2017-09-04 By Todd Miller Going five for five in the complex, methodical and engineering-driven military aircraft test regimes is rare. Weather, range logistics, recording equipment, aircraft readiness or one of any other number of details typically conspire to scrub a test flight. This past July the Textron Aviation Defense Team…
2017-08-23 By Robbin Laird I have been writing for some time about the strategic shift or one could call revolution to building software upgradeable systems. The new multi-mission platforms on sea or in the air such as the Australian ANZAC Class frigates or the Wedgetail are simply different from legacy…
2017-08-19 With the declining numbers of Tornados (the RAF is already on a clear sunset schedule) the German Air Force is closing its training facility in New Mexico. The German air force has entered its final stage of departure, however they are not expected to complete their departure from Holloman…
08/21/2017: The Royal Australian Navy’s newest ship, the air warfare destroyer (AWD) NUSHIP Hobart, arrived in her home port of Sydney for the first time prior to her commissioning in September. The future HMAS Hobart is the first of three Hobart Class destroyers. In 2017, Hobart successfully completed builder and acceptance…
2017-08-15 By Todd Miller The desert skies of southern New Mexico currently host the USAF Light Attack Experiment (OA-X). During the experiment the three turboprops (Sierra Nevada Corp./Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, Air Tractor Inc./L3 Platform Integration AT-802L Longsword, Textron Aviation’s AT-6 Wolverine) and single jet (Textron Scorpion) are piloted by…
2017-08-14 By Todd Miller USAF leadership, international representatives and media gathered at Holloman AFB August 9, 2017 to focus on the USAF's OA-X Experiment. The event was organized under the auspices of the USAF Light Attack Experiment (OA-X) featuring the Sierra Nevada Corp./Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, Air Tractor Inc./L3 Platform…
2017-08-08 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird The USAF is looking to add a light attack aircraft to its inventory to deal with air support operations at the low intensity warfare end of the equation. And they are conducting an experiment to determine a way ahead throughout the month of August…
2017-07-31 In a recent article by Andrew Tillett published in The Financial Review, the growth in Australian defense industry associated with the launch of new Australian defense programs is examined. Australia has had some success stories. Thales' Bushmaster vehicle proved its worth in Afghanistan by protecting soldiers from blasts and…
