By Robbin Laird The US has introduced a new generation of combat aircraft. These aircraft are different from legacy aircraft notably, in that they are designed, crafted and built differently – they are software upgradeable, data rich military aircraft for 21st century forces. The challenge is to build out the…
2018-02-22 By Robbin Laird Without the composites revolution, it would be difficult to image an Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. Equally, without the composites revolution it would be difficult to envisage the successor to the CH-53E being able to lift three times more than its predecessor. The lift is a function of…
2018-03-02 By Robbin Laird According to an Airbus Defence and Space press release dated March 1, 2018, Belgium's decision to acquire the A300MRTT has highlighted. Madrid, 1 March 2018 – Airbus Defence and Space has received a firm order for an Airbus A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport from Europe’s…
2018-02-19 Recently, the UK Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the US to support RAF C-17 heavy lift transport aircraft into the next decade. According to a story published on the UK Ministry of Defence website: The Foreign Military Sale agreement will provide support for the RAF’s fleet of eight…
2018-02-08 By Robbin Laird The S-92® helicopter was first delivered in 2004, and now, there are nearly 300 deployed worldwide by various commercial customers. What makes the S-92 notably of interest for students of military systems is that the S-92 is the first helicopter deployed with digital systems for monitoring…
2018-02-10 Recently, the UK Minister of Defence procurement officially opened a new Atlas hangar which is large enough to contain three of the RAF’s new Atlas transport aircraft at the same time. The hangar is part of a significant infrastructure build by the UK Ministry of Defence to support new…
1/31/18: In a deal made prior to President Maron becoming President, France and Germany agreed to join forces and share costs of the new squadron. There will be 4 C130Js on the French side to be acquired by 2019 and 6 on the German side after the Bundestag’s expected green…
2018-01-30 By Robbin Laird For 21st century digital military systems, the development process is both about how you build the evolving aircraft as well as testing the product and evolving the lessons learned into the evolving production process. It is an open-ended learning process. And one, which will characterize the…
