Aviation News

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GE Aviation | Mar 11, 2009

EVENDALE, Ohio: It is no simple feat introducing durable, lightweight composite components into the “hot section” of a flying jet engine. But GE Aviation is achieving this elusive, technical milestone.

The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team’s F136 development engine for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) contains third-stage, low-pressure turbine vanes made by GE from ceramic matrix composites (CMC). This could lead to the first commercial use of CMCs in a jet engine’s hot section (combustor and turbine areas) when a F136-powered JSF begins flight testing in 2010.

CMC development is a key initiative at GE Aviation, and an enabling technology in several of GE’s private and government-funded engine demonstrator programs now underway. Also, CMC components are a key feature of GE’s eCore program, the cornerstone for the company’s next-generation of jet engines for narrow-body, regional, and business jets.

CMCs are made of silicon carbide ceramic fibers and ceramic resin, manufactured through a highly sophisticated process, and further enhanced with proprietary coatings.

They are highly desirable for jet engine components for two main reasons: 1. They are lightweight – one-third the density of metal - providing weight reduction and thus, better fuel efficiency. 2. They are durable and more heat resistant than metals, requiring less cooling air, and thereby improving overall engine efficiency. Simply put, removing cooling air allows a jet engine to run at higher thrust and/or more efficiently.

GE Aviation and GE’s Corporate Research Center have pursued CMC technology for more than 15 years. Several years ago, GE Aviation ran a government demonstrator engine with a combustor liner and low-pressure turbine blades. GE Aviation produces CMC at its facility in Newark, Delaware.

“Developing new jet engine materials takes many years of investment and commitment,” said Robert Schafrik, GE Aviation’s general manager of materials and process engineering. “But the benefits can provide a considerable competitive advantage. CMCs are a new frontier that will raise the bar in jet engine performance.”

GE Aviation has already led the jet propulsion industry in advancing composites in the “cold section” of jet engines with polymeric matrix components made of carbon fiber and epoxy resin. In 1995, GE introduced the first carbon fiber composite front fan blade in an airline engine with its GE90, which powers the Boeing 777. For the new GEnx engine, which will power the Boeing 787, GE will introduce both composite fan blades, using the same fibers, resin, and manufacturing processes as the GE90 blade, and a fiber-braided composite fan case. Both will provide dramatic weight savings.

Schafrik sees a day when CMC components will populate many areas in the engine’s hot section, including high- and low-pressure turbine vanes and blades, turbine shrouds, and combustor liners. For example, CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma (SAFRAN GROUP) and GE, will run a Leap-X demonstrator engine in 2010 with CMC components as CFM pursues technologies for next-generation engines for narrowbody aircraft.

Also, CMC combustor liners are under consideration for future GEnx production models. “Over the next 15 years, jet propulsion advances at GE could help to lay the groundwork for a broader use of CMCs across several industrial sectors,” said Roger Doughty, manager of CMC Design and Technology at GE Aviation.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company, is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.

GE is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide.

 

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RIA Novosti | Mar 11, 2009

MOSCOW: A missile battalion equipped with mobile Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin) ICBMs has been put on combat duty in central Russia, a spokesman for the Russian Missile Forces (SMF) said on Tuesday.

The first two Topol-M mobile missile battalions, equipped with six road-mobile systems, had already been put on combat duty with the 54th Strategic Missile Division near the town of Teikovo, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Moscow.

"Another missile battalion equipped with mobile Topol-M missile systems and comprising three launchers and a command unit has been put on combat duty with the Teikovo missile division in the Ivanovo Region," Col. Alexander Vovk said.

The SMF commander, Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, earlier said that Russia's Topol-M ballistic missiles would be put on combat duty on schedule despite the current global financial crisis. He added that the division will be up to full strength by 2010.

Topol-M missiles are the mainstay of the ground-based component of Russia's nuclear triad. As of the beginning of 2009, the SMF operated 50 silo-based and six road-mobile Topol-M missile systems.

The missile, with a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 km), is said to be immune to any current and future U.S. ABM defense. It is capable of making evasive maneuvers to avoid a kill using terminal phase interceptors, and carries targeting countermeasures and decoys.

It is also shielded against radiation, electromagnetic pulse, nuclear blasts, and is designed to survive a hit from any form of laser technology.

 

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Avionics display provider Barco has entered into an agreement with Saab to expand its avionics offering with the new generation RIGS Head Up Display (HUD) from Saab. RIGS is a new generation HUD providing helicopters and small aircraft with an out-of-the-window display that can be deployed for a wide spectrum of applications, including the rendition of flight, navigation and sighting data with aiming point and target reticule. In addition, RIGS can offer all-weather capabilities by presenting instrument landing system information and images from enhanced vision sensors.

Source: Rotor & Wing Magazine :: Barco's Next Generation HUD

Barco, Saab Partner On Head-Up Display

Barco n.v., Kortrijk, Belgium, has entered into an agreement with Sweden’s Saab to expand its avionics offerings with Saab’s RIGS Head Up Display for helicopters and small aircraft.

The RIGS system uses Saab’s digital video display technology to project an “out-of-the-window” picture into the pilots field of view. The required software is hosted on Barco’s PU-2000 processing unit with open-system MOSArt architecture.

The RIGS HUD can be used to render flight, navigation and sighting data with aiming point and target reticule. The display can offer all-weather capabilities by presenting instrument landing system information and images from enhanced vision sensors.

Barco’s MOSArt open architecture allows operators to tailor applications to their needs and to upgrade the system capabilities through software upgrades.

Source: http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/topstories/Barco-Saab-Partner-On-Head-Up-Display_30442.html

 

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By Gavin Phipps

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has earmarked USD230 million from this year's defence budget to purchase 60 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters from the United States.

Local military analysts are calling the deal a test of the new Obama administration's willingness to continue providing military hardware to Taiwan.

According to a former MND official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the ministry is hoping that the sale will be part of a full review of future arms sales to the island by Washington, which is expected in June against the backdrop of warming Sino-US and Sino-Taiwanese relations.

Taiwan's Strait Exchange Foundation is set to hold a third round of negotiations with its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, in May when deals are to be signed on regular cross-strait flights, joint crime prevention measures and investment and insurance issues.

Source: Taiwan's budget allocation for UH-60 purchase tests Washington

 

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TAIPEI (Reuters) - The U.S. government has declined to make a long-awaited sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan for fear of upsetting China, Taiwan's parliament speaker said on Tuesday.

The White House blocked the $4.9 billion deal for 66 advanced F-16s last year and there was little hope of it being revived this year, said Wang Jin-pyng.

"The U.S. doesn't want to give them to us," Wang told Reuters in an interview.

"They wouldn't name a price. It's mainly because mainland China would oppose the sale."

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists (KMT) fled to the island.

Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary, and opposes all U.S. arms sales to the island. Washington recognizes China diplomatically and is seeking to improve relations with the Asian economic powerhouse.

Although China-Taiwan ties have improved since President Ma Ying-jeou took office on the island last year, deep military distrust lingers between the two sides.

Taiwan first asked to buy new F-16s in 2007 after approving substantial funding for the aircraft. Wang said Taiwan's current fleet is 16 years old, Wang said.

The U.S. Pacific Command said in July that U.S. policymakers saw no pressing need to sell advanced arms to Taiwan.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/polit...5292WL20090310

 

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US Air Force | Mar 12, 2009

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan: Air Force and Navy pilots are sharpening their aerial combat skills in simulated dogfights and strike missions from March 1 through 21 over Okinawa.

Using the base as a power projection platform, F-15 Eagle pilots from the 67th Fighter Squadron and F-22 Raptor pilots from the deployed 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are training with Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet pilots from the Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 102.

Tracking the action from their E-3 Sentry aircraft, members of the 961st Air Airborne Control Squadron will direct the simulated airwar.

The F/A-18 pilots are engaging in a high-speed, high-stakes contest of hide-and-seek with F-22s.

Lt. Col. Lansing Pilch, an F-22 pilot and commander of the deployed 27th EFS, said his squadron was honored to introduce the Navy pilots to the F-22. Colonel Pilch said with its state-of-the-art avionics suite, the fifth generation stealth fighter is a force multiplier that increases the capabilities of other fighter jets.

"The Super Hornet is an impressive, versatile aircraft," Colonel Pilch said. "Its wide range of capabilities could complement those of the F-22 extremely well in combat. Our goal with the fifth generation F-22 is to use our enhanced situational awareness to make those around us better. By training together, we will become a more effective joint fighting force."

An F-22 Raptor flies above Kadena Air Base, Japan, during an air refueling mission Jan. 23. The F-22 is deployed from 27th Fighter Wing Langley Air Force Base, Va. in support of U.S. Pacific Command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Chad Warren)
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The training makes the Navy and Air Force aviators an even more formidable joint team, capable of dominating the skies anywhere and anytime, said Col. Ronald Banks, the 18th Operations Group commander.


"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to fly with our sister service, especially since any contingency we may find ourselves in will be a joint operation," said Colonel Banks, an F-15 pilot with than 2,000 flight hours.

"Joint training allows us to refine our joint tactics, techniques, and procedures while simultaneously building confidence in our ability to fight together," the colonel said. "Joint operations are the standard for all future contingencies."

Capt. Paul Bobnock, 67th FS Weapons and Tactics chief, said the F-15 pilots and F/A-18 pilots took turns playing "blue" friendly and "red" opposing forces during mock air-to-air and air-to-ground training sorties.

A Longview, Texas, resident who has been flying the F-15 for six years, Captain Bobnock said flying with the F/A-18 allows the F-15 pilots to employ different tactics in response to this different airframe.

"We typically train against similar aircraft from our own squadron on a day-to-day basis," he said. "When I train against dissimilar aircraft, it introduces the unexpected."

It is imperative for fighter pilots to "train like they will fight," said Navy Capt. Michael Vizcarra, the commander of Fleet Activities Okinawa.

"I cannot overstate its (joint training) importance as all the services bring a variety of warfighting options to the combatant commander, and are typically utilized together to maximize their effects," Captain Vizcarra said. "The Pacific is the largest (area of operations) on the planet, and the ability of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to coordinate and execute together is an imperative and one that should be constantly exercised to ensure mission accomplishment."

 

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Lockheed Martin | Mar 12, 2009

MELBOURNE, Australia: A Lockheed Martin official explained to reporters attending the Avalon Air Show today why the C-130J continues to be the platform of choice to meet the growing worldwide demand for tactical air mobility.

“The C-130J continues to be the airlifter of choice for many nations,” said George Standridge, vice president of Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “Two hundred fifty-seven C-130Js have been ordered through 2008 of which 171 have been delivered. Production will steadily increase from 12 aircraft in 2008 to approximately double by 2010. Lockheed Martin is currently in detailed discussions with several countries and looks forward to continued growth in the C-130J program.”

Standridge cited several recent C-130J program highlights. In 2007, the first C-130J Foreign Military Sale (FMS) aircraft were sold to Norway with a second FMS sale to India in 2008. During that same period, Canada bought 17 aircraft and Qatar became the first Middle East customer. Last month the United Arab Emirates announced its selection of the C-130J to modernize it airlift fleet.

Australia is among the nations that operate the C-130J and holds a unique place in the history of the program. It was the first ever non-U.S. customer for the C-130 and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is also the only service to have flown all variants of the Hercules.

“Just a few months ago we joined with the RAAF to celebrate 50 years of operational service,” said Standridge. “During those 50 years the RAAF has gained a reputation as an airlift operator that will do whatever it takes to get the job done, regardless of the environment.”

Standridge went on to explain how the C-130J is uniquely designed to “do whatever it takes” by performing a wide variety of missions. The airplane is currently performing missions including air combat (both airland and airdrop); air-refueling; Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); weather-reconnaissance; electronic combat; and firefighting.

“There is no better time to be a part of this program,” Standridge said. “The aircraft is proven with strong operational performance, on time, high-quality deliveries and an unprecedented demand. We now have a backlog of 86 C-130Js, which is the highest we have had since the program was initiated. This backlog secures our production well into 2012.”

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.

 

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Agence France-Presse | Mar 12, 2009

Washington: The US Defense Department said on Wednesday it has made no decision to delay the purchase of aerial refueling tankers, despite reports the White House asked it to put off the move.

The Pentagon declined to discuss details of a request reportedly made by the White House budget office to consider postponing buying the new fleet of refueling tankers, as well as canceling a new long-range bomber.

The multi-billion dollar projects have been eagerly watched, and coveted, by US and European aerospace rivals.

"I think it's fair to say that there's nothing new or different about that, that they (Office of Management and Budget) provide options, they provide suggestions, as do a number of people," Morrell told reporters.

"But they should not be confused with a directive of any kind."

He added that no decisions had been made on the tanker or other major weapons projects.

"I can assure you that no decisions have been made about any one of the programs that are under review and that, if you hear contrary, you're hearing false information," he said.

The 35-billion project for a new generation of refueling tankers has been plagued by disputes and scandal.

The politically-charged contract was initially awarded in February 2008 to Northrup Grumman and its European partner, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).

But the deal was withdrawn in July after US aerospace giant Boeing successfully appealed the decision with backing from members of Congress.

EADS is the parent company of European aircraft manufacturer -- and fierce Boeing rival -- Airbus.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates in January said he hoped to reopen bidding in the spring on the tanker project, with a decision due in early 2010.

French Defense Minister Herve Morin called for fair competition on any future contract for the tankers during a visit to Washington earlier this month.

Gates has warned that budget pressures will require tough choices with some expensive weapons programs having to be cut or scaled back.

US defense giants and the lawmakers allied with them have sought to fend off the budget cuts, portraying the building of new aircraft carriers or fighter aircraft as a way of creating or saving jobs at a time of economic crisis.

Congressional Quarterly on Tuesday reported the request for a delay of the tankers and that the White house budget office had also suggested canceling a new long-range Air Force bomber, citing unnamed sources.

 

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By Craig Hoyle

DATE:12/03/09
SOURCE:Flight International

The US Air Force is testing a scheme to prepare non-aviators to fly its General Atomics MQ-1 Predator A and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air systems, with its current use of rated pilots unable to keep pace with an acceleration of demand.

A so-called "beta course" of 10 non-pilots, including two navigators, entered training at Pueblo, Colorado in February. The students will undergo a "check-ride" in a simulator for the Beechcraft T-6 primary trainer before joining the UAS training pipeline, which includes flight instruction at Creech AFB, Nevada.

"We are facing a very high increase in the number of UAS operations," says Brig Gen Richard Devereaux, the USAF's director of intelligence and air, space and information operations. The service's unmanned systems logged 400,000 flight hours in 2008, he says, "double the amount we flew one year before".

Noting that each Predator/Reaper sortie uses seven people on the ground, Devereaux says: "Taking people from the fighter and bomber forces is just not sustainable for the future." He cites the USAF's forecast shortfall of 1,500 pilots over the next 10 years, and notes that this will affect its UAS operations and fleets of manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

Work has already begun to stream 100 trainee pilots a year to the unmanned community under a three-year project, but Devereaux told IQPC's Military Flight Training conference in London last month that that number is "not nearly enough long term. The numbers mean we have got to figure out how to train UAS operations in a more effective way."

Using non-aviators could be one possible solution, he says, although it raises debate around issues such as whether such operators will be awarded wings and earn flight rates of pay.

The USAF's MQ-1 Predator fleet in mid-February surpassed the 500,000 flight hour milestone during an armed reconnaissance sortie over Iraq. In operational use since 1995, the type completed its first 250,000h only in June 2007, and is now being flown at a rate of 19,000h a month, the service says.

 

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BRUSSELS, March 10 (Reuters) - France's Dassault Aviation won permission from EU competition authorities on Tuesday to buy Alcatel-Lucent's (ALUA.PA) 20.8 percent stake in defence electronics firm Thales (TCFP.PA) in a 1.57 billion euro ($1.99 billion) deal.

The European Commission, competition watchdog of the 27-nation European Union, said in a statement that its investigation ruled out all risk of distortion of competition that could result from the transaction.

It said that other alternative suppliers in space, civil and military aviation sectors would remain In the European and world markets after the transaction.

The French government, the top stakeholder in Thales, said in December when the deal was announced that Dassault and the state would control 53 percent of the capital and 61 percent of the voting rights in Thales following the transaction.

Dassault Aviation said then it would also buy a stake of some 5 percent in Thales held by the Dassault family holding company, giving the group about 26 percent of Thales in total.

The deal will boost planemaker Dassault Aviation's access to European defence spending at a time when the global economic crisis is overshadowing demand for its luxury Falcon business jets. (Reporting by Bate Felix)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

 

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The Navy for the first time will unveil a 30-year aviation plan when it sends the annual budget to Congress next month.

The document will layout the Navy’s long-term procurement plan for aircraft, said Lt. Clay Doss, a Navy spokesman.

The document, which was required by Congress in the 2009 defense authorization act, will answer some key questions about the Navy’s future aviation fleet — in particular its fighter jets.

“The biggest thing to look at will be whether there’s going to be another multi-year procurement contract for the Super Hornets,” said Richard Aboulafia, a defense analyst with the Teal Group in Virginia.

Navy officials for months have declined to say whether they plan to purchase more Boeing-made Super Hornets or wait for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which will be made by Lockheed Martin and could join the fleet as early as 2015.

Navy officials say they are facing a so-called “fighter gap,” the projected 10-year span beginning in 2015 when F/A-18 Hornets start retiring faster than new F-35s arrive to replace them. The gap is projected to be at its widest — 69 planes — in 2017.

The 30-year aviation play will also likely reveal how many F-35s the Navy plans to buy, Aboulafia said.

Another question the 30-year aviation plan may resolve is whether the Navy plans to purchase additional MH-53 helicopters. The current MH-53E Sea Dragons are the only heavy-lift helicopters in the fleet, Aboulafia said.

Previously the Navy has maintained long-term aviation plans, but this year will be the first time it is disclosed publicly, due to the congressional requirement, Doss said.

The Navy plans to deliver its proposed budget and aviation plans to Capitol Hill in April.

Source: - Navy News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Navy Times

 

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FT. WALTON BEACH, Fla. – U.S. Special Operations Command is proposing to start a new gunship in the fiscal 2010 budget, but it remains to be seen whether the tight fiscal environment will support a new program, according to Pentagon officials.

Keith Sanders, deputy director of air warfare for the Pentagon acquisition chief, says the gunship will be a more flexible system than today’s AC-130H/U aircraft. One requirement likely to emerge is to operate the gunship safely in an urban environment such as Baghdad.

Sanders and others spoke here March 10 at the Precision Strike Association’s Annual Review conference. President Barack Obama’s defense budget for next fiscal year is expected to be detailed by next month.

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) officials had previously hoped to base a future gunship on the to-be-designed 2018 bomber, which would provide a huge leap in capability with the addition of low-observable attributes. But the bomber program is expected to slip beyond 2018, and the cost would likely have been too high for the special operations community to afford the system.

The forthcoming gunship would build off of existing platforms using existing weapons or those near maturity, says one U.S. Special Operations Command official here. The official declined to name a platform.

Likely candidates include the L-3 Communications/Alenia North America C-27J. Already, AFSOC is looking at options using a decommissioned C-27 as a ground-based test bed. Officials also are exploring various weapons suites, including the current 24mm or 40mm guns on the AC-130U, as well as a newer 30mm weapon. Small precision-guided munitions are also likely to be included in the system.

Also on the table is Lockheed Martin’s C-130J, which is being used as the host platform for the new HC-MC-130J infiltration/exfiltration aircraft for the Air Force. Size, however, could be an issue. Pentagon officials may want to shrink the forward-based footprint for a future gunship compared to that of the AC-130H/U.

Air Force Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier, commander of the 4th Special Operations Squadron, which operates 17 AC-130U gunships, says that the center-wing boxes on her squadron’s aircraft are holding up well for the moment. These are the parts most likely to experience stress from the high operations tempo of the gunship fleet; operators are flying the aircraft three to four times more than predicted to support global operations, she says.

The bulk of the AC-130U missions abroad are close air support, though the aircraft also provide some base defense, convoy support and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability to ground personnel.

One hope she has for the fleet is to upgrade the old fire control computers on the AC-130U to a Windows-based computer system. Cartier also noted the AC-130U has executed some air-launched release tests of the Special Operations Precision Guided Munition (SOPGM), a new variant of the Army’s Viper Strike munition, which is under 50 pounds and includes a guidance kit.

Source: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...rt In 2010

 

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Pakistani Robots Speak Chinese and Italian

March 11, 2009: Pakistan is using several different types of UAVs along the Afghan and Indian borders. The most effective of these is the Italian Falco UAV, which Pakistan ordered Falco three years ago. The air force completed evaluation of the Falco a little over a year ago, and put at least four of them into service. Falco is a 924 pound aircraft with a 150 pound payload. Ceiling is 5,000 meters, but it usually operates at lower altitudes (2,000 meters). Endurance is up to 12 hours, but typical missions are 6-8 hours. Max speed is 210 kilometers an hour, although it usually cruises at 150. Falco can be up to 200 kilometers from its ground station. The UAV can take off and land on an air strip, or use a catapult for takeoff and parachute for landing.
Pakistan has also been using several Chinese UAVs for the last decade or so. First, they got the ASN-105, a 308 pound aircraft with a payload if 88 pounds and endurance of only two hours. This is a 1980s era design, that has since been replaced by the ASN-206/207. This is a 488 pound aircraft, with a 110 pound payload. The 207 model has a max endurance of eight hours, but more common is an endurance of four hours. Max range from the control van is 150 kilometers away and cruising speed is about 180 kilometers an hour. A UAV unit consists of one control van and 6-10 trucks, each carrying a UAV and its catapult launch equipment. The UAV lands via parachute, so the aircraft get banged up a lot. This UAV can broadcast back live video, and be equipped for electronic warfare.

Pakistan is also developing its own UAVs. Last year it flight tested the Uqaab. This design looks very similar to models offered by a Pakistani firm, Integrated Dynamics, which has been producing smaller (under 500 pounds) UAVs for the government and commercial market since 1997. The Uqaab also appears similar to the U.S. Army RQ-7B Shadow 200.

Pakistan requested Predators from the United States, but this was turned down because it was feared that the Chinese would be allowed to dissect the American UAV and acquire too many production secrets. Pakistan and China have been chummy for decades. No secrets between friends and all that. But European nations, like Italy and Germany, have been willing to sell Pakistan UAVs.

 

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By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 13 Mar 11:48 EDT

MOSCOW - Ninety of Russia's MiG-29 fighter jets have been rejected by military inspectors during checks after a crash in December, an air force spokesman said March 13, quoted by Interfax.

"So far from the overall fleet of MiG-29s, about 200 planes have been examined, of which 100 have been permitted to fly. About 90 MiG-29s have been withdrawn from flying," Col. Vladimir Drik said.

He added that checks were continuing on the rest of the MiG-29 fleet and that faulty planes would be repaired and put back in service as funds became available.

Interfax estimated Russia's total number of MiG-29s at 300.

Russia suspended MiG-29 flights in December when one of the jets crashed in Siberia, killing its pilot.

The crash was attributed to a technical fault and followed another MiG-29 crash in October in the Chita area.

First produced in the 1980s, MiG-29s have been exported through much of the world, notably being used by India's air force and by Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War.

Despite a revival in Russia's financial position in recent years, the country's military has continued to suffer embarrassing technical failures, most notably with its accident-prone submarines.

Source: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php...48&c=EUR&s=AIR

 

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JSF: Accelerating Procurement before Completing Development Increases the Government’s Financial Risk (summary)

US Government Accountability Office; issued March 12, 2009

JSF development will cost more and take longer than reported to the Congress last year, and DOD wants to accelerate procurement. Two recent estimates project additional costs ranging from $2.4 billion to $7.4 billion and 1 to 3 more years to complete development.

Despite cost and schedule troubles, DOD wants to accelerate JSF procurement by 169 aircraft from fiscal years 2010 through 2015; this could require up to $33.4 billion in additional procurement funding for those 6 years. DOD plans to procure hundreds of aircraft on cost-reimbursement contracts, magnifying the financial risk to the government.

Ongoing manufacturing inefficiencies and parts problems have significantly delayed the delivery of test assets. The prime contractor has extended manufacturing schedules three times and delivered 2 of 13 test aircraft. The program is still recovering from earlier problems that resulted in design changes, late parts deliveries, and inefficient manufacturing. The contractor is taking positive steps to improve operations, the supplier base, and schedule management. Schedule risk analyses could further enhance management insight into problem areas and inform corrective actions.

Officials expect to deliver all test aircraft and fix many problems by 2010. By then, DOD plans to have purchased 62 operational aircraft and will be ramping up procurement. Procuring large numbers of production jets while still working to deliver test jets and mature manufacturing processes does not seem prudent, and looming plans to accelerate procurement will be difficult to achieve cost effectively.

DOD’s revised test plan adds a year to the schedule, better aligns resources and availability dates, and lessens the overlap between development and operational testing, but it still allows little time for error discovery and rework. DOD’s decision late in 2007 to reduce test aircraft and flight tests adds to risks while any additional delays in delivering test aircraft will further compress the schedule.

The revised plan relies on state-of-the-art simulation labs, a flying test bed, and desk studies to verify nearly 83 percent of JSF capabilities. Only 17 percent is to be verified through flight testing. Despite advances, the ability to so extensively substitute for flight testing has not yet been demonstrated.

Significant overlap of development, test, and procurement results in DOD making substantial investments before flight testing proves that the JSF will perform as expected.

Under the accelerated procurement plan, DOD may procure 360 aircraft costing an estimated $57 billion before completing development flight testing.

Click here http://new.isoshop.com/dae/dae/articles/communiques/GAO_F-35March09.pdf for the full report (51 pages in PDF format) hosted by defense-aerospace.com.