Defense Daily reports, “The Marine Corps’ newest Aviation Plan underscored the importance of new sensors to be installed on the V-22 Osprey to better predict when parts need to be replaced to avoid previous incidents. The document said this new Osprey Drive System Safety and…”
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Tag: military aviation
New Report Highlights Pilot Shortage and Calls for More Air Force Fighters
Defense One reports, “The Air Force has long struggled with a shortage of fighter pilots, with 1,150 empty billets in 2024, and aviators leaving the service in droves. How can they turn things around? Buy more planes and keep more pilots in its reserve component, says a new policy paper from a prominent aerospace think tank.”
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Lockheed Martin to Upgrade USAF F-22 Raptor Infrared Sensors
Aerotime reports, “Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $270 million contract by the US Air Force to integrate next-generation infrared defensive sensors on the F-22 Raptor. Under the agreement, the F-22 will be equipped with a distributed set of embedded TacIRST sensors, collectively known as the Infrared Defensive System (IRDS). These sensors are designed to bolster the Raptor’s ability to detect, track, and counter adversarial threats in the infrared spectrum.”
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US Naval Air Systems Command Grounds V-22 Ospreys After New Incident
Aerotime reports, “The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has issued an operational pause for all Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flights across the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force as of December 6, 2024. The decision, first reported by AP, follows a precautionary landing of a US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) CV-22 Osprey on November 20, 2024, at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, likely due to a material failure.”
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USAF General Says Crewed Warplanes Will Be Needed for Many Years
Defense One reports, “The U.S. military is many years away from letting robots take over the role of human pilots, according to the Air Force official who oversees development of AI piloting technology. ‘There may be someday we can completely rely on robotized warfare’ but ‘it is centuries away,’ said Brig. Gen. Doug Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing.”
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U.S. Air Force to Order More Autonomous Fighter Prototypes
Aviation Week reports, “The U.S. Air Force plans to add more orders for the first batch of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes to equip a newly established experimental operations unit, acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said on Nov. 13. The additional orders come after the Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) for CCA Increment 1 prototypes in April.”
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U.S. Air Force to Boost its MH-139 Fleet by Adding Over a Dozen Helos
Breaking Defense reports, “After moving to halve the fleet in fiscal year 2025, a new Pentagon review says the Air Force now plans to add over a dozen MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters back into the aircraft’s program of record — averting a “critical” cost breach in the process. The planned procurement boost is likely a boon to prime contractor Boeing as well as Italian firm Leonardo, whose commercial AW139 serves as the Grey Wolf’s baseline.”
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First MH-139A Grey Wolf Delivered to US Air Force
Defense News reports, “Boeing announced on Monday it has delivered the first production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter to the U.S. Air Force.” Boeing’s MH-139A Grey Wolf is slated to conduct security patrols at nuclear missile fields, but plans to slash the fleet have triggered cost overruns. “The helicopter will be stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Boeing said.”
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Air Force Says 2023 V-22 Crash Caused by ‘Catastrophic’ Mechanical Failure and ‘Casual’ Crew Decisions
Breaking Defense reports, “Air Force investigators have determined the fatal CV-22B crash that occurred off the coast of Japan in November was caused by a ‘catastrophic failure’ of a proprotor gearbox — a mechanical failure that the service said was made more likely due to the crew’s in-flight decisions and the Osprey program office’s prior failure to effectively communicate relevant data to the military services.”
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Next-Gen Fighter Still On Tap, But More Affordable Redesign Needed, Kendall Says
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Air Force has not abandoned its program to build an advanced next-generation fighter, but it does need a redesign to get costs under control and better integrate its planned drone wingmen, the service’s secretary told Defense News. Secretary Frank Kendall also said a revamped Next Generation Air Dominance fighter platform could end up with a less complex, smaller engine than originally intended to try to hold down its price.”
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