel maintains a special training program, complete with pilots trained and equipped to operate as likely foes would, to train their own pilots. The latest nation to send fighters and pilots for training is Poland, flying F-16s in for that purpose. Previously, Italy had sent Typhoons and Tornados and Greece F-16s.

The Israeli training center is based on the one pioneered by the U.S. Air Force Red Flag program and the U.S. Navy's Top Gun training. Using American aircraft for "aggressor (or dissimilar) training" began in the 1960s. The original "Top Gun" fighter pilot school was established in 1969, by the U.S. Navy, in response to the poor performance of its pilots against North Vietnamese pilots flying Russian fighters. What made the Top Gun operation different was that the training emphasized how the enemy aircraft and pilots operated. This was called "dissimilar training". In the past, American pilots practiced against American pilots, with everyone flying American aircraft and using American tactics. It worked in World War II because the enemy pilots were not getting a lot of practice and were using similar aircraft and tactics anyway. Most importantly, there was a lot of aerial combat going on, providing ample opportunity for on-the-job training. Not so in Vietnam, where the quite different Russian-trained North Vietnamese were giving U.S. aviators an awful time. The four week Top Gun program solved the problem. The air force followed shortly with its Red Flag school.

Over the last 40 years the two training programs have developed differently, and the entire concept of "dissimilar training" has changed. The navy kept Top Gun as a program to hone a fighter pilot's combat skills. The air force made their Red Flag program more elaborate, bringing in the many different types of aircraft involved in combat missions (especially electronic warfare). But after the Cold War ended it became increasingly obvious that none of America's potential enemies was providing their fighter pilots with much training at all.

In other words, the dissimilar training for U.S. fighter pilots was not as crucial as it had been during the Cold War. Actually, it had been noted that flying skills of Soviet pilots was declining in the 1980s, as economic problems in the USSR caused cuts in flying time. During that period American pilots were actually increasing their flying time. Moreover, U.S. flight simulators were getting better. American pilots were finding that even the game oriented combat flight simulators had some training value.

So in the late 1990s, Top Gun and Red Flag found their budgets cut. But the programs remain, as does the memory of why they were set up in the first place. If we find that, say, China is continuing to improve its combat aviation, and gives its fighter pilots more flying time and their politicians maintain a bellicose attitude towards the U.S., there will be a need to increase American Top Gun training. Because of the new Chinese "dissimilar training" effort, the U.S. Top Gun and Red Flag schools are being restored to their former prominence, and Israel has become one of the best Red Flag operations outside the United States. The Chinese move is certainly a very meaningful one, as it shows that they are serious about preparing their pilots to fight and defeat Taiwanese and American pilots. Dissimilar training is how that is done and for most nations Israel is the nearest place to get it.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Strategy Page
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Third MEADS Battle Manager Arrives In Huntsville For Integration Testing

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Third MEADS Battle Manager Arrives In Huntsville For Integration Testing
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada /ORLANDO/MUNICH/ROME - February 22, 2012: Lockheed Martin has begun integration testing on the third completed Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS)  battle manager at its facility in Huntsville, Ala.  

Integration testing on the third battle manager will continue throughout 2012 in support of a ballistic missile intercept test planned at White Sands Missile Range in 2013. Two other battle managers are already supporting system testing at Pratica di Mare Air Force Base in Italy and Orlando, Fla.

The MEADS battle manager controls an advanced network-centric open architecture that allows any combination of sensors and launchers to be organized into a single air and missile defense battle element. Through a capability called plug-and-fight, sensors, shooters or other battle managers act as nodes on the network. From the MEADS battle manager, a commander can add or subtract nodes as the situation dictates without shutting down the system.

MEADS International President David Berganini said, “Following the successful first MEADS flight test in November, the team continues to evolve MEADS’ battle management software and the plug-and-fight network, demonstrating coverage and flexibility that other systems cannot provide, including a 360-degree defense that protects our warfighters against next-generation threats.”

Using its 360-degree defensive capability, the advanced MEADS radars and  PAC-3 MSE

Missile, MEADS defends up to eight times the coverage area with far fewer system assets and significantly reduces demand for deployed personnel and equipment, which reduces demand for airlift.

MEADS International, a multinational joint venture headquartered in Orlando, Fla., is the prime contractor for the MEADS system. Major subcontractors and joint venture partners are MBDA in Italy and Germany, and Lockheed Martin in the United States.

The MEADS program management agency, NAMEADSMA, is located in Huntsville, Ala.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: Israel’s Decision To Buy Italian Trainer Planes Dampen T-50 Sale Efforts

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: Israel’s Decision To Buy Italian Trainer Planes Dampen T-50 Sale Efforts
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The Korea Herald
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 18, 2012: Israel has decided to purchase 30 Italian-made trainer aircraft in its $1 billion procurement project, snubbing South Korea’s efforts to sell its homegrown planes overseas.

Israeli defense officials told the media on Thursday that their government had reached a preliminary deal to buy the M-346 military training planes built by the Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi. 

Israeli officials, quoted in news reports, cited the suitability of the Italian jets to the direct needs of the Israeli air force, the cost and other factors as the reason for the choice.

With support from the Seoul government, Korea Aerospace Industries, the country’s sole aircraft maker, has made aggressive efforts to sell its T-50 supersonic trainer jets to Israel. 

KAI developed the T-50 with technological assistance from the U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.5 with a maximum range of about 1,500 kilometers.

“We have yet to receive any formal notification about Israel’s decision to purchase Italy’s trainer aircraft. I understand officials in Israel told local reporters about it,” a KAI official told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.

“There Israeli government did not carry out an official bidding process. We have sought to tap into the market and Israel just considered the two trainer jets. So, it is not right to say we have lost in any official competition there.”

He downplayed any negative impact from Israel’s decision on the overseas marketing efforts.

“Israel was just one of the countries to which we have sought to export our T-50. In the defense industry, there are political, diplomatic variables as well, which are apparently as important as (equipment’s) actual qualities,” he said.

Israel has long maintained strong traditional ties with Italy. Industry insiders said it was a tough battle for Seoul to overcome the limits stemming from the close relationship between the two countries.

KAI is currently seeking to sell T-50 aircraft to the U.S., Chile, the Philippines and other nations. Last May, it signed a $400 million contract with Indonesia to for 16 T-50s. 

Having developed the FA-50 light combat plane based on the T-50 platform, the firm has also been working to tap into the countries that have to replace their aging F-4 and F-5 fighters.

Experts have estimated that the global demand for trainer jets and light fighters over the next three decades will amount to around 3,300 units. KAI aims to export around 1,000 units during that period.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldm.com)

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The Korea Herald
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS 

DTN News - LOCKHEED MARTIN DEFENSE NEWS: Eleventh C-5B Inducted To Become Super Galaxy

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - LOCKHEED MARTIN DEFENSE NEWS: Eleventh C-5B Inducted To Become Super Galaxy
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 7, 2012: Lockheed Martin inducted the 11th aircraft to the C-5M Super Galaxy production line on Feb. 1, 2012. 

Based at Dover Air Force Base, Del., this aircraft has supported the warfighter’s operations across the globe. It has delivered cargo in locations such as Iraq, Italy, Germany, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Spain and Turkey. 

Aircraft 86-0017 has accumulated more than 18,000 flight hours and more than 4,300 full-stop landings

Mission The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the Air Force inventory. The aircraft can carry a fully equipped combat-ready military unit to any point in the world on short notice and then provide the supplies required to help sustain the fighting force. 

Features 
The C-5 has a greater capacity than any other airlifter. It has the ability to carry 36 standard pallets and 81 troops simultaneously. The Galaxy is also capable of carrying any of the Army's air-transportable combat equipment, including such bulky items as the 74-ton mobile scissors bridge. It can also carry outsize and oversize cargo over intercontinental ranges and can take off or land in relatively short distances. Ground crews are able to load and off-load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings, reducing cargo transfer times. Other features of the C-5 are: 
   · Able to operate on runways 6,000 feet long (1,829 meters).
   · Five landing gear totaling 28 wheels to distribute the weight. 
   · Nose and aft doors that open the full width and height of the cargo    
     compartment to permit faster and easier loading. 
   · A "kneeling" landing gear system that permits lowering the parked 
     aircraft to facilitate drive-on/drive-off vehicle loading and adjusts the 
     cargo floor to standard truck-bed height. 
   · Full width drive-on ramps at each end for loading double rows of 
     vehicles. 
   · A system that records and analyzes information and detects 
     malfunctions in more than 800 test points. 

The C-5 has the distinctive high T-tail, 25-degree wing sweep, and four TF39 turbofan engines (C-5A and B) mounted on pylons beneath the wings. These engines are each rated at 43,000 pounds of thrust and weigh 7,900 pounds (3,555 kilograms) a piece. They have an air intake diameter of more than 8.5 feet (2.6 meters). Each engine pod is nearly 27 feet long (8.2 meters).

The Galaxy has 12 internal wing tanks with a total capacity of 51,150 gallons (194,370 liters) of fuel -- enough to fill 6 1/2 regular size railroad tank cars. A full fuel load weighs 332,500 pounds (150,820 kilograms). A C-5 with a cargo load of 270,000 pounds (122,472 kilograms) can fly 2,150 nautical miles, offload, and fly to a second base 500 nautical miles away from the original destination -- all without aerial refueling. With aerial refueling, the aircraft's range is limited only by crew endurance.

BackgroundLockheed-Georgia Co. delivered the first operational Galaxy to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, now known as Joint Base Charleston, S.C., in June l970. C-5s are operated by active-duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard crews. They are currently stationed at Dover AFB, Del.; Travis AFB, Calif.; Lackland AFB, Texas; Martinsburg ANGB, W.V.; Memphis ANGB, Tenn. and Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.

In March 1989, the last of 50 C-5Bs was added to the 76 C-5As in the Air Force's airlift force structure. The C-5B includes all C-5A improvements as well as more than 100 additional system modifications to improve reliability and maintainability. 

Based on a study showing 80 percent of the C-5 airframe service life remaining, AMC began an aggressive program to modernize the C-5 in 1998. The C-5 Avionics Modernization Program included upgrading the avionics to improve communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management compliance. The upgrade also added new safety equipment and installed a new autopilot system.

Another part of the C-5 modernization plan is a comprehensive Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program. The centerpiece of this program is the General Electric CF6-80C2 (F-138) commercial engine. This engine delivers a 22 percent increase in thrust, a 30 percent shorter take-off roll, has a 58 percent faster climb rate and will allow significantly more cargo to be carried over longer distances. With its new engine and upgrades, the C-5 becomes the C-5M Super Galaxy. This modernization program will enhance aircraft reliability and maintainability, maintain structural and system integrity, reduce cost of ownership and increase operational capability well into the 21st century.

Media Contact:

Chad E. Gibson
Office:             770-494-3847      
Mobile:             678-761-4623      

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS